Dumpster Diving Lesson

I just got done teaching labs for Intro to Environment and Society here at TU for J-term classes and I feel convicted to take living out the faith in the midst of our over-consumptive and wasteful society to the next level.
Here is a quick factoid.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 96 billion pounds of food are thrown away each year, making up 12 percent of the trash produced in the United States.

I will proceed to this new challenge by visiting my local grocery store . . . . click on links to check it out.
Some friend's in Washington DC

http://www.larynandjanel.com/blog/a_shout_out_to_eating_garbage_on_dumpster_diving.html

Other stories
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081501248.html

Dan Neti 2

Dan Neti 2
Originally uploaded by Farmer3.

Anyone heard of a Neti pot? Here it is in action. Cleanse of the nasal and sinus passages! Great for a cold and sinus infections. Try it one and all! Click for Julie and Neti pictures.

Thoughts on Saddam

The recent events with Saddam's death really bothered me, because I honestly thought justice was served, yet the justice I was thinking- the old eye for an eye- was served, yet that is not the Biblical justice that I am called to fight for according to NT covenant theology. Shane Clairborne points this out well http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/2007/01/shane-claiborne-communicating-through.html

The Plugged Drain . . .

Well, actually the plugged drain wasn't clogged with clay and mud at all. In fact, I have been putting drain-0 about once a month for a while, yet the plumber pointed out that the tub plug was hanging by one screw thread. The internal plug was slipping down! We also had the tub spout changed since during a showering it would spray out like Nigra Falls on crack. I had bought a spout to change it myself, but with no access panel and no proper pipe wrench, I realized that break off the spout by accident may spell waterfall for our neighbors below us. I now know for sure how to change a spout, but I can't seem to get the whole plumber's crack show routine . . .

Happy New Year. Must be off to teach my first set of J-term Intro to Env Science labs. Ahhh, young shapeable minds. My labs comprise of over 80% elementary ed majors. Should be interesting . . .

Dan P

Christmas Break Highlights

Today is officially my last day of Christmas break; tomorrow I go back to school. I think the hardest part about going back to school tomorrow will be getting up at 5:55 am when we've been going to bed between 1 and 2 am and waking up (without the alarm!) around 10 am. I may have a strange sort of jet lag this week.

Anyway, here are some highlights:

• ice skating downtown Chicago at Millenium Park with Bekah and Dan
• almost beating Megaman 4 on Nintendo (Bekah, why didn't you use the energy pellet?!) :)
• playing Loaded Questions and Dutch shuffleboard with the fam
• holding Tristan, my adorable baby nephew
• spending time with old friends: Jacque, Jeremy, Nat, Nicki
• beating everyone at Clue!!! (yes, I'm still gloating - I know it's immature) :)
• making up games with Kyle, Bekah, and Dan
• reading John Updike's Terrorist
• playing Ultimate Frisbee in the mud and getting so muddy that when we rinsed our clothes off in the tub (yeah, we know now that was NOT a good idea) that our shower clogged (this happened yesterday and the plumber is coming tomorrow - argh)
• drinking champagne, talking, laughing, and taking New Year's Eve pictures with the Bitners and Oehrigs

That's all for now! Happy New Year!