NATURE: Fox Hunting

This is the field where the fox family lives. (click to enlarge)




Mom is lying down. Dad is out hunting. The three kits are cute. Here is proof.








The sound of the shutter kept startling them, but then they'd go back to whatever they were doing. In this case Mom was giving Junior a bath.












"Shut up!"
"No, you shut up!"











"Then bring it on!"









Momma doesn't like dogs.










A large irrigation ditch protects the backside of the den. A smaller, muddy ditch runs parallel to it. This pic is the smaller ditch that I've called home for at least 9 hours over the last three days.














This was my view of Long's Peak and Meeker while I waited for hours with nothing happening.








These are my favorites, but there are more. If you want to see more, post a comment with your e-mail address.

Marty Stouffer is my hero.

Those who have done photography with me in the past will be shocked to hear that in my 9+ hours with the family, I took LESS THAN 45 PICTURES. Unreal.

NATURE: Fox

Today I spent roughly 6 hours watch or waiting to watch the Fox Family (2.5 - 3 hrs this morning and 3+ hours tonight). They are awesome.

I thought it was a mom and 3 kits until about the 5 hour mark when another adult trotted in with a bird in its jaws. Tonight on Encarta, I learned that "Red foxes are believed to pair for life" (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761565627/Fox_(animal).html). The kits are maybe two-thirds the size of the parents. I'm surprised they aren't hunting yet.

Then suddenly a blue Dodge Neon pulled into the field. First one adult fox ran off, and then the other. The three kiddos dove into the den (4 large holes that I presume meet in one crazy living room). My magic hour was wasted after the long day of waiting. Those last 45 minutes of golden light were for nought; the adults never came back, so the kits didn't come back out. Thank you Dodge Neon people.

But I am fortunate to have spent the day with them (well, half the day was just sitting in nature waiting for the mom to come back from hunting). I am thankful for that. I am thankful.

I'll try to take more pictures in the morning, and then that will probably be the end of the shooting for awhile.

I was close enough that they would stop jumping around every time the shutter clicked. One time the mom (presumably) stared at me, dropped down over the ledge, and showed up just on the other side of an irrigation ditch from me. She stared at me (presumably) trying to figure out if I was a threat or not, but then she ran back to the kits for more romping (presumably with some reassuring yelps).

The family was startled when I got to the end of my first roll. The Canon I'm borrowing has a pretty loud rewind. But they weren't interested for long. Even with a 210mm zoom, the pictures will be pretty small. It's hard to get close to critters. I'm maybe 20 yards away. I really don't know. What I wouldn't do for a 300mm zoom. Well, get a job and make some money is one thing I wouldn't do. Hyeah.

If any pictures turn out, I'll try post them tomorrow.

TRAGEDY: Bachelor-hood

Here is irrefutable proof that I'm a bachelor again:
1. For a dirty clothes hamper, I bought a Rubbermaid storage bin.
2. I drink directly from bottles.
3. I skip shaving for weeks at a time.
4. I spend hours cralling through grass and mud to take pictures of a fox family. Single moms have it hard.
5. I don't brush my teeth after drinking G.T.'s Kombucha.
6. I bought a copy of Men's Health.
7. I fall asleep alone.

Today I saw X-3 with Crystal. It is fiction. It isn't real. I liked it anyway.

I am torn this weekend:
1. Teva Mountain Games in Vail. (http://climbing.com/community/events/tmg06/)
2. Aurora Asian Film Festival. (http://www.auroraasian.org)

I might see a film on Friday and go to Vail on Sunday. Decisions.

Where is my wife? I need my wife. Has anyone seen my wife?

My next post will probably be an extremely sad story about a young woman who died recently in the Pacific Northwest. "Saving up questions for heaven." A good man no longer has his good lady.

The doctor's are helping. I'm improving. Healing takes time.

So many people have been taking care of me. I'm now in the 4th place/home since I returned to the U.S. Thankfully, I'll be able to stay here for two months while I figure out what I'm doing. They have phone service, Internet service, and Dish Network. I'll probably watch a few playoff games, but otherwise I'll be stalking the fox family. They are SO cute (pictures will be coming when I have something viewable).

I can't believe how this has all worked out. Community is good. Generosity is too. I will be more generous. Thank you, Mom & Dad, for the car. Thank you, Dad & Lisa, for helping me out so much. Thank you, Crystal, for giving me a place. Thank you Jaramio's for working out 2 lodges for me.

I severely miss my wife. If you see her, tell her to come home soon, I mean now.

SONG: To Anyone Who Needs a Gun or a Rose

Guns N Roses: Patience

Shed a tear 'cause I'm missing you
I'm still alright to smile
Girl, I think about you every day now
Was a time when I wasn't sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt you're in my heart now

Said woman take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience
Said sugar make it slow
And we'll come together fine
All we need is just a little patience
Patience...Ooh, oh, yeah

Sit here on the stairs
'Cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you right now,
I'll wait dear
Sometimes, I get so tense
But I can't speed up the time
But you know, love, there's one more thing to consider

Said woman take it slow
Things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience
Said sugar take the time
'Cause the lights are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes to make it
We won't fake it, Oh never break it
'Cause I can't take it...little patience, mm yeah, ooh yeah,
Need a little patience, yeah
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more pati... (ence, yeah)

I've been walking these streets at night
Just trying to get it right (Need some patience, yeah)
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd
(Could use some patience, yeah)
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game
'Cause I need you (Patience, yeah)
Yeah, yeah well I need you
Oh, I need you (Take some patience)
Whoa, I need you (Just a little patience is all we need)

DEDICATION: T-Rex (Travis)

My sister skipped Mothers' Day with her boys to come help me out in Colorado. It was an awesome time; really great to reconnect. She shared a Jamie Cullum song with me, and now I'd like to dedicate it to T-Rex in Wonju...


"Twentysomething"
After years of expensive education
A car full of books and anticipation
I'm an expert on Shakespeare and that's a hell of a lot
But the world don't need scholars as much as I thought
Maybe I'll go travelling for a year
Finding myself, or start a career
Could work the poor, though I'm hungry for fame
We all seem so different but we're just the same
Maybe I'll go to the gym, so I don't get fat
Aren't things more easy, with a tight six pack
Who knows the answers, who do you trust
I can't even seperate love from lust
Maybe I'll move back home and pay off my loans
Working nine to five, answering phones
But don't make me live for Friday nights
Drinking eight pints and getting in fights
Maybe I'll just fall in love
That could solve it all
Philosophers say that that's enough
There surely must be more
Love ain't the answer, nor is work
The truth elludes me so much it hurts
But I'm still having fun and I guess that's the key
I'm a twentysomething and I'll keep being me...

NEWS: Good-bye

This picture is of our tray after our good-bye party last night. Travis, Angela, Charissa and I had fruit drinks for our 2nd to last night together on the Korean peninsula.

I will miss this small church. Awesome people. I look forward to seeing my wife again in a month and a half.

Tonight we had an office party, and now I'm trying to pack and sort junk.

If you're in Denver, I just might get to see you.

I leave in six hours. There will be no sleep tonight.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Community is good. We are blessed.

VERSE: Faith (Hebrews)

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

God actually wants us to have faith that he will reward our efforts to seek and know him. There's so much to say about this one, but I need to get ready to go home. So your homework is to read Chris Blake's Searching for a God to Love to read more about that verse.

And to my friends in Korea, a little something from Romans 15:33:

"The God of peace be with you all. Amen."

NEWS: Changes

Since last Wednesday I've been in a lot worse shape. I'm coming home Thursday (Denver for now), and I'll meet the Doc on Friday. Charissa will stay until the end of June and then fly back with Angela. Now you know.

NEWS: Big Oil

Big Oil is making big profits, but I think we have a pretty good picture of the future of the industry.

Big changes are in store for Big Oil

ENVIRONMENT: China

China triggers alarm on melting glaciers
Report warns of worse droughts, sandstorms as plateau warms up

This article from MSNBC.com looks at global warming from an Asian viewpoint. Chinese scientists have studied 40 years of data and concluded that "Glaciers covering China’s Qinghai-Tibet plateau are shrinking by 7 percent a year due to global warming."

We had really bad yell0w dust storms this year in Seoul (the toxic dust blows in from China), and it looks like there will only be more of it.

Interesting article.

REAL: Labels

This is to the crew that I’ve been listening to recently. Here are a few things that are meaningful to me.

I think that a lot of things get labeled Christian that have nothing to do with essential, or even true, Christianity (for example... church steeples, the Republican Party, okay any political party, veggie-meat, and pipe organs). The following selection of stuffs is what it's beginning to mean to me:


Bible Verses (from Bible Gateway)
1. Galations 6:2. You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand. (Contemporary Eng Version).

2. James 1:27. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. (New Living Translation)

3. Amos 5:21, 23, 24. I [GOD] hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (New International Version)

4. 1 John 4:16. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (New International Version)

5. 1 John 1:7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.... (New King James Version)


Books (Cheap Advertising Ploy)
1. Blue Like Jazz is awesome. I recommend it to all. Real. Thank you, Buffy, for sharing it with us. Travis, thanks for talking about it with us.

2. Velvet Elvis is really cool so far. I’m still in this one. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing, Travis.

3. The Irresistible Revolution. I want someone to send this to me.

4. The Revolution – A Field Manual for Changing Your World. Same for this one!

*I know Charissa would want books by Anne Lamott here.


E-mail Signature
This is the signature for our family e-mail account:

He defended the cause of the poor and needy.... Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD. (Jer. 22:16)

I [GOD] hate... your religious feasts [and] assemblies.... But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:21-24)

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Prov. 31:8)

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matt 25:40)

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2)

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

MORE: Ps. 82:3, 89:14; Prov. 21:3, 24:16; Isaiah 58:6,7; Luke 12:33

BOOKS: Revolutions

Would someone please send me these two books next week? I'm giving you one week to read them first.

1. The Revolution: A Field Manual for Changing Your World



2. Irresistible Revolution, The : Living as an Ordinary Radical

IDEA: Innovation.

Tom Peters says that innovation is the key.

Here's a quote from the CNN.com article:

"The only way we're going to survive is to innovate our way out of the box," he told a recent conference audience. "We're down to one idea, which is innovation."


According to Peters, sitting at the very heart of this tumultuous change is the individual. Only by encouraging original thought and "nurturing the freaks" will companies have the skills and drive needed to grow.

He points out that history is made, not by normal people, but by the "freaks" who dare to think differently and stand out from the herd. The companies who encourage individual thinking and endeavor will be the ones that succeed.

For Peters, one of the worst crimes an individual can commit is to sit on the sidelines and watch. "You have to be involved to make a difference in the world," he says.

GAME: PeaceMaker

The Middle East is complex. Now a video game has tried to capture the mayhem with the intent to find peace. Interesting.

A video game that seeks to make peace, not war
'PeaceMaker' simulates Israeli-Palestinian conflict in all its complexity

ISSUE: Wal-Mart

Wal*Mart. Is it good for U.S. consumers? Is it good for the world? Is it good for its workers?

The debate continues, and it is growing. Here's more:

Big names enlist in campaign against Wal-Mart

Here's an excerpt:

Among those lined up against the company at Wal-Mart Watch are Jim Jordan, campaign manager for 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, and Terry Holt, a spokesman for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign.

Odd bedfellows: A Republican working for unions against Wal-Mart.

“Wal-Mart is giving capitalism a bad name,” Holt explained. “It’s lost touch with its small-town roots and has become a company that is depending on corporate welfare ... and an all-too-cozy relationship with China.”

Under fire, Wal-Mart turned to Reagan adviser Michael Deaver, Bush-Cheney political director Terry Nelson and several Democrats, among them civil rights leader Andrew Young and campaign strategist Leslie Dach.

Talk about odd bedfellows: Democrats working for Wal-Mart against organized labor.

NEWS: Peace Trip

Put some Muslims, Jews and Christians together and tell them to cross the desert. Sounds like a recipe for an interesting reality show. But this group came together to see what bonds could be formed when the groups shared a common goal.

Newsweek Article:
Desert Storms
Can a trek across the desert help Muslims, Jews and Christians understand each other better? Not without a few snags.

THOUGHT: A Jew on Vegetarianism

I found this article about vegetarianism interesting and slighlty humorous. It looks at the issue from the viewpoint of the Torah, well, kind of.

The First Hamburger
A guilt-ridden carnivore makes the spiritual case for vegetarianism.

NEWS: Weapons of Mass Destruction Trailers

So it turns out that a pentagon team viewed the supposed biological weapons trailers as "'almost certainly intended' for manufacturing hydrogen for weather balloons." They reported this 2 days before the CIA announced the opposite.

Here's a good line: "There was no connection to anything biological," said one expert who studied the trailers.

Yes, I do understand that there were debates on the conclusions, but the fact that it has been kept secret further demonstrates this administration's selective perception and selective disclosures.

Source.

EVENT: Teachers' Retreat

Chithra passed this pic along from the retreat.

Far right: Travis. He's a new teacher from za East. He played U2 during the religious talent show. Back: Kristian. He's a new teacher from PAA (Pennsylvania Anarchist Association). He won't explain why he doesn't believe in the rule of law.

Good peoples.

EVENT: Teachers' Retreat

Here's a picture from teachers' retreat.

Last weekend the 250 or so teachers from across Korea assembled to exchanged a virus or bacterium. I don't think that was the main point, but it's estimated that 100 teachers were vomiting and/or diarrheaing. Count me in.

Ellen lent me her guitar to ease my intestinal pain.

Thanks, Travis, for the pic.

NEWS: Companies Going Green

It's good to hear that companies are getting more serious about alternative energy sources that are more environmentally friendly. Too bad it's so late.

Click here to read about companies making the switch.

Go Prana for being ahead of the pack.

CULTURE: Well, It's Not a Happy Story

"This is not a sad story. Really, it’s not a sad story. It is normal.” It seemed like she was trying pretty hard to convince us not to feel sorry for her. Maybe she didn’t want pity. Maybe she didn’t want to sound strange. Maybe she was just emphasizing the truth that other Korean families are like hers, and that this is all she expects from life.

Several friends stopped by to chat Friday night after vespers, and the conversation drifted toward the differences between cultures. “I have never hugged my father. I have never hugged my brother. I have hugged my mother three times,” Nadia explained with little emotional expression.

Nadia remembers being hugged by her mom once as a child, once when she broke up with a boyfriend, and once when she failed the university entrance exam.

The amazed look on my face led to the declaration that it was not a sad story. Nadia is surprised by the physical contact she sees in the U.S. TV shows that air here. I’m not sure which one of us is more shocked by the other’s culture. I remain convinced that this is a phenomenally sad story.

She did remember later that she had hugged her brother when he had given her money for New Years. And her mother has squeezed her hands at times. Well, okay. I guess it really isn’t so extreme. Never mind; yes it is.

So who does she hug? Boyfriends and close girl friends.

And why doesn’t she hug her family? She is showing them respect.

Thank you, Confucius.

VACATION: Korean Islands

Angela, Charissa and I planned a 3-day island-hopping trip for our last term break. We all packed light; we took minimal toiletries because we promised not to shower. Two expedition members washed and hung underwear and only took small daypacks. The other individual carried extra food and camera gear in a larger pack.

It was crazy from the beginning. I made an extra bathroom run in the subway station and missed the train. Charissa got stuck in the subway door as it was closing, so she jumped back to save herself. Away sailed Angela, leaving Charissa shaking her head in disbelief. I found Charissa, and eventually the three of us were reunited near the end of a long ride.

Once we got to the ferry terminal, we found out that all the ferries were cancelled because of high winds. That was the end of those plans. We decided to take a bus to another island that is connected to the mainland by a bridge, chose a fishing village on the far side of the island for our base, and walked around town until we found a hotel overlooking the bay.

We dropped our packs in the room and went for a walk along the beach to take pictures. Later we met a man who wanted to be our friend. He wanted to take us for a ride in his boat, but he couldn’t even find our island on a nautical map. Even after Charissa pointed out the island to him, he was still confused. Alcohol is not always helpful.

Before the evening was over, he had angrily taken us to the police station. The officers asked for ID, but Charissa and I didn’t have our alien cards or passports, so I changed the subject. Also, Charissa's visa had expired. Oops. They asked again, and I acted confused and changed the topic one more time.

After a few more questions, they saw that the local was the problem, not us. A young officer took us to the door and said haltingly, “Go quickly. He is so drunken.”

We hurried down the main road through town, got some rice, seaweed and strawberries and headed back to our room. We fastened both locks.

The next morning we woke to beautiful sunshine. We wanted to catch a ferry to a small island we could see from our third floor room, but we had one fear—the drunk guy. To reduce the risk of meeting him again, we took a meandering half-moon shaped detour around the edge of the town. Fear is not the best motivator, but that 30 minute walk was just grand. Tourist organizations don’t really promote this particular path, and we think that is the way it should be.

Once on the new island, we skipped the bus and just began walking. We were looking for a mountain trail that divided the island. After a couple kilometers and a little bouldering, we found the trailhead and started gaining elevation. Nine kilometers later we had reached our goal, a Buddhist temple at the other end of the small range.

By the time we finished supper just outside of the temple grounds, there were no more buses back to the ferry terminal. We started walking, but we knew it would be impossible to get back in time to catch the last ferry to our island. After just a few minutes, Charissa flagged someone down. A young couple let us squeeze into the back of their sports car to hitch a ride back to the terminal.

For our last day, we took a bus back to the main city on the island. We rented a mountain bike and a tandem and went exploring. We took pictures at several fortresses that had been used to battle French, Japanese and U.S. ships in the 1800s.

By the end of the 18 kilometer ride we were pretty beat. Three days of exploring, hiking, and biking were more than our bodies were used to. Come on, we’re all writers.

Two more hours on a bus, plus another long subway ride brought us home Saturday night. We had perfect weather for our whole trip, but as we left the subway station, it started to pour. We dropped off our film (Angela=1 roll, Charissa=1 roll, Jeff=6 rolls), and headed to a DVD room. We rented a Korean film with English subtitles to finish off the vacation. It was about a fictitious village where a U.S. soldier, three North Korean soldiers, and two South Korean soldiers ended up living together during the Korean War. We laughed. We cried. We shook our heads in amazement.

We slept well that night.

MLA# 9: Summary

Here are a few stats to summarize our trip to the U.S. in December and January:
· Driving Miles: 4,900+
· Flying Miles: 16,000+ (Seoul-Detroit; Denver-Dallas; Dallas-Gainesville)
· States: 9 (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Florida)
· Doctor Appointments: 16
· Friends & Family: Bunches of people, but never enough.

During the trip I was able to finish two books—It’s about People by Jim Hohnberger and Managing the Non-Profit Organization by Peter Drucker. If you work with not-for-profit organizations, I recommend Peter’s book. If you talk to people, I recommend Jim’s. Charissa finished The Know It All, Memory of Running, and Harry Potter, all of which were written by different authors.

BUSINESS: Tom's of Maine

Many of us have appreciated Tom's of Maine for their all-natural oral care products.

News Flash: Colgate-Palmolive has just bought them for $100,000,000 in cash.

Here's an excerpt from the company's press release:

After much soul-searching, and many conversations with our children and trusted advisors, we realized that we cannot meet this growing demand alone. We decided to seek a partner to help us. It's been a quest that we entered with trepidation and excitement because we wanted to find a company that would honor our values, and we were unwavering in our commitment to stay intact in Maine as Tom's of Maine. We are happy to report to you that we did find a partner who has a deep understanding and respect for what we've done and wants to build on that with us.

Here is our good news: we have chosen to become part of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. We will keep a minority ownership in Tom's of Maine, and are looking forward to continuing as CEO and Vice President to ensure long-term sustainability. The agreement we have worked out succeeds in preserving the character, spirit, and values of our company as we grow.

You can read the complete article here.

LIFE: Angela & Her Burger

Right. So head on over to Angela's blog and read her post about the burger.

Then come back to read these lyrics from Jack Johnson's new CD from the Curious George film:

With My Own Two Hands

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands...

SERMON: The Greatest Word

Angela rocked the house with the Word. Read it here. It was real, and many students were really impacted. The quote from Frederick Buechner is a keeper:

“For what we need to know, of course, is not just that God exists…but that there is a God right here in the midst of our day-to-day lives…who is trying to get messages through our blindness…. It is not objective proof of God’s existence that we want but the experience of God’s presence. That is the miracle we are really after, and that is also, I think, the miracle that we really get.”

God stalks us with His love. Like Wally Pleasant says, "I want a stalker."

Thanks Angela.

DESIRE: Better World

I was sitting here at working brain dead. No more ideas. Surfed the Internet for inspiration and came across Israelis storming a Palistinian prison and more violence in Iraq.

I wanted to just type in a new address and be in a new place. "Okay, enough of this old trash. I'm jumping through a small pond with my magic ring to enter a new URL world beyond virtual reality." Down the rabbit's hole.

What is my heart's desire? A better world. So I went there... www.betterworld.com. I wanted the powerful button to not just click, but to actually make me [ENTER]. A portal is what I wanted, not just a website.

A better world. Do you crave a better world?

HOMEWORK: Evolution & Creation

I have an assignment for you. Your job is to help me with one of my assignments. For this conversation book, I am supposed to write a short essay (250-300 words) about creation and evolution along with a few discussion questions. The intended audience is Christian, Buddhist, and non-religious young adults and full-on adults in South Korea.

Please tell me how this is wrong. What am I missing? What should be changed, deleted or added? I will need to simplify it before it goes into the text (level 5 of 6). You have one or two weeks to reply, but don't wait, do it now.

This is my rough draft, non-inflamatory overview:


Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? These questions are part of the human experience. The answers we find are greatly affected by our belief in either creation or evolution as the origin of life.

Evolutionary theory teaches that compounds began to form in pools of hot chemical soup millions of years ago. Once the most basic organisms began to form, the two major forces of evolution—mutation and natural selection—led to increasingly complex organisms.

In contrast to blind evolution, the theory of creation teaches that God purposefully created the universe and all plant and animal life. The final act of creation was making humans in God’s image with the ability to love, make choices, and create new life.

This debate is often heated and unfriendly. Evolutionists are labeled as ungodly, and creationists are seen as ignorant and closed-minded. These labels make it difficult to analyze the scientific data in an unbiased manner.

The debate is growing because a majority of scientists in public universities support evolution, while creationists feel that its inconsistencies are overlooked. Many supporters of creationism argue that the theory of intelligent design (ID) should be taught along with evolution in public schools. Intelligent design holds that life is too complex to have happened naturally.

Because the scientific method is most useful for studying phenomena that can be tested repeatedly in a controlled environment, it is not well suited to answer questions of ultimate origins.

Both sides of the debate have evidence and theories, but neither has proof that can convince the critics. Consequently, this argument shows no signs of becoming extinct.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How important is the creation/evolution debate to you?
2. What evidence would convince you to believe in either creationism or evolution?
3. What evidence are you aware of for either creationism or evolution?
4. What do you think public schools should teach about evolution?
5. Why are people often disrespectful toward those who disagree with them?
6. What types of questions (topics?) is the scientific method unable to answer?

HUMOR: Marketing Website

If you're trying to market a new product, but you just can't think of the perfect phrase, then you have stumbled upon your greatest desire...

The Advertising Slogan Generator

...brought to you by the good people at The Surrealist.

You just enter a word, and it makes a snappy, catchy, classy, completely rational product slogan.

Here are some random examples from the random generator:

Fire: Snap! Crackle! Fire!
Brain Freeze: My Anti-Drug is Brain Freeze.
Apple Juice: Yo Quiero Apple Juice.
War on Terror: War On Terror is so Bracing.

This post is so bracing.

BLOG: Mini Skirts & Winter

Here's a post from someone else's Korean blog. All winter I wanted to take a picture of this insane phenomenon, but I never did. You can read about Korean women and their winter wear here.

HUMOR: Engrish.com

If you haven't visited Engrish.com for awhile, it's time to head back for a visit. Warning: Some pictures are Rated R. Warning: You could die laughing, and that is not healthy.

SERMON: Religious Freedom

You can click here to read my third sermon at the SDA Language School in Seoul, South Korea. If you can't find the post, look in the link for March 2006.

I was sweating as I stood on the platform because I talked about Muslim rioters, Christian demonstrators, Jesus, and myself. It was inspired by the book It's About People: How to Treat Others, Especially Those We Disagree With, the Way Jesus Treats Us by Jim Hohnberger.

I hope you'll read both.

Pack light and leave religious intolerance at home. Self, are you listening?

VIDEO: Dan Osman on Fire

This video is amazing. Speed free-soloing. No rope. No net. No falls. No second chances.

Dan Osman did not die while climbing. However, he did die jumping. He used to tie climbing ropes together and use them like bungee cords. One time a knot exploded and he hit the deck.

If you have a death wish, pack light and leave the rope at home.

MUSIC: Jack Johnson

Okay, this will be my last shot at TV for awhile (especially since I spent one night of term break with remote in hand).


"Good People" from In Between Dreams

Well, you win, it's your show now
So what's it gonna be
Cause people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see
Before we lose touch of
We thought this was low
Well, it's bad, getting worse so...

Where'd all the good people go
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that With a rattle a tat
Testin, 1, 2
Man, what you gonna do
Bad news, misused
Got too much to lose
Gimme some truth
Now whose side are we on
Whatever you say, turn on the boobtube
I'm in the mood to obey
So lead me astray, and by the way now...

Where'd all the good people go
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

]Sitting around, feeling far away
So far away, but I can feel the debris
Can you feel it
You interrupt me from a friendly conversation
To tell me how great it's all gonna be
You might notice some hesitation
Cause it's important to you, it's not important to me
But way down by the edge of your reason
Well, it's beginning the show
And all I really wanna know is...

Where'd all the good people go
I've been changing channels I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

(Where'd all the good people go)
They got this and that With a rattle a tat
Testin, 1, 2
Man, what you gonna do
Bad news, misused
Gimme some truth
You got too much to lose
Now whose side are we on
But everyday anyway, ok whatever you say
(where'd all the good people go)
Wrong or resolute,
I'm in the mood to obey
Station through station
Desensitizing the nation

Where'd all the people go

Going, going, gone...

PRODUCT: T-shirts

The crew at Northern Sun has put together a collection of odds and ends for the body and the mind. I'm sure you'll find a t-shirt your size--dimensions and attitude.

HISTORY: Independence Movement Day

I don't write about Korea very much, but since today is a national holiday (Independence Movement Day), I thought it was time to break the trend.

Japan controlled Korea from 1910 until the end of WWII in 1945. Those were 35 brutal years. Koreans were forced to "become" Japanese. They were given Japanese names, made to learn Japanese, and worked like slaves for the foreign rulers. Also, thousands of women were forced to become sex slaves for the Japanese army.

On March 1, 1919 (kind of, it was actually the lunar calendar), a Korean uprising against Japanese colonisation erupted.

Last year we went with a Korean friend to a prison that the Japanese used to store Korean protestors. The accounts of abuse and torture won't be recounted here today.

From a Korean history website:

The 33 organizers of the movement were mostly Christian idealists and had no experience in mass movement and so the March failed disastrously.

The Japanese suppressed the movement with brutal force. They fired into groups of Korean Christians singing hymns. Christian leaders were nailed to wooden crosses and were left to die a slow death – “so that they can go to heaven”. Mounted police beheaded young school children. The police burned down churches. The official Japanese count of casualties include 553 killed, 1,409 injured, and 12,522 arrested, but the Korean estimates are much higher, over 7,500 killed, about 15,000 injured, and 45,000 arrested.


If you're interested, you can learn more about it here:

Hankook
Wikipedia


Packing history can sometimes be heavier than expected.

MOVIE: More

I spend my days researching topics on the Internet for the conversation book I'm writing. It's like a continual treasure hunt. Here's the latest find:

More


A short-film created by Mark Osborne, “More” explores, in six minutes, the nature of happiness and joy in our modern, industrial, consumer-driven society. (http://www.dvdtown.com/review/morespecialedition/14776/2572/)

MOVIE: Born into Brothels

Tony Gilmore lent us Born into Brothels, the Academy Award winning documentary of child photographers in one of Calcutta's redlight districts. Amazing.

Are you interested in photography, development, hope and love? Do yourself a favor and watch it (R for language, strong language). Do the kids a favor and place one of their pictures upon your wall or give their book away as a gift.

Click on the links below to learn more.

Kids with Cameras
Movie Database
NETFLIX

Be sure to watch the follow-up in the special feature section of the DVD to see them a few years later.

HEALTH: Vegan Prison

Let the health kick continue. Here's a link about a prison that uses NEWSTART and a vegan diet. Actually, the prison has two sections that new inmates choose to join--one for NEWSTART participants and one for traditional inmates.

Here's a quote on outcomes:

When they are released, there is a 70 to 80% rate of recidivism. In the four years the prison has operated, only 30 to 40 of the NEWSTART inmates have returned. "We have a waiting list to get into the program," he says.

It sounds good, but I can't say that I want to join the waiting list.

It's easier to pack light when you leave the warden at home.

HEALTH: National Geographic

It's old news now, but it's still fine material.

The cover story in the November issue of National Geographic was about longevity. It featured Sardinians, Okinawans and SDAs in Loma Linda. I appreciated the quality reporting.

You can read it here.

What is your reaction?

For a long life, pack a lot of love.

GADGET: TV

Since I just bought a TV, I thought I should say something self-deprecating. So click on this link for a rant...

Kill Your Television Before It Kills You

But if you're going to have a TV, you really should watch The Conscientious Objector. It's the story of Desmond Doss. Now that's reality TV.

MUSIC: Michael Card

Things We Leave Behind
(Poiema)

There sits Simon so foolishly wise
proudly he's tending his nets.
Then Jesus calls, and the boats drift away
all that he owns he forgets.
More than the nets he abandoned that day,
he found that his pride was soon drifting away.
It's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind.

Matthew was mindful of taking the tax,
pressing the people to pay.
Hearing the call, he responded in faith
followed the Light and the Way.
Leaving the people so puzzled he found,
the greed in his heart was no longer around and
it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind.

Every heart needs to be set free, from posessions
that hold it so tight.
'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own,
It's the powerto do what is right.
Jesus, our only posession,
giving becomes our delight.
We can't imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind.

We show a love for the world in our lives
by worshipping goods we posess.
Jesus said lay all our treasures aside
"love God above all the rest."
'Cause when we say 'no' to the things of the world
we open our hearts to the love of the Lord and
its hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind.
Oh, and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind.

ENVIRONMENT: Jaws

Said Peter Benchley, environmental journalist and author of Jaws:

"Without the oceans there would be no life on Earth. So water is the be-all and end-all of life as we know it. If we kill everything in the ocean, and if we pollute the ocean to a point where it can't sustain life, we're committing suicide." (Times Online)

He passed away last Saturday.

SERVICE: Eternal Ascent

What to do with the body? You know, you're dead and the bereaved must deal with it somehow. Now you can be sent to the heavens by the Eternal Ascent Society. Yep, up and away you'll go in a biodegradeable weather balloon.

Angela just picked up the tune, "Remain drops keep falling on my head..."

Pack an umbrella.

REALITY: Consumerism

Near the end of my 30th trip 'round the sun, I had an eventful week. I bought my first Birkenstocks and my first TV. Conflicted.

David, you wanted to know how to find my blogs. This is it, so stop asking. Just type www.packlight.blogspot.com or www.justicelives.blogspot.com. It's that easy.

MLA 8: Back in Korea

Blur...

Everything was a blur. We had a fine time seeing the crew in Cedar Lake. Time is never long enough.

Two days after arriving in Korea, we left for Winter Camp ’06. It was cold. We didn’t sleep much. The cafe ran out of food a few times. We had a good time with Angela’s group of students. That was meaningful. I caught a cold.

Our group had just been talking about times when good things had come from other bad things, when Charissa walked out of the cabin and twisted her ankle. It’s sprained. It’s painful. It’s about time for the good thing to follow.

I had another neck situation at 4:30a.m. Sunday night/Monday morning after Winter Camp. Today, Tuesday, I started a new therapy session with an Oriental physician—acupuncture, massage, chiro. A Korean teacher recommend him. They used to be members of the same church.

Some of his techniques were new... and painful. He used thicker needles, so the acu was intense. Goodness. And his assigned stretches were quick, repeated, jerking motions. “Not smooth.” But, you know, I think I’m going to do them a little slower.

We just extended our contracts for four more months. At the end of June, we’ll see what the next step is. Will God keep us here, or will there be a new adventure? Life is an adventure. Sometimes a painful one.

Pack light and leave the needles and blur at home.

MLA 7: Michigan

We had a great time eating at Don Pablos with Kristina, Mark, Buffy, Michael, and Katie. We all need to live in heaven together, the new earth.

Then we stayed with the Chilson's in Berrien Springs. It was really nice to see them again and the crew from the accounting office. And a surprise lunch date with Rob and Sarah we had. Nice.

Now we're back in the old neighborhood doing laundry, last minute errands, and the packing routine. Not light. The packages and presents have been dispersed, and in the vacant space will go new books, CDs, and hard-to-find food stuffs. I didn't think that I missed the U.S. I was wrong.

If you choose not to pack light, at least be honest about it. :)

MLA 6: Lincoln

Our day at Union just flew by. Old professors and friends make Union a special place for us. Oso Burrito is a fine eatery. We saw all the Barbers today except Angela (that will have to wait). Kayla, Tadd, and Donene are doing well. I hugged my nephews and John goodbye. In the morning we'll say goodbye to my sis and be off for South Bend and Berrien Springs. Most notable people I didn't get to see: Barry, Pastor Rich, and Joe. We need more time here. Always more time.

Yesterday morning, our last morning in Colorado, we drove up to Horsetooth Reservoir to eat our leftover sandwiches from Avagadro's Number (a great hippie restaurant in Ft. Collins) and watched the sun rise over the foothills. "What in the world are we doing up so early?" It was so cool (pictures coming). Charissa turned up Yngwie Malmsteen and we just absorbed it all. She is so cool.

Then I had my last doctor appointment in Ft. Collins, and we hit the road. As we left Greeley heading for Lincoln, Jack Johnson came on the radio...

I need this here
Old train to breakdown.
Oh please just
Let me please breakdown.
I need this here
Old train to breakdown.
Oh please just
Let me please breakdown.
I wanna break on down,
But I cant stop now.
Let me break on down.

We watched the white peaks of the Rockies in our mirrors as they gradually slipped into the horizon. It was time to leave, but I wasn't ready to go. Oh please just let me please breakdown.

Sometimes attachment and desire are heavier than gravity. What do I know about packing light?

MLA 5: Rocky Mountain National Park

Crystal was such an awesome hostess in Colorado. That was so nice. A true blessing.

Last Sabbath we went up to RMNP. Awesome. I took almost 3 rolls of film. We saw 2 coyotes; it was my first time. There were at least a billion or so elk.

We parked next to a buck (bull elk?) that was probably 2 or 3 years old. Like I really have any idea. It walked over to our van and started licking it. Weird. Awesome. It was licking snow off the back corner of the van, so I crawled back to the rear seat and took pictures of it through the window just inches away. I'll add pictures eventually. John had an idea why it liked our van--maybe it was van-illa flavored. Ouch.

All day we looked for the perfect place to get good evening light. We finally chose one place for its sunset potential. We drove around and came back to it around dusk. As we were snacking and discussing how to meter to bring out the evening colors, Charissa put on Chris Rice's "Cathedral." Clouds precluded a light show, but it was still awesome to watch darkness fall on the Rockies as we listened to:

Sweetest days of childhood
Playing in the deep woods
Stomping through the creek and feeling oh so much alive.
Camping in the forest,
We’d join the cricket chorus,
And hum our songs of gratitude around a crackling fire.

And out here in the stillness
I found my house of worship
With column trees and canopy of stars.
Here in my cathedral.

It was beneath the blue skies
I ran down to be baptized;
Felt the river wash me clean, and dried beneath the sun.
And to this day believing
When wide awake, or dreaming
I scan the ancient sky and understand where I belong.

‘Cause out here in the stillness
I find my house of worship
With column trees and canopy of stars.
Here in my cathedral.

This is where I find my soul
Out where holy men of old
First knelt in soil and thanked You for the rain
Wrote the psalms that fill the air
Herald angels sang their prayer
Out beneath Your darling constellations.

So let me often wander
In robin songs and thunder
Surrounding me with stained-glass leaves that change with every breeze.

And out here in the stillness
I’ll find my house of worship
With column trees and canopy of stars.


Pack nothing but the magic of God's universe for your next adventure.

MLA 4: Rendezvousi

Another license plate in Fort Collins: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV XYZ

So I was really happy to get the chance to see Lorinda, but I was disappointed that Charissa couldn't make it. She was still in Florida with Inyoung and Michael. Well, when I showed up for lunch, Lorinda wasn't alone. Heather was there too. Rock 'n roll. I've known them and they've known me for a collective 45 years (20ish + 25ish).

We only had an hour, but it was grand. Sometimes I forget how important people are to me until I see them again. I didn't want to take off when our lunch hour was up.

The same thing happened in Lincoln with the Daughenbaughs. "Yeah, it's late, but I don't feel like leaving yet. You're going to have to throw us out!"

We had a good time visiting my parents and Grandpa in Texas, and now we're back in Lincoln. We had a fine time chilling with my sis and nephews on our last go 'round, and now we're trying to see the whole UC crew in a day. We've been living out of suitcases for 5 weeks now.

I'm feeling okay.

God is leading us. Let's all go home together.

For that trip we don't have to pack anything.

MLA 3: If Only

Bumper sticker seen in Fort Collins: WWJB. (Who Would Jesus Bomb?)

Dr. Koschene returned sports to me. It was circa 1988 when she found solutions to my knee problems that had eluded family doctors, orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists. With therapy and Foot Levers orthotics, I was back on the football field and the basketball court. I owe my place on three high school flag-football championship teams to her. In 1989 Brian and I were the only two freshman to be picked to join A-league basketball teams.

Dr. Koschene giveth, and she taketh away. Fast-forward to today… Her thumb and forefinger met and formed a circle while looking at the x-ray taken after my first debilitating neck episode back in Sept. “Jeff, your spinal column is about this size,” she said raising her circled fingers. Then she pulled her index finger closer to her palm to shrink the diameter of the open circle. “If it were this size, you could have been paralyzed.”

I’m still processing this.

The neurologist in Seoul had said I would have had surgery if I’d gone to him instead of the Oriental therapists. But they had been able to help my vertebrae enough to reduce the seriousness of the injury. He said no sports for 3-4 years. I was hoping that he was over-reacting.

But today, my trusted chiropractor/masseuse/kinesiologist/nutritionist/counselor of over 15 years drove home the seriousness.

She wants no more running sports or sports that jar the neck—basketball, football, skiing, etc. No more hefty backpacks; she favors small lumbar packs for hiking.

I’m still processing this.

I mean, one of my e-mail addresses is from backpacking.com. I’m a backpacker. I’m a basketball player. I’m a football player. I’m a mountain biker. I’m a skier. I’m a tennis player. I’m retired. Thirty and retired?

I’m still processing this.

The two bright spots—she’s still open to hiking and rock-climbing (bouldering not included).

I can camp. I can hike. I can rock-climb. Hey, I can walk.

Actually hiking and climbing will have to wait; there’s still a lot of therapy to be done first. But those are points of hope. Really, truly.

It’s just hard to think of being a dad who can’t do sports.

Check out my dad. He taught me to ski on Mt. Hood about the time I started school. Once we moved to Colorado, he taught me to ski moguls high in the Rockies. He taught me to play basketball, football and softball. He took me mountain biking all over Colorado. When I was looking for a good bike, he took me to a bunch of shops in at least three different cities and let me try bikes until we found rides we were really into. On his 40th birthday he rode 100 miles on his bicycle. When I got into dirt bikes, he was right there with me. Actually, he was into trail riding long before I came on the scene. He took me to dirt tracks and to the mountains. My senior present was a cycle trip over some of Colorado’s coolest backcountry and mountain passes. Charissa and I are talking about starting the fam, but suddenly I’m asking myself how I can be a dad if I can’t give my kids those same things.

Yeah, I’m really frustrated tonight. It’s always easier to focus on what was lost than on what I still have. Did you catch that; I’m not paralyzed. I can walk.

And someday, God willing, I’ll climb.

But I want to be a dad like my dad.

I can walk.

I’m still processing this.

Shayne shared John Reuben with me. Tonight we got his CD “the boy vs the cynic.” Here are some lines from All I Have:

Are you disappointed
Is the world a let down
With your head in the clouds it’s time to get down
Head on collision
Crushed by dreams
So we leave our hearts at the accident scene
Shattered pieces scattered….

Realize life isn’t lived in fantasies no matter how much planning or strategy
Joy comes along with tragedy
I own them all gladly.

I’m alright. I’m ok.
I kind of like doing things this way
All I have is what God gives
And that’s all the life I was meant to live….

The starlight at night is more of a highlight than the highlife
The air I consume from the breath of creation renews my soul
Everyday I awake
Ah man, tell me who knew that simply being content was the dream come true.


Pack light. Leave “if only” at home.

MLA 2: New Year's Eve

"I've been to the bottom, and it is solid."

Every year on the longest night of the year, the church where my sister has found community has a rendezvous called The Longest Night. People get together to share their hard crap from the previous year--death, loss, pain, divorce. It sounds real. One person shared that intro quote. The bottom is solid.

We're visiting my sister now.

Last weekend we drove to town to watch The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I drove. I hadn't been behind the wheel for over a year. We watched the movie. I had already read the book. This was the first time in my 30 years of life that I had read a book before seeing the movie. I don't read stories. And for the first time, I could say, "Yeah, the movie was good, but the book was better." I am now cliche.

We had a family reunion with Charissa's family. That was really nice.

Charissa is overwhelmed. Robert Jensen counted 19 types of prepackaged salads at Hyvee. We are not used to this. It reminds me of Moscow on the Hudson. You know, collapsing in the shopping center aisle when trying choose between 300 brands of coffee.

My nephews are here. Goodbye.

MLA 1: Chrstmas Day Post

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Our medical leave of absence (MLA) tour has been an adventure already--3 times through the ticketing counter line in Seoul, 2 attempts through customs, a missing passport, and the flourishing of a cold on the drive to the airport. We paid exactly 400% more than usual for rice and seaweed in the airport, and were entertained by the menu. Most of the food items for sale had traditional names like Kimbap, Seaweed Soup, and Om Rice, but then we found Broth to Chase a Hangover. That was new.

We knew it was going to be a tough flight as soon as we lifted off from Kansai airport in Osaka-- our movie screen was blipping a horizontal line of static, but we could see other screens with full-color animation. Unfortunately, they were able to fix the projector, so were subjected to an ICBM (Inter-continental Bad Movie) not once, but twice. That's right, they showed Hillary Duff in The Perfect Man twice. TWICE!!!!!

And if there's one thing worse than bad American food at 30,000 feet, it's bad Japanese food at 30,000 feet. We are living proof that surviving on cashews for a day will not kill you... but it will make your bowels a little off.

But we're here now! We started laughing when we crawled into our old bed again. We couldn't get over hold soft it was. It felt SO good.

We had a nice reunion with the crew at church, and we were surpised to see Jackie and Todd. Very nice. It's great to be with family, and the family's food, again.

This morning we had a fine breakfast (blackberries, pineapple, spelt/oat/pecan pancakes, flavored applesauces, and scrambled eggs with soymilk), and then opened presents. Among other stuffs, I received these fine books:

1. Let My People Go Surfing. Yvon Chouinard's adventures and Patagonia's search for sustainable production. Here's a paragraph describing his time in Korea...

"A few weeks later I was called up for the draft. I tried to fail the physical by drinking a big bottle of soy sauce in order to raise my blood pressure, but I got so sick I couldn't keep it down.... After basic training, I hastily married a local Burbank girl before being shipped off to Korea, where I caused nothing but trouble by "forgetting" to salute officers, looking slovenly, going on hunger strikes, and generally acting unbalanced but always backing off just shy of risking court-martial. The army finally sent me of to work with some civilians where all I had to do was turn their generator on and off every day. I had plenty of free time, so I would sneak off with several young Korean climbers to put up first ascents all over the smooth granite domes and pinnacles north of Seoul. Miraculously, I was honorably discharged in 1964." (p. 20-21)

2. Faith Works (Jim Wallis). How Faith-based Organizations Are Changing Lives, Neighborhoods and America

3. Following the Equator (Mark Twain). A Journey Around the World

4. Blessed are the Peacemakers (S. Jonathan Bass). Martin Luther King Jr., Eight White Religious Leaders, and the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

5. Seven Summits (Bass, Wells, Ridgeway). Their challenge--to scale the highest peaks on seven continents

6. The Servant (Hunter). A simple story about the true essence of leadership

7. Wild at Heart (John Eldredge). Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul

8. It's about People (Jim Hohnberger). How to treat others, especially those we disagree with, the way Jesus treats us.

"...there's more to being a follower of Christ than pointing out error and being right. It's about people!" (from the back cover)

I was asked to give a 3rd sermon in February after we return to Korea. I'm thinking about using this book and some other stories as the foundation for the talk.

9. Uncle John's GIANT 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader. More absorbing material!


2006 looks to be a fine year with all of this stellar reading material. Look for more MLA posts as Charissa and I search for friends, family and health on this continental excursion. Coming soon to a town near you.

MISC: Books, Parties & KOTR

I have the attention span of a grapefruit. I recently finished reading Korean Business Etiquette, and now I’m in four books—The Geography of Thought (p. 39), Managing the Non-Profit Organization (p. 125), Three Billion New Capitalists (p. 107), and Globalization and Its Discontents (p. 43). I recommend them all. You must read them now. Simultaneously.

At our National SDA Teachers’ Christmas Party, groups of teachers presented songs (and dances) from their homelands. The British leaders were trying to get more people to join them onstage, and finally one lady joined saying “I was colonized once.” As the performers were sitting down after the song, Jonathan (quite possibly the funniest person on the peninsula) announced that the Americans were officially forgiven for that little Tea Party thing. “It’s forgotten!”

We’re heading back to the U.S. for 6 weeks. We are definitely not packing light. To rationalize, we’re no longer calling this a vacation. It’s an international business transaction. Boyd Import-Export, Inc. is unofficially chartered for the express purpose of bringing joy (and packaged goods) to the world.

I haven’t been posting much recently because I’ve been spending my time at Korea on the Rocks. I interviewed the first Korean to climb 5.14 (Son Jung-jun), and wrote a profile for KOTR. I also posted his gym. The profile is long on facts and short on stories--my apologies. I also interviewed TICOM about eating well in Seoul (Have you figured out who TICOM is?). I added to the basics of climbing. And I started a thread on what people learn from climbing. The rest of my KOTR posts are less significant for the general reading public (just think how bad they must be). My handle is Curious_j. FYI.

We leave in 6 hours for our trip. It's midnight. I still need to pack. It would take an anti-gravity device to make this expedition light.

NEWS: World AIDS Day

December 1 is World AIDS Day.

Some stats: 8,000 people die of AIDS every day. Over 40,000,000 people now have HIV and AIDS. Africa contains 10% of the world's population, but over 50% of people infected with HIV.

Some thoughts: AIDS is not healthy. God wants people to be healthy. God doesn't want people to contract HIV and AIDS. If we help people not get HIV or if we care for people with AIDS, we make God happy.

A final fact: I have never done anything to help anyone with HIV or AIDS.

This has nothing to do with packing light.

Sincerely yours,
Jeff

NEWS: Tons of Gear

What you know is that 80,000 people in Pakistan and India died in the earthquake on October 8, 2005. You also know that millions are still homeless.

But what you may not know is that the American Alpine Club has sent 6 tons of winter clothing and gear to help the displaced. Here's the report from Climbing magazine (http://climbing.com/news/):

Around 2.5 tons of high-quality parkas, tents, sleeping bags, boots and other gear were sent to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which will orchestrate distribution by truck and donkey to isolated mountain villages. Another 3.5 tons of gear is destined for lower-elevation disaster zones. Thousands of dollars of cash was donated to cover distribution expenses in Pakistan and to buy food and medicine. In addition to individuals’ contributions, the AAC received gear and clothing from the American Alpine Institute, Climb Axe, EverestGear.com, Indigo Equipment, International Mountain Guides, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, Patagonia and Wild Things, and Trango donated boxes for shipping. Patagonia also is sending 21,000 items directly from its European offices.

For those who would still like to donate, http://www.kashmirrelief.org/ and http://quakehelp.net/ are coordinating ongoing gear and clothing drives for Pakistan.

I guess the moral of the story is... Pack heavy if you're giving it away.

ORG: Make Poverty History

What does poverty have to do with justice?

I'll just highlight one issue today: fair trade. Unjust trade policies make it difficult for the poorest developing countries to compete in international markets, so the very tools they need to develop are withheld from them. I believe fair trade is much more helpful than debt forgiveness. The two main trade issues often cited involve agricultural (subsidies & trade rules) and barriers to market entrance.

Let's support groups like these who are trying to deal with these issues:

Make Poverty History (http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/)
Millennium Campaign (http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/)

Don't forget that White Band Day is coming soon (Dec. 10). Here's a shot of some Filipino boys at last years WBD rally.

HOLIDAY: International Buy Nothing Day

All props to Ellen for today's must-read post, "Blog-a-luia." Read on...

I've found my faith, and I'm going to church this holiday weekend. The Church of Stop Shopping, that is. To celebrate the start of the christmas season I'm counting my blessings, checking them twice, and I'm going to stop shopping and start living. November 25th is International Buy Nothing Day, why not participate? It requires so little of you. Thank you Reverand Billy, bring-on the changelujah.

And yes, I would go anywhere to see a cash register exorcism.


Ellen, peace to you. It's easier to pack light when you buy nothing.

PEOPLE: Tom, Brian & Scott

Tom Sobal knows how to pack light. He's won 5 world snoeshoeing championships and the 100-mile Iditasport in Alaska. He has even run a snowshoe marathon in just over 3 hours. Tom is a bike mechanic who's never had a driver's license--he rides, runs, or snowshoes everywhere he needs to go. This Coloradan takes his daughter to school in a bike trailer or sled. His advice: "Try pedaling or walking to the grocery store once a week." (Backpacker, Feb. 2005) Random Tom Quote: "Pain is weakness leaving the body."

Flyin’ Brian Robinson walked 7,371 miles in just 300 days. That’s right, he walked the three big trails in less than a year—Appalachian, Continental Divide, and Pacific Crest. His average base pack load was 12 pounds. How far did you go and how much did you take on your last family vacation? (Backpacker, April 2005)

Scott Williamson reminds us that we can be overpowered by the mind, not just the pack. Reading his story in a subway far below Seoul, my eyes started to water up. Scott is the first person to “yo-yo” the 2,560 mile Pacific Crest Trail. That is, he hiked from Mexico to Canada and back again. He did it carrying a 20 pound pack. This triumph is full of tragedy as key relationships are made and destroyed—suicide, attempted murder, and broken romance. (Backpacker, May 2005)

These three go far by going fast. They go fast by going light. But they still have pain.

GAME: RPS

Packing light doesn't mean going light on fun. Nope. The enlightened crew at the World RPS Society reminds us that one of ancient society's first sources of pleasure is still at our modern fingertips. And this ultimate pack light entertainment does no visible harm to the environment.

So practice your throws and take this fight back to the street.

For advanced symbolism, techniques, strategies, and jedi mind tricks, head to www.worldrps.com. You'll never be the same. And neither will your carpal tunnel.

Both RPS and packing light are unofficially sponsored by Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org).

BIBLE: Nahum 3:16

You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away. Nahum 3:16

Nahum must have seemed pretty negative to the crew in Nineveh since all 3 chapters of his little book are against them. But this verse especially stands out to me since my graduate studies were in business. Do I support modern Nineveh?

The only way for the merchants to decrease is for the customers to reject their goods, to choose to pack light. Power is in the hand of the consumer, not the producer, but marketing departments work overtime to make sure this thought is never accepted.

Some people vote for a president once every 4 years, but we vote with our dollars every day. The more we buy, the more the system produces. When we buy less, inventories pile up and producers cut back on production. (but if we go for this, we have to understand the tiger we ride. as business production decreeses, people are laid off and are forced to pack light.)

And when we are in need, the more we buy goods from companies that follow sustainable policies, the more we protect our world. If you're interested in more detailed info, here are a few books (yes, more products) and websites that can help us pack smart when we do have to pack something:

Ethical Shopping : Where to Shop, What to Buy and What to Do to Make a Difference

The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices

Shopping for a Better Environment

Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

Sustainable Capitalism: A Matter of Common Sense

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness and the Future of Life on Earth

Organic Living in 10 Simple Lessons

The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life : Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live

Let My People Go Surfing : The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

www.ethiscore.org
www.getethical.com
www.ethicalconsumer.org
www.ethicalconsumer.org/aboutec/tentips.htm
www.greenchoices.org
www.naturalcollection.com
www.greenbabyco.com
www.viridian-nutrition.com
www.corporatecritic.org
www.organic.org

So anyway, it sounds like Nahum was in favor of packing light. And we know who Nahum was getting his ideas from.

NEWS: Charissa Graduated!

Clayton College of Natural Health has awarded Charissa a Certificate of Natural Wellness, Highest Honors.

She worked for approximately two years on the certificate while working two jobs in Berrien Springs and while living in a foreign country. It took a lot of dedication to stay focused on the classes when there were so many other distractions (like me) pressing for her attention.

Her favorite class was Healthy Lifestyles where she studied "all the different aspects of health besides eating and exercise." She says she's learned that health is more of a process than a specific goal.

Maybe learning to pack light is also a process. Maybe we have to keep taking out the old tools and gear and replacing them with newer, more useful tools for our new environments. Maybe it's a process of learning to live light. To always let go of one, while taking hold of the other.

Maybe I need to stop being philosophical about packing light and get on to the business of CELEBRATING!

THOUGHT: Positive

“Philosophy can no more show a man what he should attach importance to than geometry can show a man where he should stand.” —Peter Winch, 1968

I'm pretty sure it's important to stay positive, but Peter is right, philosophy can't decide that for me. But I've decided it's right. So let's be positive. Let's look for the good.

I'm going to try it this week at work. While Charissa and I were walking around Seoul after saying goodbye to our friends Angela, August and Karen this afternoon, we talked about staying positive. When people have negative conversations with me, I'm going to try to find good things to say. When people make crazy decisions (and crazy decisions are definitely made weekly 'round these parts), then I'll try to point out the positive when others ridicule. When people complain about their jobs, I'll try to find the good in their jobs, or their rightness in their assessment of their jobs and how they can find new ones, or something upbeat like that.

Peter Winch, philosophy can't even tell me if your statement is important. But I think it is. I wonder if you were very positive even though you were against positivism. Did you ever go surfing? Because surfers know where to stand on their boards, and from what I can tell, they're pretty good at packing light.

NEWS: Muslim Youth of Paris

"Stand in the gap." Muslim youth in Paris have turned the catch-phrase into reality.

It's been a wild week of riots on the outskirts of Paris. Youth with pent up anger and frustration and with nothing to lose have taken their complaints to the streets after 2 teens were accidentally electrocuted while hiding from police. The violence has spread like a wildfire to neighborhoods beyond the area where the teens died.

In the midst of this, one group stands out. One group is standing in the gap.

Abderamane Bouhout, president of the cultural organization that manages Bilal mosque, mobilized small groups of young believers during recent rioting to go between the rioters and the police and urge the disaffected youths to express their anger in nonviolent ways.

Mr. Aouad, who witnessed one such intervention on Monday night not far from the mosque, said it was impressively effective.

"It worked," he said. "They went right between the two sides and a lot of the kids listened to them. The damage the next day was a lot less serious than the previous nights."

At the local city hall, Lamya Monkachi says the role of religious personalities along with that of young locals recruited from the suburbs to mediate for the city authorities has been key to reducing the violence in Clichy-sous-Bois in the past two days, even as it intensified in other suburbs.

(NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/03/international/europe/03cnd-france.html?hp)

God bless and strengthen the Muslim peacemakers, the youth with more courage than I've ever known. Pack light, but load up on courage, love and relevancy.



Today's Bonus: Courage Quotes

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." -Winston Churchill

"Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others." -Winston Churchill

"Courage is the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality." -C. S. Lewis

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." -Ambrose Redmoon

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward, it is not a compliment to say it is brave." -Mark Twain