Think it'll cause a techno revolution?

Me thinks it will cause current 'smartphone' manufacturers to rethink their product line. Hmmm...perhaps they'll come up with a Microsoft Windows alternative. If so, they better provide a whole lot of hard drive to all the antivirus software. Since iPhone comes with a full version of Apple's OS X, viruses are a non-issue.

Will the price tag ($499-599) drive down sales? Apparently not for the techie freaks. Most of us will have to wait a bit...until the prices drop as the second generation iPhones roll off the assembly line. Ah, just as well, I'm locked into a Verizon contract for another year...

Care to take a peek at the next generation of iPhones?

<ec · cle · si · as · ti · cal   (i-kle'ze-as'ti-k?l)
    –adjective

    the state of mind experienced when reading the book of Ecclesiastes.

Okay, I modified the traditional definition just a tad, but I can't think of a better word for the feeling I get when reading that book. Solomon has quite a knack for expressing the vanity of life without God. While he guides us thru this seemingly hopeless commentary on life, we get a subtle sense that he's moving us down a path towards meaning and purpose. Still, it's a wide path that veers to the left for fools and right for the wise (Ec 10:2). For example, here's a cheery parable at the end of chapter 9:

There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

No fairytale ending here. Yet the book is a needed reminder for us to reflect on what our lifelong pursuits are and how they compare to the bigger picture. While our faith needs to transcend our feelings, we should empathize with those who don't know Christ and are in empty pursuit with little hope of finding true meaning.

Today, Rachel and I were watching one of those extended commercials, aka infomercials, demonstrating the Instant Fisherman. Seriously, the product looked cool, convenient, and handy.

"And if you call our operators right now..."

A word to the wise - before buying that miracle product, go to http://www.infomercialscams.com

Also, if the product pitch is done by a slick salesman, you may want to google their name first before picking up that phone.

Today, it was a such blessing for our family (except for poor Sarah who was working in Chicago) to able to attend Erik Newby's wedding in nearby St. Petersburg, Florida. Erik boarded at our dorm in Germany for his senior year of high school in 2003. When I think of Erik, gentleness and kindness immediately come to mind. No kidding, he's a big guy with a big heart; how we wished that we could have had him at Sonne longer. 

The skies were clear over St. Petersburg's beach as the gentle Gulf breeze helped cool the noonday rays. I really enjoyed the semi-formal with sandals affair. Shannon was a radiant bride as her father escorted her down the sandy aisle to a teary-eyed wedding party. The theme of Two Becoming One was woven throughout the ceremony; like when each mother brought a cylinder of sand to the altar so that later, the bride and groom poured them into a single vase as they began the process of blending their lives together. One of Erik's best friends at Taylor University conducted the wedding. It was great to see Erik, Shawn and their parents, Don & Susie, again. Shawn sang a beautiful song, which he wrote for the occasion, at the reception, and Don & Susie sang several wonderful songs during the wedding and reception. We are so happy for Erik and Shannon Newby.

Since I just happened to have my camera, I figured that I might as well take a few pictures. I'm sure the Newbys will post their photos on their website later. In the meantime...enjoy the slideshow!

London's latest scare involves the soft drink industry. Apparently, when you combine vitamin C with the preservative sodium benzoate, you form benzene; shown to cause cell damage and eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. Popular sodas, like Orange Fanta, apparently contain this combination.

According to a chemical assessment document from the International Programme on Chemical Safety, sodium benzoate, aka E211, is primarily used as an anticorrosive additive to antifreeze among other things. I'm feeling more refreshed by the minute. But wait, it also naturally occurs in apples; so are they telling us not eat apples and oranges together?

What to do, what to do?

Well you could imbibe less or avoid bottled soft drinks containing the questionable combo [wouldn't you know it, Mt. Dew, which wasn't on the list, apparently contains both.] or you could wait for more research from the FDA. Whatever they decide, they better not touch Gatorade...or Dr. Pepper or...

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-33

I've just read on Facebook that BFA won another Division II championship; a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Bitburg. I have to admit, I'm not much of a soccer fan unless it's BFA soccer. In reading the Stars & Stripes article (including audio), it appeared that this year's game had all the drama of last year's championship (a heartbreaking  loss, 1-0 to SHAPE in 2OT; the only goal allowed by BFA in the tournament). I attended that game and was really proud of the way our guys handled themselves following the defeat--much class, extraordinary sportsmanship. This year's MVP, Billy Reed, exudes integrity; I'm very happy for him and his family. As for my Sonne boys, I'm really glad that Daniel, David and Andy were able to graduate with yet another championship.

I took our van in for an oil change yesterday. I had one of those discount coupons, you know, the $9.95 special. I told them to rotate my tires while they were at it ($4) and asked them to check my brakes since we just drove thru the circuitous mountains of Georgia. I sat in the waiting room, watching Martha Stewart's show when the dreaded request came...

Technician:  Uh, Mr. Drake, can you come with me?
Although feeling quite uneasy, I trek behind him.
Technician: The master cylinder on your left rear break is shot; your brake drums and pads also need replacement.
Me:  This is beginning to sound expensive...
Technician: Well sir, if you don't change them, your car can easily spin out during wet weather.
Since I love my family, I decide to ante up the $650 bucks for the overall repairs.

What does this have to do with electric cars?

Well, the night before I watched a documentary I rented from Blockbuster's called, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"  I recalled the technician in that movie exclaiming that repairs for General Motors' Electric Vehicle1 (EV1) essentially consisted of rotating the tires and adding windshield washer. There's no oil to change, no filter, muffler, catalytic converter, spark plugs, or any other combustion-related part. Because of regenerative braking--the electric motor automatically starts braking once you take your foot off the accelerator--you don't even have to change the brakes. Imagine that!

The EV1 was built by GM in response to California's zero emission mandate from their Air Resources Board. The car could go from zero to 70 in no time and travel over 300 miles on one charge (using modern day battery technology which GM didn't use).  Under pressure from the auto industry, the CARB revised their mandate to say the vehicles must be manufactured IF there was consumer interest. Clever GM leased all of their EV1s and was able to recall (despite much outcry) and destroy them claiming there wasn't enough interest.

While one could argue the electricity needed to power such vehicles comes from coal-fired or nuclear powered plants, I would say that it is much easier to clean up a handful of such industries than millions of cars (emissions from cars, referred to as mobile sources at EPA, are by far, the leading cause of air pollution). Install solar panels on your home and eventually, you'll drive for free. Use this alternative nationwide and we greatly diminish our dependence on oil.

Check it out if you get the chance. I found this conspiratorial documentary (new genre) to be much more reliable than, say, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911.  California blew their chance to clean up the smog; who knows, maybe Governor Ahnold Terminator will flex some of his legislative muscle...

This is a user-friendly version of Where's Waldo...unless you happen to be colorblind. Can you find our darling graduate? Okay, I'll give you a hint: she's smiling.

According to an article in USA Today, the best city in America is Gainesville, Florida...Home of the Fighting Gators. Sports aside, this is the place to be.

    Top 5 Cities
1. Gainesville, Fla.
2. Bellingham, Wash.
3. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.
4. Colorado Springs
5. Ann Arbor, MI

And to think that I couldn't convince either daughter to attend college there--even though both were born there! A recruiter I'm not.