And Here's Another Uinta Photo

This is my son Ben and I atop King's Peak, Utah's highest point.

View from Bald Mountain

Here's one of my Uinta pictures, a view from landmark, Bald Mountain.

Not to Leave Out the Uinta Mountains

I have recently added a group on Facebook called "High Uinta Lovers". The Uintas are a unique mountain range that runs east and west in the northeast corner of Utah. They are stunning and Utah's highest point, King's Peak, can be found within these rugged peaks. I will post a picture here, but if you go to the Facebook page, there is already a link to some amazing pictures of the Uintas.

Thinking About the Mountains

Wow, the Wasatch Mountains are beautiful when they're snow covered. Actually, they're stunning any time of year. I love living near them and am impatiently awaiting spring, so that I can once again traverse their wooded paths and climb their rugged peaks. I'm not looking forward to the annual inversions that we have around here, that obscure my view of those fantastic spires. The lower photo is of the Big Cottonwood Canyon area, covered in snow, shrouded in clouds. I have a better winter picture somewhere--I'll just have to dig it up. The photo on the right is Sun Dial Peak, with Lake Blanche in the foreground.

The Puppet President Begins?

Barack Obama's naming of Leon Panetta as CIA director can only be interpreted as a cave in to the extreme left. Why else would the President-Elect name someone with zero experience to head the organization charged with finding out plots against America and Americans? It's not only a huge risk for America, but a huge risk for Obama as well, for if American's are attacked and killed because of an intelligence gaffe, he and Panetta will be squarely to blame. Unbelievable, that at a time when terrorism plots and attacks are at their highest, our new President selects a rookie for the job.

What Will You Do in the New Year?

I'm thinking I might actually try and achieve something this year. Like last night I asked my friend Boyd, who is an artist, if he'd be willing to try and illustrate my cowboy Christmas poem "The Cowboy's Mile", and he said, "sure". I'm thinking it might do best if we put together the book, and then try and sell it. I'm not really much of a self-publishing fan, but I'm thinking in this case, it's a book that needs to be seen first, gather a following, and then it may just take off. At least that's what I'm hoping.
Another thing I want to do this year is work on becoming a better musician. To do that I have to be organized and that isn't my strong point. I am one of the five most disorganized people on the face of the earth. That may be an exaggeration, but it's not much of one. Anyway, I plan on playing my guitar and banjo daily, on a regular schedule in order to accomplish this goal. I've already printed out some free daily schedules. All I need to do is fill them in.
I will become a better writer this year. Whether or not I will actually sell something this year is questionable--back to those organizational skills----but I will write a lot, and I will improve. I will learn how to be a better newsletter editor. I'm the current editor for The Lariat, which is the newsletter for the League of Utah Writers, and I just completed my first one in November. It's a quarterly newsletter, so the next one is coming up soon.
I will do several hikes, mostly in Utah. I love hiking and seeing things, so I will also do some road trips, or maybe a flight or two, though flying isn't really my thing.
I think that's about enough for one year, though it won't be all. There are home projects and church assignments, family gatherings and all sorts of fun and exciting stuff awaiting me in 2009. I hope the same is in store for you.

The Utes Rip the Tide

It wasn't supposed to happen. The University of Utah Utes were supposed to lose to the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide. At least, that's what all the "experts" said would happen. But it didn't. Millions of stunned fans watched as the Utes jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. For those of us who are Utah fans, even though the lead looked good, we worried. In earlier games this season, Utah had rushed to an early lead, only to see that lead crumble in the second half, pulling miracles out of nowhere to get some of their victories. No miracle was needed this night! And my family and I watched and waited for the experts to eat their crow. And they did. Already though, the excuses are happening. Alabama's offensive line was missing its best player is being heard time and again. Funny, but they knew he was missing before the game and they still thought Utah would get crushed. Stop making excuses and start realizing that Utah belongs with the big boys.

Bird Watcher

Our first cat, Ralph, was a true hunter. Even in winter, he dreamed of being out there, catching prey.
Ralph died about four years ago of squamous-cell carcinoma--caught from too much sun exposure. Well, actually he was dying from it when we had him put to sleep. But he was a great cat with superb feline reflexes.
This is looking out the south window of our house. The trees are quakies, and I believe the birds are finches.

This was me, just after finding my first geocache. I'm looking kind of bald in this picture, but it's only because my Peruvian hat was pushed back. This is in Arizona, on the slopes of Mt. Graham.

Out Near Middle-of-Nowhere

This is near my home in Middle-of-Nowhere. The mountains in the background are the Oquirrh Mountains, and the mine is Bingham Copper Mine.

This is Scout.

Scout was named after the little girl in "To Kill a Mockingbird", one of my wife's favorite films. Scout's actually a pretty cool cat--she rarely brings home mice, but I think our previous cat did more than his share in that area. Anyway, in this picture, Scout is looking out our front window.
More pics to come.

Conservatives Are Nicer Than Liberals

Okay, okay. I know you're out there cursing at me, saying how ignorant I am about the reality of it all. I mean, don't conservatives want to keep the poor from getting food and shelter? Don't conservatives want to take away rights for gays to get married? Aren't conservatives more often than not, in favor of capital punishment? Well, the answers are a bit more complex than that. Conservatives want to feed the poor, but they want to do it by private donations, not tax dollars. We believe that the best form of charity is that that is given willingly, and not forced upon us by a tax increase. In my second example, yes, conservatives are much more in favor of not changing the definition of marriage to include two people of the same sex. Marriage, by definition, is the union between two members of the opposite sex. On the other hand, most conservatives are in favor of extending gay couples all the legal rights that married couples have--a position with which gay entertainer, Elton John, concurs.
Finally the third example--capital punishment. Yes, conservatives by and large, are much more interested in seeing vicious murderers, or even child rapists, killed. Conservatives are much more interested in using punishment to "fit the crime" instead of using it to rehabilitate the offender.
So that brings us to, why I think liberals are meaner. This is why: because they use every means possible to push their agenda upon the country--including enlisting the press. Despite contrary protests, it is a given fact that there were more positive news stories about Barack Obama, and more negative news stories about John McCain in the days leading up to the recent Presidential election. Liberals also regularly complain about their rights being violated, but when a majority of citizens of California voted for Proposition 8, the liberals on the left were the first to try and take away these citizens rights to vote for something they believed in. Liberals are in favor of free speech, as long as it's their free speech and not conservative free speech--just see how many of them want the "Fairness Doctrine" implemented.

I think Americans as a whole worry too much about what the rest of the world thinks of us---and the vast majority of Americans focus too much on the press and how it interprets the way things are going in the country. Worrying too much about a national self-image is going to lead to the demise of our country. We need to forget about it.

It's Crunch Time

Thomas Jefferson once said, "And to preserve their independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude." How true that appears now, as we look back with perfect vision hindsight. Did the Founders have vision to last through the ages, or was the document and nation they created, an entity destined to last only a couple of centuries? I've watched the march through history, the increasing intrusiveness of the welfare state, the plodding toward the removal of "freedom of speech" from our society, the steady trudging away from that divine document, and toward a "living and breathing" interpretation which allows for nearly any kind of change of the original intent.
Sad to see that our nation, once proud and free, is quickly becoming a mirage of her former self, our freedoms ripped from us with ever increasing frequency as we march toward socialism with slumbering steps. Should we haste its demise with a poor election choice, or try to slow the collapse with a one that might not be perfect, but might stall the slippage of our liberty. You make the call.

The Failing American Press

The institutions which the Founders of our great country thought would protect us against the corruption of government, namely our newspapers and other sources of news, have become the American equivalent of Pravda. I don't say this lightly, but the news sources of today have become left-wing propaganda machines, many of them openly routing for Obama to win the presidency. Pravda Amerika now rules the roost and has played a huge role in this year's election. I haven't seen a single investigational report on Barack's ties to Bill Ayres. Not one. And if anyone tries to bring it up, it's pooh poohed as bringing up the past. "Forget about that," they seem to say, "we've got a black man running for president for the first time. A legitimate candidate at least."
Which brings up my next point. Why are we so concerned about skin color in this country? Many are voting for Obama only because he's black and it's time for a black man to be president so we can prove to the world how far we've come as a nation. Have we become so insecure that we need to vote in thisblack man? The other day someone I heard on a radio program made the analogy that if O.J. Simpson were somehow running for president, would people vote for him simply because he's a black man? I find that ludicrous. Vote for a person because you agree with him or her politically, not because he's black, white, or because she's a woman. Think instead of immersing yourselves in the constant blathering of Dancing With the Stars, House, or American Idol. This isn't some kind of popularity contest, or a game we're playing here. It's the future of our society as we know it.
Another thing that's troubling me is that too many people are letting their emotions rule the way they're voting. They're angry because of the economy, or the war, or whatever else. Wow, I let me anger rule my decision once, and I threw a lawn spreader and then needed surgery. That's the kind of thing that impulsive emotion gets you. Think and reason calmly. Turn off the cell phones, the video games, the TV, and make an informed decision. It will be the best thing you could do for your country.

Congressional Wimps Fighting to Save Our Country and Their Votes

The recent financial crisis in the U.S. Is the result of several years of neglect and greed. Neglect by the very people we vote in to protect us from things like that, and greed of the banking and mortgage industry in trying to bring in every possible dollar from every prospective home buyer. Once again our do-nothing Congress has let something slide that should've been handled years ago. Looming on the horizon is the Social Security crisis, which Congress again refuses to do anything about, and the illegal immigrant crisis---again, Congress neglecting their responsibility. Though there are a few good and courageous members of Congress, for the most part, they are a collection of moral cowards whose soul goal of staying permanently in office precludes them from making any hard decisions that might alienate voters. And now it has brought us to the verge of a financial meltdown. Thanks cowards. I appreciate all you've done for the future of my children and grandchildren. Geez I wish I had the money to run for Congress.

Can George Blanda Still Kick It?

George Blanda turned 81 on September 17th. Fans of the NFL know who Blanda is, but for the uninitiated, he was once a quarterback/placekicker for first, the Chicago Bears, second the Houston Oilers, and third, the Oakland Raiders. Blanda once threw for 7 touchdowns in a game, while with the Oilers, and became the oldest player in the NFL. I remember him kicking field goals when in his fifties. I wonder if old George could still kick it now. He's probably out there practicing a kick or two.

Which of course brings up the question, how long should we be doing things like sports and other activities? And the answer, as long as we want. As long as we like what we're doing, there's no reason to stop other than injury. So my message is--keep following your dreams.

Authentication

Okay, this is here for authentication purposes only: Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Why We Vote

A few weeks ago I heard one woman, being interviewed by a reporter say that she couldn't decide if she was going to vote for Obama, because he's black, or if she'd vote for Hillary, because she's a woman. Wow. I wonder whatever happened for voting someone because you believe in their policies. No wonder our country is in trouble if we vote for some based upon the color of their skin, or their sex. Or maybe even voting for a particular candidate seems the popular thing to do. That really saddens me. We already have enough of the do-nothing types working for our federal government without voting for people for the wrong reasons. Just my take.

Sorry for the Length Between Posts

Well, we had a wedding in May (my son Ben got married), and then in May all of us got sick, especially my wife who ended up in the ICU for 8 days with pneumonia and 11 total days in the hospital beginning June 2nd. So it's been a harried last couple of months and posting to my blog hasn't been tops on my list. I hope to post on a continuous basis now.

One thing I'd like to mention is the best banjo players website. That's banjohangout.org
It's got great tips for the beginner to the experienced banjo player. I'll be posting more later, probably tomorrow. I feel the need to vent.

China Demands Apology

Well, well, well. China has demanded an apology from CNN's Jack Cafferty for calling them "thugs and goons". Here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/15/cnn.china/index.html

Cafferty should apologize. He should apologize for not calling them thieves and murderers as well. I'm going to apologize for him. China, I'm sorry that you poisoned people in Latin America, by cutting costs. I'm sorry you murdered those people. China, I'm sorry you put lead in many products you shipped to America and around the world. I deeply apologize for that. I'm sorry that you fill the air with more pollution than any country in existence. I feel real bad that you swindle software makers by not cracking down on software piracy. I'm sorry you are using the Olympics as a propaganda tool, reminiscent of the Nazi propagand machine of the 1930s. I'm sorry you keep killing children if they aren't male. I'm sorry you oppress millions, including, but not limited to those who dare protest in Tienemen Square, and the people of Tibet.
Hey China--if one of your blue-coated thugs tried to brutally stop me from getting too close to the Olympic torch in my own country, he'd be in the hospital. I'd apologize for that of course.

The Cowards of the Country

Once again Congress shows its spinelessness in passing a huge budget without reductions in earmarks. Our beloved representatives also would pass on to us an increase in taxes, again, failing to reduce spending. Here's a related article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-13-senate-tax_N.htm?csp=34
Of course, what else is new with the Cowards of the Country?

Now everyone considered them
the cowards of the country.
They never did one single thing
to prove the country wrong.


I can hear that tune now, as sung by Kenny Rogers. Just think of how our country would be if the federal government got back to Constitutional principles and only had their fingers in those things that they are supposed to have their fingers in. Geez, how did it get to this point? I'll tell you how. The do-gooders found an outfit that actually had the power to help everyone--at least so they think. Never mind that this isn't the responsibility of our government, but the responsibility of the citizens themselves. These are the same liberals that think society has more of a claim and responsibility for children than parents, and increasingly, the generational effect of this mindset is reaping its destruction amongst America's families. These are the same liberal, teacher's union supporting freaks that have taken away home-schooling rights from parents in California--creating a law in which parents who would teach their children at home must have a teaching degree. Never mind that many of the people who have such degrees couldn't teach a kid how to butter bread.
So with the cowards in charge, anything and everything is happening. And it ain't good.

We the Sheeple

I keep wondering what the attraction is for Barack Obama. He's done nothing to make anyone think he could be a good president. His one message is repeated constantly--albeit, it's a hopeful message, but what substance is there behind it? Have we become a nation that's so easily fooled into doing the foolish? Do we respond so readily to the emotion and enthusiasm of a train that is on tracks to who knows where, simply because he's a fresh face and speaks words of encouragement? Are we so bereft of our own optimism that we need to grab on to whatever form of optimism comes our way? We seem to have become a nation of unthinking, idol-worshipping, Hollywood idolizing, followers instead of people who spend some time thinking. Put away the cell phones, the ipods, the headphones, the American Idol, and actually do some thinking and looking at the issues as they really are. Stop following like sheep or lemmings some leader whom you know nothing about. I guess charisma is what drives people these days---instead of well-though out selections at the voter booth. May God save us all.

Now That's Funny!

I was listening to the Dennis Miller radio show the other day and a caller called in and said that Mike Huckabee reminded him of the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, because he virtually has no arms or legs and he's still trying to win. Funny!

For Some Good Music. . .

Consider listening to Blackmore's Night. It's a band formed by former Deep Purple Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and features his wife (I forget her name), as the lead singer. It's really kind of an acoustic, classical band, very melodic and easy to listen to. Here's a youtube link, but you could also just go to youtube and type in the bands name yourself. Anyway, here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7I49R72EnSQ

Super Tuesday - Fat Tuesday for McCain

So my thoughts on McCain taking a commanding lead in the Republican Primaries of Super Tuesday? Well, I'm a bit ambivalent on McCain. I vote for him, but in Utah, 90 percent voted for Romney, so I basically tossed my vote out into the wind. I think I'd have voted for Romney if he'd had any chance of beating Clinton or Obama. He just couldn't make himself well-known enough, and I think in large measure it was due to the negative campaign commercials he ran, instead of running strong ads that showed his strengths and his passion. He hasn't ever infused the public with any fire--there's nothing that he's laid out a strategy to accomplish. I feel bad for the guy, really. I think he's a good man. What I don't think is good is the number of Mormon bashers that are still out there. What a bunch of bigots.
Anyway, once this primary season settles down and McCain is firmly the Republican candidate, conservatives must unite behind him to stop whichever of the Democrats is nominated. Look at this for example. At American Conservative Union, McCain has a lifetime 82 rating, while Clinton's lifetime rating is 12, and Obama's is 8. That should be enough to scare you.

It Takes a Village

After the polls came out showing Barack Obama leading in the New Hampshire Primary, Hillary did an interview in which she appeared to nearly break down and cry. I'm not sure if she was going for the sympathy vote or not, but Hillary, never fear. If Obama wins, you can still be part of the village.

I used to be a big Mitt Romney supporter--and I still like the man. But one thing about me really bothers him--actually there are more than one, but this one disturbs me tremendously, and that is that he seems to get rattled very easily. I'm not sure I want a man at the head of the greatest nation on earth that gets easily rattled. My bet's on McCain for today's primary.

This political year is interesting. No one seems to be grabbing the primary season by the horns as of yet--though Obama has caused quite a stir. Still, remember Howard Dean in the last elections? He looked good to the dems at the beginning too--then he self-destructed.

When Bill O'Reilly moved a really big dude out of the way of his cameraman the other day, I thought it was actually a good thing. All other major news services were having no problems taking footage of Obama--so why was this Barack supporter trying to keep Fox from filming his guy? That's in violation of Constitutional principles guy.

Whazzup?

Hey, I'm just thinking about the whole Christmas thing. I'm a mail carrier, and often find the Christmas season to be stressful and hard to take. I've often thought about quitting the postal service so that I can begin liking Christmas as I once did long ago. It was like that this year too. But then the last couple of days I've had some things happen to me that have changed my perspective just a bit. Last night I was able to go to Temple Square with my wife and my RM (Returned missionary). We checked out a few of the displays and of course, the lights. What a beautiful night it was. We had taken Traxx, which is our public light rail system, downtown and as we waited to return, the three of us broke out into some Christmas carols. An older couple who were standing next to us commented on how good we sounded. Maybe it was the attitude of the people around us, or perhaps it was the act of spontaneously singing, or even the company I was with, but somehow that feeling of stress that had predominated the last couple of weeks fled, and I was left feeling exhilarated.
And then again, maybe that's what God wants me to feel this time of year and perhaps the whole year. As I further contemplated life, I felt the greatest sense that He is involved in our lives and cares about us as individuals. I know He lives. I know this. I know Jesus Christ atoned for our sins that we could live with Him again. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is true and that Gordon B. Hinckley is our living prophet today.
Those things that I know give me comfort in this world of turmoil and sin.

w00t ain't a word, irregardless of Meriam Webster

The internet word w00t, that's "w" followed by two zeros and a "t" has been named "Word ऑफ़ the Year" by Meriam-Webster. Check this link: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071211-the-wisdom-of-crowds-w00t-voted-word-of-the-year.html However, this "word" isn't really. English words can only be created using the 26 letters of the alphabet. A zero isn't a letter. If I can't spell it using Scrabble tiles or Boggle cubes, it ain't a word.

Racial Hatred in Louisiana

The recent racial tensions that have erupted in Jena, Louisiana show that some of us in America aren’t all that far removed from the tenets of radical Islam. Think of what spawns incidents such as these–it is the way children continue to be raised to hate. In much the same way that Wahabism is preached to the school children of Saudi Arabia, so too racial hatred is still preached in many homes across the south and other areas of our country. Shame on all of you who continue to build hate instead of bridges. Shame on you for your shortsighted doctrine that only leads to bloodshed and violence and never to peace. One day, you will grow up and become a caring human being. Until then, shame on you.

And Now a Proud Grandpa Brags

Here are a couple of pics of my two grandchildren. . .That's Gillian with the Easter basket, and the other cutie is Anna.

A Visit to the Shrine

On July 4th, my wife Ann and I visited one of my family's old hunting grounds. I added a postscript to my dad's old "Roe Clan" tree. Here's the pic:

Here's a Picture of My Son Sam

That's him on the right. The other two people are President and Sister Ringwood of the Korea Seoul West Mission.

Here's a Picture of My Son Ben

This is Ben on his mission in Peru.

Death of a Good Man

My dad died Sunday, June 24th. Here's my journal entry from Monday: My dad died yesterday. For genealogy purposes, it was June 24, 2007. I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. It’s hard to have your father die. I keep thinking about him and all the things he did, and the places we went together and that kind of thing. He died of a heart attack, and I think that’s what it would have had to have been to kill him as he had a big heart. He may not have gone to church, and he may have actually turned against religion, but he was good to his family and he had reasons why he turned away from God. His life was mixed up in some ways, and I think those ways formed him in the way he was—kind at times, rough at other times, smart, yet letting reason and intellect get in the way of intuition and allowance for there being a God. In many ways he was heroic, but in some ways, he was childish. Like all of us, he had his moments of greatness–and his moments of blackness. I loved him, but disagreed with him on any number of important issues.
Dad was the finest hunter and fisherman I knew. He knew more about the woods and the wildlife in them than most people who have ever lived. He knew how to make things with his hands–he was a very creative person, one who figured out how to do things and then did them. I think everyone close to him has something that he gave to them that he created. He was generous, and thought little of his money, thought of it as a means to share good times with his family and others—not as something to horde for a future time. He lived life big and he lived life hard at times, but he was my dad, and by golly, I’m going to miss him.

The NBA Playoffs part two

It looks like I was right about Cleveland finishing off Detroit. Now the question is, will the Spurs win in a sweep, or will Cleveland somehow squeak out a win or two? Only time will tell.

The NBA Playoffs

With the demise of the Utah Jazz, losing 4-1 to the San Antonio Spurs, we need now only wait for the ending to the exciting Eastern Conference series between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. My prediction is that LeBron James and the Cavs go on to beat Detroit, only to lose to San Antonio and the great Tim Duncan in the finals. I'm not sure about the popularity of this match up across the nation, but to those of us who are basketball lovers, it sounds like a great match up. And should the Pistons handle the Cavs, that shapes up to be a good match as well.

Kansas Abortion Doctor and Boulder School Fiasco

If you want to be outraged, check out this transcript of the Bill O'Reilly Show.
Here's the link: Dr. George Tiller Performs Late-Term Abortions for Any Reason
I heard the young girl interviewed who had been forced into getting an abortion by her parents. Talk about a profound influence on a life. Great parents she has. Speaking of great parents, in Boulder, Colorado recently, there was a mandatory school assembly, in which the panelists recommended that the high schoolers have any sex they wanted with anyone they wanted to have sex with. They also recommended experimenting with drugs, including ecstasy and other drugs. Basically, to these panelists, anything goes. If that isn't bad enough, there doesn't seem to be any parents in that town who care enough to demand the resignations or the firing of the school administrators who allowed these people into the school. Hmmm. More great parenting.
I guess my bottom line is that if people don't speak out, then, like the rise of Adolf Hitler, things continue to spiral downward (yes, I consider Hitler's rise to power to be a downward spiral in the larger scheme of things--something that could've been stopped in its early stages but wasn't). I guess too many of us are engaged in the latest reality show to make the effort to speak out against some of these things. Too bad really, because the world we get is the one of our own making.

The Cravens and Cowards in Congress

What we have in Congress these days are a bunch of cowards, too afraid of not getting re-elected to do anything for the real benefit of our country. Let me just give you a few examples of what I’m talking about. Number 1, immigration reform. The Dems are too nice, willing to pretty much let anyone come across our borders for humanitarian reasons. Their well-meaning, yet misguided mantra is saving humanity from the evil of poverty. The obvious flaw to their plan is that not only does it allow good, hard working folk to come into the country, but it also allows those who are bent on evil and law breaking. On the other hand, we have the Republicans who think it’s good for business to hire illegals who become a cheap source of labor. Both parties kowtow to the illegal immigrants in order to gain votes–feeling that once these people are given amnesty, there will be a ready and willing group of voters to keep whomever in power. To give them credit, there are some Republicans who actually believe in the rule of law in America, and are fighting to toughen our immigration enforcement, but there are too few of these voices dangling in the wind. Craven and coward, congress marches on as a bunch of do-nothings, continually showing their contempt for the American people.
The second example is Social Security. In a few years, Social Security is going in the dumper, with far more going out than coming in. Yet when President Bush tried to do something to fix the problem, he found a Congress that was unwilling—again due to re-election concerns—to work with him to try and solve the problem.
The question is, what do we as Americans do about it? My suggestion is to bombard them with letters, e-mails, phone calls or personal visits. Not that they’ll listen. They’ll of course, pretend to. The more I think about it, the more I believe that term limitations would help alleviate that problem. Do I think this bunch of morally bankrupt individuals would do that to themselves? Think about it.

Here's a great website for guitarists:

guitar.zentao.com/forum

You Look Like the Borg

Okay, I know a lot of you have those cell phones that fit right over your ear, and you can talk and all that without using your hands etc... Yeah, I know all that, but you kind of remind me of those borg people on Star Trek Next Gen... Also, many of you are ill-mannered, stopping from talking to a live person in the midst of a conversation to begin speaking to some invisible being on the other end of that borg device.

Conservatives rebelling against the Republicans?

Well, there's a lot of stupidity going on among the conservative part of our population who want to punish the Republican party for it's ineffectiveness in the Mark Foley scandal. Seems many of them are not planning to go to the polls and vote in the November elections because they don't want to vote for anyone who would look the other way from this kind of scandal.

Unfortunately, not voting only assures that people who don't agree with them will be elected to public office. Getting the dems elected doesn't help the Conservative Christian movement with such things as abortion, gay marriage, etc.

Think about it.

The Auto Dealer Scam

I'm sure you're asking "which one?", because there are so many. The one I'm referring to is the ads that say something like, "No negotiation required. Our cars are already marked to their lowest possible price, so you don't have to negotiate." Give me a break! Whose interest does that serve? Sure, there are people for whom negotiation is so painful that it's worth it for them to pay thousands more for a car than what they should. Auto dealers get away with murder on this one. The only way to get a fair deal on a car at most dealerships, is to be able to negotiate. The first and only dealership I've ever been to that had this policy (Willey Honda of Bountiful, Utah) , I walked away from once I offered them something on the car I was interested in and the salesman said, "Oh no, this car is already marked at it's lowest price." Yeah sure. It was $2500 more than the Kelley Blue Book said it should be, but it was the "lowest price". So I left. A day or two later, after I'd made a deal with a private owner on another car, the guy called me back and said that maybe they could negotiate some. Too late!!

Book Learning

I'm the kind of guy who reads numerous books at a time. For example, right now I'm reading The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam by Robert Spencer, America: The Last Best Hope by William J. Bennett, The Fast Food Diet by Stephen Sinatra, M.D and James Punkre, Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity by Barry Robert Bickmore, and last but not least, The Constitution in Exile by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano.

Wow, the blogger interface wouldn't let me shut off the underlining for that last one. Let me just make a few comments on the above books, or some of them at least. Judge Napolitano's book is a great treatise on the historical abandonment of the Constitutional principles espoused by the Founders. I find it appalling that America as a nation has drifted that far from the original intent of those who drafted the Constitution.
On the other hand, his bitterness toward Abraham Lincoln is a bit much. Bennett's book takes a much more even-handed approach to Lincoln. I think it’s more fair. The book is well-written, researched, and highly readable.
Robert Spencer’s book evaluates the disparities between what the “religion of peace” claims, and what their actual texts say. Interesting to say the least.
The Bickmore book examines the claim by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Christ’s original church was removed from the earth through apostasy, shortly after the apostle’s deaths. I’m only partially through this one, as with the others, but already Bickmore’s claims have a lot of credence.
The Fast Food Diet is a book for those who must eat on the road, and how to eat more healthily.

Can't figure out why I can't post now

I just tried to post a bit about the Fidel link being gone, but for some reason it wouldn't post. Hmm. I wonder if this one will.

Oops, the Fidel debate is over...

Looks like funtrivia pulled the debate over Fidel Castro. Got a little too heated I suppose. I must try to bite my tongue a little bit harder and keep things calmer. Well, I'll be posting on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tomorrow, and I believe that it will be a much calmer thread--at least on my end of things! And I ended up quitting my position as a columnist at The Muse Marquee.
That should give me a bit of breathing room for the time being.

Debate over Fidel

I've been debating for the past couple of days with some folks at funtrivia.com , over the atrocities, or lack thereof of Fidel Castro and his regime. The discussion can be viewed here- clicky clicky.
I hope you enjoyed that interchange. Not much happening in my world other than work, but in the world of sports, Barry Bonds is near eclipsing Ruth for second place in career home runs. I hope the steroid taking cheater (uh, alegedly) never makes it past Hank Aaron.

Here's a tip for guitar teachers. I've recently downloaded Nick Minnion's two e-books. How to Make a Living Teaching Guitar, and Fifty Lessons. The first is $19 and the second is $35, so they're kind of pricey, but I think they are well-worth it--especially the fifty lessons book. Here's the link: TeachGuitar.com

Web Filtering Software

One thing I hate is the web filtering software blocking out the word girls from my posts if I forget to turn off the filter. I just had to go back and edit a post because of this. ARRRGGGHHH!! It's caused me a lot of headaches when I've forgotten about it and then shot off an e-mail or two to prospective editors, with my stories cut and pasted in and the words deleted from the manuscript. It makes a guy feel real idiotic.

College Graduation

I'd like to shout out to my daughter, Rebecca, who graduated from the University of Utah today. One thing I wonder is why in the world these graduation ceremonies need to be so long? We had a ceremony this morning that lasted from about 8 am to 11 am, then we had a brief break for lunch and came back for another ceremony (her individual college ceremony) that lasted from 1:45 until about 3:30 or so. Too long! Anyway, here are a couple of pics of my daughter and my granddaughter, Gillian.
And yeah, here's my ugly mug (up at the top) playing the guitar too!

Just thinking out loud

I recently rediscovered a fun place to waste time on the web. It's called funtrivia.com, and it's a site with all kinds of fun quizzes to take. I've written a few under the name of "Jubal". I just wrote a new one and I think it will be up in a few days. I've tentatively titled it "Who Are These People".
I haven't been writing as much as I'd like to lately--just too darn much to do. I can't keep up with all the extra stuff I have--I'm an assistant with a Boy Scout troop, I have yard work, I have a wife and a grandaughter to spend time with. I can't keep up with the critiquing or the reading I have to to, to say nothing of the column I write for The Muse Marquee. I think I'm going to need to drop something pretty soon and simplify my life.

I need a new e-mail account

I'm tired of major web giants like Yahoo and Google, selling out Chinese dissidents. I'm looking to change my e-mail account to something a little more freedom friendly. What a bunch of jokes these companies are, turning in people who are seeking freedom in the world. Hey, Yahoo! Hey Google! I hate you. You are the epitome of greed taking precedence over decency.