Down to Shakeytown

On Saturday I left rainy San Francisco for sunny LA (weekend pictures here). Amy Jackson and Lisa Zaagman (visiting from Grand Rapids, MI) picked me up at the Burbank airport and we were off to Santa Monica. In the car Lisa and I made PB&J sandwiches (about 17). Note to self: do not attempt making many sandwiches in a car again. At Santa Monica we met a group from Pepperdine, including Braden Mogler, who had over 300 sandwiches and also drinks and other foodstuffs. We handed out all of this and clothes to the homeless there.

I walked around with two of the students to some of the parks. At the first park down overlooking the ocean a man walked up, asked and indicated that he wondered if he should take off his shirt. At first we were a little confused, but then got the idea that he was offering to give us his shirt for us to give away. He took it off right there and put on a new one he had just bought before he met us. That is an action I will remember for a long time. Literally giving away the shirt off of his back. The entire operation was very good with almost everyone interested in the food and drink. I think only one or two people were not interested out of the probably 40 sandwiches I handed out. We also saw a group of people camping out waiting for the PlayStation 3. I guess I don't know who has $600 to spend on entertainment, but also a week to waste sitting on a lawn chair in front of Circuit City.

That evening there was a young group bible study down in Hermosa at Justin and Robin's. Daniel Luthi led the study on prayer. We all had dinner beforehand and a singing afterwards. It gave me many thoughts to ponder about prayer.

Sunday after church most of the young group headed out to Ingrid Steiner's to help rebuild a giant K'nex roller coaster and enjoy games and dinner. All in all quite the weekend.

In other news: Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and his opponent weirdness: 2000 Lieberman race results, 2006 Lieberman race results. Notice both times his closest opponent got 448,077 (A republican in 2000, a democrat in 2006).

I thought this was so cool I went and made the fluid myself just to check it out. The stuff is a liquid, until it gets disturbed in a serious way, then it solidifies. I can punch it and tap it. If I slowly push into it then it acts almost as thin as water. I tried increasing the corn starch and it is almost like playdough unless I move really slowly, but if I pick up a piece it soon liquefies and will drain out of my hand. I can almost roll a ball out of it. But it is coolest when it the mixture is just enough to make it possible to slap it without coming away with more then a little liquid sheen on the hands, which quickly drys to corn starch powder. Now all I need is a kiddy pool and several dozen boxes.