The Swamidass Sez

THE AUBURN CREED

2008-09-29T00:14:00.001-07:00

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports to develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it. - George Petrie

2008 the best year ever?

2008-07-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

I think 2008 has had more incredible, thrilling, memorable, uncomparable competitions than any other year I can think of. To name a few:
1) Giants over Patriots in Super Bowl
2) Nadal over Federer at Wimbledon
3) Woods over Mediate in Golf US Open
4) Kansas over Memphis in NCAA Basketball tourney
5) Cook over Archuleta in American Idol

And we're only half way through the year...

Hypermiling

2008-04-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hypermiler is a term coined by Wayne Gerdes to describe a driver who strives to exceed their vehicle's EPA fuel economy rating. In conventional vehicles they can often match the mileage of an average person driving an equivalent hybrid. Hypermilers driving hybrids tend to achieve tremendous mileage, with some even exceeding 100 MPG.
- http://www.cleanmpg.com/cmps_index.php?page=hypermiling

On my Miata, I currently average 30mpg. Following the techniques on this site:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510

My goal is to squeeze 40mpg. Apparently, it is not out of the question, and it actually quite reasonable. With gas at $4/gallon, it is now really worth changing my driving habits.

With 30mpg:
12,000 miles/year / 30 mpg = 400 gallons/year * 4 dollars/gallon = $1,600 year

With 40mpg:
12,000 miles/year / 40 mpg = 300 gallons/year * 4 dollars/gallon = $1,200 year

$400 savings is nothing to sneeze at - I'll post update again in a few weeks.

Vijay

Man Cuts Off, Microwaves His Own Hand

2008-01-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/09/national/a072610S47.DTL&tsp=1

Who says hermenutics aren't important? What else can I say...

ATMs

2007-11-12T23:03:00.000-08:00

If I am in a foreign country, I use the ATM to get cash.

- ATMs are faster than standing in line at an exchange center
- Most ATMs internationally don't charge a fee, so you only have the fee at your own bank. The $2-3 will probably be less than the fee/commission at a currency exchange place.
- You will get a better exchange rate in most cases. If you are getting $100 or more equivalent, the savings will probably pay for the $2-3 ATM fee.
- Most ATMs are in English also, so language would not be a problem.

Widespread ATM networks are a relatively recent development (Last 15-20 years), but it is the future. I've done this all over and it has worked perfectly.

Its about the same

2007-10-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

One of my burning questions has been - Is the sushi in Japan the same or better than what I get in the USA?

Well, here in the Tokyo airport I had a chance to find out. I ordered a few things to get a sampling: Fatty Tuna, Salmon, and Yellow Tail. It was excellent for sure - The fish was fresh and the rice was soft and sticky. The ginger was smooth and the wasabi was, well, it was wasabi.

Overall, this experience was comparable to a high quality US Sushi bar. (Safeway need not apply)

CaringMeals.com

2007-10-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this for sometime now, and it is finally ready:
One Sunday, we were passing around a sheet of paper and a pen in our Sunday School to organize meals for a member in need. The difficulties are plenty:

Constant phone calls and emails to recruit meal bringers
Frequent phone calls to remind people to bring meals
Risk of losing the sheet

CaringMeals was designed to make it easier to organize meals for your family and friends in need.

Birth
Illness or Injury
Bereavement
Need for encouragement and support

CaringMeals.com free. So far it has been used by over 25 people to organize meals for 2 families. If you or your group have someone in need, give it shot!

Coming Soon

2007-08-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

What is wrong with this picture?

2007-07-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a quote from a seller trying to convince me that their property will have positive cash flow:

...with 25k down and with me financing the remaining balance of 119k @ 6% interest, the payment would be $713.47 every month. You would be recieving rent of $975 every month. So there would actually be a positive cash flow for you.

This is both pitiful and insulting. I'm not sure if they don't know what they are doing or they think I am a fool.

In reality, $975/month rent would certainly not produce a positive monthly income. There are many expenses to owning rental property: Maintenance, Property Management, Insurance, Home Owner's Association, Property Taxes.

It isn't necessarily bad to have a negative cash flow, but simply subtracting the mortgage from the rent is a faulty income analysis.

The Cost of Living

2007-06-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've had a few friends either quit or lose their job. I like to hear their plans and hopes for the future as well as their concerns in the present. I have found that there is one common source of worry. It isn't paying for their house or buying food and clothing - Inevitably, the question they all have is: How will I get health insurance for me and my family?

For an average health care plan purchased individually (Not thorough a company), it is very normal to pay $600-$800 per month. A friend who lost his job told me that COBRA health insurance for him and his family of 4 is $1,600/month!! Needless to say, he is very concerned about finding a job.

Health expenditures continue to grow very rapidly in the U.S. Since 1970, health care spending has grown at an average annual rate of 9.8%, or about 2.5 percentage points faster than the economy as measured by the nominal gross domestic product (GDP).
- http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm030807oth.cfm

The question is - Why does health care insurance cost so much?

To find the answer, we have to understand the real drivers of Health Care costs. There are of course many theories and rumors:
-Malpractice
-Smokers
-Cost of Emergency Room care for uninsured
-Beauracracy

While these factors certainly impact the cost of Health care, most Health Care experts point to one primary cause - Medical Technology.

New drugs, technologies, techniques, and so on are developed at great expense by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The costs of developing many of the current drugs and technologies frequently runs in the billions of dollars. Those costs must be passed on. In addition, doctors who are skilled in innovative surgeries and techniques are in high demand and can charge almost anything for their services.

We must also not forget that most Hospitals, HMOs, Private Practices, Medical Technology companies are run for a profit. They are businesses attempting to provide a valuable service and be compensated accordingly.

The ever increasing array of medical services that patients demand is clearly a driver of Health Care costs. But are all people entitled to all new forms of medical technology? This is a complex political and ethical issue, which is not likely to be solved anytime soon, if ever. In the meantime, we can expect Health Care costs to continue rising and more people becoming uninsured. The alternative of Socialized Medicine that is proposed in one form or another has its own problems, so I can't see any easy answers.

http://kqed02.streamguys.us/anon.kqed/radio/tcr/2007/05/2007-05-10-tcr.mp3

How Much Does it Cost to Write This Blog?

2007-06-02T14:15:00.001-07:00

So how do I figure it out? For starters, here's what I need:
1. A laptop - 65W
2. A router and modem - About 10W combined
3. Internet connection - $19/month

How much does it cost to keep the power on? Well, it really isn't that difficult, but it will take some explaination...

The rate of electrical use at any moment is measured in watts (from here). A light bulb puts out 100W, a computer maybe 200W, and a phone charger about 3.75W to name a few.

Electricity is billed by the kilo watt-hour (kWh). What is a kilo watt-hour? One watt-hour is the energy used by a 1 watt device running for 1 hour. 1 kWh equals 1,000 Watt-Hours. So for the examples above:
- A 100W light bulb on for 10 hours: 100 x 10 = 1000 Watt-Hours or 1kWh
- a 200W computer on for 10 hours: 200 x 10 = 2000 Watt-Hours or 2kWh
- a 3.75 phone charger on for 10 hours: 3.75 x 10 = 37.5 or .0375kWh

The cost of electricity varies widely by location and even time of year and time of day. I'll assume a cost of $0.12 per kWh.

So for the same items, we have:
- A 100W light bulb on for 10 hours: 1kWh x $0.12 = $0.12
- a 200W computer on for 10 hours: 2kWh x $0.12 = $0.24
- a 3.75W phone charger on for 10 hours: .0375kWh x $0.12 = $0.0045

I'll assume it takes me 1 hour to write this excuse for a blog. I need to pay for the Internet connection equipment anyway, so writing this blog doesn't change my internet costs - I'll ignore them. All I need is my computer:

65W * 1h = 65Wh
65Wh = .065 kWh
0.65kWh * $0.12/kWh =

Drum roll, please...
This blog is worth a grand total of $0.0078!!!

It also confirms something else very important:
$0.0078 * 12 = $0.10
My blogs are a dime a dozen!

Comedy

2007-05-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

I heard an interesting quote this week:

"Comedy is a basically a very aggressive thing to do - you force people to see things your way so powerfully, they react audibly..."

- Jerry Seinfeld 1987 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10092407)

I occasionally (very occasionally) have the good feeling of having people laugh at my wisecracks or jokes. I suppose I don't know any timid or insecure people that are funny, but until now, I never really thought of comedy as an aggressive activity.

Would I Hire Me?

2007-03-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today, myself and 2 others interviewed a candidate for a position in our group. After the interview, we shared our comments with each other. As each of us pointed out reasons why we shouldn't hire him, I began to wonder if I'm too hard on candidates. He didn't seem overly impressive, but how much better did I perform in my interview? Did I blow them away or did someone just decide to take a chance on me? If I interviewed myself, would I hire me?

How Geeks have Fun

2007-03-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

I was skimming through the first Mission Impossible (with Tom Cruise) and reminded of a time when I was Luther. In the movie, Luther is sitting in a train across the ailse from the Bad Woman Max and her accomplice. They are trying to connect to the Internet via their cell phone but Luther is sending a jamming signal. Max and her partner have no idea what is going on and become increasingly frustrated.

In high school I bought a HP 48G graphing calculator. Among its many features was an infrared port. It was also capable of downloading new programs. This was 1994 when the Internet beginning to take off, but I found a very interesting program, which would turn my calculator into a programmable remote control that could control TVs, VCRs, etc. Hmm...what could I do with that?
Well, in physics class, we often watched videos. As exciting as the shows were, my friends saw potential for the remote control. At a convenient moment, we took the remote control for the classroom VCR and stored the signals for "Play" and "Stop" in the calcultor.

(kids, try this at your own risk)
The time came for our class to watch a video. I had my calculator on my desk, and a few minutes into the show, I casually pressed a button on my calculator and there was static on the TV. Heheheh, I said to myself and my friends held back their laughter.

The poor teacher went to the VCR to troubleshoot. I really thought she would try harder to "fix" the problem, but I remember seeing her mumble to herself and then give up. She turned off the TV/VCR and put it away.

I'm not Ethan Hunt or Jack Bauer, but at the time, I thought I was pretty cool. Bad, but cool.

Music Over the Decades

2007-03-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was driving a rental car and listening to the radio. The car was equipped with XM (which is pretty cool by the way), so I had a few hundred channels to choose from. One category which I stayed with was called "Decades." From the 1940s to the 90s, there was a channel devoted to each decade.
I'm not the first one to notice this, but it was very obvious how music has changed over the last 50 to 60 years. In the 40s-60s people like Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon and the Romantics sang mostly Upbeat, Happy, and Silly songs. Move to the 80s and 90s and I heard singers like Vanilla Ice, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Madonna and Alanis Morisette sing songs which were Edgy, Angry, and Full of Innuendo.
I know there are exceptions, but in listening to the music over the decades, the change is remarkable.

Passing a Milestone

2007-02-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

Until now, the longest I have lived in one area was the first 6 years of my life in Seattle. I have since lived in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Alabama and Southern California, but never in one place for more than 5 years.

I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in February of 2000. Now in February of 2007, I have lived here longer than any one other place. A few thoughts:
1. Never say never. Before coming here, I said this is the last place I would ever go. Not exactly sure why (too expensive, too liberal, too far), but that was my feeling. So here I am now, and I find it hard to imagine leaving.
2. One of the things that was difficult about moving so often was that friendships were gained and lost frequently. I hoped that by staying put, I could build more lasting friendships. To a great degree, this has happened - I have many wonderful relationships with friends and family which came with being here for so long.
At the same time, I have found myself at the dock waving goodbye not from the departing ship, but from shore. So, even though I might not soon leave, separation in this life (by circumstance or death) is sure to come. There is a time for everything, so take no good thing for granted.

I am grateful to God for the experiences that have brought me to this point and look forward to enjoying each day in the future wherever I am.

Relative Objectivity?

2007-01-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

It seems to be a common phenomena that two people can agree on the Bible as the supreme source of truth and yet come to opposite conclusions on a wide variety of issues. Some examples are:

Age of the earth/Genesis flood
Modern application of the Old Testament laws
Moral issues such as alcohol, abortion, gambling, dancing
The correct content for a Gospel presentation
Role of women in the Church
Speaking in tongues
Style and content of corporate worship
Method of observing Christian "Holidays"
Mode of baptism
End times events and timing
The ultimate hope of the Christian
And much, much more...

Pose these questions to 10 well-read Christians (people who are not Biblically illiterate) and I'm sure there will be anywhere from 2-10 different answers. What's more, in many cases, there will be bitter animosity and suspicion towards those who hold opposing views.

In response, the counsel I hear most often from respected Leaders is:

In Christianity, there are essential and non-essential beliefs. In the spirit of unity, we should not divide over non-essentials.

So the essentials are undeniable, right? Well, most mainstream Christian Churches express generally similar beliefs about the Trinity, Resurrection, Bible, and Eternity, but even here there is some variation (Grace, BBC, Saddleback) and a lot of subjects are not addressed.

But assuming that the essentials are basically similar, the net effect is that almost all of Christian faith and practice is defined by the individual. This isn't quite relativism (because Christians generally that truth is objective), but for all practical purposes, it is very wishy-washy. At the end of the day, it seems that everyone is pretty much on their own.

There have been selected times in the past when believers were more unified, but perhaps, this is the way things are meant to be at this time. Each person is accountable to God for their actions. Yet, the chaos seems to be somewhat unsatisfying.

Brands

2007-01-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

This week I heard a great presentation about an interesting topic:
What is a Brand?

First of all, these are not brands:

These are logos - graphical representations of a company's name. They reinforce a brand, but they are not themselves brands.

So what is a brand? A brand is:

A collective set of memories
An expectation of experience
A product personality

When someone sees one of the logos above, that person experiences an emotional response based on the interactions that person has had with the company. Every advertisement, product, communication from the company contributes to the brand, for better or worse.
Why is this important? Well, it helps explain why people will pay a premium for what seems to be a simple label. Why is a shirt bearing the "Abercrombie" label $50 and a similar shirt with an unknown label only $15? An MP3 player bearing a certain logo sets record sales, while others are struggling to keep up. Logos instantly bring to mind a set of collective memories that have been built over time. Logos represent brands and people buy products in large part based on their brands.

It is also interesting to note that everyone and every entity has a brand. Companies have brands, Churches have brands, Cities have brands, Individuals have brands. They way they look, talk, act, etc. together create a brand. Think of these examples: Redwood Chapel, Saddleback, New York, Miami, Brittney Spears, Billy Graham, Apple Computer, Starbucks. The response these names evoke is their brand. Its almost magical.

Moving On

2006-12-30T21:37:00.000-08:00

After nearly five years, the 29th was my last day working for Oracle.

It has been a great learning experience. I joined just after my previous company went under. I was relatively inexperienced (2 years out of school) and a bit daunted by the huge corporation.

Now at the end, I have held three different positions, met hundreds of people, travelled the world, and left my fingerprints in many parts of the company.

I hope the next 5 years are even better.

Nightmare on 99

2006-12-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

It was supposed to be a 2 hour trip from Vancouver to Whistler. My brother and I left in our rented 4 wheel drive SUV expecting to reach our hotel by 7pm.
At 7pm we were about 23km from our destination when we came to a complete stop about where the red dot is on the picture. From listening to the radio, we gathered that there were several accidents on the "Sea to Sky" highway that we were on. Ok, we thought, it should clear up and maybe we'll be an hour late.

After about 6 hours (at 1am Friday) things went from very bad to complete nightmare. Thinking I would pass the people in front of me, I pulled out to the left and began to accelerate. However, the road was an ice rink and we began to slide to the left. Driving a sliding vehicle is the sickest feeling I have ever felt. Unable to get any traction, the SUV slid with a crunch into the 3 foot high snow bank on the side of the road. I tried locking the 4wd, driving forward and backward, but there was no traction to be had.

So there we were, in a blizzard, in the middle of the night, in a foreign country, stuck in our car. Its the kind of thing I only heard about on the news. Feelings of fear, anger, regret, frustration, and helplessness flashed across my mind. I thought about my wife and daughter and called them several times to let them know I was ok. I couldn't believe this was happening to me.

Passers by were of no help. We asked for help from several official looking people, but they told us to call a tow truck - they had to tend to the cars blocking traffic first. As we were sitting there, several others including a bus slid off the road in the same place and almost hit us. At that point, I thought we could be there for days and our ski vacation would be a complete waste. Death was not likely, but not out of the imagination.

After several hours of trying to push the car out of the snow bank, my brother took the driver's seat and I decided to push on the front left of the SUV to get it out from the snow bank. As he accelerated, I pushed on the fender and the whole truck floated around on the ice like a boat on water.

But then, the front tires started to bite and the SUV moved in a way we didn't think was possible. Slowly it pulled forward onto the road and away from the snow. From the depths of despair and panic, I experienced elation like never before. The SUV continued to move ahead, I yelled "Don't stop! Don't stop!" for fear it would slide back down to the snow bank. As my brother merged into the slow moving traffic, I ran behind as fast as I could, jumped into the moving vehicle and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After reaching the hotel at 6am on Friday morning, we took a 5 hour nap and decided to hit the slopes. The rest of our time was uneventful - the side-effect of the blizzard was really good snow on the mountain.

Lessons Learned:

1. Carry chains even if you have 4wd.

2. Don't take smooth travels for granted.

My Girls

2006-12-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

The other day someone reminded me to take care of "my girls" and it struck me that I have 2 lovely girls in my life. I grew up with one brother, so it hasn't always been that way in my house.

In fact, getting married meant losing a bet. A cousin of mine, a friend of his, and I each bet that we would be the last one to get married. The last one to get married would get a limo ride and dinner paid for by the other two. Not ever having a girlfriend at that point, or even many female friends, I thought I would surely win. In the end I lost the bet, but I really gained so much.

So, I'm very thankful for my wife and my daughter. I am also blessed to have three wonderful sisters-in-law and many other "girl" friends now in my life. Its more than I ever imagined.

Things that make you go hmmm...

2006-10-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

It is interesting how a movie or TV show watched in private can seem benign or neutral, but the same show watched in the company of friends or family, can create discomfort or embarrassment.
This happens most frequently with scenes depicting some type of sexual activity. The scene is not graphic enough to convict to stop me from watching if I am by myself, and yet in the presence of someone else, something compels me to look away or skip forward in the show.
Why is this?? Are we concerned for the other people present? Are we convicted that the scene is actually wrong to watch?
Well, in most cases, I think this is indicative that the activity portayed is actually obscene in the sense that it should be off-stage, something not done in public or not at all. So when we are with others, it seems that the "obscene" scenes that were ok in private become uncomfortable.

Much could be said about how to decide in an absolute sense what is acceptable to watch and what is not, and yet, whatever one's view, it seems common to have one standard in private and tigher one in public. Hmmm...

Supply and Demand

2006-09-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

I tried to sell it for $150. No takers. I lowered it to $75. Nada. Finally, at 2am on Wednesday morning, I gave up and listed it for free on Craiglist. Could I give it away or would I have to pay to get it out of my house?

The floodgates opened wide. By 9 in the morning, I had about 15 emails and almost 20 voicemails, and they poured in throughout the day. The messages included everything from cash offers to stories about why they wanted the desk. Finally, in hopes of finding a good home for the desk, we decided to ask each person for an explanation for why they wanted it.
Here are some samples:

I just lost all my furniture in storage due to my ex boyfriend stealing it, we had our storage unit in both our names so he was able to take it
I am now living with my folks and have no furniture once I can afford a place of my own and this would come in handy since I use my computer a lot and can keep my bills and in order with Otis desk as well as write since this is one of my passions

The reason i want the desk so badly is because for one i have always wanted a roll top desk.Embarrsing enough but i am on a fixed income and have never had or will have the finances to buy one new. I would take good care of the desk it would be going to a good home. i couldnt belive my eyes when i saw the picture of it .

I am a single mother and have a 15 year old son, who is in need of a desk. He has told me he loves rolltop desks but they are expensive, which is why I have been looking on craigslist. There was one that we missed recently and it was very disappointing to both of us. He is a good student and a great kid and I want him to have a nice desk he can feel proud of and feel good doing his homework in. This desk looks perfect for him.

It was a difficult choice, but we decided to go with the last one. We hope it was a wise decision and that the desk brings someone joy and satisfaction for many years.

I was Lucky...er, Blessed

2006-09-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

For some time, I have been confused by those who oppose using the word "luck." Many think it better to say "God blessed me" or "That was a blessing." (For the purposes of this discussion, I am focusing on inconsequential, pointless activities like games.) The real question is - Does anything happen by chance?

In the context that I use it, luck is "a combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person." (dictionary.com) We know that some events in our world have somewhat predictable odds (based on probability and statistics) and are unlikely to occur at any given time. Some examples are:

- Winning a lottery or raffle drawing
- Rolling the exact dice number or drawing just the right card to win a game.
- A tennis ball that clips the net and rolls over to win an important point.
- Being eaten by a shark

When we enjoy good success or benefit as the result of a low probability (chance) event, we often say "Through no particular skill of mine, I profited from an unlikely event in my favor." Actually I don't know anyone who would say that - most people just say, "I was lucky" or "I had good luck." If the event was not in our favor, we had "bad luck."

From our perspective, the workings of our world sometimes produce unexpected or unlikely results. Solomon notes this:

I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. - Ecc. 9

When something odd or unusual occurs, beyond what we can control through wisdom and skill, we naturally attribute it to chance and luck.

In a general sense, every event was originally set in motion by God. In this way, I can see how the ancients believed (whether right or wrong) that casting lots was a way to discern God's will.

However, I also see that God allows his creation to exist according to the laws of nature that he created. The natural working of creation in motion can produce unpredictable results. I always have a 1 in 4 chance of drawing a "heart" from a shuffled deck of cards because that is the way God's universe works. If I did draw 5 hearts in a row, would I be lucky? Maybe, if I was playing poker. Otherwise, it is a meaningless event. Did God bless me if I get the 5 hearts? Does He care? Could God directly intervene to control the circumstance or outcome of some (meaningless) event? Of course. Does He always? I am not so sure.

I think there are some bigger questions than answers here.
To what degree is God involved in the events and actions of His creation? If the cards fall my way or the ball bounces over the net, is that always a blessing from God? If so, is it a cursing for the others who may lose something in the situation? Do I hit or stand on 17? Are all games are from the devil? Does any of this really matter?

True Religion

2006-08-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've been wondering lately about the importance of helping the poor. Helping the poor seems to be one of many good ministries in the church. But is there anything especially important about helping those in need? The Bible says a lot about helping the poor and needy.

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. - Deuteronomy 15:11

and

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. - Acts 4:34

From the very beginning, under both the Old and New Covenants, it is clear that taking care of the poor and needy is a high priority.
But honestly, I don't see many obviously poor people in my day-to-day life. Maybe they are there and I just am not aware of it. At the same time, in some cases, my responses (and those of others I know) are sometimes cynical:
- They are using the system
- They'll probably buy drugs
- They are lazy and should be working
- I get so many requests, some of them must be scams

Yet, in spite of any doubts, it is clear we must not ignore those who are in need.

Who are the poor? Widows, orphans, brothers, and aliens and people unable to support themselves (Acts 6, Leviticus 25:35, Deut 24) Widows and orphans seem to be specially singled out in many places as deserving of generous care and compassion:

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. - James 1:27

Christian giving often seems to be a means to an end. I think that the simplicity of showing God's grace and mercy through helping the poor has sometimes fallen by the wayside.

So what should I give to the poor? Food, clothing, money (Deut. 10:18, Acts 2:34, Acts 11)
Food and clothing, are the most basic of needs and no one should be without those. While money may be used immorally or stollen, it is almost impossible to misuse gifts of food or clothing.

How should I give? Secretly.

2"So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3"But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. - Matthew 6

In general, it is the tempation for most to start or join ministries that are widely known or successful. Yet, we are told to give in secret. No selfish motives allowed. I know this easy to preach and hard to practice.

There is also some interesting wisdom on the subject:

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. - Proverbs 28:27

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. - Proverbs 21:13

Bottomline:
I must seek out and help those in need (of food and clothing in particular), especially widows and orphans.

Jack

2006-08-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

I often pick up a hobby or occupation (music, languages, games, sports, etc.), become moderately proficient at it and then move on. I don't seem to stick with any one thing long enough to become an "expert." I can speak Portuguese, but I'm not fluent. I can ski most black diamonds, but balk at doubles. I can play some songs on the piano, but not well enough to perform. In some ways I think this has made me a jack of all trades, but master of none. I do a lot of things well, but not any one thing extremely well.

Looking at friends and others, those who are leaders in their chosen hobbies or jobs focus on a few things and set high goals. Its tough, but I think its time drop a few activities so I can excel in what I do and not just be mediocre.

They call them Wings

2006-07-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

I might be the only one, but Buffalo Wings have been a confusing name to me for sometime. I guess I could have done some research, but I never got around to it. What do chicken wings have to do with Buffaloes?

In NY yesterday, I was having a meeting with a customer and they mentioned they were going to order some wings for lunch. We got to talking and wondered - did the Buffalo Wing originate right there in Buffalo, NY? The locals confirmed that indeed, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo created what everyone knows as Buffalo Wings. But they just call them wings.

Fame

2006-07-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Fame and celebrity is a curious phenomenon. I define a celebrity simply as someone who is known by many more people than they themselves know. With TV, Movies, and print media, more and more people have varying degrees of fame.

The general public will often go to great lengths for a chance handshake, autograph or photograph connecting them to someone famous. Magazines devoted to following the lives of celebrities testifies to our insatiable desire to know about the famous.

Recently I have had some experiences that prompted me reflect on fame.
Fame is...

Influential
Statements or Causes from famous people are often given credibility because of the person behind them, not because they have any merit. This is very powerful.
Fleeting
Remember M.C Hammer? Michael Jordan? Out of sight quickly becomes out of mind.
Confining
Extremely famous people actually live in a borderless prison. Simple activities such as going to a theme park or a shopping mall may be very difficult. I know they have to run in and out of restaurants before they are recognized and harassed. Even bodyguards are necessary in some cases.
Elusive
Even if millions of people know your name, there are probably a few billion people in the world who don't know and don't care who who are. A person who sets out to be truly famous has a very difficult task.

Deceiving
Famous people often have a superhuman aura. Their presence inspires feelings of awe and wonder. However, they are normal people (with abnormal ability perhaps) that do regular things - eating, sleeping, relieving themselves - they are normal people.
Painful
The failures of famous people are often broadcast more loudly than their successes. Things kept private for most people quickly become public knowledge. Gossip appears to have no limits. Considerering famous people are people, it must be painful sometimes.
Endearing
Everywhere they go, many famous people are often greeted with big smiles and warm welcomes from friends and strangers. VIP treatment is nice.

Fame is both a gift and a burden granted to a few people in this world. All told, I think fame isn't something to be desired or despised, but used for good like any other gift.

The Other Side

2006-06-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Travelling to new places affords some unique experiences, and my most recent trip is an exceptional example. These are just a few highlights:

The Eurostar is a high speed (180mph) train that goes from London to Paris via an underchannel tunnel (chunnel). Nice way to travel unless the AC dies (which it did).
The picture is a bit blurry because I had to act quickly before the security guards took me away - cameras were supposedly not allowed, but everyone with their phone-cams and digitals were snapping pictures, and I didn't want to be left out. Unfortunately, I could not crack the Da Vinci code.

The eifel tower is actually much bigger than it looks on TV.
In Spain, they love their jamon, a.k.a ham. My collegue couldn't leave without it, so he bought 25 pounds of jamon iberico. (Those are pig legs)
Strawberries and cream with a free-range egg sandwich can mean only one thing...
...Wimbledon.
And it just happens that my good friend from college was in the area.

So, certainly I have been blessed with some special opportunities, but they are tempered by my thoughts in the last update.

There's No Place Like Home

2006-06-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have known people who could be described as "home bodies" or people who weren't thrilled by travelling and enjoyed simply being at or around home. I always thought there was something suspect about these people - kind of boring and unadventurous. "Don't you want to get out and explore something new?" I would wonder.

In this last year, I have travelled more than the rest of my years combined. But the more I'm gone, the more I appreciate home. Maybe there's something to staying at home...

* I have a beautiful wife and 5 month old daughter.
* Interacting with Friends and Family is much more fullfilling than doing business with coworkers and clients.
* I have spent thousands on my house - I'd kind of like to be there to enjoy it.
* Travelling is tiring.

The jet set life is often glamorized, and I'm sure there are some who really love it, but at the end of the day, its not all its cracked up to be. Perhaps absense makes the heart grow fonder, but whatever the reason, there really is no place like home.

Preparation

2006-06-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

At the moment, I am trying to improve my portuguese using a computer CD. There is no guarantee that knowing that language will help me right away, but I am trying to be prepared for what may come.

Education and training many times, if not most of the time, provides very delayed gratification. Most of the time when sitting in a class or reading a book, it is tempting to think, "I'll may never use this stuff." It may take months or years between learning something and having a chance to put it in practice, but when circumstances require the skill, it is too late to start preparing. I think this perspective is critical for instilling patience in both students and the teachers.

The Highest Praise

2006-05-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Trust: Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

For sometime now, I have considered the words "I trust you" to be the highest compliment anyone can give. In fact, I would much rather have someone say to me, "I trust you" than, "You are so talented" (if anyone actually thought that). If I have a person's trust, their confidence is in me, not just my abilities or possessions. Even the adage, "Its not what you know, but who you know" indicates that most people prefer to work with those they trust and know rather than simply someone who is skilled.

Who is trustworthy? Someone who keeps commitments. Someone who does not deceive. Someone who does right whether seen or unseen. In other words, someone who says what they mean and does what they say.

Ultimately, if trust is the highest praise, God wants our trust also:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
- Jesus, John 14:1

So for God or man, trust is a great honor to those who receive it.

Feel the Waves

2006-05-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a basic GPS Navigatior - the Garmin i5. I've only used it a few times, but I can already see how it fundamentally changes the driving experience. Here are just a few of the key benefits:

The driver is never lost
More direct routing saves time and gas
Quickly find nearby food, shopping, or entertainment in unfamliar places

This technology is still in its expanding stages, but in 5-10 years, I'm sure GPS Navigation Systems will become standard auto equipment just like CD Players and keyless entry (Investors can check out GRMN and NVT).

As I thought about GPS and other "wireless" technologies, I realized how much our society depends on electromagnetic signals of varying frequency and strength:

Radio (AM, FM, XM)
TV (Off the Air, Satellite)
Cellular Phones
Bluetooth Networks
WiFi Computer Networks
ILS Landing Systems at Airports
CB, Police, Aircraft, and Maritime Communications
Much, much, more...

Most of these signals started or greatly intensified in the last 50 years. I'm not sure if there any great conclusions to draw except that we live in simply amazing times and we may need to start wearing tin foil to protect us from all this radiation. ;-)

The Holey Grail

2006-05-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

I don't read fictional novels very often, but because "everyone" is doing it, I decided to see what the Da Vinci Code is all about. I couldn't bring myself to buy the book, so I borrowed it from a friend last week.

The constant suspense and mystery combined with a lot of dialogue made the book a real page turner - I had no problems finishing the 400+ pages in just under 2 days. I imagine the upcoming movie will be an exciting mixture of Mission Impossible and National Treasure.

Without going into great detail, I can summarize the "secret" of the book by quoting a few passages.

The threat Mary Magdalene posed to the men of the early Church was potentially ruinous. Not only was she the woman to whom Jesus had assigned the task of founding the Church, but she also had physical proof that the Church's newly proclaimed deity had spawned a mortal bloodline. (254)

...you must understand the Church's powerful motivations to conduct such a cover-up. They could never have survived public knowledge of a bloodline. A child of Jesus would undermine the critical notion of Christ's divinity and therefore the Christian Church... (254)

...Jesus was a Father...Mary Magdalene was the womb that carried His royal lineage. The Priory of Sion, to this day, still worships Mary Magdalene as the Goddess, the Holy Grail, the Rose and the Divine Mother. (255)

This is where Dan Brown shoots himself in the foot. Assuming that all the facts are correct about Mary Magdalene's marriage to Jesus, I see 3 ways of interpreting the relationship:

1. Jesus is God > His wife might be someone to honor
2. Jesus is just another mortal prophet > His wife might be special but not because of her marriage to Jesus
3. Jesus's supposed deity is a conspiracy of the Church > His wife is Divine and worthy of worship

Either #1 or #2 might be consistent beliefs to hold (assuming their facts are true), but option 3 is silly - if the Priory of Sion knew Jesus was not Divine, why would they or anyone care about Mary Magdalene? Not only that, if Christ is only important because the Church conspired to make him divine, then Mary is only important because of the Church they are trying to discredit. By denying Jesus' divinity, Dan Brown completely destroys the meaning of the conspiracy he is suggesting.

So, even granting that all of the facts in the Da Vinci Code are true (and they are not), the main premise of the story is nonsense at best.

Mark 16

2006-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

On April 23rd, in Auburn, AL, I saw in the church bulletin that the pastor was preaching from Mark 16:15-20. I knew right away that it would be interesting because most modern translations identify the passage as not being found in the earliest manuscripts. Not only that, the passage describes some sensational and debated signs that would be associated with disciples of Christ. It was indeed the best sermons (maybe the only one) I've heard on the passage, and this is my recollection.

First, these are some of his arguments for the inclusion of Mark:16:9-20.
1. Ending the book with verse 8 would be very odd.
2. Many good, early translations do have the text.
3. The text corresponds with and does not contradict any other established parts of scripture.

On the last point, there is usually some degree of uncomfort. Is it true that disciples of Christ really cast out demons, speak in other tongues, heal sick, safely pick up snakes, and safely drink poison? Throughout Acts, we see clear evidence for 4 of the 5 signs:
1. Casting out demons (Acts 8)
2. Speaking in tongues (Acts 2)
3. Healing the sick (Acts 8)
4. Picking up snakes (Acts 26)

What about drinking poison? Apparently Eusibius records an incident where Justus (the alternate apostle for Mathias) was given poison and suffered no ill effects. The pastor also gave an account of a missionary in Columbia (South America) who stopped on his travels for a drink. What he was given looked like water, but actually contained potent rat poison. The owner did not like the missionary for some reason, but when she saw that he did not die, she was taken by surprise and recognized that there was something different about these men.

Of course, the pastor qualified this all very clearly: Nowhere in the passage does it say that Christ's followers will intentionally handle snakes or drink poison (i.e. in a Church service) and miraculously survive. These are signs to authenticate the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Do Christians survive evey snake bite or poisonous drink? Of course, not. Yet, in some cases God works these miracles to further his gospel.

I haven't heard any arguments against the inclusion of Mark 16:9-20, but after this sermon, I think it harmonizes with any undisputed passage in the Bible.

Intelligent Design

2006-04-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

I recently had the unexpected chance to see behind the scenes of a major airline's maintenance operations. A couple of observations:

1) The logistics required to run an airline must be incredible. I can only imagine the complexity in organizing people, parts, food, tickets, fuel, money, marketing, paperwork, terminals, the list goes on.

2) In an aircraft, the maze of tightly wound electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic connections is amazing. Seeing a plane up close, even a small one, gives one a great appreciation for the design skill needed to build and maintain aircraft.

I have often heard and used the illustration of comparing the complexity of an aircraft to biological life and then drawing the conclusion that since the aircraft was designed, life must have been also. This analogy is even stronger than I thought.

Also, I have wondered how mechanics go about fixing landing gear on a large airplane. Now I know...Just get a really strong guy to pick up the plane by the nose (Remember to lift with your legs, not your back).

Actually, with few very big jacks (The yellow things under the wings) hooked up to the jacking points, a 175,000 pound 767 goes up without a fight.

An Unexpected List

2006-04-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

After playing poker for sometime now, I have noticed that the game develops many character traits which I didn't expect. A good poker player is someone who:

Is very patient (not looking for a quick buck)
Does not make impulsive decisions
Understands probabilities (Math)
Is self-disciplined (follows self-imposed rules)
Learns from mistakes
Cuts losses quickly
Reasons logically and deductively
Thinks long-term
Observes and remembers well
Is calm under pressure

Basically, poker, if taken seriously, can develop wise decision making skills.

Head Covering

2006-04-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that men, if they are wearing a hat, usually take it off when praying. In some cases they will enforce this rule on other men if they don't follow suit.
At this point in time, it appears to be a tradition that has been passed down over the years, but I wonder if the original reason was theological. 1 Corinthians 11 has a possible explanation:

4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.

The flip side, for women is:

5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.

Men seem to enforce their side of this instruction, but I can't recall any American man or woman asking another woman to cover her head. This makes me think that the men who remove their hats, do so for cultural reasons rather than theological.

I was Called to Write This

2006-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've often heard other Christians say that they have been "called" to a certain ministry or that "they were led by God" to make a certain decision. Those who use this type of language appear to have a very close relationship with God because they are really "listening" to God speak to them. I have even been told that I should not join a ministry that I have not been "called" to do. In some situations I have even felt embarrased that I could not honestly use this language to describe my own experience.

When most Christians use the word "calling" or "leading," they usually mean that they have concluded something about God's will from one or more of the following experiences:
- Related Events/Circumstances
- Peaceful or Uneasy Feelings
- Input or Advice from others

While this language comes off as very pious, I see little (if any) evidence in the Bible that God works in this way. To discern God's will, the Bible never instructs Christians to decipher "open/closed doors" or interpret special feelings. This is superstitious hocus pocus.

In the Bible, almost without exception, when God had a special message for someone or wanted to "lead" a person in a certain direction, He intervened supernaturally. Some of these supernatural vehicles include audible voices (Samuel), Dreams/Visions (Paul/Peter), Angels (Abraham), Miracles (Gideon), or prophets.

The supernatual cases are rare - they are not the norm for all Christians. In most cases, men (or women) use wise decision-making skills including:
- Obedience to God
- Logic and Reason
- Seeking Counsel

Greg Koukl made this same point on his weekly radio show (2/26). For instance, he says, the longest passage on marriage in the Bible (1 Cor 7) says a lot of things about making the decision on how to marry, but never says to ask God who to marry. For such a major decision, God gives us guidelines but ulimately wants us to decide. Some may ask how do we know if we are in God's plan? Forget about God. God works in his soverignty behind a curtain. He will acheive his plans, and where necessary, he will supernatually intervene.

Does God actually "call" all Christians into making specific decisions in their life? No, not all. When God does call some, it is unmistakable and usually supernatural.

Prayer Position

2006-03-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

I've wondered for a while now, why Christians typically pray with their head bowed and eyes closed. This seems to be the "correct" position for prayer in most churches.
Jesus, when asked how to pray, did not instruct his disciples to assume any particular physical position except that private prayer should be done privately. However, when Jesus himself prays publicly (Matt 14:19, Mark 6:41, Mark 7:34, Luke 9:16, John 11:41, John 17:1), he is almost always "looking up to heaven".

I don't know if there is anything special about having eyes-open and head up while praying, but it seems more than incidental that this is the exact opposite of the eyes-closed and head down position most Christians assume.

Test Drive

2006-03-15T23:38:00.000-08:00

For some out of the ordinary fun, my brother-in-law and I decided to go test drive a few cars tonight. Sports cars are more fun to test drive, but 2 seaters were out since we would have 3 on board (us plus the salesman).
BMW makes the best sports sedans (so I've heard) so we started with the 330 (They had a 500hp, V10 M5 on the lot - the only demo model in all of California, but I didn't have the nerve to ask for a test drive). After the BMW ride, we crossed the street and took a Lexus IS 250 for a spin.

I could picture myself driving either one. The BMW handled slightly better than the Lexus - stiffer suspension and more intuitive steering.

The Lexus was a little more comfortable and had a wider array of cool technology - keyless entry and ignition, reverse video camera, bluetooth phone integration.

Both are admirable pieces of engineering, but $800/month plus insurance and maintenance is getting too close to my mortgage payment.

Casino Gambling

2006-03-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

I just completed a very eye opening visit to Foxwoods (the largest casino in the world). This was my first in-depth look at casino gaming, and having a friend who could explain the games made the stay an extremely educational experience.

First, here are some observations:

- Craps myriad of betting possibilities make it an interesting game.
- I was blown away by a Bingo Hall that could probably house a 747 with room to spare
- My estimates by square footage: slots and bingo are tops, high risk table games in the middle, with blackjack and poker last.
- Money flows very freely. $100 is nothing to most people. One person I saw threw away $4,000 (by making very risky bets) in a few hours of craps and seemed to care less about it.
- People are genuinely disappointed when they lose even though the odds are overwhelmingly against them.
- As someone who likes math, I'm very impressed by the probability and statistics analysis that went into determining the payouts and betting structures such that they favor the house.
- Most casino games I observed (Slots, Bingo, Craps, Caribbean Poker) are a solitary occupation. Conversation is optional and often unusual.
- I have never seen so many senior citizens in one place.
- Poker stands out as a semi-intelligent game, since it is one of the few not played against the house.

Based on these observations, I concluded the following:
1.Most casino games, except poker, are varying forms of brain dead, unsocial activity. It was sad to see a sea of thousands of mostly senior citizens quietly and furiously stamping their bingo cards. I know this is not a one time event for most of them. I have to think that there is a better way to spend their time, not to mention their money.

2. I am confused about the motivation of people in the casino. On the one hand, many seem resigned to the fact that they are going to lose the money they brought. However, most people dream about hitting the jackpot or getting extremely lucky and are disappointed when they lose. The real motivation must be a mix of thrills from the risks and a desire for easy money.

3. I understand the math behind the games, but I doubt that most people do. In this sense, I now see how some call gambling "a tax on the mathematically challenged."

4. Casinos rely on people being unable to control themselves. Players are enticed into making low percentage bets, but if a player can control themselves enough to make higher percentage bets, they could come out on top. Certain table games and even the comp system can be "beaten" by a disciplined person (not unlike credit cards that offer 0% interest).

5. The combination of money, alcohol, smoke, lights, and sounds must negatively affect the minds of already dim-witted people.

6. Most people know the odds are against them in almost all games. However, if gambling were a religion, Luck and Superstition would be the gods in whom players put their faith. The superstition in craps especially is comical. Intelligent people talk about "hot" tables, and shooters ritualistically cast the dice expecting that it will change the outcome.

7. The games requiring least skill are the most popular and profitable while those requiring more skill get the least traffic (though poker is growing). People, on average, are looking for the easiest buck.

All told, for responsible people who enjoy the thrill of taking risks, I can appreciate how casino gaming might be interesting entertainment. However, the casino is also place where undisciplined, impatient, unintelligent, and/or rash people stand to lose a lot of money in a short time. I think most people who are opposed to casinos, are concerned that casinos take advantage of people in this second group. I now understand and better appreciate this sentiment.

The main problems I see with casinos (especially for Christians) is this:
1. Losses are more or less unlimited. The casino never closes, so time can disappear quickly, and the casino is ready to loan money, so money can evaporate even faster. I can't think of any other type of entertainment that gives someone enough rope to hang themselves.
2. The players are transformed into useless members of society for hours on end, participating in the some of the most meaningless and unproductive activities. Leaving aside the moral questions of gaming, it is undebatable that a Christian playing the games would be effectively neutralized for that period of time. Since time is our most valuable resource, this I believe is the most devastating effect of the casino.

Birds of a Feather

2006-03-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

Someone recently remarked to me, "Its hard to be with so-and-so. They seem to have such a perfect life." Though an exaggeration, the sentiment of this statement had merit, and it led me to consider a broader problem.

Reflecting on myself, I am in my late 20s, have a college degree, a professional career, a mortgage, a wife and now a child. Most, if not all, of my time is spent with people who are in almost the same age, education, tax bracket, and marital status as I am. From observing others, it seems that I am not alone.

People tend to naturally flock together with others who in a similar educational and economic status. Since they are on level ground, there is not a feeling that one has the advantage over the other. There is a level of discomfort or awkwardness when people are in the company of someone from a completely different socio-economic position, either higher or lower.

People of many different backgrounds make up the local and worldwide Church, and I know I need to do a better job of intentionally befriending (not just aquainting) those who are farther removed from my educational or economic situation.

Justice and Mercy

2006-03-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

I read a story today about a woman who was chased and attacked outside her home by a masked man. The woman's husband heard her screams and grabbed his handgun. The intruder was shot and died at the scene.

In reading this account, I experienced mixed feelings. On one hand, I felt comforted knowing that the innocent woman was saved from a violent evil act. Justice was done. But strangely, I also felt compasssion for the attacker had come to the point in his life where he believed attacking an innocent woman was a good thing to do. Sin had so controlled a man's life that it ended in death.

God is often described as infinitely just and infinitely merciful (especially regarding babies who die). In my finite mind, it is difficult for me to reconcile justice and mercy - I can only imagine how God balances them.

Money or Time

2006-02-20T23:20:00.000-08:00

There is a saying, "Put your money where your mouth is." That is to say, prove you mean your cheap words by sacrificing a valuable resource. In thinking about how this applies to charity or "good works," it sometimes seems easy to give $20 here or there to a cause that I support. Certainly giving money is critical - people and organizations need money to meet practical needs, but I would add, "Put your time where your money is." For instance, if I saw someone alone and hungry on the street, which is easier to do - hand them $20 or spend 2 hours talking with them and getting them some food? Both are good and require sacrifice, but for most people that I know, 2 hours would be a much taller order.

Time is the most valuable resource anyone has. Bill Gates and the homeless beggar on the street both have exactly the same number of hours in a day. No amount of money can buy more time. In fact, the more money people have, the more they value their time. So it seems that time spent is the truest indicator that someone means what they say.

Risky or Foolish?

2006-02-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

I've always thought of myself as being fairly conservative when it comes to taking risks. I don't trade options, play roulette, scuba dive, or other high-risk activities. But thinking back on my life, it seems that I have actually engaged in several activities which are considered fairly dangerous, risking my life, limb, or money:
- Day traded the Stock Market
- Invested in and Started small businesses
- Bought almost fully-leveraged real estate
- Played Poker (low-stakes)
- Piloted small single-engine aircraft
- Skied Black Diamonds

I have won some and lost some (money, not life or limb), but while it seems that I have a higher tolerance for risk than average, "Fools rush in" does not describe my approach. As I gain more knowledge or skill in any of the activities listed above, the risk I take decreases proportionately.

How is risk calulculated? Risk combines the probability of a negative event occurring with how harmful that event would be. (Risk / Reward is a different analysis)

Consider driving. Historically in the US, each year there are 20-30 fatalities per 100,000 drivers.
1) The probability being killed in a car accident is about 0.025%.
2) On a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being the highest), the "Consequence #" would be 100 (Death).
3) 0.025% * 100 gives a Risk of 2.5.

If I decide that my risk tolerance is 20, then driving is an acceptable risk.

So when I look at the risks of playing poker, it goes like this:
1) Assume I am new to the game, and I believe that I'll lose everything 80% of the time.
2) I buy into a $100 table, which I'll assign a 40 out of 100 Consequence #.
3) Therefore, 80% * 40 = Risk 32

32 is above my risk tolerance of 20, so this activity would be too risky. However, there are options for reducing my risk:

1) By increasing knowledge I could improve my chances to losing only 20% of the time.
2) By decreasing my potential loss to $5, the Consequence # would be about 10.
3) 20% * 10 = Risk 2

A person playing poker in this second scenario assumes about the same risk as someone driving down the street.

How many activities in life are 100% guaranteed to succeed? Ecclesiastes 11 says:

4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.

Outcomes of endeavors in this life are not certain. Since things that appear safe sometimes fail and risky ventures sometimes pan out, taking a variety of calculated risks with the right level of potential loss and knowledge seems to be the wisest path.

Now I know the rest of the story

2006-02-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

In the frontier days of American history, stagecoaches were used to transport valuables and well-to-do people. These types of cargo were hot targets for the robbers and other nefarious people who roamed the lawless parts of this country. So to protect the stagecoach and its contents, a shotgun toting guard would sit next to the driver. These days, not many automobile passengers carry big guns, but nearly 100 years after the stagecoach, people still cry "shotgun" when they want to sit in the seat next to the driver.

Everyone's doing it

2006-02-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

In reading various articles about the movie "Brokeback Mountain" I started to get the feeling that everyone had seen this movie. Adjectives such as "phenomenon," "blockbuster," and "critically acclaimed" fill many of the the articles. One article stated, "The 'Brokeback Mountain' phenomenon has become as unavoidable as a military recruiter at a continuation school."

This prompted me to check out the facts. The Box Office Figures show that 'Brokeback' has earned about $60 million to date. The production costs were probably low, so the project is probably in the black, but by normal standards this would be considered a modest success at best and a failure at worst. In contrast, "Finding Nemo," "Passion of the Christ," and each of the Lord of the Rings movies all grossed over $300 million.

Of course, box office results are not the only indicator of a good movie, but at the very least, it shows that the number of people who have seen "Brokeback Mountain" is relatively small compared to other blockbusters. 'Brokeback' may win many Academy Awards, but the hype is a tad overblown. I wonder if it has anything to do with the content of the movie...

Goo-Goo Gah-Gah

2006-02-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

In the past few months I was told how parents start talking 'baby talk' after the birth of a child. I would start talking goo-goo gah-gah, baby waby. Just wait, I was told. It'll happen to me too.

Well, I had a premonition that this was false. I saw that the same people that gave me these predictions actually talked that way to little babies, but I never felt any inclination to do so.

So now that my daughter is home, I wondered if the predictions would be true. Well, so far, I can say they are not. I speak to Rachel in normal English, just like I would with anyone else. For now, its a myth busted.

God and Doctors

2006-02-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

This week I realized a couple things:
1. God has made the human body even more amazing than I thought before.
2. Doctors (Surgeons) work under incredible pressure and should be paid very, very well.

Afer seeing my wife split open on the operating table, it was hard to believe she would live to tell about it. She recovered faster than I did. That the body can undergo such trauma and survive, is witness to the great design of the human body.

At the same time, watching the doctors do their work gave me a much deeper appreciation for the skills they have. A Caesarian Section is a relatively common procedure - I can only imagine the complexity of brain, heart or transplant surgeries. A talented doctor is worth every penny they earn.

"Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor."

2006-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

We don't use the word 'mock' in our everyday language, so in the past, I have tried to picture someone 'mocking' sin. That is, until I read this article.

There are people who don't follow Christ, and then there are those who actively denegrate all that is Christian. The article is an example of the later. Mark's clear hatred of all that is traditionally Christian astounds me. It is incredible to see how almost every article he writes seeths with contempt towards Christians.

While he is usually spouting off his opinion, I give him credit for at least 2 things:
1) He often cites interesting facts that challenge my thinking. In fact, Mark's article on Gay Marriage with its references to polygamy in the Bible motivated me to investigate the subject for my own sake.
2) He uses an unbelieveable amount of adjectives to paint his word pictures. (sometimes these pictures are not very pretty though) If nothing else, I learn some new words when reading his stuff.

I continue reading his work from time to time to be challenged in my thinking, but I must say that it takes a strong stomach to read (and see through) such intense 'mocking' of many things I hold true.

Fallacy or Poison?

2006-01-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

I have yet to see the "End of the Spear" movie, but from the looks of the trailers, it seems to be very promising.

I did learn in the last few days that there is no shortage of controversy over the actor Chad Allen who plays Nate Saint in the movie. He is openly gay and seen by many in the homosexual community as a role model. On learning this information, the initial reaction by some goes something like this:
1. Chad Allen (who plays Nate and Steve Saint) promotes the homosexual agenda
2. Chad plays a leading role in the movie "End of the Spear."
3. Therefore, the movie promotes the homosexual agenda (maybe indirectly) and is poisoned.

To some degree, this particular reasoning seems to be an instance of the 'composition fallacy,' which is the idea that a particular property of a part must be a property of the whole.
Greg Koukl and Al Mohler point out that both the actor who played Eric Liddell in "Chariots of Fire" and Sir Ian McKellen who played Gandalf in Lord of the Rings are homosexual actors in movies with Christian themes. With that new informatoin, thinking back on those movies, my impression is unchanged. We usually judge movies on the quality of the acting and storytelling, not the sinful personal lives of the actors.

That said, others argue and I agree that it was a very poor choice on the part of the producers. Chad Allen's role causes unnecessary distraction and confusion at a time when there is an ongoing fierce cultural battle between Evangelical Christians (at whom the movie is aimed) and those promoting Homosexual acceptance.

The risk is also there that some will see this as a validation of the Gay lifestyle by the Christian community. Chad's face, at the moment, is associated with both Christian Missions and Homosexual rights. Because Homosexuals are looking for inclusion in Christianity and not vica versa, this is certainly more detrimental to Christian causes than Homosexuals'.

I'll go watch the movie, but it is disappointing to have such controversy surround a seemingly great film project.

Al Mohler wrote a very good analysis of the debate on his blog.

This is my Father’s World

2006-01-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

Recently I downloaded (legally from iTunes) a rendition of "This is my Father’s World" performed by Fernando Ortega. It has become one of my favorites - I think the music and lyric combination is both beautiful and moving:

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world
The birds their carols raise.
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world,
O let me ne'er forget:
That thought the wrong seems oft' so strong,
God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world,
The battle is not done
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And the earth and heaven be one.

It Was Not This Way From the Beginning

2006-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

I sat next to a woman who was reading a women's magazine, and as she flipped pages, I couldn't help but notice some of the article titles:
- Why I left you
- Divorce is on!
- Nick and Jessica call it quits (or something like that)

It perplexed me how many people seem to enjoy studying the divorces of others. Divorce as portrayed in this casual way, seems to be likened to changing tires on a car - a common, necessary evil, but no big deal.

Later, I watched a movie that depicted a different image of divorce. The central woman character was shown in the midst of a divorce process, and throughout the movie we see her encountering the following situations:
- Bitter legal battles
- Financial Shortfalls
- Confused and Insecure Children
- Fearing being taken advantage of
- Pain from rejection and hopelessness

This moved me with compassion for plight of those who are in this situation (especially children). Whether a divorce is justified or not does not change the fact that it leaves a lot of people hurting emotionally and financially.

The Most Surreal Moment of my Life

2006-01-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

We sat in my dorm room watching movies, ate at Burger King, and played tennis on the college team together. He is from South Africa and I was from Auburn, AL at the time. Just a couple of regular collge kids. We parted ways in 1997, but kept in touch sporadically.
Time passed, and it was 7 years later before I saw him again...Here...

This is the Siebel Open in San Jose, CA - He's on the left and that's Andre Agassi is on the right. For non-tennis players, I think this would be similar to seeing a good friend from college acting in a movie opposite Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, or any other internationally known celebrity. The experience is difficult to put into words. Surreal. Bizarre. Incredible.

Since that point (he lost to Agassi), my friend Wesley Moodie has gone on to beat several top 20 players and win Wimbledon Doubles in 2005.

And today, I read that having won his first match at the Austrailian open, he'll be playing Andy Roddick next. Wish I could be there - Go Wes!

Awesome

2006-01-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

The outside dimensions for the main building of Solomon’s temple measured about 90ft by 30ft wide and 45ft high – A good size building, but not staggering. I imagine it to be close in length and height to the Williams Chapel at Redwood Chapel, but about half as wide. Then I read this passage:

1 Kings 6:19-22
19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

I think there was some gold in Solomon’s temple. Its difficult to figure out what wasn’t overlaid with gold. I count 6 references to gold overlay in the space of 3 verses. The Williams Chapel or anything else doesn’t seem to compare anymore. But it goes on:

28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.
32 And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold.
35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

In the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a pair of cherubim. These were not little doll-like statues - They stood 15 feet tall and had a wingspan of 15 feet. One wing of each cherub touched opposite walls and their other wings touched each other in the middle of the room. Oh, and they were covered in gold. If that’s not awe inspiring, I have no idea what is.

Inflation

2006-01-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

After dinner this evening, I was wandering the halls of the hotel which housed the restaurant, and noticed an interesting display.
In a glass case were breakfast, brunch and dinner menus from various years in the 1940s. Compared with today, I didn't notice any difference in the types of food, but the prices stood out:
- $1.00 Ham and Eggs
- $2.25 Filet Mignon
- $1.00 Catch of the Day

With inflation we now pay 10-20x those prices. I wonder if 60 years from now (when I'm 88), a filet mignon will be $300-$400. I suppose its okay if wages rise at the same rate. If not, we would be in big trouble, although many parts of the world experience just such out of proportion inflation.
Apparently its the Federal Reserve's job to keep inflation in the US under control. For everyone's sake, I wish them all the best.

To buy or not to buy

2006-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

A decision to rent or buy a home must take into account a lot of often confusing variables – interest rates, income tax rates, rental rates, credit scores, and real estate market dynamics. Understandably people need help, and perhaps because I like this stuff, I am sometimes asked for advice on these matters.

In hearing casual conversations about purchasing a personal home, I find that most people ask the wrong question – How do I buy a house? That answer is a basic function of adding the principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and maintenance payment requirements. Is there enough income, cash and credit to cover the expense? Then you can buy a home.

The more important (and interesting) question is – Should I buy a house? Most people assume the answer is “If you can, you should.” To justify such a recommendation, I frequently hear statements that sound something like this:
- “You should buy a house, because at least you will be keeping some of your money”
- “I just hate throwing away money on rent each month”

In a market that has low home prices and relatively high rents, some of these sentiments may be true. But where I live and in many other markets, high home prices and relatively low rental rates makes buying vs. renting a much more complex decision.

Here’s why:
1) Let’s say $400,000 will buy a 2 bed/2 bath condo.
2) To rent this condo will cost ~$1,500 in a good area.
3) Assume 5% ($20,000) down, 6% on 1st mortgage, 7% 2nd mortgage, 30% Income Tax rate and 1.1% property tax, $250 HOA
4) Pretax, the condo will cost $2934.41/month. After the 30% tax deduction, the cost will be $2239.41.
5) The $2239.41 is the number to compare with rent, since rent is not deductible in most cases.
6) Of the $2239.41, $367.74 is principal that builds the owner’s equity.
7) $2239.41 - $367.74 = $1871.67 which is the amount the condo owner is “throwing away” each month. The renter "throws away" $1,500.
8) On a monthly basis, the condo owner is “throwing away” $371.67 more each month than the renter. This is ~$4,500/year.

From an investment standpoint, the main benefit the owner has over the renter is the appreciation of the condo’s value. If the prospective buyer is confident the house will rise in value by at least 2-3% annually (which is not guaranteed by any means), buying is the right way to go. Otherwise, renting is a great choice, not just a concession or settlement.

Misunderstanding this concept causes the following confusion:
- People who own homes believe they are saving something they are not
- People who don’t own homes think they are losing something they are not

Bottom line? The monthly "throw away" is often higher for home owners than renters. Renting, especially in the short term, is often more cost effective than buying.

I have confidence

2006-01-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that successful people are very confident. I see this in top athletes and business people. I think of Vince Young from Texas. Or World #1 Tennis player Roger Federer. Larry Ellison. Donald Trump. All of them are very confident in their abilities - it shows clearly in the way they walk, work, and the things they say. And other people are drawn to confidence.

At the same time, we usually put off by arrogance. Arrogance is an attribute of villians not heroes. And we are drawn to people that are humble.

However, in an attempt not to be arrogant, many people have taken on a false humility characterized by self-doubt and self-deprecation.
Here's why:
1) Confidence is often defined as having self assurance that one's ability is equal to or better than a competitor.
2) Confidence can lead to arrogance if not kept in check.
3) Therefore, humility is often defined as presenting one's self as inferior in ability to others, so as to avoid arrogance.

This is a faulty definition of humility. Humility is not the opposite of Confidence. The real antonyms are:
- Humility and Arrogance (Pride)
- Self-Doubt and Confidence

I don't think this is new - it seems that the Bible commends humble confidence in the term 'meek' - something to aim for, not avoid.

People Names

2006-01-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

In browsing the web looking for ideas on names for our coming son or daughter, I realized something a little bit silly about the world we live in.

What are some of the titles of Books that list names?
- Cool Names: for Babies
- Best Baby Name Book in the Whole World
- Name That Baby!: Every Parents Guide to Names
- The Baby Name Wizard

My question is: What is a 'Baby Name'?
Is this a name for the child when they are an infant? Does the baby get an adult name later in life? This is a bit puzzling.

Anyway, I'll keep looking for male or female, age irrelevant names.

Chasing the Wind

2006-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

The guy who built this mansion must have been a real bigshot. No one builds a 17,000 square foot home just to put a roof over their head.

I read today that the new owner - Steve Jobs - wants to tear down the huge building to make room for a newer house. However there is opposition from Historical groups who want the house to be preserved. After all that the house meant to its original owner, it is now the source of a court battle to tear it down.

I am certainly tempted from time to time to dream about bigger houses and nice cars, but I am also reminded how temporary and meaningless these things really are. Fame and fortune are both elusive and fleeting.

Fortune: "Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand."

Fame: "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."

Autobahn Ausfart

2006-01-03T23:06:00.000-08:00

When I drove over the border from Austria into Germany in July 2004, it was a dream come true. Driving on the Autobahn, a road with no speed limits, captured my imagination from elementary school. Of course, in my dreams I was driving a Red or Yellow Porsche or Ferrari - not a Blue 1.4Liter Opel.

I saw a show on the History Channel about the Autobahn. One interesting fact is that though there are no speed limits in most places, it is actually safer than American roads. Contrary to conventional wisdom, .72 fatalities per 100 million vehicles are reported on the Autobahn vs. .84 fatalities per 100 million vehicles on US roads. Some suggested reasons for this:
- ~$2000 for a license
- German Cars are designed for high-speed driving with tighter handling (BMW) and exceptional saftey (Mercedes)
- Drivers in Germany tend to focus on driving when driving: For a long time German cars did not even include cup holders

One interesting point was that the Autobahn was commissioned by Hitler in the 1930s and He presided over its opening, Later, when the Autobahn was mostly empty because of the price of cars, Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to build the Volkswagen.
A few of the innovations first seen in the Autobahn were:
- High Speed on-ramps
- 4 lane divided highways for speed and saftey
- Overpasses to avoid intersections
- 27" concrete for durability
- Level roads: Maximum of 7' vertical change for every 100' of road
- Long curves for highspeed turning

The Autobahn became the model for American and other modern roads built after WWII, but it is still the best and safest public road to legally drive over 100mph.

I'm Famous (Actually Infamous)

2006-01-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

Heidi and I had a great breakfast with good friends of ours who all had the day off. Dinner is the most common meal to share, but I find that the breakfast table with friends is a great way to start the day.

Today, I was also reminded again that for better or worse, I've become famous (or infamous) for my research and conclusions on polygamy. I can live with that reputation, but I hope even more to be known as someone who searches for truth no matter where it leads.

What is it Like?

2006-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Sitting at a family gathering, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. Young or old, male or female - many people use the word 'like' as some kind of weird simile. A normal simile such as "That car whines like a sick dog" is a figure or speech usually used to compare a familiar thing with something less familiar. But here are some examples of the alternative usage and some questions I would have:

Its like around the corner from...How is it like around a corner?
There was like a big sign...Was it a big sign or like a big sign?
I was like "I can't believe that..." Did you say that statement or resemble it in some way?

Of course 'like' used in this way is bad grammar, but I know have caught myself using it many times. It sounds strange when I listen to myself.

As I said, this is not generational or gender specific. Maybe it is uniquely Californian. I've either lived in or visited most regions of the US and heard some of the distinctive accents and words from each. If I picked up a little Southern Drawl in Alabama why not like some Californian lingo too?

Is the Prius worth the hype?

2005-12-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal ran letters to the editor on the topic of hybrid cars. The feeling was that hybrids and the Prius in particular are:
- Not necessarily a good environmental desicion: their highway mileage is about the same, toxic material from battery can harm the environment
- Not usually a good financial decision: Purchase price often well over MSRP, Battery replacement costs very high,

In addition, I had suspected that gas savings do not compensate for high purchase price, so decided to run some numbers.

Assuming 16,000 Miles/Year and $3.00/Gallon, I compared a Toyota Corolla with the Toyota Prius. The HTML from my analysis doesn't seem to post here correctly, but I found it will take more than 10 years before the gas savings will recover the ~$6,700 extra paid for the Prius.
Even if the Prius was fully electric (Infinite MPG/$0 annual gas), 3 years would not be enough to recoup the cost.

The environmental benefit is questionable at best and the financial cost is significantly more. The hype is just that.

Check it out

2005-12-29T00:20:00.000-08:00

The customer I'm working with suggested an explanation to a mysterious problem they were experiencing. The theory was highly unlikely so I brushed it off as impossible.

Later, I got a call at dinner with the news - He tested his hypothesis and it was correct. I was a little bit beside myself, but I now know that highly unlikely but potentially possible ideas should be checked out.

Using the Word

2005-12-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

In the midst of crafting a Gospel presentation on December 17th, I was debating how much to quote from the Bible. The problem is that by appealing to the Bible, I am open to the claim that the Bible is not true. On the other hand, the Bible expresses certain facts about the world and human condition which are true.
In the end, I arrived at the following:
1) Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom 10)
2) The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God. (1 Cor)
3) By simple observation, I do not know who is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit
4) Therefore, if I share directly from God's Word, it is possible that some may come to Faith through the work of the Holy Spirit.

From John Frame's Essay:
"Indeed, there is a sense in which all of the unbeliever's thinking is Christian. Christian presuppositions are the only way to think. The alternative is not thought but meaninglessness." Put in a trite way - "All truth is God's truth."

We cannot argue for the truth of Christianity using principles from relativism, pluralism, naturalism, or any other false worldview. But that is not because we simply assume Christianity, but because those views are demonstratably false!

If by 'Christian Presuppositions' we mean 'True Presuppositions' then there is no argument. Obviously, we should never knowingly argue using false presuppositions.

However, not all truth is distinctly Christian. Truths of logic, history, and empirical science can be observed and discussed correctly by Christians and non-christians alike. Sometimes there is disagreement on these truths, but they can all be argued apart from understanding that Jesus is God. At most, discussion at this level may lead to theism, but belief in God is a far cry from Christianity.

Then there are other truths, spiritual truths, that are distinctly Christian. These distinctives must be explained and defended in any arguement, though we can still claim and not deny them in an argument.

Five Monkeys

2005-12-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

This is a story I received at an Oracle Education Class recently, but I'm not sure what it has to do with database software...

"Start with a very large cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries
to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.

After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, and then the fifth.

Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here."

I have no idea if this experiment actually works this way, but it illustrates an idea I've been thinking about.
Often times, I am puzzled by the passionate reaction I receive when I question tradition. This year in particular I wondered why we give Christmas Gifts to each other. I heard various attempts to connect it with the birth of Jesus or the Gifts of the Magi. However, those answers don't hold water, and the real reason most people give gifts is "because that's what we do around here."

Ignorance is bliss - Most people don't question tradition and are perfectly happy without an explanation. For better or worse, it is clear that cultural pressure to conform is very strong.

"All In" (Moderation)

2005-12-25T18:45:00.000-08:00

I know this is Christmas, but this post has nothing to do with the Birth of Jesus. Perhaps later when I have something useful to say about that...

If you don't have cable you may not know this, but Poker has become incredibly popluar. In Particlar No Limit Texas Hold 'em is the game of choice. I grew up playing 5 card draw, but Hold 'em offers more opportunities for strategy because only 2 cards are private and 3-5 cards may be visible to all players.

In Christian circles, there is division on the morality of Gambling. I've been thinking about this and here are my thoughts.
First, it helps to understand what we mean by the term 'gambling,' so I looked up the definition. To sum up, there are basically 2 definitions:
1. To bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a contest. To put up as a stake in gambling; wager.
2. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit. An act or undertaking of uncertain outcome; a risk

I believe most who object to gambling have the first definition in mind. It may conjure thoughts of Casino Games, Slot machines, and Sports Betting.
I am assuming that those opposed to betting or wagering are not opposed to gambling in the sense of simply taking risk. We all take calculated risks every day, so I am not going to address that here.

I look at betting/wagering as a form of entertainment, and when done in moderation/self-control, is no different from any other type of entertainment. Here are some common forms of entertainment:
- Eating expensive meals
- Going to see movies
- TV/DVD/iPod/Video Games
- Hobbies/sports like golf/skiing/etc.

All of these activities are not inherently bad, but the key is moderation:
- Eating food in excess is gluttony, In moderation it is required
- Watching TV in excess is probably slotful, In moderation it can be useful
- Video games in excess can distort priorities, In moderation it can teach problem solving skills and spatial visualization
- Drinking Alcohol in excess leads to drunkenness, In moderation it has some health benefits

Likewise, Betting/Wagering in excess is unwise, In moderation can be entertaining and provide income.

Risk decreases according to the information available and the control you have on the situation. In the public lotteries, for example, participants have no control on the odds or the game. No-Limit Hold 'em Poker certainly leaves a lot to chance, but I do see many aspects of the game which are controllable:
- The Betting Decision (Call, Fold, Raise Amount)
- Tells (If you are at the table)
- Players see their own cards and the community cards on the Table so they can appoximately calculate your odds of winning
- Players can track the betting patterns of other players and attempt to acertain their opponent's cards

Wagering and Betting is not a monolithic category. The games vary greatly - What is risky for one person may actually be a wise decision for another. But all in moderation.

Movie Views

2005-12-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

Saw the The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe with Heidi this afternoon. No complaints, but its been a while since I've read the book.

I don't often read stories that are made into movies, so this was a new experience. To use a computer analogy, it is like looking from a hires picture to lowres version of the same picture. Many of the details are abreviated and surprise is usually lost. So, it now seems better to see a movie first and then read its corresponding book. Moving from lowres to highres should be a better experience since it is an expansion of information as opposed to a compression.

A tiny 'bug' I noticed...Peter stuck his sword in the ice block and after they landed I could see them talking with the sword bobbing in the water behind them - Why didn't it wash away in the rushing river? Then, they start walking away and I'm thinking - "Hey, pick up your sword!" But in the next scene, he is seen putting the sword in its sheath. I guess he heard me...
But the guy in jeans and a sweatshirt seen in Gladiator is still the coolest Movie 'bug' I've seen.

It wasn't all bad...

2005-12-22T23:36:00.000-08:00

I guess I was a bit hard on NY. Here are the best things about the trip:
- Upgrade to Premium Service Busines Class on United both ways (its almost the same as International business class: Menu for meals, Hot Towels, Reclining seats with footrest, Personal DVD Player)
- Spending time with my wife and sister-in-law
- The customer was very cordial and our meeting was smooth and productive
- We did meet some friendly people who gave directions, provided good service at restaurants, etc.

Well, I guess none of this is redeeming of NY City itself, but that's the way I see it.

Big Rotten Apple

2005-12-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

I don't love NY. To me it is:
- An ugly Concrete Jungle
- Too Crowded
- Freezing
- Flat and boring (all the streets look about the same after a awhile)
- NYC Subways strike and the taxis take you to the cleaners ($40 to go 10 blocks.)

Its dangerous, but I'll make a vow here: I'm never coming back to NY for pleasure, and if I have to come on business, I'm not staying a min longer than necessary.
I don't love NY, in fact, I hate NY.

One thing I learned is that leading a group of people on vacation (or anywhere) is hard. Some of the difficulties are:
- Coordinating individual and conflicting preferences
- Being conscious of the group mood

Next time I'm in a group (and not the leader), I'll make sure to give the leader lots of encouragement and gratitude.

Talking to People

2005-12-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

On the way to work, I was listening to a radio broadcast about Dr. James Dobson. It was a tribute to his ministry, and one comment his wife made stood out to me. She said that they were at a restaurant having quiet dinner and a supporter of the ministry came over, sat down at the table, and talked with them for 30-40 mins. Certainly, this would be annoying, but Dr. Dobson took time to talk with the person and made them feel very special. One on one, he gives people full attention, not looking over their shoulder for someone more important, and makes them feel like the most important person in the room.
No matter how important we think we are, each person deserves respect and full attention.

History and a Second Chance

2005-12-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

"Doc" Pemberton was a Pharmacist during a time when no regulations allowed people to create any concoction and advertise unproven results. He created something called French Wine Coca which was a combination of Wine (Alcohol) and Cocaine. However, Atlanta voted to become 'dry' which meant he could not sell his product because of the alcohol. He then decided to go into the soda fountain business with a modified new product. He removed the alcohol, added sugar, cocaine and from an African plant called 'Kola' he extracted caffine. A little while later the concoction was given its modern name - Coca Cola.

One day after our thoughts were provoked by a homeless man, Heidi had the opportunity to meet a guy outside of Blockbuster in Castro Valley. She offered him some money and also invited him to the family night dinner at Redwood Chapel. We waited and searched for him from 5:30 to 6:00 pm, but we unfortunately did not see him.
In the end, I think we did things better than we would have the day before. Hopefully we will soon have other opportunities to show Christ's compassion to others.

Kirkwood and Compassion

2005-12-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Went to Kirkwood today. Of all the local resorts, it was the one that is only fully open because there has been so little snow.
Kirkwood is OK - Not great, just ok:
- Snow not bad, but the runs are mostly of straight and somewhat boring
- Some steep double black diamonds, but I'm not crazy

For the price ($62), I was expecting more. So far Squaw seems to be the best in California that I've seen - the number and length of their runs makes it a great workout and adventure.

On the way back home, we (Heidi and I) saw a homeless man asking for money near the parking lot exit. We didn't have any cash on us and proceeded to drive away. However, as we left, my conscience began convicting me. Thoughts of the good samaritan flashed in my mind. What if I was in his position? What else could I have done? How should we approach to Homeless or those in physical need? Here's what I decided:
1. I should say "yes" as my first response
2. If "yes" is not possible, find a reasonable alternative
3. My motive is compassion - not any ulteriour motive

The BAM

2005-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraff was live and in person at Neighborhood Church. Nate and Amy accompanied Heidi and I to hear him speak. Some of my thoughts:
1. In person he is very animated. Obviously this doesn't come across on the radio.
2. He has an incredible memory of scripture - Quoted entire Rev 1, 22, much of Matt 6, 1 Thes 4.
3. He's very Gracious, patient and forgiving with an audience. Does not embarass or demean anyone.

As I interact with people and have teaching roles, I think I can learn a lot from him on these three points.

Fine Food and United Airlines Global Services

2005-12-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today I Sao Paulo, had lunch at Dom Curro Spanish resturant with Jaime. Among other things, the shrimp/garlic/olive oil dish was excellent. So good, we ordered a second one.
I'm not sure of the final tally, but it was not cheap. Having been travelling regularly on business, I've had the chance to eat at some extremely fancy places. $60 Dinners are not unheard of.
Conventional Wisdom says that the more you spend on food, the better it is. Certainly, the food is usually excellent. But having tasted it all, I see a diminishing return after $25. And sometimes, a $5 sandwich can satisfy more than a $50 steak.
Donald Trump once said that he can get any desert the world has to offer, but an Oreo Cookie is right at the top of his list of favorites.
I always knew that cheap isn't always inferior, but with experience, it is now confirmed for me.

I travel a lot on United Airlines, and have almost reached their 1K status level (after only 6 months). On United's announcments and checkin lines, I have often seen or heard the term 'Global Services', but I could not figure out what this meant.

On the way back from Brazil, I sat next to a guy who works for McDonalds (not a burger flipper) who told me he has Global Services status. It is an unpublished/unadvertised status that is available by special invite only. He flew ~150k miles per year for several years when he received the Global Services invitation. Some of the benefits are more systemwide upgrades and higher priority over 1Ks on waitlists.
Nothing life changing, but its nice to learn something new.

Thoughts

2005-12-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, occasionally, profound or interesting thoughts come to me. Or I have an experience that is worth remembering.
However, I have a bad memory. So, since it is difficult to think of the same thought twice, I thought that I should start writing down my thoughts. This is the first one.