Well,
It’s the end of the school year and I’m sitting in a classroom at Smith-Hale Junior High School for what might be the last time. I’m so excited.
It’s been a long year and over the next 6 weeks Rachael and I have a lot to get done. We’ll be selling both of our vehicles (yes, the van will be no more), buying a new one, having a huge garage sale, repacking our things and saying goodbye to friends and family.
We’ll be leaving KC on July 5th in our new vehicle and fly back after finding a place to live a week later. We’ll then pack our moving truck & trailer and make the trip again.
We’re still looking for more support during this time so if you’re reading this, support what we do and waste $10 ore more a month on things you don’t really need. Please consider supporting this ministry each month and help us get a new church off the ground that will reach people in Tucson.
E-mail me at timsuddarth@yahoo.com and I will be happy to send you all the information you need to join our support team.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
:. Keep the Internet Free
"What? The Net's not free (unless I can find a hot spot). I have to drop my $20 every month for access. And my parent's are paying more than that for dial-up. The Net's never been free (except for those freeridin' days of college) - what are you talking about?"
Well, I'm talking about a little thing called net neutrality. Jeffery Chester explains what's at stake in his article Save the Internet:
Alyssa Milano (yes, that Alyssa Milano) paints a picture of what it might be like without net nuetrality:
In an article for the New Yorker, James Surowiecki describes what it might have been like if we'd allowed telephone companies to act in the way ISPs are pushing for today:
Well, I'm talking about a little thing called net neutrality. Jeffery Chester explains what's at stake in his article Save the Internet:
Will the internet in the United States become, in the words of AT&T (SBC) CEO, their company's private "pipes"? Or will it remain, as the Supreme Court cited in 1997, "the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed"? These two very different perspectives reflect what's at stake in the growing fight now in Congress over the internet's future.The basic question: Should Internet service providers be allowed to charge extra for preferential treatment of web pages? (i.e. ABC.com loads way faster than Craig's List because ABC pays SBC/Yahoo DSL [or whoever] more money to carry it's website faster) Congress is just beginning to debate this as they start the process of overhauling telecommunicaation regulations for the first time since 1996.
Alyssa Milano (yes, that Alyssa Milano) paints a picture of what it might be like without net nuetrality:
Imagine, wanting to donate money to a charity and not being able to open the nonprofit's web page because of the charity's inability to afford the dominant internet provider's fees required to make the page efficient? Imagine the millions of life-saving dollars these charities will lose if lobbyists get their way? What if your child is sick, and you can't gain access to a support group's page because the support group can't afford the fees? Or even scarier, imagine not gaining speedy access to a politician's views because the specific provider is against his or her ideology?In an L. A. Times article, Jim Puzzanghera explains the motivation for internet service providers to push for an end to net neutrality:
As more people use the Internet for data-heavy applications like video and music, the copper wires and fiber-optic lines that whisk information from computer to computer can get crowded. Big ... companies led by AT&T Inc. want to charge extra to guarantee fast and reliable delivery.Simply put, the internet will change completely for us if congress passes the proposed telecom bill. This would be a bad thing. We didn't let telephone companies charge a premium and provide more reliable service to those who paid as that technology spread across the country and we shouldn't let ISPs do it with the internet.
In an article for the New Yorker, James Surowiecki describes what it might have been like if we'd allowed telephone companies to act in the way ISPs are pushing for today:
In the first decades of the twentieth century, as a national telephone network spread across the United States, A.T. & T. adopted a policy of “tiered access” for businesses. Companies that paid an extra fee got better service: their customers’ calls went through immediately, were rarely disconnected, and sounded crystal-clear. Those who didn’t pony up had a harder time making calls out, and people calling them sometimes got an “all circuits busy” response. Over time, customers gravitated toward the higher-tier companies and away from the ones that were more difficult to reach. In effect, A.T. & T.’s policy turned it into a corporate kingmaker.Take just a moment and go to Save The Internet and sign the petition to speak out against this abuse of the internet.
If you’ve never heard about this bit of business history, there’s a good reason: it never happened. Instead, A.T. & T. had to abide by a “common carriage” rule: it provided the same quality of service to all, and could not favor one customer over another.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
:. In Defense of a Standard
Truman Considers Dropping ACT Requirement
What is going on at Truman State University these days? It seems that in the last year things have picked up steam rolling downhill. Truman is supposed to be a University that isn't for everyone, that's unapologetically pursuing the best and brightest students across the nation and around the world.
Why the change to a "let's let everyone experience Truman, whether they cut it or not" mentality?
Without a set standard, there are no standards. This sounds like the "reward people who don't measure up" idea that permeates (and eventually erodes) society in Ann Rand's Atlas Shrugged and should have no place at Truman State.
What is going on at Truman State University these days? It seems that in the last year things have picked up steam rolling downhill. Truman is supposed to be a University that isn't for everyone, that's unapologetically pursuing the best and brightest students across the nation and around the world.
Why the change to a "let's let everyone experience Truman, whether they cut it or not" mentality?
Without a set standard, there are no standards. This sounds like the "reward people who don't measure up" idea that permeates (and eventually erodes) society in Ann Rand's Atlas Shrugged and should have no place at Truman State.
Friday, April 21, 2006
:. Film & Theology Presents: SAVED!
Rachael and I are sponsoring a new KC Film & Theology Event tonight at 6:30 p.m. 
at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit (501 N. Missouri – just off Douglas).
We’ll be watching and discussing the movie SAVED! After a brief introduction, we’ll view the movie and have a short discussion about the issues it raises. Childcare will be provided.
Movie Description: Mary Cummings introduces herself as a born-again Christian who has been following Jesus since the age of three. She lives with her mother and is just about to start her final year at American Eagle Christian High School, which is run by Pastor Skip. She is happy with her lot: she has Jesus at the centre of her life, is a member of a group of friends at school called the Christian Jewels, and has a perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean. All seems to be going well for Mary.
That is, however, until she and Dean are in the swimming pool one day. They play a game which involves telling each other secrets while underwater. Dean tells Mary that he thinks he is gay. Shocked, Mary shoots up to the surface but hits her head on her ascent, and has what she believes is a vision of Jesus telling her to help Dean and cure him of his homosexual tendencies. Mary decides that the best way to do this is to seduce him and so they sleep together. Soon afterwards, Dean’s parents send him away to Mercy House to undergo a process of ‘de-gayification’. Mary is very confused about her faith and what she has done – and becomes even more so when she discovers she is pregnant.
Mary is ostracized by her old friends and so strikes up
friendships with Cassandra – the school’s only Jewish girl who has been allowed into the school so that she can be saved, and Roland, Hilary Faye’s cynical, wheelchair-bound brother who has been ostracized by his sister and others at the school because of his disability. Mary also attracts the attention of Pastor Skip’s son Patrick.
Saved! has been steeped in controversy since its premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. It is an all-American high school movie with a difference – it is set in a Christian high school and seems to be a parody of such Christian institutions. This film has offended Christian and non-Christian critics alike, although a few have found its satire funny and accurate.
Saved! is director and co-writer Brian Danelly's first feature film. He was born in Germany, and moved to the US when he was 11, attending a Catholic elementary school, a Jewish summer camp and a Baptist high school. He says, ‘The biggest lesson I learned from my experience became a line in the script: “They can’t all be wrong and they can’t all be right.’ He studied visual arts in college before becoming a directing fellow at the American Film Institute. The producer of the film is REM's singer/songwriter Michael Stipe.
How does the world view Christians? What stereotypes do Christians feed into and what things should change in our discussion of tolerance?
Come join us for an evening of cinema and discussion.
at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit (501 N. Missouri – just off Douglas).We’ll be watching and discussing the movie SAVED! After a brief introduction, we’ll view the movie and have a short discussion about the issues it raises. Childcare will be provided.
Movie Description: Mary Cummings introduces herself as a born-again Christian who has been following Jesus since the age of three. She lives with her mother and is just about to start her final year at American Eagle Christian High School, which is run by Pastor Skip. She is happy with her lot: she has Jesus at the centre of her life, is a member of a group of friends at school called the Christian Jewels, and has a perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean. All seems to be going well for Mary.
That is, however, until she and Dean are in the swimming pool one day. They play a game which involves telling each other secrets while underwater. Dean tells Mary that he thinks he is gay. Shocked, Mary shoots up to the surface but hits her head on her ascent, and has what she believes is a vision of Jesus telling her to help Dean and cure him of his homosexual tendencies. Mary decides that the best way to do this is to seduce him and so they sleep together. Soon afterwards, Dean’s parents send him away to Mercy House to undergo a process of ‘de-gayification’. Mary is very confused about her faith and what she has done – and becomes even more so when she discovers she is pregnant.
Mary is ostracized by her old friends and so strikes up
friendships with Cassandra – the school’s only Jewish girl who has been allowed into the school so that she can be saved, and Roland, Hilary Faye’s cynical, wheelchair-bound brother who has been ostracized by his sister and others at the school because of his disability. Mary also attracts the attention of Pastor Skip’s son Patrick.Saved! has been steeped in controversy since its premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. It is an all-American high school movie with a difference – it is set in a Christian high school and seems to be a parody of such Christian institutions. This film has offended Christian and non-Christian critics alike, although a few have found its satire funny and accurate.
Saved! is director and co-writer Brian Danelly's first feature film. He was born in Germany, and moved to the US when he was 11, attending a Catholic elementary school, a Jewish summer camp and a Baptist high school. He says, ‘The biggest lesson I learned from my experience became a line in the script: “They can’t all be wrong and they can’t all be right.’ He studied visual arts in college before becoming a directing fellow at the American Film Institute. The producer of the film is REM's singer/songwriter Michael Stipe.
How does the world view Christians? What stereotypes do Christians feed into and what things should change in our discussion of tolerance?
Come join us for an evening of cinema and discussion.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
:. A Fruitful Trip
I just returned from a trip to Arizona. I had the opportunity to meet some cool new people with Mission to the Americas and Damascus Road, plan a ministry conference, spend time with family and hang out with friends.
All in all, a great time.
My trip began with a mother trying to hook me up with her daughter on the plane. After we hit the flight deck, I pulled out my PowerBook and began working on a project for church. Nancy (the mom) noticed it from across the aisle and asked me if it had wireless. this began a conversation about her daughter’s (Allie) iBook and the problems they’d had trying to get it wireless.
Throughout the conversation Nancy kept throwing the ball to Allie to explain things about how she used her computer or to ask me other things. After about 5 – 10 minutes, Allie turned to her mother and said, “Mom, leave him alone – he’s married.”
She then turned to me and said, “I’m sorry about this, my mom really wants me to find a guy and get married.”
Nancy blushed and tut-tuted Allie’s comment and would have gone on, but for the beverage cart moving between us. When we landed we walked together through security and wished each other well.
My first few days in Arizona were spent planning the Campus Ambassadors Staff Forum for MTTA. We worked on the overall plan and started hashing out details. It's going to be June 10 – 15, 2007 in Oregon. I think our approach will be a lot of fun and provide ample opportunity to learn from each other. It was wonderful seeing Val & Jackie again and awesome getting to know Ben & Jeff.
Next, I had the chance to spend the day with my sister Connie and her husband Tim (yes, Tim) in Phoenix. They showed me around town and we had a fun evening hanging out with their neighbors Matt & Kerri. Matt & Kerri both teach autistic children and we swapped stories of
breakthroughs and letdowns over dinner and then spent the rest of the evening in an intense game of Scategories.
In this picture of their living room, you can see a set of paintings Tim painted specifically for the space hanging over Connie's inpulse purchase couch and chair.
The next morning Connie and Tim introduced me to their pastor Jim Bauer at Mesa Baptist Church. It’s quite a ways from their house, but it’s worth the drive. After church they drove me down to Tucson where I met up with Ryan & Liz Miller.
After the normal catching up, the
Damascus Road Steering Team met for the first time all in one state (web cams, IM and cell phone just aren’t the same). After a good meeting, we headed to worship.
DR meets for worship Sunday evenings at Espresso Art, a coffeehouse right next to the main entrance to the U of A campus. Liz’s brother Chris led worship and Ryan spoke on recognizing and using your gifts. The service started with a clip from the Worst of American Idol DVD (not recognizing and using your gifts) and ended with a clip from American Inventor (recognizing and using your gifts to help others). It was a good night.
The space is free for groups to use, as long as you buy drinks or food from Espresso Art. One thing that was kind of different was the featured artist Yoni whose art was displayed around the room. Her show featured black and white pictures of pregnant women and their families. It was the kind of art that my wife loves.
The next day brought great conversation with Ryan and Colin over lunch and the ride to the airport and a longer than necessary (layovers – Come On!) flight back to KC.
All in all, a great time.
My trip began with a mother trying to hook me up with her daughter on the plane. After we hit the flight deck, I pulled out my PowerBook and began working on a project for church. Nancy (the mom) noticed it from across the aisle and asked me if it had wireless. this began a conversation about her daughter’s (Allie) iBook and the problems they’d had trying to get it wireless.
Throughout the conversation Nancy kept throwing the ball to Allie to explain things about how she used her computer or to ask me other things. After about 5 – 10 minutes, Allie turned to her mother and said, “Mom, leave him alone – he’s married.”
She then turned to me and said, “I’m sorry about this, my mom really wants me to find a guy and get married.”
Nancy blushed and tut-tuted Allie’s comment and would have gone on, but for the beverage cart moving between us. When we landed we walked together through security and wished each other well.
My first few days in Arizona were spent planning the Campus Ambassadors Staff Forum for MTTA. We worked on the overall plan and started hashing out details. It's going to be June 10 – 15, 2007 in Oregon. I think our approach will be a lot of fun and provide ample opportunity to learn from each other. It was wonderful seeing Val & Jackie again and awesome getting to know Ben & Jeff.
Next, I had the chance to spend the day with my sister Connie and her husband Tim (yes, Tim) in Phoenix. They showed me around town and we had a fun evening hanging out with their neighbors Matt & Kerri. Matt & Kerri both teach autistic children and we swapped stories of
breakthroughs and letdowns over dinner and then spent the rest of the evening in an intense game of Scategories.In this picture of their living room, you can see a set of paintings Tim painted specifically for the space hanging over Connie's inpulse purchase couch and chair.
The next morning Connie and Tim introduced me to their pastor Jim Bauer at Mesa Baptist Church. It’s quite a ways from their house, but it’s worth the drive. After church they drove me down to Tucson where I met up with Ryan & Liz Miller.
After the normal catching up, the
Damascus Road Steering Team met for the first time all in one state (web cams, IM and cell phone just aren’t the same). After a good meeting, we headed to worship.DR meets for worship Sunday evenings at Espresso Art, a coffeehouse right next to the main entrance to the U of A campus. Liz’s brother Chris led worship and Ryan spoke on recognizing and using your gifts. The service started with a clip from the Worst of American Idol DVD (not recognizing and using your gifts) and ended with a clip from American Inventor (recognizing and using your gifts to help others). It was a good night.
The space is free for groups to use, as long as you buy drinks or food from Espresso Art. One thing that was kind of different was the featured artist Yoni whose art was displayed around the room. Her show featured black and white pictures of pregnant women and their families. It was the kind of art that my wife loves.The next day brought great conversation with Ryan and Colin over lunch and the ride to the airport and a longer than necessary (layovers – Come On!) flight back to KC.
Friday, March 31, 2006
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