Nefarious: Merchant of Souls

Please join the Love146 Cincinnati Metro Task Force for a screening of the film Nefarious: Merchant of Souls on Sunday, August 25th

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls, is a hard-hitting documentary that exposes the disturbing trends in modern sex slavery.

From the very first scene, Nefarious ushers you into the nightmare of sex slavery that hundreds of thousands experience daily. You’ll see where slaves are sold, often in developed, affluent countries, where they work, and where they are confined.

You’ll hear first-hand interviews with real victims and traffickers, along with expert analysis from international humanitarian leaders.

We will also have a speaker, Erin Luken, who will share her experiences with trafficking on her missionary journeys.

As this film deals with mature subject matter, it is recommended for ages 13 and older.

Childcare will be available for a small donation.

Sunday, August 25, 2013
2:00pm until 5:00pm
Dayspring Church
1060 Smiley Ave.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45240
Near The Underground
Contact love146@stevenixon.net for info
www.facebook.com/Love146Cincy

Members of the Love146 Cincinnati Metro Task Force and Angel's Ministry will be on hand to answer questions and share how you can help in this fight.

National Steamboat Monument

http://instagram.com/p/Xu8PgQgKxI/

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

Been A While

I should probably start posting again.  Any one have any ideas?

Here's a pic of my favorite lady :)

Epic4G Amounts Of Frustration

I have been, until now, a very happy, long-time Sprint customer, I have been a customer for nearly 10 years.


The reason for my frustration is my current phone, the Epic4G.  Ever since the latest update to Gingerbread, I have had nothing but problems.


Some of them are:

• Random rebooting.
• Random locking up and freezing, requiring me to pull the battery to get it to restart.
• No audio - nothing on the phone calls, notifications, or alarms.  Requires a reboot to get back
• Running very hot to to the touch, even when no apps are open
• Incredibly fast battery drain, sometimes with 3-4 hours even with very limited use
• Unable to make phone calls at all - nothing happens when I attempt to dial.  Again this requires a reboot.
• GPS will not connect.
• Calls will go right to voice mail, and voicemail does not show up for hours.
• When the phone is locked up and I pull the battery to reset it, the battery goes from almost full to almost empty

This is just a few, there are several other problems as well, and judging by the amount of similar complaints I have found on the internet, I am not alone in this.


To date, I have done three factory resets.  After the third one, I did not install any of my apps, but just had the stock phone.  After the 2nd day, it was back to freezing and having to have the battery pulled to get it to restart.


I went to the nearest Sprint store to see what could be done. My first option was to bring my phone to a service center and have it rolled back to Froyo.  I did go to the service center, they said there was a hardware issue causing all of this; one of the pins in the charging port was bent and possibly causing it to short.  The swapped my phone for a refurb model, and said that should take care of it.


No.


Within days the exact same issues began anew.  Factory reset again, no change.


My second option was to add a new phone on a third line, wait the 30 days, then swap my current phone number to the new phone, and the new  phone number to the Epic.  Unacceptable because  the additional expense  would be a minimum of $720.00 over a two-year contract, plus the cost of the new phone.


The third option would be to do an early upgrade for a $125.00 fee and purchase a new phone.  Since I would like the iPhone 4s, this results in a $325 total charge.  Again, unacceptable


Friday night I was driving home hoping to beat the storms.  Wires came down in the road directly in front of me, so I attempted to call 911.  Guess what... my phone was locked up yet again.  Pulled the battery, waited for the reboot, and then was able to call 911.


Saturday night, the alarm company that does my mother-in-laws medical alert station called and said they had a faulty signal and could I go check to make sure everything was OK.  I hustled up there, she was fine, but while talking to the alarm company my phone rebooted.


Completely fed up at this point, I called Sprint Customer Service again.  Apparently the people on the phone lines don't share info with the people in the stores.  The rep I talked to on the phone tried his best to help me.  He got in contact with account services, who said that the store has the ability to waive the early upgrade fee. The store told me that they cannot do this.  I told the rep on the phone that, and he said the store had incorrect information, and they certainly could waive the fee.


Sunday afternoon I went to the Sprint store on Glenway Avenue, again lined out all the issues and problems I have been having, and told the manager what the rep on the customer service line told me.  He said that was wrong, the store had no way to waive the fee, and that he never heard of that even being a possibility. So what I have is this.  A phone that doesn't work 75% of the time, a company that has a huge disconnect between sales and support, and complete frustration that a 10-year customer has no recourse.  It's completely and utterly inconceiveable that this kind of runaround still exists.


So if anyone in Sprint land wants to try and help me, I'm more than willing to stick with you.  My ideal solution would be to have the early upgrade fee waived and I will purchase the iPhone.  You've had my business for 10 years, what are you going to do to keep it?

The Golden Handcuffs

If we continue doing the same thing because of the fear of change - the golden handcuffs - we may never know what God really has planned for our lives. It takes courage to walk thru new doors, thankfully our faith gives us that courage.

Created

When people look at a statue

A painting

(Van Gogh Comes to Cincinnati by Stacey Catanzaro)


Or a building

They have no problem imagining a creator.


But when some of the same people see an eagle

A fish

Or themselves

They have trouble seeing a Creator?

Resetting

Ebates

You see these things all the time, Make Money Now!  Click Here!  Well... here's one that actually works. It's called Ebates.

Here's the actual Big Fat Check I received today.

No kidding.  $32.68 for just buying stuff online.  And there are over 1,200 stores to choose from.

So click here for my referral link, I'll get a little bonus, and you'll start to get cash back.  Win-win!

You Can Help, I'll Do The Work

Over 2 million children are currently enslaved around the world, including every one of the 50 United States.

In an effort to play my part in ending this injustice, I have joined the Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) Campaign. SCTNow has chosen to fund a bold, new approach, one that addresses the demand side of child sex trafficking by targeting buyers/predators for prosecution and conviction.

During the month of September 2011, thousands of individuals in communities across the United States and Canada will participate in SCTNow Walks to raise funds and bring awareness to the issue of child trafficking.

Would you join me as I commit to raise funds to end child slavery? By simply clicking on "Support Me" or writing a check to SCTNow you can make a contribution that will make a difference in the life of a child.

Please make checks payable to SCTNow, write my name in the memo line, and mail to SCTNow, 414 West 51st Street, Lower Level, New York, NY 10019.

If you have any questions about SCTNow please contact me directly or visit www.SCTNow.org.

Thank you for your support.  

Do Something

This Sunday, May 1st, over 500 Abolitionists are hitting their streets, gyms, pools, and yoga mats to get in shape and raise money & awareness about child trafficking. 

Tread on Trafficking is an 8 week virtual event where those working out can ask sponsors to support them for miles or hours they "tread."

My personal goal is to walk 120 miles and raise $100, if you would like to contribute you can do so by clicking here.  You can join the the Cincinnati Metro Team by clicking here, our team goal is $1,000.  

Add your voice (and sweat) to the collective shout for Abolition, Restoration, and Love! Sign up for our Tread on Trafficking Team!

Thanks

Tread on Trafficking

Originating in the Love146 Boston Task Force, Tread on Trafficking is a virtual event that happens across the globe beginning May 1st, 2011.

Those who tread on trafficking put their foot down to raise awareness about child sex slavery and funds to care for survivors and those vulnerable to exploitation. Treaders ask sponsors to support them for the number of miles or hours they spend running, swimming, biking, or working out in some form over the eight week period of May and June.

Becoming a treader is really simple, anyone, anywhere can sign up. All proceeds raised by those treading benefit the work of Love146.

How can you help?

1. Sponsor me!  You can make a donation here
2. Join the Love146 Cincinnati Metro team here
3. Set a goal for the total number of miles or hours you’ll walk, bike, swim, etc... between May 1st and June 30th.  My personal goal is 120 walking miles (not in a row!!)
4. Find sponsors to pledge to support you financially, either for miles/hours completed, or in one time gifts.
5. Get your tee and use it to spread the word about your efforts to end child trafficking, pick up one here.
6. Start treading! By yourself, with friends, or a team - with every step you’ll be contributing to the protection and restoration of children.
7. Encourage others to join you! Even after the 8 weeks have begun it's never too late to start fighting injustice.
8. Join the Love146 Cincinnati Metro Task force.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for your support.

Love Protects. Love Defends. Love Restores. Love Empowers.

We are Love146.

Price Hill Incline

The Price Hill Incline was a continuation of West Eighth Street up Price Hill

It's a little different today

P-p-p-pokerface

Gabe busting out some Lady GaGa at Refuge Coffee Bar's Family Friendly Karaoke Night.  You should come check it out sometime.

Opening Day

Hola!

Yes, it really has been 2 months since I last updated this blog.  I blame ennui.

Anyway... as anyone in or near Greater Cincinnati knows, yesterday was Opening Day.  I firmly believe Opening Day should be a paid holiday, since everybody and their brother was downtown yesterday.

Yes, that's me, everybody, and their brother. My twitter pal mojojacob snagged that pic while she was marching with the Hoxworth Blood Center.  If you're eligible, you can click here to sign up to donate. 

A few pics from the parade

The legendary #8, Joe Morgan

Freshly retired Cincinnati Chief of Police Tom Streicher

The Budweiser Clydesdales

The Trojan Goat

And finally, the unsung heroes of every parade...

The pooper-scooper guys.

Now, go donate some blood.  Save a life.  And Play Ball!

Go Jump In A Lake

So what did you do to celebrate the first day of the new year?

Nurse a hangover?

Watch some football?

Sit around the house in your jammies?

Or did you get together with some very cool people and do something totally insane?

Guess which one I did...

Video courtesy of Josh Emerson

36° water temp... Shrinkage was a real concern.  But afterward we went back to the Price's castle and had some hot soup and talked about next year's plunge.

Will you be there?

Redonkulous*

An interesting catalog showed up here the other day, and there were some truly insane things contained within.

First up, Disposable Bibs For Adults:

 

 Nothing says "Grandma, you're a slob" quite like a giant paper sheet covering her neck-to-waist. Why not just give her sponge and a bucket...

Next we have these beauties, Avivo Shower Sandal Footscrubber

 

"As seen on TV!"  This little gem stick to your tub with suction cups and has "1,000 gently stimulating bristles to massage and clean your feet all over from heel to toe"  Kinda like walking barefoot on the sidewalk.  At least that's free.

How about a handheld ECG? 

 

"Honey?  Does this look like paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia to you?"

I think Tammy Faye Bakker went through a case of these mascara shields every day.

  

Yeah, this looks like a good idea...  a cordless ear wax cleaner

 

Because sticking a vacuum in your ear is a fantastic idea.

I... what... I have nothing to say about these cosmetic teeth
 

But combine these with this neck traction thingy

And you'll be a lean, mean sex machine in no time.

Have fun shopping!

*redonkulous: re.donk'u.lous adj. Significantly more absurd than ridiculous to an almost impossible extreme; without possibility of serious consideration.

Time To Man Up

Jan 1st, 1300 hours, Hidden Valley Lake.  Time to seperate the wheat from the chaff.

Which are you?

Polar Bear Plunge Raw (And Cold) Video - Jan 1 2010 - Video - WLWT Cincinnati

I Was Going To Buy A Phone

I was going to buy a phone today.  I had been setting a little aside each payday, $10 here, $5 there, until I had enough.

I was going to buy a Samsung Epic.  I have an upgrade credit from Sprint, and that plus what I had saved would have covered the cost.  It's a beautiful phone; 4G, Android OS, full QWERTY keyboard and other goodies

It was going to be a Christmas present for myself.  But... something happened.

I got an email earlier today, about an hour or so before I was going to head out and purchase the phone.  Someone had taken a serious financial hit today, and now had nothing for food, let alone Christmas presents for their kids. 

Here I was, accessories all purchased ahead of time so I would have a case, screen shield, and car charger for my new toy, and as I read that email, I knew that I didn't need that phone.  I knew what I had to do.  I knew what God was showing me.  I didn't need the new, shiny toy.  My current phone is just fine, I just wanted something nicer.  I didn't need it, I wanted it.

I brought them the money.  I handed it over and I felt joy, true joy.  This was a far greater feeling than I would have had from a phone.  I was able to share some of what I've been blessed with.

That is better than any toy.

This family is still struggling, if anyone would like to help out, you can email me

Queen City Underground

I took a little stroll around Over-the-Rhine today



There was a friendly guide to show the way



This used to be a 1,000 seat theater back in the late 1800's. Now it's the Lackman bar and apartments.



The second floor of what used to be The Warehouse, it was once a grand beer hall known as "The Cosmopolitan"



George "Boss" Cox once ruled the city from here. One of his cronies, August Herrman, is known as the Father of the World Series. The idea was born right here.



The facade on what used to be the Kauffman Brewery. Those are hops, you can't have beer without hops.



The tunnels; they were blocked off in 1919 when the Kauffman Brewery closed because of Prohibition. They were a connection from the lager cellar to the brew house.







St. Francis Serpah



Underneath the old church is a crypt with 63 graves.







Next Saturday is the last tour of the year. If you can make it, do it! The history is fascinating.