Gadget Ettiquette Tips

I found this interesting post at The Gadgets Page. (H/T, CNET)What is the proper ettiquette for taking a cell phone call? Or for using your cell phone camera? Here are six suggestions, but read the full article for discussion.

1. Only have cell phone conversations in private.


2. When you’re with someone, don’t check your phone for voice mail, IM messages or email.


3. Even if the meeting is making your brain explode from boredom, don’t resort to your gadget.


4. Gaming in public needs to be quiet.


5. Wireless gaming with strangers is acceptable.


6. Always ask to take a picture.

I am not sure I understand numbers four and five. I get number six, though my cell phone is the last one in America that has no camera. But numbers one through three resonate with me. How about you?

Humphrey GoBart Makes Wikipedia

It's nice to know that some part of my past is recorded in the annals of Wikipedia for posterity, here. I cannot find any pictures of the old HGB on Google, but this one is close. Except, this red one has no air conditioning unit on top, and it is red rather than the cream color the HGB's were.

This one is pretty good, too, except it also does not have the A/C unit mounted on the roof in the rear.

One story about those days: one of our young, hot-shot drivers named Mike, once drove one of the Go-Barts into a parking garage that did nto have enough clearance, and he was going so fast he tore the A/C unit off the roof of the bus.

Here's a drawing of an outline of the bus, complete with rear A/C unit.

Those were good days! They make Captain GoBart misty-eyed with the fond memories.

Katrina Victim Followup

Several weeks ago, I posted a blog entry on Keisha Moran, the single mother from Mississippi who was settled in Illinois by a church, who then asked her to leave after a year. At the time, she was both "grateful and bitter."

As a followup, and here, it appears that Moran and her three children (still no news of the sperm-donor) have been settled in Naperville, IL, by a non-profit group called, "Our Children's Homestead." The non-profit provided Moran with subsidized rent on a house, and a job.

CEO Bob Geniesse said his organization helps families, abused or neglected children find a "stable place to call home."

Homestead offered rent on a three-bedroom in Crest Hill at half price, helped her get a job and helped enroll her 4-year-old in school.

All seven homes on this cul-de-sac house people who can use some help from Homestead. Moran said her neighbors are more than happy to help each other out as well.

Well, good for them. And I wish Moran well. She will do well, too, if she simply takes some responsibility for her live, and for her children's lives.

Vacation

This year, we spent 8 wonderful days at Lake Arrowhead. A pastor friend of mine owns a house at Lake Arrowhead, in Bluejay. She graciously allowed us to stay there for our vacation. Inherited from her parents, the house is named, "God's Gift." And it certainly is.

The house has one bedroom upstairs, three bedrooms and a playroom with bunkbeds. Cathedral ceilings. Nice kitchen. Huge master bathroom. Walk-in closets. Comfy!

We didn't do much, really. We slept a lot. We ate a lot. We read a lot. Beth and Rachel went out a few times shopping in Lake Arrowhead Village. They took a tour on an imitation steam boat around Lake Arrowhead.

I read three books by Michael Connelly, a crime noir writer from Los Angeles, who has been compared to a modern Raymond Chandler. I then read three books by Robert Ludlum, since there were many of those books around the house. I also began reading "The Jesus Creed" by Scot McKnight. Thought provoking and inspiring.

Beth and Rachel worked on several jigsaw puzzles. The hardest one was difficult, due to the fact that it was missing 37 pieces! But they finally finished it! When not working on the puzzles, the kids cooked S'Mores each evening.

And we just simply relaxed. It is going to be a hectic Fall, we know that. Mark and Rachel will be in High School. Beth is changing jobs, having accepted an offer from the City of Los Angeles the day we left for vacation. Her start day will be 9/11/06. It will be a job with higher pay, more responsibility, more staff to supervise, and a much shorter commute.

We returned well-fed and rested. "God's Gift" certainly was for us.

The Boy Gets His Driver's License

Just before we left for vacation, my son, Mark, took his driver's license test, and passed. But it was not without drama, nor humor.

We got to the Pasadena DMV at 7:45 a.m. for an eight o'clock appointment. Without reading any of the paperwork, we pulled into line with all the other cars. Mistake number one, always read the paperwork. All of it.

But 8:30, we were the head car. The DMV examiner came out, and told us to park, and then go check in at window 26. OK. Approaching window 26, I saw a sign that read "If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be cancelled." Well, we were actually at the DMV 15 minutes early, but were now 30 minutes late. The woman at window 26 was preoccupied with a dysfunctional printer, and it was 8:40 before she paid attention to us. She looked at our paperwork, and said, "You're late, make an appointment for another day." The next available appointment was three weeks away. I replied that I wanted to keep THIS appointment, but to no avail. Her last retort was a suggestion to see her supervisor at Window 2.

Frustrated by my own failure to read simple directions, and at bureaucratic rules, I led Mark out to the car. We drove to the Staples around the corner, where I looked for some software I had wanted, which was on sale. They didn't have it in stock. Figures.

So I asked the heretofore silent Mark, "Let's give Window 2 a try, shall we?" He shrugged, as only teenagers can do before the obligatory noon wakeup time.

So we drove around the block, parked the car, and meandered our way to Window 2. We were in line with a woman who was clearly freaking out. She had been randomly selected to take a behind the wheel test to renew her license. She was not prepared for it. So we tried to encourage her, build up her confidence. "You'll be fine", we said, over and over again. Finally, we were helped by a very helpful woman, who took pity on our situation. I was ready to give it an honest shot, but not to weave some horrendous story of woe that would get her sympathy. All I said was, "We were here at 7:45 for an 8:00 appointment. I did not read the directions, and we never checked into Window 26. By the time we got there, it was too late to keep the appointment. Is there any way my son can take his driver's license test today?" (Big cheesy grin) "PLEEEAAAAAAASE?"

She allowed it, more due to her own graciousness than my powers of manipulation or persuasion.

So, we got back in the car, got back in the car line, and waited. By 10:15, we were first in line again. The DMV examiner came out, and away he went with Mark.

Later, Mark told me that the examiner made him take a left, then another left, and then another left in the parking lot. They were heading back to the parking places where the test ended, and one was told the news about passing or failing. Mark told me that in his head, he was thinking, "Man, I flunked already?!?" I told him he should have told the examiner this aloud. I am pretty sure the examiner doesn't hear much humor during his day. In fact, while Mark was out driving around, I saw two teenage girls return with massive tears on their faces, having obviously failed their test. Anyway, Mark and the examiner went past those parking spaces, and out onto Rosemead Blvd.

Mark came back at 10:30, grinning. He had passed the test. Good job, son! So now, while the 1963 Falcon sits in Uncle Dave's garage in Danville, Mark drives around South Pasadena in cousin Renee's 1998 Red Mustang. Of course, whoever gets up first in the morning is always tempted to take the Mustang!

Packing Up the Tools

I have recently returned from a trip to Minnesota with my brother. The purpose of the trip was two-fold, first to pack up my dad's tools and bring them to California, and second, to say our final farewells to our dad, who passed away last September.

Dave flew from San Francisco, and I flew from Los Angeles, and we met at the Mineapolis airport at 6:30 a.m. after our red-eye flights. After picking up our rental car, we ate our traditional breakfast at Perkins, shopped at Lunds (and bought some aged-prime rib-eye steaks at $24.99/lb! Thank you, Susan!), and drove to South Haven.

We spent some time chatting with Susan, and then went to packing up the tool room. So many tools! And all in perfect shape. My dad really knew how to care for his tools. And organized! Walls of jars of screws, assorted by size, and all appropriately labeled! On Tuesday night, we ate the steaks which were wonderful, and then went into Annandale for Dairy Queen dipped cones.

On Wednesday, we spent more time packing, and tried to work on getting a truck. We initially reserved a 16 foot truck, but only needed a 10 foot truck. We eventually found one, and drove into Minneapolis to pick it up. Before we dropped the rental car at the airport, we went to eat at Vescio's. I blogged on our failed attempt last October to eat at Vescio's, this sime we were successful. It was smaller and less crowded than I remembered, and the food was passable, but not as good as I remembered.

We drove over to Saint Anthony where we grew up. Our old house is still there. The trim used to be blue, it is not brown. 35 years ago, the trees in Saint Anthony were all saplings. Now they have matured, and the streets are a thickly tree-lined canopy. The Apache Plaza mall is torn down, and a Main Street Mall is in it's place. The old Dairy Queen is still there, but the Red Owl is gone, as is the bank, Kresge's, and Sandy's Hamburgers. Dave noticed the new fire station. Our old elementary school, Parkview Elementary, is gone. After the trip down memory lane, we returned the rental car, and ate at the Hamel Dairy Queen on the way back.

After packing the truck on Thursday, we took Susan to dinner at McBride's by the Bay, a favorite haunt for a burger and a beer. Dinner was followed by, what else, a trip to Dairy Queen for dipped cones.

On Friday, we woke early, said our goodbyes, and drove west on I-94 through Moorhead, Fargo, Jamestown, Dickinson, and into Montana, stopping every two hours to change drivers. We finally arrived in Billings, some 800+ miles away in the early evening.

Saturday was shorter in miles, but not by much by time. We drove from Billings south through Wyoming, west to Idaho, south to Nevada, and east to Elko, where we stopped, exhausted, for the night. We were amazed and awed by the Snake River Gorge bridge at Twin Falls, Idaho. A magnificent canyon carved into the basalt by the relentless river, and a bridge spanning the gorge is a marvel. Of course, Dave was fascinated by the fact that Evel Knievel had once tried to jump this gorge on September 8, 1974. The ramp he used is still visible from the bridge.

From Elko, we drove east to Reno and then California. Unfortunately, we encountered heavy traffic from Reno all the way to Sacramento. We timed our arrival in Reno perfectly, as it was the end of their Hot August Nights weekend, with over 700,000 visiting Reno for the event.

We arrived safely in Danville in the late afternoon. On Monday, I drove niece Lauren's 1998 Mustang back to South Pasadena. Only after Dave worked on it, and made sure it was road worthy! 2400 miles driven in four days.

Lots to reflect on, for some later blog posts, perhaps.

The Prodigal Son

Recently, I had the privilege of preaching at Arcadia Presbyterian Church, where we have been attending. On July 23rd, I preached on the Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son- Part 1, focusing on the younger son. On July 30th, I preached on the Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son- Part 2, focusing on the older son. You can listen to them here. While there are in the current queue, they should appear as "072306s_Returning Home" and "073006s_Come Celebrate". If they are not in the current queue, just click on the "+" sign by 2006, and then click on "July". I received many warm comments from an appreciative congregation. But man, those were two hot days!

One of the inspirations behind the sermons was the work of Dr. Kenneth Bailey. Bailey's book, Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15, really opened my eyes to the depth and richness of this amazing parable. Bailey has now written three books on this subject. The most recent is "The Cross & the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants". He has also written "Jacob & the Prodigal: How Jesus Retold Israel's Story". In each of these, Bailey explores how the original audience would have heard this parable.

One of his great insights is that the older brother thinks that the party is being held in honor of his rascally younger brother. Bailey points out that when the shepherd throws a party after recovering the lost sheep, the guest of honor at the party is not the sheep, but the shepherd. Bailey also points out that when the woman throws a party after recovering the lost coin, the guest of honor at the party is not the coin, but the woman. Likewise, when the father throws a party after recovering the lost son, the guest of honor at the party is not the son, but the father! It is the father's joy in recovering his lost son that he invites the community to share in.

Another book that has been foundational for my understanding of this parable is the little book by German theologian and pastor, Helmut Thielicke, called "The Waiting Father." It is now out of print, but can be found in limited quantities here. Thielicke was the first person I had read who saw this parable in two parts, the younger son and the older son, and so Thielicke preached two sermons on it. The rest of the book is also quite good, and contains sermons on the parables of Jesus. Some of the German references are a bit obscure, and some of the language is dated, but Thielicke has powerful insights into Jesus' parables and how they address the human condition.

Finally, you may get a chuckle out of the church sign. I was not all that pleased by seeing my name prominently displayed with such a glaring typo. But what can you do?

Grateful and Bitter?

Almost a year ago, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. Thousands were left homeless, having lost everything. One such person was Keisha Moran, who was pregnant, unmarried, 23 years old, with a 4 year old and an 8 month old, living with her boyfriend, father of her third child. Another link here. (H/T Presbyweb, thanks Hans!)

After losing everything, she appeared on Oprah. A church in Illinois reached out to help. The church restored its manse, and allowed her to live there. Details get a bit hazy after that. The church did or did not try to formalize an agreement with Moran after the initial December 31st deadline. Then the church did or did not try to work out a more formal agreement in the last 7 months. The church did or did not allow her to stay rent-free. The church did or did not pay her utilities. The church did or did not have some requirements for her to stay rent-free, like go to school.

But this much is clear. Moran had her third child in the last five years in April. Her boyfriend left soon after moving to Illinois. And Moran feels bitter about the whole experience.

When I read it, I could not believe this quote:

"I still have no words to thank them enough for what they did for me when I came here," Moran said. "But I am very bitter."

Maybe it's just me, but the words "thank" and "bitter" do not belong in the same sentence. It seems to me that "thanks" is used most often as an expression of appreciation for some extraordinary gesture. Gratitude expects nothing of the giver, and yet remains thankful for the gift. Moran has been given a great gift, at great cost to this 100+ member congregation in Illinois. And yet, she is "bitter?"

What did she expect? That the church would adopt her and pay for her the rest of her life? She is only 23, certainly enough time to go to school and learn to be productive.

Perhaps she is bitter that she now needs to make some life decisions, and actually have some responsibility. As I read it, her life shouts out "irresponsible". Three kids in five years? Two different fathers, neither of whom is around nor paying any sort of support. She quit her job because the church would not provide daycare?

Sorry dear, move back to one of the FEMA trailers your other family members live in. And take your ingratitude with you.

At Faith United, we had more than our share of people we supported through crisis, who then either prolonged the crisis due to their own inaction, or took advantage of our good faith gestures by being irresponsible.

And we learned some lessons that this church in Illinois probably learned, or is learning. The most important is to have a written agreement of the conditions under which the church will provide whatever it provides, and an agreed upon list of expectations. With consequences.

It sounds as if the church volunteered to house Moran and her kids for a year, an extremely generous offer in my mind. I have no idea what was agreed to about utilities and food, etc. But knowing churches as I do, this church probably welcomed her with open arms, and was extravagently generous to her at the beginning.

And yet, the church was not just concerned about her current welfare, but her future as well. They most likely started putting some expectations into the equation, which I would assume were not met. So, the woman and children are being evicted in about three weeks.

She has a choice. She can continue to play the victim card and continue to live an irresponsible lifestyle, or she can become responsible, make good decisions benefitting herself and her children.

Still, I think the church did the right thing, but they did it not wisely. Extending the care and comfort of Christ to those in distress is part of the church's calling. My prayer is that Keisha Moran gets her life together for the sake of her children, and that the St. Paul United Church of Christ in Palatine, Illinois does not become bitter about this, but wiser in their compassion for the next person they help with this sort of situation.

In 'n' Out Co-Founder Dies

Esther Snyder, the co-founder of the revered SoCal institution known as In 'n' Out, has died.

I was introduced to In 'n' Out by Dave and Cathy Rodriguez. Staying with them in 1983 during a class at Fuller Seminary, they kept bragging about the best hamburger place on the planet. That may not be much to brag about, but in Pasadena, it is a big boast. Pasadena claims many fine burger places, including Burger Continental, Wolfe Burgers, Pie 'n Burger, Hamburger Hamlet, and Tops just to name a few.

They insisted I try the "Double-Double". I did, and have been hooked ever since. My mouth is watering, and it isn't even lunch time!

Several years ago, Beth and I were staying at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. As we walked to the Wharf from our hotel, every conversation we heard was about the new In 'n' Out on the Wharf. And sure enough, right across the street from the Wharf was an In 'n' Out. At Fisherman's Wharf! Is nothing sacred?

In spite of this blasphemy, In 'n' Out is a great burger place.