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General Discussion / Yep, inching closer to being 50 years

« on: Today at 02:22:16 AM »

..when Hmong folks first arrived here:

Hmong American Day celebration held in southeast Fresno


FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An event in Southeast Fresno was celebrating culture this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Hmong American Day was held Saturday at the Fresno Center on Kings Canyon Road.

The day was to celebrate the 49th anniversary of when the first wave of Hmong refugees arrived in the United States.

There were food booths, resources, arts and crafts and cultural performances.

The day honors the diverse identities, cultural legacies, and historical contributions of the Hmong community.

It also aims to inspire the younger generation to embrace their Hmong heritage.

The Fresno Center says this is a great way for the community to enjoy Hmong Culture.

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General Discussion / Good for those Mormon Missionaries as I've seen them out there struggling

« on: Today at 02:11:04 AM »

..at times:

For Mormon Missionaries, Some ‘Big, Big Changes’
The church has loosened its strict rules for those evangelizing. And many members of Gen-Z are loving it.

Andres Gonzalez, 19, stands on the balcony of his Los Angeles apartment, his hands in his suit pockets. It is his first week as a missionary, but today, instead of approaching people on the street, he is shooting a video that he will later post to social media.

After about a dozen takes, he is successful. “Hello! If you would like to learn more about Jesus Christ,” he says to the camera in Spanish, “contact me.”

Mr. Gonzalez is the image of the modern missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has changed many of its practices — from how missionaries preach to how they dress.

The faith, long known for sending tens of thousands of neatly and formally dressed young people across the globe each year to preach door to door, is encouraging new missionaries to spread the gospel on social media and, for some, with acts of community service closer to home.

As a church leader, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, put it, missionaries should feel comfortable sharing their faith in “normal and natural ways.”

In the last few years, the church has also changed some rules for missionaries themselves — loosening restrictions on dress codes (women can wear pants) and how often they can call family members back home (once a week, not just on Christmas and Mother’s Day).

To outsiders, the adjustments may seem small. But to missionaries who adhere to strict rules while on assignment, the shifts are dramatic.

“We’ve seen a lot of big, big changes,” Jensen Diederich, 23, said. He served his mission in Peru and said it was “monumental” when the church allowed him to call home weekly, instead of just twice a year.

The church believes missionary work is essential for the world’s salvation — that people must be baptized in the faith to get to the highest level of heaven after they die. Missionary work also helps increase the church’s membership, and it deepens many young members’ faith. Many missionaries begin their assignments just after they leave home. Instead of partying on a college campus, they commit themselves to the religion and develop habits that can last a lifetime.

One of those members was Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who was a missionary in France in the 1960s. He has said the isolation of his mission allowed him to examine his faith without distraction. When asked about the changes, he said, “For young people of my generation, I think the separation from family and friends served us well.”

But he understands times have changed. “With today’s youth in near constant contact with one another, maintaining greater connection during a mission fits their life experience,” he added.

Many young church members say the new rules have made missionary service more attractive and realistic.

Kate Kennington, a 19-year-old with a mission assignment to London, said finding people online and messaging them is a more successful way of approaching potential converts. “It’s how I would want to be contacted,” she said.

“Knocking on doors and approaching people on the street are no longer seen as useful as they once were because of shifts in American culture,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University who holds the chair of Mormon studies. He is also a church member.

For decades, missionaries’ clean-cut suits were signs of prosperity, Mr. Bowman said, and an effective way of appealing to converts. But they now feel “outdated.”

Many of the changes, especially the push to evangelize on social media, were fueled by the pandemic, which shut down in-person church gatherings and forced Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses to find alternatives to door-to-door preaching.

The missionaries use their phones to film videos of themselves promoting the church or sharing messages of faith. In one video, a missionary raps about his faith. In another, two missionaries throw a football and a Frisbee through an obstacle course in a church gym — an object lesson meant to visualize how Jesus Christ can help people overcome challenges.

So far, the changes appear to be working: In the last three years, as pandemic restrictions lifted and young members responded to an appeal from the church’s top leader for them to serve, the number of full-time proselytizing missionaries has risen by around 25 percent, according to church data. At the end of last year, the church had about 72,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world.

The church has just under 17.3 million members globally but has seen growth slow. From 1988 to 1989, during a surge in growth when the church expanded into West Africa, the church grew by about 9 percent. Last year, the church grew by about 1.5 percent.

The church’s missionaries have traveled the world, growing their faith from a fledgling start-up in upstate New York to a global religion that brings in billions of dollars in revenue.

Church leaders say it is men’s responsibility to become missionaries for two years starting at age 18. Missionary work is optional for women, who serve for 18 months. The church has historically encouraged women to focus on marriage and motherhood. But since 2012, when the church lowered the age women could become missionaries to 19 from 21, more women have been going.

Missionaries leave their families and friends, learn new languages and spend the first years of their adulthood spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While on a mission, they cannot date and must follow the religion’s ban on premarital sex, drinking, smoking, coffee and caffeinated tea. Communication with friends and family back home is restricted. They commit to stay focused on their work, and their proximity to their missionary partner creates a sense of accountability that keeps most from breaking the rules.

Until recently, the experience of young missionaries was similar to that of their parents. They first attended a missionary training center — a religious boot camp of sorts — before then traveling to their missions.

Most missionaries now start their training online at home, where the transition is less jarring. They can adapt to a mission schedule with their family’s support. Being home is also an opportunity for new missionaries to evangelize in their community.

“I’ve had friends who aren’t members of the church,” Tanner Bird, a 19-year-old missionary in Brazil who did part of his training at home in Houston. “And I just get super, super excited and talk to them about the gospel.”

Once deployed, men in some areas are allowed to wear blue shirts and go without ties, while women can wear wrinkle-resistant dress pants in “conservative colors.” Most missionaries now have smartphones and call their families weekly.

Some traditions remain: Young missionaries still do not get to pick their destinations. Many teenagers throw parties to open their assignments, reading their “call letter” aloud for the first time in front of family and friends. Others film elaborate announcement videos — including on ice skates. Some serve close to home (there are 10 missions in Utah). Others go as far as Tahiti or Tokyo.

Mr. Gonzalez, the missionary in Los Angeles, said he first imagined going on a mission when he was a child in Venezuela. His parents, who converted to the faith, often had young missionaries over for meals. After the church helped the family settle in Utah, he said serving as a missionary was part of his “American dream.”

Every morning, he wakes up at 6:30 a.m., the set time for many missionaries, with his “companion,” an assigned missionary partner. They are mandated to “never be alone,” with few exceptions, and each day follow a missionary schedule.

On Facebook, they contact people they have met, including those they have approached on the street in downtown Los Angeles. They also search groups for people who may be open to their message and post videos to generate interest in their faith. They keep track of potential converts’ progress, including lessons they teach. Every Monday, Mr. Gonzalez calls his parents.

Calls are also an opportunity for him to receive support. “It’s a little bit hard,” Mr. Gonzalez said of his mission work, describing people in downtown Los Angeles as “busy.” Still, he remains hopeful: “Some of them, they really are ready. They make time, even just like five minutes.”

The missionary experience is not for everyone. Some people feel isolated, find it difficult to adapt to a location, or struggle with the rules or the pressure to keep their commitment. Some people do leave early; the church does not comment on those who do.

Alex McAlpin, a 23-year-old who went on a mission to Denver, almost did not put in a missionary application. Before her mission, she attended Pepperdine University, where she wrestled with some aspects of church doctrine and history.

Then the church made its dress code change, allowing women to wear pants in 2018.

“That was the first day of my life that I thought maybe I would go” on a mission, Ms. McAlpin said. She saw the new dress code and the church’s other mission changes as a sign the church was evolving and listening to its younger members, many of whom hope their church will modernize in larger ways. “I wanted to be a part of the change.”

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Marriage & Family Life / I see Urkel finally tie the knot eh??

« on: May 10, 2024, 01:17:56 PM »

All the Stunning Photos From Jaleel White's Country Club Wedding to Tech Exec Nicoletta Ruhl!

The Family Matters alum and 'Growing Up Urkel' author tied the knot with Ruhl on May 4 in front of 175 guests in Los Angeles

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General Discussion / Sheriff got shot in the back in progressive DA's district, this happens when

« on: May 10, 2024, 01:14:23 PM »

...there's no real consequences.. .

California police officer shot in back by criminal who should have been in jail: progressive DA's challenger

A known gang member with a long violent criminal history accused of shooting a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy could have been kept behind bars if not for soft-on-crime policies by the region's top prosecutor, his election opponent said.

Raymundo Duran, 47, who allegedly shot Deputy Samuel Aispuro in the back at a stop light while he was sitting on his marked sheriff's department motorcycle on April 22 in West Covina, California, has been involved in a number of violent crimes, including two felony assaults that he committed while serving an 11-year sentence for manslaughter, according to court records.

Aispuro, a nearly 20-year veteran of the department, was wearing his bulletproof vest and survived the unprovoked attack.

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General Discussion / Photo share: First Zip to make it out of the islands

« on: May 09, 2024, 11:52:03 PM »

Zippy’s opens in Las Vegas; first location not in Hawaii
Fans of Zippy’s can now get a taste of the much-loved Hawaiian restaurant without going to Hawaii. After more than four years of waiting, Zippy’s opened its first location outside of Hawaii Tuesday morning and it’s located in southwest Las Vegas. Cars with customers began lining up hours before the 10:10 a.m. opening at 7095 Badura Ave, near Rainbow Boulevard and the 215 Beltway.

Haven't been to a Zip since we were in HI so took these photos of the one in Sin City:

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General Discussion / I wanted one, although the Samurai was a poor man's Jeep, I was still too poor

« on: May 09, 2024, 11:23:59 PM »

...to get one back in the 80s..

I took these photos as remembrance of my teen memories:

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General Discussion / I knew a few Hmong men that were like this Christian Pastor with their wives

« on: May 09, 2024, 11:10:53 PM »

...They would not allowed their wives to drive due to their insecurities.. .

Mica Miller’s husband ‘groomed’ her years before their marriage, refused to let her drive, police report says

Mica Miller’s husband John-Paul began “grooming” her years before the couple wed in 2017, according to a Myrtle Beach police report obtained by News13.

Miller made the allegation in a Feb. 21 complaint about a stolen vehicle after being discharged from an involuntary hospital stay.

The 30-year-old Myrtle Beach woman killed herself on April 27 at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, two days after serving John-Paul — the former senior pastor at Solid Rock Church in Market Common — with divorce papers.

Miller was a vital part of the church, leading youth worship sessions and the women’s ministry.

Timeline: What’s happened so far in the death of Myrtle Beach woman Mica Miller

Miller’s suicide came after well documented claims of abuse within her marriage, substantiated by court records filed last week by her siblings in a bid to control her estate.

The May 2 affidavits filed by Sierra Francis and Nathaniel Francis, allege a pattern of abuse and harassment toward Mica by her husband, echoed in Miller’s comments to police in February.

“The CP (complainant) stated that she had been separated from her husband since January of 2023. The CP stated that she was involuntarily hospitalized … when the CP was discharged from the hospital, hospital staff informed her that her husband picked up her purse and car keys,” the report states.

Miller met with police in the Coastal Grand Mall parking lot to report the theft of her car. She was hospitalized between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, and told officers she believed John-Paul committed her to steal the vehicle.

“The CP stated that she has known her husband since she was 10 years old and that he ‘groomed’ her while she worked for him at Solid Rock Church until they were married six years ago,” the police report states.

News13 this week obtained court documents showing that John-Paul had power of attorney over Mica’s healthcare, and he told officers Miller was prone to “episodes on an annual basis” around Christmas.

John-Paul said his wife “spends large amounts of money when she stops taking her prescribed medication,” and acknowledged having the car to prevent it from being sold.

John-Paul Miller told police “the vehicle was martial property and that he was unwilling to give back to his wife for a month, which he stated was usually the timeframe of these reckless episodes.”

Sierra Francis said in her affidavit that her sister told her that people were following her and indicated that her husband had hired people to follow her. The affidavit also alleges that John-Paul transferred assets, including the deed to their home, to one of his sons and moved his wife’s personal belongings from their home while she was undergoing treatment at a mental-health facility.

Sierra Francis said her sister was hopeful for her future after filing for divorce but still afraid.

“My sister also expressed to me that she was fearful that she would not make it to the divorce and that her life would be taken from her,” Sierra Francis wrote. “It is my belief that she told multiple people, including other family members.”

Nathaniel Francis said Mica expressed many of those same fears to him, according to his affidavit.

“Mica confided in me that John-Paul moved her belongings out of their marital residence … so that he could ‘keep an eye on her,’ Nathaniel said. “Following this, Mica then retained an attorney for the purposes of filing for divorce from her husband and joined a new church.”

Nathaniel Francis also said he had received communications from John-Paul in the past that indicated he “knew no reason for divorce, but wanted a separation and gave reasons why.”

Mica Miller used her personal Facebook page over 10 days in March to provide family and friends with updates about her life and frame of mind.

“Hey everybody. I just want to let you know that I’m alive and well, and life’s been kind of crazy the past weeks, months, years, but I’ve had to keep my circle really small for the past couple of weeks because I’m going through a lot, and it’s hard, and it’s my cross to bear,” Miller said on March 18.

“I want to reach out to everybody to tell you how much I love you and I miss you, but this is the best way I know how,” she said.

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General Discussion / These "black face" White boys were wrongfully accused so glad they won $million

« on: May 09, 2024, 11:06:48 PM »

California Students Get $1 Million After They Were Expelled for Wearing Supposedly Racist Acne Masks

This week a California jury awarded the boys, identified as A.H. and H.H. in their lawsuit against the school, $1 million in damages, plus a tuition reimbursement of about $70,000.

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General Discussion / This is prison punishments for convicted rapists??

« on: May 09, 2024, 11:04:00 PM »

A Day in the Prison Life of Danny Masterson: Pickleball, Movie Nights and $300 a Month on Candy

Danny Masterson’s life in prison sounds more like a relaxing weekend than a punishment. Sources exclusively tell In Touch that the convicted rapist participates in sports and enjoys video games and a collection of TV shows and movies downloaded on the prison tablets.

“At about 11:30 or so he heads out to the pickleball court which has a basketball rim where he stretches and works out. And then he plays pickleball for about two hours --- and he plays pretty decent,” an insider reveals. “He’s getting better and his playing has improved in the past few months. He’s on the court quite a bit. The one thing I can say is that his jump shot is surprisingly good – not like the thespians I knew when I went to high school.”

Masterson, 48, has also apparently made nice with the prison’s security guards.

The source adds, “Masterson works for prison guards as an errand boy. He hands out ‘ducats’ or permission slips to fellow inmates who have medical appointments, counseling sessions and other appointments within the prison.”

At 3 p.m. every day, Masterson’s required to be in his cell for a headcount, according to the insider, but he’s allowed to use a “prison-issued tablet.” With the device, he can play video games or choose from a selection of TV shows and movies to watch. However, the source clarifies that the prisoners “don’t have access to traditional internet,” and all of the That 70s Show alum’s emails and messages are monitored.

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Marriage & Family Life / Like the co-habiting folks I know, they are doing better than some married folks

« on: May 09, 2024, 10:53:15 PM »

Kate Hudson says Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell 'stuck it out' over 40 years although 'our family is just nuts'

Kate Hudson can’t get enough of her mom Goldie Hawn's relationship with Kurt Russell.

"They’ve been together 40 plus years. They are the center of our family," Hudson said on SiriusXM’s "The Howard Stern Show" Tuesday.

She continued, "I look at all the grandkids and Ma and Pa are just the best, they’ve stuck it out."

Hawn and Russell first met while appearing in the 1966 comedy "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band," but didn’t begin dating until 1983.

The pair have never married, but share one son together, Wyatt

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Marriage & Family Life / When he loves his mother more than you, I say that's a smart move on his part

« on: May 09, 2024, 10:48:58 PM »

Marlon Wayans Says He Never Got Married Because He Didn't Want His Mother to Be 'Jealous of Another Woman'

Marlon Wayans made a commitment to make his late mother, Elvira Wayans, the No. 1 woman in his life ... and he stuck to it.

The comedian told The New York Times in an interview published last week that he chose to never get married because he wanted to prioritize his relationship with his mother, who died in 2020 at 81.

“My mother’s death broke me. It shattered me into a million pieces, because that was my girl,” he said. “I never got married, because I never wanted my mother to be jealous of a woman. I never wanted my mother to feel second to any woman.”

When pressed to confirm that his mother was the reason he never got married, Marlon Wayans responded “absolutely,” before adding that she was “one of five reasons.”

“Mom was very needy,” he said. “I told my mother on her deathbed, ‘I never got married because I always wanted you to be my No. 1 girl.’ Those were my last words. I said, ‘Take that to heaven with you.’”

Marlon Wayans shares two children, sons Kai and Shawn, with former longtime partner Angelica Zackery.

The “White Chicks” actor confirmed to The Shade Room in March that he had welcomed a now-1-year-old daughter.

The comedian’s parents, Elvira and Howell, had 10 children — many of whom are entertainers. Howell Wayans died last year at 86. Marlon Wayans, who famously appeared on “In Living Color” and “The Wayans Bros.,” is the youngest of his siblings.

In 2020, Marlon Wayans paid tribute to his mother on what would have been her 82nd birthday.

“You will always be my first love happy bday woman. Baby boy misses you, ” he wrote.

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General Discussion / Rooster in trouble again? If so, it'll impact many Asians at the

« on: May 09, 2024, 12:47:54 AM »

..grocery store.. :

Another Sriracha shortage could be coming. A severe drought is to blame.

Huy Fong Foods paused production of its spicy red Sriracha, blaming a chile supply that is “too green.” Jennifer Wunderlich can't recall the last time Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha sauce was in stock at her workplace, a New York-based specialty confections and gourmet food distributor.

13

General Discussion / True, some homeless folks don't want to be housed nor helped

« on: May 09, 2024, 12:44:56 AM »

..as they just want to be left alone and live off the grid:

Student who raised $400K for D.C. homeless man refunds money to donors

A college student who raised nearly half a million dollars for a D.C. homeless man says the money has now been refunded, a sharp reversal in a saga that drew widespread attention online.

In a series of TikTok videos posted last week, Sanai Graden explained she had lost contact with Alonzo Douglas Hebron, the man she met in late January on the streets of downtown D.C. After she posted a video of her getting his medication and paying for his hotel room, the 21-year-old college student and Hebron were catapulted into viral fame. Graden raised more than $400,000 on GoFundMe for Hebron, and several local outlets covered their story.

The college student remained committed to helping Hebron even after his violent criminal record, including an assault on another homeless woman, became public. But since The Washington Post reported on their story in March, Graden said she has had difficultly staying in touch with Hebron. He became evasive, ran through gift cards Graden provided him for food and lost the cellphone she purchased for him, she said.

“I really did try to help him,” Graden said in a video with more than a million views. “I tried to transform his whole life. But sometimes when you want something for somebody, they may not want that for themselves.”

Graden said she decided to return the money to her donors.

In a statement, GoFundMe confirmed that at the “request of the organizer, donors have been refunded” for Graden’s original fundraiser.

“Since the fundraiser’s launch, GoFundMe remained fully committed to helping deliver the funds raised to Mr. Hebron, just as the donors intended,” the company said. “However, without the cooperation of the organizer or the beneficiary, delivering these funds to Mr. Hebron has not been possible.”

Neither Graden nor her attorney responded to questions from The Post, including what Graden planned to do with the more than $25,000 raised in a separate GoFundMe for the college student’s expenses. Hebron also could not be contacted for this article.

Graden said her life as a California college student on a D.C. internship was upended when she met Hebron in Logan Circle. “I was a nobody,” Graden said in her recent post. “My life forever changed when I went on that walk to the grocery store, and I was stopped for tea.”

But as the GoFundMe began collecting funds from around the world, Graden said “the situation went from being positive to negative real quick.”

Hebron became harder to contact, and the unhoused man did not take steps to get identification, which she had encouraged. “Every time I asked about the ID, there was an excuse,” she said.

Eventually Hebron stopped contacting her, Graden said. She said she fell into depression and stopped focusing on her internship. “All I wanted was to get him housing, get him medical care,” she said. “There’s only so much I can do. I cannot force him to do certain things. At the end of the day, he’s grown.”

In her TikTok posts, Graden said now she is focusing on her upcoming college graduation.

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General Discussion / Doesn't get any more stupid than this on PH

« on: May 08, 2024, 11:14:48 PM »

i know you already lying
if you are truly rich like me

VS.

<<<< im poor $10/hour

i eat rice+ h20

"SEEING IS TRULY BELIEVING YO"

 

15

General Discussion / This place's been around since Judge Paul Lo & I attended Tokay and it's deadly

« on: May 08, 2024, 02:12:31 PM »

Is This Skydiving Center the Deadliest in the US?

The Parachute Center in Lodi, California, has reportedly been linked to 28 deaths since 1985. It's leaving many to wonder why the Parachute Center is still allowed to send people jumping out of planes.