Random

> I THINK I need to pick up one of these panhandling robots --


> SUPERMAN HAS renounced his US citizenship. ~ link

> MARSHALL ISLANDS cultivating a black pearl industry ~ ABC

> "AMERICAN NEEDS to See Obama's Report Cards" -- argued as only Stephen Colbert can do ~ link

> FINALLY -- we now have an official Arizona state gun (which is somehow going to bring all kinds of new business to the state, according to the article). Ironically, it is probably the one gun you'll never see strapped to your Arizona neighbor's belt. ~ ABC15

> THE BEST media moment in the wedding coverage was when Diane Sawyer broke into Jimmy Kimmel's monologue with the report that Wills and Kate were eloping in Las Vegas. ~ link

> WE DON'T PAY you what you'e worth but at least you Arizona teachers get a free salad at McDonald's next week. Perhaps you can apply for some part-time hours when you're in there. ~ link

Conspiracism in American culture

However we frame the issue it appears that the facts are irrelevant to many, if not most of us.

This is an interesting analysis of the birther phenomena from a psychological perspectice:

It's not fair to call a large segment of today's electorate "1950s-style racists," he said. But some people are "unconsciously prejudiced in a way that predisposes them to not believing that a black man with a funny name could have really been legitimately elected president of the United States." ~ link

And that is most likely a part of it but (perhaps reflecting my own unconscious prejudice as a middle age white guy rooted in the most powerful segment of the culture) I'm also inclined to write a lot of this nonsense off to the fact that we're a society of flaky conspiracy theory nuts. We love the sensation of the speculation. It gives us a relatively easy outlet for all that frustrates us.

Racism and conspiracism are both just different expressions of denial. We're looking for escape from uncomfortable aspects of reality so we get sucked into this kind of endless speculation. Any attempts to derail the speculation are then seen as a part of the conspiracy. This is why the Kennedy assassination theories never get put to bed and why many Americans believe that George W Bush knew of the 9-11 terror attacks before they actually happened.

The thing which is different this time around is the rise of grassroots social media. And I find it interesting that Barrack Obama was so good at using social media to get elected. But then he didn't connect the dots early enough to see that the same phenomena could hinder his agenda. I suspect that people in power will in the future pay more attention to social media. And this will give rise to theories that they are trying to control all the content on Facebook. It never ends.

Random

> LEPROSY-INFECTED armadillos can pass the condition on to humans -- another reason to avoid eating Texas roadkill. ~ AZ Central

> AND THEN Donald was on TV -- not apologizing to the president. But he was taking credit for solving this great mystery that has dogged the poor American people -- victimized by the unresponsive president. He is such a manipulative showman -- how can anyone take Donald Trump seriously -- about anything?

And really, I doubt this settles it, anyway. The next rumor will be that Obama used his illegitimate presidential powers to counterfeit a long-form birth certificate. (When you're the son of the devil you can do most anything you want.)

I'm not saying I'd vote to re-elect him but let's be fair to the president.

> SPEAKING OF ACTORS -- Arnold says that he will play The Terminator again. Now things in California can finally get back to normal.

> SAD -- He wasn't wearing a seat belt. "Rev David Wilkerson, founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City and author of the best-selling book, 'The Cross and the Switchblade,' has died. He was 79." ~ AP

Random

> POSITIVE STEPS -- "Bills have been introduced in Guam’s legislature, and also in the legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands, calling for a popular vote in each territory on whether the two should be reunified." The islands have been living in limbo for too long and they really do need each other if they are going to thrive. ~ link

> OVER INDIVIDUALIZED, Americans are suffering from a narcissistic pandemic -- and our music proves it. ~ NPR

> 'BIOSPHERE 2' -- new climate change experiments ~ Huff

> IF YOU grow citrus in your yard you might consider interplanting with white Asian guavas. A few years ago citrus growers in Vietnam observed that their trees growing near guavas did not develop citrus greening, the disease carried by Asian citrus psyllid. Apparently something in that particular variety of guava repels psyllids. And since citrus greening seems to be on an unstoppable roll in North America, the chances are that it will eventually be rolling into your Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California neighborhood. If you can get the right kinds of guavas established in the area now your trees might have a chance later.

> THE ENGLISH ROSE Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona, just north of Phoenix, will host "the largest royal wedding celebration this side of the pond on April 29th to commemorate the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton." Apparently, people are dressing up for this fantasy event as though they were actual invited wedding guests. I wonder if they'll bring presents. No, I'm probably not going to make that one -- not a big tea and fruitcake guy. ~ link

> COMPLAINERS GET MORE SCRUTINY at the airport -- Duh!

Arrogant complaining about airport security is one indicator Transportation Security Administration officers consider when looking for possible criminals and terrorists, CNN has learned exclusively. And, when combined with other behavioral indicators, it could result in a traveler facing additional scrutiny. ~ The Economist

But ISTM that people with criminal intent of any sort aren't going to complain. They don't want to draw attention to themselves. So they'll quietly put up with a lot of nonesense.

> "A VOLUNTEER-BASED SURVEY conducted in January shows that homelessness on Phoenix streets is down 36%..." All things considered I find that hard to believe. I suspect that their baseline of comparison was inaccurate because they changed methodologies. In the past they counted the numbers observed. This year they counted people with whom they spoke. ~ ABC15

Random

> WHAT IS KILLING off the suburbs? Are they REALLY dying? ~ The Atlantic

> JOHN STACKHOUSE offers an apology for seminary training. The thing I'd add is that in much of the world where seminary education is hard to come by there are people clamoring to get it. ~ link

> AFRICAN ATTITUDES toward Chinese business are changing --

Once feted as saviours in much of Africa, Chinese have come to be viewed with mixed feelings—especially in smaller countries where China’s weight is felt all the more. To blame, in part, are poor business practices imported alongside goods and services. Chinese construction work can be slapdash and buildings erected by mainland firms have on occasion fallen apart. A hospital in Luanda, the capital of Angola, was opened with great fanfare but cracks appeared in the walls within a few months and it soon closed. The Chinese-built road from Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, to Chirundu, 130km (81 miles) to the south-east, was quickly swept away by rains. ~ The Economist

> WHAT ROB BELL thinks about hell is really just a red herring distracting us from the huge scandal of evangelical adultery with Ayn Rand. ~ link | link

> WHICH IDEA BEST reflects biblical thinking?

1. Individual responsibility within the framework of community.
2. Individual responsibility within the framework of a free association of autonomous individuals who all support each other in doing their own thing. 
3. Completely autonomous individuals responsible for no one other than themselves.
4. The strong autonomous individual should be completely free to exploit and dominate the weak.

> HOW THEY make Moon Pies ~ link

> SEVERAL WAYS to visualize how your tax dollars are spent ~ link

> AH, YES, the ole seven-foot gator climbing through the doggie door to hide in the bathroom stunt. ~ Huff

Shipping Tax Proposal

Whereas, the growth of online sales has undercut the sales tax base that has traditionally sustained state and municipal government and services, and whereas it would be a hopelessly muddled mess to charge online vendors with the responsibility of collecting sales taxes for hundreds of thousands of local entities, I propose that we consider a uniform national "shipping tax."

Here is how it would work.

1. Shippers would collect a percentage of the value of the merchandise that they ship to non-retail customers. (The tax is not on the sale of the items but on the shipping of them.)
2. Said tax would be forwarded to the federal government.
3. The federal government would then each month forward 100% of the amount collected to state and local government entities.
4. Apportionments to the state and local entities would be based strictly and solely on the population base in the entity. (No special deals. No special projects for some communities. Everyone is treated the same.)

Now, I know that some people will dismiss this idea outright because they believe that they already pay too much in tax or that the last thing we need is another kind of tax. But my experience has been that the people who are most vocally opposed to taxes are just as demanding as everyone else when it comes to quality roads and public safety. We need to be realistic. The money has to come from somewhere. And the reality is that times are changing and we can no longer rely on sales taxes. 
There are two reasons that a shipping tax is a good idea.

First, it has the potential of leveling the playing field between brick and mortar retail (which is required to collect sales tax) and the online vendors who can currently undercut retail vendors because they are not required to collect taxes. This could indirectly rejuvenate some forms of local retail.

Secondly, this is a way to fund local and regional government services which are currently losing out because of the shift away from local retail.

I believe that this will work if we can keep the system and formulas simple. What do you think?

Random

> THE MYTH of the pagan origins of Easter ~ link

> UNPROTECTED Wi-Fi owners are unknowingly providing free access to pedophiles and online thieves -- getting into trouble. ~ CBS

> THE BALDERS CONTROVERSY:

A threat to the fledgling presidential campaign of Donald Trump emerged today, as a group of activists charged that Mr. Trump is not eligible to hold the nation’s highest office because his hair does not originate from the US.


The group, who call themselves “Balders,” claim that the hair-like substance that crowns Mr. Trump’s head is from a foreign country, which would mean that the candidate is less than one hundred percent American.


“Remember, several of our greatest early presidents, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, had hair that originated elsewhere,” Mr. Logsdon says. “The only thing that could kill Trump politically is if his hair turns out to be from France.” ~ link

> PHOENIX SHOOTING --

"Police said there was an overnight shooting in south Phoenix. Three teenagers were shot at a party. The shootings occurred at two locations, near 51st Avenue and Baseline..."

Hey, that's where we live -- near 51st Ave and Baseline. Maybe that's why the police where keeping us awake with their helicopter early yesterday morning. Interesting -- when something negative happens this is "south Phoenix" -- otherwise this is "Laveen." Whatever. I'm glad everyone is going to be alright this time but guns and alcohol aren't a good mix. There is a lot of irresponsibility out there that is putting everyone else at risk. ~ link

Random

> THE WEATHER FORECAST is for a beautiful and mild (75°) Sunday morning. It's looking like it will be a chamber of commerce day for an outdoor Easter celebration. If you're not obligated to be somewhere else consider joining us at the MasterPiece Church gathering. We're not big on grand pageantry but you'll feel welcome, hear the gospel, be well fed, meet some interesting people, and have some fun, too. Click for details.

> ZEPIA (สีน้ำ) has been busy putting up a lot of video this month -- including this:


> "AN ARMY OF TERMITES munched through 10 million rupees ($222,000) in currency notes stored in a steel chest at a bank, police in northern India said Friday..." ~ link

> USA Today had an article on the growing house church movement in the US. ~ link

> MY VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER DVD arrived today. We're going to have a showing in our home theater on Sunday evening, May 1st.

> WHILE THERE IS certainly room for improvement in seminary education and I'm excited about the new options that technology is delivering, my experience in seminary, even in the ancient '80's, wasn't as disconnected from reality as Jerry Bowyer makes it out to be in his Forbes article on "The Seminary Bubble."

> DIRECT DEMOCRACY is what sank California. The Economist has an interesting, on target, analysis of the dysfunction. ~ link

> "WE ARE Easter people living in a Good Friday world." ~ Fred Harrell  I might frame it a bit differently and say that, "We are Easter people living in a holy Saturday world." We live in between.

Random

Anne Marie Boyd & our friend
  Stephen (申中女) from Taiwan

> ANNE MARIE BOYD, one of everyone's favorite people at Cornerstone Covenant Church in Turlock, died Saturday at the age of 95. She was well into her '80's when she jumped on board to help start Cornerstone -- swapping a padded pew for a hard blue folding chair in a junior high school cafeteria. Anne Marie not only helped us in the church office but she had a great ministry with international students at California State University, Stanislaus. I admired her faith and mission-driven sense of adventure. She did not have an ounce of pretense. People really felt like she cared about them. And she did.

> COVENANT WORLD RELIEF humanitarian relief funds are now at work in Libya, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Japan. ~ link

> THE CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH homeless shelter, run by our friends at JPUSA, is a finalist in a contest to receive a $15,000 playground makeover from kaboom.org. Success depends on their ability to get votes. Register and vote once every 24 hours. The playground at Cornerstone is on a rooftop. It is the only outdoor space for the 100 children who live in the shelter. ~ Help them out

> THE RIZNICA CHAMBER CHOIR is doing an encore performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (the whole thing) for the Easter season. It starts at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 30th. Admission by donation at St Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church in Paradise Valley. ~ link

> THE ARIZONA RARE FRUIT GROWERS is holding its Annual Plant Sale, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. this Saturday, April 23rd, at the Maricopa County Agricultural Extension Office, Palo Verde Room, 4341 East Broadway Road in Phoenix. This is my favorite sale of the year -- citrus, bananas, guavas, jujubes, mangoes, papayas and so much more. I'm sorry that I will be missing it because of my responsibilities at the Laveen Community Easter Egg Hunt. ~ link

>  THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL people on earth in 2011, according to TIME magazine. Nope, they skipped over me again. ~ link

>  IN SPITE OF all the testimony, documentation, and newspaper announcements from 1961 -- "Poll: One in four Americans think Obama was not born in US." Americans are so guilable -- always suckers for a conspiracy story we are. ~ CBS

Random

> SEAN MEADE, who knows that I am fascinated by re-purposed container construction, sent me a link to this guest house. Funky but incredibly creative architecture.

> IF THE GOVERNOR signs the bill (and I predict that she will), Arizona will have an official state gun -- the Colt revolver. And as I jestingly told Gil Ridal, who is originally from Arizona, when he pointed the article out to me, this whole official gun thing has disappointed a lot of people. Most were hoping for something more powerful. Obviously Glocks were the first choice but when it was pointed out that they were foreign-made that caused a rift within the pro-gun rank-in-file because some of them are also staunchly pro-made-in-America. I don't know why, then, that most of the guns I see on the street (and in the grocery store and in the restaurant...) look like Glocks to me (I'm not an expert but I'm not gun naive either). Of course, the hardcore -- the true patriots -- might just be carrying their colts concealed -- which is perfectly legal in Arizona.

> J.D. PAYNE on the missiological impications of the "Fastest Growing U. S. Metro Areas (500,000+ pop.)" ~ link

> I PICKED UP a pack of Pepsi's new Diet Citrus Blast -- and I'm liking it -- a lot. I am a sucker for most things citrus. Citrus Blast is a grapefruit soda and grapefruit juice is actually the third ingredient. The label says that it has "100% Natural Flavors." And that may indeed be true. But that is not the same as 100% natural ingredients. It is sweeter and smoother than Coke's Fresca. And it does not seem to have any "diety" taste -- although I admit that my taste buds are pretty used to aspartame (the fourth ingredient). I'm sure that the artificial sweetener cops will be unhappy about this one. But I'm enjoying it.

> ROY GOBLE has a good piece on Jesus and pigeons. (Yes, pigeons) ~ link

> I'M ALWAYS encouraged and challenged when I read the latest from PathLight International, the organization Roy started to work with marginalized children in Belize.

> PACIFIC TSUNAMI --

As people in the Pacific gain access to more information, they are becoming less satisfied with the levels of leadership and services in their communities. The ultimate options are unclear, but it is important to note that a debate is under way. 

People are becoming wary of those claiming "big man" status and are looking for more accountable, lower-profile leaders focused more on long-postponed delivery of basic services... ~ link

> BEES KILL PITBULL ~ link

> "STUDY ESTIMATES that illegal immigrants paid $11.2B in taxes last year, unlike GE, which paid zero" ~ NY Daily News

> SILICON VALLEY BLOGGER Louis Gray says he's fed up with physical things in his home. He's trying to transition to near-total digital. ~ link

> YOU'LL SOON BE ABLE TO "check out a Kindle book from a local library and start reading on any Kindle device or Kindle app." ~ link

> EASTER -- different time & different place -- MasterPiece Church update ~ link

Random

> MY BROTHER GREG (center), who lives in Idaho, is in town with his wife, DeeAnn, for a few days. So, last night we had a family dinner to celebrate our brother Gary's (right) birthday. This is the first time we've had all three brothers in a picture in years.

> FIDEL CASTRO is retiring from the leadership of the Cuba Communist Party and for the first time in 50 years Cubans will be allowed to own private property. The costly communist experiment is finally coming to an end. ~ link

> AMORTALITY --

The rules of age-appropriate behavior that used to be reliably drummed into us by parents and teachers, church and state, no longer hold sway. But we haven't lost faith; we've just transferred it, to scientists and celebrities. Hollywood is the home of amortality, the music industry its outreach program. "I think you should just keep going while you can, doing what you like," Mick Jagger observed at 66, ignoring his pronouncement in May 1975 that he'd rather be dead than be singing "Satisfaction" at — or presumably long after — 45... ~ Catherine Mayer in TIME

> CONTEMPLATION AND MIDLIFE CRISIS --

...As psychologist Vivian Diller recently noted, midlife is being redefined by the boomers who are now marking their passage through this life stage. Twentieth century notions of aging and retirement are being challenged by a combination of generational preference and financial necessity. The fastest growing demographic enrolling in seminaries are people over 50... ~ link

Random

> FRIEND JAKE DOCKTER has been promoting Sympathy for Delicious, which will be released later this month. Looks like a great film!

> GOOGLE has made a major investment in wind farming. It makes sense. Without electricity they can't power all their servers. And without the servers we can use their search engine -- nor can they sell advertising. ~ link

> JEWS GET CREATIVE with their Passover celebrations ~ USA Today

> GIL RIBAL, my buddy in St Pete, pointed me to his wife Lee's paintings and in particular Balaam's Donkey. He was responding to my donkey sermon. She uses a lot of stained glass outlining and bright colors. I really like her work. It feels energizing.

> ROMMEL CARIÑO, one of my PIU students on Guam, posted a great video clip link to a class discussion forum. It is about starting a church in a garage and originates with the Southern Baptists. It really does give a quick picture of how it is that the church is spreading so rapidly -- even without a lot of construction.

> $9 TO GET into the Mariciopa County Fair? It seems pricey for a small fair. And there are a few other things happening this week. ~ link

> CONGRATULATIONS to Dave Hillis who has been called to serve as the senior pastor of Grace Community Church in Tucson. Wow -- big transition -- great move. I'm sure glad he's not going too far away. ~ link

> "NOW THAT MOST COUPLES move in together before they marry, cohabitation may not be as linked to divorce as it was when live-in couples were less common." I guess we have to stop using that argument with couples -- not that they listened anyway. ~ Pew Research

> GOVERNOR BREWER has vetoed the so-called "birther bill." And I think wisely so. It puts too much arbitrary power in the hands of a single individual. If determining citizenship for a national office has become a genuine issue there needs to be a national mechanism, with appropriate checks and balances, to make that decision. ~ CNN

> IS IT TIME to change construction standards and techniques in areas prone to storms? ~ TIME | Monolithic Domes

> QUIT SNIVELING. We're paying less in taxes than we did in 1992 and nearly half of US households pay no income taxes at all. Wait a minute, maybe you can snivel at the tax aversion loop holes. No wonder we're having financial problems. ~ link

Penguin delight

Random

> HAPPY B-DAY to my little brother Gary

> NEW RESEARCH: "Weight loss improves memory" ~ USA Today

> A 9-YEAR-OLD boy performed CPR on his 2-year-old sister after a near drowning incident. We've had way too many child vs swimming pool incidents over the past few days. ~ ABC15

> "VOTE on the mugshot of the day." Is this really a kind or appropriate thing to do? ~ link

> BIBLE COMPARISON chart from CEB ~ link

> MY DONKEY KING sermon is online ~ Fresh Fish Food

> I AM ONE OF the unanointed kings of tiny media -- and I endorse this post from Seth Godin. ~ link

> MORMON SEDER? ~ link

> THREE CHRISTIAN CLASSICS for free, Kindle editions ~ link

> HUNTER LOVINS: "Walmart is entity on the planet doing the most to drive sustainability... Trust me: Walmart isn’t going green out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re doing it for solid business reasons." ~ link

Random

> PALM SUNDAY!

Now a large crowd spread their clothes on the road. Others cut palm branches off the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds in front of him and behind him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. ~ Matthew 21:8-10 (CEB)

> IT'S A SMALL, small world. Was Walt Disney a prophet? ~ link

> OOPS -- "Lady Liberty stamp shows wrong statue" -- Oh well, for better or worse, the statue in Las Vegas seems to be as much a part of US culture as the one in the New York Harbor, anyway. ~ AZ Central

> IS WEALTH POWER? Fodder:

I think that wealth brings power, and the fact that the rich are getting much, much richer relative to everyone else means that the rich also exert increasing influence over the economy, government and society. I think income mobility and equality of opportunity have declined in America over the past 40 years, to the point where America is now more segregated by class divisions than many European countries. I think a major reason for these shifts has been the increasing dominance, since the Reagan era, of an ideology that is indifferent to or actively celebrates inequality of income. I think this ideology is bad: bad for the economy, bad for society, bad for art and culture, bad for the moral character of those who subscribe to it... ~ M.S.,  The Economist

> I'M SO OLD that I can remember when conservatives were conservationists. But now... ~ NY Times

> I'M TOTALLY intrigued by the premise of Phil Cooke's new (to be released on Tuesday) book, Jolt! -- navigating through a world where constant disruption has become the norm. ~ link

> HOW YOUR US federal tax dollars were spent last year ~ link

> TO PUT THINGS in perspective, though, India spends 2% of its GDP ($30 billion a year) dealing with diarrhea. ~ Fast Company

> I DON'T NEED noise canceling headphones. I need a bass vibration canceling house. When the neighbors turn on their car stereos everything in the house shakes.

> ASIA-PACIFIC MAXED out their IPv4 addresses on Friday. What that means is that the internet will start to get tangled with layers of protocol. Think of the situation as a digital equivalent to party-lines and jerry-rigged wiring running amok in an old analog telephone system -- patches and short-cuts and related outages. Messy. Why is it taking so long to migrate to IPv6? ~ link

> LAMENTING THE LACK of younger leaders, Raul Castro is proposing term limits for Cuban politicians — including himself. This is a significant confession in a totalitarian regime. Holding power too tightly is short-sighted. ~ AP

> "SWEDISH COFFEE to flood US market" -- And in which part of Sweden do they grow the famed Gevalia coffee beans? ~ The Local

> THE LAST TIME the US paid off its massive debt (in 1835) the nation plummeted into a massive six-year depression. The pay-off probably did not cause the depression but neither was it the silver bullet for economic stability. Massive debt is not such a good thing but the absence of debt is not the cure-all for all our social ills. ~ NPR

> "QUIRKY" is an apt description of Quartzsite, Arizona, about 130 miles west of us. Think Burning Man for snowbirds. The LA Times says the eccentric town is having a bit of a mid-life crisis. ~ link

Random

> IT REALLY is pretty hard to take a royal wedding very seriously these days. However, I'm fairly certain that it's the real Rowan Williams in there.



> EVERY LIFE HAS A STORY -- another commercially produced YouTube video except this one is thought provoking.



> MAN BITES POLICE DOG then sues. I'm sure the police dog would counter sue except the man is in jail for burglary and the chances of recovering anything from him are pretty slim. Anyone of average intelligence knows that if you run from a police dog you'll likely end up with a few bites. ~ KTAR

> OUR FRIEND Steve Stinnette has had another medical set-back and is resigning from his position at PIU. Sigh. ~ link

> OUT OF AFRICA -- Linguists trace origins of language to Africa ~ Pravda

> JUST HEARD from Amazon. My Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD has shipped. I think we're going to have to have a Eustace Scrubb night and invite MasterPiece over for a viewing.

> WE HAD a security screen door installed over our front door yesterday. It sure was nice having the extra circulation through the house last night.

> THE NUMBERS ~ CT
New Christian martyrs every 24 hours:

• 1900s: 90
• '70s: 1,030
• '00s: 440
• 2011: 270*
• 2025: 410*

Christian congregations worldwide:

• 1900: 400,000
• 1970: 1,433,000
• 2011: 3,500,000

* projected by somebody

Random

> "THAT'S GOT TO be the craziest thing I've ever filmed..."


> "AS THE DUST settles in Afghanistan after sustained protest over a Florida pastor's Quran burning, many residents in Kandahar are facing an unpleasant truth: More Qurans were burned in the course of their protests than by Terry Jones." ~ CSM

> SKIN BLEACHING is a growing problem in Jamaican slums -- not cris ~ AP

> "UNIVERSITY defenders say an education has value far beyond the difference it makes in your salary - but upper-middle-class Americans tend to overvalue the non-financial benefits of grad school too." ~ the Atlantic

> LOCKHEED MARTIN has beome the fourth largest employer on Guam. ~ link

> I'M A grand prize winner. ~ Sweeplee.com

> A NAVAL FIRST -- The US Navy used a warship mounted high-powered laser gun to blast a motorboat. ~ link

> ONE OF THE coolest apps on my Droid is Google Translate. I can say a phrase in English and then the phone will say it in Chinese or Spanish or Korean or Swedish or a Thai or... Lots more ways to get into trouble. Nothing yet for translating the Southern US dialects into more standard American English. Anyway, there is a new update. ~ link

> NOT ALL problems are inherited.

> ACCORDING TO Google stats the largest group of readers of this blog is in the US. The second largest group is on Guam (Hafa adai!!!). And somewhat surprisingly, the third largest group is in China, where Blogger is often blocked. Pardon my mechanical translation but 我很欣赏中国读者

> MR McGUIRE: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr McGuire: Algae.
Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?

Random

> CHINA cracks down on time travel ~ NY Times

> SO MUCH for retirement --

> "SEATTLE SCHOOL renames Easter eggs 'Spring Spheres'" -- Frankly, while it is a bit absurd and a lot silly, I'm not offended. Spring spheres don't really have anything to do with Easter anyway. So, why should we care? As a matter of fact, they can have the Spring Bunny, too. ~ link

> SHERIFF JOE Arpaio's staff misspent $100 million (!) according to the results of an audit. ~ USA Today

> "MARIJUANA causes global warming, uses 1% of US electricity" ~ link (via)

> IN A NUTSHELL the crux of the matter is this question, "Will God’s grace and love eventually compel all to turn to him or not?" ~ Scot McKnight in his analysis of Rob Bell's Love Wins.

And I would suggest, along with C.S. Lewis, that as compelling as God's grace and love are, he never compels anyone to embrace them and that there are those who won't and don't.

Does God then offer an after-death second chance option? God is full of surprises and he could well do so. But if he does, he doesn't advertise the option because he is wanting people to embrace him and his grace and love now. God wants the best for people and that is the best possible choice anyone could make.

Random

> THE SUN DEVILS have a new look ~ AZCentral

> THE GROWING WEALTH DISPARITY in America:

...The top 1 percent have the best houses, the best educations, the best doctors, and the best lifestyles, but there is one thing that money doesn’t seem to have bought: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. Throughout history, this is something that the top 1 percent eventually do learn. Too late. ~ Joseph E. Stiglitz, Vanity Fair

> I SPENT the $5 to put Everett Wilson's classic Jesus and the End-timeinto my Kindle account. It deserves to be read again.

> I RECENTLY learned that one of the Chuukese men who got his life turned around while taking a Bible class from my PIU collegue Christel Wood at the Guam Adult Correctional Facility, has been receiving some additional discipleship training from one of the students in my church planting class. And now the former prisoner has recently changed islands in Chuuk so that he can plant a church.

> JERRY REED, missionary anchor in Latin America and professor of missiology at North Park Theological Seminary, has died. He is a faithful servant and a great guy, too. ~ link

> QUO VADIS BOOKS in Tempe, where I used to work (30 years ago) -- April newsletter -- customer appreciation day deal. ~ link

Random

> TODAY IS National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day AND National Licorice Day. Imagine the fusion possibilities.

> BACH as never before heard --

(via Dan Whitmarsh & Jake Dockter on FB)

> IT IS DEEPLY disturbing that Congress would use budget issues as an excuse to ax the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It is deeply disturbing to consider what will be left on the air after 2013 -- just the kind of fluff that makes money.

> I WAS saddened to see that Herbert Opalek, the director of the Merced Rescue Mission, died. I met him while I was serving Cornerstone Covenant Church in Turlock, California. He was truly a fascinating man -- a scholarly Orthodox Jewish Rabbi who converted to Christianity late in life. ~ link

> SO, DONALD TRUMP is now "pro-life." Maybe he does have delusional aspirations toward the White House. ~ Economist

> THE TAX BURDEN in Arizona is among the lowest. But we still think we're victims of over-taxation. ~ link

> MY SERMON on the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is online ~ link

Random

> I SUSPECT that this won't be good enough for people looking for a fight -- whatever.
> THE MAGICIANS NEPHEW will be next. ~ link

> GOOGLE STREET VIEW works for E 11th Ave in rural Blythe, California (which is a dirt path along an irrigation canal) but they haven't yet got to our street in the hustle and bustle of metro Phoenix. Strange.

> WHICH COUNTRY gives off the most CO2 emissions per capita? It's not the US. But we make up for it in volume. ~ link

> ARTIFICIAL REEFS around the world -- engaging photos from Atlantic magazine -- mostly used military equipment and subway cars now home to the fish ~ link

> INNOVATIVE -- Shell-shaped solar beach house ~ Huff

The orchard

I planted a new guava tree today -- this one in a pot. It's a "lemon guava" because the tart fruit has a slight lemony flavor. I also discovered this afternoon that one of the Asian white guavas that I thought had succumbed in the January frost war is pushing up new suckers from the roots. Anyway, all this tree activity got me thinking that I needed to create an inventory list of the fruit growing in the yard.

I should point out that everything is still really young and that we have received no fruit off anything, yet. However, several of the citrus trees currently have developing fruit, as do both apple trees, and the Wonderful pomegranate has lots going on.

So here it is, not counting the tomatoes, which are technically fruit.

CITRUS (all on dwarf stock)
Oro Blanco grapefruit (1)
Red Flame grapefruit (3)
Calamansi (1)
Trovita orange (1)
Blood orange (1)
Crescent Sweet orange (1)
Bearss lime (2)
Key (Mexican) lime (2)
Lisbon lemon (1)
Variegated lemon (1)
Cara Cara orange (1)
Kishu (1)
Minneloa tangelo (1)
Clementine mandarin orange (1)
Murcott mandarin orange (1)
Satsuma mandarin orange (1)
Indo mandarinquat (1)

OTHER (Much of this is on dwarf stock, too)
Cavendish banana (1)
Asian guava (1)
Lemon guava (1)
Goji Berry (1)
Jujube (2)
Date palm (1)
Manila mango (1)
Indian fig prickly pear (1)
Wonderful pomegranate (1)
White pomegranate (1)
Garden Prince almond (1)
Dorsett golden apple (1)
Anna apple (1)
Pink dragonfruit (2)

Random

> GERMAN INGENUITY


> "HINDUS in Heaven: How Many?" ~ Rich Mouw

> ALISON has free online English language courses from the British Council to prepare for the First Certificate Exam (FCE) in English. If you're working on English -- this is a good deal. ~ link

> BRING A GUN to school day in Arizona ~ link

> THE UNIVERSITY of California may borrow millions to start-up its online degree programs. ~ link

> "HALF-MILLION Japan Homes Without Power" -- After all that they've been through I'm surprised that the number is not larger. ~ Time

> "AFTER 5 Years In US, Terrorist Cell Too Complacent To Carry Out Attack" -- The satirical Onion may be closer to reality than it realizes. Prosperity tends to suck passion out of people for everything except maintaining the lifestyle. ~ link

> CAN ADVERTISING be prophetic? ~ link

> "NOMINALLY COMMUNIST China is now one of the world’s strongest supporters of capitalism, at 68%, up from 66% in 2002. Brazil scores 68% too. Germany squeaks into top place with 69%." ~ Economist

> A SIGHT YOU don't see too often ~ AP

Random

> WHY WOULD a government shut down lead to a shut down of their websites? Unless they're using some furloughed employee's laptop as a server... Hmmm... ~ link

> IF THE MALLS are all going under why is it still so hard to find a close-in parking space? ~ WSJ

> POLICE USED a smartphone in a carjacked vehicle to track and capture thieves in 17 minutes. I just added free Lookout to my phone. ~ link

> DEAD MEN tell no tales. Or do they? My latest BrushStrokes e-letter ~ link

> FREEWAY AIR POLLUTION linked to brain damage in mice. Undoubtedly, California will make a new law to keep mice away from freeways. ~ Time

> FOX NEWS drops Glenn Beck. Are they starting to swing toward the center? ~ link

> SPEAKING OF FOX and right-wing drama, Jordon Cooper linked up to this yesterday (No, Jordon has never been accused of being right-wing -- he's a Canadian.) -- good for a chuckle --

Random

> INTERESTING SNAP SHOT into the thought process behind the CEB -- and how they render angels into English. ~ link

> TWO WINNERS -- Body of Proof & Doc Martin -- two crack surgeons who end up in new medical fields. Both shows have doctors struggling to become socially aware. Both shows have a lot of character development and interesting side characters.

> SUDAN'S 'Lost Boys' reunited with their past in Arizona ~ BBC

Random

> GYM CLASS?
> SOUTH KOREAN school teachers will no longer be allowed to use corporal punishment. Ah, yes, the power of YouTube -- and shame. ~ link

> THIS DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT! Bristol Palin earned more than $262,000 for her role helping raise awareness for teen pregnancy prevention in 2009. ~ KOLD

> THIS EITHER -- Isn't Wisconsin the place where they're making a big deal out of cutting public sector funding?

Just in his mid-20s, Brian Deschane has no college degree, very little management experience and two drunken-driving convictions. 

Yet he has landed an $81,500-per-year job in Gov Scott Walker's administration overseeing environmental and regulatory matters and dozens of employees at the Department of Commerce. Even though Walker says the state is broke and public employees are overpaid, Deschane already has earned a promotion and a 26% pay raise in just two months with the state.

Deschane's father is a big-time Walker campaign supporter. ~ Daniel Bice in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

> NEW BARNA SURVEY: "Voters Most Interested in Issues Concerning Security and Comfort, Least Interested in Moral Issues" That's not at all surprising. ~ link

> MY FRIEND WAINER Guimaraes and his family have just completed their first four years as Covenant missionaries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are planting churches and training professional soccer players and teaching English and... I still don't know how they get so much done. Other than for soccer, Brazil isn't really on the radar for most Americans but it is quickly becoming one of the most influential countries in the world. Woe to us if we miss this opportunity.  ~  link (.pdf)

> NEW STUDY says 2 degrees Celsius warming may be unavoidable by 2100 ~ American Geophysical Union

> 8 OF THE 10 most bike friendly university campuses in the US are west of the Mississippi River. One straddles it. Just observing... ~ Huff

Random

> I'M LOOKING forward to the Green Lantern -- coming in June. ~ link

> SPEAKING OF GREEN, Pakistan has the better uniforms but India has the better team. Congratulations to the 2011 Cricket World Cup winner. ~ great photos

> NEW approach to angioplasty -- at least in the US ~ KOLD

> I SPENT much of the morning laying low, recovering from a severe leg muscle cramp that hit me at 5:30 a.m. One thing I did while I was sitting around trying to catch my breath was to read a great article in CT by Ed Stetzer on "Proselytizing in a Multi-Faith World." His four foundational faith commitments are solid -- even if at times they have to be held in tension with each other. We need to:

1. Let each religion speak for itself
2. Talk with and about individuals, not generic "faiths"
3. Respect the sincerely held beliefs of people of other religions
4. Grant each person the freedom to make his or her own faith decision

> "USE MULTIPLE online cloud storage services for free and organized backup" ~ LifeHacker

> MY MESSY SERMON from yesterday is online ~ transcription

> MY FRIEND Amanuel Abraha has a new blog highlighting his handyman projects. He is a good worker and is available for hire. I recommend him. ~ link

> THE MORMONS have a new Easter video clip. What do you think of it? ~ link

> "URBAN MISSIONAL churches need Christian schools" ~ Anthony Bradley (via)

Random

> INGENIOUS USE of space
> THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS are undefeated this season. ~ AZ Central

> NORTH DAKOTA is cutting taxes -- not to stimulate the economy but because they have a surplus. ~ Yahoo

> WE GOT through a triple digit Friday (I saw it at 101° in the shade on the back patio) without turning on the AC. Drinking lots of water and trying to eat as much chocolate as possible before it all melts. Oh, the sacrifices...

Random

> APRIL FOOLS -- great geeky pranks ~ link

> THE 12 States Of America -- cool interactive map ~ Atlantic

> YESSSS..... Edwards Key Lime Pie -- best of the frozen grocery store pies

> OUR FRIEND Fab found a scorpion hiding in a wash cloth in their shower. So I did the first 2011 blacklight scan of our house and yard. All clear. So far. Scorpions fluoresce (glow) under ultraviolet or black light.

> INDIA'S POPULATION (1.2 billion people) = US + Indonesia + Brazil + Japan + Bangladesh + Pakistan. China's population (1.34 billion people) > India's population -- for now. ~ link