tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116493532012-02-01T21:48:28.771-05:00<b>An eclectic and amusive look "behind the curtain" by Stan Morris</b>Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.comBlogger871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-38964789280565207152009-05-31T21:19:00.004-04:002012-02-01T21:48:28.787-05:00

I received a wonderful visit from my sister Vicky a few weeks ago. Here is a video of the AZ feest that took place while she was here. We're in the crowd standing on top of the five story parking garage, chanting "kampioen, kampioen!" It really was wild, ha!AZ is a football team in Alkmaar, and they won the national championship this year. As you know, football is huge in Europe, it's all sports

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-60075971677789176272009-04-13T21:06:00.000-04:002012-02-01T21:17:57.332-05:00

We also have Monday off for Paasdagen (1st and 2nd days of Easter). I had some time on my hands, so on the Web I found the Geert Dilling Wandeltocht 2009. This morning I biked over to this annual Alkmaar event and registered for the 10 kilometer. A "wandeltocht" is a walking tour or hike through nature areas, forests and dunes along the seaway, and we have many all around us. It was sunny and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-18505592604902174552009-03-15T20:49:00.000-04:002012-02-01T21:00:10.106-05:00

Yesterday John and I went to Amsterdam for the evening, as our Musicians without Borders friends invited us to their 10 Years Celebration. The event was a concert featuring six individual performances and the music of Sarajevo, Balkans, Mexicaanse, and Holland's Mitrovica Rockschool. On the map I thought the venue looked familiar, then realized I had visited this area over a year ago with Marion,

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-36642269434701931292009-02-05T20:34:00.000-05:002012-02-01T20:39:57.611-05:00

A few weeks ago we had our annual "borrel," like a cocktail party. IFOR does this as a New Year get-together for friends and associates, to see the office and meet new staffers. We host the event with lots of different drinks and Dutch snack foods, and provide a little entertainment for the quests, which are usually all from Holland.I may have mentioned that I have been learning a new song, just

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-72059169901114534252008-11-23T20:24:00.002-05:002012-02-01T21:04:34.953-05:00

The Saturday before last, Sinterklaas visited us! He was here last year, as well, but I was in Germany and missed the whole thing. So this was all new for me, and I would have to say another "incredible" Dutch tradition to experience...The tradition of St. Nicholas (our Santa Claus) came to North America via Netherlands Protestant Settlers in New Amsterdam, now New York. It all started back in

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-68537860715707917702008-11-11T20:21:00.000-05:002012-02-01T20:22:37.915-05:00

Had the strangest dream:I'm standing in the white, graveled driveway of our house in Cedar Grove. Those bright red, double garage doors at my back and our old, dark green, mid-1950's Buick Century in front of me with the hood open, and there's Dad standing right next to it...(If any of you remember, back then the "old Buick" had been set aside when Mom and Dad bought Otto and Lydia Frisk's newer

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-77638739405581601922008-09-03T20:04:00.002-04:002012-02-01T20:48:12.901-05:00

I have received a group photo that was taken on our Berlin retreat trip by our BVS Director Kristin...We were staying just outside of Berlin in a resort area called Kladow, right on the Wannsee River (more like a lake) at Haus Kreisau. Haus Kreisau is a youth training/seminar center named after the “Kreisau Circle,” a group of church people in resistance during World War II (the place where they

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-32940497917805119062008-07-27T19:57:00.000-04:002012-02-01T20:03:10.537-05:00

I've been seeing one concert or theatrical event after another for over a month (sometimes 4-5 a weekend). I might have mentioned there's quite a music scene right here in Alkmaar, with roots going back to 'the early rock en' roll days of Europe,' and it's happening just a few blocks away.Zomer op het Plein runs all summer, with free music, street theater, art programs and activities for kids. A

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-80435212800089372172008-06-28T19:42:00.001-04:002012-02-01T19:55:26.127-05:00

Several weeks ago I found a bright-green flyer in our mailbox, obviously hand delivered and stating that there would be another Wijkfeest Spoorbuurt this year on Saturday, June 14. The flyer was packed with information about the 12 hour event -- in Dutch, of course, so it took days for me to figure out just what was happening and where.Turns out it was our annual neighborhood (Spoorbuurt)

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-21018565188132046902008-06-09T19:13:00.001-04:002012-02-01T19:40:10.952-05:00

On Thursday five of us went to Den Haag (The Hague) to sit in on the Trial of Charles Taylor, at one time Taylor was the President of Liberia. The trial is taking place at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Taylor is accused of aiding the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone. These guys are purported to have killed and raped civilians, cutting off arms, legs, ears or noses,

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-51561745163696610852008-05-21T19:01:00.000-04:002012-02-01T19:11:15.663-05:00

Saturday before last, my friend John and I biked over 50 kilometer, to Egmond aan Zee (5 miles away) and on up through the Schoorl Duin (dunes). John took his son Willem with us on the back of his bike. Willem is a lot of fun to have around, we've spent hours together here at the office (have a big stack of drawings of dinosaurs and monsters). I'm getting quite close to his family, that has

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-85017036021807340302008-04-13T18:41:00.002-04:002012-02-01T18:59:10.918-05:00

I had quite a laugh when I was surprised by this photo of Marion, Françoise and I, while thumbing through the Alkmaars Weekblad (a local weekly I pick up at our library). Marion is a retired English teacher from Austria and Françoise was the mayor of her hometown in France for 50 years. They were both here last week for our three day European FOR conference.The evening Marion arrived the three of

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-3664508012742433472008-01-28T18:21:00.001-05:002012-02-01T18:38:51.941-05:00

A couple of things I think are really cool here are the “vrije uitloop eieren” (free-range eggs) sold at Albert Heijn -- it's kind of like a Dutch Raley's -- and “Echinacea toothpaste.” All large supermarkets in the Netherlands now carry eggs from poultry farms raising birds in open barns or in free-range systems.The toothpaste is just something I have been using ever since I arrived. I like the

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-41991631551141707022008-01-13T18:11:00.000-05:002012-02-01T18:19:47.678-05:00

In Alkmaar it's a tradition that on Christmas Eve crowds of people gather at Grote Sint Laurenskerk, a huge, 15th century French Gothic style church just a few blocks away. There was a stage setup inside and groups of people moving in and out all evening as each performance changed. The floor is composed of large, black stone slabs with beautiful art carvings in most of them, and two world-famous

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-13427713337548039282007-11-06T18:00:00.000-05:002012-02-01T18:09:50.097-05:00

Peace work at IFOR is both active and challenging for me, as I continue to interact with people from all over the planet interested in getting involved. I've just finished the Fall issue of our quarterly publication IFOR in Action and already working on the next. As for off-time, I recently shared with Katie O an experience I had that exemplifies my life in Alkmaar...I had taken a walk along a

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-28233585382051010912007-11-02T15:53:00.000-04:002012-02-01T16:06:41.363-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that I'm now in Minden, Germany. I'll be here for around a month to help-out one of our member organizations, Internationaler Versöhnungsbund. I moved into a flat Tues. night, the address is "Steinstraße 26, 32427 Minden," you can find it with Google maps. But no change to my mailing address or anything else. I'm finally able to access my email, have a desk and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-2022527198311998432007-10-19T15:39:00.001-04:002012-02-01T15:50:56.038-05:00

You think our sales tax is high at 7.75%, how about the 19% I'm paying here in Alkmaar. The tax is levied on all general goods at the rate of 19%. A lower rate of 6% applies for certain goods and services, such as food products, books, medicines, art, antiques, entry to museums, zoos, theaters and sports.The Netherlands has one of the highest tax rates in the world, with income tax and new

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-9944113311018191982007-10-18T15:32:00.000-04:002012-02-01T15:35:08.620-05:00

I've heard from friends at Plymouth Gardens (this is the apartment building where I was living in Rochester, NY) about them receiving the computers I had promised. Months before I left, I had been working with Time-Warner Cable to have two decrepit computers in their activities room replaced. The company's Internet Technology department finally said they would do it, but not until fall. Well, the

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-42361303261091003252007-09-29T15:43:00.000-04:002012-02-01T15:46:09.731-05:00

After four days in Geneva with our director, a long train ride through Germany and the Netherlands, I'm finally here in Alkmaar. There's a lot I've seen and experienced already in Amsterdam, at the ocean (5 miles away) and just in our town that is one of the oldest and most historic places in the country. I'll share more of that with you later, but I thought you might enjoy hearing about some of

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-3026277987629373832007-09-16T14:46:00.003-04:002012-02-01T16:16:13.046-05:00

After four days in Geneva, Switzerland, sight seeing, eating out, meeting with our European Director and, on one evening, sneaking across the border into France, fellow BVSer Solomon and I are finally here in Alkmaar. The town is like a fairytale land, and living in-town has made it easier to learn my way around. The Dutch are kind people, and I seem to fit in... as some start right-off speaking

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-41861328226425036042007-09-07T15:29:00.007-04:002012-02-01T15:20:44.566-05:00

On the 18th of August, 2007 I had fulfilled my one year volunteer commitment with Brethren Volunteer Service (BVS) at the AHEAD Energy project, located on the campus of the University of Rochester in New York. At the same time, I was considering committing to another year at the AHEAD project, after receiving an invitation from AHEAD's Director, Dr. Mary Jeanette (MJ) Ebenhack, and already

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-87707706072471732252007-05-08T10:57:00.000-04:002007-12-23T13:16:43.868-05:00

[I now have Photos Up of my 2006-7 volunteer experience]The City of Rochester has a rich tradition of volunteerism, and it's growing greener by the year. The entire city is invited to participate in two of Rochester's largest annual events and close to 20,000 actually show up. These caring citizens donate a 1/2 day or more of labor to clean-up streets, parks and river banks, repair buildings and/

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-24953625872745613512007-03-19T13:00:00.010-04:002010-07-19T17:13:40.436-04:00

Last week our associate from the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane arrived here at AHEAD Energy's headquarters, housed within the University of Rochester, to work with us for one month on a bio-fuel experiment (photos). I'm restricted from saying much more about the bio-fuel experiments, but I can say that projects in Mozambique are a major focus for AHEAD Energy.Joao is a chemical engineer and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1166919659577306972006-12-23T18:45:00.001-05:002008-12-11T01:05:58.696-05:00

[I’m on volunteer assignment at the University of Rochester, serving an humanitarian non-profit called AHEAD Energy ]Just got back from a bike ride; it was so sunny and dry out this morning I thought I'd take the Genesee River Trail into town and do some reading at Java's Cafe.After a hearty cup of Colombia Supremo—there's no better, whatever they say—I decided to explore the nearby Midtown Plaza

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1166305320313369812006-12-16T15:30:00.001-05:002008-12-11T01:05:59.060-05:00

We have Web Cams here on the University of Rochester campus that run 24/7 in two places I frequent daily. This spawned the brilliant idea of doing a campus cam appearance for family and friends back home, for no other reason than to "just say hi!" So, there I was on November 18 at 12 noon EST, after notifying everyone via email two weeks before, standing in view of these Web Cams waving wildly at

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1163957023242575722006-11-19T11:37:00.000-05:002006-11-19T12:41:37.880-05:00

[Last night I attended the "Off Broadway On Campus" musical review The Bright Side of Life, just to hear this song]Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (from Monty Python)From: Monty Python's SpamalotWords and music by Eric Idle"Some things in life are badThey can really make you madOther things just make you swear and curse.When you're chewing on life's gristleDon't grumble, give a whistleAnd

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1163801820720782482006-11-17T17:11:00.000-05:002007-05-11T15:52:06.767-04:00

I really enjoy exploring the creative thoughts of others, from around the world and especially the Middle East (where cultural roots run deep). I look in libraries, lecture halls, on the streets or wherever and for whomever has a different or new opinion.Bouncing my ideas off someone else's can be exhilarating or exasperating, but always worthwhile to me. So how do I keep from going nuts with all

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1162947287497396282006-11-07T18:53:00.000-05:002008-12-11T01:05:59.285-05:00

[The students and staff here at U of R have been really nice about allowing me to feel like a normal part of the campus]Last week I saw a flyer on a posting board in one of the "campus tunnels" that caught my attention... and curiosity. It was an invitation for Saturday night to join in the activities of a fraternity sponsored event called "Hookah and Hummus." The location was right nearby my

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1162687464538559202006-11-04T19:03:00.003-05:002011-07-18T19:08:47.695-04:00

Halloween night I went to hear a talk by Patch Adams, held here at the University of Rochester and generously sponsored by the Neilly Series. Patch, as you may already know, is a healthcare physician, professional clown, and founder of the Gesundheit! Institute, a holistic health facility emphasizing laughter and humor as an essential part of the healing process. Robin Williams played Patch Adams

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1162581037242338932006-10-29T14:04:00.000-05:002007-10-11T03:33:45.196-04:00

[I walk though this same tunnel several times a week on my way to campus libraries, technology centers and food courts]Quietly hidden beneath the UR campus Eastman Quadrangle, lies a 235' long, underground passageway that everyone calls just "the tunnel." This well used, solid concrete corridor is part of a much larger underground pedestrian system that connects eight of UR's integral buildings.

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1158840659487462702006-10-23T20:06:00.000-04:002007-03-23T08:05:31.476-04:00

Yes, it did snow here last week, can you believe it! It was beautiful, though, looking out over the Genesee River at the huge Rush Rhees Library dome on the UR campus, covered with a light dusting of winter flakes. All this looking, of course, was done from the warm confines of my tenth story apartment.Otherwise... NOT soooo gooood for a California boy, ha!So, now that outdoor activities are at a

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1162655972729705312006-10-13T10:24:00.000-04:002007-03-25T14:03:17.196-04:00

[I'm now serving with a worldwide, volunteer placement organization called BVS, non-profit idea later used to model the Peace Corps]Last weekend was "Meliora Weekend" and the "Head of the Genesee" Invitational Regatta... two of U of R's most high-profiled events. This sixth Meliora Weekend (Meliora is a Latin adjective meaning "better," the schools motto is "always better") hosted some of our

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1157912896232684202006-09-08T18:15:00.000-04:002006-11-03T16:23:19.643-05:00

Today I attended "Activities Day" here on the University of Rochester campus. I visited the information table of one of Professor Ebenhack's students, Patrick, a likable guy that come's through my office once a week on his way to see Ben (Professor Ebenhack) in the adjoining office.I like Patrick and have been talking to him about his "alternative energy" ideas. The table was also setup and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1157033580601837612006-08-31T10:12:00.001-04:002008-06-01T14:39:09.023-04:00

[Ant Hill is not only a communal living environment for its residents, but a focal point of the community]I now have a bicycle, a really cool, "blazing-blue trail bike" that was put together by Jimmy, one of the guys around the corner at the "housing co-op" called Ant-Hill Cooperative. They do stuff like that at Ant-Hill, repair and then give away bikes to anyone that they think needs one.On

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1156881536891585392006-08-27T17:55:00.000-04:002006-09-10T14:35:26.040-04:00

No, I haven't gotten lonely, yet; I have several co-workers here at the office, university students drop in every day to volunteer time and expertise on AHEAD's many projects and there are many people in my neighborhood...Then, there's always a trip to "Flour City."On Saturday I went for a hike down along Rochester's downtown water front (about a mile away) and, as you might expect, it's

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1156128293284758772006-08-23T07:39:00.001-04:002008-06-01T14:39:43.437-04:00

[I'm here in "the-weather-changes-every-15-minutes" Rochester!]Having completed our 20 days of Orientation (see photos) and the closing ceremonies at New Windsor on Friday, Unit #270 BVSers said their goodbyes "several times" before departing on trains, planes or in automobiles that would rush them off to their assignments.My assignment, working on alternative energy solutions for underdeveloped

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1158157742832625492006-08-20T08:09:00.000-04:002006-11-15T09:46:13.946-05:00

It's been four weeks since I left my BVS Unit #270 friends in New Windsor, MD and completed my 20 days of Orientation. On a beautiful Friday morning, after breakfast, we all gathered on the "great lawn" in front of the "big white," Civil War era, brick building for the closing ceremonies.In traditional BVS fashion we said goodbye to each other exactly 21 times in a curious, circular choreography

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1156164144545871812006-08-18T08:41:00.000-04:002006-09-16T17:53:34.426-04:00

DAY 20 of "A Journey with the Brethren"On the last day of our four day visit to Baltimore, where we experienced living among the disadvantaged and "left behind" at a men's shelter and rehabilitation center, we changed our focus slightly to spent a day at Jonah House of the Plowshares Project.Jonah House is located at 1301 Moreland Avenue on the grounds of a very old Irish/Catholic cemetery in

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1155992765719930602006-08-15T01:11:00.000-04:002006-10-16T15:37:14.446-04:00

DAY 17 of "A Journey with the Brethren"One of the more intense training sessions here at Orientation was a trip into Baltimore's inner city for four days to experience homelessness and to do service projects. To better understand the panges of the disadvantaged we slept and ate each day at a homeless shelter for men called I Can, Inc."I Can" is an acronym for "Individual, Character, Attitude

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1155146604444135182006-08-09T14:01:00.000-04:002007-09-11T16:04:19.535-04:00

DAY 11 of "A Journey with the Brethren"Drop-off Day is a BVS tradition that goes back to at least the 70s and has changed very little. It's a day that we as volunteers begin to learn some things about giving and about each other.The essence of Drop-off Day is in volunteers going out into the communities around New Windsor and asking residents for work, odd jobs, inside or outside chores...

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1155616922818298232006-08-06T23:50:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:27:28.733-05:00

DAY 8 of "A Journey with the Brethren"There are many lessons to learn here at the Brethren Service Center—the host facility for BVS's training called "Orientation." Some of our training involves physical and mental exercises in sociology and human behaviour. One recent lesson taught by Susanna, a wonderful instructor from an associated BVS organization On Earth Peace," involved thumb wrestling."

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1155534933972109412006-08-05T22:19:00.000-04:002006-09-20T17:27:52.186-04:00

DAY 7 of "A Journey with the Brethren"We spend much of our time while in class on the second floor of the Brethren Service Center's hotel called Zigler Hall: a large, brick building complete with cafeteria, library and meeting rooms. But at other times, we go on exploratory field trips—like Grace Lafever's Weed Walk.Grace Lafever, 83 years old and wearing a tan T-shirt with a long list of herbs

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1154640834140110532006-07-30T22:32:00.000-04:002006-09-16T10:27:16.723-04:00

DAY 1 of "A Journey with the Brethren"I arrived safely here in New Windsor, Maryland on Sunday evening after a 6 1/6 hour flight and a 50 mile drive from Baltimore Washington International Airport.All is going very well, but there is so much happening each day—with scheduled classroom sessions from 8:30a 'til 9:30p, fun field trips to places miles away, impromptu political and cultural chats with

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1153779046885638002006-07-24T17:58:00.000-04:002006-09-02T18:27:54.596-04:00

[I had my reservations as to whether or not I would get along with these Brethren, so I got to work on it]I may not have the same beliefs as you... nor may I be seeking the same objective, but, after learning more about you, I believe we might share some of the same values:"Advocating Justice, Working for Peace, Serving Basic Human Needs, Maintaining the Integrity of Creation."Sharing and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1152906247552327672006-07-14T14:10:00.000-04:002006-09-02T18:25:18.480-04:00

After a year and a half of application processing to secure a volunteer position, first with the Peace Corps and now with BVS (Brethren Volunteer Service), I have finally been accepted and will begin serving a two year commitment overseas OR in the states, 'til a position overseas opens up.I was initially scheduled to serve in the Pacific Region with the Peace Corps last year, having met all the

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1152418926102150512006-07-08T22:38:00.000-04:002006-09-02T18:24:25.043-04:00

[Days later I realized that I forgot all about any money I had made and found it lying under some papers in, of course, the garage]Yes, today was the day I hosted that inevitable "garage sale" that we all must endure when preparing to move out of our over stuffed homes, setting our sails towards the next adventure.I hate the garage sale, the sitting outside in my driveway for hours, the bartering

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1151382979622506352006-07-02T16:11:00.000-04:002006-09-16T11:38:06.013-04:00

On July 30 I'll be leaving behind my happy home in Sacramento, CA to live on the other side of the country in the small, conservative town of New Windsor, MD.I'll be on a self-imposed mission, a human rights assignment, an adventure of a lifetime, doing something I've not done before, with people I don't know, in a town I've never heard of and only recently seen on a map. I'll be reporting on my

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1119627906098304072006-06-25T15:25:00.000-04:002006-07-15T02:31:54.163-04:00

[My theology doesn't have a name, the best I can come up with is deist... and it sure looks like I'm in good company]There's been much talk lately about Michael Newdow, a Californian atheist who has fought a series of legal battles seeking to bar religious references from American public life suing to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from U.S. money and coins.No doubt this latest battle over

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1150515396857797032006-06-16T22:50:00.000-04:002006-09-20T18:24:41.093-04:00

[Last night PBS-KVIE aired a "stirring" Independent Lens documentary called The Real Dirt on Farmer John; think we don't need our farms]Los Angeles - 15 Jun 2006 Los Angeles Police Forcibly Evict and Bulldoze the South Central Farm Despite widespread popular resistance, including years of struggle against the city and developers on the part of farmers, a three-week old occupation and treesit, a

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1150056944315947212006-06-11T16:49:00.000-04:002006-08-29T08:42:59.936-04:00

"What if" you doggedly drew the living room window shades open one morning and this was the scene in your neighborhood... I have a particular fascination with world events, follow them daily, and find international conflicts and struggles for democracy, theocracy and anarchy WAY more interesting than our own homegrown, getting staler-by-the-day politics. With 42 countries hosting current

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1149747582020637052006-06-08T02:13:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:26:28.736-05:00

[I found that the Peace Corps offered some of the most exciting possibilities I've encountered in my search to serve]One of today's CNN.com headlines reads: Timor violence spreads beyond Dili. The piece goes on to say, "Attackers burned down a district office of East Timor's ruling party on Thursday, the Parliament's speaker said. It was the first reported violence outside the capital since

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1111603132572219632006-05-18T13:37:00.000-04:002006-08-29T08:45:37.703-04:00

Sudan and California, albeit far fetched and worlds apart, may be running a strange immigration parallel?Although over-shadowed by Iraq warring, petty politics and lately the Iranian nuclear threat, the recent news on Sudan has actually been a continuous but muted headline for over three years. As many as 400,000 people have died and two million more have been driven from their homes since 2003

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1147194787370180002006-05-09T13:03:00.000-04:002007-09-11T16:03:29.177-04:00

[Personal insight into the PBS airing of COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION (Episode 2: The Price of Renewal)]Largely immigrant community members – with the help of philanthropist Sol Price – achieved significant revitalization of the diverse San Diego inner city neighborhood of City Heights, despite all odds. —KVIEI moved from my newly developed, middle-class, two story, white-stucco walled/terra cotta

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1145988267655833622006-04-25T12:55:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:24:54.676-05:00

Peter Schrag in an April 2, 2006 Sacramento Bee article about his new book, California: America's High-Stakes Experiment, quotes a once major political figure as saying: "...races most alien to the body of the American people and from the lowest and most illiterate classes ... and do not promise well for the standard of civilization in the United States. ... That kind of immigrants \ reduce the

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1145772235307536292006-04-23T00:33:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:32:40.706-05:00

[NOW with David Brancaccio: KVIE TV Sacramento, Fridays at 10pm]Last night David Brancaccio did a program on combating human rights abuses worldwide using video cameras. No, not sending out an entire news crew with armed guards and armored SUVs; this video taping was done by courageous individuals, many times amateurs or just plain and ordinary men and women, on their own in some of the most

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1145408991859512062006-04-18T21:02:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:17:35.783-05:00

Chad moved down eight positions to rank 173 out of 177 countries last year on the U.N.'s human development index. Yep! Even though Chad's government made a relatively whopping US$307 million (about euro250 million) in exported oil between October 2003 and December 2005, they still couldn't find a way to constructively share the wealth with their own 8.8 million people.This egregious lack of

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1145156852671635032006-04-15T22:32:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:09:08.620-05:00

[At least 13,000 people have been killed since the Maoists launched an armed movement against the Napali monarchy in 1996]...but these guys don't!Reuters Foundation AlertNet is reporting from KATHMANDU that Nepali police beat pro-democracy activists with rattan canes and fired tear gas on Saturday to break up the largest anti-king protest in the capital since a campaign was launched 10 days

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1144723341604924262006-04-10T22:32:00.002-04:002009-03-03T05:31:04.284-05:00

"Peru faces presidential run-off vote," shouts this morning CNN-IBN Live news headline. I have an interest in world politics, so I dig a little deeper into the body of the article and find the prize. Yep! Another example of a recent phenomena seeping across the global, political landscape—women running for top government slots AND, many more times than ever before, winning. IBN Live goes on to

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1143825889631811782006-03-31T09:59:00.000-05:002006-11-15T10:07:44.983-05:00

[Reports and details on U.S. spending proposals can be found at the United States Office of Management and Budget]You setup your own household budget, carefully watch it to stay within your means and check it monthly to be sure your still on target. So, now that your on top of your own discretionary spending, ever get curiously about how your trusted national leaders are doling out your hard

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1143132521313131382006-03-23T11:23:00.000-05:002006-06-01T11:47:03.813-04:00

1. Man has been obsessed since the beginning of time with attempts to understand (superstition, religion and science) himself and his environment. No absolute consensus has ever been reached, but there have been enough divergent explanations as to nullify the possibility that a consensus will be reached anytime soon.2. Sunlight feels good!3. Man can not stay still for long and has always been on

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1141877329478914812006-03-08T22:53:00.000-05:002006-03-20T13:42:20.803-05:00

[I grew up in geographic mono-ethnicism, but at age eighteen found life more rewarding in an ethnically rich community]Definition: racialismra·cial·ism (rā'shə-lĭz'əm) n.   1.       a. An emphasis on race or racial considerations, as in determining policy or interpreting events.      b. Policy or practice based on racial considerations.   2. Chiefly British. Variant of racism.—Answers.comOk...

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1140056967664852542006-02-15T21:14:00.000-05:002006-08-29T09:05:38.706-04:00

I gave up long ago trying to find the best mutual fund manager. Every time I'd find the best, the next year that one wouldn't be the best anymore and someone else, coming out of the blue, would be.It's a story well known in the financial services industry, you'll hear it touted all the time on financial talk shows as a "warning." I got to the point where I just looked for someone I liked, who was

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1114792060506157882006-02-07T12:22:00.000-05:002006-03-31T13:49:47.273-05:00

[I advocate and maintain a balanced budget and low-to-no debt]The Bureau of the Public Debt states that outstanding U.S. Public Debt as of 02/03/2006 is now $8,195,544,127,376.07... that's 8.2 trillion dollars and the highest point ever in U.S. history. The Feb 07, 2006 estimated population of the United States is 298,060,012. So, figured on a per capita basis, each citizen's share of this debt

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1128272490294092952006-02-02T11:01:00.000-05:002007-01-26T12:13:52.430-05:00

Is it really intelligent to totally approve of or dismiss any one political figure, party or issue? The probability is that there's some good and a little bad in everything. A new understanding of political thought is needed and could help solve today's pressing issues that are now being batted around by ineffective "butting head politics."People that understand this concept do their homework and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1135970908273648702005-12-30T14:23:00.000-05:002006-08-29T09:11:35.706-04:00

[It's not my intention to slight or promote Christmas celebrations]Every year as the Christmas season approaches I get the strangest, uneasy feeling that "I just don't want to participate!" I seem to instinctively know that there's something wrong. Something is just not right with the way America is celebrating this holy holiday; or maybe it's that I want to feel that it's an optional thing, with

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1134077353429697172005-12-08T16:20:00.000-05:002006-11-08T10:09:12.853-05:00

Thirty years ago I sat through a semester of Nutrition 101 while attending American River Community College—I still have and use the text book, Better Homes And Gardens: The Family Guide To Better Food and Better Health by Ronald M. Deutsch. Thus began a life long pursuit of finding the perfect diet.Although Nutrition 101 was an elective class, I did have a particular interest in things organic

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1133713694134935172005-12-04T11:17:00.000-05:002006-11-08T10:22:58.816-05:00

[I'm a journalist, pure and simple; I don't support war nor do I protest it, I learn from those that do and report my experience]There's been lots of talk lately about the U.S. conflict in Iraq being just "another Vietnam." The difference is... we failed with Vietnam War, we won't fail in Iraq.We, the United States, haven't won a war since World War II—a war being defined as a major, long-term

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1133557528396262372005-12-03T11:56:00.000-05:002006-11-15T10:05:06.946-05:00

Winter is almost here in the U.S., but for the quake survivors of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province winter means more than just a threat of sky-high heating bills...For these already devastated Pakistanis it means foreshadowed serious illness and death resulting from inadequate shelter or, in some cases, no shelter at all during the coldest months of the year.After losing an estimated

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1133031128925566832005-11-29T13:31:00.000-05:002005-12-04T11:53:11.233-05:00

With the final reformation election coming in December, let's see in the next few weeks "what Iraq's neighbors have to say" about the progress, deterioration and/or future of Iraq. I see Iraq's neighbors, out of necessity, being the ones that step-up and deal with the eventual resolution of the new Iraqi government once the Coalition members are forced, by popular opinion at home, to step

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1131334001592822242005-11-06T21:56:00.000-05:002005-12-04T06:35:27.110-05:00

There's no doubt I've always believed I grew up in the "world's greatest country," the United States of America. That's what I've always been told, and I've had no reason to believe otherwise... until now, possibly. You may have been brought up the same way, never giving the declaration a second thought. But before either one of us goes back to our mind-numbing, "love it or leave it" comfort

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1134503926739949002005-10-24T11:14:00.000-04:002006-02-02T11:31:43.436-05:00

[Regardless of your views on religion, I think you would agree, it is a stablizing force that we still may need]The battle goes on over how much God we want in our government; a battle that is just the beginning stages of a soon to be, all-out, cultural war. Once today's front page issues dealing with Iraq, Bush, and the dreaded, bird flu pandemic have subsided, the war over God—in or out—will

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1134672957204537702005-10-16T13:39:00.000-04:002006-02-07T18:54:15.060-05:00

While referencing The CIA World Factbook, you'll find that 90% of our fellow Americans claim to be religious (2002 est.). Then, turning the pages of the Web to NationMaster.com, you'll find that only 44% (#11 worldwide, just below #10 Italy at 45%) of adults surveyed claimed that they attend Church services one or more times per week. Curious stats for an area of our lives that's suppose to take

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1128101563027069712005-09-30T11:18:00.000-04:002006-08-29T09:15:22.806-04:00

I love recreational, multi-terrain bicycling and I love any effort made to preserve the great outdoors for better biking, hiking or whatever. So, while scanning the news wires this morning, it's no surprise that this headline: "Budapest Critical Mass with up to 30,000 people" caught my wild eye.You won't find this story on ABCNews.com, CNN.com, NYTimes.com or even the BBCNews site; no... for this

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1125687705923558182005-09-02T14:50:00.000-04:002006-06-09T13:18:53.050-04:00

Hurricane Katrina disaster relief contributions from the U.S. government, the private sector and the public have reached a total of $10,787,000,000. Bigtime, commercial fund raising events and concerts are still to come, and a national, cooperative fund raiser is being scheduled for anyone wishing to participate on September 9.The American public alone, not counting the government's help, have

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1125202790555942462005-08-27T23:46:00.000-04:002007-09-11T16:01:09.159-04:00

[I make arguments for both sides before I choose a position; and only really need to choose a firm position on election day]Most of what I hear about politics, and have heard since the late '60s, both from those on the "left" and those on the "right" is one-sided, straight-across-the-board, all-or-nothing hyperbole—"Bush is a liar," "Hillary's an idiot," "conservatives are moral," "liberals are

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1124051041291979442005-08-14T12:55:00.000-04:002006-11-08T08:59:35.173-05:00

[I scan newswire of websites daily using a "back door approach" and search engine technology for a better balance of reports]I'm a journalist. A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people. As a journalist, I'm expected to report in the most objective and unbiased way to serve the public good. And

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1123707186205787202005-08-10T16:50:00.000-04:002006-08-29T09:16:57.313-04:00

I've been a radio talk show junky since the very early '70s when Mick Martin, Charlie Weiss (high school classmate) and Travus T. Hipp (Sunday night talk host, most of the '70s) hosted the first, Sacramento area, freeform station KZAP FM. I listened intently when local, nutrition guru Cary Nosler (Captain Carrot) popped up on KCRA AM and couldn't wait for the late night discussions of Art Bell

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1123609259920300702005-08-09T13:31:00.000-04:002006-07-08T21:28:00.193-04:00

I began my fascination with urban hiking in the mid '80s after moving in with a room mate whose middle-class neighborhood home was located near a recreation, wilderness greenbelt in Roseville, CA.I was starting an overall health improvement kick, which then included a few miles of alternate running and power walking. Looking for a route to execute my every other day session of the "then" unnamed

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1123123988267132712005-08-03T22:17:00.000-04:002006-08-29T09:18:44.093-04:00

[My response to the PBS WideAngle program "Future of Lebanon"]This is an amazing, politically and culturally charged story about democracy's reemergence in pre-April 2005 Syrian dominated Lebanon. Former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Lebanon's best-known politician, was murdered February 2005, on Valentine's Day, in a massive car bombing.The Cedar Revolution was born!The "Cedar revolution" (in

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1122675355682786962005-07-29T17:19:00.000-04:002006-07-08T21:41:10.730-04:00

Distilling the "bigger picture" from the mish-mash of todays news is an increasingly difficult task for the average news junkie. Newspapers, TV, radio and now the World Wide Web fervently blast out headlines and monologue 24/7 as fast as they can, attempting to incite controversy that sells more advertising than the next guy. How much of what we hear and read that is truly from the heart of the

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1121891601573215022005-07-20T15:28:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:06:10.256-05:00

I thought at the very least we should be made aware of this crisis...This morning I checked FOXNews.com, the DRUDGE Report, Google News and Aljazeera's English Web site and not even a mention of the "Children starving to death in Niger." Finally on the BBC News' Web site, at the very bottom of the stories, there was a link to a series of reports. The only way I got tipped off to the story was

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1121798209906367582005-07-19T12:54:00.000-04:002006-07-08T21:48:44.100-04:00

[I'm tired of hearing "there's more crime than ever," "look at all the crime in our streets" and "crime is totally out of control"]These are usually lazy-thinking responses to our society's other pressing problems, like over population, a desperate attempt to make sense of a troubled world and/or an easy way to blame everything we don't understand on something else.Now, it would be great if we

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1120925159781017352005-07-09T11:57:00.000-04:002005-12-04T09:33:28.956-05:00

[My response to this years news coverage of the G8 Conference]Tony Blair at the 2005 G8 Conference in Gleneagles, Scotland failed to get all the G8 summit countries to commit to boosting foreign aid to an amount equal of 0.7 percent of national income by 2015. The United States did not make any additional pledges.There's no doubt that the United States of America is the largest contributor of

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1120678967186158542005-07-06T14:33:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:03:54.773-05:00

[I want to protect your right to protest&#151I may need it someday]When it comes time for you, or maybe your children's' children, to protest a government that's "gone bad," and they all do eventually, will you have the right! Or will your right be muted by local police and/or national guard, being so powerful by then as to stifle the smallest resistance, snuff out the tiniest candle light of

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1117481694133936782005-05-30T15:30:00.000-04:002006-11-15T10:02:34.450-05:00

[My response to street talk that illegal Mexican immigrants are a big drain on our generousity]Mexican immigrant households (legal and illegal) actually make-up a smaller portion of the total welfare hand-outs but have recently been receiving a larger portion of "bad press." Ask the average U.S. citizen what one of the biggest problems being faced today concerning illegal Mexican immigration and

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1117036367607770792005-05-25T11:49:00.000-04:002006-08-09T17:06:30.590-04:00

This CNN headline I found today, House passes embryonic stem cell bill, raises an interesting "hold-on-a-minute!" moment for me.Beyond the arguments regarding "the sanctity of life" and "what we can do for our loved ones afflicted with crippling diseases," we might consider the ramifications of this research, if it is successful and then implemented, in changing the course of the law of natural

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11649353.post-1111603058551448782004-10-01T13:35:00.000-04:002006-09-21T08:13:56.600-04:00

[I did this bit on location as an exercise in the art of news reporting]How do you avoid a riot? Hire "Huey Lewis & The News" as your entertainment headliner!Now, I know that might sound odd, maybe a little funny, but I think that was one of the strategies use in the California State Fair's "Cool It Down" campaign this year. Let me explain...I had been hearing for weeks, over and over again, on

Stan Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543596068589856999noreply@blogger.com0