Latest news item
Chevron Refinery Explosion 20120806
My article on the Chevron Refinery explosion is posted at http://www.examiner.com/article/huge-flames-shoot-from-chevron-refinery-richmond-california. The images and video are from my camera.
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Updates
- REALLY proud of my nephew, Valliant Keepin, who has grown into overnight camping with his papa, Isaiah.
- Early this morning I turned in my First Draft of the Bluevolution article for the Journal of Archetypal Studies.
- In the next several hours I plan to send out invitations to Sofia University staff to visit the proto-site for the new Aikido Archives which will launch in the Fall.
- This Sunday the UC Berkeley Clark Kerr Campus will be the site of a fair benefiting 300 students from the part of Japan hit by disasters. Golden Bears Aikido, Free Aiki Dojo, and Aikido of Berkeley will all be represented in an open class from 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon. Please come!
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On July 29th, from 1:30 to 3:30, we will offer a demonstration and open class during the Tomodachi Summer SoftBank Leadership Program fair on the UC Berkeley Clark Kerr Campus at 2601 Warring St. We will all have arrived and be dressed in keiko gi (if you have one - OK if you don't) at 1:30 to stretch and talk.We'll offer an open class beginning around 2:00 and finishing by 3:30, including taking questions from participants.
The leadership program benefits three hundred Japanese high school students who survived the earthquake and tsunami last year and are spending three weeks at UC Berkeley this summer to cultivate skills that will help them move forward and succeed.
If you are available to attend and help out, please let me know as soon as possible.
Looking forward,
Brandon Sensei
TRS MNv PcPx schedule and training email 20120707
All,
- Would you like to come/learn/help? Please reply to me directly at Sensei@FreeAiki.com
- This will effect our Monday classes both the day after tomorrow and next week. Please reply to me directly to say if you can attend class one hour earlier, from 11-12 on the next two Mondays.
- This will effect our Friday classes both the day after tomorrow and next week. Classes will continue as normal. I am waiting to hear from potential guest instructors and will let you know. Otherwise, the classes will be study groups and sempai (more experienced) will respond to questions from kohai (less experienced) and everyone will train together.
Bill Moyers - Why America — Where Only The Rich Get Richer — Is Not A Democracy
20120703+BW+Recommendations
Rosie Walks!
Kaiser Health Reform Quiz results
BEFORE READING MY RESULTS BELOW
Please take the quiz yourself at http://healthreform.kff.org/quizzes/health-reform-quiz.aspx
Brandon's Health Reform Quiz results
QUESTION |
CORRECT RESPONSE |
% OF AMERICANS ANSWERING CORRECTLY |
---|---|---|
1. Will the health reform law require nearly all Americans to have health insurance starting in 2014 or else pay a fine? | Yes, the law will do this. You answered this correctly.
Yes. Starting in 2014, most U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to obtain health coverage, or pay a penalty. Some exemptions will be granted, for example, for those with religious objections or where insurance would cost more than 8% of their income. |
64% |
2. Will the health reform law allow a government panel to make decisions about end-of-life care for people on Medicare? | No, the law will not do this. You answered this correctly.
No. No such panels exist. While early versions of the law did contain provisions that would allow Medicare to reimburse physicians for voluntary discussions with patients about end-of-life planning, these provisions were dropped from the final legislation. |
45% |
3. Will the health reform law cut benefits that were previously provided to all people on Medicare? | No, the law will not do this. You answered this correctly.
No. The law reduces payments to the privately administered Medicare Advantage plans, but they will still be required to provide all benefits that are covered by traditional Medicare. |
40% |
4. Will the health reform law expand the existing Medicaid program to cover low-income, uninsured adults regardless of whether they have children? | Yes, the law will do this. You answered this correctly.
Yes. Medicaid will be expanded to cover nearly all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($14,400 for an individual or $29,300 for a family of four in 2010). |
62% |
5. Will the health reform law provide financial help to low and moderate income Americans who don't get insurance through their jobs to help them purchase coverage? | Yes, the law will do this. You answered this correctly.
Yes. Individuals without access to affordable coverage who purchase coverage through the new insurance Exchanges and have incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for premium tax credits based on their income. |
72% |
6. Will the health reform law prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person's medical history or health condition? | Yes, the law will do this. You answered this correctly.
Yes. Starting in 2014, all health insurers will be required to sell coverage to everyone who applies, regardless of their medical history or health status. |
67% |
7. Will the health reform law require all businesses, even the smallest ones, to provide health insurance for their employees? | No, the law will not do this. You answered this correctly.
No. The law does not require employers to provide health benefits. However, it does impose penalties, in some cases, on larger employers (those with 50 or more workers) that do not provide insurance to their workers or that provide coverage that is unaffordable. |
25% |
8. Will the health reform law provide tax credits to small businesses that offer coverage to their employees? | Yes, the law will do this. You answered this correctly.
Yes. Beginning in 2010, business with fewer than 25 full time equivalent employees and average annual wages of less than $50,000 that pay at least half of the cost of health insurance for their employees are eligible for a tax credit. |
65% |
9. Will the health reform law create a new government run insurance plan to be offered along with private plans? | No, the law will not do this. You answered this correctly.
No. The law does not create a new government-run health insurance plan. The existing Medicaid program will be expanded to cover more low-income people, government regulation of the health insurance industry will be increased, and tax credits will be provided to make private health insurance more affordable for people. |
27% |
10. Will the health reform law allow undocumented immigrants to receive financial help from the government to buy health insurance? | No, the law will not do this. You answered this correctly.
No. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive financial help from the government to buy health insurance, nor are they eligible for Medicaid or to purchase insurance with their own money in the new Exchanges. |
42% |
Odette to be PSR Dir Field Ed Context Learn
Before concluding this communion message, I need to make an announcement.
This is a most difficult one for me to make.
I have been invited to join the faculty of Pacific School of Religion as Director of Field Education and Contextual Learning. After a great deal of anguished prayer and deep discernment on my own and with Jim, I have decided to accept the invitation. I am confident by God's grace that I am led to do so. This means that I will be leaving as pastor of Epworth United Methodist Church as of August 1st.
I know this may be shocking. I have four important things I need to say to you.
First of all, I had assumed I would continue as pastor of this amazing congregation for years to come. The Bishop and our District Superintendent, Renae Extrum-Fernandez, did not initiate nor advocate for this move in any way.
Secondly, I was not seeking to leave. Late Spring PSR completed an internal search and then a national search and then approached me. They knew of my interest and work in founding the contextual education program twelve years ago. I agreed to meet with the Committee. The President of PSR, Riess Potterveld offered me the position.
This has been a extremely difficult and wrenching decision for me. I love this community and I love being in ministry with you...
But this new position will bring together my years in higher education, mentoring, teaching, and pastoral ministry. It will also be a season to work with faculty here in Berkeley to help form and transform leadership for church and society.
I have served eight years as your pastor. I am continually amazed by your gifts and growth and discipleship. My heart is here.
I ask your forgiveness, especially staff, and leaders, for not speaking to you personally before making this announcement. I could not. It was absolutely in the best interest of Epworth. I also ask your forgiveness for not being a part of the pastoral relationships and projects that will go forward without me.
Finally, I want to say a word about the path ahead.
Our Superintendent knows the importance of appointing the best pastoral leadership for the Epworth congregation. She met with the Pastoral Staff Parish Relations Committee this morning when they were informed of my decision so they could immediately begin the consultative process. PSPRC: Chairperson, Becky Wheat (met with her on Thursday); Molly Brostrom; Tracy Emayan; Glenn Eagleson; Susan Harrison; Vivian Chavez; Anna Martinez. Lay leaders, Don Arreola-Burl and John Schweitzer will also be involved.
The caliber and character of your former pastors, including Dave Slorpe, Bill Dew, Nobu Hanaoka, Jim Lockwood-Stewart, and Ron Parker, gives me comfort in my grief at leaving you. I am also confident that the ministers of this congregation, you, will continue to show up for each other, step up, and step out on faith to welcome everyone to the love of God and challenge everyone to live out their ministry in the world.
Immediately following worship, I will send this announcement out by email and U.S. mail to the full membership. Again, I ask forgiveness for the suddenness of this word. In fact, this morning I made copies of this statement that will be available downstairs- so that if you stopped listening at any part of this announcement, you can take one with you.
My last Sunday will be July 29th. I will preach three of the next four weeks, and in the coming days and weeks I will make myself as available as possible for conversations.
Sisters and brothers, let's pray for each other without ceasing.
Holy communion embodies the reality that the Body of Christ is found in community. If our connection is for one moment, for eight years, for decades, "Eternity is going on all the time." Thanks be to God.
Pastor Odette Lockwood-Stewart
http://www.psr.edu/job-posting/director-field-education-and-contextual-learning
http://www.psr.edu/contextual-learning
From the pulpit and then via Email - July 1, 2012
How a solid beating can make you less risk averse
Click here for the saga of my encounter with a tree at the hands, sorry, hooves of a horse named O.J. at the J and P Ranch.