99 Balloons

Here's a very touching video. It's already been spread around a bit but I felt compelled to share it with you in case you haven't seen it. Get a fistful of tissues ready. 

Life's Serious Moments

Every now and then something happens that stops me in my tracks. A friend tells me about a family member or co-worker experiencing something awful...death, cancer, a serious accident. I try to offer words of comfort or encouragement but often feel lost about what to say. It typically makes me contemplate my life and the many blessings I have. More often than not I internalize things and get quieter than usual, much to my wife's dismay. After some time my life continues on as normal and I don't think about their situations as often. And I feel guilty for being so selfish.

A couple weeks ago the bad news hit a little closer to home. My father-in-law, Bob, was given a preliminary diagnoses of the early onset of Alzheimer's. We had noticed that his memory had been slipping over the past few years and there were other signs that things weren't quite right but it happened so gradually and it's easy to make excuses. We started to suspect something a bit more serious may be going on when his younger brother was diagnosed with the disease about a year ago. Lisa was with her dad at the doctor's office while he was taking the test. She could see in his eyes that he knew he wasn't doing as well as he had when he had taken the test previously. She's putting up a strong front right now but I know she's scared about what the future holds. I know Bob is scared, too. Being a retired firefighter he isn't going to let his fear show. For now I'm trying to be supportive and available to listen when someone needs to talk. That's hard for me because generally I try to offer solutions on what I think it will take to fix something. This isn't really all that fixable.

We're committed to doing whatever we need to do to help but we don't know what that really means right now. My father-in-law is 72. His mother just passed away this past year at age 94. This has the potential to stretch out over a very long period of time. I've seen what Alzheimer's has done to other people but never this close to me. It can be a cruel illness that robs you of your dignity, that much I do know. 

Bob has an appointment in February to see a neurologist. We'll find out more about the potential course of treatment at that time. I'm sure they'll prescribe some drugs to help him in the short term. In the meantime we'll do some research and try to figure out what we're going to be able to do to try and help. I'm pretty certain this will be something we'll be working with for awhile.

True Confessions of a Coffee Drinker

I'm a coffee snob and I'm proud of it. I own two separate coffee makers. One of them cost nearly $900 and it makes awesome espresso drinks. When I got over the initial sticker shock and did the math I discovered it easily paid for itself in less than a year. I've owned it for over six so I'm way ahead on the coffee shop curve. The other is only for brewed coffee...the everyday work horse. I only buy whole bean coffee and use a burr grinder to make it just right for the perfect brew. Snobbery through and through!

As I've travelled around the world I've gotten to taste a lot of great coffee. It is the primary export in a lot of the countries the organization I work for has offices in. The result is I've had the opportunity to drink some of the world's best coffee on its home turf. I have a deal with a couple of co-workers and we bring coffee back to each other from our various trips. If you've never heard coffee mentioned in conjunction with Ethiopia, Colombia, Indonesia, Guatemala, Kenya, El Salvador, or Tanzania then you must be a Folger's drinker. I once told my pastor that, for coffee connoisseurs, drinking Folger's is like dropping the f-bomb during a Sunday morning sermon. He's a cool guy so I didn't get excommunicated or anything.

Ethiopian coffee is outstanding. After all, Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee...at least that's what my Ethiopian friends claim. Colombia grows some incredible beans, too. That Juan Valdez guy is a national icon! They've built a whole new brand around ol' Juan that actually has some decent coffee associated with it...not like the junk that we in the US remember from those commercials in the 70's. Indonesia has their delicious Sumatra, Tanzania has wonderful Peaberry, Guatemala is rightfully proud of their Antigua, and the Santa Leticia beans from El Salvador are very flavorful. But, in my opinion, the best coffee I've tasted comes from Kenya! There are two coffee's that I absolutely love coming out of my favorite African destination...Kenya AA roasted by the Nairobi Java House and, wait for it...wait for it...

Dorman's AA Blue Mountain!

"Hold on a minute...KENYAN Blue Mountain? Blue Mountain is that expensive coffee from Jamaica. You've got it wrong!"

Nope...I've got it exactly right! A number of years ago someone figured out that an area of Kenya has a very similar climate, elevation and soil to Jamaica. They imported a coffee plant and found their suspicions were correct. The Kenyan Blue Mountain coffee is every bit as delicious as the Jamaican version (the Jamaicans are not real happy about this and have been trying to stop the Kenyan's from calling it Blue Mountain for years). But here's the best part. You might be aware that the Jamican Blue Mountain costs anywhere from $25 a pound and up if you can find it? I can get the Kenyan Blue Mountain for a little less than $10 a pound. Score!

The unfortunate part of this story is I can't get year 'round access to the Kenyan coffee that I love so much. I don't get to Kenya as often as I'd like and they don't have an online store that I can order from - although the shipping would probably negate the great prices anyway. The good news is I've found an awesome place in Colorado Springs that roasts some pretty darn good bean. My friend Eric Umenhofer is an awesome local roaster and owns a shop called the Colorado Coffee Merchants. He has two labels he markets under, Umpire Estate and Idle Truck. I really like the Umpire Estate Kauai blend and I love his espresso beans, too. Quite honestly, I haven't had anything from his shop that I didn't really like. It's 237% better than the bitter, burned, over-caffeinated crap that Starbuck's tries to pass off as coffee. If you really enjoy good coffee you owe it to yourself to give Colorado Coffee Merchants a try...did I mention they're having a Holiday Open House on December 22 between 5:30 and 8:00? If you don't live around Colorado Springs you can order online and they'll ship it to you, too. 

Ok..enough with the commercial but it was an honest testimonial. Coffee is a gift from God. That's probably most evident in that it's the drug of choice for most Christians – but that's a whole different topic for another day. For now, I'm going to go pour another cup and relax.

Red Red Wine

I like red wine. Wait. That's a lie. I love red wine! For some reason I've never acquired much of a taste for white wine. I may even have a bit of an allergy to it as I tend to get a bit congested after drinking some. But pour me a glass or two of a rich, robust red and I'm your friend for life – or at least the evening. Of course my primary reasons for drinking a glass or two of red wine are the documented health benefits that come along with it. Yeah..that's it, the health benefits!

There's a whole mystique surrounding wine tasting and choosing a good wine that used to intrigue me. The reviewers talking about hints of chocolate or berries or other flavors always sound great. Personally I've never really been able to pick out those distinctions when I've actually tried the wine. I guess all the cheap beer I drank in college must have tainted my taste buds. My technique is far more simple than what the experts put themselves through. I find someone who has similar taste or make friends with the manager of the local liquor mart and ask for recommendations. So far I haven't been disappointed.

I've had the opportunity to drink some highly rated reds over the years. Silver Oak comes to mind as a nice, smooth, fine tasting wine. At $125 + for a bottle it's not something I have on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, I've only had it once when a great friend of mine shared a bottle he had been given as a parting gift when he left an internet design company he helmed for a period of time. Someone really appreciated what he had done and let him know with a great gift!

Here's a sample of some of what's in my "cellar" at the moment.





What I've come to discover is that it's not that difficult to find a really good bottle of red for less than $20 or $30. I'm talking something that really doesn't leave me longing for the Silver Oak but actually gives it some stiff competition!

These wines are very nice, full bodied reds that can either stand alone or go well with a meal. I've never really adhered to the white meat/white wine, red meat/red wine rules. I've found that you can pair red's with just about anything successfully. Some old school wine connoisseurs are probably picking themselves up off the floor about now.

Relaxing with good friends and a good bottle of red typically makes for a great evening. We should get together and try it sometime!

Kenya Safari

Kenya is one of my favorite countries to visit. I've been there eight times in five years (I went back and counted the number of stamps in my passports). I've made some wonderful friends there...Elizabeth, Sidney and Susan to name just a few. Most often my travels have been restricted to regular work related activities with the hope of occasionally spotting some of Africa's beautiful wildlife on the side of the roads. On my last couple of trips I've gotten to go on safari in the Maasai Mara area in Southwest Kenya. The Maasai Mara turns into the Serengeti at the Tanzania border so it's pretty much the same thing. 

Both times I've visited I've stayed at the Kichwa Tembo tented camp. Yes, I said tents but it's not anything like what you're thinking. The tents have a completely functional bathroom (including a shower) and the beds are very comfy - they do a turn down service and put a hot water bottle between the sheets each night. The meals are served in the main dining room and the food is absolutely delicious. In the morning they serve you coffee or tea as part of your wake up call. As a side note, they give you the option to either bring the tea into your tent or serve it on the porch. If you ever visit, have them bring it into the tent because the monkeys will steal the biscuits off your plate...while you're standing there looking at them! If Kichwa Tembo seems too rustic for your tastes, check out their adjacent luxury tented camp, Bateleur. I reserve the right to call you a snob if you choose to stay at Bateleur Camp and will probably hit you up for a "grant" to fund my next trip to Kenya!

The area is beautiful with it's tremendous African sky. The wildlife is amazing! Maasai Mara is a game preserve so the animals know they aren't in danger from humans. The result is magnificent photo opportunities. The following are examples of a few of the pictures I was able to take. I've been considering making prints or desktop images of some of my pictures available for people to purchase. Pricing would depend on how large a print and what type of media you'd like it printed onto. I'd be more than happy to discuss details with you if you're interested.

By the way, I'm still working on getting the video of the Maasai dance together. I'm hoping to have something ready to show next week.

Back in Action

So sorry for being absent for so long. As I mentioned in my last post the days in Kenya were longer than I expected and the internet was rather spotty. I've been back in Colorado for over a week but got whipped by one of my worst cases of jet lag in a long time.

So, here I am...back in action.

My trip to Kenya was amazing! I was very honored to attend the grand opening celebration of a girls boarding school in the Rift Valley. It was my third opportunity to visit, but the first time when school was actually in session.

Of the 130 girls attending the school, 30 are sponsored by Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program. One of the teachers is a graduate of Compassion's Leadership Development Program.

I met a young lady named Margaret. Margaret is a prime reason the school was built. At age 14, her family was ready to marry her off to a man much older than she is so they wouldn't have to be "burdened" with her any longer.

A young man who works at the local church was able to convince Margaret's family to let him and his wife "adopt" her and put her in the Najile Girls School. Margaret is now attending school and learning how to make the community she lives in a better place instead of becoming someone's 3rd or 4th wife. The school has been open for less than one year and it's already fulfilling the purpose that was once just a dream that a few people dared to imagine.

I won't bore you with details of the opening ceremony. Suffice it to say that it went on for nearly four hours. There were speeches and some dancing. More speeches. Gifts were exchanged. A little more dancing followed by more speeches.

It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound but it did last a long time. We got to see lots of the Maasai people wearing their traditional dress...absolutely beautiful! The boys from the Najile Boys School performed a traditional Maasai dance. They've won national awards for their dancing so it was good! I'm hoping to be able to post some video of the dance soon. There were dignitaries and government officials. Everything was very formal and recognized the significance of the change in culture that is allowing this school to exist. It really was special and I was honored to be able to be a part of it!

Things to look forward to in upcoming posts...I got literally hundreds of incredible pictures on the safari we went on at the end of the trip! I'll get a few of those posted later this week. Until then, have a great week...and why not consider making a difference in the life of a child less fortunate than we are this Thanksgiving. It really does work.

Still in Kenya...

Sorry for the lack of posts...the trip has been far busier than I anticipated and the internet has been far less reliable than on my previous visits.

 I will have to catch up when I am back in the US.

I'm in Kenya!

We landed Saturday night shortly after 7:00 - we're 10 hours ahead of Colorado so I'm getting ready to tuck myself in for the night.

The flights here were uneventful...which is always a good thing! For the first time in a long time United actually got our whole group to our final destination with no delays and no misplaced bags! Woo-Hoo!

We landed after dark so you'll have to live with a few pictures of my room at the hotel. Not too bad! I was fortunate to get assigned when of the more recently updated rooms at our hotel.

It started to rain about 15 minutes after I got to my room. It's now been raining for about an hour and a half. It could be kind of muddy if it keeps up for too much longer.

If you remember, I'm here to cover the opening ceremonies for a girls boarding school out in the Rift Valley at a place called Najile. I promise the stories and pictures will get much more interesting over the next week.

Watch for more soon!

A New Day

It's a new day. As one of my pastor's likes to say, "a day that has never been used before." I've always liked it when he says that. It's usually in the context of a prayer, giving thanks to God for all he has given to us, including each and every day. It's easy to take for granted what we're given everyday and get mired down in day to day life. 

I'm trying to be better about keeping a good attitude and letting go of the things I think I have control over. I'm trying to be better about remembering to pray. It's actually pretty amazing how much better things go when I do pray. You'd think that would be incentive enough to pray more regularly, but it's not.

I'm trying to have a better attitude and not be so pessimistic. It's funny how prayer makes a difference with that, too. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy being negative or having a bad attitude. I don't think the people around me enjoy it much...I know my wife doesn't. You'd think that would be incentive enough to lighten up, but it's not.

I'm trying not to get caught up with always wanting new things...stuff...gadgets. I have plenty of them. I use some of them more than others. A few weeks ago I got rid of a lot of stuff that I hadn't used in a long time. That felt good. Then I started thinking about what I might be able to replace some of that stuff with. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this is commonly referred to as materialism. You'd think that at some point I'd be content with the things that I have, but I'm not.

My prayer today is that I would appreciate each new day for what it is, an opportunity to do something positive. To in some way make a positive difference in the day of the people around me. To be content with what God has blessed me with; a beautiful, loving wife, a great family (in-laws included), awesome friends, a good job, a free country to live in, the opportunity to travel the world, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

Can I ask you to pray for me? Pray that I would keep my priorities straight and have a positive influence on the people I come in contact with. Pray that I would seek God's direction each and every day and not get wrapped up in selfish desires.

Thanks. I feel better already. I'll pray for you, too.

Workin' for a Livin'

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I've been busy doing some freelance work for a company a friend of mine works for. It's been taking up a lot of my time outside of my day job. You might be wondering "What the heck are you doing taking on a freelance job when your work has been consuming you...at least according to that other post you wrote!" 

It's an interesting situation. Doing this freelance job has actually helped me (temporarily, at least) get the frustrations of my day job out of my head. Yes, I'm making videos but it's not the same. The subject mater is completely different and I'm getting my hands on the equipment again...getting back in the trenches, so to speak. In my day job I do more managing than actual doing. I have a great guy that works for me who does the shooting and editing while I hover over his shoulder and drive him nuts. This freelance job has been all me – lighting, camera, directing, editing...everything.

In some ways it's a nice reminder that I still know how to do this stuff. It also helps me appreciate the team of people I work with on a daily basis.

On a more selfish basis, the side work is going to help finance my new iPhone. Sounds like an all around win to me! Now if i can just get this project wrapped up so I can go reintroduce myself to my wife...

First snow

It's Tuesday, October 21, 2008 and the first snow of the season is falling. It wasn't supposed to snow much, but the grass is covered already. Those poor weather guys in Colorado...there are way too many variables to keep them from getting it right!

The snow seems a bit early this year. We typically don't get the first snow until it's closer to Halloween. I'm rather ambivalent about it this year. Usually I find the first snow a touch depressing as it signals the official end of warm weather. This year, not so much.

So, I raise a toast to the first snow of the fall/winter of 2008/2009. Feel free to join in with your mug of cider, hot cocoa, or other beverage of choice. Cheers!

The Sunday Blues

It's been a fairly busy weekend; a Friday night wedding, helping with the weekly house cleaning Saturday morning, celebrating my nephew Trevin's 4th birthday at lunch Saturday, a violin recital with my niece Katrina later Saturday afternoon. We went to church Sunday morning (including helping with the coffee and donut table) and then I mowed and winterized the lawn in the afternoon. Right now Lisa is out with a few friends having tea so I have some quiet time while I wait for the dryer to finish with the current batch of laundry.

Weekends like this leave me a little down. Sure we got a lot accomplished and spent time with family, but all the activity didn't leave me much down time. Being an introvert that means I didn't really get a chance to recharge my batteries this weekend. With Monday lurking around the corner I find my brain is shifting back into work mode...too soon. The result: I have a case of The Sunday Blues.

There's a lot of stuff going on at work right now. Busy is always better than having too much time on your hands, but it has been non stop for far too long now and it's more than having too many projects. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do and being able to make videos that have an impact in the lives of children around the word...well, that's pretty amazing. A friend of mine wrote about doing what you love in his blog a few weeks ago and it is true in so many ways. The issue I'm facing right now is that work has become consuming. It's challenging to not start thinking about, talking about, worrying about...you get the idea.

So, what can I do? Or, more directly, what do you do to keep your work from consuming you, from beginning to define who you are? I'm looking for suggestions/ideas that might help me find ways to break the fever of my Sunday Blues.

The Economy - A Common Man's Perspective

The Economy. There probably isn't anyone reading this who hasn't thought about the current world economic situation and how it is, or is going to impact their life. Food prices are going up. The cost of gas and utilities are through the roof. Retirement accounts are shrinking. I'm just a common man and don't profess to be an economist. I certainly don't know how to fix what's happening. But I do have some perspective on where a lot of the responsibility for these difficult economic times lie.

1. "The American Dream" has changed over the past several decades. It used to be that through hard work, dedication, educational opportunities and advancement you could make a good income and provide a comfortable living for you and your family. Through your efforts you could achieve your dream. Somewhere along the way, the dream has become a list of entitlements. "I deserve to have a huge home, new car(s), flat screen TV(s), expensive clothes, and a luxurious, early retirement. I don't really want to work too hard in order to get all this stuff. I'm an American...it should be given to me. Preferably on a silver platter." The dream has become a nightmare.
   
2. Government. Irresponsible government spending has set the tone for US citizens. "Our government can't live within the means that our tax dollars provide so they rack up billions of dollars in debt. Surely a little bit of personal debt so I can buy that new car or bigger house isn't so bad." Some debt can be justified for the overall health and well-being of our nation but the vast majority of our national debt is waste, plain and simple. The hole that is currently being dug will put future generations in extreme financial risk. Government officials, elected and otherwise, generally lead very comfortable lifestyles and are paid significantly more than the average American. They are out of touch with the people they serve and are setting a dangerous precedent. 
   
3. Corporate Greed. Gone are the days when a reasonable profit was acceptable in corporate America. Industry in the 21st Century must make huge profits and line the pockets and bank accounts of its executives, board members, and major stock holders. How many times have we read about corporations and institutions failing, laying off thousands of people, blowing out employee retirement plans due to irresponsible management and yet the top executives make millions with their "golden parachutes?" As the price of oil skyrockets worldwide, squeezing the budgets of consumers, we read about the oil industry making billions of dollars in profits.
   

Lots of finger pointing is going on about who's at fault for the big economic crash. Democrats blame President Bush, but isn't it the Democratic controlled Congress who really sets and controls the budget? Democrats and Republicans both blame the greed of the financial institutions, but wasn't it those very politicians who encouraged banks to provide bigger, riskier loans to more people to help them buy bigger, more expensive homes? We point our fingers at the government saying they should have watched out for us and not allowed this to happen, but aren't we the ones who voted for them and put them in office to begin with and let them do pretty much whatever they want with little or no accountability? Home owners blame the mortgage companies and banks when they suddenly can't afford their house payment, but wasn't it these same home owners who bought more house than they could afford without educating themselves about what those sub-prime, adjustable rate mortgage payments would balloon to in a couple of years? We complain about the high price of gas for our cars but we don't try to plan our days to maximize our efficiency for the number of miles we drive and God forbid we carpool with someone because that would just be too inconvenient.

As we get angry and point the finger at those we seek to blame for the breakdown of the economy, we need to stop and take a look at our hand. See that finger sticking out towards those we want to accuse of wrecking our "dreams?" Look closely. There are three other finger pointing back at us. We all bear some responsibility for what is happening. It's time to suck it up and stop acting irresponsibly. We need to make smart decisions about how and what we spend our money on. We need to hold both ourselves and our elected officials accountable for financial decisions that affect our lives. It's time to stop being greedy and to start living within our means personally, professionally, corporately and nationally. It won't happen overnight, but with perseverance and discipline I think we can weather this storm.

Am I off base? Do I just not get it? I'd love to hear what you think.

Back to Africa Part 2

I'm headed Back to Africa during the first part of November. This is very exciting for me as I have been "out of Africa" for 18 months, the longest period of time away since I came on staff at Compassion in 2003. I'll be in Kenya between Nov. 7 and 15.

Africa, especially Kenya, holds a special place in my heart. Kenya was the first country I visited in Africa in the fall of 2003. I went there to film a video for Compassion and one of our partner ministries, the Continentals. It was a very special time, kind of the same feeling you get when you've just returned home after a long trip. The people are beautiful and genuinely warm and friendly. The landscape is beautiful. The African sky is every bit as magnificent as it has been described and then some. Kenya has become one of my favorite destinations in the world, and having set foot in 27 different countries that's a fairly big statement. I literally don't remember how many times I've been there since my first visit, but it was frequent enough that our country staff began to joke that I soon would need to start paying taxes. My sister thinks that if I was given the opportunity and the timing and conditions were right I would permanently move to Kenya...that might be stretching it a bit but you never know!

This upcoming trip will be even more special. We're celebrating the opening of a boarding school for girls in the Najille area in the Rift Valley. This area is home to the nomadic Massai tribe. Traditionally, the Massai have been polygamous and their traditions have viewed women as inferior to men. Women weren't viewed as having anything valuable to contribute to the communities in which they lived. As a result, there was very little emphasis on education for girls. The Massai have been known to marry off daughters as young as 12 years old. This enabled the parents to rid themselves of the "burden" of raising their daughters and have one less child to have to feed and care for.

Several years ago, one of our Project Coordinator's at Compassion's Kenya office felt compelled to speak up on behalf of the Massai girls. She began working to educate the Massai people on the value 's women bring to their culture. She went so far as to begin to rescue girls who were being sent off to be married. This courageous young woman put herself in very dangerous positions by confronting what was a deeply engrained cultural belief. By working with the Christian churches in the Rift Valley and using the power of prayer she was able to help the Massai understand that the traditions they had been observing were wrong. She came up with a plan to build a boarding school for girls to not only help educate the girls so they can become effective contributors to their villages, but also to offer protection from the temptation to marry them off at too young an age. Compassion's US development team was able to raise funds through the generous contributions of our major donors and several foundations that believe in the vision of Compassion's mission. I have had the opportunity to visit the school twice during various phases of construction. This trip will allow me to see it finished and to visit with the girls who are receiving the benefits the school is offering to them. I'll be filming interviews with the students, their parents and community leaders to put together a final status report and word of appreciation to the people who helped make everything possible. I think you can understand the significance of this trip.

That's why I'm especially excited about my trip Back to Africa. I hope this look into the unfamiliar of a group of people in a far away country will inspire you to pray for those less fortunate than us. If you're able, I would encourage you to sponsor a child living in a country that is trying to pull itself out of the grip of despair. You'll be amazed and blessed by the difference you can make...and the difference it will make in your own life, as well.

Back to Africa!

Ok...I'm really excited! A month from now I'll be heading back to Africa...Kenya to be more specific. This will be something like my umpteenth trip to Kenya. I'll be going to film the opening ceremony for a girls school in Najille that the ministry I work for built with the help of lots of generous people. It's a really big deal for the area the school is located in. I'll explain why in a future post, but for now I just wanted to share the news.

Woo-hoo! I'm going back to Africa!

Whose fault is it anyway?

A lot has been said over the past few weeks about the crash of some of the U.S.A.'s major financial institutions. Everyone is quick to point a finger to the other guy across the political aisle. Democratic sponsored TV spots are airing that accuse the Bush Administration for this financial mess. Today I was sent an email that contained an article published in the New York Times on Sept. 30, 1999 - more than a month before George W. Bush was elected President for his first term. Normally I don't take much stock in emails sent to me by friends and family who have a demonstrated loyalty to one party or the other. I also am very aware of how easy it is to fake information. This time I decided to visit the NY Times website and search their archives to see if the email was accurate. To the credit of those who sent this to me, it was 100% word-for-word. I'm not going to post the entire text of the article here. I'll let you read it directly from the NY Times site:

NYTimes.com

Thank you, President Clinton.

Bailout...'nuf said

Read my friends post...

Bailout

Bono's my hero. Too bad he's not eligible to run for President.

This is news?

Today's big headlines:

"Clay is Gay: Aiken comes out of the closet"

"Miley takes boyfriend to Pussycat Dolls concert"

"Lindsay Lohan confirms she's dating a woman"

Aren't there more important things going on in the world? Does anyone really need to know what a few popular, although relatively insignificant entertainers are doing in their personal lives?

Sure there have been other headlines about McCain calling for a pause in the campaign to focus on the financial crisis and Obama taking a larger lead in a few states, but I'm growing extremely tired of politics after a two year campaign and the obscene amount of money that's been wasted in the process. Then there's the article about actor Michael Douglas fielding questions about the financial crisis on Wall Street at the UN. Really? I know he was in the movie "Wall Street" - he even won an Oscar for the role -  but does that make him an authority on the crisis happening in the US Financial District? Why would a reporter even ask a stupid question like that? It's bad enough that he was really there to talk about a nuclear test ban treaty, like he's an expert on that subject, too.

In the meantime, the residents of Galveston are being allowed to return home for the first time since Hurricane Ike struck two weeks ago. Sure, it's in the news, but it's not getting as much attention. The CDC is really concerned about this season's flu season. Apparently there are three new strains lurking out there waiting to prey on infants and the elderly. Buried.

Is this a sign of the direction our culture is headed? If the love lives of celebrities can trump real world, life threatening, significant news so easily I'm afraid for what's to come. Do we need to be so sheltered and insulated from what's going on in our world? Wouldn't it be better to know what life changing events are happening around us so we can get our fat butts out of our lazy-boys and give someone a hand?

That's it, isn't it. We've become such isolationists that we really don't want to know what's going on around us. It's "too painful," or it "really doesn't affect me that much." "I'm tired of hearing about other people's problems."

May God have mercy on us all.

I'm a Mac!

With all the publicity surrounding Microsoft's new ad blitz I thought I would weigh in with my 2¢ – Surprise! I'm a Mac! Have been since the late 80's and most likely will be until the day I die.

Over the years I've personally owned a total of 7 Macs of various flavors and configurations. Those are just the ones I've used at home. At work there have been another dozen or so that I've been in charge of at various times...everything from PowerBooks, to Mac Pro's and everything in between.

On top of all that I've got three iPods and an iPhone in the household. Hopefully a second iPhone is coming in the not too distant future.

For the video work I do, Macs make sense. For use at home, they do everything I've ever asked them to do without fuss. I've never had a virus attack my machines. I've never seen the "blue screen of death" or had a complete system failure. They just work. Not to say there haven't been some problems along the way, but nothing like the problems all of my PC friends have had.

I loved Apple's "Get a Mac" ads with Justin Long and John Hodgeman from the beginning. I thought they were clever and entertaining with a nice little pump for Apple while getting in a not-so-subtle dig at Windows. I sat scratching my bald head when I saw the Microsoft ads with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. The new "I'm a PC" ads? Talk about imitation being the biggest form of flattery. But honestly, I don't think Microsoft is winning back any of the people who switched to the Mac over the past several years.

Am I biased? Sure. Am I a Mac snob? Absolutely. There may be 12 step programs available for geeks like me, but I ain't going!

twenty-seven

27.

According to Wikipedia, "27 is the natural number following 26 and preceding 28. Twenty-seven is the smallest positive integer requiring four syllables to name in English, though it can be unambiguously defined in just two: "three cubed.""

Twenty-seven is a number that I have some attachment to. I have for the past couple of years. I'm trying not to get too comfortable with 27...I'd like to see it change to 28 in the very near future. Even better would be twenty-nine and then 30.

So what's the significance of 27 to me? It happens to be the number of countries I've had the privilege to be able to visit.

Before you get too excited there's something you need to understand. I didn't visit all these countries on vacation. I wasn't relaxing on sun soaked beaches, sipping tropical drinks with a miniature umbrella poking me in the eye. The vast majority of the places I've visited are not vacation destinations for most people. They are countries like Rwanda where the entire society is working hard to recover from the murder of nearly 1,000,000 people during three horrifying months in 1994. A country where the majority of the population lives in horrible poverty, working harder than we in the United States will ever work for the equivalent of $2 or $3 a day...if they're fortunate. A country where I met a little boy who has become a big part of my life. Karangirwa Roger Mila, born in May of 1994...right in the middle of the genocide. He is the oldest child in a family of 5. His father is a subsistence farmer. His mother does odd sewing jobs when she can to make a little extra money to help support Roger and his two siblings. 

Roger is a good boy. He helps his mother around the house when he isn't in the field with his father. His parents have big dreams for him. They want to see him grow up and be able to live a better life than what they have...not scratching and digging for food or wearing tattered clothes and living in a shanty that barely keeps the rain out during monsoon season.

Want to know the best part? Roger has a chance to make his parents dreams come true. You see, Roger lives in a village that has a church that believes in him and is helping pay for his school fees and uniform. The church is home to a Compassion project. They make sure he gets nutritious meals and provides medicine if he gets sick. They help tutor him and give him the opportunity to learn a trade that will help lift him out of the poverty that engulfs his life. Best of all, they introduced Roger to Jesus and now Roger knows he isn't ever alone. There's always someone watching over him and his family.

I am so privileged not just to have met Roger but to be a part of his life. I am Roger's sponsor. Since 2002 I have been sending $32 a month to Compassion so that the church in Roger's village can provide all those things I described. I've seen this young boy grow up. I've watched his expression change in the pictures I receive from one of despair to a smiling, joyful young man who has hope for his future. I have visited him at his project, and sat with him and his family in their home. I have held him in my arms and cried with him when I had to leave. I pray for him, send him letters and birthday gifts. I love this little boy as if he was part of my family...and in reality, he is part of my family. I know God has great things in store for this young man.

So that's one story from many miles of travel. I have others to tell. Someday I'll introduce you to Julio in Colombia. But not today. 

27. Shooting for 28...and beyond.

the beginning

Here we go...my first doodle. 

I've been reading people's blogs for a little while...see the list at the right of this page for the people I read the most...and thought it might be time to give it a go myself. I enjoy reading what others are thinking about, what excites them, saddens them, makes them angry, what they believe. On occasion, I get to talk face to face with some of the people I read. OK, maybe it's an email or phone conversation for those that don't live close but I'm fortunate to have more than just a blog relationship with many of them. Someday I hope to be able to cross paths with those who I haven't truly met in person yet. The one thing that all the bloggers on my list have in common is that they are a smart, witty, interesting and well spoken group. They have good things to say and say them eloquently, whether I agree with them or not. It's my hope that I'll be able to join in and live up to their high standards. 

So, what do I have to contribute to the world? I guess we'll find out as we go. I'll try to share things that I feel passionately about: poverty, family & friends, work. I'm sure I'll dive off into things that aren't as significant: movies, music, sports, Apple stuff, cars. I'll probably get up on my soap box every now and then and I hope the people who read my doodles will feel free to disagree with me...I want this to be a place where people can agree to disagree as long as we don't get nasty with each other. Those of you who know me are aware that I can be opinionated...I also hope that I've been able to demonstrate that I will listen to reason. This might be where the first argument starts.

I'd like to use this blogging thing to "expand my horizons" or "spread my wings." (What other cheap clichés can I throw into this?) I've been doing my job - film/video production - for quite a long time. Recently I've started to have doubts about what I'm doing and the contribution I'm actually making to the non-profit where I work. A good friend told me I need to find a hobby or two. This might be one of the outlets for that. I'e also started picking up my camera more frequently. It's a Canon SLR, not a video camera. Using a video camera feels too much like work so I don't even own one. My wife, Lisa and I spent some time in the mountains last week and I took some pictures as we hiked around Breckenridge. Here's one of them. I'll post more and ask for your critique since I'm just getting into the whole photography thing again.

I'll wrap it up for now. Hopefully this will start coming more naturally. I used to write a lot so maybe it'll be like riding a bike and come back to me. I don't know how frequently I'll post. It'll depend on how inspired I get and how much doodling I do in my brain.