El Presidente honors the Jayhawks

Message in a Bottle

You never know what your going to find in your own back yard! At my childhood home in Kansas a time capsule was found. When I was a child I often would try to dig all the way to China or find a hidden treasure with my brother in our back yard. However, a family friend beat us to a timeless treasure. 
The family that lived there before us had three children and one of them buried a time capsule. Our friend Bud found the buried treasure a couple weeks ago. Click here to read the REST OF THE STORY! It made it to the front page of the local newspaper.

Henrik's Rock Chalk

Here is a story about my friend Henrik as found in the Morning Sun. He is a die hard Jayhawk fan and all around great guy.

Rock Chalk!

The things dreams are made of!

KU works overtime to take the 2008 Championship!!!

Rock Chalk!!! What an amazing feeling to finally get a championship!!!

Turning back time

Finally a way to turn back time.

Check this link out to find out how to turn back the clock with Gmail. ;)

Eco-cycle

In the car listening to NPR I heard the CEO of Eco-cycle talking about the importance of making things completely out of recyclable material. The mission of the company is to create zero waste communities.

Patent troll

In the world of patent law my brother in law is well known. He is the chief editor of Patently-O and was recently included in an internet radio show. In this radio show he talks about an interesting issue regarding someone who is known as a patent troll.

"In the end, everything was a form of prayer"

From the first time I heard about Dorothy Day, I have been captivated by her life. I now realize that she shared the passion of words that my father had. They both used words as their tools. For my father these words were most often expressed in his poetry and sermons. Dorothy Day wrote many books including her autobiography The Long Loneliness and was the chief editor of the Catholic Worker papers.
She described the mission of the paper in an editorial:
For those who are sitting on park benches in the warm spring sunlight.
For those who are huddling in shelters trying to escape the rain.
For those who are walking the streets in the all but futile search for work.
For those who think that there is no hope for the future, no recognition of their plight- this little paper is addressed.
It is printed to call their attention to the fact that the Catholic Church has a social program - to let them know that there are men of God who are working not only for their spiritual but for their material welfare.

The Commonweal (a Catholic magazine) features an article by Robert Ellsberg who had the opportunity to spend some time with Dorothy Day. He shares what he learned from her, especially about the importance of writing. He states that, "Her diaries provide a unique window on (her) life, and on the witness of a woman for whom, in the end, everything was a form of prayer."

I am fascinated by the idea that "in end, everything was a form of prayer." I think this touches upon what Paul writes about in 1 Thessalonians. "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Brainy Border Collies

I was able to witness first hand how smart a border collie can be. The past 2 years I watched a border collie grow from a puppy to an adult. He was able to understand almost everything we said. However, he would often choose not to listen.
Above is a picture of "Betsy" a border collie from Vienna, Austria as featured on the front page of this months National Geographic. In this National Geographic article you can read about how extraordinarily smart animals can be. For example Betsy was shown a photograph and given a name to associate with the picture and was able "to make a cognitive leap that the thing in the photograph is what you are trying to find." She will be able to find the object in another room among many other objects. Once she associates the name of the object she locks it away, similar to the way a toddler learns .
Here is a picture of Rain the border collie I was able to take care of the past couple years.

Crawford Country Restorative Justice

I find it fascinating that my hometown has a restorative justice program in practice. Last time I was in Pittsburg I saw a sign for the Crawford County Restorative justice authority. I find this interesting as this is the topic I wrote my thesis on at Regent College and one in which I hope to implement within my vocation.

To read more about this organization click here.

Total lunar eclipse

Here is a picture from a photographer in Montana capturing the total lunar eclipse. A friend of a friend of ours took it.


This is a photo/image made by Chad Trettin, a professional photographer in Bozeman. This was his original message:

'This is last night's total lunar eclipse as seen from 8 miles west
of Bozeman. It was 3.5 hours from start to finish. Hope all of you
got to see it in person. For those of you on the other side of the
planet or who missed it, there will be another one in about 3 years.

Movies filmed in Vancouver, BC

The past three years in Vancouver, I would often spot film sets and famous actors. For example Juno was shot in Vancouver. Here is a list of some of the movies filmed in Vancouver.

Time for some white chicken chili

Here is a great recipe for:
White Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilis
2 cups chicken broth (low-sodium, if desired)
2 16-ounce cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 cups cooked and chopped chicken breast
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon white pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup light sour cream
½ cup half and half
½ cup Mexican-blend cheese made with 2 percent milk, finely shredded

In a heavy stockpot, cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until the onion is softened.

Add the green chilis, chicken broth, beans, garlic, chicken, hot sauce, cumin, oregano, cilantro, white pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil and gently simmer for about 20 minutes to combine flavors.

Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the light sour cream and half and half until mixture is smooth and well-blended.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese over each bowl just before serving.
Source: McClatchy Newspapers. Adapted from a Gourmet magazine recipe.
Servings: 8

Per 1-cup serving: 273 calories, 9.8 grams of fat, 75 milligrams cholesterol, 644 milligrams sodium, 28 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 6.8 grams fiber.

Oscar Watch

Typically, I am lucky if I see one movie that has been nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. However, this year I have been fortunate enough to see four out of the five nominated for the Best picture Oscar. I haven't seen Atonement...

Here are my choices for best picture:

4. No Country for Old Men - Last but not least. Tommy Lee Jones is great in this film. However, the performance by Javier Bardem (who should get the best supporting actor award) is amazing as his performance as an evil person is unequaled in recent memory.

3. Michael Clayton - A poignant story of how difficult it can be to live ethically in corporate America.

2. There will be Blood - A marvelous performance by Daniel Day Lewis (I think he should win the best actor award) and a great message on how dangerous it is to sell your soul for black gold (oil) or anything else. The movie does a good job of portraying the likely results of putting financial interests above family and friends.

1. JUNO - I loved this film! It is hard to find a comedy that has substance to it. Juno does a good job of approaching topics people don't like to talk about, such as teenage pregnancy, abortion, and adoption. However, I don't know if Juno will get the Oscar because it is an independent film.

Homemade Granola Bars

I found this recipe in the Kansas City star and look forward to making it. It replaces sugar with honey which looks to be a good thing. It is also comforting to know that these do NOT contain either high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.

Homemade granola bars

Makes 22 bars

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with aluminum foil. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well, using hands if necessary, and be sure all ingredients are evenly moist. Press mixture firmly into the prepared pan using the back of a spatula.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until nicely browned. Place on rack to cool. While pan is slightly warm, carefully cut into small bars.

Store in a sealed container for up to a week or place in plastic freezer bags and freeze.

Per bar: 107 calories (23 percent from fat), 3 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 16 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 1 milligram cholesterol, 61 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Recipe developed for The Star by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss