KChristieH Blog | Archive

The Westboro Baptist Church forgets that God is love

Posted on 29. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in religion

westboro baptist church protester anti-gay Here’s a shout-out to the students, parents, staff and supporters of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, CA for protesting the demonstration by the members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church. These insensitive, hateful people had the nerve to tell the Gunn community that the reason that five of their students had recently committed suicide was that they failed to obey God.

“You’ll be in front of the train next! God laughs at your calamity!” shouted Margie Phelps, wearing an American flag as a skirt.

The daughter of Westboro Church founder Fred Phelps, she said that the Gunn students died because they failed to obey God, and now live in hell.

This story literally made me cry. I can’t fathom the pain that Gunn has gone through, and am completely appalled that anyone would try to drive such a knife through that hurt. The fact that these people call themselves Christian is shameful and embarrassing, and I hope that people realize that the Westboro Baptist Church does NOT represent the viewpoint of mainstream Christianity.

When the church members (oh, it hurts to call them that!) sang ugly lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” students countered with “All You Need is Love.”

They get it. Just like the rest of us, Gunn students need love. The God I embrace is a God of love, not a God of hate.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (I John 4:8)

After the Gunn protest, the WBC folks (better label!) went to the Stanford campus to protest in front of the Jewish student center, Hillel. They wanted to tell Hillel students that they too were destined for Hell. I’m so proud of the Stanford response: over 1,000 people showed up in solidarity to let the WBC know that their hatred wasn’t welcome on campus. The band and the Tree were even there.

“I just wanted to come out and show them that being a Christian isn’t about hate, it’s about love,” said Monica Alcazar, a Stanford freshman and Gunn graduate.

I wish I could have been there.

Links:

“Protestors at Gunn, Stanford confront ‘God hates America’ group” (San Jose Mercury News)
“Op-Ed: Westboro: A Christian Response” (The Stanford Daily)
“A Few Comments on Westboro Baptist Church’s Visits to Stanford and Gunn High School” (Fiat Lux blog)

The Obameter tracks Obama’s promises

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in politics, startling statistics

As you consider tonight’s State of the Union speech, you might want to refer back to the Obameter at PolitiFact. This service of the St. Petersburg Times tracks which of President Obama’s more than 500 promises have been kept, broken, stalled or compromised. The current status is shown in the graphic below. I’ve added the total and the percentages of each.

If you click on the underlined categories to the left, you’ll see which promises are in that category, aside a short explanation of the status of the promise.

I wish there was a chart like this for every politician. I bet that most politicians don’t make so many promises, and that they break more than 3% of the promises they do make.

We’re just 1/4 of the way through this presidential term. I think we should be patient, and understand that the wheels of government move slowly.

What can/can’t you live without?

Posted on 26. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in inspirational people, my life

In 1985, I was perfectly happy living in an 8′ x 12′ concrete-walled dorm room. I was thrilled to have a single in a dorm full of wonderful people. I didn’t care that the bathroom was down the hall, or that I didn’t own a car. I had a decent bike, a comfortable bed, adequate food, and was learning and having fun with terrific people.

Twenty-five years later, I enjoy living with my family in a nice house in a safe town with wonderful schools. I appreciate all the comforts life has brought me, but I also recognize how my material comforts have also brought an added level of stress, as my husband and I need to work hard to make mortgage payments, save for college for the kids, and meet expenses. I often tell my husband that I’d be happy living in a much smaller house, as long as I have my computer, a fast internet connection, and a secure yard for our dog. Clearly, the list would be longer if I thought about it…I’d also want great schools, a safe community, my printer, my purse, our couch, my gloves, my boots, my fleece jacket, my special pajamas, my pillows and a few more items and services. But as I sit here and scan the interior horizon, there truly aren’t very many items I’d consider to be that important to me.

In his recent column, “What Could You Live Without?“, Nicholas Kristof tells of an Atlanta family whose daughter challenged them to sell their house and buy a smaller one, and donate the net proceeds to charity. Even as it inspired some people, it evoked the wrath of others who complained that they shouldn’t donate to people overseas when there are Americans in need. I’m in the former category, and am impressed that a modern American family that has so much could sacrifice it and make a difference in the world.

The unexpected dividend in this case was that the family found that downsizing brought them closer together:

Mr. Salwen and his wife, Joan, had always assumed that their kids would be better off in a bigger house. But after they downsized, there was much less space to retreat to, so the family members spent more time around each other. A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.

“We essentially traded stuff for togetherness and connectedness,” Mr. Salwen told me, adding, “I can’t figure out why everybody wouldn’t want that deal.”

I look forward to reading the book they wrote about their experiences, The Power of Half. I don’t think my family wants to downsize, but if they did, I’d be all for it. I wouldn’t mind slowing down the treadmill and enjoying life and my relationships more. In the meantime, if I ever find the time, I am going to get rid of a lot of extra stuff we have around here. The Sport Chalet shoes were just a start…

Food, Inc., TwoFoods and GoodBelly make me eat better

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food, health, work

Ever since I watched Food, Inc., I’ve been much more picky about the food I buy and eat. I was somewhat careful before, but now my eyes have been opened to food processing practices I had never even imagined.

The movie is not for the faint of heart: it shows how various types of meat get from farm to table, and shows the dangers of inorganic farming. I’m not ready to become a vegetarian, but I’ve been much more vigilant about buying organic products when possible.

Soon after I watched Food, Inc., I discovered a website that’s changed how I choose foods: TwoFoods.com. When you enter two food choices, it shows you the nutritional information for each one, side by side. It also shows similar foods that you can click on to see information for. Here’s a screenshot for the difference between eggs and Multigrain Cheerios. Before I lost weight, I ate Multigrain Cheerios every morning. Once I started eating eggs, the weight started coming off and I found myself more satisfied throughout the morning, probably since I didn’t have so many carbs. I need to start eating eggs for breakfast more again.

I also recently discovered GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drinks when they asked me to create a BigCommerce store for them. They were super-nice to work with, and it was a pleasure to wrap my brain around the extensive customization requirements. I documented the customizations in Evernote, and figure they’ll come in handy in the future.

To the right is the BigCommerce template before I customized it, and below that is what it looked like in the end. I had a blast working with their little “bug” characters, creating graphics with them that expressed different pages on the site. The store complements the look and feel of the GoodBelly.com site.

I’ve had a tough time finding GoodBelly in stores; so far I’ve only found it in the Vons across from Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. I’m sure it’s also at Whole Foods. I’ve only tried the Blueberry Acai flavor, since I’m allergic to the Strawberry flavor that Vons also carries. The Blueberry Acai actually tastes like grape juice, but not as sweet. It’s really good. Here’s how the GoodBelly.com website describes their products:

Get juiced with GoodBelly, a probiotic fruit drink that contains lp299v, which is clinically proven to support digestive health and strengthen the immune system. We’re good to the core, so you can be good to yours.

Besides tasting good and making me healthy, GoodBelly makes me smile when I drink through the happy face holes. I love a company with a sense of humor. :)

710 Freeway Tunnel meeting

Posted on 21. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in local news

Join local community members and leaders this Saturday in learning more about the proposed 710 freeway tunnel extension.

Personally, I’m against it, and am amazed that given our current budget crisis this is even being considered. Click here to see my first post on this issue.

710 Freeway Extension Forum Occidental College

Mud & flood disaster information from Carol Liu’s office

Posted on 20. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in local news

Many thanks to Malia M. for having her supermom email me the following flyer from Carol Liu’s office. Click here to download the original pdf file.

mud flood disaster information la canada crescenta

Isn’t it weird how “mud” and “flood” rhyme? Do any of the linguists out there know if the two words are actually related?

Evacuation links & resources + a tiny art lesson

Posted on 20. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in art, local news

Here are more evacuation links and resources, courtesy of Kelly M. at JPL:

Evacuation centers have been set up at La Cañada High School, the Glendale Civic Auditorium and the Sunland Recreation Center.

Website Resources for most current evacuation centers:

LA County: http://fire.lacounty.gov/default.asp
Red Cross: http://redcrossla.org/news/redcross-los-angeles-evacuation-centers

Animals:

Animal Shelter Locations
Also, the Pasadena Humane Society will be at La Cañada High School to receive and care for evacuated pets.

Helpful Websites and Resources:

Guide for Flash Flood Preparation
C.A.R.E. – Coordinated agency Recovery Effort – website includes evacuation areas and safety preparedness
City of La Canada website
City of Sierra Madre

Hotels Offering Discount Rates for Individual Evacuated:

Pasadena Courtyard by Marriott (king or double queen rooms)
$99/night
180 N. Fair Oak Avenue, Old Town Pasadena

Ask for the “Weather Evacuation Group Rate”

Burbank Residence Inn by Marriott (all suites with kitchen) $199/Wednesday, or $149/night (Thursday – Saturday)
321 S. First Street, Downtown Burbank
, or

——————————————————————–

I’ve always loved Behind the Gare St. Lazare, the Henri Cartier-Bresson photo pictured above. When I studied in France, I purchased an oversized poster of it and actually schlepped it back home with me. Here’s what IconicPhotos says about it:

Gare St. Lazare has been portrayed by many artists (Monet, Manet, et al) but Henri Cartier-Bresson’s 1932 take on the station was totally different. Derrière la gare de Saint-Lazare is not a photo noted for its historicity, but it is a photo that represented the entire life’s works of Cartier-Bresson. Throughout his life, Cartier-Bresson had been a champion of the Decisive Moment, and a seeker of the unexplored–Derrière la gare de Saint-Lazare represents both, and defined his career.

However, Cartier-Bresson didn’t intend this to gain such an iconicity. ”There was a plank fence around some repairs behind the Gare St. Lazare and I was peeking through the space with my camera at my eye. This is what I saw. The space between the planks was not entirely wide enough for my lens, which is the reason the picture is cut off on the left.” Again he proved he was the right man at the right moment

Click to see a LEGO re-creation of the photo on Flickr. :)

La Canada, La Crescenta evacuation information posted

Posted on 20. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in history, local news

It’s never a good sign when you see that the Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter at your child’s school. Click here to see the official LA County Department of Public Works evacuation information page. It includes a link to a January 19th letter explaining evacuation details, and a link to a pdf that shows which addresses are being evacuated. La Canada addresses start on page 11.

My father called yesterday to see if we were doing well. He knew we were, because the mud would have to flow all the way down the mountain and fill up the huge, below ground level 210 Freeway to reach us. He just wanted an excuse to call, and was impressed that Al Roker was reporting for the Today show from our fair but beleaguered city. It’s like when he calls when there’s an earthquake: even though I’ve told him not to call unless it’s a 5.0 or above, he calls anyway.

The picture above shows debris that came down the mountain in the 1934 Montrose flood. It came from the (currently broken) Crescenta Valley Historical Society website. Click here to read more about that flood, and click here to see more pictures.

Donate gently worn shoes to Haitian earthquake victims via Sport Chalet

Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in international, non-profits

Hopefully the 28 pairs of gently worn shoes my family and I cleared out of our closets will help make life a little more comfortable for Haitian earthquake victims. I’m just about to drop them off at Sport Chalet, which is partnering with Soles 4 Souls by collecting shoes at all 55 of its stores until January 31st to send to Haiti.

I especially tried to part with sandals and durable shoes and sneakers, since I figure that as a tropical country the people there probably prefer warm weather shoes or shoes that can handle walking over rubble. But I included a few nicer pairs of shoes, since at some point people will be ready to wear more dignified clothing.

I hope that time comes soon.

I pray that my size 7 wide shoes wind up on the right (and left!) feet.

Last field trip to Hyperion Treatment Plant

Posted on 06. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in education, parenting, travel

Yesterday I chaperoned what will probably wind up being my last school field trip ever when I accompanied my daughter’s AP Environmental Science class to the Hyperion Treatment Plant near LAX. Thanks for inviting me, Dr. E!

We got to ride in yellow school buses without seat belts. I had fun sitting next to my friend Sharon S. We sat in front so we wouldn’t make the kids feel awkward. It was strange to be able to see so much in the rear view mirror. Apparently, other chaperones must choose these seats, too. Of course, all the kids were quite well-behaved.

I knew we were in for some fun when this was the first sign I saw. Once the waste water is processed, the clean water is pumped 5 miles out in the ocean, 90′ below the surface, via a 12′ diameter pipe.

But first, we hung out on Dockweiler State Beach for an hour and a half while the first bus took the tour. Hey, 2006! I found your cellphone!

This plant treats 350 million gallons of wastewater from 3 million Los Angeles residents each day. That’s enough to fill up 3 or 4 Rose Bowls each day.

“Wastewater” refers to what comes from your house, not what goes down the drains in the street. That goes straight to the ocean, which is why it’s particularly important not to litter on the street.

Of course, many of us in La Canada have septic tanks, so our effluent never makes it to such a fancy treatment plant. Instead, it collects under our yards and kills our beautiful oak trees. Or mine, anyway.

Guess what’s in this truck? I hope it’s not dumping it near you.

These guys are the facility watchdogs. I think one of them is in the Witness Protection Program.

If you imagine some of the worst things that could wash down the toilet or the drain, they’ve probably been sifted here. I wouldn’t want to explain some of this to younger kids.

Our tourguide says that they’ve found motorcycle parts, money, bowling balls, and even body parts coming through. Eeek!

It smelled bad enough, so I’d hate to be around when the siren sounds.

Everything was really clean on the outside.

Water is being processed under these grids.

The architecture was impressive. The Hyperion plant was named as one of the most amazing public works projects of the 20th century.

Seagulls enjoyed feasting on the bacteria in the skimmer ponds.

Everything looked so sparkling clean. But when I see this, I still smell it…

Nancy, our tour guide, was fantastic. She was sharp, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. Here, she’s showing how water leaves the ponds.

I didn’t take any pictures after this since we went to an underground area where photography wasn’t permitted. It reminded me of Jack Bauer’s haunts at CTU. Many movies and tv shows have been filmed at Hyperion, including Spiderman.

Nancy says that Hyperion is featured in the tourism book . You might be able to take a tour if you call ahead.

The best part of the day occurred before my daughter went to bed, when she thanked me for going on the trip. Awww!! I’m so grateful that my mere presence there didn’t embarrass her. Too bad this is our last field trip together. :(

Evernote keeps me sane

Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in productivity tools

I hate chaos. I’m like a deer in the headlights if there’s too much chaos, and as a result my productivity plummets. Thank goodness for Evernote. It allows me to put the random information that formerly resided on Post-its and extra Firefox tabs into one program, thereby letting me juggle more balls without letting them all crash to the floor. I can type, paste, or scan notes, images, documents and screenshots into Evernote, and then categorize and tag them for future reference. Even though I don’t have a “smart” phone, I can send messages and images from my phone to Evernote. I can choose which of my “notebooks” are synchronized to the Evernote website, thereby allowing me to have backup and access when I’m not at my home computer. It’s free, but I choose to pay $45 per year for the premium service to have extra storage capacity.

Here’s a screenshot of what the Evernote software looks like on my computer. The note that’s showing in the screen on the right is a reminder to learn more about Google Wave when I get a chance. It includes a screenshot and a link to Google Wave.

Here are some things I’ve chosen to put on Evernote:

Instructions to clients on how to use certain computer programs
Meeting notes
News for my next PTSA email and my next class notes column
Recipes, tagged by ingredient
A list of thank you notes my kids need to write
Screenshots of websites I need to check out when I have a chance
A list of programs to Tivo or add to my Netflix queue
Topics I might blog about in the future
Scans of cool business card designs in case I get around to creating a new business card
The confirmation email from when I ordered a new vacuum filter, to remind me of which part number it was

Every week I think of more things I can use Evernote for. I’m so grateful that this program helps me manage my complicated life and stay sane.

Kogi Truck mixes Korean & Mexican food perfectly

Posted on 02. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food

I finally found the time to visit LA’s latest culinary sensation: the Kogi truck. It was amazing, and I can’t wait to eat there again.

We knew that the truck would be parked at the corner of Brand and Chevy Chase in Glendale because we saw it on the Kogi blog. It’s a great blog, not only because it tells us where to find the excellent Korean-Mexican food they serve but because it has tips about other Los Angeles resources and clearly reflects that Kogi is about FUN!

You can find out about more food trucks on the Mobile Cravings blog.

The Kogi truck is pictured behind this awesome Scion. The Shave Ice truck was a few vehicles behind the Kogi truck. We were too excited for dinner to have shave ice, but I bet that was wonderful, too.

Soon after we showed up, this Scion arrived. All of a sudden, the car transformed into a total tailgating machine. The driver said it’s the next generation of Kogi cooking on wheels. Note the sink on the right, and the grill and speakers in the back. We all took pictures.

Here’s the Kogi menu. I got the Korean Chicken tacos and the Kogi Kimchi Quesadilla. It was amazing, and too much food for me. My husband ate the rest of the quesadillas when he got back from the airport, and agreed that they were wonderful. I was sad that he took me up on my offer to share them, but maybe this will convince him to visit the Kogi truck with us sometime.

The line moved quickly. Then again, our party was second in line, so we were biased.

My food. Just seeing it again makes my mouth water.

I must find more excuses to eat Kogi!!!

Best 2010 Rose Parade Moments

Posted on 01. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in local news

Apart from the awesome hometown La Canada float, the best float in today’s Rose Parade included brave and talented bulldogs snowboarding down a long ramp. The crowd loved them, and we were incredibly jealous that when the parade stopped because another float broke, the bulldogs were two blocks away and not in front of us. It’s a travesty that this float didn’t win , but it won our hearts and that counts more.

Of course, we loved the La Canada Flintridge float, which featured an origami dragon. It perfectly fit the “Cut Above the Rest” theme, so it’s not surprising that it won the Fantasy Trophy.

la canada rose parade float 2010, la canada rose parade, la canada float The Jack in the Box float was very festive. Jack looked like he was hosting a big party, and we were all invited.

The Rose Court looked lovely, of course.

The Burbank Float stayed in front of our building for a long time while it appeared that experts were fixing another float that had broken down. At least the animated airplane was fun to see twist and turn.The Honda Float was quite impressive.

I recognized the South Pasadena float from afar by the font they used for the word “Pharmacy.” It’s the same font used on the outside of the wonderful Fair Oaks Pharmacy. My kids love getting ice cream and other treats there.