To those of you who saw my last post entitled "What to do when Mom gets old" I want you to know that after venting here I realized that my post was not truly indicative of how I felt about my mother, her age, my age, my role in life, etc.
So I deleted it to hopefully avoid any misunderstandings.
Judging from the number of comments attached to that post (none), it may be that either no one saw it or everyone was embarrassed about it. Regardless, it is now gone and can be forgotten.
My true feelings about my mother are much more tender than what I wrote. I must say that of late I have been feeling rather foul. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis. Maybe I need a vacation. Maybe I need a hug. Maybe I just need my father to gently tell me to "snap out of it".
I really miss him. He would have been 72 today. Happy Birthday Dad.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
I Hate SPAM
In this case, we are talking about electronic SPAM. The ham-like product enjoyed so much in Hawaii is fine with me and I consumed my fair share as a Boy Scout, usually chopped into Mac & Cheese.
But I'm tired of being asked if I want any of my anatomy enhanced. And I find it extremely disturbing that I'll get both male and female anatomy enhancement offers on the same day.
Until recently, my blog seemed to be immune from SPAM, but there were two comments left recently that linked to what appeared to be disreputable sites. I deleted the comments and have included a word verification requirement when leaving comments. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it would appear to be a necessary evil.
More to post later -- sorry for not writing for so long -- very busy year for too many wrong reasons.
But I'm tired of being asked if I want any of my anatomy enhanced. And I find it extremely disturbing that I'll get both male and female anatomy enhancement offers on the same day.
Until recently, my blog seemed to be immune from SPAM, but there were two comments left recently that linked to what appeared to be disreputable sites. I deleted the comments and have included a word verification requirement when leaving comments. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it would appear to be a necessary evil.
More to post later -- sorry for not writing for so long -- very busy year for too many wrong reasons.
Friday, June 26, 2009
I Must Be Old Now
When the pop idols of your youth are dead have you crossed over into old age? Granted, both Michael and Farrah were killed by disease and not old age, but I still felt a twinge of ancient history as I explained to my much younger associates yesterday about the years of Farrah being the hottest pin-up of the 70s and Michael once being black, good looking, and talented (not that his talent ever really wained, but he was more infamous than famous of late).
I do wish their families condolences. There are children and loved ones left behind and that is always sad, regardless of what you felt about the individual. I'm sure that there will stories and too much rehashing of these two idols' lives over the next few weeks and months. That seems to be what grieving people do -- either venerate or destroy the memories of the dead.
For me, I'm just feeling old and tired. Maybe I should put on my Thriller album (yes, I said "album", not CD), have my wife put on a blond wig, and dance like it is 1983.
Or maybe not.
I do wish their families condolences. There are children and loved ones left behind and that is always sad, regardless of what you felt about the individual. I'm sure that there will stories and too much rehashing of these two idols' lives over the next few weeks and months. That seems to be what grieving people do -- either venerate or destroy the memories of the dead.
For me, I'm just feeling old and tired. Maybe I should put on my Thriller album (yes, I said "album", not CD), have my wife put on a blond wig, and dance like it is 1983.
Or maybe not.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Happy 1984 Day
Today is the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's "1984". It is also the 200th anniversary of the death of Thomas Paine, the 18th century philosopher whose writings greatly influenced George Orwell and his dark vision of the possible future.
NPR's "Talk of the Nation" did a piece about both events today, which I enjoyed. But it reminded me of when I read "1984" and Orwell's other masterpiece "Animal Farm". I made sure that I read "1984" before the year passed -- a strange goal, but one I set and met. I read "Animal Farm" much earlier -- it is an easier book to read and understand, but lacks nothing in its commentary on social systems and governments. I saw an animated version of it as a young teenager before I had ready the book (it was while my family was vacationing in Hawaii and I saw it with my siblings on the hotel TV). The ending was changed so that the animals rise up against the pigs after seeing them through the farm house window "change" into humans. Whether this was an attempt to make the movie more palatable or was intended as a further commentary on the future of communism, I do not know, but that is not how Orwell ends his book (the book stops with the animals looking through the window and seeing the pigs change -- no reaction, just revelation left to the reader -- powerful, but haunting, ending).
The comments on today's NPR program focused on how we did not become the world of "1984", with the exception of North Korea (some interesting points were made about that). That in fact, our world was drifting more to the vision of Orwell's friend and teacher, Aldous Huxley, and his novel "Brave New World". Oddly enough, I read this one either just before or just after "1984".
I do not agree that the world is headed towards either eventuality. It has become more evil, or at least we are more aware of the evil. But the destiny of this earth is not so bleak as an overarching or all powerful government predestining our lives and attitudes. Free agency continues to exist and we still have the ability to use our will to choose. The actions of others, individuals, governments and corporations, cannot take that will away from us. We can give it up but it cannot be taken.
Yesterday in our High Priest's Group meeting, we discussed obedience and agency. One point that was very interesting was the idea that agency can be expanded by our actions and obedience. For example, if the Bishop asks me to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting, I do not have the agency to say yes -- I can't play the organ and thus my only response can be no. But if the Bishop asks my mother, because of the choices she has made and her obedience to certain rules and laws (i.e. learning to play the organ and practicing it), she has more agency -- she can either say yes or no, depending on whether she wishes to do so or not.
The bleak visions of these satirists could only come to pass if all individuals voluntarily give up their ability to choose.
So choose wisely and make a better future.
NPR's "Talk of the Nation" did a piece about both events today, which I enjoyed. But it reminded me of when I read "1984" and Orwell's other masterpiece "Animal Farm". I made sure that I read "1984" before the year passed -- a strange goal, but one I set and met. I read "Animal Farm" much earlier -- it is an easier book to read and understand, but lacks nothing in its commentary on social systems and governments. I saw an animated version of it as a young teenager before I had ready the book (it was while my family was vacationing in Hawaii and I saw it with my siblings on the hotel TV). The ending was changed so that the animals rise up against the pigs after seeing them through the farm house window "change" into humans. Whether this was an attempt to make the movie more palatable or was intended as a further commentary on the future of communism, I do not know, but that is not how Orwell ends his book (the book stops with the animals looking through the window and seeing the pigs change -- no reaction, just revelation left to the reader -- powerful, but haunting, ending).
The comments on today's NPR program focused on how we did not become the world of "1984", with the exception of North Korea (some interesting points were made about that). That in fact, our world was drifting more to the vision of Orwell's friend and teacher, Aldous Huxley, and his novel "Brave New World". Oddly enough, I read this one either just before or just after "1984".
I do not agree that the world is headed towards either eventuality. It has become more evil, or at least we are more aware of the evil. But the destiny of this earth is not so bleak as an overarching or all powerful government predestining our lives and attitudes. Free agency continues to exist and we still have the ability to use our will to choose. The actions of others, individuals, governments and corporations, cannot take that will away from us. We can give it up but it cannot be taken.
Yesterday in our High Priest's Group meeting, we discussed obedience and agency. One point that was very interesting was the idea that agency can be expanded by our actions and obedience. For example, if the Bishop asks me to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting, I do not have the agency to say yes -- I can't play the organ and thus my only response can be no. But if the Bishop asks my mother, because of the choices she has made and her obedience to certain rules and laws (i.e. learning to play the organ and practicing it), she has more agency -- she can either say yes or no, depending on whether she wishes to do so or not.
The bleak visions of these satirists could only come to pass if all individuals voluntarily give up their ability to choose.
So choose wisely and make a better future.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Time To Vote Again
The media is saying that tomorrow's CA Special Election voter turnout will be at historic lows. This may be true for the physical go-down-to-the-polls-and-punch-the-screen group, but many of us have already turned in our "absentee" ballots.
Whatever category you find yourself, please vote by tomorrow.
As to how to vote, that is another issue all together. It may be that voter sentiment is off because they are tired (I know that I am) of all of this foolishness. We spent millions of dollars electing officials who cannot get along and come to any kind of compromise or meaningful idea for improvements and thus we have a HUGE mess that they are asking the voters to fix by voting on propositions that are so convoluted and confusing that most voters are throwing up their hands in disgust and yelling, "I'd move to Nevada if I could sell my house!"
In my most humble opinion and based on my understanding of law and finances, this is how I suggest that you vote -- NO. That's right, the whole mess is trying to be fixed by robbing Peter to pay Paul. The mess that Sacramento is in today has a lot to do with debt and being able to finance that debt. So instead of raising taxes and fees (which they are doing as well), they are asking to be able to borrow from future gambling revenues (and just who are they borrowing this from?) and to redirect monies fixed by the voters for certain purposes to go to the General Fund to just be thrown at more waste. Yes, they will kill school programs in the end. But the propositions will do that too, so there is no difference. These propositions fix nothing, but only shove more money down the hole.
My question, and the one everyone should be asking, is this: if CA has one of the largest GDPs in the world, where is the money going? I know that a great deal of it is going towards the debts that were incurred in the past (the piper WILL be paid), but that doesn't count for everything. Is it just a bunch of little things adding up or are there places where savings can be made? I know of a few crazy tax credits that CA has on the books that maybe could produce some income, but then I'm not in the rice straw business, so I naturally think that credit is crazy (a rice straw farmer would probably disagree with me). And don't tell me that this is the fault of people not paying their taxes. Yes, there are some who owe the government and some of them could owe significant amounts, but the fault is not the revenue side (again, one of the largest GDPs). The fault must lie in the spending.
They call it a budget and yet they constantly overspend. If I overspend on my budget I have to make up the difference by either cutting back somewhere or getting another job. The same thing applies here. But instead of cutting back on wasteful spending, I see essential services being cut and taxes being raised.
Maybe we need a real cut-throat accountant in Sacramento to sort this mess out. No one would like him. No one would invite him to parties. He would have to be independent of everyone -- corporations, politicians, voters alike. And then have him cut to ribbons the CA budget, killing programs that do not produce results and raising taxes when all else fails.
But too much power in one man's hands is too dangerous. So we have committees and sub-committees and politicians and statesmen and lobbyists and unions, etc., etc., etc.
I guess the only true answer is an omnipotent, omniscient King. And He isn't saying when He will return to claim His throne.
Thus, in the meantime, study the issues, think carefully, pray, and then vote. It is the best we can do for today.
Whatever category you find yourself, please vote by tomorrow.
As to how to vote, that is another issue all together. It may be that voter sentiment is off because they are tired (I know that I am) of all of this foolishness. We spent millions of dollars electing officials who cannot get along and come to any kind of compromise or meaningful idea for improvements and thus we have a HUGE mess that they are asking the voters to fix by voting on propositions that are so convoluted and confusing that most voters are throwing up their hands in disgust and yelling, "I'd move to Nevada if I could sell my house!"
In my most humble opinion and based on my understanding of law and finances, this is how I suggest that you vote -- NO. That's right, the whole mess is trying to be fixed by robbing Peter to pay Paul. The mess that Sacramento is in today has a lot to do with debt and being able to finance that debt. So instead of raising taxes and fees (which they are doing as well), they are asking to be able to borrow from future gambling revenues (and just who are they borrowing this from?) and to redirect monies fixed by the voters for certain purposes to go to the General Fund to just be thrown at more waste. Yes, they will kill school programs in the end. But the propositions will do that too, so there is no difference. These propositions fix nothing, but only shove more money down the hole.
My question, and the one everyone should be asking, is this: if CA has one of the largest GDPs in the world, where is the money going? I know that a great deal of it is going towards the debts that were incurred in the past (the piper WILL be paid), but that doesn't count for everything. Is it just a bunch of little things adding up or are there places where savings can be made? I know of a few crazy tax credits that CA has on the books that maybe could produce some income, but then I'm not in the rice straw business, so I naturally think that credit is crazy (a rice straw farmer would probably disagree with me). And don't tell me that this is the fault of people not paying their taxes. Yes, there are some who owe the government and some of them could owe significant amounts, but the fault is not the revenue side (again, one of the largest GDPs). The fault must lie in the spending.
They call it a budget and yet they constantly overspend. If I overspend on my budget I have to make up the difference by either cutting back somewhere or getting another job. The same thing applies here. But instead of cutting back on wasteful spending, I see essential services being cut and taxes being raised.
Maybe we need a real cut-throat accountant in Sacramento to sort this mess out. No one would like him. No one would invite him to parties. He would have to be independent of everyone -- corporations, politicians, voters alike. And then have him cut to ribbons the CA budget, killing programs that do not produce results and raising taxes when all else fails.
But too much power in one man's hands is too dangerous. So we have committees and sub-committees and politicians and statesmen and lobbyists and unions, etc., etc., etc.
I guess the only true answer is an omnipotent, omniscient King. And He isn't saying when He will return to claim His throne.
Thus, in the meantime, study the issues, think carefully, pray, and then vote. It is the best we can do for today.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Quick Joke
A pastor pulled two glasses from behind the pulpit during his Sunday Sermon. One was full of water, the other gin. He then pulled a worm from out of a match box and dropped it into the glass of water. It wriggled around for a moment and then the pastor pulled it out and dropped it into the glass of gin. Instantly the worm went stiff as a board, dead.
The pastor then asked, "So what does this teach us?"
From the back of the room a small boy piped up, "If you drink gin, you won't get worms."
The pastor then asked, "So what does this teach us?"
From the back of the room a small boy piped up, "If you drink gin, you won't get worms."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter -- The Time For Renewal
Easter seems to have been forgotten this year. I have found very little in the media or the general public sentiment that even acknowledges the season. Personally, I'm spending a great amount of time at work due to the looming tax deadline. But I am tired of making excuses about why I didn't plan to attend church (I repented and went to church this morning -- I need His help at this time of year -- I figured I owed Him some time this day).
But Easter should be remembered. In fact, it must be remembered. The spring season is a time of rebirth for the Earth and its plants. The animals come out and newborns are introduced to the world.
And an empty tomb makes our rebirth possible.
I do not have enough time to write everything I feel for my Savior. I do not have enough words to express my love and gratitude. English (and every other language I either know or am familiar with) is inadequate as a medium for my feelings, thoughts, desires, love and pain.
And yet we try, for that is the best we can do. Maybe the image of falling at His feet, feeling the prints of the nails, and soaking his robes with our tears is close. For today, it is close enough.
I have been saved from Death and Hell because of the events of Easter. An unparallelled gift was given and we are wrapped in His love.
And yet the world ignores.
Poor foolish world.
Don't be a fool.
But Easter should be remembered. In fact, it must be remembered. The spring season is a time of rebirth for the Earth and its plants. The animals come out and newborns are introduced to the world.
And an empty tomb makes our rebirth possible.
I do not have enough time to write everything I feel for my Savior. I do not have enough words to express my love and gratitude. English (and every other language I either know or am familiar with) is inadequate as a medium for my feelings, thoughts, desires, love and pain.
And yet we try, for that is the best we can do. Maybe the image of falling at His feet, feeling the prints of the nails, and soaking his robes with our tears is close. For today, it is close enough.
I have been saved from Death and Hell because of the events of Easter. An unparallelled gift was given and we are wrapped in His love.
And yet the world ignores.
Poor foolish world.
Don't be a fool.
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