Fun with Mr. and Mrs. T

Kat and I have enjoyed a nice visit this weekend with her mom and dad. Jan and Craig came all the way out to California for some summer vacationing.



We had the pleasure of hosting them for a few nights at our little condo, which is rapidly accumulating way too much stuff for our trip to Uganda! They didn't seem to mind too much~ Such wonderful houseguests!

We did get to do some neat stuff, too! On Saturday we went to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San Diegon Natural History Museum.



If you could tell those Assene monks that their parchment was going to someday generate such a hub-bub... and at 28$ a head!... they would have thought you crazy! But it is neat to see such broad interest in these ancient religious documents and commentaries, especially in a community like San Diego that is not exactly known as a part of the Bible Belt.

It does seem a little bit weird to see one's faith on a wall as if it were a mounted butterfly at a science fair. As I read the timeline of religions, I got to 30 CE and read, "Jesus of Nazareth arrives and brings new interpretations to Hebrew scriptures." Talk about understatement!

But nonetheless, it was neat to see such an important work of scholarship. I was aghast to find out that the original scholars pieced together the fragments with... scotch tape! Ever try removing scotch tape if you mess something up? Yikes! Hopefully they didn't botch anything up too badly.

The rest of the weekend was a rush of hikes, shopping outtings, and very large margaritas.



We are so blessed with loving parents on both sides who have all come out to see us this summer...

My first crack-pot, strongly-worded product letter

It must be a rite of passage of sorts... I wrote my first crack-pot, strongly-worded product letter today. A whole exciting world of being a cantankerous old geezer is opening up in front of my very eyes!~ Enjoy...

July 22, 2007

Newman’s Own
246 Post Road East
Westport, CT 06880

Dear Sir or Madam:

A pleasant Sunday lunch. I had just downed the last bite of mixed greens salad, topped with my favorite Newman’s Own Light Honey Mustard dressing, when I noticed a story printed on the back-label, just above the list of ingredients.

“Oh, look,” I said to my wife, “How neat! The Great Salad Dressing Balloon Race.” Delighted by this discovery of a bit of wit on the normally staid confines of a condiment label, I began to read the story aloud to my wife.

We followed the starters gun through the zany race, and laughed with El Piloto as he “quaffed mucho quaffs” of Newman’s Own. The story danced with silliness until we arrived at the line, “A medium light Italian starlet, daughter of Butch Cassidini, named Bitch Cassidini, leaps into the balloon basket,…”

Our smiles and laughter faded away. “Heh, heh,” we tried to chuckle, “How weird?” But we both knew: Newman’s Own had crossed the line.

Newman’s Own, you introduced a derogatory, misogynistic, and thoroughly unnecessary term into our Sunday lunch. You betrayed our trust and the sanctity of our dinner table. And to what end? To complete a weakly amusing pun on Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy character? For shame!

We have little leverage over you. All we possess is our buying power, and with that we will be forced to buy an inferior product from Kraft or Wishbone until you recognize your wrongs and make amends.

At a minimum, you should put an apology on your website and change the label on all future production runs. But if you really cared about your customers, you would take the initiative to also do a full product recall of all the bottles that bear this offensive phrase.

It’s a shame to see a company that is so charitable in its operations do something so uncharitably offensive in its marketing. I hope you will take this opportunity to recover and do what is right.

Sincerely,

Brent Applegate

Responses from 21 High School Interns: Kat speaks AGAIN!

Responses from 21 High School Interns at The Scripps Research Institute to the question, “Do you think science and faith are contradictory? Why?”

***Please note that prior questions were, “In your own words, what is evolution?” and “Who was Charles Darwin?” This explains why most of the students’ answers center on evolution and creation, rather than on science and faith as a broader topic.***

1. I believe they can both coexist if written religions are not taken literally. But I do believe they are contradictory.
2. Yes to an extent. Faith in general believes in things that are unprovable or have been proven wrong by the scientific method.
3. To me no, I believe that in some way science and faith work together. (This person noted on another question that he or she “not so much learned but read about the controversy of evolution in Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.”)
4. Not contradictory both are ideas that people have stating their origins.
5. Yes, I feel that creationism is a product of the ancients that needs to be exterminated
6. Nah, they have different ideas but not contradictory. Except for the one where ‘poof’ god made humans.
7. Definitely, creationism contradicts with evolution because that means all animals, plants, etc. spontaneously existed.
8. Yes – science shows evolution where some religions just are based on faith alone and have no facts.
9. They can be depending on how serious you are in your faith.
10. No. I think they’re two different entities that may never be reconciled, but one can be Christian and a scientist. They are different levels of explanation.
11. For most people, yes, but personally no. I’m a devout catholic, but yet I continue to throw myself into the science world and I accept both worlds.
12. It depends on people’s perspectives but science and faith, I believe, are not contradictory.
13. No, because I’m catholic.
14. No, they’re the same but faith has fable.
15. It depends on the type of faith.
16. Somewhat because religion does not believe that humans evolved from monkeys.
17. Yes and no, depending on what is said.
18. Science and the Christian interpretation of faith are contradictory because the Bible is so detailed, but not necessarily faith as a whole.
19. Yes because both sides have different beliefs of how life evolved. However, it seems that religion is molding itself to science now.
20. In regards to Christianity it is b/c the book of Genesis says one thing while science says another.
21. Yes, because humans according to science weren’t created exactly as we are now nor came from Adam and Eve.

Brent's 2-cents: My favorite is the one who said "No, because I’m catholic." I love it!!!

Kat's Uganda Update

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! We need it all the more, as we leave in less than two weeks.

I am amazed to report that the gifts from our church alone to the group have totaled over $7,000 so far - almost $1,200 per person! In addition, Brent and I are coming along very well in our fund-raising and others on the team have received significant external support as well. God has provided more than we expected.

Not only are we receiving funds for travel, but as a church we quite possibly wiped out the entire Staples inventory of pencils and pencil sharpeners during their recent sale! They were selling those items for a penny each (limit 3), and LOTS of people from our church stopped by. We are putting together tote bags of school supplies for the orphans we will visit. The kids at North City's Vacation Bible School will decorate and fill the bags next week. Hopefully that doesn't qualify as child labor!

In addition to the school kits, we will take over 350 dental hygiene kits (each with toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and instructions) that have been generously donated. Africa has a big need for education on dental hygiene, since the diet has included more sugar in recent years without a corresponding growth in dental care. We will teach primary school kids at Nkumba School how to properly take care of their teeth, while at the same time emphasizing why we take care of our bodies - to glorify God by caring for his creation!

As if these things weren't enough, we're hoping to bless the long-term missionaries in Uganda by fulfilling some of their requests for things like books (sheesh - they'll be heavy), blankets, pillows, eyeglasses, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Add in to the mix sports equipment (soccer balls, frisbees, etc.), two laptops (donated), two cameras (also donated), and our own personal luggage, and we'll be fully loaded down! You may wonder how we'll get all this over there...all I can say is very carefully. An extra bag or box (up to 70 lbs) costs $150, but shipping it would cost over $800. That's why when teams go, they take as much as humanly possible!

Ok, so enough about the stuff...beyond prayers that we can successfully pack it all, we would cherish your prayers for the preparation of our hearts. The team is beginning to feel more cohesive, and we are thankful for that. Brent and I still find ourselves getting caught up in the logistical prep more than the spiritual. All the toothpaste in the world won't stop our bodies from death and decay; we must bring the Gospel clearly, in faith and love.

The other day in Walmart, I had to apologize to an older couple behind me for separating my things into two piles, one personal and one Uganda-related. When I told them I was going to Africa with my church, the woman said, "Oh, are you a missionary?" It took me a minute before I said, "Well...yes." I am too small for this task, but I am grateful for God's choosing me to go and making it possible. Pray that we would represent Him well!

Moon larger near horizon? NO!!!

I've been saying this for years, but nobody ever believes me!

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020130.html

Micah will like this Checkershadow Illusion

Checkershadow Illusion

Pretty cool stuff... Do you believe?

San Diego Stroll

I've been on Jury duty for 6 days thus far, and have at least 2, maybe 3 to go...

One of the few perks has been the hour and a half lunch and stroll around downtown San Diego. These are some of the things I have been seeing:

Knowledge is Power

I don't claim to be a real fix-it kind of guy...

Never have...

But a recent experience with my somewhat less than trusty '99 Camry Solara got me thinking. Here's how it went down.

1. Driving to work and notice check engine light is on. Panic, as I have no way of knowing if the car is going to konk out at any moment.

2. Knowledge Power #1 - Coworker tells me that AutoZone will lend you the tool to read the code for free.

3. Knowledge Power #2 - Autozone helpfully reads code and then recommends 300 O2 sensor to replace. Grudgingly, I pay the money.

4. Knowledge Power #3 - Come home and after a few minutes of internet searching, discover instructions for how to replace the sensor and an online site where it can be ordered for less than half.

5. Take part back to AutoZone.

************

Cars have traditionally been one of those things where knowledge, held by the few, has been used to exploit the many. I love seeing what the information age has done to blow this whole thing up! Knowledge is POWER! Now, if I just knew someone who could help me change this part...

Brent

Fourth and Forrest

Day 6 of my seemingly infinite service to the court system of San Diego as a juror is just dawning this morning ~ After 5 full days of jury service, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. I am SOOOOO glad that I didn't follow that dream of being a lawyer (Always a big fan of lawyers since Mrs. Huxstable made it cool on Cosby)

2. I am so blessed to have lived a relatively peaceful life

3. See #1!!!

But we did get a day off for the 4th of July, and last night Kat and I had relatives come by for dinner, so that was pretty cool. On the 4th we went to a pool party with church friends and then watched the Del Mar fireworks at our "secret spot" that only we and 1.3 million other people know about. Great views of the fair and fireworks, but a few too many bitey ants and sugar-overloaded kids at this year's edition.

Kat's aunt and uncle Forrest and Judy, with their two youngest kids, stopped by last night for dinner. They are on vacation down here in SoCal and were kind enough to stop in for dinner with us. You start to feel like an ex-pat out here in California sometimes, so it's great when family comes to YOU!

So... Day 6 of ??? is almost upon me... Gotta drink a pot of coffee and try to get psyched for... more endless testimony!!! Woo Hoo!!!!