Politics to Puke

I'm normally not one to get emotionally involved in politics, but the political events that have transpired in the recent months have moved to me to shear nausea! Okay, so maybe not that extreme, but I have found a lot of things upsetting regarding the new "change" being displayed on the political stage of this Nation. Because of such, I thought I'd share some of my own opinions of the larger issues portrayed by our government and media:

1. Government Bailouts: so in earlier blogs I've expressed my thoughts and views of bailouts. I opposed Bush in lending his $700 billion bailout package last year and I oppose the bailout efforts of the new Obama administration. Although no one really knows if over $1.8 trillion (this number deriving from last year's package and the recent package) will stimulate the economy as many people hope, that's not the arguement in my mind. The issue is that government bailouts in no way punishes bad behavior, nor does it stimulate good behavior. If anything, I would say it will reward mediocrity; it sends the message that's it's okay to be sloppy and to do just on okay job. Motivation for the best results possible is thrown out the window. Why? Because Uncle Sam will pay for our mistakes! Where is the Capitalism, upon which this country and economy were founded?! We have skewed our very own perception of the realities that face us in the near future, because we are forgetting too quickly the economic principles that gave us the comforts we have had up to this point.
2. AIG: This is more of a side note to the government bailouts. My question is: why doesn't the government first ask the companies they're "bailing out" for a specific budget of what these companies need and review it. Then, when the government forks out OUR tax dollars, they closely monitor that the money is being spent in the appropriate places. I'm against this whole practice to begin with and wish the whole thing wasn't happening; but if someone's going to use my tax money in a way I'm against, then at least show me the respect of taking note of how it's being used! Plus, I think it's kinda funny how people in Congress who voted for a bill which actually allowed the bonuses to take place, turned around and then said they were shocked to see the money being used for such uses.¹
   
3. Geithner & the Treasury: You guys said the issue about the AIG bonuses was put in because it might not otherwise be "strong enough to survive legal challenge."² Dude. I may not know a lot of legal goings on with all that's going on with AIG, but seriously. All I see are empty words from you guys, so you can avoid any kind of accountability. That's how it seemed with Chris Dodd regarding adding the bonus amendment.³ What kind of transparent government is that? Frustrating.
4. Another attack on marriage in CA⁴: The people have already spoken. Twice now (to my knowledge) California has voted marriage to be between a man and a woman. Okay, so I actually kind of already saw this happening (who didn't?). I don't think this issue will go away quietly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets more attention than the first time. But here's my fear: when the marriage amendment is repealed (and I think it eventually will be; it's just a matter of time), I really think there won't be a major effort and movement to get it back on the ballot. I think either conservatives won't take an offensive stance, or the proposal will get shut down by the state (because I honestly believe the state supports gay marriage). I don't mean to be negative and I don't, by any means, intend to give the idea that it's a lost cause. I still think the battle should be fought, because it's probably one of the most noble battles to be fought right now. I just feel that more people need to be prepared and willing to take an offensive rather than a defensive stance when the time comes.

So what are your thoughts? Hopefully, I didn't show how ignorant I am of life, and I'm really not that cynical about things. I just get frustrated sometimes that people in our government often forget the simplicity of common sense in many issues. It's just that some of the things I read in the news makes me want to vomit! ;-)



Footnotes:

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/lawrence-odonnell-reduces_n_176886.html
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/geithner-treasury-pushed_n_177016.html
3. http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=dodd%20admits%20bonus&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/20/another-marriage-petition_n_177599.html

Insights from a Sick Man

So, the past few days, I've been sick. I never thought this day would happen. I mean, the last time I was really sick like this was 5 years ago; it happened in Germany, December 03. It only lasted a day, but that was only because I had received a blessing from my missionary companion, Elder Crucy, and our Ward Mission Leader, Bruder Köhler. After the blessing I was still a little under the weather for the remainder of the day, but I had the strength to continue proselyting. By the next day, I was pretty much restored to health. Before, the blessing, however, I felt utterly miserable and was, for the most part, bed-ridden.

These past few days I have felt pretty darn crappy, yesterday being the worst. However, despite how sick I've been, I've gained a few insights that I wish to share:

1. It happens.
2. Playing Warcraft 3 six hours straight is probably not the best thing to do when wanting to avoid massive headaches.
3. Life sucks when you can't be productive.
4. I have a loving family.
5. Speaking of family, I kept thinking how nice it'll be if I'm ever sick and I'm married. I could just cuddle with my wife, and everything would be so much better. Then, when she gets sick (because of me), she could cuddle with me!
   
6. On a deeper note, I've gained a greater understanding that this life is meant to have purpose. Happiness comes from striving for the desires of our heart. The greatest happiness comes from bringing our desires in line with the will of our Heavenly Father and striving to live those desires. That is--I believe--our greatest purpose in life; not just because it encompasses all of the virtues of moral character and the divine qualities that humanity seeks after, but it also entails God's ultimate work: "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

As insightful as this sickness has been, I very much look forward to being healthy again. And if I do get sick again, hopefully it won't be for at least another 5 years!

News At Its Finest

Thank you, Stephen Colbert, once again. Earlier today I was watching a recent episode of The Colbert Report on the beloved hulu.com, where Colbert brings up an article titled "Massive Buffalo wing sauce spill shuts down Fairfield Street" from newstimes.com. I have but two questions:

1. Does the guy who wrote this article get made fun of for writing articles like this? I can just imagine his co-workers making little quips about buffalo wing sauce, or how they prefer A1, or maybe expressing their condolensces that the spill didn't happen in front of Hooters.
2. How do Stephen Colbert and his interns find this stuff???! I mean seriously, articles like this are SO ambiguous, it's amazing that they can find actual up-to-date articles that happen to go along with current topics and inside jokes on the show. It makes one wonder if there's some kind of conspiracy going on.

Anyway, here are a couple of quotes from the article that are my personal favorites:

"The street was closed several hours after the 1:30 p.m. spill as the state Haz-mat team was dispatched to the scene."

"Meanwhile, four patrons of San Tropez restaurant, next to Archie Moore's, couldn't get to their car, which was engulfed by sauce."

Mmm, Biking!

I've been home since 20. December, and it's been pretty relaxing...a little too relaxing, but the one thing I love about the extra time on my hands is the opportunity to bike at Erwin Park in McKinney. Here's a pic of part of the trail:


Now that's beautiful! The trail is about an 8-mile loop that starts off fairly smooth, then gradually becomes pretty technical (sharp bends, biking over logs, going through really narrow passes between trees), then has a fun section of dips, and then a few sections of fields in between the wooded sections. This month I've been able to go at least once a week (and it's really nice being only literally 5 minutes from the park). I've taken my mom out there a few times and also had a date biking the trail. I went once by myself (and will probably do so tomorrow or Saturday) and loved it!

It feels good to be on a mountain bike and feel the cool air gently blow across your face and feel the rush of adrenaline as you pick up speed downhill and the exertion of climbing up hill. I love the feel of the camel pack rest on my back as I lean forward on my bike, focused on the trail ahead; the strain on my hands and arms as I maneuver my bike around the curves and roots of the trees on the path; the sound of the rustling leaves as they dance and sway in the wind; the rays of the sun that cut through the branches of the trees; the silence and peace that only come by leaving the busyness of the city; the simple insights on life that nature shares; the way that nature and the outdoors help me collect and organize my thoughts and shows me the proper perspectives in life...I could keep adding to the list, but I think you catch my drift.

Stressed, Anyone?

So I'm on the 2nd floor of the HBLL, at the northern-most part where the big windows are facing the ASB at 3:29pm. I just now realized that it's a bad idea to be sitting at the northern-most part of the 2nd floor in the HBLL at 3:29pm during this time of year. The sun is at a perfect spot in the sky to reflect off of the metal and glass of the ASB and shine right into my face. I go around to the other side of the table so my back is to the windows only to have the sun just as bright on the screen of my laptop, so all I see is my silhouette and the reflection of the ASB and the sun! I would blame the guy who designed the ASB or HBLL and call him stupid or idiot, but honestly, who's the stupid one: the architect or the guy still sitting in this part of the library?

Well, finals week is almost at a close (as well as my life in Provo), with only 2 exams to go. I am due to start driving home this Friday, but in the meantime I still have MUCH to do. Pack, tune my car, get a radio adapter for my iPhone (so I don't go insane on the ride home), pack, Christmas shop, say last-minute goodbyes, finish my home teaching, pack, send a package to a friend on a mission, pay the last of this month's bills, and pack are on my to-do list. Quite honestly, I don't know how I'm gonna do it all. It can cause one to stress out.

But I won't stress for too long, because I recently purchased The Stress Reduction Kit™! It's guaranteed to reduce your stress. Sometimes it even takes away ALL the stress! The Stress Reduction Kit™ is simple to use and the results are astounding! Order your Stress Reduction Kit™ today by calling toll-free 1-800-Y-STRESS!

A Bailout for Santa?

Why not? It seems to the be the year of bailouts. We've begun the jolly trend of nationalizing everything, why not nationalize Christmas as well? Then next year, we can bail out 4th of July, Easter, and other holidays!

In fact, it might just happen. The Wall Street Journal just did an article today (the 11th...I'm blogging this in the middle of the night, so it was technically yesterday) titled "U.S. Says It Will Bail Out Christmas". It explains how Santa and his gift-making operations are struggling due to recent "Christmas list swaps" that didn't quite go as planned. However, he is struggling to get aid from the government unless he "goes green." In all honesty, I'm not too worried. It looks like GM is getting their bailout. It's only a matter of days before Santa gets his.

Anyway, check out the article.

Marriage Now!!!

Terrorist Dream

I had this crazy dream last night and thought I'd share it:

I was walking out of a grocery store to my car, when I almost got ran over by this guy who was on a cell phone. A bit flustered, I kept walking toward my car when I felt strongly that I needed to go a different direction in the parking lot, so I went left instead of right. As I walked, I heard the sound of a crash not too far in front of me. I quickly passed a set of parked cars and just on the other side the same car that almost hit me had ran into a police car, going really fast. People had already started gathering around the accident. The cop in the police car was unconscious and the guy in the other car had rolled out onto the ground, also unconscious. I went over to the man on the ground and immediately checked him out to see if he was okay (he was). I then asked the people standing around if anyone had called 911. No one had, but a lady began making the phone call. I then proceeded to gently position the man on his side and treated him for shock.

After taking care of the man on the ground I went over to the cop in the police car. He was still unconscious. I began patting him kinda hard on the shoulder, yelling, "Are you okay?!" I did that a few times, when the cop finally came to. Unfortunately I had startled him and he, not knowing what was going on, grabbed the gun from his hip and pointed it at me. I backed up and told him to calm down, that he had been in an accident, and that I was helping him. He slowly began to lower his gun and since he was pretty weak, I quickly took the gun from him and laid it on the ground away from him. As I was caring for the police officer, I heard commotion from the people by the man on the ground. I looked over to see the man conscious and sitting up slightly. He had a grenade in his hand and pulled the ring from it, holding the grenade tightly in his hand. Everyone scattered and I immediately began struggling to pull the cop from his car. Fortunately, the cop was a small guy, so I was able to pull him from the car and was able to quickly get several feet away and hide behind a car for protection. One lady was still by the man with the grenade, and despite the crowd, who had ran away for safety, calling for her to run, she stayed put (for a reason I don't know). Shortly after I got behind the car, the grenade--still in the hands of the man--exploded, with the lady still by the man at the time.

That's all I remember from the dream. I remember feeling pretty horrified after the explosion and for a moment in my dream, I thought it had actually happened, that it was not a dream. It was pretty realistic. CRAZY!

Arrested Development Movie???
That was a freebie.

So I just found out from a friend's Facebook profile (who happens to be an Aussie) that there is a possible Arrested Development movie in the works. How cool is that?! You can check it out from the words of Ron Howard yourself here.

For those of you who are not familiar with or never heard of Arrested Development, it's a tv series that was on the air for only 3 seasons. From what I understand, it wasn't popular at the time (hence the short life-span of the show), but became such only after it went off the air. It's about the Bluth family and it's family members as they try to run the Bluth Company, a real estate business owned by the father, who went to jail for messing with the accounting books...among other things. It's pretty random and has some slap-stick humor, but honestly, that's what makes the show. "Marry me!"

Anyway, if this does become a movie, then I look forward to watching it (provided it isn't rated R, though I can't see that happening). I've provided a link to the pilot episode for your viewing, thanks to hulu.com. Enjoy!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/589/arrested-development-pilot

America, the Spoiled

With the continuance of the downward spiral of the U.S. economy (Congrats Wall Street! The Dow has officially dropped below 8,000!),we have seen several companies prostrate themselves before Capitol Hill in hopes to receive bailouts to survive this unstable economy. One of the latest topics in regards to this subject is that of the auto industry crisis. In a nutshell, the Detroit-based auto makers are losing money fast, and without immediate government aid, GM could face bankruptcy.

Although the auto industry has been pleading to Washington for a $25 billion aid package, warning that "the societal costs would be catastrophic"¹ if no aid is received, there is a current head-butt going on between President Bush and many Democrats in Congress, causing a "deadlock"² to prevent any aid coming to the auto industry any time soon.

Despite the dark and ominous clouds that are rapidly moving in and covering any optimism for the auto makers to receive any kind of aid and, thus, bypassing an otherwise highly-probable bankruptcy, former governor and Bain & Company (and Bain Capital) CEO Mitt Romney suggests that there is still hope for the crippled industry. In yesterday's New York Times he writes an article outlining a strategy that could get the American auto makers back on their feet and become more competitive with foreign auto makers, who are now leaving GM et al in the dust. Basically, he tells the auto industry not to take a bailout, to tough it up, and swallow its pride to ensure future success.

As tough as Romney appears on the auto industry, the solutions he offers are very practical and focuses on the reality that a bailout would only delay the problem instead of proactively solving it and moving on. The following are some "prescriptions" he gives to Detroit's auto makers:

1. There are costs that can be alleviated, such as new labor agreements and cutting back retiree benefits (which, according to Mitt, is a large reason why the costs per domestic auto is much more than those of foreign autos).
2. The current management needs to leave. There needs to be a fresh view on how things are run, and they need to cut back on some (if not many) of the luxurious costs of being an executive.
3. Stop looking for quick profits and focus on investing in the future.
4. Don't get rid of the sales people that can grow sales.

I couldn't agree more with Mitt Romney about not giving the auto industry a bailout. In fact, I'm really not an advocate of giving out bailouts anyway (at least, not freely like Washington has been doing). As is the case in human nature, once one company or industry gets a bailout from a liberal Uncle Sam, it's inevitable that other companies and industries will throw a fit like a spoiled child, crying for their necessity of a bailout as well. What good is that for our economy? More reliance and dependence on big government? Why has the American economy thrived for so many years, and even been able to pick itself up after sudden economic downturns? It's because of America's belief and focus on capitalism, on a free-market society. Now, with our spoiled-more-than-ever behavior, if things don't go our way, we turn to the government for aid. Why must our society shame ourselves and defame Capitalism by demanding governmental aid, instead of overcoming our own challenges? What happened to self-reliance? What happened to independence? Have we forgotten the American Dream? Have we forgotten the foundation upon which today's richly blessed America is built?

It seems that the call of a bailout is too much of a quick fix and is based off of selfishness and greed, two things that will NOT help this economy get out of its slump. In fact, it's because of selfishness and greed as underlying factors that put the U.S. in the mess we are in today with our financial/credit crisis. I say SUCK IT UP America; it's time for us to grow up and rebuild ourselves as a "city upon a hill"³, just as we were foreordained to be!

I'll get off of my soap box now. I have a lot more to say about the topic, but I think you get my drift. What are your thoughts???

Footnotes:

1. The MarketWatch website.
2. Bloomberg website.
3. John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" in 1630. This speech was given aboard the Arbella, traveling to the American continent from Europe.

"Traditional Marriage" Preserved!!!

So after much controversy, stress, sign-stealing, grass roots campaigning, and several millions of dollars donated and spent, the political turmoil regarding California's Proposition 8 is over...with Prop 8 WINNING!!! In fact, CNN's website shows us the results, with 99% of the precincts reported:

So there it is! BOOM BABY!!! I was actually more anxious about finding out the results of Prop 8 than I was about the Presidential Election, but that was mostly due to the fact that I could see Obama winning it a mile away (I mean, other countries were holding Election parties in anticipation of the Election, hoping "Barack Hussein Obama" would win). So, to make it clear, Proposition 8 will be amended into the California State Constitution that marriage will be between only one man and one woman.

And what the heck???

There was one very unfortunate event that transpired on Tuesday, of which I wish to briefly make mention: the slandering commercial against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I am a member. It shows two LDS missionaries barging in a lesbian couple's home, saying, "We are here to take away your rights." They proceed to take their wedding rings, then search the house for their wedding certificate, which they promptly shred. As the two missionaries leave, they jeeringly laugh, "What should we ban next?"

Okay, so it's one thing to put an add on the air to get people to support your campaign over another. It's something completely different--and wrong--to slander an organization and put it under false report, in order to sway more voters to their side. This seems to me to be a last-ditch attempt of a desperate society vainly seeking more support for their dying cause. A Catholic Bishop commented about the commercial by saying that the ad was "a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance."

If you want my opinion (which you obviously do if you're reading this) the commercial is basically that of no class and poor taste. Seriously, the video was super cheesy and really uneducated and had the word "IGNORANT" written all over it. The so-called "Mormon missionaries" displayed in the commercial:

1. wore no black tags on their shirt,
   
2. their hair cuts were anything less than missionary appropriate,
   
3. and they totally walked in a house without having a third priesthood holder with them, when only women were there (which would be breaking the mission rules found in the "White Bible").

So obviously, the two missionaries shown could not have been from the LDS Church...maybe a fundamentalist break-off. I don't know.

It is true, however, that the LDS Church is the religion (if not overall contributor) that put the most money into the Yes on 8 Campaign. That is a fact I'm pretty proud to admit; it shows that the LDS Church is very proactive in preserving the doctrines it stands for! Which it should be, if we profess to hold the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! You can check out the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family here.

Yes on Proposition 8!

Ever hear the adage about calling "evil good and good evil"¹? Well, that's how I feel about the situation that's erupted in California regarding Proposition 8. This is an issue that is very important to me, so it's kind of a no-brainer that I'm blogging about it.

For those who are not familiar with Proposition 8, it's time that you become familiar with it! A vote "yes" on Prop 8 will add the following 14 words to the California state constitution:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

A vote "no" on Prop 8 will give no definition of "marriage", leaving the word open for interpretation.

Of course there are many debates about the constitutionality of this proposition, the biggest being in regards to "equal rights". However, I believe that the core of it all has nothing to do with "equal rights" per se. In fact, "domestic partnerships" have the same rights as "married" couples, as found in the California Family Code (Section 297.5 a). Instead, the debate has to do with the consequences of the Proposition failing. According to whatisprop8.com, there are 6 consequences if Prop 8 is not passed, namely the following:

1. Children in public schools will be required to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as the traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
2. There is a good possibility that churches may be sued over their tax-exempt status.
3. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged.
4. Religions that sponsor school with married student-housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples.
5. Ministers that preach against same-sex marriage may be sued for hate speech and receive government fines.
6. It will cost you money from ensuing lawsuits that would come from Prop 8 being voted against.

Anyway, so why is this such a big deal for us non-Californians? Because even though we are not directly affected by it currently, if Prop 8 is voted against, we will become directly affected by it down the road. Let me give you a couple of insights. For those of you who are LDS, this first paragraph is for you, although other religious communities are being affected similarly. First of all, the Church has become a very active supporter of Prop 8, donating to the cause and encouraging members who can to donate as well. On top of that, the Church is getting hit pretty hard by "no" voters. A friend showed me a blog that shares an experience about protesters in front of the Oakland Temple not too long ago. You can click here to read the story from someone who experienced it herself. Also, another friend of mine living in CA reported the following to me:

"Well, I haven't heard about the protesters in front of the temple, but there has been a TON of vandalism to the church building in SF and to the 'vote YES on 8' signs everywhere. Ours was stolen out of our front yard in the middle of the day. It's too bad people see it more as anti-gay and don't realize that if Prop 8 does NOT pass, everyone will lose the right to know what their children are taught in school regarding homosexuality. Whose responsibility is it to teach your children about homosexuality? Definitely NOT the schools! Homosexual couples don't lose ANY rights if Prop 8 passes...they just can't call it marriage.'"

And the LDS community is not the only religious community being hit by this. In Massachusetts where a similar amendment has already been rejected, the Catholic Church had to shut down its adoption services because it was against sending children into same-sex marriage households. What's the potential future of other religious institutions (including the LDS Church) who hold to their beliefs that marriage is a sacred institution, strictly between a man and a woman?

Another big issue is the possibility that children will be taught that same-sex marriage is okay and normal. Again, in public schools in Massachusetts, children under the age of 8 are being read books that focus on same-sex relationships. In California, a group of 1st graders went on a field trip to their teacher's lesbian wedding (and it happened on my birthday of all days...sad day)! Even though schools are required to keep parents informed of curriculum, some parents are having a hard time getting schools to inform them of when such "education" will be given to their children, making it hard to pull their kids out of the class rooms on those days.

Those are just a couple of points to show how we are also affected by this huge issue. In my opinion, I believe that Prop 8 should be legalized. Many argue "equal right" issues in regards to Prop 8. If one digs enough, one finds that it's the opponents of Prop 8 that are against "equal rights", whether it's intentional or not. Already found in the CA constitution is an amendment giving same-sex couples the same rights as married couples (Family Code, Section 297.5 a).

The way I see it, Prop 8 gives those specific institutions the right to keep their values of keeping marriage between a man and a woman; it also gives same-sex couples the rights to have domestic partnerships and maintain married rights. I think that allows for much better "equal rights", as opposed to rejecting Prop 8 and forcing people and organizations who believe in the "traditional" marriage to silence their voices.

As far as schools go, they should leave the whole aspect of same-sex and traditional marriage out and leave that subject to the parents. If sex education is such an important aspect of public education, keep it within the following bounds: maintaining abstinence until married, STDs, and the anatomy of the body. That should keep things on neutral ground, while allowing "equal rights" to remain much more equal than saying "no" to Prop 8 and forcing unwanted values on many people and families.

So with that said, I'm all about voting "YES" on Prop 8!!!

Why My Life Is So Good!

Yeah, so even though it looks like my college career is being extended by another year (it's a long story), life is still pretty good. Let's look at a few of the reasons why my life is so good right now:

1. I just bought a car! It's a white '94 Honda Accord LX. She's a beaute! My Benz killed over during the summer...I'm glad I'm done driving it; I don't think you're supposed to always have a knot in your stomach every time you drive your car. That's bad.
2. I'm living in a new complex! 3 years in the same complex as a single person is just too long. Change feels good. Plus this ward seems to yield a greater amount of girls older than 20-21. Although I personally believe no ward will ever top or replace the BYU 106th ward, it feels good to be in a different environment.
3. I'm taking my advanced SCUBA class! Plus, I have an awesome diving partner (too bad she has a boyfriend...I really hope she doesn't get around to reading this - that'd be kinda awkward...I guess I know how Jim Halpert felt for awhile, right?).
4. A new season of The Office has begun! I cheered when Jim proposed to Pam in the rain. Out loud.
   
5. My dating life isn't so bleak so far! My first date in almost 6 months happened this past Tuesday. It was a blind date. This weekend I have another blind date. Next weekend I have yet another blind date. If I ever make it down to St George, I'll have another blind date waiting for me. As it got nearer to heading back to Provo, it seemed as though all of my friends suddenly became concerned about the eternal welfare of my soul and wanted to give me a jump start on the wife-search...and I'm okay with that. I say, "Bring it on."
6. My sister flies out for Thanksgiving! She gets in the Thursday before the week of Thanksgiving, will hang out with me in Provo that whole weekend and through Monday, then we are off to Idaho, where my bro and his wife and kids are. We'll be there for the week. This will be the first time the kids do their own Thanksgiving away from home. A new tradition has just begun. I'm stoked!
7. General Conference is this weekend! I'm heading up to SLC for the Saturday sessions and probably priesthood as well. It looks like it'll be just me for the trip, but I'm okay with that...I'll probably enjoy the alone time immensely, and the chances of getting a conference ticket for one are probably greater anyway. Sunday I'll be at a friend's family's house watching conference there (and eating strawberry waffles - yum).
8. A family I baptized in Germany isn't inactive after all! Last I had heard (a while back) this mother and son had gone inactive. I recently found out from my last comp, Elder Jones, that they are active, they just go to the Heidelberg ward instead of the Mannheim ward. That makes me happy. I hope she's working toward going to the temple now.
9. I keep my job! Last winter semester I interviewed LDS Germans in Utah for a research project. I get to do the exact same thing this semester!
10. I'm serving in the community! Every Wednesday morning I volunteer at Provo High for an hour and a half and help students improve their reading. It's pretty rewarding and I enjoy it immensely.
11. I have amazing friends! I've been pretty blessed to be around awesome people. I have great friends, and I've been starting some really good friendships this semester as well (yes, that means you too).
    

Anyway, those are just a few things. Most of them are just on the surface. I think it's just from living life and trying to be the best I can be that the joy comes.

Ex Loser

Earlier this week I went back on a sale of mine to see how the install went. She wasn't home but her boyfriend was in the garage. He owns a clothing business that he has started in the garage of this home. It's called Ex Loser. It's a pretty cool concept and he was pretty passionate telling me about it. It was based off the idea of a loser getting tired of losing and doing something about it. He explained to me how it's applicable in any situation in life, be it sports, family, career, etc.

So I'm not doing a great job conveying his thoughts and ideas as well as he did; but it was enough to cause me to think about my pursuits and goals of late. I thought about this job and how glad I am to come back this summer. Last summer I didn't do as great as I'd hoped. I think the ultimate reason I came back was to prove to myself that I can and will succeed at this job. I thought about my studies at college, and how I'm doing everything it takes to get my accounting degree, even if I have to retake my classes or go another route. I thought about a few other aspects of my life where I've been beaten once or more, and grateful that I have the motivation (pride?) to improve so that I come out on top, even if it takes longer than it normally does.

I was glad I ran into Sevrille that day. He re-ignited in me the motivation I've been looking for. I hit a slump at work these past couple of weeks and that helped pull me out. He reminded of why I was out here.

Today in our training meeting we had a motivational part of the meeting, where we watched the video of the father who did the triathlon with his handicapped son. Afterward, we wrote down what our 5 motivators were for being out here. My top one was to prove to myself that I could succeed; to prove to myself that I can sell, and that I can come out on top. That helped me out throughout the day, because after a few hours of walking around, there was a lot of negative self-talk in my head about the area I was in (everyone was pretty rude). Finally, it came to a point where I told myself to suck it up and get to work. I pushed past the jerks and sold 3 after 7pm! It was a good feeling, and I realize that I would not have gotten those 3 sales had I not changed my mindset.

There's a song I often used to sing to myself on the doors to remind me of why I was working out here in Philly. It's "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. I would just repeat the chorus over and over again. One line kept me motivated: "I've forgotten what I started fighting for!" Perhaps I should start singing that song to myself again.

If there's anything I'm super passionate about, it's that we can accomplish anything we want to. If we are not achieving our goals and/or dreams, it's only because we hide behind empty excuses and lack the character to do so. I have gained a very strong conviction that choice is behind 99.9% of our current situations in life, and 100% of our level of happiness.

Like Sevrille's motto for his business is: "Exlosers are simply Winners who got mad;" the Winners finally got tired of losing and made the decision to change and win.

Redemption Songs

For the past two weeks I think I've heard Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" about 20 times - on the radio, on the streets, in a house, and on a tv commercial. It's almost as if it's a song of hope for people in the ghetto, a hope to get out and live a better life. Or maybe it's their theme song for Barack Obama in bringing his promised "change."

This song has actually been an appropriate song to reflect on since I've recently been knocking in some lower middle-class homes. I look at these people and feel sorry for many of them. The ghetto life is the only life these people know. It seems that a blanket of apathy has covered the minds of many individuals out here. For many, drugs have been a main influence. For others, they simply don't know any other way. The other day we passed by a large area of Section 8 housing - the "Projects." Many people just sat on their porches, in their own poverty. But it wasn't the poverty that struck me. It was the lack of motivation; the lack of growth and progress among these people.

I wondered what would cause such apathy in an individual. Is it past failures that finally broke them down? Is it the feeling that they are so far down in the hole that it seems futile to climb out of the rut? Or is it simply perpetual from previous generations; that they've grown up in such an environment, they don't know any other life; they were born into this, and it's normal to them and they are fine with it, why would they need to go anywhere else and do anything different? Or do they simply have no opportunity?


Fortunately, in several homes I've been in, their children are graduating high school and going off to college for a higher education. I make sure to tell them my high opinion of going to college and getting a degree. Perhaps the parents feel that it's too late for them; however, much hope lies in the future of their children. Opportunity is out there.

In Bob Marley's song, there is a line that goes "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our mind." Too many people do not realize that much (if not all) of their current situations is due to their agency - their ability to choose for themselves. When all is said and done, it all comes down to choice. Too often, we wait around for someone else to come around and make the change for us, when in reality no one else will do that. It's up to us.

Perhaps that is the "mental slavery" Bob Marley speaks of: not realizing that we have a choice; that the power is within us to make the change. And until that occurs, we cannot sing those redemption songs.

More Fun in the Hood

So, because we're still waiting for our licensing to process so we can start knocking in Suburbia, we've continued knocking the the Hood. Life out here is crazy! Today, I was in a house talking to a home owner about home security, when he informs me that three months ago a lady was shot and killed right in front of his home! And do you remember the police man that was shot earlier this month (refer to previous post)? Well, two of the three thugs were caught when that happened, and the third guy was missing for a few days until they found him in a vacant home with his girlfriend. That vacant home was just three blocks from my area. The home owner then told me of another killing that happened last year just two blocks away, which was on the corner of my area. There are a lot of people out here in Phila. who need some serious therapy and anger management.

Today was a fun day for me and my office. This morning we went and took some pretty insane pictures in front of the Rocky statue and the Museum of Art (the location of Rocky's famous scene of running up the steps with his theme song blaring in the soundtrack). Afterward, a few of us went over to Pat's, apparently a super famous place for Philly cheese steak. One of my roommates got kinda sick, thought, after eating one. I just thought it was cool that they used Cheese Wiz on the sandwich!

West Philadelphia

So I've been in Philadelphia for about a week now and I've gotta' say that I'm loving it so far! I haven't really had time yet to check out any sites, but work has been pretty interesting. Our entire first week of work has consisted solely of knocking in West Philadelphia. I don't think it was this bad in Chicago, when we knocked down town. Here the people seem more rude, and there's definitely more work cut out for the police here than in Chicago. For example, I heard today that two Sundays ago there were 13 killings in Philly. Last Saturday in a home I watched a live news report that a police officer had been shot and killed just twenty minutes prior; his funeral will actually be today (Tuesday). Also on Saturday, there was another shooting on the exact same block that one of my friends made a sale on. My friend had to go back to correct some paper work and saw the police tape blocking that portion of the street. He went inside the home of the lady he sold and the techs were still installing the system. They said they were inside the home when they heard the shots outside. Today, there were two helicopters about a mile or two from my area, looking for a missing person and the kidnapper. It's only been a week, but I still have more stories that I haven't even shared.

Other than that though, I'm enjoying Philly. Although I'm right in the middle of the hood when I knock, I haven't had any problems. I did see drug dealers hanging around on a street corner, transacting business - that was kind of funny - but people have been pretty cordial with me. I've noticed that they give me the same kind of respect I give them.


This is a pic of a street I knocked on this past Saturday, compliments of Google map. These are some of the houses I knocked on. About 99.9% of the houses look like what you see in this picture.



So there's a little bit of my experience in Philly so far. Here are a few things, though, that I would like to check out this summer:

• Pat's Restaurant. Apparently, Pat is known as the Philly Steak King. His restaurant is downtown.
• New York City / Manhattan. The train ride is only 1.5 hours from Phila.
• DC. The train ride is about 2 hours from Phila.
• Liberty Bell
• Valley Forge
• 4th of July at the Museum of Art in Phila. I hear that's the place to go.

If you know of any other places I should check out while I'm out here, please let me know.

Inevitable Change

Well, today was my last Sunday in the infamous BYU 106th ward. Ever since my first semester in college three years ago I have called this ward and AA apartments my home. I have so many memories (both good and bad, but mostly good) from living both in this complex and in the ward. People have come and gone (there's high turnover out here) and I have made many friends that have greatly influenced me in one way or another. But alas, my time here has been well spent and I feel that it's time for me to move on and to change my environments. Therefore, my last official night in AA 9 (aka "Funkytowne") will be this Thursday. Then I'm off to Idaho to visit my bro and his family, then off to Philadelphia. When I get back to the Provo scene, I'll be in a different complex and ward.

I've been thinking a lot about change lately. In most aspects, change is very good for us. For one, change helps us progress. It stirs up the ant pile, so to speak, and causes us to get out of comfort zone. We're forced to start over again and work hard at things that have become routine. Because of change, we can discover areas of ourselves that we didn't notice before, both strengths and weaknesses. Change can help us strengthen those weakness and mold those parts of our lives that need molding. Change helps us look at things in different perspectives, so our view isn't one-sided.

I remember when I was 16, someone once told me that change will help me see the potentials that I have. Since then I have noticed the truthfulness of that statement in several occasions. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I am excited to head out to Philadelphia this summer. I'm excited to see other potentials of my life I haven't yet discovered or realized.

Seminary

I'm in a Seminary Teaching class here at BYU and part of the class involves teaching a seminary class for two weeks. I just started my teaching this past Tuesday in Spanish Fork (about 15 minutes south of Provo), and I am LOVING it!

I teach a freshman class every day. There are about 18 of them. They are pretty energetic but do a great job in the learning process. I love teaching and I love the youth, so this has been a very rewarding experience for me. It's pretty humbling at the same time, though. I've been treating this experience a lot like the mission. These kids are in the forefront of my prayers and thoughts throughout the day. It's a wonderful feeling to have this type of care and concern toward people.

I really think teaching the youth in this generation is a very sacred calling. These kids are going through and will be going through more trying times and temptations than we did, and their children will definitely be going through must worse situations. That is why it is so vital that they become solid in the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ at such a young age, that they set for themselves high standards and maintain them, and that they develop strong, righteous habits. It will take a very firm foundation of solid parents to be those examples and anchors those children will need upon which to build their lives. Those future parents are the youth of today. And in order for them to be able to lay that foundation for their children, they need to know how to do that through the examples of their parents, their leaders, and their teachers. So you see, it's a pretty humbling knowledge of what is hanging on your testimony, example, and influence on others.

There's my two cents on seminary and the importance of teaching. There's more on the subject of teaching - it's a very passionate subject to me - but I think I'll save that for another time, perhaps if you ask me about it. In the mean time, I just wanted to share my excitement about seminary teaching. It rocks!

Summer Plans 2008


So I have this dilemma. I'm trying to figure out what to do this summer. Right now, I'm set up to head out to Philadelphia to sell security systems; however, the more I think about it, the more I want to stay here in Provo. So I've been trying to separate what I want to do from what I need to do; that's been hard for me.

So last night before I headed off to bed (it was pretty late) I saw my Book of Mormon and realized I hadn't read my scriptures at all that day. So I picked it up to read a few verses before going to sleep. I flipped it open to a random spot and started reading in Alma 36. It was the part where Alma shared his conversion story with his son, Helaman. I had two verses marked from long ago, which caught my eye. They were verses 24 and 25. They read, "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors."

When I read those verses, the thought came to me to consider which summer option would offer greater opportunities to serve others and bring people closer to Christ; up to that point I had neglected to include those things in my decision-making process. I compared and contrasted the past two summers. While selling in Chicago I had some fun missionary opportunities, where I was able to share the restored gospel in a few homes. I really enjoyed and still cherish those moments. Yet, those were but a few moments over the course of the entire summer. My calling was in the music council, in which I participated Sundays only. I didn't get my home teaching assignments until mid-way through the summer. So Church service was minimal. On top of that, there really wasn't any time to serve in the community either.

Looking at the summer before, I served almost on a daily basis with my Church calling. If I stayed here, I know I would be much more involved with the community, as well as a couple of groups on campus. I have also gotten some ideas of other things I could do while here in Provo that could potentially benefit others, and I would have time to do those things.

Of course, I can't just do things for free. I still need finances to live and save up for school. I think that's where selling would have an advantage. This summer I have the potential of making $20,000+! I could technically become a manager the following summer, making $100,000+! Here, the only thing I can think of that could give me $15,000+ (if I really kick it in gear and hire people to help me out) would be mowing lawns on top of working at another job.

So, if I were able to have around $15,000 sitting in my account at the end of the summer, I would probably be quite content with my finances, to be quite honest. That being the case, staying here during the summer is actually my number one choice. I think the only things keeping me from making a decision now are three-fold: 1) loyalty to my friend from last summer, 2) if I stay in Provo, will I suck it up and mow those lawns, and 3) I haven't yet received any confirmations or assurances from Heavenly Father (that I've been looking for, anyway) of which choice I should make.

So, wish me luck!