House of Horrors in Cleveland, Ohio. My thoughts on Sex Slavery and Trafficking.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/missing-women-cleveland-brothers-arrested/2140359/

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?!  Did you see this piece of news?  On USA Today, today, front page: House of horrors... 3 missing young girls rescued!  They were kidnapped about 10 years ago, when they are 14 (Gina Dejesus), 17 (Amanda Berry), and 20 (Michelle Knight) years old by a school bus driver (Ariel Castro) and his 2 brothers (Onil and Pedro)!

These 3 perverts locked the 3 girls in a house for 10 years.  Sexually/physically/mentally abused them over and over in the last 10 years!  In the article, they mentioned repeated chained rapes, violent physical abuses... they had total of at least 5 pregnancies and some loss of pregnancies because of traumatic abuse during their pregnancy.  Why in hell are these things happening?!  Doesn't it give you just this nauseous feeling and a craving for justice?

Why are we fight about all these less important 'rights' issues in America, when we have such bigger issues to address?  We should turn our energy in fighting these 'justice' issues?  These kind of injustice committed against women and children are SO MUCH BIGGER than what American likes to fight about with what we called 'rights.'  Please, don't ignore this anymore.  Shouldn't we all feel disgusted so we want to learn more and help fight it.  Doesn't this disgust you as it disgusts me?  Should we continue to turn a blind eye until it happens to us?  What would it take for YOU to change how you are behaving toward this issue?

Are you aware that the Pornography industry is one of the largest profitable industries in the world... Drug trafficking is the most profitable.  The second most profitable is Human Trafficking, which is also the 3rd fastest growing criminal industry in the world!  Do you still think Porn is benign if you just do what you do behind closed doors?  The supply is meeting the demand... you have to ask yourselves, where are these demand coming from?  Do you think porn is as consensual as the American TVs made it seemed to be?  Do you think women likes to degrade their bodies to any men willing?  Do you think Sex Trafficking is a 'foreign issue'?  Well, look again, it is in ALL of our neighborhoods... it is probably in your own house!

This disgusting porn industry is feeding into the Sex Slavery industry.  Check out these statistics:

1. 27 million humans are enslaved each year according to the most conservative estimates.  The real number is more like 50 million world wide.  This is more than DOUBLE to QUADRIPLE the number during the height of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
2. 80% of victims are WOMEN AND GIRLS, and over 50% are minors ==> Sex slaves
3. UNICEF estimates about 1.2 million children are trafficked every year around the world, that is about 2 CHILDREN PER MINUTE ARE TRAFFICK FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
4. A lot of these exploits are for 'sexual tourism.'  What do you think that means?  That means, overwhelming majority are men traveling around the world just to RAPE another innocent CHILD!
5. About 800,000 persons are trafficked across international borders each year, that means the rest of 97%, or 26 + million people are trafficked within the country... they are domestic slaves!  More than 50% of these are sexual slaves!
6. The SuperBowl is the event that earns most money for sex traffickers in the world.  Look at any major sporting event around the world... it's the same thing...

Ahhhh, THIS MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY SICK TO MY STOMACH!

TAKE NOTE: THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW.  IN THE UNITED STATES, A GIRL THAT IS LEFT TO HERSELF IN ANY MAJOR U.S. CITY WILL BE APPROACHED BY A HUMAN TRAFFICKER WITHIN 72 HOURS!!!  Think Again!

*** YOU CANNOT DO NOTHING!  DOING NOTHING MEANS YOU ARE OK WITH THESE KIND OF TERRORISM AND ATROCIOUS VIOLENCE.  DO NOT TURN A BLIND FACE TO THESE SUFFERING WOMEN AND CHILDREN!!! ***

You can do something about this:
1. READ, READ, READ!
2. STOP USING PORN, STOP SUPPORTING THIS INDUSTRY.
3. Learn to protect yourself
4. Watch movies about this issue
5. You can check out these following links.  Be educated about how to properly approach this issue.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
http://www.slaverymap.org/
http://streetlightusa.org/2012/child-sex-trafficking-research-and-statistics/
http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2012/
http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/policy-advocacy/current-laws
http://www.caseact.org/learn/humantrafficking/
http://www.f-4-c.org/statistics/Default.asp
http://www.freedom-summit.org/2013/about-us/humantrafficking/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/super-bowl-sex-trafficking_n_2607871.html

The absolutely crazy Hybrid Car Hype. Count your cost. It is a hole in your wallet and your logic!

I got to test drive a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid... Man, I got so many looks and good comments!  From its Maserati inspired grill, to smooth body curves, to a metallic black color, to a quiet eco-friendly philosophy and yet a muscular sporty look... I would have to say, this is a very sexy car.  I love the absolute quietness of the electric engine while I sneak up on unsuspected pedestrian, to watching me 'grow green leaves' on my driving efficiency feedback, to a CVT transmission that allow me to accelerate without feeling gear changes, to its responsive acceleration for a hybrid... it really zips, and I really had fun driving this car!  While good driving is rewarded by 'growing green leaves' on the monitor, bad driving makes the leaves fall off... I have tried both --> to grow as many leafs as possible by driving 60 mph on the freeway until the vines are full of green, to punching the accelerator until all the leaves fall off.... I still averaged 39.8 mpg!!!!

But, as much as I love driving this car and getting attention... is it worth the money?!   The answer is NO!  Here are the calculations... do it for yourself and see...

2013 FORD FUSION HYBRID
The minimal car MSRP price is $30,000, with a gas tank size of 13.5 gallons, and a 39 MPG efficiency, it give s a whopping 526.5 miles for a full tank.  At $4 per gallon of gas, it takes $54 to fill up a tank.  According to statistics, an average American drives about 1100 miles per month, with the average life span of a car being around 8 years and 150,000 miles.  So that means, you will spend about average of $1,353.85 per year on gas money and about $15,384.62 in its life span.

2013 TOYOTA COROLLA
This is one of the most popular selling car, an Toyota stable.  The minimal MSRP is $17,000, with a gas tank size of 13.2 gallons, and a 30 MPG combined efficiency.  That gives 396 miles for a full tank of gas.  At $4 per gallon, that is around $52.8 per tank to fill up.  With the above given statistics, the average total yearly cost for gas would be $1,760, and around $20,000 on gas over its average life span.

So, pretty close aye?  Now, here is where the 'robber-meets-the-road:'
1. The difference in MSRP = $13,000
2. The difference in gas cost per year = $406.15
3. The difference in gas cost for the life span of car = $4,615.38
4. That means to buy a hybrid is to spend $13,000 more to save $406 per year on gas.
5. With these differences... how many years do you think you will have to drive a hybrid to make the difference of the MSRP worth money you save each year on gas by driving a hybrid????  =====>  32 years! 

Now, tell me, is it financially worth it to buy a hybrid?!!!

Now, talk about how environmentally better is a hybrid... which has both gas engine parts and electric engine with lithium batteries?  Isn't that double the waste?

I think this is a no-brainer!  Hybrids are another form of economic waste based on fancy/sexy/strategic/celebrity/green/earth-saving marketing.  You know what is another economic waste based on fancy marketing?  Pharmaceuticals!  We have a lot more to talk about if you wanna chat about that...

(*) A Place of Dreams?

Would this place of dreams for you?
   A place with:
       Beloved family and friends
       Activities you enjoy
       Physical pleasures you can have
       Natural beauty you can immerse in
       Supernatural wonders to explore?

   And a place without:
       Sadness
       Sickness
       Human conflict
       Natural disaster
       Injustice & Inequality?

Would it still be a place of your dreams if,
       God is absent?

The Virtual Human Embryo!!!

WOW, let me tell you... if you are not amazed with things in this world, you will be amazed by this.  I was listening to Dr. Brian Stillwell, who is the president of Endowment of Human Developement, who made available these awesome resources for us!

Have you ever seen pictures of the real human embryo?  Have you ever wondered what babies look like when they are inside the womb, growing, beating and kicking? 

Well, here is a resource you don't want to miss!  They produced a video with National Geographics and its a DVD you can buy, or see footages on their website!  Check out these link on the baby heart.

Do you want to geek out on embryology and some rare and very good qualities pictures of the human embryo?  Click here:  THE REAL VIRTUAL HUMAN EMBRYO...

Check this out! 

(*) We can die anytime! Regrets? Anxieties? Self-Obsessions?

 

 

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”  -Proverbs 19:21

Job 38,40
² “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? ³ Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.”
⁴ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
⁸ Who kept the sea inside its boundaries, this far and no farther will you come.
⁴¹ Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God in hunger?

² “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
⁸ Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?
⁹ Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his?

¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.  –James 4:13-17

As I start this chapter, I’m thinking, life is too busy.  Too many things.  Too overwhelming.  There is no time to work, study, learn, and plan where God wants me to be and really think about what He’s will is for my life.  Busy-ness makes me ignore life.  Sweep everything under the rug to deal with them later.  I live like I know I have another day to deal with unresolved business and unconfronted transgressions. 

I realized that even if I do my best to plan life well, experiences tell me that God ALWAYS change my plans.  Though I don’t get what I ask for, He somehow makes things more beautiful than what I can ever ask for or achieve on my strength alone… 

If my desire is to be the ‘apple of God’s eyes,’ am I spending enough time in front of God’s face enough to see myself in His eyes?

As I sip my cup of hot Aztec spicy mocha espresso latte from the Flying Goat Café in downtown Santa Rosa, I am struggling to wrap my mind around how apparently complex life is, and at the same time, how paradoxically simple life is…

Is God really the center of my life?  Is He the apple of my eye?  Well, OF COURSE NOT IF I’M SO SELF ABSORBED!  I think about myself all the time.  I worry about my future.  I worry about my relationships.  I worry about what people think of me.  I worry about my debts.  I worry about my performance at work.  I worry about EVERYTHING!  My mind won’t let me go.  My guilt won’t let me go.  My shame won’t let me go.  My own unforgiveness won’t let me go!  SELF-OBSESSION… 

Self-obsession makes me speed-walk unconsciously through crowds, splitting groups of people, with my head buried between my shoulders and my eyes piercing through the ground…  consciously, attentively, focusedly… lost… marinated in my own thoughts that swirled around a soupy existence of cosmic conglomeration of thoughts.  Thoughts that integrate at the same time disintegrate.  Grasping the fog…  Head in the cloud or in the concrete? Ying-Yang? 

Ironic, I don’t think about things that are going right. 
Just like my mind don’t tend to highlight areas in life that are functioning healthily and correctly,
I don’t think about my body, the wonder of it all, the miracle that it is self sustaining and self healing.  What kind of creative wisdom God must have put into it… it is incredible!
I don’t think about people around me.  The masses are like props or extras on a movie set. 
I don’t think about how my actions right now is impacting or changing the future of myself, my family or the world.
I don’t think about my age.
What is on my mind?
To become debt free
Incongruence of various life compartments
Most of all:
I fear being made ineffective and unable to accomplish God’s will and His purpose for my life!
Desperate,  I need solutions for my paralysis.

We all have worries… I think it really reflect a basic trust issue I have for God.  Same principle applies when anyone reads the Bible or approach any topic of discussion that is worth pondering… the root of the issue at hand is ALWAYS SPIRITUAL.  The apparent and surface issues may be physical, it may be relational, it may be unacceptable expectations, it may be traumatic, it may be extremely sad or happy, it may be out of your control…  Stress… Anxiety… Depression… unhealthy compensations…But the deep: …SPIRITUAL…  Control issues?  …SPIRITUAL…

This has never come up to me before!  Today is the first day I realized that I have control and trust issues with God!  Once He has enlightened my heart, I have to address it now!  

REQUESTS:
God please give me strength and ability to release my control and stress and trust to you.  God show me what You want me to do today!  It takes effort to hear from God.  I must re-organize my life to put God first, rather than my own worries.  I have to die to the process of myself in this world.  May God increase as I decrease.  I have to let go of my job, family, relationships, and myself.  God, please remove my distractions that take place of You in my heart/mind/soul.  Please lift the thick veil that is covering my eyes and the eyes of those around me so that we can experience a truly fulfilled life and become the ‘Apple of Your Eye.’

Juvenile Hall

Today i visited the juvenile facility in Ventura county. They house a few hundred deliquent kids there at one time. Most stay a few month, some stay 2 years. Kids who ended up there for many reasons, from skipping school, to drug possession, to stealing cars, to murder. Kids who visit there quite often pretty much get 'institutionalized'. They get everything done for them as long as they can obey the rules. They get work, school, 3 meals a day, recreational classes, shower, laundry, and visitation rights when they are in there..... Let me tell ya, that is a heck of a lot more than what a lot of them could muster up on their own. It is like a 'free lunch' every time they are in there... I don't see why they wouldn't want to come back, as long as they can put up with people telling them what to do and also living within the wired fenced walls and locked gates.

Now, ideally, we would like to rehab these kids to become contributing part of society and that they can make a living and pour back their monies back into our economy... instead of costing hard earned tax-payer dollars... but, if all these kids are getting seemed to 'institutionalize' them, they do eventually become a social burden.

What do we do?