I have talked about GMO labeling and labeling in general in past posts. Inherently a label that provides good information to help a consumer make a decision is not a bad thing if there is genuine positive intent. GMO labeling has been a hot topic lately and a lot of debate on both sides is easy to find in the news. I am not against GMO labeling if everything is labeled fairly, ie. also label the organics with the chemicals sprayed on them, put how much aflatoxins are in our food, or say how many mice droppings or roach legs are in there. In other words don't use a label to single out a GMO product that carries no safety risk. There are many other things happening with our food that I would rather know about than whether it contains GMO ingredients or not.
Many of the proponents of labeling GMO food are stating they want labels because it is the consumers right to know. I stumbled on a couple articles recently that put into persepctive what the proponents of GM labeling are really after (see links below). They are not fighting for you the consumer. They are fighting for their own agendas and that agenda is to get rid of GMOs. As a consumer do not be fooled by their agenda. These groups have no scientific evidence to show GMOs are bad. If they did they could use that evidence as a reason to get rid of GMOs and they would have a legitimate case. However they have no case so they rely on consumer's misunderstanding and lack of education to target GMOs. Consumer right to know sounds good and puts on the mirage of even trying to educate consumers. It is easy to get behind a concept that seems to want the consumer to have as much information as they can. However this is not education on the benefits of GMOs or the safety record of TMOs. This is trying to put a dunce hat on certain products so that an uneducated consumer sees the product as a problem child.
These groups don't care about consumer rights to know. They only want to use you as a menas to an end. If you don't beleive me then just read it directly from them. These proponents of GMO labeling could care less what the label says as long as it is a tool to turn the consumer against GMOs. The next time you see a label that says a product is GMO then ask yourself why would I not buy this? What is the safety risk? If you don't know do some digging to understand GMOs from a scientific vantage point. There are literally hundereds of studies out there on the internet. If GMOs are going to be singled out with a label then don't fall into the trap of refusing to buy something because someone told you GMOs are bad for you. If you do then you are playing right into the trap set by these organizations that are trying to use consumer fears for their agendas.
There are certain things you see for the first time that take your breath away. I was on a family vacation in the North Carolina mountains when something like that happened to me. We were actually on top of a mountain in Banner Elk and had this beautiful view to the sky. I had just gotten my telescope and decided to set it up and look at the stars. At that point I knew absolutely nothing about where any stars or planets were located. So I just started aiming at stars and taking in the beauty of the night sky. There was this one "star" that was so bright and I aimed my scope at that. And you guessed it, it was Saturn. It was the first time I had seen Saturn in real time with a telescope. We have all seen majestic pictures of Saturn. Yet is something different about seeing a dot in the sky that turns into this little ball with rings around it when you look into the eyepiece of a telescope. I had unexpectedly found Saturn with my brand new telescope in the North Carolina mountains and I still remember that night like it was yesterday.
Once I had a bigger scope and a camera I wanted to try for a picture of Saturn. I have posted in an earlier entry my first attempt to image Jupiter. I learned a few things with Jupiter and so I think my attempt of Saturn turned out a little better.
Getting a picture of planets are unique. You take a video of the planet and then stack the best frames of the video. You need a lot of frames because we are at such high magnifications that the atmosphere distorts your image. Some frames are going to be less distorted than others.
Here is the video of Saturn.
Here is the final picture where I stacked individual frames from the video to clean up the final picture. This picture was taken with a Celeston EdgeHD 800 using a 4X barlow. An ZWO ASI120MC camera was used to capture the video.
Hopefully the next attempt will be even better. If you ever get a telescope make sure Saturn is your first target. It is one of those things that makes a first impression you will never forget.
My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Haiti. This was my first experience in a third world country and I wanted to share. This was a mission trip through my church Hope Community Church located on Buck Jones Rd in Raleigh. It is rare I talk about religion on this blog. It is not my personality to force religion on anyone. Belief in God is a decision you need to make for yourself, not a decision that can be forced on anyone. So for some of you this is merely some pictures and info to learn more about Haiti and what a visit to the country looks like. For those that do believe in God, you may get even more out of this post as you see the God side of things as well.
So I'll start with a little background. Hope Community Church and a church in Port-au-Prince called Agape partnered a few years back. It was the vision of Agape church in Haiti to provide what we in America would call a "contemporaneity" service. There are plenty of churches in Haiti, but Agape would offer a different kind atmosphere. Of course a Sunday service is just the beginning. Most importantly Agape also provides all kinds of support for the community and we were there to help out with a teen camp, which was basically a big vacation bible school. These kids would dance, sing, and have fun while learning more about God. They would also get a good meal, which for some of them was probably the best meal they had had in a while.
Saturday
We arrived in Port-Au-Prince as a team of 12. Katherine and I were there in a semi support role. Kelsey was our leader and the others were in college. Katherine and I quickly took on the name "mom" and dad", which were fun titles that stuck for the rest of the week.
Once out of the airport and on the streets of Haiti you immediately realize just how different this country is. The first thing we noticed is the trash. It is everywhere. Pictures do not really even do justice tot he amount of trash on the streets. Haiti has no trash infrastructure. There are no garbage trucks picking up trash. There are no landfills. So the trash accumulates everywhere. Sometimes heaps of trash are put together and you will see random fires on the side of the streets every day as small amounts of trash are burned.
The next thing you realize is that traffic is CRAZY. Port-au-Prince is a city of 3.2 million people. We drove down a lot of streets. I saw one stoplight the entire time. I saw maybe 2 stop signs, none of which were heeded by the drivers. Cars, trucks, and motorbikes are everywhere weaving around each other and blowing horns. Almost all the vehicles are diesel and the smell of diesel with black smoke is always around.
Most of the places you travel will look similar. There are people everywhere selling what they can to make a dollar. It is apparent very quickly that life in Haiti is not easy. Many times someone selling onions is beside 10 other people selling onions too. These videos tell the story of what most of Port-au-Prince looks like as you drive down the streets.
I loved this picture.
Fruit is one thing that is abundant. There are fruit tress everywhere and people also have small plots of vegetables that they harvest and bring to the market.
From the airport we went to the place we would stay for the week. The minister of Agape has founded an orphanage and school in a small town called Kenscoff. Kenscoff is about 30 minutes up a mountain right outside of Port-au-Prince. This trek would become familiar. Each day we would come down the mountain for camp and then go back up the mountain in the evening. As we went up the mountain and out of Port-Au-Prince we exited the city and entered the country. This country side was beautiful. It was also cooler as well averaging a good 10-15 degrees lower than in the city which was always in the mid 90s while we were there.
As we arrived at the orphanage we had a gorgeous view for the rest of the week. We were on a mountain and had another mountain right across from us.
The orphanage was home to 27 boys. The site was also home to a school for the 27 boys plus many more that would come from the surrounding countryside.
The orphanage and school had its own playground. Notice the rebar sticking out everywhere. I can just hear what Americans would say if our playgrounds looked like this. The first scratch on a kid and a lawsuit would be filed. These kids were so happy to have anything to play with and having some steel sticking out did not bother them at all.
Sunday
We woke up to go down the mountain and see the Agape church service on Sunday. The upper class Haitians speak French, but most of the population speaks Haitian Creole. I didn't really understand much, but started to pick up a few basic creole words while I was there.
We spent the rest of the day back up the mountain at the orphanage. The 27 kids at the orphanage range in age from 7 months to around 18. Of course my wife was quick to get a hold of the baby anytime she could as were Blaine, Courtney, Bailey, Kelsey, and Peyton.
Monday
Monday was the first day of the kids camp as we took the daily trek down the mountain. It was the daily practice for us to cram in our van ad for "mom" to take the daily selfie of the group.
The reason we came down to Haiti was to help with the camp. It was basically a big vacation bible school. The basic day consisted of some songs and dancing, followed by games that we helped lead. The boys and girls would separate for the games. There were a few staff that worked at Agape with wonderful English. We would explain the games and they would translate. We played games like mingle mingle, jump the river, over/under with a ball, blob tag, etc. Here we were prepping for the games. lots of balloons!!
After games there was a usually a small sermon. After the sermon the boys would get in small groups and the girls would get in small groups with a volunteer or leader from Agape. In the small groups the kids got to discuss what was was talked about during the day. While the kids were in small groups, we started to prepare to feed all of the kids. About 500 kids showed up each day. That meant we filled over 500 cups with ice and poured some fruit champagne or lemonade (a huge treat for these kids) as well as setting up an assembly line for preparing food plates. Food consisted of rice and then some type of meat like chicken. Each day I saw 500 kids get fed and I saw 500 plates come back completely clean. There was no wasted food. The chicken bones came back completely clean. It put things in perspective and was a story I will always remind my own kids of. After lunch we would play with the kids for a while and then head back up the mountain.
This stuff tasted just like a cream soda dumb-dumb sucker.
Another observation was the kids in Haiti loved games and they did not get tired of simple games. They could play the same game for hours even if it was a simple slap game.
The kids loved to get on our shoulders. Even the staff got in on the action. :)
Remember that hand game called Miss Mary Mac. They love that game.
One the way back to up the mountain we had a flat tire. The roads are a mess in Haiti. In the city the roads are paved, but potholes are everywhere. As we go up the mountain the final road to the orphanage was a dirt road with large rocks for traction. Those roads were terrible on the vehicles and took a toll on our tires. The flat tire did provide a perfect overlook to take in the beauty of the Haitian land.
Once we were back up the mountain to "home" we got to play with the boys at the orphanage. There were two sports the boys loved to play. One was "football" of course. Some of them also loved basketball. I played basketball all afternoon and was completely soaked when we finished.
Tuesday
Tuesday was the second day at camp. It was more of the usual routine with games, serving lunch, and just loving on the kids. They kids loved the girls hair and would braid and play with it as much as they could. They also loved our phones and wanted to take selfies and pictures anytime they could.
Another day of camp was done and it was back up the mountain. Oh yeah guess what. We had another flat tire. :) Once again it was a good time for a few pics. Another stunning view, however if you look down off the road you can get a glimpse at what the trash situation in Haiti looks like.
Tuesday was a chance to hang out with a couple of the boys that live near the orphanage. Thomas and I walked a short distance to Jerry's house. As you walk and see the houses you can still some effects from the huge earthquake in 2010. This was the earthquake that killed ~220,000 people and the effects are still seen in the city. Before the earthquake building were just cinder blocks. Now rebar is used and you can tell the new buildings since they don't cut the rebar. It just protrudes from the top of structures. Jerry's house still had a very large crack from the roof to the ground. You would also see these small tin boxes scattered throughout the countryside. 2-3 people would live in these small boxes while they rebuilt houses after the earthquake.
Here is an avocado tree. All these tropical fruits are everywhere and so good.
Wednesday
Back down the mountain after breakfast. I forgot to mention we were able to have Haitian coffee every morning. That stuff is the bomb and I had to brind some back home! On Wednesday after the games and singing and dancing, I was given the privilege of giving the sermon. I would speak a few sentences and then my translator spoke for me. It was a time when I wish I knew other languages. The language barrier can be frustrating when you go to a country in which you do not speak or understand the native language. Nonetheless, it was awesome to speak to 500 kids knowing that if even a few connected with your message it was worth it.
Once back at the orphanage we decided to take a hike up the nearby mountain with the orphan boys and a few other boys from the surrounding countryside. It was about a 2 hour hike up a very steep and rocky path. However it was beautiful.
A few things to note from the hike. There are small terrace farms all over the mountain. It is dangerous farming these since it is steep. The families farm small plots to have food for their families. I did not see any large farms anywhere except some banana plantations in the northern part of the country. Most of the agriculture are small family plots. I saw some many tomatoes and peppers that have a lot of disease in those small plots.
The next thing you notice is that most people do not have electricity. Those fortunate to have electricity in many cases use generators. We had a generator for power but it only came on for a few hours in the morning and then again late evening with a shutoff at 10 PM. The Haitian people are resourceful. As you go up the mountain you see electric fence wire and even barb wire running everywhere held up by small sticks. The Haitians have tapped into the few power supplies and run the electricity down the mountain to their homes with this wire.
The hike gives a preview of how beautiful the countryside is and how the small farms litter the mountain.
Families would make a trek from their terrace farms to the town at the top of the mountain or from the town down to their homes. Carrying large loads on your head is a very common site. It is actually unbelievable how much they are able to balance on their heads.
Once at the top of the mountain we rode a Tap-Tap down. A tap-tap is a truck with a top that is the taxi of Haiti. Once in the back, you tap on the truck shelter to stop and get off. These tap taps are everywhere and usually decorated in bright paint.
That night it was a little fun with the group playing "mafia" in our home. Anders did some great narration. I don't know if anyone has played mafia before, but Anders best narration of the night was when Kelsey told a lie so bad that her pants really did catch on fire and the mafia got her. Well played Anders.
Thursday
It was the last day of camp and it was a day for sadness. We had to say goodbye to the kids. And we had to say goodbye to the Agape staff. Even though we did not all speak the same language, there was nonetheless a common bond that had happened between our group and their group over the week. Our belief in God had become our common language through song, dance, serving and fellowship. And who thought that saying goodbye after only 4 days would be so hard. I met some wonderful people at Agape. They had big hearts and gave so much of themselves to feed and serve the kids during the week and share with them a wonderful message. I will always remember this staff and what they are doing to help Haiti.
This guy will always hold a special place in my heart:
One last football game was played as Peyton and McKenzie showed the boys that girls know how to score too.
Friday
Friday was our last full day in Haiti and a day to decompress. Emotions were high in the group. Saying goodbye was hard. We were also just taking in the struggles the Haitian people have everyday. So many of the boys had dreams to be an engineer or a doctor. They were smart and could do it, but did not have the money to get into a university. Making money is even harder because there are few jobs. One boy told me he could collect rocks off the mountain and carry them one at a time for a mile or two. A full dump truck load of the collected rocks would get him 2 US dollars. These are tough stories to hear and as you grow attached to the people the stories become even harder to hear.
To wade through those emotions we took a trip to northern Haiti to see a beach and swim in the Caribbean. The trip there was the usual chaos of crazy driving! It took about three hours to get there mostly because of the traffic. Remember there are no stoplights and stop signs. The end result was a beautiful beach called Wahoo Bay where they served bacon cheeseburgers!
On the way home we stopped by a restaurant that serves pizza. Most businesses like this hire their own security. As we ate at a very upscale restaurant in Haiti we were inside a "complex" with razor wire and a guard with a shotgun. Just another reminder that we are in a very different place.
Riding down the streets we would frequently get hitchhikers on the back of the van.
Saturday we went to the airport and back to the states. There is a saying in the US that we live in a bubble. Of course many of us know that life is not always great in other countries. However it is easy to forget just how great we have it here in the US. Visiting Haiti was a great opportunity for me to become humbled again. It is a beautiful country and the people have the same dreams as you and I. However there dreams are much harder to become a reality because the country is just not as advanced. Even though the people have a hard life, there is a simplicity to life in Haiti that I think people in the US can learn from. People don't need phones and TV to still have fun. They find joy just playing a slap game. In the end 77 kids from the camp put their belief in God. Whether you believe in God or not, the story of the Haitian people is one we can all learn from. If you do believe in God, then they story is even more beautiful. This is a story of a culture change as more people abandon the very real Voodoo found throughout Haiti and trust in God.
One other thing is very clear. North Carolina is representing in Haiti. Hope Community Church has had a strong outreach in Haiti for a few years as they partnered with Agape. And that partnership is realized as you ride down the streets. Port-au-Prince has a few million people and no matter where you go you will pick out Cary and Apex high school t-shirts, wolf pack t-shirts, UNC t-shirts, and Duke t-shirts. It is crazy. The church is supposed to help people, not just be a country club and you can actually see that effort through the clothes being worn on the streets. If any of you ever get a chance to visit Haiti I highly recommend it. And of course if you ever want to check out Hope just holler.
Finally thanks to Peyton, Blaine, Anders,Thomas, Sam, McKenzie, Bailey, and Courtney for being great "kids". Thanks to Kelsey for being a great leader. And thanks to Melanie for being someone who really is changing the world through her faith. Of course the best part was I got to experience Haiti with my wife, Katherine.
A Haitian artist that lived near the orphanage welcomed us into his studio one evening. His canvas painted a picture I brought home to always remember this trip. There is a path for all of us and even when it leads to some tough places God has a plan. The Haitian people are an example of walking a tough path and still trusting that the ultimate outcome is the right one.
