Pork everywhere!

Fat
I had a revelation while attempting to play basketball over Thanksgiving – I am fat. And out of shape. And fat.

This wasn’t so much a revelation as a culmination: the inverse ratio of diminishing jaw-line to increasing waistline was a fair indicator; it seemed my gut was expanding faster than the federal government. But it wasn’t until trying to run up and down a court that the painful and embarrassing reality filled every fiber of my being…particularly my atrophied lungs.

Fortunately this basketball game was in Wyoming, so my buddy Nick was there and he is in excellent shape thanks to a little something called P90X. This is one of those workout programs you see advertised late at night, sandwiched between infomercials promising riches by selling your old nail clippings and how to get more hair – and women – by strapping a cat to your head; I was skeptical.

But Nick’s diamond-stamped triceps and his ability to run up and down the court like a gazelle across the Serengeti was proof enough for me that this was something that I needed to do. Along comes Christmas and with it P90X – 12 DVD’s that would act as the harbinger of death for my gelatinous body.

Well, I’m on week three (technically Week 4, but Week 1 was such a mess that I decided to scrap it) of the program and this is what I’ve discovered so far: first, P90X is code for ‘welcome to hell’; second, I was much farther down the road to blobness than I anticipated; third, P90X is awesome.

Anyway, there’s my endorsement for the program. Definitely something that will work you over, but something that is enjoyable and that produces results. I’m not going to hit the beach anytime soon, but my reps have increased each week and there is even a certain level of enjoyment as my body is abused by Tony Horton.

Fatter

Everyone give a hand to the federal government for strapping us and our children with nearly $2 trillion (2,000,000,000,000). Really excited about this, the total bill between TARP and the “stimulus” is going to end up being nearly $10 trillion (9,700,000,000,000). No big deal – just going to cost my daughter and her family nearly 80% of their gross income to make up the difference. Thank goodness for Big Brother taking care of us all.

I wonder if there’s any administration in history that has done so much to hurt our nation so quickly after coming into office. I haven’t the time or the energy to talk about it all, so I’m going to provide some links and you all can check it out.

Links that should make you think:

Universal healthcare is on its way

Play now, pay later

Breaking down the cost

Stimulus 101

Tax cuts don't work? Please...

Memorial Day Highlight

First things first: thanks to all who shared their insights/thoughts/concerns/opinions on the government assistance posts. If nothing else, it seems those who hadn't thought about it before now are and those who have might think a little more. 12 people have taken the poll in the upper left hand corner of this page and it seems 3 people have moved to the right of the line and none have defected to the dark side. Not a bad result as we celebrate Memorial Day and honor those who have died protecting the liberty which allows for such dialog.

Also, it has become apparent there should be a way for those want to carry on a dialog but not for the world to see; so, I've created an email account: Cyber.Commorancy@gmail.com. If you go to View My Complete Profile under About me, there's a link that says Email and that'll work too.

We had a good Memorial Day - thanks to the Cashman clan for their hospitality towards the Roberts fam. The highlight of my day was putting my own spin on Lydia's hair. She has a lot of it and for the first time I took advantage of it. As I was styling her hair, we started talking about when Beckett visited and Linds spiked his hair and it was cool. I mentioned to Lydia that Beckett might be a little jealous of all this spikeable hair.
She said she doubted he'd be jealous, just impressed, though most her Roberts uncles might be jealous of all her spikeable hair.

I couldn't help but laugh.

She'd been hittin' the bottle pretty hard over the long weekend

Laughing at her mom's reaction to this new, edgy style

Let us pray her head is never as bulbous as her dad's.

Stampin' mad: Still Stampin'

Wow.
Opinions concerning food stamps/Medicaid/WIC exceed those of piercing the ears of babies and the joy of Xboxing as expressed by Capt. Von Trapp. Who knew? The post also registered the best name-calling comment ever: I'm a Cyber Commoron. Well played. Even Hyrum Steed can’t top that. (Natalie, you could use that as the link for my blog!)
In the midst of writing the previous post it was apparent a follow up post would be needed; Paula emphasized this as the comments piled up, concerned about the brash approach and potential ramifications amongst friends and associates. The comments (if you haven’t read them all, I highly encourage you to) were insightful and branched out from food stamps, engendering questions – which comments, by the way, are much appreciated – regarding other forms of government welfare.
Ames Family and Anonymous: no worries about arguing. I see nothing wrong with an honest one. Today’s world treats the expression of a firm opinion or argument as taboo because it might offend; hence, many important topics aren’t discussed at depth and we sojourn on in shallow, meaningless drivel. Dissenting (sincere) comments are more than welcome. Just another reason I’ll always allow anonymous comments, never go private or delete a comment (unless it’s crude, vulgar, or damages my ego).

Now, on with the show.
The use of Medicaid and WIC (Women, Infants, Children) usage when young and in school was mentioned several times. I’ll give my opinion on each separately, starting with Medicaid/Medicare.
Health insurance provided by universities are generally expensive and what is covered still puts a lot back on the individual; in case of emergency you could be staring at a $10k-plus bill. Those types of bills are no fun when it’s for something you plan on, much less when it’s unexpected.
That being said, my thoughts about Medicaid are the same as food stamps. My reasoning for placing the two together is because they are built upon the same premise –it is acceptable for Party C to take (forcefully) from Party A and distribute to Party B as C feels appropriate. The fundamental approach of the system is a corrupt (meaning “to alter from the original or correct form or version”) form of welfare or charity and my its very nature encourages abuse.

An indulgent personal experience.
Shortly before being married I had an emergency appendectomy. I had no insurance, was recent college grad and had been working for about 3 months (I was a contract employee and expensive health care was my only option, which I opted out of); much to my chagrin, the hospital bill and associated fees were in excess of $22,000. I didn’t qualify for government aid because I had a job, which I thought ironic since every paycheck had money taken from me for Medicare/Medicaid. Many stressful days, letters, phone calls and negotiations later I ended up with bills totaling just under $5k.

I had the best intentions to stay debt free – never had one once of debt up to that point and not because of mommy and daddy’s pocketbook – but a service was rendered in which my life was saved. What right did I have to expect someone else to foot this bill? Or to have the doctors and nurses to eat it just because I wasn’t planning on it? Nope. I’m not entitled to that just because I exist and happen to be honest. So it was necessary to do some footwork and work the bill down and then pay it.

Serious introspection would show misplaced priorities. Some people are willing to take on debt for furniture; many will take on the beast when purchasing a vehicle; I know of no one who paid (their own) cash for their first home. None of these things are essential to our survival. So why is our expectation to have the government prevent us from debt when our lives are preserved with surgery or medical intervention or when a beautiful child comes into this world? Should we only go into debt for what we want, not what we need? Such expectations are naive and indulgent.

Regarding WIC…toss it in with the other two. Or place it gently with them. Either way that is where it belongs, for the premise upon which means are provided is corrupt and encourages abuse. Instead of going to and expecting our government to fund the bill, how about family? Parents, brothers and sisters. If there is not sufficient in these resources, what about the church? Having served as the Executive Secretary in our last ward, I know first hand that food orders and assistance is provided. Generously provided.
While serving in this position, there were many who asked for help when they were spending money on cable TV, movies, eating out, clothing from places other than Goodwill or DI, pet food, etc…and were hesitant to give up these things to make ends meet. It’s would be like me refusing to give up my Xbox Live membership while there are bills I can’t pay. It’s self-centered and arrogant.
I’ll have to disagree with Zach’s (tongue-in-cheek) comment – the Constitution makes no provision for keeping up with the Jones’s. Nor should it. When entitlement of comfortable living becomes our norm, stripped away is choice and accountability, replace with the chain of bondage to our provider. Sounds like the plan of someone a long, long time ago. And we know how that ended. There’s only one Provider I want to be indebted to for my existence.

And there your have it: my opinions regarding government assistance.
Let it be clear I have no problem with charity or welfare when administered correctly. Careful reading of both posts will reveal no opposition of giving/getting help. Never. I get significant tax breaks with of the percentage of my income that goes to charity. I’m not bragging or trying to be self-righteous. It just needs to be clear I give and give without compulsion.
What makes me Stampin’ Mad is the pseudo-charity created by compulsory means – forcing A to give to C, who then decides how it will be used for B. True, honest, sincere welfare is created by individuals who want and are willing to give, not forced to. In this way both the giver and receiver are blessed temporally and spiritually. And this charity does exist. (Some examples.)

Here’s the real question:
Why turn to government for assistance? Why turn to a source that cares and knows nothing about you instead of turning to those with our best interests at heart and love us? Probably because government is faceless; the government won’t see us sitting outside the bishop’s office and leaving with a food order; because we don’t have to face the government at family events.
Speaking personally, it requires a lot of humility to approach those who know me best and love me with my hand out for help, admitting that I’m not making it my own. Something faceless and removed is easier because there is no connection, no bond. But maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, if this gets any longer no one will read it.
In summation, those commenting who have used Medicaid or WIC, I don’t think you’re manipulative or lazy. I wanna make that clear. If you were, I think there’d of been CURSING IN ALL CAPS in your comments.
My hope is everyone will reexamine where we go for help and what the cost is. When we go to those who give willingly, the only thing we surrender is our pride and vanity; when we go to that which gives through force, we lose our freedom and our agency. Is it even possible a system that forcefully takes from one to redistribute to another can be good and moral? Hopefully, if situations arise in the future where help is needed, this corrupt system will not be the source we turn to.

Stampin' mad

Time for a little ragin’ about the welfare/social state of our nation Readers beware: you are entering a logic and reason zone: check your emotional, bleeding-heart ways at the door. Buckle up, kids. It's gonna be bumpy

The AP released a news article about the plight of individuals who use food stamps as a means to feed themselves are having problems because the price of food is going up. The article starts by featuring Danielle Brown, a single mother of two (ages 1 and 3), who says “Ain’t got no food left, the kids are probably hungry” as she shops with her new allotment on the first of the month. She reports that the money for food ran out two weeks ago.
This is tragic – I mean, what meager, insufficient amount of money are we, the tax-payers, giving to this woman so that it is gone after just two weeks. $100? $150? $200 at the most, right? Wrong. Danielle Brown gets $312 a month. For food. And she blows it in just 2 weeks. I’m not very good at math, but if we say Danielle needs money for four weeks of food a month, then she apparently deserves $624 to feed herself and two child under 5 years old!
Also featured is Lynda Wheeler, another single mother with a 14 year old son and a 2 year old daughter are in a similar pickle – running out of money by the 15^th – with $281 a month. So Lynda needs $562 a month, apparently. Here’s a picture of Lynda buying packaged meals at One Stop Food & Liquors. A couple observations:

• Lynda doesn't look like she ran out of food 2 weeks ago
• If you are running out of money (or someone else’s, in this case), why buy instant/pre-cooked dinners?
• Going out on a limb that One Stop Food and Liquors isn’t the best place to get a deal on groceries.

What the h#@! is going on here?! Seriously. Both of these women get more money to provide food for less consumption than my household budgets for food in a month! Why in the world should one adult and two pre-k children burn through $312 in a month, much less two weeks! AARRGHHHH!
This is ri-goshdarn-diculous. The real kicker, what really gets under my skin is that the attitude is not one of thanks or appreciation. I'd be ecstatic if someone gave me $300 a month for food. But none of that here. Somehow, because they breathe, they are entitled to have other people supply for their needs. And they need more.
Heaven forbid a person has to get up off their obese behind, get out the door and WORK. O, the degradation of having to work two jobs! How dare anyone have to work more than 40 hours a week to make ends meet! I'm pretty sure it says in the Constitution says that if a high school education and 40 hours a week doesn't allow me to have digital cable, a cell phone and a constantly stocked fridge, it is the duty of the government to step in and take care of me.
What bull.

I’m about to make a statement – a broad, insensitive, generalizing, stereotyping statement. So, if you are nervous, please navigate away from this and come back in a week or so when something else is posted. Here it goes:
No self-respecting person who is not disabled, physically or mentally, should rely on our government to provide for their daily needs. Those who do are leaching, lazy and dishonest people who have no moral fiber, no pride in themselves and no sense of self worth.
I will never – never – walk down that road.
For those who now (if you didn’t before) think I’m arrogant and condescending, let me legitimize your thought: You’re an idiot. Now you have just cause to believe I’m arrogant and condescending.
The reason I will never accept government money for my daily needs is because if I do, I am condoning the act of taking by force (taxes) the property (money) of another to supply for my needs. I would be saying I am entitled to your money while you are not. Why? Because I’m alive, that’s why.
Someone tell me that's not arrogant and condescending.

R vs D: The Intro

A whopping 16 people had the time or the inclination to let their opinions be known on this little corner of the world (wide web) regarding the preference of a Democratic or Republican (not talking political parties here) form of government. I appreciate your votes and the candor in some of the comments I’ve received over the past couple of posts. Dave, Nerf and Shantay – appreciate your thoughts and questions on the subject.

Paula said this post is too long and no one will read it. I bristled at that comment, and rebutted by quoting Jefferson:

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."

There’s always time to play Xbox, watch stupid reality shows, read silly, fluffy books and whatever other frivolous things we do, but not to think and carry on dialogue about our rights. Much to my chagrin, Paula is right. (Not that I mind her being right, I just wish I could put more stock in us as Americans.) So, I’ve decided to break this down like I did the super-post at the end of February/first of March: This introductory post will house links to each section of my discourse on the difference between a Republic and a Democracy, and why I feel a Republic is infinitely superior to a democracy as a form of government.

While these posts won’t be as wildly popular and acclaimed as the previous – and more frivolous – one, I feel it necessary to make some mention of a couple things:

What the United States is (or was designed to be)
Fundamental differences between a Republic and a Democracy
Our Founding Fathers’ view
What the purpose of government should be (according to me)

Before proceeding, I feel that to add some clout to the arguments I’m going to make, I need to address my paragraph about MTV’s “The Hills” in the post in which the poll originated. First, I think this show is just plain ridiculous and annoying. I LOATHE it… LOATHE IT! The intimate knowledge of the show and its characters I displayed is simply a cut and paste job from the website, with a change in narrative from 3^rd to 1^st person. Hopefully I can now be taken a bit more seriously.

R vs D: And the winner is...

Like the ugly duckling not knowing if he was a swan, or the Sharpton/Jackson hordes not sure if Barak is black, there is confusion regarding what form of government the US was designed to operate as. A couple clues: “…the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands…” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic”.

The framers who literally offered their lives to establish a government that would preserve individual liberty (more on this later) framed a Republic. There you go kids, we (are supposed to) live in a Republic – specifically a Constitutional Republic.

R vs D: Same diff? Hardly.

A democratic (again, the form of government, not the party) form of government is a ‘Rule by Omnipotent Majority’ in which the rights of the minority do not exist. This is true whether it be a Direct Democracy, or a Representative Democracy.

In the direct type all decisions are reached by a majority vote (of at least half-plus-one). Under a Representative Democracy the people elect representatives to the national legislature and it functions by a similar vote of at least half-plus-one in making all legislative decisions. In either form the majority has absolute power.

Law is whatever the government determines it to be. The restraint is upon the individual instead of government. Rights are privileges and permissions granted by government and can be rescinded by government because the governing body is that of the majority.

Freedom in a democracy is contingent on the people knowing what freedom is and consistent application of it; if the people – more specifically if the majority – don’t know and understand this, a democracy becomes as oppressive as a dictatorship or monarchy.

A republican (still talking about government, not party) form of government is a constitutionally limited government of the representative type, created by a written Constitution which is adopted by the people and changeable (from its original meaning) by them only by its amendment. An important aspect (and what separates it from a democracy) of a republic is that it is designed to strictly control the majority and protect the God-given rights and liberties of the individual.

Law is whatever the charter or constitution determines it to be, and not subject to majority vote (though to ratification). Restraint is upon the government instead of the individual. Rights are not seen as privileges or permissions granted by government and cannot be rescinded by government.

Republics tend to be free, not because of elections by citizens but because they are bound by a constitution or charter, which limits the power of the governing body. That people vote for representatives has nothing to do with freedom. It is the logical rationality of the constitution and people’s willingness to live by said constitution that maintains freedom.

R vs D: Fathers Knew Best

Those men who revolutionized government in the late 18^th century were vehemently opposed to the idea of democracy because when a man has power he inevitably becomes corrupt; the same is true of the majority. James Madison knew this and pointed it out in The Federalist:

"As there is a degree of depravity in mankind which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust: So there are other qualities in human nature, which justify a certain portion of esteem and confidence. Republican government (that of a Republic) presupposes the existence of these qualities in a higher degree than any other form. Were the pictures which have been drawn by the political jealousy of some among us, faithful likenesses of the human character, the inference would be that there is not sufficient virtue among men for self government; and that nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain them from destroying and devouring one another." (Emphasis added.)

So, to decipher the big words and break it down 21^st century style, on the one hand we should be suspicious of man because of his inclination to immoral actions; on the other hand, the is much about man that is good. A Republican government takes into account both sides more than any other type of government because it takes into account that men, by nature, crave power and is incapable of governing themselves without restraint.

While democracy is an effective tool in ridding a people of a more evil and crushing regime, it is a means to opening the door to a free flow of thought rather than an end for governance. This is because a Democracy is nothing more than a tyrannical form of government, except instead of one man and his ilk issuing decrees and stripping away individual liberty it is the tyranny of the majority trampling the freedoms of the minority under foot. Said John Adams:

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."

R vs D: Summation

Government is a tool for protecting individual liberty. That is all. It should not ever grant liberty or rights because it DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO. It was understood during the inception of this country and should be understood now that our individual rights – life, liberty and the pursuit (not the guarantee) of happiness – are unalienable. That's my interpretation of Thomas Jefferson's assertion:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

John Adams expounded upon this notion:

“You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe."

Only the Supreme Being to which the founding fathers looked has the ability to grant rights and liberties - not Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid, not John McCain or George Bush. The Constitution never even hints that government is a granter of rights. It is not. It is the protector of rights.

On this premise, I assert a Republican form of government is infinitely preferable because it has the tools to protect liberties of the individual while withstanding the swirling tide of opinion and subjective truth. A Democratic form of government is less desirable because it does not have tools to protect individual liberties or withstand the swirling tide of opinion and subjective truth; for whatever the majority determines is right is right and can be made law, even when it imposes unfair and unjust burdens upon the individual.

Therefore, at the risk of sounding sanctimonious, I reiterate by a pledge of allegiance to the REPUBLIC as one nation under God (for the rights guaranteed us by the Constitution are not granted by man, but by Him; for if granted by man they can be taken away by man) to protect and preserve the liberty and justice for the individual, which individual embodies the whole.

Great articles:
Are we a Republic or a Democracy?
Republic? Democracy? What’s the difference?

The Hack Off

This was going to be 'The Frustration' but then I realized that every else was 'The H----' and figured I'd sync it all up.

I don’t view myself as an emotional person, though the official definition might qualify me as such; passionate is the word I prefer, defined as: the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

I have a good life: a beautiful daughter, a wonderful wife, a job, a home, my health, winning BYU athletics...yeah, things are nice. This does not, however, change the fact that my passions have been stirred insomuch I have not had feelings of joviality as of late.

The topic that has me so passionate is the current and future state of our country as highlighted and enunciated by the political happenings and attitudes within this country. Any who are not familiar with my feelings about the United States of America can find them contained in the virtual pages of this post.

Even now, I don’t know what to say and where to start. I'm just going to try and not swear profusely as I do it.

Tax Rebate? How about this tax ‘rebate’ that the government is ‘giving’ us? What a joke! Thank you, Mr. Government, for redistributing the money of the rich to the middle class and poor. Rebate…please. This money is going to people who didn’t even pay taxes (earning $3000, people on disability, collecting social security) and not going to those who did (individuals earning over $75,000). This crap is nothing more than wealth redistribution – and being redistributed by a REPUBLICAN President!

Everyone who is getting this thing (I refuse to call it a rebate) should send an email of thanks to people like my brother who put himself through college, got great grades in a difficult area, nearly aced the LSAT and works his tail off 12-13 hours a day. He’s not getting this government redistribution because through he’s worked like crazy and is successful. Meanwhile, people who sit on their backsides collecting welfare checks are getting it. And they never put anything in the pot!

Progressive Hypocrisy? No... I made the 'mistake' of starting to listen to conservative talk radio via the internet during the day at work. Mistake is in quotes because the only reason this is a mistake is because it reminds me how big of idiots people are for drinking the Kool-Aid big government proponents keep pouring. Anyway, I was listening to Glenn Beck and he had some interesting facts about John '$400 Haircut' Edwards, Bill 'That Woman, Ms. Lewinsky' Clinton, and Michael 'Evil America' Moore. You can read the entire thing here, but to sum up, all three of these men came from absolutely nothing and made it big in America because of their own hard work.

• Edwards was the son of a textile worker and postal worker; he was the first person in his family to attend college and graduated with honors.
• Clinton never knew his father - a traveling salesman who died three months before his birth. His mom had to go back to school and married a drunk who gambled and beat her. He got scholarships and went to college, became an intern for a US senator who helped him become a Rhodes scholar. He studied at Oxford and later got a law degree from Yale.
• Moore, the son of a secretary and an automotive assembly line worker, dropped out of college and worked at an automotive plant. Eventually he quit working at the automotive plant and was hired as an editor of a political magazine. he was fired, went to court and settled for $58,000. He used that seed money to create his first movie.

The irony is that none of these guys got any help from the government and managed to be successful, yet they are all big proponents of big government. Basically, the message is 'Sure, I can make myself something out of nothing, but you can't. So turn over your money and choices to us and we'll make sure you get the basics.' Doesn't this seem unsettling to anyone besides me?

The Forgotten Man. I came across this essay, written by William Graham Sumner in 1883, and I think it is spot on. I had to read it a couple times because the language is, well, from 1883. But the content is truer today than it ever was. Ever. I'm going to sum up by quickly paraphrasing the opening paragraph, but I encourage everyone to take a look.
Most schemes of social welfare goes like this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C should do for D. The ridiculousness is that C isn't given a voice. His position, character, and interests - the ultimate effects on society through C's interests - are entirely overlooked. Sumner call's C the Forgotten Man.

Anyway this is what I've been thinking about and how there are few who will take a step back, think about all this and then make their voice heard. If things are going to change, we need make our voices heard. And by more than just casting a vote, because there's no one running for President right now who - in my opinion - has any interest in taking decision making from the government and giving it back to me and you.

Proud product of Public Schools

Okay. The tragic hilarity of this is indescribable. This contestant from South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA pageant was asked a simple question. And she Finkled it. Totally and unequivocally destroyed it. To me the best part is Mario Lopez (the host) trying not to bust out laughing.




If you can't understand what she said, here's the transcript.

“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us.”

I'm not sure home school is the answer; however, I hear people mocking the kids who are home schooled as socially inept. This Lauren Caitlin Upton is making a strong case that the most damaged come from our lovely government sponsored schools. Good thing she aspires to be a model when grows up.

Word

WARNING: This post breaches racial issues. If you are easily offended or quick to anger and cannot handle an intelligent, honest discussion...you'd best navigate somewhere else.

Mike Vick’s (aka ‘Ron México’) latest faux pas has caused quite a ruckus. For those who don’t know, Mr. Vick was arrested in Miami when he refused to surrender his Aquafina water bottle to TSA officials at the airport. I could do a whole post about the stupidity of even trying to get on a plane with a water bottle, about refusing to give up a $1 bottle of water when you have a $130 million contract, about making a ruckus in general at an airport (does no one remember what happened to Greg in Meet the Parents?); that would be digressing from my original intent. Upon further inspection, this water bottle was no ordinary water bottle, but one that had a secret compartment.
The crux of this post is not the incident, but the banter that has ensued. Several people, including talking head Neal Boortz, have referred to Vick as a ‘thug’. It has ballooned now into a racial conversation, with many asserting that ‘thug’ is the new ‘N’ word and is racist. NBA star Joe Johnson of the Hawks said "I do think it's definitely a race-based stereotype. And I think it's one that, in our culture today, too many people are willing to accept and tolerate, even when they know it's wrong." (1)
This is why I’m irked.
Why is thug racist? Is it because it is more commonly used in reference to people of a certain color? I’ve gone and Googled the word thug; when the results are searched, the majority of the sites are about black people, particularly rap/hip-hop artists who have chosen to be known as ‘Thugs’ and associate themselves with the word.
Again I pose the question: Is thug racist because it is more commonly used in reference to people of a certain color? I say no. I submit that when a group of people begin to display behavior that a word describes, it is by no means the fault of the word. A word can’t make decisions; it cannot take on a persona; some would argue words are living, but they aren’t.
The original Thugs were bands of roving criminals in India who strangled and robbed travelers. Originally these gangs committed murder following precise religious rites to honor Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. I’m sure Hindi’s everywhere were up in arms at the negative connotations. (2)
In the 1920’s, thugs were overwhelmingly white. They were the enemies of prohibition – men who made a living breaking the law and getting rich off it, often killing, stealing and intimidating while simultaneously making light of the law and treating it as something to be mocked and scorned. No wonder Al Capone had such a surly disposition; it had nothing to do with the fact he was a murderer and an extortionist - he and his crew were the victim of a thoughtless stereotype.
In the early ‘90’s, Tupac Shakur brought the word thug into the world by glorifying it in his album Thug Life Vol. 1. Admittedly, I haven’t listened to much Tupac – something about the gratuitous violence, degradation of women and glorification of criminal behavior doesn’t appeal to me. But then again, I don’t embrace Thug Life. It was largely through his 'artists expressions' thug effectively made it into vogue and acceptable to engage in such behavior as associated with thugs. The 75 million albums he has sold world-wide show the support and acceptance his ideology has received. (3)
To say that the word thug has racial overtones is fine. It very well may. But does that mean that people should stop using the word? Was it born as a racial epithet? Such a philosophy is asinine and immature; it puts blame and responsibility on a word – an inanimate thing that cannot think, act or make choices. It is a weak attempt to remove accountability and place it somewhere else…the cancer eating away at the fabric of modern society. If a person or group of people begin to epitomize a word as Al Capone and his boys did in the early 20th century (overwhelmingly if not all white) or as rap artists and their constituents do in the early 21st century (overwhelmingly black), then the behavior placing those people under that umbrella needs to change. If it doesn't, those epitomizing the word have no right to demand change.
Don’t cop out and blame the word.

They'd of stoned Galileo

I’m incensed.
Rachell (my sister) just graduated from my Alma Mater, Rocky Mountain High School. Yes, you’re right; it is January. Again you are correct; the end of the school year is May. No, she wasn’t on a 4½ or 5 year plan. She decided she wanted to graduate early and experience a little bit of what the world has to offer. Already accepted to Brigham Young University for the Fall 07 , she will be moving to the LA area and living with Nathan and Lindsay; she plans on getting a job and earning money to put herself through school. Pretty ambitious. I’m proud of her accomplishment.
And she’s getting guff for it. One person asked her “What does LA have that we don’t?” Seriously…
I come from a small town/community in northern Wyoming. There are two stoplights in the county (one could make a convincing argument that is overkill); a population under 11,500, with two houses per square mile. (For more info, click here.) Even with the miniscule population, I enjoyed growing up there: the peace and quiet, beautiful night sky, the relative safety, the absence of rush hour…these are things I enjoy upon my visits home.
Like the Roman Catholic Church in the early 17th century holding fast to the geocentric model, a large number of the population believe the Big Horn Basin is the center of the civilized world. Those brave souls who venture out are treated as Galileo and deemed heretics. And as the Catholic Church, the local population is in error.
By no means am I a world traveler (far be it from me to label myself as such) and there's much I hope to see. But allow me to share some things I’ve experienced that cannot be offered in the confines of Zion...er, Utopia...er, the Big Horn Basin.

I’ve…
…seen Broadway caliber performances of Les Miserables, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King.
…seen some of the greatest art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
…lived in the Virgin Islands, scuba diving with sea turtles, octopus, eels, squid, manta ray and a cornucopia of amazing sea life.
…walked on a moonlit beach
….seen two Presidents of the United States of America, two first ladies and many congressmen in person.
….been one of 85,000+ at a sporting event
….seen the Grand Canyon, one of the 7 Wonders of the World,
….eaten sushi prepared by renowned Japanese artisans
….ordered a pizza at 2:30 in the morning
….been to 35 of the 50 states, including all west of the Mississippi except Oregon
literally driven from coast to coast
…had intriguing conversations with individuals from every continent on Earth (Antarctica excepted)
…been to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory
…been to such sporting venues as Madison Square Garden, Bank of America Ballpark (Phoenix), Bryant-Denney Stadium (home of University of Alabama), Three Rivers Stadium (former home of the Steelers), the Georgia Dome (including during Super Bowl XXXIV), Lavell Edwards Stadium, AT&T Park (Home of the San Francisco Giants), Sun Devil Stadium (former home of the Arizona Cardinals, Sanford Stadium (University of Georgia), Bobby Dodd Stadium (Home of Georgia Tech), Phillips Arena (home of the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks), Turner Field (Home of the Braves

To those narrow minded individuals – whether in the rural communities of the Big Horn Basin or the apartments of New York’s Upper East Side – ignorant enough to be purport the audacious idea there is nothing the world has to offer outside your miniscule piece of the world is to do as the Roman Catholics did…be ignorant now and laughed at later.
Have fun in LA, sis!!

UnPartisan Facts

Election 2006 has given me pause to reflect upon the state of our nation and the world in general.
A bachelors degree in Communications from BYU-Idaho doesn’t exactly make me an expert in political and social rhetoric; however, my belief in the divine establishment of this nation, upstanding citizenship, education, knowledge of God, and general intelligence are the credentials I will use to back up my comments. Plus, this is a blog; it doesn’t take a PhD to post on a blog.
My greatest concern is not that Democrats have taken control of the House; it is not that they may take control of the Senate. True, I find these things disconcerting and I anticipate an influx in illegal immigration and amnesty to all current illegal immigrants; an increase in government programs which will weaken the foundation of what made this country great (hard work); seeing more money taken from my paycheck in taxes; more money invested in already dismal government run schools. As unfortunate as these things are, they are simply symptoms of a greater disease.
It has been said that opinion is of little relevance, as it does not change truth. Opinions and remarks about those who embrace God and the virtues of morality are diverse; they quickly are becoming such that denigrate and mock those who hold virtue close. Prophesies found in the scriptures of a time when evil shall be called good and good evil have arrived. Individuals – regardless of party affiliations – are embracing the conscience-free philosophy of ‘Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die’ under the guise of tolerance and acceptance; those who engage in such behavior flaunt a grown-up view, that they operate on a higher plain and don’t need such old-fashioned ideas as morality, chastity, honesty and faithfulness to sustain them.
Such behavior glamorized by individuals in popular culture does not free anyone; it does not elevate to a ‘higher plain’. Rather, they resemble the animal that does whatever it has to do to survive and whatever makes it happy. The ‘liberated’ mentality appeals to the basest of behaviors. And because human beings are not meant to be just a notch higher on the evolutionary scale, but are destined for something greater, this behavior hinders progression.
Immorality has no party lines – JFK was an active adulterer; Mark Foley is a pedophile; Bill Clinton is an adulterer; Rudy Giuliani is an adulterer. Regardless of how the media may slant the story, the fact remains immorality and corruption run deep through the ranks of those we have chosen to lead our nation.
John Adams remarked "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31).The great thing about a government by the people is as long as the people remain moral and righteous, the nation will prosper; as the majority become increasingly immoral and distance themselves from the Almighty, party lines will matter only minimally.
As I’ve said before, there is no economic policy wise enough, no army strong enough, no social reform compassionate enough to save those who inhabit a land of promise if they persist in wickedness. God honors those who honor him; the only real safety for this nation is righteousness. Nothing else will suffice.
Opinions may be voiced and adopted by the majority, but it doesn’t change the facts. And those are the facts.

What should we do?

Mexico’s recently elected political party considered a radical offshoot of Catholicism called Locos continues hostilities along our southern border. Their radical label stems from their charter created in 1988, in which they’ve sworn to take back parts of the US they consider stolen – namely California, Texas, New Mexico and parts of Arizona – and are not going to stop until they get it back through a holy war:

“Our struggle against the United States is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Latino world, until the enemy is vanquished and God’s victory is realized…Holy War is its path and death for the sake of God is the loftiest of its wishes…There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad…The United States will exist and will continue to exist until we will obliterate it.”

These actions of our southern neighbors have taken a back seat to the trouble to the north. Canada has stood idly by as another radical, guerilla group called Canzollah (also sworn to wipe the USA from the face of the earth through Holy War) has gained power in the border region to our North. Apparently Canzollah has answered the call of their brothers to the south:

“The United States invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end…They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Catholicism. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion.
"Countries surrounding the United States are asked to open their borders before the fighters from among the Latino and Catholic nations so that they could consolidate their efforts with those of their Locos brethren in Mexico.
"As for the other Latino and Catholic countries, they are asked to facilitate the movement of the fighters from and to it, and this is the least thing they could do.”

They recently have mocked our requests to return our border patrol agents kidnapped early last month; instead, they’ve informed us they have 13,000 rockets, some of which could reach close to 100 miles inside our border. With over 10,000,000 people living within that range (mostly in the urban areas of Seattle, Spokane, Detroit and Cleveland) this is a serious threat.
Our offensive to drive Canzollah from this region and to destroy its weapons has drawn much criticism from the international community due to the civilian casualties with have occurred on Canadian soil from our attacks. An attack on a post in the immediate vicinity of a UN outpost (which has been there for six years and has done nothing to stem the tide of the influx of weapons by Canzollah to the region) resulted in the unfortunate deaths of four peacekeepers. Kofi Annan has called this 'an apparently deliberate attack'; this ludcrious statement makes no sense as we already have little support from the UN. Why would we want to garnish more critisism?
Some of our attacks have yielded civilian deaths aimed at Canzollah; this is a terrible consequence of guerillas hiding amongst the local population, using innocent Canadians as human shields. Meanwhile, over 200 rockets have been launched over our border with the intent to kill US civilians. Even so, the international community has been telling us to stop our efforts to eliminate Canzollah while this terrorist group is accountable to no one.

The American Way

Well, just wanted to give a shout out to our country, the United States of America, and share some thoughts and feelings I have concerning this day. (Readers be warned: there probably won't be a lot of humor in this post; I'm going to attempt to be serious, so read at your own peril.)
Will and I recently saw the new Superman movie. I really enjoyed the movie and recommended it; but there was one part that bothered me just a little. In the other Superman movies, the man of steel stood 'truth, justice and the American way.' In this newest one, the screenwriters played to the sentiment of the day and changed the wording of the phrase to 'truth, justice and that other stuff.'
It seems in the world today, the 'American Way' is mocked and ridiculed by people both foreign and domestic; those who espouse such a mind set are deemed at 'radical' or 'old-fashioned' in their thinking. The George Clooney's, Natalie Maines', Howard Dean's, Alec Baldwin's and Susan Sarandon's of the world would have us believe that America is the tyrant of the world, pushing around the world to accept our way of government. They would have us believe those who fight for our peace and safety are murderers, thugs and rapists. This is a hasty generalization, an unfounded assertion based on the actions of a minute contingent of immoral military men. Yet we would be led to believe it is common occurence.
I love this country; I love the precepts upon which it was founded. The wording of the Declaration of Independence, written my Thomas Jefferson and championed in the First Continental Congress by John Adams, strengthens my belief in the goodness of this cause called Independence. Below are some excerpts of the Declaration.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to
alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation
on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future
security...We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America,
in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good
People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United
Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States...And for the
support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our
sacred Honor."

There should be little doubt the Founding Fathers of our country were men of deep faith in a Supreme Being, who were courageous and honorable me. It has been said they were the best the Lord had on the earth at the time. And of the 56 men who signed the document, the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, age 71; the youngest, Edward Rutledge at 26. As a result of their conviction to the cause of independence, these men were forced to make terrible sacrifice. Five of the signers were captured as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary War; another had two sons captured. Nine died from wounds or from the hardships of the war.
Yet these were men who did not back down, who did not yield to the enemy of freedom. Liberty was the cause and they championed it until their deaths. I believe these men were inspired by God to set up a nation where religion was a right to be had by all, where the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be brought forth and prosper.
While I've mostly just rambled incoherently, I'll conclude with this. I love this country; I admire the men who pledge their lives, fortune and sacred honor for the establishment of a place where the individual is master; I pray that responsible citizens, men and women of good judgement and sound understanding, will step up to the task at hand and protect our freedoms from wicked and conspiring individuals. As J. Reuben Clark stated: "...the price of liberty is and always has been blood, human blood, and if our liberties are lost, we shall never regain them except at the price of blood. They must not be lost!"
So, as we spend today with family and friends, as we go to parks and lakes, as we spend time in the city or the mountains, as we watch fireworks and see the flag, let us remember those who went before us, who sacrificed all they had that we might enjoy such things.
Happy 4th.

An ounce of prevention...and a slug

"I know what you're thinking. 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

Any punk who tries to violate my home and disturb my peace of mind is going to find themselves in a similar situation as did the criminal in the movie Dirty Harry. They won't have the luxury of staring down the barrel of a little .44 Magnum; they'll get to face the consequences of a 12-gauge pump action Winchester shotgun with 3" slugs. Like to invade people's homes and steal things? Try it with a whole in your gut. How you like them apples?



This is one of the measures I've taken to help secure our home after the experience we had on Wednesday. (If you don't know what I'm referring to, just read the previous post.) It is a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun. Holds four shells plus one in the chamber. I've loaded a warning shot with pellets, followed by some 3" slug cartridges. Having experienced what we did and having experienced first-hand the depravity and pathetic behavior some of the baser human beings with whom we coexist, I've decided there are to be no chances taken as pertaining to the safety of Paula and myself.
So, Mr. Low-life Punk who has chosen a life of criminality and deviance, next time you want to trespass and take something that doesn’t belong to you, don't bring a knife to this gunfight. Papa bear has a little present waiting for you.

Violated

At 4:27pm on June 21, 2006, I received a call from Paula as I drove into our apartment complex – Eagles Pointe. Her voice was shaking.
“Logan, I think someone tried to break into our apartment.”In a moment I had parked the car and was at the door. There was significant damage to the door and frame; I was enraged.

The Door

More door

You can see how they use a crowbar and hammer to bus into the apartment

Without taking into account the appropriate safety precautions, I pushed open the warped door and surveyed the scene. Someone had not only tried, but had succeeded in breaking into our apartment. At once I noticed things missing. The rack which held all our DVD’s (20+), my X-Box games (10) was practically empty; our DVD player was missing; my X-Box and the three controllers I had were also gone.

The rack that used to be full of DVD's; the idiots didn't take Season 3 of Seinfeld. The most expensive set besides Band of Brothers.

Walking down the hall, I came to the first bedroom. All the drawers were pulled out and on the ground; the mattress and several blankets were strewn about the room. Several of Paula’s bags were missing, as was the Canon Rebel 35mm camera she loved.

Note all the books are still there.


Onto the master bedroom, I found several drawers open, the contents strewn about. Paula’s jewelry box was open and several items were missing, including her favorite watch, a Christmas gift from her mother. The most expensive item stolen was her school-issued laptop computer, and IBM Thinkpad. Totaled up, these thieves and low-life’s made out with at least $3000 worth of merchandise from our apartment; they transported the stolen goods in her gym bag was also stolen, in which was her MP3 player and headphones.


The most frustrating thing is not that these worthless individuals made off with some of our material possessions; it isn’t that we had no renters insurance; the thing that makes me angrier than I have ever been in my entire life is my home was violated. Strangers, individuals without morals, the thugs who are worthless except to God (and only through a love I cannot comprehend) rummaged through our possessions and violated the place we are supposed to be safe.
These imbeciles who trespassed into our home were not intelligent individuals; no books were taken. These asinine juveniles who stole from us were not doing it because they were hungry; no food was taken. These no good, dimwitted jackasses who have robbed my wife and I of our peace of mind were not in need of shelter or warmth; no clothes or blankets were taken. These pathetic wastes-of-flesh were punks who stole those things they can sell and get money for.
These subhuman encroachers, these parasites, are individuals who will never hold a job; they are putrid scum who will lie, cheat and steal their way through this mortal existence, robbing individuals of material possessions, peace of mind and eventual they will take someone’s life. These despicable vermin will not take advantage of a free education; they will not take advantage of government grants and subsidies. They will not use the gifts of living in the most generous country in the world because they are lazy, pathetic, loathsome creatures.
These miserable excuses for human beings will slough their way through life, leaching of your tax dollars and mine as we pay for their meals, housing and vehicles because they don’t work; our tax doalrs will pay their legal fees every time they are arrested; our tax dollars will pay their burial fees when they are shot by police, meet their end at the hand of one of their peers in prison or with a needle full of poison.
And when that finally happens, good riddance to bad rubbish.
I won’t cry.

Teach the Children

So I have a new church calling. I’ve been called as the second councilor in the Young Men’s presidency; that doubles as the Deacon’s Quorum advisor. Trying to teach a bunch of 12 to 14-year-old’s gospel oriented material and helping to inspire in them testimonies of the divinity of Jesus Christ and how to use the Spirit to guide them is an interesting challenge. Kids will be kids and boys will be boys. It’s a trip.
Basically, there are four types of kids: The one who’s oblivious to all things gospel related; the one who knows everything and answer ever question; the annoying one who thinks he’s funny; the one who gets stuck on some tangent because his parents forgot the Ritalin. A couple weeks ago we had a lesson about fasting. The typical spectrum of answers to my questions sort of go like this:

What’s the difference between starving and fasting?

“What is fasting?”
“Fasting is going without food or drink for 24 hours; it is for a purpose and should be combined with prayer and scripture study. Starving's just not eating. Sometimes I…”
“It means you can run fast.”
“I’m hungry. I like licorice.”

Okay…great. Why do we fast?

“Does it mean you run fast?”
“To learn to put the physical desires of our bodies secondary to things of a spiritual nature. We are asked to fast once a month – the first Sunday – and pay fast offerings. Our fast offerings should be generous and aren’t the same as tithing. Tithing is actually a…”
“Seriously, I’m really fast.”
“I like red licorice.”

Right…good. What are some of the blessings that come from fasting?

“You mean like a medal for winning a race?”
“There can be an increase in testimony; people can be healed. Sometimes there is rain after a drought. In our family history, there was this time my great-great-great-grandpa was a boy and there was a drought….”
“You’re blessed I don’t race you.”
“I don’t like black licorice.”

Um huh...Did you know who fasted 40 days?

“That’s impossible. A person would die!”
“Jesus. He was in the wilderness and was tempted by Satan in three ways: turning the rock into bread, being given wealth and popularity, and also to have angels catch him. But these are also all figurative temptations… ”
“I bet I’m faster than you are. You’re old”
"Are Twizzler’s and Red Vines both licorices?”

OK! I think that's the bell. Time to go.

Justify this

Tragically, a nine year-old boy paid the price for a lax immigration policy earlier this week in Sandy Springs, Georgia, on Monday night. Santos Cabrera, a 21-year-old illegal immigrant from Honduras, leapt from a car after Jordin said that the cars tire looked like it was going to fall off. He proceeded to yell at the little boy before using an ax to kill the child.
Cabrera was later shot to death by police after he attempted broke an officers arm by throwing a tire and then coming after the fallen officer with a metal pipe. The real kicker is late last month Cabrera was arrested after he was caught with a stolen vehicle. He was released after a brief stay in prison. Why wasn’t an illegal immigrant removed from the country after he had broken the law? This is because there is no law as of yet that requires an individual to provide proof of legal status in the United States; hence, this criminal was able to stay, steal another vehicle which transported him to this apartment complex, where he planted an axe in the head of an innocent 9-year-old boy.
Pundits who espouse the ideology of illegal aliens (oops, allow me to be PC: undocumented immigrants) as individuals who are upstanding people who just want a better life are making an overarching assumption that is erroneous from its genesis: upstanding individuals don’t participate in illegal activities. This holds true to the illegal immigrants and to those who knowingly employee them; but the line is continually blurred, with those who seek to enforce the laws of the land as racist or elitist who hold the little man down. But this isn’t about race; it isn’t about classes/subclasses. It’s about letting people into this country who are honest and forthright; there is no honesty or forthrightness about being illegal. And that is dangerous
Just ask Jordin.