No Sanctuary from Politics

Neil Gorsuch (Denver Post)

Your humble blogger has something in common with President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch; we usher for our local Episcopal church:

Gorsuch serves as an usher at St. John's Episcopal Church in Boulder, and his wife gives the sermon and leads intercessory prayer on occasion.

(I can one-up him, though, because I also read the intercessory prayer.)

As Episcopalians he and I have another thing in common: we are faithful members of an organization whose leaders hold very different political views from ours (I'm just guessing about Judge Gorsuch's).

the rector (head pastor) of his church, Susan Woodward Springer, attended the Women's March in Washington, D.C., and praised the march (which excluded pro-life women and reportedly mistreated them when they showed up anyway) as a "glorious, unified, peaceful, friendly law-abiding crowd."

It's not the political views of the clergy that bother me, but the fact that we must often listen to these views, unchallenged, from the pulpit. As I've written before, the church as a whole envisions itself as a "social justice" organization, one which advocates the redistribution of wealth by the State, if necessary, to those who are purportedly victimized by the current power structure.

Sanctuary cities are all the rage, but I suppose it's too much to ask for the church, which is the original sanctuary (sanctus = holy), to be a safe space from politics. Last Sunday someone got up to talk about how he joined the demonstrations at SFO to protest the "Muslim ban" and another talked about how she was joining a protest group down in Palo Alto. C'mon people, you can turn off your cellphones for an hour, can't you turn off politics, and especially angry politics?

Good luck to Judge Gorsuch. From one suffering non-progressive Episcopalian to another, he has my sympathy.

Tempting But No

Costco is now selling Swallow Nest Beverage. The health drink was expensive--over $2.50 for a small bottle--and invited a closer look. Swallows Nest Beverage had the same ingredient, dried bird-saliva, that is in birds' nest soup served in Chinese restaurants.

Having partaken of birds' nest soup at Chinese banquets in the 50's and 60's, I don't remember it as being particularly tasty. It did have a distinctive gelatinous texture:

Right after they are mated, [swallows] regurgitate long, thin gelatinous strands from their salivary glands under their tongues. These strands play an important role in making their nests.

Birds' nests became very expensive, and chefs substituted other ingredients like sharks' fin (discontinued when sharks became endangered) and even corn starch.

Now that birds nest has been, er, regurgitated as a health food, expense is no object. From the company website:

Based on modern researches, the protein contained in swallow nest is distinct in that it is mainly biologically active protein, which has revitalizing effects to human body. The researches reveal that Swallow nest contains small amount of epidermal growth factor. Water extraction of Swallow nest can also directly stimulate cell growth/regeneration and enhance the effectiveness of mitogen (the initiator in cell division). Also, this active protein in the nest makes it a very useful tonic for people with weak digestion system (e.g. elderly people), and for some that need a very rapid cell regeneration and development (e.g.: pregnant women, growing children). One of the most recent published researches confirms that the high content of water-soluble glyco-protein in swallow nest promotes cell division within the immune system.

The beverage is good for elderly people, pregnant women, and growing children. The target market's hu-uge! I decided to wait; I'm not elderly....yet.

For in Giving You Shall Receive

As happened last year, Sandwiches on Sunday coincided with the church's annual meeting, but the volunteers hid their disappointment well. The servers, including yours truly, served lasagna and salad to 75 people at the Fair Oaks Community Center.

Last year the number of “customers” averaged about 50, and 5 or 6 trays of lasagna were usually enough. Whether due to good fortune, intuition, or inspiration the cooks had prepared nine (9) lasagnas and six (6) bowls of salad. Added to the menu were day-old bread and rolls that a kind supermarket manager had set aside, and annual meeting leftovers that a parishioner thoughtfully dropped off. The large chocolate layer cake that was hardly touched met its fate that afternoon.

Although everyone thanks us individually as we scoop food onto the plates, more often than not someone makes a heartfelt thank-you speech to us as we are closing up. Today was no different. “You’re welcome” somehow seems inadequate, so we say “thank you for coming” or “we’re glad you could join us” as if they are giving us something, too. They are.

Start Spreading the News

I even read the comics, did
the crosswords puzzle, and
studied the bridge column.

The silver lining of economy air travel is that one is disconnected (in 2017) from the World Wide Web. The traveller is "forced" to read articles, even books, without the distraction of clicking through links. For the first time in years I read the SF Chronicle and Wall Street Journal cover to cover.

I had forgotten the delight of reading articles in the back pages of each section. Not skimming and actually thinking about the "minor" news that I had just read was a pleasure. Some poor section editor, a vanishing breed, applied all of his or her experience to designing the layout that will be completely forgotten in 24 hours.

After getting off the airplane, I sent my renewal payment to the Chronicle. Yes, its politics are different from mine, and yes, it's become increasingly partisan over the past decade, but there's enough in the venerable newspaper that's worth saving.

Beating the Competition

I usually tune out during the pre-flight safety announcements and after years of travel can almost recite them from memory (seat belts, no smoking, oxygen masks, emergency exit doors), but I snapped to attention when I watched Hawaiian Air's video. It showcased ordinary people reciting the instructions against Hawaiian scenic attractions. The cinematography and music were a cut above a typical airline production.

I've been flying HAL regularly, and I like the way it has been making improvements to its product, all the while keeping prices modest. Hawaiian companies rarely match Mainland competition, but here's one that's beating them.

Around and Back

Ala Wai Canal, January 2017

On every trip back to Honolulu I try to walk around the Ala Wai Canal. (I used to jog, but the pounding could trigger the arthritis that runs in my family--that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

One should not day dream or text when walking on the sidewalk, which has become increasingly crowded with pedestrians, joggers, dog walkers, and bicyclists.

The canal in 2011

One should only cross the street in a crosswalk, when the light is green, and only after looking in both directions (the one-way traffic is westbound, but bicyclists can come from any direction). The automobile traffic is heavy, and many of the drivers are in a hurry, speeding through the red light.

I got back to the house after an hour. It was 6:30 p.m. and quite dark. My brother joked (at least I think he was) that he was getting ready to look for me.

Have I really reached the age where people worry that I might not find my way back? (Oh, so that's why she insisted I install Find My Friends on the iPhone.)

In Hawaii the Perfect Runaround Car

(Hana Hou photo)

I learned to drive on three different cars, a black Chevy, a blue Pontiac, and a white Volkswagen bug. All had manual transmissions, and by far the easiest one to drive was the white VW, which handled like a toy compared to the Chevy (power steering was another luxury accessory I didn't acquire until I was nearly 30).

My bachelor uncle, who didn't drive much, let me use his car. After he died in 1982, relatives fixed and painted the car, which was stolen shortly thereafter. In Hawaii then and now, Volkswagen beetles are prized. [bold added]

There are Volkswagen enthusiasts all over the world, but Hawai‘i’s attachment to the brand is so deep and abiding that the cars have become an inextricable part of local culture. Only in Hawai‘i is VW to classic cars what Spam is to breakfast. If you think about it, there are some striking similarities: Both Volkswagens and Spam are dependable, inexpensive and fundamentally utilitarian. Both are also packed with grease. And while one comes in a shiny can and the other is a shiny can, both have a powerful appeal to local tastes that’s not easy for outsiders to understand.

I will install a security system in Hawaii, however.

On the contrary, the appeal is easy to understand. Pre-1975 VW's don't have catalytic converters or radiators. Maintenance is easily within the skill set of the backyard mechanic. To a young single person who doesn't care about impressing a client or a date (or for safety or air-conditioning), it's the perfect runaround car.

It's one of the few things that I'll take to Hawaii if I ever move back.

Better, I Suppose

The last time we were here the "new" International Market Place was still being built. The sidewalk kiosks had been razed, and a multi-story shopping center was springing up around the landmark banyan tree.

I didn't bother going into any of the stores. Attractive as it was, the International Market Place looked the same as other designer-name shopping centers in Hawaii.

The old Market Place had gone through cycles of unsavoriness. I remember it as a hangout for street people and drugs, especially when tourism was down. Beginning in the late 20th century, the Hawaiian economy began the long boom that in Waikiki resulted in high-rise hotels, office buildings, and condo projects all jockeying for the best views of the Pacific. The handwriting was on the wall for the old International Market Place.

Now I miss the haggling and the over-priced T-shirts......

Tempting, But No

CVS, like many retailers, is touting its healthy foods and snacks.

Absent from the webpage are the CVS Spam products in the 50th State, not only the regular and low-sodium offerings on the Mainland but also exotic variations like Portuguese-sausage Spam and Teriyaki Spam.

Don't be reticent, CVS. Proclaim your ability to cater to local tastes!

Did I buy some to take back to California? Tempting, but no.

Sunday Tableau

My home parish is not a large church, so I was not expecting to see a sufficient number of acolytes to make up a Gospel Processional, complete with crucifer, bookbearer, and two candlebearers.

The rector is a Lutheran pastor---there is full communion between the Lutheran and Episcopal denominations---and (obviously) a woman. She's a living symbol of the changes that have come to the Church over the past half-century.

But is she doing a good job? Based on the evidence of our own eyes, she is.

The Anger Trap: More Powerful Than Ever

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.
-- Proverbs 22:24-25

(Telegraph image)

Before the modern era anger was not a virtue, in fact it was one of the seven deadly sins.

Nowadays if you are angry for the "right" reasons many people will follow you, you'll get on the nightly news, and you may even get elected to high office. And if you destroy property and harm people because you are angry about the way things are or will be shortly, you are also rewarded with fame and clicks. There is plenty of anger on display by all sides.

Your humble blogger is not immune from anger and sometimes allowed it to control his decisions. Although some say that anger can be used as motivation and channeled into productive uses, I have found its costs to be much greater than any benefits. As King Solomon wrote about the anger trap, don't "get yourself ensnared."

BTW, don't suppress or vent your anger. Try reappraisal.

Apt Metaphor

The new President's first and last names are each very punnable, so inspired by a headline such as the one shown ("Don of a New Day") I went outside on Friday to take a picture of the sunrise at 7:10 a.m. HST (12:10 p.m. in Washington, DC) while he was delivering the Inaugural address.

No luck, the heavy overcast blocked the sun, and fierce rains blew through Honolulu shortly after.

Well, a storm is a more apt metaphor anyway for what's going on in politics.

Nice to Test It

Tourists who want to spend a lot of money can always go to Maui or Kauai or stay in Waikiki, and I'm not averse to doing that every five years or so.

This time I would have my typical Oahu vacation in which expenses, including airfare, would be under $1,000 for the week (OK, it helps to have relatives who will provide a bed and a car).

I strolled down to Ala Moana Beach Park; it has large expanses of white sand, reef-protected beaches, and hardly any people on a weekday. The distance around the park was 1.8 miles, enough to meet the (low) exercise criterion on the Apple Watch.

The short walk was enough to work up a light sweat and a good reason to walk across Ala Moana Boulevard to the shopping center for refreshment. Retiring in Hawaii, I would start doing this every day and might eventually get bored. Well, I'm not sure about that but it would be nice to test that hypothesis.

Banyan at Ala Moana park

Often Wrong but Never in Doubt

Two Wall Street Journals in one: from last Friday's web page, the Trump rally has peaked vs. the Trump rally continues. (Clicking through shows that the optimistic projection is actually from Marketwatch.)

Despite millions (billions?) of dollars spent on computer models and hiring the best mathematics PhD's from CalTech and MIT, the investment banks, the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department, and Economics departments still can't tell us where the financial markets are going today, tomorrow, or next year.

Maybe they should think outside the box and hire climate scientists, who can tell us with unfailing accuracy when the polar ice caps will melt and what the global temperatures will be in a hundred years (about tomorrow they're not so sure). And they can do this with only a fraction of the funds allocated to financial software.

Spend $millions and get a lot of I'm-not-sures or run an Excel spreadsheet that tells you where mankind is going? Your choice.

Hospitalization Unlikely

The first order of business after getting off the plane was to go to a place where standing water is prevalent. Somewhat disconcertingly, a sign posted at eye level warned of an unpublicized peril, dengue fever. Fortunately, there were no mosquitoes buzzing about the room in the air-conditioned terminal.

Well, I'll just have to avoid the rainforests on this trip and confine myself to the bars and nightclubs, where one can still contract fevers and headaches. However, hospitalization will be unlikely.