Volume VI - Advocate of the Social Gospel, September 1948-March 1963

I'm happy to say that my name is in a published book! For the past three years, I have worked at the MLK Research and Education Institute. For the past 20 years, Clayborne Carson has edited the papers of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Although the book is primarily academic, it chronicles the development of King as a leader and features many of his never before published sermons and speeches. Here is a description from the UC Press:

Dedicated to documenting the life of America's best-known advocate for peace and justice, The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. breaks the chronology of its series to present King's never-before-published sermon file. In 1997 Mrs. Coretta Scott King granted the King Papers Project permission to examine papers kept in boxes in the basement of the Kings' home. The most significant finding was a battered cardboard box that held more than two hundred folders containing documents King used to prepare his celebrated sermons. This private collection that King kept in his study sheds considerable light on the theology and preaching preparation of one of the most noted orators of the modern era.

These illuminating papers reveal that King's concern about poverty, human rights, and social justice was clearly present in his earliest handwritten sermons, which conveyed a message of faith, hope, and love for the dispossessed. His enduring message can be charted through his years as a seminary student, as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as a leader of the Montgomery bus boycott, and, ultimately, as an internationally renowned proponent of human rights who saw himself mainly as a preacher and "advocate of the social gospel." Ten of the original and unedited sermons King submitted for publication in the 1963 book Strength to Love and audio versions of King's most famous sermons are the culmination of this groundbreaking work.

Mountain Biking

One hobby that I have recently picked up has been mountain biking. For the past year, I have progressed from a newbie that could barely bike up a hill to an enthusiast that enjoys speeding downhill with a used, full suspension bike that will one day break with the way I treat it.

Here are a 3 of my favorite trails in the Bay Area:.

- Arastradero Nature Preserve
This place is just a 15 minute bike ride from Stanford, making it the ideal place to go for a quick ride. The trail is pretty easy as well, with wide roads and mostly gradual climbs. There are a few switchbacks and steep slopes to make it more exciting, but if you're in shape, you can fly through the whole trail in less than 30 minutes. There are also a few jumps as well for you to fool around on.

- El Corte de Madera
Not for the faint of heart. I've ridden this trail one way only - bombing down a very steep, rocky downhill and then spending an hour or so climbing back up to the top where we started. Although the downhill is the best I've ever experienced, the climb up really isn't that much fun. This is definitely a trail for skilled riders, so don't go here unless you can conquer the other two trails listed here.

- Saratoga Gap
This trail edges out El Corte de Madera due to the wide variety of trails (mostly some great xc, really big hills and downhills, and a great view of the ocean from the top). It takes about 2 hours and is definitely an intermediate hill, with some really quick cross-country singletracks where tree branches and rocks sneak up on you. But, once you get use to the trail, you can really fly through it. Riding this trail today inspired me to share what I felt about these three trails.

In the future, I hope to take my camera with me when I go biking, and not only shoot some pictures of the scenery, but perhaps my friends shooting down some of these trails. And if you're looking for a hobby, definitely consider mountain biking. It's a great workout and a great way to see some beautiful sites wherever you live.

Japanese Basketball???

Who would have ever thought a Japanese guy could play college basketball? Well, look no further than Columbia's K.J. Matsui. He's 6 foot 2 inches, and is a great perimeter shooter. There's a great Yahoo! Sports article on Matsui here.

Cupcakes!

Given Jenny's and mine recent interest in gourmet cupcakes (see post on Spinkles and the picture from Magnolia Bakery in New York City), the following article makes it quite clear that cupcakes are not created equal.

I'm Prepared To Do Anything To Get That Cupcake

There is something quite pressing that I must make clear immediately. I am afraid I am going to have to take that cupcake. That cupcake...

I don't mean to brag, but...

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2007/snapshots/1.html

And Stanford's nail-biting, scrappy 78-77 win over #24 ranked Washington:


If you didn't know, the Lopez twins, Robin and Brook, are two 7-foot beasts that provide much entertainment as they block numerous shots. The picture above is Robin making Justin Dentmon wish he ate more Wheaties as a child since he's so short. And by that I mean 5 feet 11 inches.

Los Angeles

After flying into SFO, Jenny and I drove down to Los Angeles to spend the weekend with one of Jenny's friends. We stayed in her apartment in West Hollywood, and spent the evening checking out a local bar, called "The Dime." (Read a review about it from Citysearch here). It was a small bar, but they played good music, although there was no real dance floor. The drinks were especially strong, which was a nice change from the many watered-down drinks I've had before.

On Saturday we spent some time touring the local area, visiting the famed cupcake story Sprinkles. It definitely competes on the same level as Magnolia Bakery in New York, but with an approach that sides on gourmet and a focus on satisfying the affluent Beverly Hills residents it serves (cupcake treat for your dog, sprinkles shirt for your dog, etc). Anyway, the cupcakes were so large you had to eat them with a fork!


We then spent the next day touring the Getty. I've never been to the museum, but the architecture is beautiful and it only costs $8 per car (admission is free) to go. They had some amazing exhibits while I was there, including "Icons from Sinai," which featured priceless icons and books from the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, the oldest in the world. Also interesting was a photography collection entitled, "Where we live," which depicted life in America from all parts of the country. As an interested photographer, it reminded me that even taking pictures of storefront churches in Chicago could be an interesting subject matter. Unfortunately, I couldn't take photos of these exhibits. However, I did take some pictures of the beautiful gardens outside the exhibits:






After visiting the Getty, we drove back to Stanford. Now I'm back at school, starting what will be my final quarter here! More updates soon, I promise!

Little Asia on the Hill

Why are there so many Asians on college campuses today?

I found that this article in the NY Times provided a really interesting perspective on affirmative action and views on the rising number of Asians on college campuses across the country. Read it and think about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07asian.html