Tip of the day #6 - Directions on your Phone

Getting around the Bay Area just got easier!

A new service from "www.dialdirections.com" just started this week and it is a killer direction getter app.

I just tried it out and I now feel sure I will be able to get home quickly and safely this afternoon. (that is if I don't run into a parked car trying to read text messages on my bike!)

Here is how it works...
Just call "Dir-ect-ions" or 347-328-4667 on your mobile phone. A vary nice computer voice will ask you a few questions about where you are, where you are going and where you are coming from. When you have answered the questions you will receive a text message (or a few messages) on your phone. I tried it with a few places, like from work to home, and it worked great.It works for addresses, cross streets, chain restaurants etc, and even some events (like the Autumn Moon Festival in SF China Town and possibly the Calvary Moon Festival if I did the posting correctly). And it is FREE.

Try it out. Along with Google 411 and Jott you will be armed with all the numbers to make your mobile devise a regular Swiss Army Phone.

Reporting from my small (now with directions) place in the world...

Interfaith Call to "Fast for Peace" - October 8

Who says Sermons don't have an effect on people. Sermons and Blogs that I worked on this Summer caused me to make a renewed commitment to do something about all the children of God who seem to be dieing needlessly in our world everyday. Myrna (my wife) and I are going to join with other people of faith in this call to fast. I invite you to join with us. I would love to hear from you if you would like to participate.

Religious Leaders Call for Interfaith Fast

We call on all Americans to join in fasting from dawn to dusk on Monday, October 8, to call for an end to the Iraq War. On this day, people of faith in local communities across our nation will act as catalysts to transform the meaning of the day from one of conquest to community and from violence to reverence.

Just as Isaiah called the People Israel to hear the Yom Kippur fast as God’s call to feed the hungry, just as Jesus fasted in the wilderness, just as Christians through Lenten fasting and Muslims through Ramadan fasting have focused on spiritual transformation, just as Mohandas Gandhi, Cesar Chavez and others drew on fasting to change the course of history, so we call on all our communities of faith to draw now on fasting as a path toward inner spiritual transformation and outward social transformation.

Ending this war can become the first step toward a policy that embodies a deeper, broader sense of generosity and community at home and in the world.

Rev. Robert Edgar Former General Secretary National Council of Churches USA	Rabbi Arthur Waskow The Shalom Center
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed National Director Islamic Society of North America	Rev. Michael Livingston President National Council of Churches USA
Rabbi Shirley Idelson Dean Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion	Mary Ellen McNish General Secretary American Friends Service Committee
Rev. William Sinkford Executive Director Unitarian Universalist Association	Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia Moderator Religions for Peace, USA
Nihad Awad Executive Director Council on American Islamic Relations	Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations The Episcopal Church

Save the Children of the World

As advocates for Children we must let our leaders in Washington know we support them when they use our money wisely to help those who can not help themselves. I just received this update from the folks at ONE. Lets make our voice heard. Let those in office know that what gets our votes is not cutting taxes for folks who don't really need it (like you and me even) but doing the right thing for all God's children everywhere. Thanks for taking the time to make a difference. Blessings to all, Karl

Support the Global Child Survival Act

The U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act would provide much needed funding for the fight to save the lives of the 10 million children under five who die each year from preventable causes. Right now the bill is stuck in committee and needs our support to move forward. Please enter your information below and send a message to your members of Congress.

Reporting with passion from my small place in the world

Tip of the Day #7 - Peace Candles

When I was back at a conference in D.C a few years ago I went to a service at the National Cathedral. In the back of the Cathedral they had a display of peace candles that you could light. I lit one. After the service we were invited to take a candle back home to our churches and invite our congregations to join in the liturgy of lighting a candle for peace.

I carried a candle to Calvary. We burned this peace candle during worship for a while but then we misplaced the candle (or something) and it never got replaced. That we a few years ago.

Now we are lighting a candle for peace again in our service. This time it is a little different. There is a growing sense in our midst that we, as a church, need to be about peacemaking in our world. This time we have added a a "5 minute Prayer for Peace" and made the candle lighting a liturgical act proceeding the prayer. I feel a new Spirit among us calling us to do more in seeking peace in our world.

I came across this idea in my Internet wanderings as I was seeing how other faith communities are seeking to bring about God's peace in the world. This would be a way for us to bring our commitment to peace making at worship into our homes and neighborhoods.

What do you think?
_____________________
Join thousands of others around the world...
Light a Peace Candle in your front window each evening.

Let your neighborhood and the whole world know you support peaceful means of ending conflict, that you seek God's shalom in every area of life.

Make it your daily Peace Ritual a rite which comes from the heart & is supported in prayer.

Tell your friends and family about it.

Got a loved one serving in the military? On active duty?
Pray for them each time you light your peace candle.

Have a neighbor going through a difficult time? Send up a prayer for them.

Reporting from my small place in the world

Tip of the Day #6 - Transit 511 or "How to get the heck out of your CAR!"

Sage (my almost 6 year old grandson) and I were walking back from BART the other day (after a trip to San Jose on - car, foot, train, bus, BART). I asked him why we walk. He said, "because it's good for the environment and it makes us strong for when we grow up, right Grandpa?" "Right Sage!"

I am a huge advocate of getting around without a car whenever possible and in the Bay Area it is so easy and enjoyable to do. Lately I have been using a new Internet tool that makes it even easier.

511.org is this great internet site that has everything you need for planning a trip in the greater Bay Area if it is long or short - on foot, bike, BART, car, boat or train.

If you ride a bike check out this site. Here you can plan trips, get information about maps and bikes on transit and even finding a bike buddy to ride with and so much more. I have used bike 511 for planning trips to Pt. Richmond, Novato, San Francisco etc. I get great detailed information with printable maps, bus and BART options and bridge information.

Last Saturday my family (10 of us) went down to see San Jose State University, my son's new school. To plan the trip I got on 511.org. I plugged in my start and end points. Indicated I wanted to take Amtrak on the way down and BART on the way back. I pressed a button and wa-la -- I had detailed directions of how to make my trip with - times, cost, maps, travel advisories - all printable to take with me.

So next time you are planning a trip don't just get in your car and drive. Make your trip an adventure - Take a friend or a child or a grandchild - Take a bus or a bike or boat or a train - and remember some Sage advice - "we walk because it's good for the environment and it makes us strong for when we grow up, right Grandpa?" "Right Sage!"

Reporting from my small - and walkable - place in the world

Tip of the Day #5 - Morning Buns

Sorry I have been off line in Salt Lake City for the past few days...

I can't resist one more post from my vacation on the North Coast. Each morning my almost two year old grandson and I took a hike (so his mom could get her day started) to a most wonderful bakery. Two Fish Bakery has lots of outstanding baked goods but if you ask my grandson they make the bast "Morning Buns" in the world (I think they are every bit as good as the legendary morning bun from La Farine in Oakland). If you want to see just how good a morning bun can be just take a look at this video of Max devouring his first morning bun...

If you ever get to The Sea Ranch check out Two Fish.

Reporting from the outskirts of our one small place in the world.

Tip of the Day #4 - Walkability

One the the great things about our neighborhood (the corner of Milvia and Virginia St.) is how walkable it is. Within a mile of where I work are some of the most amazing places to eat, shop, play, people watch, drink coffee, wifi (can wifi be used as a verb?), or just enjoy an afternoon walk. Now I can even score the walkability of our neighborhood on the "walkscore" site. When I plugged in "1460 Virginia St. Berkeley CA" I got a score of 83 (out of 100). I also got some great information about where we can walk to in our neighborhood.

"Walkscore" is one of the cool new Google Maps mashups that brings together Google maps and other data. You can look up your neighborhood as well. Give it a try. Very cool. Enjoy...

PS - I do wish that being near a church were a plus for a neighborhood but alas. I guess this says as much about the church these days as it does about our present culture. I would hope that the work that Calvary and its people are doing in the neighborhood would make our neighborhood a better place to live.

More reporting from our small place in the world.

Tip of the Day #3 - Google 411

Have you tryed Google 411 business search service? It is Free and really pretty darn good.

On your mobile phone (or any phone for that matter) you just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411). You will be instructed to say the desired city and state (or you can find it by ZIP code). You will then be asked what business name or type of business you are looking for. For a type of business you will be given a list of business in the city you have specified. When you have selected the business you want to contact Google 411 will call it for you, and here is the coolest feature, it will send you a text message with the Phone and Address of the business to your phone for future reference. I have been using Google 411 instead of my Spirit 411 when I am looking for a business. You don't get a live operator but the computer person has been very effective for me and even does the text message thing and did I say... It is FREE.

Can't hurt to try and you always have you phone company's 411 ($1.50) service to fall back on. Give it a try.

Reporting from my small place in the world (and I told you, it just keeps getting bigger)

Tip of the day #2- Google Street

Have you tried Google Street. Cool new trick with Google Maps. To get a look at how it works you can take a look at the church I work at at this link . When you get to the map press "street view." You need to move the little yellow man to where the green arrow is. Now you can use the arrows in the top left corner to spin the camera around to see the church (the camera is pointing north so you need to turn it south) and use zoom to get closer. What do you think? Cool or what. You can move the little yellow man around to see different views. Now zoom in to see me hiding in the bushes. (Just kidding but that would be way cool if I pulled that off)

Here is one way I have found Google Street really practical. I wanted to tell a friend about a new restaurant that I was recommending. I knew where it was basically but I could not remember the name of the place. Then I thought... I can "Google-street-it" (new word?). I got on the right street, move the yellow man down the street looking at buildings as I went. And, presto! I found the restaurant and zoomed in on the name. Just like driving by to take a look but I did it all from the comfort of my couch.

Give it a try... you might even find it helpful in exploring our little place in the world.
(have you noticed our little place keeps getting bigger? Funny how that works.)

Tip of the Day #1

Have you tried Jott.com? It is such a cool way to jott down ideas from your cell phone. It works like this... You sign up on Jott.com. Then you just call the jott number and you record your message. Jott.com (or some computer) transcribes your email message and sends it as an email. You get both a written message and the recorded voice message as an email. I am using it as a way to send messages to myself when I get an idea in the car and I am also using it to send text messages to folks. Very cool and free.
I hope this helps you keep track of yourself and others in this one small place in the world. Enjoy!