We Have a Voice!
I’ll be honest, I’m pretty stinkin’ giddy right now. The state of the political process in this country has left me disillusioned in recent years. The phrase “by the people, for the people,” seems all but forgotten (nope, forgotten, too) these days as our representatives pander to their personal interests, neglecting their campaign promises and the memory of who gave them the privilege/ability to be there in the first place.
But, the events of this week have given me hope. We all know about the online anti-SOPA/PIPA protests on Wednesday. These little acronyms popped up everywhere. Sopastrike.com gives some great stats on their “numbers” page:
115,000+ websites participated in the strike.
10,000,000+ people signed the anit-SOPA petition.
The hashtag #SOPA was posted 2,200,000 times.
These are some pretty overwhelming numbers! But, the question is, did this demonstration work? Well, my friends, it looks like they have!
First, on January 14th, the Obama administration, in response to receiving two lengthy petitions, voiced its reservations with the bill in its current form. Yes, this took place before the blackouts on Wednesday, but it demonstrates the momentum that has been building for quite some time.
Next, according to an article posted today in the New York Times, Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), is considering meeting with leaders from Silicon Valley to arrange a compromise and figure out a way to move forward. Then, this morning
And finally, the bill seems to have been put to rest. Michael Cieply and Edward Wyatt of the New York Times write, “On Friday, Senator Harry Reid indefinitely postponed a cloture vote scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate, which appears to promise the death of the legislation in its current form.”*
The people spoke. Congress listened. I am incredibly encouraged! While my faith in our politicians is still on the low side, the fact that so many people banded together, voiced their opinion, and forced our government to respond is a fantastic example of why this country is great.
We’ve proven our influence is powerful and can bring about change. This begs the question: What else can we do? Why stop with SOPA? What about causes that actually affect human safety and freedom? Why can’t we gather even more, not against anti-piracy legislation, but anti-human trafficking? How about anti-hunger or anti-slavery? We’re a strong nation. We have been empowered by our leaders to voice our opinions, to draw lines in the sand behind that which we will not tolerate. Let’s rise up and let our voices be heard!
* “Dodd Calls for Hollywood and Silicon Valley to Meet,” Michael Cieply and Matthew Wyatt. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/technology/dodd-calls-for-hollywood-and-silicon-valley-to-meet.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&sq=dodd%20arab%20spring&st=cse&scp=1
* Photo credit: user enwiie – http://www.flickr.com/people/enwiie/
SOPA/PIPA
Okay, so, you’re probably wondering what the big stink about soap was yesterday. Or perhaps you’re wondering what Spanish soup has to do with the internet. Clay Shirky of TED delivers a pretty fantastic explanation in the video below. The issue here isn’t the bill itself; the issue is the vagueness of how it is to be enforced, the snowball of restriction that will follow in its wake, and, ultimately, the end of sharing ideas globally with any sort of freedom or ease.
Watch the video.
E-mail your congressional representative.
Now watch this. It’s for fun.
Mac Intros Another Game Changer
Folks have been talking about the educational potential of the iPad since its inception. (here’s an example from our friends at mashable.com) Well, today Apple announced their new textbook experience, iBooks 2. Here students will be able to find textbooks on myriad of subjects. The distinction is the unique, visual, animated, and interactive nature of the new textbooks, creating a learning experience that is leaps and bounds ahead of anything we’ve yet experienced. In addition, they created a new piece of software, called iBooks Author, and are offering it for free. This allows publishing companies, and even teachers themselves, to create learning opportunities to specific subjects and lesson plans.
Never thought I’d say this, but, oh to be in high school again.
My Fat Equals Lame – January 16th, 2012
I lost another pound this week, which is fantastic. I’m moving in the right direction! I’m still really struggling with my food intake. I just don’t have any self-control. So, if anyone out there has any pointers, please share them!
I got to the gym 3 times, which is great. I completed the first week of my Couch 2 5k (C25k) program, which mean I jogged for a total of 15 minutes across the 3 interval training sessions. Pretty good for a big guy. This evening I’ll be starting week 2 of the program, which ups the jogging intervals from 60 to 90 seconds, with 90 second walking intervals between them. I also starting some strength training, though not any particular program. I’m hoping to bring a little more structure to that in the coming weeks. But, my focus is on cardio right now, with a few lifting exercises before each training run.
So, I’m at 285. Here’s the weekly pic. Be nice.
Why I’m a Minnesotan
It’s not just the driver’s license. Often people ask me why I stay in Minnesota. This is the main reason:
You see, I believe that commitment to one’s church is highly important. Bryan, a close friend of mine, once gave a sermon on the importance of having a church community, and devoting one’s time and energy to it. People consider many things when pondering a move to a new geographical location: jobs, neighborhoods, schools, even proximity to favorite restaurants and hangout spots. Yet, oftentimes, our church never enters into the equation. Further, I can’t think of a single person in my life who has seriously considered staying put because they are part of a thriving church body to which they are devoted.
My church is doing some amazing things. And I think there are some great improvements that can be made, and I hope to be part of those changes. Christ’s bride is beautiful, and I’m so thankful to be part of the wonderful community of Eagle Brook Church.
Are you thinking of leaving your church? How can you transition the energy used researching new churches into an investment in your current community? How can you be the catalyst for growth in your church?
Tripp and Tyler
In case you haven’t discovered these guys yet, here you go. You’re welcome.
Ease
On Monday night I had the pleasure of meeting a man named Daniel. Daniel is an Eritrean, and fled here during the war between his people and the Ethiopians about ten years ago. He shared a lot about that experience, and the current political state of affairs in his home country. He even has the opportunity to go back for the first time this summer!
While describing some of his experiences, he said something that had a profound effect on me:
“Here, it is easy to become a doctor. It is easy to become a teacher. You have everything need to do it; school; teachers; universities. It is easy.”
How often do I complain about the difficulty of achieving growth? How often am I overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to do? How often do I forget that I live in the easiest country in which to live?
I’m lazy. I don’t want to work hard. But I want to achieve greatness. And I’m not alone. We’re all pretty apathetic around this country. I think we should take a few cues from my new Eritrean friend, along with countless others who have come to our nation seeking freedom and success, and come to terms with how easy we have it.
And let’s get out there and make a difference.
Let’s try to make our lives a little harder.
And I’m not talking about writing an extra check.
Let’s volunteer.
Let’s give of ourselves.
Let’s acknowledge the presence of our fellow human beings by affirming their existence, and doing our best to improve it.
That’s what Jesus did.
What am I doing?
My Fat Equals Lame – January 9th, 2012
Well, I had some pretty great successes this week. I did cardio 4 times, for a total of 125 minutes, which was my goal. I also started keeping track of everything I eat and drink, even the Diet Dr. Pepper, my new addiction. Now, I exceeded my target caloric intake (2,000 calories/day) 4 times, which is no good. Three of the days I exceeded it by a ridiculous amount (thank you, Pizza Hut, Baja Sol, and my complete lack of control). This all led to a loss of 1 pound. I was hoping for a couple more, but, given some struggles, I’m please with any loss.
So, this week my goal is to exceed the goal only once, but to plan it in. I think it will be important for me to allow myself one meal each week in which I don’t have to be overwhelmingly concerned with calories. Note I don’t say “completely unconcerned.” I will need to adjust the day’s intake accordingly, limiting the other two meals and snacks throughout the day, to minimize the impact of the “free” meal.
So, this week, that meal will be dinner on Friday night. I’m heading over to have dinner and watch movies at the house of some good friends. What movies, you ask? The three original Star Wars movies. On a brand new 55″ LED 3D TV. I’m salivating just typing it. And who wants to experience something like that without nachos or perhaps a slice of pizza? Luckily, one of the friends is also on a weight-loss journey (and has lost 65 pounds so far!), so we won’t be going crazy.
What are you doing this week to increase your health and wellness?
A New Start for 2012
Well, unfortunately, 2012 is starting off much like 2011 did. Last year I weighed in at 297. This morning I weighed-in at 287.2. I’m 10 pounds lighter, but that’s not where I was hoping to be, nor is it the lightest I’ve been over the last year. I returned from Sierra Leone at 266. Obviously, I was in Africa and was eating pretty little, so I couldn’t expect it to all stay off. But, I was unwise, indulged in a few too many culinary luxuries, and ended up blowing back up.
But, I learned a pretty valuable lesson: Life-change isn’t situational. I can’t expect to ride a season of forced reduced-food-intake. I can’t even expect to ride a season of increased motivation. That’s a great way to start (and probably one of the only real ways to start, unless your doctor chains you to a treadmill), but there must be more. I must develop a habit of healthy living. I mean, I don’t have to think about whether or not I’m going to eat during the day, right? It’s a habit. So, I need to create new habits surrounding what and when I eat.
Okay, so, I’m going to write updates every Monday, after I weigh-in, and also post a picture. I’m pretty darn embarrassed by my appearance right now, but I want to try to get over it. Getting all of this out in the open is big for me.
So, here goes nothing.
Squandering His Inheritance – Reflections on the Prodigal Son, Part I
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
Luke 15:11-13
The phrase “already, but not yet” has become a pretty popular way to describe the nature of the Kingdom of God. We have a great hope for the future righting of all things, yet a wonderful present establishment of the Kingdom here on Earth, right now. This hope is part of our inheritance, something God gives us now, yet also withholds until the inauguration of his ultimate reign. As an adopted son of God, this hope is my inheritance.
Sometimes I think about this story, and a wave of pride flows over me. “I would never do something like this to my Father, dishonoring him in such a cruel way.” Yet, just like the prodigal, I squander my inheritance. I continue to sin. I continue making stupid decisions, living a life of idolatry. I continue acting in a way that boasts “God, I wish you were dead so I could have my inheritance and spend it the way I want to, now.”
How do you squander your inheritance of the hope of the coming Kingdom?
