Susi and I have worked fairly extensively with Habitat for Humanity in in at least a dozen places such as Columbus, Ohio; Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Tucson, Arizona; Molepolole, Botswana; Tarija, Boliva; Phang Na, Thailand; etc. It is always comforting and encouraging to us that no matter where we go, we find the same formula: Along with other volunteers, work side-by-side with families to build simple, decent houses that they purchase with the help of an affordable mortgage, providing secure shelter and myriad other benefits that come from enabling people to dream and grow.
Nonetheless, some differences are very notable. For instance, try as you might, you simply cannot make this picture with the mountain as a backdrop in Columbus, Ohio! This is one of many in the 01-19 RCW Habitat Build album that show the gorgeous settings in which we get to work.
Susi and I tend to invite and encourage just about everyone we meet to get involved with Habitat for Humanity. But, right now, we especially wish you could join us to work here in this beautiful place!
Our blog got a bit text-heavy for a while, but we finally regained the ability to post photos once again. We post our pictures in “sets” on our Flickr site, and then list them in the sidebar shown on the right of every blog page under the heading “Photo Albums 2012”. Click an album link to open a post right here in the blog where you can see the photos by clicking on one of the little thumbnails. For a better viewing experience, click on the “View slideshow >” link and you will be transferred to Flickr for a full-featured slideshow. Naturally, you can see a larger version of the individual photos included in these articles by clicking on them.
Those of you in the software world won’t be surprised to know that it was a “dreaded upgrade” of the WordPress blog software that caused a break in the Flickr Photo Album plug-in we use to tie photos from our Flickr site to our blog. As usual, although a bit of rooting around on the Internet found a workaround, there is no word about an upgrade to the plug-in to handle ongoing WordPress upgrades. So far, so good, but always a bit uncertain when working with open source and free software.
Pastor John Fife
Reverend John Fife is Pastor Emeritus of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona, having retired in 2005 after leading a dynamic, activist community for 35 years. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2012, he preached a wonderfully stirring tapestry of memories and challenges that I have transcribed here with his permission. May we all read it, and feel stronger individual resolve to do our part to make the world a better place for every single one of God’s people.
Continue reading ‘Called to GREAT THINGS’…
We’re approaching the end of our first week here in Tucson on Sunday – and having a blast! As my Dad stated, “I guess we’re as busy as we want to be” . Opportunities abound at Rincon – which I call a retirement community on steroids – for all kinds of physical exercise groups, art and crafts, games and fun events – not including the work we will be doing with Habitat for Humanity Tucson or exploring the city and surrounding national and state parks. Although we cringe at a boring blog entry of “what we did today” – I’ve done just that to share why we chose to return to Tucson. Caution – read at your own risk… Continue reading ‘We’re Off and Running!’…
…One is silver and the other gold.” This old girl scout song does highlight one of the pleasures of this trip for us. Rarely have we been interested in returning to a travel spot we have visited before, but our experiences at our Rincon and HfH Tucson made it easy for us to want to return. Continue reading ‘“Make new friends, but keep the old…’…
While loading our RV on New Years Day, we experienced a fine example of Ohio’s motto, “if you don’t like the weather, stick around for the next change”. From glorious blue skies as I drove from the storage lot to our house, to the rain that soaked me 45 minutes later as I re-installed the batteries, to 3 or 4 more similar cycles that had Susi proclaiming, “It’s me. I cause the rain. Every time I carry something out there it pours again!”, to the dusting of snow that fell in the late afternoon, we felt our motivation and excitement building to get on the road. With snow showers threatening, we got underway at 6:30 the next morning to try and stay ahead of the storm. So, while family and friends hunkered down around TV with subs and pizza to enjoy an orgy of six college football games, we ran south full blast until…
Continue reading ‘Blastoff 2012’…
Consider Articles “A” and “B” that both ran on the Columbus Dispatch front page on November 29. Article “A” ushers in the new “era” of Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer. Article “B” contains phrases like “crisis could endanger the global economy”, “a key risk to the world economy”, “situation is more than difficult, even dangerous”, “could cause more financial damage to the shaky U.S. economy”, and “could damage a U.S. economy saddled with slow growth and 9% unemployment”. Whereas article “A” covers 48% of page A1 plus 64% of page A4, article “B” gets only 6% on A1 and 19% on A4. The coverage given to Meyer is over 4 times (56% of these prominent pages) that given to the European financial crisis (13%).
We all know that life will not really be substantially different because of a new football coach. Conversely, another global recession could saddle us with several more years of the kind of anemic economic growth and high unemployment that has so many families struggling today. One wonders if our citizens would better comprehend the gravity of the decisions made by our own elected officials if we reversed the coverage ratio. A case can be made that a better understanding of Europe’s tribulations might spur public demand for better performance from our own Congress instead of the political bickering that has paralyzed their ability to deal with a similar debt crisis here.
Our newspaper may claim that they are simply catering to the desires of readers and feeding their appetites for Buckeye news. But are they really adhering to the basic Utilitarian ethics principle of “the Greatest Good for the greatest number of people” that justifies so many of their other daily decisions about things like which pictures to print or demands for open access to public records? I, for one, would prefer to see a much greater emphasis on the critical issues that can truly affect our daily lives in a very real and substantial manner.
To counter the monopoly pricing power naturally held by utility companies, Ohio’s deregulation allows consumers to freely choose a natural gas supplier. The local gas company still gets paid for delivery service to your home, but you can shop among many qualified suppliers for the best gas price. Although the optional program requires wading through a bit of arcane complexity, it can be worthwhile, possibly saving hundreds of dollars a year—especially if you know this little trick to help determine which type of plan to choose. Continue reading ‘Choose your natural gas plan wisely’…
On October 14, 2011, The New York Times front page highlighted a Michele Sibiloni image captioned Economic Woes in a Ugandan Market. Included was a reference to a Josh Kron story by on page A5 titled Discontent Simmers in a Market as Uganda’s Economy Staggers that was accompanied by another of Michele’s pictures. The associated web slide show, Economic Malaise in Uganda, includes both of these photographs along with seven additional related ones. This strong package impels one to ask, “How did he capture all of these stunning images?” Fortunately, Michele graciously responded by my inquiry with many details that provide both illumination and inspiration.
Michele gives Josh credit for initiating this story about the effect of Uganda’s economic malaise on the shopkeepers in downtown Kampala’s Kiseka market. He goes on to say that it is something every journalist—whether working in “photo-video-text or whatever”—must know, just because they live there and talk to people all the time. So, while we might wonder about the development of these stunning images, he compares them to the everyday job of a journalist in the USA covering any running economic issue such as Occupy Wall Street.
Continue reading ‘Michele Sibiloni on Photojournalism’…
While I mean no disrespect to all whose lives were profoundly impacted by the September 11 terrorist attack, I feel numbed by, and even somewhat resentful of, the deluge of media coverage of the 10-year anniversary of this historic tragedy.
For instance, NPR’s All Things Considered ran 11 related segments totaling over 67 minutes on the six days before the official day of 9/11 commemoration. Conversely, although the War on Terror has already taken the lives of 8,351 US soldiers and contractors (Costs of War) – nearly 3 times as many as the direct victims of the attacks – program archives show only 4 remembrance segments (10½ minutes) in the 6 days leading up to Memorial Day.
Similarly, Continue reading ‘Overwhelming 9/11 Anniversary’…
Jerry & I obviously were labeled – newbie RVers at our first camping site – and rightly so. Did you know that an RV can hook up to either 20, 30, or 50 amps at a campground? Based on Dave’s recommendation, we asked for a site with 30 amps which was cheaper than using the 50. But our check-in gal insisted on assigning us to a 50 amp because she was concerned where the rig would fit. Continue reading ‘Here’s $4 – Let Me Feel How Hot That Cord Is’…
Dave probably regretted that last comment after he got the 4th call from Jerry & I on our first day out – that’s in spite of all the “how to” and checklists that Dave prepared for us: we have a departure list, the arriving list, the hour before arrival list, checking the tires and batteries lists, connecting water and electricity lists, appliance manufacturers list, toad (the term RVers lovingly refer to the car towed by an RV) hook up and toad detach list, and a few more he threw in just in case we needed them.
Although Dave’s brother, Jerry, is a quick study and ready to help any way he can, this journey without Dave has emphasized how much of a team we are and how many things Dave was doing on our journeys that I had no clue he was doing.
So, even though Jerry & I chuckled at the list that began with, “Wash the windshield, if necessary”, thank you Dave, for all the details you’ve given us to keep us rolling down the road!
Love,
Susi
Dave has been working hard to get the RV ready to roll – unfortunately he is not coming with me on this next journey! He stepped in to fill a Habitat house lead position and is working 5 days a week to get the house ready for the Elmi family to move in. Luckily, his brother Jerry was very willing to hop on board to visit the Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, and Yellowstone on the way to Teton National Park where I’ll attend a workshop at the end of August. Continue reading ‘On the Road Again’…
Our elected representatives are playing a silly game of chicken with the country’s reputation as they continue their publicity grab over the debt ceiling. Please tell them that we expect better. You can find links to send them messages in my previous post. Regardless whether or not you agree with my stance, please contact your representatives and insist on better behavior.
Here is the message I just sent to all of them:
Honorable ___________,
I am glad that we are finally taking some serious steps to reduce overall spending.
I am terribly dismayed that the process has devolved into a silly game that politicians are playing for political gain. While it is not one-sided, I think that the Republicans are being far too noisy and recalcitrant.
Tax loopholes are EXPENDITURES just like any other government policy. Tax loopholes need to be closed as part of a process to reduce federal spending. The artificial designation of closing tax loopholes as tax increases is silly grandstanding.
We elect our representatives and pay them handsomely. Please do your part and act like adults who are truly committed to the good of the country. Sensible discussions of the real problems and clear solutions can and must be found.
Thank you,
Dave Bezaire
I imagine many share my sense of unease as the political situation in the Mideast becomes more and more volatile. Our hearts go out to those hurt in the conflict, and we feel angst about the future directions new leadership might take. Now, with talk of military intervention in Libya, I begin to worry that we might be pulled into yet another difficult, expensive, civil war that will guarantee the ugliness of many dead people at our hands, and a further deterioration of our nation’s status in the world community.
Worry hardly seems an adequate response, so yesterday I sent messages to our elected representatives stating my strong opposition to the use of military force. Although I passionately stated my belief, I had precious little “meat” to support my argument. I was pleased to read George Will’s March 8th article, On Libya, too many questions, and sent another round of messages today referencing it.
I encourage everyone to consider these issues carefully, and to make your voice heard. Our elected leaders need our input so that they can make good decisions on our behalf. Easy to use forms are available, so it takes just a couple of minutes to send a note.
Although I would hope that each person sends their own words, I want to make my feelings clear, so here is the text that I sent to my elected officials:
Dear ___________,
I strongly believe that we should avoid military action in Libya. Please carefully consider the questions posed by George Will in his March 8th article, On Libya, too many questions.
We must avoid engaging in yet another ugly, costly civil war that will result in many dead people at our hands, and a further deterioration of our standing in the world community.
Thank you,
Dave Bezaire
