I Can't Stand You. Prepare to Be Silenced.

In the midst of listening to the Michael Medved Show today, I was floored by what I heard. Medved was talking with a spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund about the new hate crime legislation that is awaiting the President's signature when a female caller called in. She stated that she was a lesbian and proceeded to state that anybody who said homosexuality was immoral, was wrong and should go to prison for saying such things. Medved continued to query her about freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but the woman went on saying that no, if someone denies that homosexuality is good, they should have to do time. Medved said, and I'm paraphrasing, "so you think that someone who stands up before their congregation in a church and preaches that one man and one woman is the only way a marriage should be, that person should got to prison for saying that?" The woman replied, "I most certainly do."

That's the way of people on the left, isn't it? If your opinion doesn't agree with theirs, you are in need of some jail time. You are the most hideous person on the earth for stating what you believe. I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like the old Soviet Union or Castro's Cuba. Funny, I kind of liked the old America that I grew up with, where people could say anything they wanted and not have to worry about the thought police corralling them and jailing them for the crime of speaking their minds.

On the Eve of the Utah Elk Hunt

I remember several years ago when I went on my first elk hunt. I had been lucky enough to draw out for a cow tag. As the hunt progressed, I found myself in a clearing, watching and waiting for some elk to come through. It wasn't long before I heard the cracking of brush, and the sound of many large animals coming directly toward me through the trees. They broke into the clearing and I aimed my 30-30 at a nice, fat cow, then pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. It suddenly dawned on me that I had failed to jack a shell into the chamber. By the time I now did so, the elk heard me and took off at a run. I fired a shot at a running elk, but missed, and then they were gone, over the ridge.
I can look back and laugh at that now, but at the time I was kicking myself for missing a golden opportunity. I guess the moral of the story is, when opportunity knocks, we need to be ready.

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Utah's Budget Shortfall

Utah Governor, Gary Herbert seems to be on the right track when he says: "I think raising taxes at a time of economic downturn is absolutely the wrong thing to do. We want to grow the economy, we want to stimulate opportunity in the business community. To put taxes of any kind on top of a repressed market would have, I think, the negative result of actually repressing the economy even more and styming the ability for us to turn the corner."

I hope he sticks with it. To raise taxes to cover our bases is what California has routinely done, and look at their economy. Better to cut things to the bone now, and hope thing get better in the future to avoid the upward spiral of more and more taxes to cover more and more services, or even to cover current services. In my family, when we can't afford something, we don't do it. Utah should do the same.

The Power of Good Health

A few months ago, a good friend of mine and I were discussing exercise. Somewhere in the conversation, my friend said, "But you like to run, I don't." I replied back that, no, I don't like to run. I like being healthy. There is a difference between liking exercise and liking the benefits of exercise. I exercise because it allows me to remain young, to do things most people my age cannot, or won't go through the effort to accomplish. Here's an example. On Saturday, I ran my first 5k race in 13 years. My time was 25:15--not world class, but it was within one minute of times I ran 14-15 years ago. I guess my message is, start to day to turn back the clock. You'll be glad you did.

Who's Your Daddy?

I continue to be surprised and chagrined at the number of people who want the government to provide all things for them. It's as if they want the feds to be their "daddy", instead of working hard to be successful on their own. Whatever happened to the can-do spirit of America? Now we seem to be saying, I can't make it on my own. I need help. I need to rob from Peter to pay Paul. The government under the U.S. Constitution, was never meant to be like that. I think we have a large percentage of Americans who would advocate for throwing away the Constitution if they really understood what it meant.

It's frightening, really, what's happening within our government right now. Banks being taken over by the feds, Barack Obama passing out handouts with no means to pay for them. The largest deficit spending in history---four times the amount spent during the Bush administration.

This administration is quickly becoming the worst in American history.

So, who's your daddy? Do you have the courage to stand up for the principles that were set forth on this continent more than two centuries ago? Or will you let the country slide into socialism, where all of us are taken care of by a benevolent government, but none of us has any further reason to try and excel? Think about it.

Miss California Gets Slammed for Answering Honestly

When Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked the question regarding whether or not she believed in "gay marriage" and answered honestly, and bravely that no she did not, the outcry from the left was deafening. She is so hateful some said, what an intolerant person. Now, it seems, you can't even voice your opinion without being taken to the cleaners for doing so. I, for one, am glad she had the courage to answer that question honestly. And what a ridiculous question it was any way. I don't watch beauty pageants, but some of the low-lifes they have on those panels tick me off in their smugness. I hope brave people will continue to speak out for what is right. The term "marriage" means a man and a woman joined together in matrimony. If two men or two women want to have the same kind of relationship, it needs to be called something else. Sort of like, we shouldn't call a cow a dog.

We Need Background Checks Now

In light of California Angel's young pitcher, Nick Adenhart's death because of a drunk driver, and the thousands of other deaths caused by inebriation, I propose that all those wishing to purchase alcoholic beverages be first asked to provide their thumb print. This thumb print could then be run through a national database to find out if the potential buyer had anything in his or her background, such as an arrest for DUI, or any kind of obnoxiousness or disturbing the peace complaints. This person would then be denied the ability to buy the alcohol. As it is currently, anyone over the age of 21, and sometimes younger, can purchase alcoholic beverages, no questions asked. Many of these same people go out and drink, and injure or kill innocent people on the roads.

I'd also like to apply this to cell phone users who've been ticketed for traffic accidents that occurred while texting or talking and driving at the same time. These people should be stripped of their cells and forced to use only land lines or pay phones.

Hiking the Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Saturday morning, myself, my son, and my son-in-law went on a small hike along the old Lake Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The part we were on was from Bountiful to Centerville, but the trail is actually much longer than that. I basically stumbled upon one geocache, then I pulled out the GPS and found out which one it was. We hadn't started looking for any of them yet, but after I wandered off in the trees, I turned around and there it was. We found two others that I had downloaded the coordinates for earlier that morning.
The hike itself was pleasant, although I think I'd much rather be up among the pines and quakies somewhere--or even above timberline. Oh well, that's still a couple of months away. It was just nice to get out.