Interesting Things

This morning I feel somewhat sobered.  My wife came to me and said, “I feel like I’m mourning.”  I asked her why and she explained that this economic crisis and the condition of our nation make her feel like someone great has died.  She is very concerned about what will happen next and as to what our children will be facing.

I, too, feel this burden.  It seems that we have made the full transition from the world superpower to the world’s super-farce.  I indeed hope that this is temporary, but the only way that it can be temporary is if we make some changes. Read the rest of this entry »

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Perhaps we should take another route.

I believe that this money, perhaps a little more, should be divided up between all indebted (perhaps more) households in the United States and thus given back to the people so as to allow the amelioration of financial bondage to occur.  If the government empowers families to pay off their homes, their loans, their credit cards, and other debt, which will SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVE BACK to the financial institutions we will see a much happier and freer society with the side effect of assisting the financial institutions somewhat.

It may also be simultaneously considered that this be used to free folks from current IRS debt as well. The effect will be a stimulation of people’s personal finances, an assistance of small business owners that will in turn drive our economy much further ahead and raise general happiness and satisfaction amongst the ranks.

Wow, now that is a solution that will have immediate tangible benefits.

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Throughout the course of starting our new company I’ve learned quite a bit about “tech” culture over the last few years.  As I continue to listen and to associate with folks from tech centers of our own nation and around the world I do not cease to be amazed at the way in which people communicate.

Rudeness is the singular hallmark and keystone of the majority of communication. It seems that no one can, with respect, kindness and soberness, share their feelings or thoughts anymore. Much of thought seems void of depth and meaning and often when it is meaningful, it is salted with vulgarity or rudeness that obliterate it’s real depth and appeal to the audience.

As leaders and members of the human family, we used to speak with more thought and paced ourselves versus throwing out vulgar rants and crudeness. Can we please try to get back to these roots and raise the bar a bit for society as a whole? I believe that if we can do this that we will all be able to work better together, appreciate deeper thinking and have a more productive society.

There’s a quote that I will paraphrase that has always lingered in my heart and that is that course language is the attempts of a feeble mind to express itself forcibly. How true this is and what a poor shortcut it has become in our society. We need to bring civility and charity back to our world or we have no hope of really progressing together. If we cannot progress together in unity, then, as a nation, we will certainly fully fail.

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This article is excellent news for those of us who live in this climate region. I was very excited to see this and have already started spreading the word to those who may be able to take advantage of such things in order to make our lives a bit more efficient in such uncertain times.

I’m grateful to see people sharing this information and as you browse this and other sites you can find a lot more information on energy efficient home building. One that really caught my eye a couple years ago was straw bale building. Some of these techniques can bring you close to underground home building efficiency.

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Thanks @jimkukral for pointing this video out.  I found this to be very touching as well.

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A couple of days ago, I had a very… odd… experience.  It was about 8:30 at night and a child, probably about 10 years old, called our home telephone.  The child asked if we supported Obama and then fumbled and bumbled around as there was a pause and then continued asking if I supported McCain and how I felt about these candidates.  

It was an awkward call and I felt very moved by this child’s telephone call.  Albeit, moved in an awkward way. 

Granted, this call is great experience for such a young person.  It teaches them grit and the ability to talk to people which is a sorely needed skill today.  Notwithstanding, I feel that it is wrong to place them in such a position at such a young age where they may receive some very scathing and abrasive remarks.  I feel that their hearts are too tender for such activities.  

I politely explained to the child that I did not support either candidate, Obama nor McCain.  I feel that they are both inappropriate choices and that the only candidate that I did support was Romney as he has integrity and we could trust him unlike other candidates.  We certainly need a political savior and leader at the moment.

So, what do you think?  Seems like a loaded gun to me.

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We live in a sad and fallen world. There are so many topics of conversation covered in this clip. Some is rather graphic certainly could be considered inappropriate, however we are inundated by this smut (and so much more) as well as the deluge of corruption on a daily basis. I am, however, glad to see others recognizing the destructiveness of our society:

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It appears that we need to be more cautious and prudent in our consumption of antioxidant supplements. It would seem that perhaps consuming these antioxidants as a long-term health plan or consuming healthy foods rich in antioxidants throughout the course of your life is the best plan of action.

Here is the article in which this information was recently revealed.

It also certainly strengthens the Lord’s recommended law of health as set forth in the Word of Wisdom. I am ever increasingly more grateful for the revealed truth that our Father in Heaven offers to us as we seek to receive it. He gives us knowledge based upon readiness, willingness to work for it and sometimes simply when we ask the right questions (which is often a manifestation of readiness).

Key takeaways from the article:

It is plausible that cancer cells are at increased risk of damage from oxidative stress compared to your normal, healthy cells. In other words, taking antioxidants might ironically be protecting your cancer cells, allowing them to survive more than anything else.

It is likely that because cancer develops from long term damage to your cells, as in the case of skin and lung cancer, that trying to limit damage for a relatively short period of time by taking antioxidants like vitamin E or vitamin A probably has little or no effect. It is analogous to a car that is already rusted when you apply a protective sealant to it. The damage has already been done. Just as the sealant is protecting the already rusted car, the antioxidant is protecting the already cancerous cells.

Here are some recommendations that have stood the test of time and clinical study in preventing cancer:
• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables every day (in contrast to supplements).
• Limit your intake of simple sugary carbohydrates such as white bread, chips, etc.
• Exercise every day and keep your weight down.
• Protect yourself from the sun with broad spectrum sunscreens and protective clothing.
• If you decide to take a daily supplement, the only vitamin that I recommend taking everyday is vitamin D. There is good evidence that vitamin D supplements can be protective against certain cancers. Taking 1,000 mg of vitamin D3 a day is the best way (much better than sun exposure) for elevating your vitamin D levels. More on this in a later post.

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How we love and miss our dear prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. Funeral services were so very beautiful today and we are so thankful for his lifelong example of love and service. He is a man who may be followed by all people of any religious orientation as a true disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and as a peaceable example of kind and serviceable living. May his life be studied and may we all be edified by his example and teachings.

When he passed this previous Sunday, one week ago, it was indeed a tragedy to have lost such an important part of our lives. My wife shed torrents of tears as this dear prophet moved beyond the veil of this mortality as he is the prophet of her baptism. He was the prophet and president of the Church when she and my daughter were baptized back in 1997.

It is a sad occasion, however there is great reason to rejoice for him as well. Now he is with his beloved wife Marjorie Hinckley and with all of the other family members as well as the great and noble spirits who have gone on before. I am certain that he is engaged in the great missionary efforts that are being pursued under the direction of our Savior Jesus Christ in the spirit world at this moment.

May we, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ, remember him and recall a basic admonition from him:

“The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Glenn Beck’s tribute to dear deceased prophet:

Some tributes that folks have put together:

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Please click here for a non-YouTube.com presentation which is a photo and spoken word tribute to the prophet.

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Too often educational institutions, people and parents generally (particularly in our nation) seem to really avoid teaching the process of thinking and learning in a critical and truly informative way.

I really like Richard Miller’s thoughts on his blog which can be found in “TEACHING THE UNTEACHABLE SKILLS.”

I’m so thankful for Joseph Smith, Jr., who, in the early and mid 1800’s asked some very difficult questions with an open mind and an open heart. He set some powerful precendents for my thoughts and the processes which govern my thought and questioning process today. It is incredibly critical to be able to approach questions, problems and world issues with an open mind which is ready to receive greater knowledge than that which currently exists in our world.

I am of the mind that not a fraction of the knowledge that has yet to be obtained has indeed been obtained. Sure, we are many orders of magnitude better off than we were 200+ years ago, however there is so much to learn.

I have too many times in previous years discussed spiritual matters and man’s ability to receive divine knowledge. Too many folks are under the impression that God, our loving heavenly father, does not wish to give us, His children, all things. When I say this, often they agree that He indeed does wish to give us all things in time, including eternal life, but when it comes to this mortality people are so often satisified with the answer that “we cannot know that while in mortality.” Whenever I hear this I shutter within myself. Sometimes I’ll respond, but most of the time it is inappropriate.

Here is my belief:

I believe that Heavenly Father is no respecter of persons and that he equally loves His children. When we have deep yearning desires for knowledge which are based in need or ability to use He most certainly will answer us. Perhaps not on our timetable, but He will answer us when we are ready. Sometimes that is through our own experiences through the bumbling linear format of time in which we bump through this earthly sphere.

I also, however, believe that He will imbue knowledge into us that is also simply a deep desire that we may have to receive. In other words, I feel that He can also give us knowledge and understanding of all things and even open up the visions of eternity to us as we are prepared and willing to receive it. And we are prepared to remain silent as appropriate.

So many inventions and joys of our “modern” world are manifestly and directly given from beyond the veil which separates us from that which is beyond our mortal glove or body which is designed to allow us to pass through mortal experience. There is so much more yet to receive.

Rather than considering religion some entirely different entity from science, I prefer to consider religion (when understood and followed properly) is a more pure form of science. As we experiment within the bounds that the Lord sets we obtain more through various means of understanding and levels of comprehension. I also like to consider Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to be ultimate scientists. They themselves exhort us to be like them and even unified with them. Not different. Not some guinea pigs in their experiments, but equals in their work and glory.

What a blessing it is to have this deep understanding and conviction. It makes my heart swell with greater love and peace when I consider these things and I hope to help others to ask more questions and seek more knowledge; particularly those in my immediate stewardship, which is to say, my family.

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