Michelangelo's David...
…after eating the American diet for a couple of years.
4.11.2010
4.08.2010
Land of the Morning Calm? Really?
I am in Korea, which, I am told, is the Land of the Morning Calm. That name is either meant to be irony, or it was given by someone who has never been to Korea. Koreans get up early. Really, really early. It seems to be part of the national DNA. They get up early, I am told to pray. This is a practice near and dear to Korean Christians' hearts, but I learned this week that the practice predates Christianity as a Korean tradition. In any case, churches, mountains and pretty much all of Korea stir very early and go to prayer at about 5:00 AM. Koreans, in case you are unaware, are a fervent and vocal people, and they pray with great vigor… and great volume. At 5:00 AM. I am — for those of you who are unfamiliar — very much a night person. If my clocks even HAVE a 5:00 AM I am totally unaware of it, having almost never actually experienced a 5:00 AM. Morning Calm. Maybe somewhere, but not in Korea.
4.06.2010
Eye-opening international perspectives
I am in a class with a very diverse international group of students. They come from all across Asia… India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar… many of them from Muslim-dominant nations. I have listened today to hours of those students expressing their world-views in regards to Islamic fundamentalism, America and our American leadership. It has been an eye-opener. There is pretty much universally a view among them that the election of Obama as U.S. President was celebrated in their nations as a major victory among the Islamic citizens of their nations with dancing in the streets. BHO has been referred to in those countries as Mubarrack Hussein Obama. It has been sobering and a bit frightening to hear them express their hearts.
4.03.2010
3.30.2010
Travelocity - Hawaiian Air - Korean Air problem
Just had a frustrating circular pass-the-buck customer service fiasco, and thought I would issue a warning. The story: I am traveling to Korea with an associate this Saturday. I booked the flight months ago using Travelocity, a service I have used successfully before. I purchased a ticket on Hawaiian Airlines because the dates and flight times were right, and the price was right. As it turns out, the flight I booked is a code-share route with Korean Air… in other words, that Hawaiian Air ticket bought a seat on a Korean Air flight. So far, so good. I like Korean Air. I am even a card-carrying member of their frequent flier program. I am also a Hawaiian Air frequent flier. The problem arose when I started trying to get a seat pre-assignment. I am one of those people who must (emphasis on the MUST) get up and go to the restroom frequently during flights, so I always book an aisle seat: I'd much prefer to have others climb over me than to inconvenience them by climbing over -- and on an 11 hour flight, it can be a lot of climbing! I called Travelocity - "We can't help you with that… the seat assignments must be done by the airline, so call Korean Air." I called Korean Air - "I'm sorry; your ticket is actually a Hawaiian Air ticket, so they have to issue seat assignment." I called Hawaiian Airlines - "I'm sorry; this is a code-share flight, and you will actually be on a Korean Air flight, so they have to issue the seat assignment." So, in short, I am in seat assignment limbo. Each responsible partner points at one of the others and says "Sorry - see them…" and nobody seems able to assist me. I am, needless to say, very frustrated and highly disappointed in two airlines and a company I use often. Everyone is polite. Everyone is apologetic. Everyone is powerless. This is an epic customer relations fiasco, and I am not looking forward to the two long flights.
3.23.2010
Hang on - they're coming for your freedom
20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms
The sections described below are taken from HR 3590 as agreed to by the Senate and from the reconciliation bill as displayed by the Rules Committee.
1. You are young and don’t want health insurance? You are starting up a small business and need to minimize expenses, and one way to do that is to forego health insurance? Tough. You have to pay $750 annually for the “privilege.” (Section 1501)
2. You are young and healthy and want to pay for insurance that reflects that status? Tough. You’ll have to pay for premiums that cover not only you, but also the guy who smokes three packs a day, drink a gallon of whiskey and eats chicken fat off the floor. That’s because insurance companies will no longer be able to underwrite on the basis of a person’s health status. (Section 2701).
3. You would like to pay less in premiums by buying insurance with lifetime or annual limits on coverage? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer such policies, even if that is what customers prefer. (Section 2711).
4. Think you’d like a policy that is cheaper because it doesn’t cover preventive care or requires cost-sharing for such care? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer policies that do not cover preventive services or offer them with cost-sharing, even if that’s what the customer wants. (Section 2712).
5. You are an employer and you would like to offer coverage that doesn’t allow your employers’ slacker children to stay on the policy until age 26? Tough. (Section 2714).
6. You must buy a policy that covers ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services; chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care.
You’re a single guy without children? Tough, your policy must cover pediatric services. You’re a woman who can’t have children? Tough, your policy must cover maternity services. You’re a teetotaler? Tough, your policy must cover substance abuse treatment. (Add your own violation of personal freedom here.) (Section 1302).
7. Do you want a plan with lots of cost-sharing and low premiums? Well, the best you can do is a “Bronze plan,” which has benefits that provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 60% of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan. Anything lower than that, tough. (Section 1302 (d)(1)(A))
8. You are an employer in the small-group insurance market and you’d like to offer policies with deductibles higher than $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families? Tough. (Section 1302 (c) (2) (A).
9. If you are a large employer (defined as at least 101 employees) and you do not want to provide health insurance to your employee, then you will pay a $750 fine per employee (It could be $2,000 to $3,000 under the reconciliation changes). Think you know how to better spend that money? Tough. (Section 1513).
10. You are an employer who offers health flexible spending arrangements and your employees want to deduct more than $2,500 from their salaries for it? Sorry, can’t do that. (Section 9005 (i)).
11. If you are a physician and you don’t want the government looking over your shoulder? Tough. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to use your claims data to issue you reports that measure the resources you use, provide information on the quality of care you provide, and compare the resources you use to those used by other physicians. Of course, this will all be just for informational purposes. It’s not like the government will ever use it to intervene in your practice and patients’ care. Of course not. (Section 3003 (i))
12. If you are a physician and you want to own your own hospital, you must be an owner and have a “Medicare provider agreement” by Feb. 1, 2010. (Dec. 31, 2010 in the reconciliation changes.) If you didn’t have those by then, you are out of luck. (Section 6001 (i) (1) (A)).
13. If you are a physician owner and you want to expand your hospital? Well, you can’t (Section 6001 (i) (1) (B). Unless, it is located in a country where, over the last five years, population growth has been 150% of what it has been in the state (Section 6601 (i) (3) ( E)). And then you cannot increase your capacity by more than 200% (Section 6001 (i) (3) (C)).
14. You are a health insurer and you want to raise premiums to meet costs? Well, if that increase is deemed “unreasonable” by the Secretary of Health and Human Services it will be subject to review and can be denied. (Section 1003)
15. The government will extract a fee of $2.3 billion annually from the pharmaceutical industry. If you are a pharmaceutical company what you will pay depends on the ratio of the number of brand-name drugs you sell to the total number of brand-name drugs sold in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the brand-name drugs in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2.3 billion, or $230,000,000. (Under reconciliation, it starts at $2.55 billion, jumps to $3 billion in 2012, then to $3.5 billion in 2017 and $4.2 billion in 2018, before settling at $2.8 billion in 2019 (Section 1404)). Think you, as a pharmaceutical executive, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 9008 (b)).
16. The government will extract a fee of $2 billion annually from medical device makers. If you are a medical device maker what you will pay depends on your share of medical device sales in the U.S. So, if you sell 10% of the medical devices in the U.S., what you pay will be 10% multiplied by $2 billion, or $200,000,000. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for R&D? Tough. (Section 9009 (b)).
The reconciliation package turns that into a 2.9% excise tax for medical device makers. Think you, as a medical device maker, know how to better use that money, say for research and development? Tough. (Section 1405).
17. The government will extract a fee of $6.7 billion annually from insurance companies. If you are an insurer, what you will pay depends on your share of net premiums plus 200% of your administrative costs. So, if your net premiums and administrative costs are equal to 10% of the total, you will pay 10% of $6.7 billion, or $670,000,000. In the reconciliation bill, the fee will start at $8 billion in 2014, $11.3 billion in 2015, $1.9 billion in 2017, and $14.3 billion in 2018 (Section 1406).Think you, as an insurance executive, know how to better spend that money? Tough.(Section 9010 (b) (1) (A and B).)
18. If an insurance company board or its stockholders think the CEO is worth more than $500,000 in deferred compensation? Tough.(Section 9014).
19. You will have to pay an additional 0.5% payroll tax on any dollar you make over $250,000 if you file a joint return and $200,000 if you file an individual return. What? You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9015).
That amount will rise to a 3.8% tax if reconciliation passes. It will also apply to investment income, estates, and trusts. You think you know how to spend the money you earned better than the government? Like you need to ask. (Section 1402).
20. If you go for cosmetic surgery, you will pay an additional 5% tax on the cost of the procedure. Think you know how to spend that money you earned better than the government? Tough. (Section 9017).
3.22.2010
Real practical advice: sandwiches
I love being thinner. I feel stronger, have more energy, look better in my clothes (to the extent that is possible) and actually get physically ill when I eat something unhealthy! This is a HUGE lifestyle change for a guy raised in the south eating pretty much everything fried, and bread-bread-bread at every meal. Still, sometimes I miss the taste and texture of bread. Bread is not evil. Jesus is called "the BREAD of life." So my way of having a taste of bread in a familiar format is to eat a sandwich now and then, but instead of a huge bun or two slices of bread, I use Oroweat Sandwich Thins. They are thin, multi-grain and whole grain, only 100 calories for the entire "bun" with 5g of fiber and 1g of fat. Give them a try. This is not a paid endorsement. http://www.sandwichthins.com/
3.21.2010
Another pound down
Posting a day early since I plan to be out and about all day Monday and might forget to do it.
I am down exactly one more pound for the week, despite being locked in my office for days on end completing papers and projects during Fuller finals week, which meant I did NOT eat as well or as often as normal, and I probably nervously snacked more. I am pretty sure I didn't drink nearly as much water as I should have last week, because the constant interruptions for bathroom breaks was messing me up! SO... in short, I'll take one pound and run with it!3.15.2010
The ides of March weigh-in
The magic number for this week is 185.7 pounds. That's a loss of 1.2 pounds for the past week, so the downward trend continues. A loss of a pound a week works well for me at this stage. Think about it… if a person could lose a pound a week, that would be 52 pounds per year. (The inverse of this is the way weight gain creeps up on us. If we GAIN a pound a week, we put on more than 50 pounds in a year.)
The quest for the skinny me hidden under layers of padding continues. Stay tuned.3.08.2010
March 8 weigh-in
There you have it. 186.9 -- actually just under a half pound MORE than a week ago, but that's a relief. I spent a large part of the past week at a conference, eating out, having buffet lunches with not always the most healthy options, sitting in sessions 12 hours a day unable to eat meals on a good schedule and no exercise.
I was really thinking "this weigh-in could be a disaster… I might have gained 5 pounds this week!" The number on the scales this morning were a huge relief.You might actually see my shirt tucked in more often!
3.05.2010
What's a Magic Jack, and does it work?
Magic Jack is NOT free, but it deserves to be mentioned for its value to churches and non-profit organizations operating internationally. It is a consumer version of Voice Over IP… that means that instead of your phone call being transmitted over the normal system of telephone wires, your call is carried over the internet. Each Magic Jack has a unique phone number assigned to it. NOTE: Hawaii residents will be unable to get an 808 Area Code, so the number will be an out-of-area number.
You purchase a small device about the size of a Zippo lighter: it is 2.5 inches x 1.5 inches x a little more than 1/2 inch thick. It plugs into the USB port on your computer and downloads a small piece of controller software that enables dialing on your computer. The Magic Jack device has a jack into which you can plug any standard telephone that uses an RJ-11 connector:
That's all there is to it. Pick up the phone and dial. It works. You can order it online at http://www.magicjack.com or purchase it at local retailers like Target, WalMart, Radio Shack, Walgreens and others. The price ranges from about $39 – $49 dollars, but that includes one year of service at the $19.95 annual rate.
In terms of practical value for churches? If you travel on short-term missions, or sponsor/support a missionary in another country, a Magic Jack enables them to avoid expensive cell phone charges and -- if they have a reasonably fast internet connection -- they can make and receive calls on a Magic Jack and stay in communication regularly.3.03.2010
The advantages of a Google Voice number
Google Voice is a FREE service that assigns a unique phone number to you, as an individual -- it is not tied to a landline, cell phone or ANY phone at all. You can assign (and REassign) that unique number to ring any of your phones, all of your phones, or any combination of phones of your choosing.
(The downside of Google Voice for those of us in Hawaii is that they have no 808 Area Code numbers, so your Google Voice number will be an out-of-area number)
This video is a pretty good explanation of the basic concept:
There is an entire series of videos to explain the many features of Google Voice:
What is Twitter, and why would I want it?
This little video explains the general idea of Twitter in easy-to-understand terms…
This is a blog article (I didn't write it - I'm just sharing it) that explains some of the benefits of using Twitter.
And here's a video tutorial on how to sign up and get started with a FREE Twitter account!
3.02.2010
3.01.2010
Café Church
My professor for Theology & Culture, Dr. John Drane, posted something very interesting today about an out-of-the-box ministry opportunity.
"Two major UK coffee shop chains (Costa, a UK brand. and Gloria Jean's, an Australian company) are in partnership with Christians to facilitate what are being called cafe churches. Every local manager now has instructions from head office about how to go about it, and there is an official training program to help church people understand how to do it without offending either staff or clients in the shops.
If you want to do it, you first of all have to register, then go on a training course, and the cafe church office will then liaise with your local store to introduce you. After that, it's up to you. This way, the stores know that the people they are introduced to have been approved and trained, and won't cause problems, while the agreed protocols keep everyone happy.
I was speaking with folks at a recent training event, and they all confirmed that there should be no cost to Christians for doing this. All the coffee shops ask is for a minimum spend on drinks etc., which varies with the size of the store, but which is generally low enough that if you have a reasonable crowd you're not going to miss the target. Go to www.cafechurch.net for all the details.
The chain that owns Costa Coffee also owns lots of pubs and restaurants, so you might expect to see it rolled out there as well."
What a great opportunity! Go get it!
2.28.2010
March 1 Weigh-In
I did my weekly weigh-in a few hours early this week, since I will be on the run all day Monday and won't have time to do it.
My weight this week? 186.5 — that's down another 2.4 pounds since last week! My starting weight was 199.8 so this represents a total weight loss of 13.3 pounds in 5 weeks, an average of 2.66 pounds per week! I am wearing clothing now I had shoved to the back of the closet as too tight, and I had to go buy a new belt this week.
Six-and-a-half pounds away from my goal weight range (shooting for between 175–180 maintenance range) and it is easier than I thought. I no longer crave massive quantities of cards and sugars. I order better choices when eating out, splurge/feast only on rare occasions and then return to a more disciplined way of eating. Who knows; I may be able to actually wear a TUCKED-IN aloha shirt soon!
2.22.2010
Week 4 weigh-in: If I were a stock, I'd be up 1/2
(Sorry for the blurry photo!)
Yep - I am actually UP 1/2 pound this week. It was a week of introducing more variety back into my diet, eating on the run, and less discipline that past weeks just because of my schedule. Restaurants are my enemy while I try to maintain a steady weight loss, and this is a period of my life when restaurants will be unavoidable. I am not terribly discouraged by this, even though I hoped to see some loss. This is another week, and another period of measurement. I am STILL more than 10 pounds lighter than when I started, and on my way toward being formerly fat.My overall feeling of health and wellness is tremendously improved, and I press on toward the goal!
2.15.2010
Week 3 weigh-in: a milestone!
I broke a psychological barrier at this weigh-in; I now weigh LESS than 190 for the first time in decades. 118.4 means I lost only another 1.8 pounds, but it seems really significant to break below 190.
We went out for Valentine's Day/Amy's Birthday, and chose Tanaka of Tokyo as a healthier option -- grilled, fresh foods, smaller portions… we even broke the diet at that meal with a tiny piece of birthday cake with ice cream, and I ate a taste of rice! I was worried that it would wreck the progress, but I feel great that I still trend downward.
2.12.2010
Stalled this week?
This was the week for the introduction of a few more foods into the diet, and -- honesty and transparency here -- I feel stalled. I mean I will be shocked if I lost ANY weight at all this week. I didn't go nuts… I have had maybe 2 or 3 slices of whole grain bread all week, half a banana, a couple of small bowls of Cheerios with Smart Balance milk, some sweet potato… but no sweets, no mashed potatoes, no cake, pie, donuts, sweet tea or the like.
It seems too early for a plateau so I am not sure if it's portion control or what? I don't load the plate, don't go back for seconds and work the treadmill 6 days a week. I guess we shall see on my Monday weigh-in...
It seems too early for a plateau so I am not sure if it's portion control or what? I don't load the plate, don't go back for seconds and work the treadmill 6 days a week. I guess we shall see on my Monday weigh-in...
2.08.2010
Felma on my mind
This week marks the one year anniversary of a life-changing trip and met a little girl who embedded herself into my heart. On February 10, 2009 I boarded a flight in Honolulu headed for Manila, in The Philippines, and then further south to Davao, in Mindanao. A few days later, on Valentine's Day — my wife, Amy's birthday — I came face to face with a smiling 9-year-old girl named Felma dressed in her Sunday best.
Felma is the child we sponsor through Compassion International and it was an incredible opportunity to be able to travel to her city and spend time with her.Here's a video produced by the amazing folks at Studio Red about that trip: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1125476817413&oid=70267985589
14-day weight loss weigh-in
There's the magic scales photo. As of this morning I have lost a total of 9.6 pounds since I started 14 days ago — that's 4.8% of my original body weight. My starting weight was 199.8 and the first week I lost 6.1 pounds, weighing in at 193.7. This morning's weigh-in at 190.2 equals a second week loss of another 3.5 pounds.
I confess: I was hoping for just 1/4 pound more loss to take me into the 180s (even 189.9) but I am still pleased with the progress as I enter Phase 2 of the program and introduce a little more variety into the diet. It will be nice to have a taste of fruit and some whole grains now and then. If I can continue to lose a pound or two each week in Phase 2 I can achieve my goal range of between 175-180 pounds over the next 6 weeks. The end of March, beginning of April would be a great time to fit back into my skinny clothes!14-day weight loss weigh-in
There's the magic scales photo. As of this morning I have lost a total of 9.6 pounds since I started 14 days ago — that's 4.8% of my original body weight. My starting weight was 199.8 and the first week I lost 6.1 pounds, weighing in at 193.7. This morning's weigh-in at 190.2 equals a second week loss of another 3.5 pounds.
I confess: I was hoping for just 1/4 pound more loss to take me into the 180s (even 189.9) but I am still pleased with the progress as I enter Phase 2 of the program and introduce a little more variety into the diet. It will be nice to have a taste of fruit and some whole grains now and then. If I can continue to lose a pound or two each week in Phase 2 I can achieve my goal range of between 175-180 pounds over the next 6 weeks. The end of March, beginning of April would be a great time to fit back into my skinny clothes!2.04.2010
Getting a little greener
I have never been much of an environmentalist, frankly. I don't toss rubbish out the car window or pour motor oil in the storm drains, but I have never been very proactively green. But I'm trying.
I just took notice of how many plastic bottles we go through in a week at our home, and it started bothering me. We are not a large family but between the water, juice and soda we discard dozens weekly.
"The most reliable statistics from the
Pacific Institute put America’s love affair with water bottles at 31.2 billion liters of water in 2006. Due to negative press on the possible health effects of the use, most people are aware water bottles are sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. In order to manufacture these bottles over 900,000 tons of plastic is needed. The mainstream manufacturing process that produces PET bottles requires a combination of natural gas and petroleum. The petroleum requirement is where the statistics show that America’s obsession could be hurting their wallets at the gas pump.Bottom line, the production of 31.2 billion liters of water for the U.S. bottled water market took roughly 17.6 million barrels of oil. The calculation is explained in more detail at the Pacific Institute’s information page under the energy requirements for plastic bottles. The simple break down is 3.4 megajoules of energy to produce a water bottle, cap and packaging with a barrel of oil producing about 6 thousand megajoules. Taking those numbers into account you arrive at 17.6 million barrels of oil, enough oil to run 1.5 million cars on U.S. roadways for an entire year."
Source: http://i.treehugger.com
It adds up, and adds up fast.
So I am taking one small personal step toward reducing my use and disposal of plastic bottles. I went out to Costco and bought a 3-pack of Contigo 24-ounce reusable water bottle and use my black one constantly instead of grabbing a bottled water and disposing of the bottle. It's not that inconvenient, holds more water (increasing my water consumption) and is spill-proof, had a handle that hooks onto a backpack and is dishwasher safe.
If more people would take that simple step...
2.01.2010
Week 1 weigh-in
Total weight-loss on for the first week: 6.1 pounds.
SIX POINT ONE POUNDS in one week. Not "Biggest-Loser" loss, but a great start.Week 1 weigh-in
Total weight-loss on for the first week: 6.1 pounds.
SIX POINT ONE POUNDS in one week. Not "Biggest-Loser" loss, but a great start.1.29.2010
Honolulu 2010 • The HIM Conference
One of the highlights of my year, every year, is the Hawaiian Islands Ministries Christian equipping conference. In a lot of ways it is like a big family reunion for the Christian community in Hawaii. There's a real sense of unity and excitement when we all get together, worship together and learn together. I have attended for years and have built up a list of favorite speakers… Francis Chan, Tony Campolo, Dan Chun. Don Cousins, Nick Vujicic… did I mention Francis Chan? Every year I hear a new speaker I have never heard — often never even heard of — and discover new treasures. This year, for the first time, I have been invited to teach a breakout session. My subject is more practical than spiritual, but is badly needed. I am going to show churches and ministries how to increase their visibility and impact through the use of social media and (mostly) FREE technologies. The session will be really fun, I think, and people will leave with ideas they can implement the following week, along with step-by-step how to do it instructions, web links and examples. The very fact that you are reading this right now demonstrates the effectiveness of social media; you are either my Facebook friend, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to my Posterous blog. Am I excited? Sure. I have done similar break-out sessions at two international conferences and they have been well-recieved, but being recognized as an "expert" at home means more, somehow. That's the good news. The bad news? Today I learned my time slot: the dreaded Saturday, March 6 at 10:30-11:45 am. Why is that time bad? The conference hotel is across the street; the Ala Moana Hotel and they are not always able to accommodate late check outs on Saturday, near the end of the conference. Most of the regulars go to the early Saturday Plenary Session and then, of necessity, skip the 10:30 breakout so they can rush across the street, clear their hotel room, load their suitcases in the car, eat lunch and make the last Plenary Session. It's just the way it is. I have done it, and my friends have done it. Sometimes the lobby of the Ala Moana Hotel is jammed and the break-outs are pretty sparse. A moment of honesty and transparency: because this is my first time as a presenter at HIM, I am certain I will be evaluated to determine whether I am worthy of a repeat performance, and there are two ways presenters are evaluated: of course the paper session evaluations count, but the number of people who select that break-out as an option matters, too. I have sat in sessions with a handful of people and those in overflowing rooms. Guess who gets invited back? So the pressure is on, and I need to round up a room full! All of my Facebook friends who will be at Honolulu 2010, please come to my breakout session and bring a friend along with you! I'll make the 75 minutes worth it.
1.28.2010
Pleasantly plump isn't so pleasant
Feeling fat? Yeah… I can relate. I have a genetic propensity to pudge. I come from a family of fatties. I always attributed it to being raised in the south, with a pretty bad diet. If you have lived in the deep south, you know of what I speak. If you have never spent time below the Mason-Dixon Line, let me explain southern cuisine and cooking for you: get a cast iron skillet, dump in a generous helping of Crisco and start throwing stuff in. Fried pork chops, fried chicken, fried okra, fried squash, fried potatoes, fried green tomatoes… you get the idea — southerners like fried foods! (Hey, even their SNACK foods are fried; deep fried Twinkies and deep fried Snickers bars are actually available. As I grew older, and ate a little bit better, I stopped the massive weight gain common to other family members, but still found myself teetering around 200 pounds all the time at just over 5'10". That's when I decided it was not going to be easy -- beyond the issue of decades of disastrous diet, there was a genetic aspect that would affect my tendency to retain weight in my abdomen. Not insurmountable, but just another issue to be aware of. A couple of years ago I had a huge wake-up call when I felt fatigued, lacked energy and just had that something's-not-right-here knowing. The doctor referred me to a Cardiologist, and in the cath lab they informed me that I had 2 major heart blockages: one was 90% and the other 95%. Two stents later and with some ongoing meds, I felt like a new man, but still had a very sedentary lifestyle and a big gut.
A couple of months ago I bought a treadmill and was horrified when the programmed workout for beginners was way too difficult for me! I was determined, so I kept at it, working up from a few short minutes of slow walking to the point where I can handle the beginners series of programmed workouts without having to slow the machine down or decrease the incline. I am not running yet, but my endurance, strength and general fitness is greatly improved. Alas, I still hovered around the 200 pound mark, despite the increased exercise. My friend Ron, meanwhile, had lost a lot of weight. He started out with more weight than me, and was a little shorter in height, and I was hearing weight loss numbers like 40, 50 and 60 pounds! I learned that he was being coached by our mutual friend, Jan, so I asked for her help. She has started to assist me with my efforts to lose weight and I have been documenting it at http://kahugary.posterous.com/ When I weigh in next week, I'll post an actual, not-Photoshopped photo of the number on the scales. You and I will see whether the plan has resulted in any weight loss. Ron and I will be hoping to offer encouragement, advice and inspiration for those of you who choose to join us on this journey to eat healthier, feel better, fit into your skinny clothes and live longer. We'll try to get Jan to add her experience and wisdom along the way. Get started and join us as we become the FORMERLY FAT!
A couple of months ago I bought a treadmill and was horrified when the programmed workout for beginners was way too difficult for me! I was determined, so I kept at it, working up from a few short minutes of slow walking to the point where I can handle the beginners series of programmed workouts without having to slow the machine down or decrease the incline. I am not running yet, but my endurance, strength and general fitness is greatly improved. Alas, I still hovered around the 200 pound mark, despite the increased exercise. My friend Ron, meanwhile, had lost a lot of weight. He started out with more weight than me, and was a little shorter in height, and I was hearing weight loss numbers like 40, 50 and 60 pounds! I learned that he was being coached by our mutual friend, Jan, so I asked for her help. She has started to assist me with my efforts to lose weight and I have been documenting it at http://kahugary.posterous.com/ When I weigh in next week, I'll post an actual, not-Photoshopped photo of the number on the scales. You and I will see whether the plan has resulted in any weight loss. Ron and I will be hoping to offer encouragement, advice and inspiration for those of you who choose to join us on this journey to eat healthier, feel better, fit into your skinny clothes and live longer. We'll try to get Jan to add her experience and wisdom along the way. Get started and join us as we become the FORMERLY FAT!
1.27.2010
Day 3 breakfast • 2 eggs & ham
Not green eggs... boiled eggs. Treadmill goes better with some Francis Chan audio book inspiration and motivation. "Serving God leftovers..." never fails to get to me. I will avoid the scales til next Monday, but I actually feel like I am starting to lose weight on day 3. Is that even possible?
1.26.2010
Day 2 • Weight Loss
Day 2 will be a little more difficult, because I am really struggling with allergy symptoms… itchy eyes, runny nose… as a result of the lingering VOG. VOG is a haze from volcanic gasses we get several times a year when the wind conditions are right. Or wrong. Further complication: a badly needed dental appointment in an hour may make the snacking process messy. But we will persevere! Breakfast was 3 boiled eggs and 2 slices of ham, and black coffee. Lots of water.
1.25.2010
Healthy lunch
We were out when meal time came so I chose Costco Chicken Salad as the healthiest available alternative.
Weight-loss weigh in • Day 1
Well, here's the starting point. 199.8 is the official weight on the morning of day 1. In two weeks I will weigh in again and post the photo so I can see if I have actually lost weight and, if so, how much… and you'll see it right along with me!
Let the weight loss begin
Day One of the cleansing phase of losing weight will begin Monday, January 25, 2010, if I can ever make it to bed from Sunday so I can start my Monday with rest!
Since so many people today expressed an interest in how I plan to do it, I am posting a summary. It is a modified South Beach plan.
The first 2 weeks is designed to break the addiction to a diet filled with sugar and carbs. Eat nothing from a box, bag, or can. (If it wasn't a food a hundred year ago, it's not a food today!) Fresh, or fresh frozen veggies and lean meats are the key.
You will probably actually eat MORE than usual and stay full all day, but lose weight. You will eat breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, and dinner.
1. Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of rising to kickstart your metabolism. Do not skip breakfast!
2. Eat lean meats, fresh or fresh frozen vegetables, and salads.
3. For this first 2 weeks, it’s pretty much NO WHITE FOOD. No flour (bread, pasta, pancakes, etc.), no sugar (no soda, no FRUITS, no carrots, corn or milk products), no rice, no potatoes.
4. Double your daily water intake.
Do weights, or any kind of resistance exercise along with cardio.
For breakfast, eat eggs and lean breakfast meat. Water/coffee/tea (no cream and sugar!)/V-8 juice are okay, but no sweet fruit juices!
Snacks: Handful of unsalted almonds, peanut butter on celery, piece of ham or turkey rolled with some low-fat cheese are typical.
Lunch: Fresh salad can include lean meat (like a chicken or tuna salad). NO croutons! Or lean meat (like a boneless, skinless chicken breast on the George Forman grill) and fresh veggies.
Afternoon snack – same options as mid-morning.
Dinner: similar to lunch.
Portion control, points and calorie counting are not the issue with this… the idea is to eat every two hours or so, before you get hungry, and keep your metabolism high. Your body will adjust to never being hungry by starting to burn instead of store fat.
Don’t eat after dinner! Night snacking is a diet-killer.
I will weigh in Monday morning to get a baseline weight, and will not get back on the scales for 14 days, at which time I will report honestly whether I have, in fact, lost weight, and, if so, how much.
12.21.2009
Why abortion is a deal-breaker
One of the major points of controversy in the proposed national healthcare upheaval is the matter of abortion. Liberals ultimately demand abortion on demand, at any time, for any reason. Conservatives -(REAL conservatives, not Republicans who work the electorate to the right and then vote left)- see abortion as a non-negotiable moral issue, and can't understand how anyone could entertain compromise on such a matter.
This article says that "Twice now, abortion was almost a dealbreaker." http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091222/D9CO403G0.html
Since I have a very eclectic collection of friends, including liberals, Democrats, and a smattering of atheists and agnostics, I have been asked "Why is abortion such a deal-breaker for you?" I'll try to explain it.
Abortion opponents like to show pictures of unborn/pre-born babies in utero to show the humanness... little fingers and toes and beating hearts, and that is a major issue. If one believes that life begins at conception, rather than at birth, there's little difference between ending the life of a fetus at 5 months or a 5 month-old baby.
But I think there's a huge elephant in the room that nobody likes to mention. My liberal friends refer to abortion as a "women's issue," but it's not an issue for any of the women in my immediate circle of friends. It's an issue for liberal women; dare I say, it's an issue for promiscuous women.
Women who remain virgins until marriage, and then remain faithful to their husband for life are not out campaigning in favor of abortion on demand. It is women who are sexually active before marriage, and outside of marriage, who are the vocal advocates of abortion. (Let me pause while some of you regain your composure and pick your jaw up off the floor; believe it or not, there are, indeed, women who walk down the aisle in a well-deserved white bridal gown, have their first sexual experience on their honeymoon, and live in faithful commitment to one man for life. There are men who are equally innocent and faithful.)
The availability of abortion reduces the imperative to remain sexually innocent, because the consequences of pre- and extra-marital sex are provided a failsafe. For those of us who believe in a God who demands that we live within parameters of conduct he has clearly defined, we also believe that their are laws governing our behavior. Just as surely as Newton's Third Law of Motion demands that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," God's Law demands that sin has consequences. There are natural, human consequences that we suffer in our bodies, and eternal consequences if the sin is not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. \
Abortion is an attempt to by-pass one consequence of sin by burying the evidence.
12.07.2009
Before you jump on the advocacy science bandwagon
With age comes some perspective. Although it's trendy and fashionable to buy into the current hysteria about "Global Warming," within my lifetime I can remember scientists arguing (hysterically) the exact opposite view. There has been no substantial warming of the environment for the past 12 years. Period. Want a dose of realism and perspective? Check out these links: http://www.denisdutton.com/cooling_world.htm http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/ice_ages.html http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/12/back-when-global-cooling-was-rage.html http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/6/437
12.06.2009
Cornwall Alliance releases An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming
Cornwall Alliance releases An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming
As governments consider policies to fight alleged man-made global warming, evangelical leaders have a responsibility to be well informed, and then to speak out. A Renewed Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Examination of the Theology, Science, and Economics of Global Warming demonstrates that many of these proposed policies would destroy jobs and impose trillions of dollars in costs to achieve no net benefits. They could be implemented only by enormous and dangerous expansion of government control over private life. Worst of all, by raising energy prices and hindering economic development, they would slow or stop the rise of the world’s poor out of poverty and so condemn millions to premature death.
- We believe Earth and its ecosystems—created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence —are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth’s climate system is no exception. Recent global warming is one of many natural cycles of warming and cooling in geologic history.
- We believe abundant, affordable energy is indispensable to human flourishing, particularly to societies which are rising out of abject poverty and the high rates of disease and premature death that accompany it. With present technologies, fossil and nuclear fuels are indispensable if energy is to be abundant and affordable.
- We believe mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, achievable mainly by greatly reduced use of fossil fuels, will greatly increase the price of energy and harm economies.
- We believe such policies will harm the poor more than others because the poor spend a higher percentage of their income on energy and desperately need economic growth to rise out of poverty and overcome its miseries.
- We deny that Earth and its ecosystems are the fragile and unstable products of chance, and particularly that Earth’s climate system is vulnerable to dangerous alteration because of minuscule changes in atmospheric chemistry. Recent warming was neither abnormally large nor abnormally rapid. There is no convincing scientific evidence that human contribution to greenhouse gases is causing dangerous global warming.
- We deny that alternative, renewable fuels can, with present or near-term technology, replace fossil and nuclear fuels, either wholly or in significant part, to provide the abundant, affordable energy necessary to sustain prosperous economies or overcome poverty.
- We deny that carbon dioxide—essential to all plant growth—is a pollutant. Reducing greenhouse gases cannot achieve significant reductions in future global temperatures, and the costs of the policies would far exceed the benefits.
- We deny that such policies, which amount to a regressive tax, comply with the Biblical requirement of protecting the poor from harm and oppression.
In light of these facts,
- We call on our fellow Christians to practice creation stewardship out of Biblical conviction, adoration for our Creator, and love for our fellow man—especially the poor.
- We call on Christian leaders to understand the truth about climate change and embrace Biblical thinking, sound science, and careful economic analysis in creation stewardship.
- We call on political leaders to adopt policies that protect human liberty, make energy more affordable, and free the poor to rise out of poverty, while abandoning fruitless, indeed harmful policies to control global temperature.
While our signatures express our endorsement only of this Declaration and do not imply agreement with every point in A Renewed Call to Truth, we believe that document provides ample justification for it. We call on scholars and experts to join us in signing this Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming.Any content
* Organization and title are listed for identification only, and do not imply organizational endorsement.
class="posterous_quote_citation">via cornwallalliance.org
11.05.2009
Chaining technologies?
I love exploring technologies and figuring out how to leverage the free (or very cheap) ones.
SHAMELESS PLUG: At the Hawaiian Islands Ministries Honolulu 2010 Conference, March 4-6, I will be leading a breakout session on the use of technology and social media for churches. Be there!
My latest quest is trying to figure out how to chain and combine a few telecom systems.
Google Voice provides an inbound telephone number you can pass out to everyone. That number can be configured to ring your cell phone, your office phone, your home phone, or any combination of those... it can ring all three at the same time, if you'd like, and much more. http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html
Skype is another, different, communications system that I like and use. It is a computer-to-computer voice & video connection, but adds the option to place phone calls to landline or cell phones.
So here's the scenario: next April I will be in Korea for a couple of weeks taking some classes and participating in a leaders' meeting. Using my iPhone in Korea presents some technical issues, not to mention the possibility of a whopping ATT bill from downloading the hundreds of spam emails I get each day. What I would love is the ability to chain my Google Voice number to my Skype account, which would allow people to reach me in Korea any time my computer was on by calling my Google Voice number (which has a North Alabama 256 area code), and the call would seamlessly transfer to my Skype account, and "ring" wherever I was. Good idea, isn't it?
Except that the two services operate on different protocols, and don't play well together. If there is a way to make it work, I will find it, and I will post step-by-step instructions. (If you have a work-around, let me know!)
The complicity of the media perpetuates evil
via mrc.org
"The record compiled over 22 years by the Media Research Center demonstrates how some liberal journalists utterly failed to accurately depict communism as one of the worst evils of the 20th century, and often aimed their fire at those who were fighting communism rather than those who were perpetuating it."
11.04.2009
Black Friday madness
Back when our children were young we planned our shopping excursion on the day after Thanksgiving like a military maneuver. We strategized the likelihood of which stores would have sufficient stock and the smallest crowds, drove all over the island of Oahu from sale, starting in the wee hours of the morning and ending at sundown... or way past sundown.
With no children in the home it is different. Our son, Josh, is married and living in Alabama and our daughter, Tori is 21. She lives at home with us, if you can call showering, changing clothes and sleeping here "living at home." Regardless, there are no desperate searches for the toy-of-the-moment, so shopping is far different now.
We look for one or two items we hope to find deals on, and hit one or two stores. Period. The early leakage of all the major ads for Black Friday make it so much easier. I'll save you the time: I GOOGLED so you won't have to!
Here are links to most of the major sites featuring Black Friday Ads in advance, along with some pre-BF sales and deals.
2.25.2009
Turning points in life
For a week this February I experienced one of those eye-opening, paradigm-shifting, life-changing pivotal events that alter everything that follows in life.
I was among 29 pastors from Hawaii who traveled to the Philippines with Compassion International to see, up close and in real life, the effectiveness of the work of that organization. We went to Davao, in Mindinao, in the far south, where we visited the homes of some of the poorest of the poor... and I use the word "home" very loosely. One such home was barely bigger than the area rug in my living room, about 6' x 8'. That was not a room, it was the entire home, and it had a very low ceiling, no windows, and was pretty much a tiny, shabby box to house the family of five. They were crowded in among perhaps 100 such homes in a desperately poor community where, just feet from their doorway open ditch ran with raw sewage and huge rats scurried about.
The families 18-month-old girl was enrolled in a Compassion Child Survival Project, because infant mortality rates there are exceptionally high due to disease and poor sanitation. The family has no kitchen and no bathroom. They sleep on mats on the floor; and their doorway has a huge gap at the top and bottom for air circulation -- we saw rats running under other such doorways while we stood there.
I was a supporter of the mission and ministry of Compassion International before the trip, but now I am a passionate advocate not only for the organization, but for the people they serve.
The photo? I had the rare privilege of meeting face-to-face with Felma, the 9-year-old girl my wife and I sponsor through Compassion. She's a great kid, with a great heart and an awesome smile, and I want to help Compassion release her from poverty in Jesus' name. You can sponsor a child, too. Look at the Compassion.com website and do it today.
1.02.2009
The only good rat...
The recent wet weather has caused a rodent problem in the church
kitchen adjacent to our home.
Did I mention I hate rodents?
I have caught several mice with glue traps, but these are RATS.
Apparently the latest round of poison is working.
11.24.2008
11.19.2008
No agenda. Of course not.
I am concerned with the camel's nose in the tent argument.
In my lifetime I have watched as...
• The gay-rights advocates begged for nothing more than to be left alone to live their lives in peace.
• They progressed to asking for tolerance and understanding.
• The moved from asking for tolerance to demanding acceptance and respect.
• Acceptance proved to be insufficient, and they moved forward to demanding total equality.
• Along with that equality, they moved to demanding legal protections.
• Given legal protections, they started to demand that their lifestyle and relationships be treated as the same as, and morally equivalent to heterosexual, traditional marriage.
In my lifetime I have watched as...
• The gay-rights advocates begged for nothing more than to be left alone to live their lives in peace.
• They progressed to asking for tolerance and understanding.
• The moved from asking for tolerance to demanding acceptance and respect.
• Acceptance proved to be insufficient, and they moved forward to demanding total equality.
• Along with that equality, they moved to demanding legal protections.
• Given legal protections, they started to demand that their lifestyle and relationships be treated as the same as, and morally equivalent to heterosexual, traditional marriage.
• And -- today -- the Christian owner of eHarmony.com, who started a company to serve as a Christian match-making service was forced to capitulate to the demands and lawsuits of homosexuals claiming discrimination by initiating a gay-match equivalent to eHarmony, even though it violates the owner's deeply held religious beliefs. I remain unconvinced that allowing gay marriages will have little or no impact upon the church, as is claimed.
But, we are assured that there's no gay agenda. Of course not.
But, we are assured that there's no gay agenda. Of course not.
10.23.2008
Unique conference
10.20.2008
Today's blessing
In a storm back in the late Spring, our church steeple was damaged. The strong winds ripped two of the plywood sides off. It looked bad, but got put on a list of "things we really need to take care of" -- and it was not nearly as urgent as many of the other things on that list. I had a health issue, we made that extended trip to the mainland that got extended with Amy's health emergency, and the damaged steeple became an annoyance, but could not be my priority.
I was in the yard last week talking to a neighbor who owns a construction company. He noticed the damaged cross, and I bemoaned the fact that it had taken way too long to repair it. He said, "When my guys complete a job they are on, I'll get them to take a look at it for you." I thanked him profusely and filed it in the "He's-being-nice-but-I-won't-hold-my-breath" file.
This morning I took our little chihuahua outside, as I usually do, and heard noises... I looked up and there were two guys with tools and plywood on the church roof repairing the cross! I brought them some bottled water, thanked them, and then went over and thanked the boss, my neighbor.
Just wanted to share that nice blessing and publicly thank Mr. Guy Hicks and his workers.
10.13.2008
The great delusion
Obligatory disclaimers:
This is a completely personal and unofficial post to a personal blog. In my official capacity as a Pastor/Overseer I don't discuss politics and don't endorse candidates. As an individual American voter, I have opinions, and I express them here to keep them out of the pulpit.
So, having prefaced this, here are my questions... the things with which I struggle for answers that never seem to come.
• After the United States of America lost tens of thousands of lives fighting and defeating the very ideology represented by Senator Obama, why would any sane person with a sense of history vote to hand the reins over to him, essentially rendering the sacrifice of our brave patriots of no effect? Communism, and it's younger sibling Socialism, is a failed economic system. It led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and keeps millions of Cubans and North Koreans living in abject poverty and misery. When Senator Obama says he wants to "spread the wealth around" -- make no mistake, it is code for "redistribution of wealth" which is the core of socialist economics. Redistribution of wealth is sold as "fairness." How is it fair for the government to force you to surrender the fruits of your hard work, initiative and investment risk and have them give your bounty away to people, many of whom have no worked as hard, shown the same initiative or taken your risks?
• I will not question Senator Obama's commitment to Christ or his salvation, but I can not reconcile his stated proposals with my understanding of Biblical Christianity -- so why are some Christians closing their eyes to the facts and voting Obama? He will appoint federal judges and possibly change the make-up of the Supreme Court in ways that will impact the nation for decades to come. No, I am not just talking about Roe v Wade, though that is an issue for me; I am talking about the nature of marriage, private property rights, Second Amendment rights, Education Policy and pretty much every kind of liberal social engineering one might imagine.
• If you are, like me, the parent of a daughter, listen carefully: Senator Obama is in favor of your girl registering for draft... signing up for Selective Service, and he is also in favor of opening all combat positions to women. I served in Vietnam and can tell you that men, by nature, will protect females in danger at the risk of their own lives and to the detriment of the mission at hand. It is another step in the emasculation of our military. I am for women serving in the military, should they choose to do so, but am firmly against drafting women and also against women in front-lines, direct-combat positions.
• Obama is black, or at least HALF black. That's no reason to vote AGAINST him or to vote FOR him. It is just one of many characteristics about the man. I believe we are seeing a reverse Bradley Effect; some people are voting for Obama for no other reason than that he is black. There's a clip on Breitbart.tv in which Howard Stern plays a clip from on the street interviews in Harlem. The interviewer asked people who they were likely to vote for, and all said OBAMA. He then presented John McCain positions to them as if they were Obama's and asked if they agreed with them -- to which they all said "YES!" He even asked if they agreed with Obama's selection of Sarah Palin and they said "YES!" I know there are ignorant McCain voters, too -- I have the SPAM email rumors to prove it -- but those interviews scared me.
10.08.2008
No divisions
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
1 Corinthians 1:10
10.07.2008
Apple a little confused?
potential breakage hazard. The deal was, they send a free replacement
and the consumer sends the "bad" adapter back in the provided box,
using the provided label. The enclosed letter (top of image) says to
take the box to the nearest DHL (formerly Airborne) office. The label
enclosed, however, was a prepaid FedEx label that said to call FedEx
for pickup.
A bit of confusion uncharacteristic for Apple.
10.01.2008
Hey, Congress - bring these guys in to explain it
These two comedians from the UK explained the reasons for the current financial mess better than any of the talking heads on cable news, and they nailed it absolutely. Perhaps the U.S. Congress should bring them in to explain things. (The video is from 2007)
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