Season of Seeking audio #1

The introductory audio recording to encourage the people of REUNION Church in Hawaii as we enter the first 21 days of 2011. 

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TSA groping

The recent outcry over the TSA giving two equally offensive options to travellers — a revealing full body scan or a full body intrusive groping — will inevitably result in an outcry and backlash from flight crews and frequent flyers. I think there might be an interesting lawsuit in the making, too.

The TSA claims the groping is done by agents of the same gender of the person being searched. Will they also certify that 100% of those doing the pat-downs are heterosexual? I mean, it seems that the logical reason for assigning agents of the same gender as the person being searched is to avoid claims of sexual assault by TSA agents… they don't want it to appear that, for example, a male TSA agent is feeling up a pretty young woman. Can they, will they, therefore certify that the FEMALE TSA agent is not a lesbian enjoying the process a bit too much?

The conundrum is that they are probably legally forbidden from disclosing the sexual preference of a TSA agent, or even asking about it, so…

Class action lawsuit(s) ahead? In the words of a great conservo-American, "You betcha."

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A missionary in a foreign culture

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a missionary in a foreign culture.

Oh, I don't mean Hawaii as a location so much. We came to these islands about 30 years ago, burned out bridges to Alabama and adopted this place as home. I love it here. I don't mean I love the sun, sand and surf (those are nice extras) -- I mean I love the people of Hawaii and the place. I have failed and succeeded here, reared our children here, developed deep life-long friendships here and have invested our lives here. This is home, and these people are my people.

But the culture is still, in many ways, very foreign to me, and the election results last night pointed it out once again.

This week in my Fuller Seminary class we are dealing with living as if we are missionaries in a foreign place, and in our REUNION Church Leadership Meeting last night we talked about what that might look like in real terms, to live our lives as if we are missionaries in whatever context we work. We are looking for the natural bridges between those in the church and those in the community in which the church exists, the way an American Missionary to Nepal might do.

2 hours after that meeting I found myself experiencing a teachable moment when the election results from Hawaii came in. The young, attractive, nice guy, born-again Catholic, family-values, church-friendly, former judge, Lt. Governor, Republican candidate for Governor, Duke Aiona, was defeated by 17% by a 72-year-old, ultra-liberal, forner campus radical who favors same-sex marriage, abortion on demand and pretty much every position I find anathema. There are enough evangelical Christian voters in Hawaii to have easily elected Aiona, which tells me that many of them cast a vote for Neil Abercrombie because he has a (D) after his name, despite his moral views that hey might find repugnant. They voted on financial issues (citing the school furloughs) which are temporary, rather than on moral issues, which are eternal. That absolutely astounds me, and reminds me that in this culture I am a stranger, an alien, a foreigner… a missionary.

1st Peter 2:11 (NLT) reminds me, once again that we are merely "temporary residents and foreigners" -- missionaries in a foreign culture.

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Keep this picture in mind at the polls

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Is It True That “1 in 10 Teens Has Had a Same-Sex Partner”? – Kevin DeYoung

Be suspicious of statistics, especially those that seem too good or too bad or too surprising to be true.

You may have seen this amazing news headline: 1 in 10 Teens Has Had a Same-Sex Partner. The story on AOL Health begins this way:

Nearly one in ten teens has had a same-sex partner — double what previous research has shown, according to a surprising new study.

The latest findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, reveal that 9.3 percent of teenagers say they have had at least one partner who is the same sex as they are.

That’s about twice as many as indicated in a 2002 study of Massachusetts and Vermont teens showing 5 to 6 percent of teenagers had had same-sex partners.

“I don’t know that it means there’s an increase in prevalence,” said Massachusetts psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Carlat, AOL Health’s mental health expert. “As homosexuality has become more and more accepted in society, people are more willing to acknowledge their sexuality than they used to be.”

Wow! Who knew? 1 in 10 American teenagers has had a same-sex partner?! That’s really terrible/terrific (depending on your point of view). What a revelation!

The only problem with this revelation is that it’s false. If the reporter for AOL had taken time to read just the abstract for the Pediatrics article she may have seen the heading “CONCLUSIONS” (in all caps) and noted this summary:

Of sexually active adolescents, 9.3% reported a same-sex partner, a higher estimate than other published rates.

AOL speaks of 1 in 10 teens; the original article concludes 9.3% of sexually active adolescents reported a same-sex partner. There’s a big difference. The survey analyzed data from 17,220 teenagers. Of those, 7,261 (or 42%) reported having had sex. So according this study 58% of teens are not having sex with anyone and 9.3% of those have, had same-sex partners, or 3.9% of the total sample.

There are other reasons to be suspicious of the headline. For starters, as AOL reports later in the article: “The new research analyzed data from 17,220 teenagers in New York City who filled out public health surveys” (emphasis mine). The whole Pediatric article is not available online so I can’t comment on the ins and outs of the methodology. But I have to believe that a study dealing with “teens in New York City who fill out public health surveys” is going to yield some different results than, say, teens in Dallas or Atlanta or Sioux Falls.

And then there’s the disturbing information, which the AOL article also reports, that “About a third of teen boys who had bisexual experiences said they’d had forced sex, compared to 6 percent of boys who reported having only heterosexual experiences.” Later the article says that 36% of girls with bisexual experiences and 35% of boys with bisexual experiences endured some kind of “dating violence” in the past year. So, at the very least, a good chunk of the teens with a “same-sex partner” were forced into this experience. Indeed, the journal abstract concludes: “Adolescents with both-sex partners reported a marked prevalence of dating violence and forced sex.”

The lesson in all this is, once again, to be wary of dubious data. It is not true that 1 in 10 teens have had a same-sex partner. What’s true is that around 4% of teens in New York who filled out a public health survey reported a same-sex experience, and that a not insignificant number of those experiences were forced in some way.

Don’t believe everything you hear.

via thegospelcoalition.org

Be careful how you read and interpret statistics, especially in popular media; sometimes there is a reporting agenda, and more often there is just sloppy reporting or the inability of the reporter to ask the hard questions

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Be smart, Hawaii - look FORWARD!

It's one week before the critical election in Hawaii, an election in which the voters of my wonderful state will make a choice of a future-forward outlook or the plantation politics of the past.
The winds of political change are really roaring across America and the agenda of the current Presidential Administration and the current Congress is being soundly repudiated and rejected by the electorate. People who had never been involved in politics and had never attended any kind of rally or protest took to the streets by the hundreds of thousands to raise their voices in protest. They were largely discounted by the national media because the crowds were mostly white, mostly middle-aged and older, mostly conservative, mostly Christian, mostly middle-class -- the people nobody ever expected to organize and protest.

Every major poll suggests that the liberal/left control of Congress has hit a brick wall and will come to an abrupt end on election day. The Republicans are about to gain decisive control of the House of Representatives, and might gain control of the Senate. If Hawaii is to have an effective presence and voice in Congress for the next two years, it is important that we send to Congress some representatives of the party in power. If we vote along plantation party of the past lines and send Democrats to Washington we will spend the next two years out of sync with every piece of major policy shift about to happen, and will see Hawaii out of the loop.

Get smart, Hawaii. Pick a winner from the team that is about to sweep the championship!

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To my voting friends in Hawaii

Let's start with the requisite disclaimer: As a pastor and church leader I make it a point to see that my church never endorses candidates or takes partisan sides in elections.We never tell anyone who to vote for. It's important that I make that clear; I write this as a private citizen stating my personal views.

This looks like a really tight election season here in Hawaii. In the race for Governor there could hardly be a clearer choice. On the one hand, the Democrats have a classic old-school liberal/progressive ticket with Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz. They are far to the left of me on every social issue -- Abercrombie is pro-choice, and has voted against a ban on partial birth abortion. He voted with the interests of NARAL and Planned Parenthood 100% between 2000-2006. His voting record is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is another way of saying he usually takes the side of the isue I find outrageously liberal. Athough he is a very healthy man, he is still 72 years old. I am not really sure a 72-year-old who has lived the past 20 years primarily in Washington, D.C. has his finger on the pulse of Hawaii's issues, and I am really sure he has missed the decided shift to the right we who live every day here have witnessed.

I never vote for (or against) a candidate because of race or ethnicity, but I really think the current Democratic ticket is a disaster in the way of balance… I speak as a haole here: two white males doesn't exactly suggest the diversity of Hawaii I see in my community, my church and my circle of friends.

On the other hand, the Republicans have a strong ticket led by a youthful Kanaka Maoli with a great personality, great intellect, and deep roots in the community. Duke Aiona is on the right side (pun intended) of the issues I think are of critical importance to Christian conservatives in Hawaii. His Lt. Governor running mate, Lynn Finnegan, is sharp and -- together -- they make an attractive, electable team that reflects the Hawaii I see all around me.

The Djou–Hanabusa race is another really clear left/right, liberal/conservative choice, and the national Democrats have been slinging a lot of mud around trying to discredit a really nice guy, Charles Djou. I really hope he holds and increases his lead and keeps his job.

In my area (Kaneohe - 48th District) I support a Democrat, Ken Ito. He has served this community well for 16 years and has been responsive to the voice of his constituents. When I have contacted him in the past urging him to support positions he has been responsive and his votes have reflected my views more often than not.

So those are my personal choices in key races -- Aiona, Djou & Ito.

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The tools keep getting better!

I am writing this note on my iPhone using the FREE Posterous app. It will turn this into a Twitter update & also update my Facebook status. One app to rule them all.

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Want to feel really old and out-of-touch?

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100817/D9HL65T80.html

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Connect with my church on Facebook

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If ever, NOW!

As a pastor and church leader I make it a point to see that my church never endorses candidates or takes partisan sides in elections. We certainly encourage our people to vote and participate in the political process, but we never tell anyone WHO to vote for.

I wanted to make that clear, so that what I say next is clearly understood to be my personal view as a citizen, completely apart from my role as a pastor.

If ever Hawaii needed to wake up and be sure we elect the right person as our next Governor, that time is NOW. There are three major front-runners in the race… Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, former U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie, and Lt. Governor James "Duke" Aiona.
I like Mufi, generally. He is smart, often church-friendly, and — other than being a Democrat — is someone I could find marginally acceptable. He is tap-dancing around the issue of same-sex marriage a bit. Mufi is LDS (Mormon) and the LDS church has been very active in the fight against legalizing and legitimizing same-sex marriage, but Mufi has yet to come out with a strong traditional marriage only position for fear of alienating his Democrat voter base.

Neil? Mr. Abercrombie is your basic classic, ACLU 60s radical leftwing liberal. He lists his religious preference as Non-denominational Protestant, but every position he takes on matters of morality is the opposite of my own, so I am not quite sure what brand of protestantism he means. I think I'd prefer almost anyone over Neil for Governor, but he is a frontrunner. The Democratic Party has anointed him as their choice and he is getting the endorsements of the usual suspects. Thanks, but no thanks.

Which brings us to Duke. Lt. Governor Aiona is a born-again Catholic believer. Of the three major candidates he is the only one who is decisively on the side of righteousness in the matter of same-sex marriage. I have personal confidence that he will push for a public referendum on the issue over further legislative action, and -- if the legislature does take the matter up again -- he would certainly veto it.

For that reason, among others, I will be voting for Duke Aiona for Governor of Hawaii and hope all my friends will do the same.

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"But... I was BORN this way!"

The debate over nature vs nurture in the matter of same-sex marriage keeps coming up. The argument goes like this: you can't hold it against me that I am attracted to people of the same gender… I believe i was BORN this way, so it is just how I am wired!"

The science on this matter is inconclusive, at best, and confusing, at worst. Battling experts make claims refuted by the studies of others.
For the sake of discussion let me work from the assumption (flawed, in my view) that some people are born with a propensity to be attracted to members of their same gender. An aside is necessary at this point: since some people seem to drift in and out of gayness (Anne Heche, former partner of Ellen DeGeneres seems to be a classic example) and some people in prison become "gay for the stay" it is obvious that no such blanket pronouncement that "all gays are born that way" can be made. A second disclaimer: I frequently hear "who would willingly CHOOSE to be gay when it means being rejected by family and disdained by society?" -- you can understand why the straight world sees that argument is specious during Gay Pride Week. There is no "Gay Shame Week" or "Please help me, I hate being this way week." Gay Pride Week is a time when the most outrageous, flamboyant, in-your-face aspects of the gay lifestyle are celebrated and paraded, so, yeah, it looks a lot like a choice to most people despite the coy denials. (But, I digress…)

So, the argument goes, since gays are born that way, society should not only tolerate, but celebrate that difference, and remove all legal constraints and silence any voice that disagrees. Let's follow that logic to its natural conclusion.

I am a 60-year-old man. I was probably born with a natural propensity to be attracted to beautiful 18-year-old girls. But I have been married for 39 years to a lovely woman who is no longer 18, but in her late 50s. I am able to keep my propensity for young hard-bodies firmly under control and focus my affections on my wife. If we buy the "I was born this way" argument, what are we to do with those who swear they were born with a natural attraction to children? After all, they can't help it… they were BORN that way.

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Lingle's veto - my thoughts

There's a way of life that looks harmless enough; 
   look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, 
   but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.

Proberbs 14:12-13 (The Message)

I am old enough, at 60, to have a bit of perspective on issues that the passionate young often lack. I hear people saying that the issue of same-gender marriage, or the exact equivalent by another name, is a civil rights issue. I can understand that argument to an extent — I honestly can… but it is really not that simple.

Everyone who has deeply held core beliefs bases them on something. (Read the first few chapters of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis) For me, and historically in America, our shared fundamental values have flowed from the Judeo-Christian understanding of moral values. Even though we try to be tolerant of those who base theirs on something else, the strength of America has been built upon our mutually shared understanding that it is important for society to express a public morality that transcends religion: regardless of faith, we have a public morality that seeks to discourage public intoxication, while allowing the private consumption of alcohol. We recognize that married people sometimes cheat on their spouses, but we heap upon those who commit adultery appropriate shame. We know, as a society, that we can never completely eliminate the use of recreational narcotics, yet we, as a society, continue to maintain laws against such use, and express our displeasure toward those who indulge. In other words, we, as a society have always legislated matters of morality as perceived by the majority.

Homosexuality is one of those public morality issues. I don't really care what any two consenting adults want to do with each other, or to one another in private. I have some pretty definite opinions about the morality of such behavior, but I recognize that private behavior is impossible to control. In the early days of the so-called "gay rights" movement, the cry was for an end to active persecution of homosexuals. The Stonewall riots in NYC took place the year I graduated from high school. They were a reaction to police raids on a gay gathering spot. 

Gays of the 60s said "Just leave us alone and we'll be happy. That's all we want, is just to be left alone!" That was a position most people found reasonable: leave them alone. But, once left alone (at least somewhat) and given tacit permission of the greater society to gather in private, the progression began…

From "leave us alone", to

Accept us for who we are, to

Celebrate us!, to

Remove every legal difference between us the rest of society.

It was at the "celebrate us" stage that the push back began. The overwhelming majority of Americans find homosexuality repugnant, as evidenced in referendum after referendum. They may be willing to look the other way and give tacit approval to private conduct they find deviant, but they are unwilling to applaud that behavior or celebrate it. 

So now we have reached the stage of gay demands to be afforded all the rights and privileges of their straight neighbors, and they can't understand why everyone is not on board. It is because we, as a society still reserve the right to legislate a common civic morality. Yes, it is at its root faith-based, but it far transcends people of faith. Agnostics, atheists and people of faith share the understanding that there are things about which society takes a civic morality stance and says "this far, and no further."

The proponents of moving toward same-sex relationship acceptance never want the matter to be decided by the people; they aways try to end-run the civic morality views of the community by attempting to utilize activist judges or liberal-Democrat-dominated legislatures to overrule the clearly expressed will of the people.

The canard most often used is, "Well, if the issue of SLAVERY had been put to a popular vote in the 1860s we would still have slaves today!" The obvious — laughable — flaw in that emotional argument is that if we had voted on slavery in the 1860s the slaves would have had no vote and no voice, but this is not slavery, and it is not 1860: it is 2010, and if we hold yet another referendum on whether to override our sense of common civic morality and elevate gay relationships to the equal position of straight relationships, the gay people will have the same right to vote as I have.

The outcome will be the same as every public referendum on the subject. People don't care so much about private, consensual activity, but they prefer a common civic morality that attaches disapproval to gay relationships. 

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TEDTalks (video) - Derek Sivers: Weird, or just different? - Derek Sivers (2009)

Check out this episode of TEDTalks (video) at Derek Sivers: Weird, or just different? - Derek Sivers (2009) - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TEDTalks_video/~3/u7p6qmHV1s0/755

Sent from my iPad

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Strike up Ruffles and Flourishes! GOAL!

This morning I achieved my goal weight of 180 pounds.

(He pauses, waiting for the cheers of the crowd to die sown…)

I am very happy to have attained this goal, and hope to keep losing; I'm setting modest incremental goals, so I think I will go for 175 and see how that works.

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

One pound over goal weight!

Sooooo close.

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So close!

Under two pounds now until my first goal weight.

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Hawaii Voters – Please remember in November

Here are the people who need to file for unemployment. They are the members of the Hawaii House of Representatives who ignored the expressed will of the electorate and pulled a Pearl Harbor style sneak attack in the final hours of the Legislative Session, Passing HB444, the Civil Unions bill. Keep this list handy. If any of these people are from your area, please vote for anyone with a pulse who runs against them.

	Della Au Belatti 25th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 331 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone 808-586-9425; fax 808-586-9431 email repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Lyla B. Berg 18th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 324 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone 808-586-6510; fax 808-586-6511 email repberg@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Joe Bertram, III 11th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 311 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-8525; fax 808-586-8529 From Maui, toll free 984-2400 + 68525 e-mail repbertram@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Tom Brower 23rd Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 315 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-8520; fax 808-586-8524 E-mail repbrower@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Rida Cabanilla 42nd Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 442 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-6080; fax 808-586-6081 E-mail repcabanilla@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Mele Carroll 13th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 405 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone 808-586-6790; fax 808-586-6779 From Maui, toll free 984-2400 + 66790 From Molokai and Lanai, toll free 1-800-468-4644 + 66790 E-mail repcarroll@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Pono Chong 49th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 404 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-9490; fax 808-586-9496 E-mail repchong@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Denny Coffman 6th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 317 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-9605; fax 808-586-9608 E-mail repcoffman@capitol.hawaii.gov
	Faye P. Hanohano 4th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 303 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-6530; fax 808-586-6531 From the Big Island, toll free 974-4000 + 66530 E-mail rephanohano@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Robert N. Herkes 5th Representative District Hawaii State Capitol, Room 320 415 South Beretania Street Honolulu, HI 96813 phone 808-586-8400; fax 808-586-8404 From the Big Island, toll free 974-4000 + 68400 E-mail repherkes@Capitol.hawaii.gov
	Jon Riki Karamatsu 41st Representative District

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Turning 11, Pushing 60

Today is April 27, 2010 -- a milestone day for my Compassion sponsored child, Felma. I sent her Birthday Cards weeks ago, and arranged for a gift to be purchased for her, but I wish I could be in Davao to sing "Happy Birthday" to her and give her a hug.

She's an adorable kid. I told people that I thought I won the sponsored child lottery when I met her. I pray for her often, think of her often, and have incredible hopes and dreams for her future. She is young, and poor, and has no easy access to a computer or internet access. It is unlikely that she will see this, at least any time soon. But when she is released from poverty, educated and financially secure, she may have her own computer and she may be able to discover this post from her past. I want her to know that her sponsor loved her, worried about her welfare, and supported her dreams.

Happy Birthday, dear Felma. May your 11th year be your best year so far.

I have her birthday on my mind as I ponder my own pending birthday. On May 19 I will turn 60. Sixty. SIX-OH. It sounds implausible… impossible to me that I will be sixty in three weeks. I don't feel sixty, but when I look in the mirror I see a face staring back at me that I hardly recognize. Sixty. In three weeks. Wow.

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2 Pounds to go!

The goal is in sight... so very close. Just two more pounds til I hit my 180 target! You can do it, too.

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Almost there!

My goal was to lose down to 180, and I am only 2.4 pounds from reaching that goal! Once I hit it, I'll set a new goal of 170-175 range. I feel better without lugging around basically the weight of a heavy bowling ball, most of which was in my gut.

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Not as bad as I feared

After 2 weeks in Korea, eating what was served to me, I really worried that I had gained all my weight back. After resuming my treadmill habit today I weighed in and... TA-DA!... only 1.7 pounds gained!

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The effect of the American Diet?

Michelangelo's David...

…after eating the American diet for a couple of years.

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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.

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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.

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Pre-Korea weigh-in

Down another pound+!

Gary Langley

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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.

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Hang on - they're coming for your freedom

20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms

By David Hogberg 

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).

SOURCE: http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/capitalhill.htm

Posted via email from Kahu Gary's posterous

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/

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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.

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

10 Newbie Twitter Mistakes Made By Businesses

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/179967

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

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!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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.

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

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:

1. Voicemail transcription
2. One number
3. Personalized greetings
4. International calling
5. SMS to email
6. Share voicemails
7. Block callers
8. Screen callers
9. Mobile app
10. Conference calls

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

A simple explanation of Skype

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

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.

http://www.doshdosh.com/ways-you-can-use-twitter/

And here's a video tutorial on how to sign up and get started with a FREE Twitter account!

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

An overview of social networking

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

Poll Anywhere basics explained

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

When looking for a new church, I...

Posted via email from HIM Tech Breakout Session

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!

Posted via email from Kahu Gary's posterous

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!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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.

If I can keep losing about 2 pounds each week, I will be at goal weight in a month!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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...

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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

She's been on my mind for the past few days, probably because of the one-year anniversary, but also because some of the people I met in Davao are now on Facebook, and contact them makes me feel even more connected to this girl and her family. It would be wonderful if, when she is a little older, she had access to the internet and had her own Facebook account so we could communicate regularly and share photos and updates. She's a long way from Hawaii, but I hope she feels the love and knows that I pray for her and have big dreams for her future. Felma will be 11 years old on April 27, and I'll be sending a card and arranging for a gift.

In August of 2010 I am scheduled to lead a similar trip to Honduras with some pastors/leaders from the Church of God of Prophecy. I am praying about sponsoring a child from Honduras, perhaps a little boy this time, so I can meet him on that trip.

Posted via email from Kahu Gary's posterous

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!

Posted via email from Formerly Fat

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!

Posted via email from Kahu Gary's posterous