Mike King

Another example of why health care costs are stupidly out of control

These two little filters (made out of very cheap materials for a CPAP machine I use) cost $45.98.  This is stupid beyond stupid.

Savage Tan

This is advice for some of my children and all others out there whom I love who mistakenly think visiting tanning beds are a good preparation for a beach vacation...

"A tan represents nothing more than damage to the skin. It is the body trying to defend itself against an environmental hazard — too much UV light. In other words, indoor tanning gets you ready for the beach in the same way that getting scalded in a hot tub gets you ready to be boiled alive."
Dr. William James, Professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania.

Bill Self

On a flight today to Atlanta I was upgraded to Business Class and ended up next to Bill Self, Coach of the National Champion KU Jayhawks.  What a nice guy, friendly to everyone.  We struck up a conversation.  I am on my way to Italy for a conference and meetings.  He heard me say something on the phone before we took off about meeting someone at the Palazzo Hotel and thought I was talking about Las Vegas where he stayed last week.  I said, "really, you were in Assisi last week?"  After we got that straightened out we talked a little National Championship, him staying in Kansas as coach and youth ministry.  I gave him a copy of Presence Centered Youth Ministry for a youth worker.  He seemed aware of YouthFront.  He read through my book for several minutes and then asked me a bunch of questions about writing and publishing a book which he is beginning the process of doing.  It was a blast talking to him because he was so down to earth and friendly.  I usually don't get worked up about seeing celebrities but I did enjoy this relaxed encounter.

Break-in and a fire: An adventure in the Ozarks.

Vicki and I, along with my parents went to the Ozarks to spend the night with a YouthFront donor who asked if I would visit him.  The 30 hour trip turned into quite an adventure.  We arrived at his house uneventfully and after a tour of his home we jumped in the SUV to get something to eat.  On the way to eat we decided to swing by the regional airport to see his new airplane that he had just purchased last month.  We pulled up to a hangar and he tried unsuccessfully to unlock the door.  He was getting frustrated about not being able to get the door unlocked.  I walked around the hangar and found a place where the sheet metal was separated a bit.  I could not fit through it but Vicki was able to.  She opened the door from the inside and we walked in.  I flipped on the lights.  Our host seem more perplexed than we were when the hangar contained no airplane.  There was a huge boat and a couple of SUVs but no airplane.  He sheepishly announced that we were in the wrong hangar.  We quickly left before we were shot.  Soon we found the right hangar and inspected his plane.

After dinner we returned to his home and talked awhile before we settled in for the night in his guest rooms.  His house is situated high on a bluff overlooking the lake nestled among cedar trees and other homes.  Around 4:00 AM Vicki woke me up with the proclamation "fire."  We looked out the window and the house next door was aflame and embers were falling around us like snow.  Immediately I began shouting orders.  "Wake my parents."  "Throw my computer in the car."  (I can't lose my computer.)  "Call 911."  "Get everyone out of the house and get a hose ready to put the embers out as they hit the yard and house."  I ran outside to the front of the burning house as the first responder.  One half of the home was engulfed in flames along with a vehicle in front of the house.  The heat prevented me from approaching the front door.  I was also worried about the vehicle exploding.  In case someone was still in the non-burning end of the home I threw a couple of large rocks through the windows.  My adrenaline was pumping when I hurled a rock through a huge plate glass window.  I noticed that embers were falling everywhere and the adjacent homes were in danger of igniting.  I pounded on three homes until freaked out homeowners appeared.  Thank God, for the second time in eight hours I wasn't shot.  I ordered, and I mean ordered, everyone to get out of their homes and get their hoses out to battle the igniting embers.  There was one more home on the other side of the burning house that I needed to get to but this meant I had to pass near the burning vehicle.  I crawled along a ravine and was exactly adjacent to the vehicle within 50 feet when it exploded.  What a rush.  I felt like I was back in Jr. High youth ministry. 

It was a full half hour before the Fire Trucks were pumping water full stream.  After briefing the emergency personnel on what had transpired I turned my attention to taking pictures.  Thank God the fire was contained to the one house.  At this time it appears that no one was home.  Here are some more of the pictures...

Oprah, is this for real?

WEIRD... Please tell me this is a hoax.  Ht to my son Micah for this.

Dangerous Evangelism

On Saturday night Vicki and I were enjoying a nice night out with our son Micah and Anne, our daughter-in-law.  We enjoyed a Sushi feast and then took in the movie Once at the Tivoli in Westport (which by the way is a FANTASTIC MOVIE).  After the movie we were strolling around Westport which was packed with people enjoying the atmosphere and the perfect weather.  The four of us were standing at the busy intersection of Pennsylvania and Westport Road when we noticed what looked like a $100 bill in the middle of the intersection.  I dodged cars and pedestrians in a dangerous and foolhardy attempt to secure this wonderful provision that was surely being provided.  I scooped up the bill and for a brief moment thought I had scored a bill that was larger than $100 - my lucky night.  As I returned to the safety of the sidewalk and my family it occurred to all of us, spontaneously, that I had picked up a "gospel track" that was so authentic looking that I am really hoping that the goofy evangelists who are using them will spend ten years in jail for 1) trafficking counterfeit money and 2) endangering nice people's lives by dropping the counterfeit money tract in busy intersections.  I'm pretty sure that their strategy is to wait until someone is hit attempting to secure the filthy lucre at which time they will miraculously arrive at the scene of the accident to orchestrate a last breath conversion in order to "go to heaven when you die."  I think I read something like this in a Jack Chick tract.  Whatever it takes.

666

Ooohh, Evan Almighty was my 666th post since I started blogging.

COME ON!!!

So just a few days ago I was bragging about how beautiful the weather is in Kansas City during this time of the year.  Well for the last week and a half - the non-Spring like weather we are having in Kansas City - SUCKS!!!  Enough already. 

Two days ago I found myself stranded in the KC airport because my flight to Chicago was canceled.  Fortunately, another airline came to the rescue and got me where I needed to go.  Closed for snow on April 11?  Maybe in Chicago.  But now the stinking forcasters in Kansas City are talking about snow this weekend.  Snow at the same time our taxes are due.  COME ON! 

Charlie Chaplin and Gina Glockson

So I'm sitting here working on a few things and watching American Idol with my wife Vicki and daughter Jessica.  Gina Glockson, one of my favorites, sings Smile.  Ryan Seacrest says, "Smile was written by Charlie Chaplin."  Yes, that Charlie Chaplain, king of the silent movie era.  To which Jessica spontaneously replies, "Hmmm, I didn't know Charlie Chaplin could even talk."  I'm still laughing...

WeeMee Mike

Here is the Mike King WeeMee...

not quite as good as Marko's

Make your own here.