NorCalUrban

Tomorrow I head off to Florida to officiate a funeral for a long time friend of our family, Dr. Fred Seilkop. Dr. Seilkop and my father have been long time friends and co-laborers in the harvest back to the Catholic Charismatic movement in the early 70's. Not sure how often I'll be posting, but I'll try to keep the blog updated. Have a blessed New Years! - John

Young, entrepreneurial philanthropists leave their mark on nonprofits here and abroad Early employment at Google has enabled Khan and her husband Zain to become philanthropists in a fashion once reserved for wealthy retirees. They donate money, sit on nonprofit boards and volunteer. Younger donors are fully invested in their contributions, seeking to apply their business savvy and expecting to see quantifiable outcomes from the organizations they fund. They also view their contributions as social investments. For them, the lines are blurring between for-profit and nonprofit ventures. Analogies to venture capitalists and stock-market investors have begun to permeate the language of philanthropy. Hero likened Silicon Valley charitable gifts to investing in the stock market. Through increasingly popular donor-advised funds through community foundations or financial management companies like Charles Schwab or Merrill Lynch, philanthropists are choosing to diversify their gifts. Find the en...

We have an opening (starting in January) for a program manager for youth programs and administrative assistant. It's one full time job split in two parts. Email me for further information and please spread the word!

Found this on Guy Kawasaki's blog. 15 Afghai women participated in a class on entreupenship at Thunderbird. Aziza Mohmmand is from Afghanistan who, through a micro enterprise loan, is changing the destiny of many in her country. She makes soccer balls and other goods in her factory. She says, When the interim government announced its arrival in Afghanistan, I came back to Kabul and started my nonprofit organization named Moscau, and it was soon registered at the Department of Economy. In my NGO, I trained more than 2,000 men and women in baking, sewing, leather treatment, ball assembly, carpentry, electrical, blacksmith, plumbing, computer, and English language. In the ball assembly department, I hired 200 trainees who were widows and their family’s bread winners. They had no opportunities to work elsewhere. My intention was to make a difference in the life of women in Afghanistan and keep them busy while they have an income with an active role in the growth and building of the n...

These are my sister Kelli's kids... Aren't they beautiful? You can see where Sam's red hair comes from...

Reinforcing stereotypes...

I heard this author on NPR last night. He wrote a book on the state of charitable giving in the US. I just ordered it - so this is more for information than endorsement. However, in the interview he confirmed what I already knew from experience. Some of the things he mentioned were: - Conservatives tend to give much more than liberals. The inference is that liberals tend to rely more on government programs to solve societal issues. - Government programs can sometimes have the opposite effect by impeding private donors from giving to causes. - The most stable form of income for a non profit is through private donors. - America gives a TON of money. Interesting... You can see the book here.

I met Jose Humphreys yesterday. Been reading his blog - good stuff. Check it out here. If you haven't noticed - we sort of have a mutual admiration society going on;)

Good Times! Had a four way video chat today with Rudy from LA, Jeremy and Jose from NYC. I borrowed an isight camera from Max. Gotta love macs (and Max...) - just plugged the camera in and I was good to go! All the rhetoric aside I really believe the Mac is such a superior machine.

- I've been golfing more lately. My friend Steve Zeisler from Peninsula Bible Church has me golfing with a group of retired men each Friday. It really sucks to have a 75 year old man out drive you by 25 yards - so I'm recommitted to the game. Last Monday I snuck out for nine holes at dusk at Palo Alto Muni. I ended up golfing alone, sun setting, moon rising over the bay... like a slice of heaven, with a slicing golf ball. The pic does no justice. Golfing with these gentleman has been one of the highlights of the week for me. All of them are men of faith who are still serving God faithfully. The wisdom I recieve from them is priceless. Please pray for Steve - he recently had knee replacment surgery and is laid up... - My friend at church, Marche, got blessed with a new car (FREE)! Really - God is Good! Marche is a faithful servant. Yea God! - Giants resign Barry Bonds... hmmm. $16 million a year to play 1/2 the season??? I guess it's good work if you can find it. - Yanks r...

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, remember..." Eph 2:9-11a God, help me to do the works you prepared me to do so very long ago...

Great Lyrics... The shackles are undone The bullets quit the gun The heat that’s in the sun Will keep us when there’s none The rule has been disproved The stone it has been moved The grave is now a groove All debts are removed Oh can’t you see what love has done? Oh can’t you see what love has done... what it's doing to me?

There are many important discussions regarding the church floating around right now. Admittedly I am a right leaning liberal - meaning I'm progressive in my politics with a strong moral leaning. As those of you who read my blog know that I've been thrilled and encouraged by recent church leader's, namely Rick Warren and Joel Hunter, waking up to some of the pressing justice and poverty issues in the world. However, I'm saddened (but not surprised) by the reaction of extreme right wing evangelicals. In a recent ABC article rightly stated: "This debate is just the latest in a number of contentious fights emerging within the Christian conservative community. Many evangelical Christians are openly questioning whether their leaders have focused too much on issues such as abortion while ignoring subjects more relevant to the vast majority of what's in the Bible — such as helping the poor and the sick. "What would Jesus do?" they ask." I am firmly in th...

This is one of my favorite songs. Earlier this year U2 did a remake for the One.org campaign, I believe. This is powerful...

"Everything we are, everything that is said to us, everything that happens to us is some kind of call from God. In fact, everything that happens is God's call to us either to accept what we should not change or to change what we should not accept so that the Presence of God can flourish where we are... Finding God is a matter of living every minute of life to it's ultimate. - Joan Chittister

"Faith is Action, Based upon Belief, Sustained by Confidence in God's Word and His promise to perform it" -Dr. Gene Scott

The Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of a nondenominational megachurch in Longwood, Fla., said he resigned as the coalition's incoming president because its board of directors disagreed with his plan to broaden the organization's agenda. In addition to opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, Hunter, 58, wanted to take on such issues as poverty, global warming and HIV/AIDS."My position is, unless we are caring as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb, we're not carrying out the full message of Jesus," What a travesty! I have not been a great fan of the Christian Coalition mainly because of this issue. Yes, I'm undoubtedly against abortion - but I'm also against a host of issues including poverty, injustice, etc... If so called conservative Christian groups, which at times seem to be more of a mouthpiece for the Republican party than the Gospel, would broaden their embrace of issues then I would be much closer to their ideology. However, as is...

I had to 'google' google to find this article... No wonder they have made so much money! "Buy Google" became the cry of investors Tuesday as its shares surpassed $500 for the first time and kept climbing. Mountain View-based Google closed Tuesday at $509.65, giving the search engine-turned-media heavyweight a market capitalization of $156 billion and making the eight-year-old firm more valuable than Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Mitsubishi, Chevron and AT&T. An investor who bought 10 shares of stock in the company's August 2004 Dutch auction-style initial public offering would have turned his $850 into $5,040.80, a return of 493 percent on paper in little more than two years. Read the entire article here.

Rick Ruben (founder of American Recordings and producer of all the content that resurrected Johnny Cash's career) wrote these beautiful words in the insert to American V: A Hundred Highways, Cash's first posthumous album. We had a ritual to speak every day since just before June had passed. One of the reasons for the ritual was actually Dr. Gene Scott, the outrageous televangelist who did a show explaining how he cured his own cancer by doing communion every day. His argument for how is worked was thought provoking. I told Johnny about it on the phone one afternoon, and the next time we were together in person we discussed it further. I had never taken communion before, so he had someone find his old communion kit. He hadn't used it in many years but he did that day and Johnny game me my first communion. We spoke about doing it every day, and that's when the ritual began. each day we would speak on the phone and Johnny would perform the communion rite. We would both vis...

The East Palo Alto Credit Union, a byproduct of an innovative partnership among Silicon Valley and Bay Area credit unions, has just announced the appointment of two key financial leaders. Two executives from local credit unions will provide the expertise to complete this project, which is designed to inspire investment in the community. Stu Fisher, the new interim CEO, will finalize charter requirements and help locate a permanent CEO for the East Palo Alto operation. “This project represents everything that is good about the credit union movement ~ by the community, for the community and people helping people toward greater economic empowerment. The East Palo Alto Credit Union will change lives significantly. It’s an honor to be part of such a legacy.” Fisher is known for his work as vice president at Addison Avenue Credit Union, which started as a credit union serving Hewlett Packard and has since branched into the technology arena. It has 25 branches nationwide and $1.8 billion i...

East Palo Alto politics are fascinating to watch. In many ways it's a small young city trying to legitimize and establish itself. EPA was founded only 25 years ago and began with a dream of self determination. It was almost named Nairobi to celebrate it's African American heritage, maybe should have been. At lease I wouldn't always have to explain that no, we are NOT the eastern part of Palo Alto. But I digress... A report was recently issues about one of our local council members. Pete Evans is due to be the next mayor and there is some concerns about him taking the reigns of the city. Mr. Evans has done many things for the city over it's history but at times he takes a somewhat extremist stance on issues. Either way, a recent Mercury News article states: "East Palo Alto Vice Mayor Peter Evans has made racist comments and has attacked the character of some city employees, according to a City Council-commissioned report released this week. Evans, who is African Ame...

The voters spoke! East Palo Alto election night was successful for all the candidates and measures we were supporting. Measure C, the one I was specifically working on passed! It was a tough fight since a competing measure had to be defeated. But in the end, through the hard work of the EPA Fellowship of Faith and Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA) we were successful. A local newspaper article stated: "Mayor Ruben Abrica was celebrating his re-election to the City Council along with the passage of Measure C, a crime prevention initiative. "The results show a willingness by the community to sustain what we're doing to reduce crime," he said Wednesday. Measure C needed two-thirds approval to pass, and squeaked by with 68 percent of the vote. The measure will create a parcel tax for 10 years that will split funds between the Police Department and community groups. The city's measure was in direct competition with Measure D, a similar initiative that would have grant...

Great News! As you know, we have been seeking an interim volunteer CEO to serve NCUD's efforts to bring a community development Credit Union to East Palo Alto. We are now at a place where it’s critical to have someone with the right experience to help us complete and submit the final charter application to the National Credit Union Administration. Once the charter is completed the interim CEO will assist us in communication with the NCUA the search for a permanent CEO. The interim CEO will take the lead on the operations side of the plan with NCUD continuing to be the sponsoring organization and maintaining the community connections. As a result of our request, Stu Fisher from Addison Avenue Credit Union stepped forward to serve in this role. Addison Avenue C.U. began as Hewlett Packard's Credit Union and have branched out to serve the technology sector. They now have 20 branches nationwide with $1.8 billion in assets. Stu brings over 15 years experience in marketing, strategy,...

"Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers. The regions involved in maintaining self-consciousness were active. The women were not in blind trances, and it was unclear which region was driving the behavior. “The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said. Contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England found that those who engaged in the practice w...

It's been hard to go too far without hearing of the demise of giga church pastor and leader Ted Haggard. I have never been a big fan of the religious right although I am a committed Christ follower and pastor. My first reaction to the Haggard issue was one of pride, of which I had to repent. Then I thought about my life. What if everything I have thought, looked at and even engaged in was brought to light. Who would I embarrass? What skeletons do I have in my personal closet. Maybe not of the sexual kind, but certainly ones of improper justification, pride, gluttony, selfishness.. Yes, I strive for holiness and purity but as the Psalmist and others before me I sometimes trip and have to fall back on the throne of grace. I'm praying for the Haggard family. As U2 once said, grace is the thought that moves the world. -I was impressed at the letter that Haggard wrote over the weekend, and the one his wife wrote. You can view them HERE. I was around in the 80's during the Swag...

"Creditors such as Citigroup Inc.'s Citibank see recent immigrants as a growing market niche, but those who lack Social Security numbers or legal status in the U.S. are often rejected by the three major credit bureaus. A handful of new credit reporting systems already used by 200 real estate brokers, community groups and mortgage counselors nationwide allows them to calculate risk by evaluating a prospective client's utility bills and rent checks." "Gateway states like California and Texas will disproportionately benefit from the housing boom because so manyof their residents are immigrants," said Gary Acosta, the association's co-founder, speaking from the group's annual convention in Las Vegas. "Boosting homeownership among these populations is a positive contribution to the overall fabric of our society and our economy." Read the entire story here.

As many of you know, I've been involved in the campaign for Measure C. Measure C is an East Palo Alto parcel tax that would provide over $1.7 million dollars annually to be split between the police force and local community organizations serving to combat youth violence in our community. The cost for each homeowner is about $2.00 a week. It excludes senior, renters and those with disability. Now - I'm no fan of taxes. But this measure is the City empowering itself to make a change. As for the cost - how much will house values go up if violence is dramatically reduced? It seems like a small investment and a winning idea to me. Photos are from a rally we held in our building last Saturday. It's fun to see the space being used for community functions. One photo is of Mayor Reuben Abrica addressing the crowd, the other is of community leader Stewart Hyland training the folks...

Most useful blog post I've seen in a long time. It's on how to deal with, well, to say it nicely for this blog ... jerks. Good stuff from Guy! This is a 'must click' link... Read it HERE. Note: not for the faint of heart or those who are offended by language...

Program takes Oakland teens into San Quinten prison to spend a day with the inmates. The program is similar to the famous "Scared Straight" program from the '70's - but with a lighter touch. The stats quoted in the article are obscene. We have much to do to save the young men of our urban communities. "More than 100 inmates in orange jumpsuits flashed gang signs and screamed at the four Oakland teenagers entering San Quentin Prison's cell block courtyard, urging the youths to join them and to "keep thuggin'." One boy turned his head, wincing as his gaze fell on an open-air toilet." "Based on current trends, 32 percent of black males will enter state or federal prison during their lifetime, compared with 17 percent of Hispanic males and 5.9 percent of white males. Forty-six percent of jail inmates nationwide had a family member who has been incarcerated, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of...

Just a reminder about the upcoming CCDA Institute in Oakland next weekend. Be sure to register and attend! Bob Lupton will be speaking on Empowerment on Friday and Andy Bales on Relocation on Saturday. Please take advantage of this awesome opportunity! You don’t need to come to both days, each day is a module in itself. Please let me know if you have any questions. I know the text is kinda small. Drop me a message and I'll send you an full size version. More information can be found HERE.

Abbot and Costello famous skit...

I heard the Green candidate for Treasurer, Mehul Thakker on NPR yesterday. He made a ton of sense. I was impressed by his priorities and articulation. He's worth checking out. He spoke of community development credit unions and issues of micro finance and economic justice. However, he didn't come across as a bright eyed liberal either. Check him out here. He seems to be a bright young thinker.

Below is a position description for an interim CEO for the emerging East Palo Alto credit union. If you know of anyone with the appropriate experience and could serve in this capacity, please forward this on to them. We are coming to a critical juncture and we need to fill this position as soon as we can. Initially we're looking for a volunteer but there is a possibility of a small stipend. There is also a possibility of this position growing into a full time paid position for the right candidate. If there are any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. TITLE: Interim CEO, East Palo Alto Federal Credit Union REPORTS TO: CEO - Northern California Urban Development TIME COMMITMENT: 5 to 10 hours per week POSITION SUMMARY: This position will serve NCUD’s efforts toward establishing East Palo Alto Federal Credit Union. This will require a broad range of skills including financial management experience, volunteer leadership and strategic implementa...

Interesting comments from Pat Tillman's brother. Also interesting are the comments to his article. This is a unique time for our nation - and a time where we are called to speak truth and perspective. Read the post here.

Post by blogger Slacktivist regarding small ministries taking federal funds. Interesting point of view. Read his comments here.

"While the Ford and Carter administrations worked hard to cushion the falling dominoes (after the Vietnam conflict), the Asian dominoes moved quickly to save themselves by buttressing our power. We can't expect to be as lucky with the denizens of the gulf region. And we certainly wouldn't make our luck by staying the course and hiding behind Bush's fears of Middle East dominoes. We need him to unstrap America's still muscular diplomacy to seed the antiterrorist soil within Iraq, to structure a regional peace among states that cringe from regional war, to blunt the disasters of chaos and defeat--and perhaps even to snatch successes beforehand." Interesting viewpoint on the Iraq situation. Read the entire article here .

Whew, what a crazy couple of weeks. Some of you know that my wife Melissa had a minor accident two Saturdays ago when she tripped coming out of St. Samuel and fell on a piece of glass. She tweaked her back, twisted her ankle and cut a huge gash in her hand. After a frantic ride to the emergency room she required stitches. The doctors said she would need surgery. Immediately many thoughts go through your mind. Will she be alright? Will there be permanent damage? Thinking about surgery is never a fun option, for whatever reason. We have an amazing extended family here in East Palo Alto (and in the blog community). Many came to our aid with many things, the most important being prayer. Melissa was incapacitated, her hand wrapped up so she wouldn't tear the stitches, her back and ankle out of commission. Of course sleeping was difficult. However, good new was forthcoming. While it seemed inevitable at the time of the accident, the hand surgeon determined that in fact she hadn't se...

As I mentioned before, my dad took me to see Dylan in the early 80's, during his 'Christian' era. The show impacted me forever. Is he still a Christian? I don't know (it's not really for me to know). I still hear alot of the Gospel in his lyrics. Here's three videos I found from this era... Pretty powerful! His voice was clear and strong. I've seen Dylan a number of times - I think he sang with more passion and heart in these shows than ever. Here's three songs from the album 'Saved' called 'What Can I Do For You?' and 'Are You Ready?' and 'When He Returns'. Kinda reminds me of St. Samuel on a Sunday morning! What Can I Do For You? Are You Ready? When He Returns

CU NETWORK FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Group Plans Strategies To Help Low-Income Community Development CUs Credit union professionals met at the Silicon Valley United Way in San Jose last week to discuss the needs and challenges of low-income community development credit unions. The meeting, hosted by the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues and the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (NFCDCU), was the second time the group has come together this year. During the all-day roundtable, the group discussed the networking opportunities and resources available to low-income community development credit unions. The morning session focused on sharing resources, challenges, and information among the group and the afternoon was spent brainstorming action steps to help meet community development credit union challenges. A large emphasis was placed on the need for maximized partnerships between community development credit unions and their neighboring established credit ...

Sam and I went to see Dylan last night in SF. It was fun having him along with me. It's somewhat of a tradition since my father took me to see him when I was about 12 - my first real concert. Dylan was great, as usual. He is traveling with an outstanding band. Here's the setlist: 1. Maggie's Farm 2. She Belongs To Me 3. Lonesome Day Blues 4. Simple Twist Of Fate 5. Rollin' And Tumblin' 6. Boots Of Spanish Leather 7. 'Til I Fell In Love With You 8. I Shall Be Released 9. Highway 61 Revisited 10. John Brown 11. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) 12. Workingman's Blues #2 13. Summer Days (encore) 14. Thunder On The Mountain 15. Like A Rolling Stone 16. All Along The Watchtower I've seen Bob a few times over the last year. Each show is different. My friend Steve and I saw him twice together, once at the HP Pavillian in San Jose and once at the Paramount in Oakland. Both were outstanding. Melissa and I saw him at the Greek Theatre in Be...

Time Magazine article on a book by David Kuo called,"Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction." ...I am finding the courage to speak out about God and politics and their dangerous dance. George W. Bush, the man, is a person of profound faith and deep compassion for those who suffer. But President George W. Bush is a politician and is ultimately no different from any other politician, content to use religion for electoral gain more than for good works. Millions of Evangelicals may share Bush's faith, but they would protect themselves—and their interests—better if they looked at him through the same coldly political lens with which he views them. It's an interesting article. However, I know personally of two faith based organizations who have benefited from federal funding, namely the Latino Coalition for Faith Based and Community Initiatives and La Eeperanza. A friend of mine was also involved in setting up the office in the White House. Politics, from ...

Bangladeshi microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor that has helped millions lift themselves from crushing poverty. In awarding them the prize, the Nobel Committee said their efforts showed how working to eliminate poverty can result in a lasting peace. "Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty," the committee said in its citation. "Microcredit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights." Read the entire article here .

Latest e-coli victim

I'm happy to support Larry in his campaign for our local school board. Larry is a great guy and has done much for our community including leading the charge to revitalize MLK and Jack Farrell Parks. Larry serves as the urban ministry director for Menlo Park Pres. Read his position paper here . His wife Lisa works with my wife Melissa at New Creation Home.

The rain has returned, and the San Francisquito Creek levee adjacent to East Palo Alto has not been repaired. The mayor declared a local state of emergency last February and funds were recently allocated. But no construction has begun. This means that East Palo Alto residents—especially those in the Gardens neighborhood—are at great risk for a disaster if the levee breaks from the combination of winter storms and high tides. Please make this an issue when you speak to candidates for City Council, and let it guide you when you vote this November. Although collaboration discussions are underway with the school district, medical clinic, and local emergency response agencies, there is no published disaster preparedness plan, and the community forums that were promised have not taken place, to my knowledge. At the Special Joint City Council/Ravenswood School District Meeting last Tuesday, Councilmember Pat Foster asked that the City meet with the Gardens Neighborhood Association within the...

Informative article on the Asian sex trade. I didn't know that the sex industry is over 4% of Korea's economy. Many sex slaves end up in the Bay Area. Read the article here .

Man, could yesterday have been the worst day of my life? The Tigers (yes, those Detroit Tigers, the one's who haven't won a playoff game since the Taft administration) pounded the Yankees. My beloved Yanks are out... down and out. Now we'll have to spend the off season counting our world series rings - but only to 26. During the 7th inning I get a frantic call from Cheryl Bains. My wife Melissa tripped on the steps at church, falling on to a piece of glass. She cut her hand deeply, twisted her ankle and tweaked her back. It was a full production with fire trucks, police cars and a frantic ride to the hospital emergency room (in my car, not the ambulance). Next week it's surgery to repair a torn ligament in her hand. Bummer. What a day! Please pray for Melissa... No joy in mudville.

The last couple of weeks has brought a couple of major scandals to light, namely the issue with Rep. Mark Foley and the Hewlett-Packard spying scandal. Both are huge lapses in ethical judgment. Foley, who served as the Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children steps down after ABC news uncovered alleged sexually explicit messages with 16 and 17 year old male congressional pages. HP, one of Silicon Valley's banner companies spies on its own board, staff and journalists. Chairperson Patricia Boyd, along with four others, faces charges for conspiracy, identity theft and fraud. Foley's issue may have sealed the deal for a Democratic take over of congress. Silicon Valley is reeling. The press is having a field day. There is nothing more salacious than a politician being charged with a sexual crime, or a juicy corporate scandal. We love gossip, love standing on the sidelines when those who are richer, prettier, smarter or more recognized fall or stumble. Why els...

Currently returning from the east coast. I'm happy to headed home - but wish I knew the score from the Yankee game!…Go Yanks! (They won! what a lineup!) CCDA was again a great event. CCDA tends to be more like a reunion and networking meeting than a conference. It continues to be the one place where I consistently do more networking and ‘pollinating’ than anywhere else. I read something in the New York Post today regarding social networking styles. I discovered there are ‘butterflies’; those who flutter around pollinating and ‘dolphins' those who run in tight ‘smart’ networking groups. It seems to me that CCDA is much more of a ‘dolphin’ group. It’s a pleasure to be with folks who understand what I’m doing and sharpen my vision and goals. It’s also great to be inspired by the speakers and conference attendees. Pastor Bains and Gilbert from the NCUD board went with me to the conference. Certainly one of the highlights was in being with them. We shared a room; Gilbert graciously ...

Time just did an article on Black / Brown racial tension. In EPA we've had many issues around this - especially regarding violence between Latinos and Blacks. Rudy Carrasco has been working on a conference to specifically address this issue. Please pray for his efforts. Read the Times article here.

Go Marcos! Read the article here.

As I write this I’m flying the first leg of the trip to Philadelphia to attend the Christian Community Development Association’s (CCDA) yearly conference. CCDA is the organization founded by Dr. John Perkins. At the conference will be about 2000 pastors and leaders who are engaged in or care about community development activities in a Christian context. For more about CCDA there is a link on the right. I’m thrilled to have Pastor Bains and NCUD board member Gilbert Chaidez joining me for the conference. I’ll try to post updates during the next few days. After the conference I’m going to travel up to New York to have with Jeremy Del Rio and hopefully Dimas Salaberrios as well at take a day or so in the city. I love New York… Many know that I’ve been training to be a chaplain for the East Palo Alto police department. The chaplaincy was recently started by Pastor Bains to serve the needs of the department and community. I prayed about whether or not I should serve in this way. I’m so busy...

Surf over to the 'world on fire' website to see a Sarah McLachlan's video new video. She produced a video for $15.00 and donated the $150,000 usually spent for a video to combat world hunger. It's stunning... What a commentary of abundance and need. This kind of imagery reminds me of why I do what I do... Go Sarah! (BTW - this is my 100th post... Time to open a bottle of bubbly!)

Creflo Dollar, one of the leading purveyors of the what I believe is a heretical and damaging theology was in Oakland yesterday for what they call the "Change" convention. The article in the Chronicle has a sidebar with the quote from Dollar (yes, that's his real name), "I don't care what you favorite preaches says. I'm giving you what the Lord says. The Lord says to live life in abundance." I'm shocked by that statement. I'm incensed that someone as for away from Atlanta would stand in the pulpit and actually discourage people from listing to their own preacher or pastor, setting himself up as speaking the Lord's very own words. The Jesus I know said quotes like, "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it" and "Seek first God's kingdom and righteousness" This is not the Gospel I know or preach. This is a damaging gospel influenced by all that is bad in the contemporary American culture. I remember, as a young man i...

I caught Leslie Moonves the current CEO of CBS on Charlie Rose. (God bless Tivo!) He has taken over CBS led a transformation in the network. CBS, going from last place in programs has come to first with shows like CSI, Survivor and others. He led a successful split of CBS and Viacom which led to a sharp incline in stock process - making CBS a Wall Street favorite. With the current scandal at Hewlett Packard, I've been thinking a ton about companies and leadership. Living in the Silicon Valley makes the HP scandal even more real (HP's offices are about 2 miles from my house). I hope to write more soon. I'm impressed by people who can take a loser and turn it into a contender... Moonves has done it with CBS... Rose ashes, "Since coming to CBS - how has your outlook changed, what have you learned since coming to the job? (Stepping into a company that was in last place, on the buy side rather than the sell side.)?" Moonves stated that he hated his job in the first ye...

On 9/19/06 11:15 AM, "Amy Kushner" wrote: Thanks, John. You’re a pretty good egg yourself. It was good to talk to you last week. John wrote: I’m just hanging here with the three of me – me, myself and I. I is a jerk, me can be somewhat grumpy and myself spends most of his time daydreaming and blogging. I get sick of them – come and see us sometime. On 9/19/06 11:31 AM, "Amy Kushner" wrote: Are you OK?????? Do I need to come over right now??? Deeply concerned…. John Wrote: WE’RE doing fine... If only myself would get off his rear end and do some work I and me would feel much better. AHHH, THE JOYS OF WORKING ALONE!

YES on Measure C Rally tonight! Tuesday September 19th 7:00 pm 7th Day Adventist Church 994 Beech St. East Palo Alto Please come and support this important initiative! For more information call: 650-714-5259 Why is Measure C a Fair Proposal? - It Funds Violence Prevention including: Programs for youths and seniors, job training, family counseling, parent education and support for ex- prisoners. - It Provides funds to improve policing. This initiative works hand in hand with local law enforcement, but in a more 'preventive' manner. - The funds are given to local non profits. Programs are chosen and overseen by 15 local community members. This funds the local groups who are working on the street, not creating more government programs. It does so in a way that provides the proper checks and balances on local groups to insure the funds are used correctly. - It Exempts seniors form paying, protecting those who are on fixed incomes. - It Protects renters from increased rents. Th...

A few years ago there was a regular column I used to read in the SF Chronicle called the Night Cabbie. The author was a San Fran cabbie and spoke about his experiences with the fares he picked up as well as general commentary about the City. It's a great glimpse into life in San Francisco... The column stopped the column in 2004. I found the archives here.

Here's a couple of pictures from the Measure C meeting at our offices yesterday. Measure C is a local ballot initiative that funds local youth programs. It will raise about $1 million in funding per year for youth programs that will be paid for by a parcel tax. We project that this will go a long way to preventing youth violence. I'm sitting on the organizing committee with EPA Mayor Ruben Abrica and Councilwoman Pat Foster. I'm glad to be volunteering for what I believe is a worthy cause. Why is Measure C a Fair Proposal? - It Funds Violence Prevention including: Programs for youths and seniors, job training, family counseling, parent education and support for ex- prisoners. - It Provides funds to improve policing. This initiative works hand in hand with local law enforcement, but in a more 'preventive' manner. - The funds are given to local non profits. Programs are chosen and overseen by 15 local community members. This funds the local groups who are working o...