Liberal Mormon

Commercialism at it's best or worst?

2010-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

When I was in Sao Paulo Brazil with my family we toured Avenida Paulista a very chic area of Sao Paulo. We came across this 100+ year old being that had been converted into, of all things, a McDonald's. From what the locals told me, because the building was historic, it could not be torn down. So McDonald's could put up their building. Instead, they restored it, and put a restaurant inside it. Now, in your opinion, is this a good thing or bad?

I can see it both ways:

Best: They helped keep a historic building intact, and make money off of it. It's also much better looking than the ugly plain buildings they build around here.

Worst: I can also see at as being big shame to disgrace such a building by turning it into a smelly hamburger joint by a company hell bent on world domination.

Your thoughts?

Facebook: The New Conversation Piece

2010-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

A Conversation Piece according to Wikipedia was an elaborate painting done by the rich in the 17 to 19th centuries to hang in their mansions and used to start conversations. Growing up, I remember a conversation piece as something, usually an object, rare or different, placed strategically in a room to "start conversation".

Since we can't always afford to have people over to entertain, Facebook has become the cheap entertainment. Coming up with quirky, funny, outrageous, or even rude status updates has become the 21st century way of stimulating conversation. The simplest way lately has been to begin a topic usually politics related. Some of the longest and most heated threads I've been involved in lately have been on Facebook, and about the Health Care reform. Unfortunately, I've even had to "un-friend" a few people whom I didn't realize were so dramatically right winged and whom I've known most of my life.

So my challenge to you, if you have Facebook, start a conversation, put some time and thought into it and see what happens. You'll be surprised what people whom you thought you knew, will say.

Stuck Between A Rock & A Hard Place...

2010-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, I love my daughter I really do. But for some reason her sleeping habits are a bit crazy probably due to my odd work schedule. I should preface this by saying she's only 2.5 years old. Now, her regular schedule has been to wake up around 9am. Eat, Play, Read, and take a nap about 2pm. Her nap is usually a pretty solid 90 to 120 minutes long. I LOVE THIS. Why? Because I'm a selfish guy, I want personal time. I love my wife, I love my daughter, but I gotta have me time. Watch some tv, play some Xbox360, screw around on Facebook, WHATEVER, but I love having the 2 hours of free time. HOWEVER, having this 2 hour nap for my little girl completely recharges her battery. Now, she's not tired again, even if she spends the next 4 to 6 hours running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, until about 10pm and sometimes 11pm. Which I don't complain about because my dear wife is the one with her. I also like to come home and at least get a hug and kiss from the little girl before she goes down for the night BUT, it takes at least 30 minutes sometimes an hour, for her to fall asleep for the night. BUT, when she does finally pass out, she is out like a light and usually won't wake up till 8:30 or 9:00 A.M. the next day. The problem you say? This whole exercise of spending so much time trying to convince our little girl to sleep is very tiresome to for my wife especially if it drags on for close to an hour. My wife and I also don't get much time together before she has to go to bed because she works mornings. I'm usually still cracked out from work and don't get into bed till close to 2am on a good night.

The Alternative: No Nap for baby. I'm willing to sacrifice my 2 hours of free time if it will make my wife's life easier but there is a trade we're seeing. If our little girl gets no nap, she starts getting very cranky about 5pm. We've even seen her pass out on the Sofa at 6:30pm and has been impossible to wake up for 3 hours resulting in her being completely awake and not wanting to go back to bed till nearly midnight. We've also seen her last till 9pm with no nap, BUT about 2 to 3am when I'm getting ready to crawl into bed, she starts rolling around, is restless, or actually wakes up calling for "MOMMY". And because I'm the one still "awake" It's me who has to try and put her down or if I ignore the dirty look from the wife and make her get up, my wife spends the next 60 to 90 minutes trying to get the child back down again. This however results in an irritable wife.

I guess the whole point to this rant is, what is your advice? Buy a new bed? Skip the nap? Try and get her use to no nap and sleeping through the night? Deal with the nap and odd work schedule till life improves?

Can't wait to hear your responses, even if anonymous,

Matthew

Porn Cheaper than Dating!

2010-03-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

So a co-worker of mine has temporarily given up on dating citing frustrations with crazy women and just sick of the clubbing scene. We joked the other night that porn was cheaper than dating and safer for your physical health as well. While I was googling funny cartoon images I found this one. Apparently some artist has had the same idea.

Hope this makes you smile.

The Devil Working Overtime

2010-02-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well.. the Devil is sure working overtime to piss me off this week. Saturday afternoon my wife and sat down to watch a movie that NetFlix.com had recommended, Sunshine Cleaning. The movie is about two sisters who start a crime scene cleaning business to make money. At one of the client's houses the younger sister finds a fanny pack filled with photos of a young girl. She takes it upon herself to find the girl, now a woman, and give her the photos from her deceased mother. Along the way she befriends the lady. During one of their conversations the lady confesses she is "weird" because she doesn't drink alcohol or smoke as it causes her spirit to weaken, or something along those lines. The sister then replies "you might as well be Mormon" laughing. The both laugh and scene ends. I took this as rather odd that in an Indy film they'd take a shot at Mormons but I kinda smiled and forgot about it. Well, until Sunday.

Sunday night I sat down and finally watched Bill Maher's new special on HBO called "But I'm not wrong.." And it was actually pretty decent. I agree with a lot of what Maher has to say about current events and politics, but as one might guess, I disagree heavily with him on religion. In his comedy skit he's going on about religion and the problems it causes with fanatics and yada yada, he says something along the lines about examining America's religions to see just how nutty and weird religion is or something to like and of course he brings up Mormons and Scientology. Fortunately, he goes for blood on Scientology instead of Mormons. But yet, another weird pop at Mormons and their "weird religion". 2 days in a row now. Strange.

Having recently signed up for Netflix, I have been watching a lot of tv shows I'd never heard of including a rather funny cult comedy on Shotime called Dead Like Me. The show is about a young girl killed at the age of 18 by a space station toilet seat that fell from space. Instead of passing on to the afterlife she gets recruited to become a "Grim" or a soul middle man. She essentially shows up at the exact place and time someone is going to die and helps the newly dead soul pass into the afterlife. She is Undead, not alive but not dead. Anyway in one episode, one of her "co-workers" pisses off their boss by yanking out the soul of someone who pissed her off but wasn't scheduled to die. The Boss then goes on to explain that by giving this person an out of body and surreal experience, it is going to create a nut of him and probably a new religion just like "Joesph Smith and his gold plates " her boss explains. Weird, someone has a forced out of body experience and all of the sudden they're Joesph Smith. Riiiggghhhhtt. Now, it's totally weird. 3 days in a row, 3 different sources.

Finally, Tuesday I sit down to continue reading Dan Brown's new book "The Lost Symbol". To my surprise on page 79 Mr Brown decides to take his own pop at Mormonism: "As are many equally improbable beliefs". Langdon often reminded his students that most modern religions included stories that did not hold up to scientific scrutiny: everything from Moses parting the Red Sea to Joseph Smith using magic eyeglasses to translate the Book of Mormon from a series of gold plates he found buried in upstate New York. Wide acceptance of an idea is not proof of its validity." Now while I agree with Brown's characters point, that wide acceptance of an idea is not proof of its validity, why the hell rag on Mormons? Aren't there dozens of, if not hundreds of other sects, religions he could have chosen? The Roman Catholic Church has some widely crazy ideas about things that have no physical validity, or documentation in the Bible but the ideas are accepted by the masses.

Yes I feel picked on, maybe Mormons have a persecution complex and I'm being a bit over sensitive. True I shouldn't care about other peoples opinion about my religion but when I have a week like this, someone has to be working over time to irritate me.

You Reap What You Sow

2010-02-12T10:17:00.001-08:00

A Muslim woman wearing a niqab. An Arab ambassador called off his wedding after discovering his wife-to-be, who had worn a face-covering veil whenever they met, was bearded and cross-eyed, the Gulf News reported (AFP/File/Philippe Desmazes)

That'll teach you! Stop oppressing woman, treat them like your equal and then maybe you won't end up with a cross-eyed bearded ugly woman for your wife.

Ahhhh... HELL NO!

2010-02-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

A small business group in Minneapolis, MINN anonymously decided to post this billboard.
My question is "Are you ******* SERIOUS??" Why in the world would you miss one of the worst world leaders in recent history? This man is responsible for allowing the most powerful country in the world to be led into near Great Depression status. He's responsible for starting 2 wars, 1 COMPLETELY unjustified, all to the benefit of a handful of wealth friends of his.

However, I guess there are people who miss Stalin and Hitler.

New Topic

2010-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

What would you like to talk about?

Excuse Me Are You Retarded?

2009-11-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

So I was at a restaurant and I overheard someone ask their waiter to have the kitchen "Make it like the picture, if it doesn't come like the picture I'm going to send it back. My head almost hit the table. Are you even joking? What a redneck piece of shit thing to say. I almost asked the lady "Excuse me are you retarded?" but I bit my tongue instead. When you eat at a chain restaurant, well, any restaurant but especially these billion dollar companies, NONE of the food that comes out of the kitchen looks like the picture. DO YOU KNOW WHY?? Because the pictures of food you see have almost as much makeup on them as the actors in the commercials. Cooks and makeup artists spend HOURS of planning to make THE PERFECT plate for a commercial or advertisement. That's the point, they lure you in with the most amazing looking food and then you get something that looks close.

Subway is very guilty of this. McDonald's as well, their food looks AMAZING on the commercials and what you get at the local stores is a pile of crap.

So I ask you, the reader, do you enjoy spit in your food? Cause requesting the kitchen to "make it like the picture" is a good wait to get the extra added ingredients.

Rant over.

WIC Goes International Good or Bad?

2009-10-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

For the first time in many years, WIC or Women, Infants, & Children is changing what is offered to needy families. Long has been the joke of "Government cheese" when talking about food help programs run by the government. Well, a few weeks ago they added Tofu, Tortillas
, vegetables, and other items to menu for the first time. Some people see this as a bad thing because it will encourage illegals, or immigrants to sign up for the program and become burdens to the system. While every system has it's flaws, WIC makes you jump through a lot of hoops to get approved for it. You and or your child must be on Medicaid to receive it. To be on Medicaid you have to prove you're poor enough to qualify which takes some time to do. To qualify for Medicaid you have to be a citizen or have been a permanent resident long enough to qualify which I think is about 5 years.

While I agree this new menu change might be an attempt to appease a more ethnic group of recipients, it does 1 major thing and allow the recipient to choose from a wider range of options than just the standard milk, cheese, and eggs. There is now a cash voucher for fruits and vegetables that allows the recipient to buy any fresh fruit or vegetable they want for the month up to $6 in value. Which isn't much frankly but at least they're heading in a more health conscious direction. The Tofu also isn't available to everyone, you must get a doctor's approval to have it added to your coupons. The stuff is disgusting why would you want to eat it anyway??

Luigi's Revenge - A great short film

2009-08-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not know I work for a large Italian restaurant chain. One of the waiters whom I'm friends with as it turns out, is very into film, screenwriting, voice overs, and animation. Aaron, his brother, and their friends wrote, directed, animated probably one of the greatest short animation clips I've seen in a very long time. My friend Aaron does the voice over for Bill Gates.

If you were ever a fan of the original Old School Nintendo, you need to watch this:

Please comment below, love to send him your thoughts and feedback

Writer's block is a b****

2009-08-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize to anyone and everyone who happens to stumble upon this blog. I realize it hasn't been updated in more than a month and for that I'm sorry. I realize there are a few people in this world of billions who actually read what I write, and I'm sorry I've been absent. I've been REALLY bored lately, without very little motivation to do much except watch TV. The thought crossed my mind to do another "What I'm Watching" blog post like I did in the early days, however to do that I'd have to make it bigger n better which would take a lot of time. Anyway, just wanted to give a small shout out to anyone reading this, that I'm still here and alive, I'm just bored at the moment. The more I watch The Daily Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Conan O'Brian the more motivated I am to trash Glenn Beck and Fox News. So maybe that will come next.

Hopefully the drought will end soon, until then please post comment suggests on what to write about, even if you do it anonymously, anything is helpful.

The Ugly Truth: Vibrating Panties not good in public...

2009-07-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

Katherine Heigl our resident Jack-Mormon stars in "The Ugly Truth". She demonstrates in this clip why vibrating panties aren't a good idea to wear out in public:

Going to have to find a pair for my wife :)

#iranelection

2009-06-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, the past few nights I have stayed up into the early hours of the morning reading the Internet protest and update from what's going on in Iran. Their election was stolen from them and they have decided to take it back. I've been surprised at how attached I have become to a few people on the other side of the world relaying 140 character messages at a time. Real time updates from a real life lie effecting millions of people.

There have been students killed, students my age, taking similar classes, thinking similar thoughts, reading similar things, with the same wants and likes as myself. Though twitter is simply a collection of short statements, these people have made it so personal. Whether or not someone can place themselves entirely in another person's shoes is debatable but I have felt their fear, their hope and their outrage to a larger degree than I could have thru other media sources.

There have been many links shared by the Iranian twitters as well. Photos, videos and blogs have been accessible to the world that otherwise would have been very hard to find. This Boston Globe story has some very powerful pictures of the movement thus far:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

The giant conversation that is twitter has opened allowed world into the lives of the Iranian people. It is different than reading an article or a book or watching the evening news because it is happening now. Tweets are posted instantly, so we are connected to the "right-now" on the other side of the world. Twitter has made Iran feel like my next door neighbor. It has made me involved, at the least on an emotional level.

Just search #iranelection on twitter and see what is being said.

I send my best wishes and prayers to those fighting to be heard. You have friends around the globe now and we are watching.

with love,
Jake

Simply Caucasian

2009-05-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm apparently Caucasian because that's the name for white people. Even though the country of Caucasia doesn't exist. I'd love to visit the motherland someday if it does.

And yes I will admit people of African descent dominate the NBA and NFL, Hispanics are now taking over baseball, so what do white people have left? NHL and.... Tennis I guess.

Oh well, regardless of race I love to watch the NBA & NFL.

A Bright Spot in America's Education System

2009-05-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, my cute little daughter is nearly 2. She is beginning to talk and say little phrases in both English and Portuguese. For those that don't know me personally I'm married to a Brazilian and our little daughter is being taught both English and Portuguese though she tends to speak more Portuguese than English at the moment.

Anyway she's nearly 2 and I've had thoughts about her future education. Where are we going to enroll her in school? Well I certainly don't want her in the public school system because from I've seen from the locals here it's pretty weak. My own education was very weak as well and I want a better life for my child. Private schooling may be out of the question unless somehow I find a better job to pay for, so what are my alternatives? Fortunately, here in the Charlotte Metro area we have 2 choices if we can get her accepted into the programs. 1) The Smith Academy of International Languages and 2) the I.B. Program or International Baccalaureate program. What has attracted me to these two programs are their advanced and alternative teaching programs to the typical American Public school system style of teaching.

The Smith Academy interests me the most because it's a language emersion program where kids from K to 12 start learning a foreign language like German, Chinese, Japanese & French from when they're 4 or 5 years old up to 12 or 13. Our little girl will almost definitely be bilingual and I would be astatic if I could get her enrolled in this program because it's part of the local school district but better, and at no cost to us. There is only limited space available in each program.

Do you have bilingual children? Have you ever thought about enrolling your child in an alternative school? Comment below and tell me your thoughts and experiences:

Whore of the year award goes to....

2009-05-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

1 Child is the son of her "fiance" and the other child is the son of "some guy I met...."

Are you kidding me? This lady has become famous because she cheated on her boyfriend and got knocked up by 2 different men at the same time. It sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer to me instead of newsworthy information.

Ladies don't get me wrong if some dude knocked up 2 different women at the same time he'd be just as much of a man whore.

I respect the guy for being man enough to take on both children as his own and raise them, not many guys would do that.

Elizabeth Edwards talks Health Care on Jon Stewart

2009-05-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

The other night Elizabeth Edwards was on Jon Stewart and they started talking about health care in the USA. What she said made me so angry, I had to post this for you to see. The comment is about 3 minutes into the segment of the show when she begins to talk about United Health Care and the President of United Health's salary. According to Elizabeth Edwards 1 in every 700 dollars spent on health care in the USA, wen to pay this asshole's salary. The crowd in Stewart's audience had the same reaction I did.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Elizabeth Edwards

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

Post your comments below, I want to know what you think:

AMC Theaters

2009-05-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

AMC Theaters : Doing their part to encourage movie piracy and illegally downloaded movies.

Since I got married and had a child I rarely see movies AT the movie theater. The simple reason: the outrageous cost to see it. For the most part we wait to see movies till they come out not just on DVD but at REDBOX. Why? It's a $1 for a movie we can all see as opposed to anywhere from $15 to $25 for all 3 of us to see it. We invested in a 32 inch Samsung Flat screen with Sony DVD sound system for a freakin reason. To enjoy movies in the comfort of our own home for a $1. We can pause it, we can use subtitles, we can eat whatever we want (not just severely overpriced shitty food) and we can get up and pee without missing anything. Now I know our house isn't like this: but I just blew $8 on a new release movie when I could have waited 6 months and watched it in the comfort of my own home.

With the new pricing system AMC has, it's damn near impossible to see a movie unless it's NOT a new movie (more than a week old) and it's MONDAY thru THURSDAY before 3:55 P.M. I made the mistake of not paying close attention to the website hours, and ticket prices. It cost me an extra $2.50 because of my mistake. AMC has introduced a New Release ticket price for the their Matinees. Instead of their regular price of $5.00 before 4pm Monday thru Thursday like normal they're charging an extra $2.50 if it's opening week of the movie. What the #$&! for??? Just to say you had the privileged of seeing the movie it's opening weekend? The show time I went to, 1:50PM had 15 people in the movie theater. Why the hell do we have to pay more for it just because it's new. How are we any different than the people that are going to pay for it on Monday?

If my sweetheart and I had both gone, leaving our child with my Mother-in-law, it would have cost us $15 to get in the door. Plus I can't resist the refreshment stand because the smell drives me crazy even if I go on a full stomach. So popcorn and soda? Another $5 to $10 or which brings our 2 hour date to $20 to $25 before we even get to our seats. Holy Freakin crap that is a load of crap. Every time I go to a movie theater, it just reminds me of why I paid so much for a nice TV/DVD system.

AMC you're a joke and you're part of the reason people are so willing to download pirated movies. People can't afford to spend that kind of cash anymore these days. I shelled out $7.50 to see an movie that was about a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 and guess what? It's going to be a long damn time before you see any more of my money.

Wendy's: Those Sneaky Bastards...

2009-05-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Being in a hurry and not paying attention can cause accidents, being in a hurry, not paying attention, and being hungry is dangerous.

Such was the case this afternoon as I left the house for a 12:30 appointment to get our Scion state inspected so I can renew the registration. On my way, my stomach growled and I realized I made the dumb choice of not eating before going to the car shop for the inspection. "With my luck" I thought, "this is going to take an hour". And I was right it turns out.

So, on the way to the shop I swung into Wendy's to grab a quick bite to eat while I waited for the car inspection. The Baconator caught my attention because the meal is so damn big that I wouldn't be hungry for the rest of the day, great value at $6.19.
Except what I didn't pay attention to (because I was in a hurry, not paying attention, and hungry) was that it was $6.19 for the SMALL COMBO. When I asked for my combo meal, the woman slyly replied "Medium or Large sized?" Sneakily not giving me the SMALL COMBO Option I was looking at.

Now I understand I'm the retard for falling for the trick, I should have said "I'd like the Small" and recognized the trickery going on by upselling me to the Medium, but my brain wasn't working correct your Honor, and so I got sold a combo meal I could barely finish for .60 cents more.

Now you laugh at my cheap assed-ness but the economy sucks right now, money is tight, even if it was just $.60 if Wendy's does that 100x a day that's an extra $22,000 a year they're making just off of dumb asses like me!

So I say to Wendy's: YOU SNEAKY BASTARDS!

Obama/Biden Eat Out - Why it's important

2009-05-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've heard several people complaining on Twitter about the new story concerning President Obama and VP Joe Biden going out to eat at a local burger joint in Arlington, VA. The burger joint? "Ray's Hell Burgers" which by the name of it originally brought thoughts of some greasy spoon dive of a burger joint. However, by doing some quick googling I learned much to the contrary. Rays is a very high quality, but mid-range priced restaurant.

Their burgers are not frozen crap. They have a Chef who butchers the meat and grinds the meat into 10 ounce patties that's a freakin huge burger. It's also very marbled high quality beef they're using, not cheap choice meat. Interestingly enough, they don't even serve fries which is a very smart thing to do. That makes the restaurant different. and definitely not MORE OF THE SAME.

I had thought to originally post this on my Mormon Chef Blogbut it's more a political/social story than culinary story. As you can see from the YouTube clip down below, Obama and Biden ordered burgers personally, and INSISTED that they pay for it. During the clip, the Chef you can barely see, tries to NOT charge Obama, who insists that he has to pay. Why is that important? It could very well be a publicity stunt 4 years in the making, or it could be that Obama wants Americans too see he has confidence in the American Economy by PAYING for quality food. I appreciate that the Obama's are going out and getting to know their new neighborhood. He could have easily gone to McDonald's or Burger King, but chose to eat some good quality food and support the little guy.

WTF Burger King???

2009-04-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Burgers are good. Sponge Bob is good. Sex is good. Kids are good. Burgers+Sponge Bob+Sex+Kids= WTF??!? NOT GOOD!
I was watching the Cavs/Pistons game yesterday with my toddler when this Burger King commercial came on. In the commerical, it has a Sponge Bob Square pants and a Sir Mixx A lot song playing called "Baby Got Back". The entire song is a tribute to big asses and how the rapper loves doing sexual things with women who have big asses. The song is very sexual and it has been turned into a food commercial advertising a KIDS MEAL using Sponge Bob Square Pants no less. It also has sexy dancers with square shaped asses humping the air.

I don't object to advertising sex to adults. If this was a commercial for some new burger, and it was being shown after 10pm I would have 0 problems with it, but the target audience of this commercial are CHILDREN, it's advertising a kid meal, it's using a very well known children's cartoon character and it was shown pre-prime time during a basketball game. This commercial never should have made it on TV, and the media department who created it should be fired.

Here are the Burger King Corporate Numbers: Corporate Headquarters - 305-378-3000/Consumer Relations - 305-378-3535 good luck getting through to someone who cares. I couldn't...

Tell me what you think below:

PLEASE MOVE!

2009-04-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Free Ice Cream Cone day at Ben & Jerry's incase you missed it and the Fam & I decided to venture out across town about 15 minutes to the nearest ice cream shop and grab a scoop. We waited in line for about 20 minutes because the line was full of elementary and middle school kids who had just gotten out of class about an hour earlier. After a delicious cone each, we decided we better head to Costco to grab some much needed items that are a helluva lot cheaper at Costco, and then head home. A long the way, we got stuck behind several cars who seemed they were in absolutely 0 hurry to get to where ever they were going. What was worse, these people where traveling in the left lane at about 5:30 in the evening. Have these people never seen these signs???? I mean seriously, I understand you want to EVENTUALLY turn left, but please don't make the rest us suffer because you want to drive 10 miles under the speed limit. At one point I was stuck behind an old Corolla for about 5 minutes, I only wish I had this sticker on my car at the time:

I had to do a quick weave to eventually get around the ass but we finally made it to Costco, got our stuff and started the trek home. By this time rush hour traffic was mostly over, as it was nearly 7pm but slow idiot drivers were still out. Do you slow drivers not realize what a hazard you are driving the speed limit in the left lane? Things have gotten so bad in Florida that the state has put up billboards to remind people to move the #$** out of the way: Anyway we made it home and I had relaxing time doing very little productive.

Today however, I made the mistake of trying to go the Post Office at around 4 P.M. I finally made it into the parking lot and this little old lady in a Honda Accord kept trying to back out of her space impatiently without realizing there were cars driving past behind her. She caused such a bottle neck that I lost my temper and started honking. She finally moved allowed everyone to pass (after nearly hitting ME!) and she left. Yet another argument for old people to be regularly tested in my opinion.

Maybe I should start walking everywhere, other drivers piss me off.

Us and Them

2009-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Immigration is an interesting topic. I have a pretty different out look on it because of the two years I spent as a missionary in California. I met a lot of people whom I felt came to the United States for a reason. One of them was a lady named Alejandra. She was a nurse in Mexico City who came to this country to support her two little boys. After arriving however, she was unable to continue caring for people because her credentials were not recognized.

Alejandra, along with many others people I met, inspired the following song. I thought I would share it with you all.

Well what if one day you woke
and you found to your surprise
that those fences you'd been building
were now only there back sides
and the only difference noticed
was the expression on your face
yeah the day the US and Mexico decided to trade place

the streets were pale and dusty
and the windows mostly bared
and that language you were speaking
was soon to be outlawed
and that college educated mind of your's
could just be flushed down the drain
because nobody wants and immigrant
to take the commuter train

I said hey... I said hey...
I don't much of a difference between blue and azul eyes
you could say there's not a problem
you could say it'll never change
but there's got to be a better way

well they speak of brick and morder to keep people in their place
and they don't get why you're indignant when it's a slap in your face
when people's nationality is only decided by their fate
then why was there no border line before 1848

I said hey... I said hey...
I don't much of a difference between blue and azul eyes
you could say there's not a problem
you could say it'll never change
but there's got to be a better way

so the next time you have a registered nurse scrubbing the grout 'round your toilet
ask yourself if a boarder line really takes a mind and spoils it.
so if you see me come a running down this beaten path
don't let your friends and enemies be decided by their wrath
let the well wishers to their wishing wells and the nay sayers to say nay
but there's got to be a better way.

-Jake

Scare Yourself?

2009-04-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a mistake. It was a small one, but a mistake none the less. I watched a suspense movie with some graphic scenes very late at night, in the dark, by myself. All of which are a very bad combo for me personally. Why? Because I have a very graphic imagination. My mind takes things, and just processes them over and over again. I'm not scared of the dark. In fact, I can't sleep at night, unless it's pitch black. However, when I watch a movie that involves graphic imagery, my brain just won't let it go.So why am I bring this up? Well I watched I Am Legend last night, a very good movie. I like it. This was the 2nd time I've seen it, so I KNEW what it was about, and the images involved, I just had a desire to watch it, however, I choose the wrong time to watch it. So, I finished watching it and what happened? I couldn't sleep cause my mind kept thinking about these crazy ass psycho semi-human beings that would come out at night and attack humans. In the movie any type of light hurts these beings skins so what did I do? I turned on the damn light in the hallway and tossed and turned till I passed out around 4 A.M. My wife told me tonight before she went to sleep "Don't forget to turn the hallway light off when you go to sleep, you forgot last night". I kept thinking to myself (today) why the *#$@ would I leave the light on? And sitting here I remembered and it occurred to me, that many kids are not scared of the dark. They're afraid of their imaginations, as I am. Children's little minds, like mine take these images they see from all sorts of media and it just processes and creates scary thoughts and images in their brain and they can't sleep. It's not that it's dark, it's that they THINK something is out there.

So if you have a kid with a crazy imagination and they have a hard time sleeping, be patient with them or limit what watch.

Time to Kill Your Dryer

2009-04-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

So about a month ago we made the long trip out to IKEA to visit their brand new multimillion dollar store near the city of Concord, NC. It's about 40 minutes away from us (30 if I'm driving). A Brazilian friend of ours had visited there a few weeks before us and told my wife about a "drying rack" that she had bought for only $20. She had been using it for a bout a month and was already seeing a small reduction in her monthly energy bill by not using the dryer several times a month. SO, my wife convinced me it was in our best interest to buy it. She could then wash our clothes in the washer, let it spin dry most of the water, and then she could set this contraption up somewhere in the house and let our clothes air dry the rest of the way instead of wasting the energy and money on the electric dryer. So, we bought it. And my wife has been using it for about 3 weeks and I have to say for such a simple item it works pretty well and can hold A LOT of clothes. Our only issue has been our little girl LOVES to run into the room where the clothes are and pull them down. SO, we have decided to wash the clothes before she goes to bed. And hang them while she's sleeping, that way when we all wake up, they're dry.

So do the world and your energy bill a favor, KILL YOUR DRYER!

You can buy one of these racks at IKEA.

Fears of Praying

2009-04-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

I've never been one for public prayers. I don't mind other people praying--I just don't like praying in front of people. I joined the LDS church when I was just 10 years old. My family went in and out of being active members. By the time I hit high school age I brought myself to want to go... I went for me. But no matter how old or comfortable I got with going to church, I never worked up the courage to volunteer to pray in public.

I never liked how my Sunday school teachers would randomly call class members to say the prayer. I always kept my head low, and said a silent prayer that I wouldn't be called upon. A few times I even turned down the offer when I was asked. The ploy "prayers equal blessings" never worked for me.

It's not speaking in public that frightens me. I'd gladly give a talk in front of a crowd before giving a prayer during sacrament meeting.

I think part of it is fear for loosing my words, or not knowing what to say. I've also always been a little insecure about my knowledge of "church terms" or phrases that I may get wrong during the prayer.

My eyes were opened to a cure for my fears during my first semester at BYU. I didn't realize at the time but the whispers in between Sunday school classes brought the taboo subject to my attention. The gentleman who said the prayer after sacrament meeting had written his prayer beforehand, and read it to the congregation.

While others called it just short of disrespectful the only word that game to my mind was "genius" pure genius!

I haven't written a prayer myself. I imagine if I'm ever asked to pray in front of the entire congregation I may. I don't think there's anything wrong with it myself--The sacrament prayer is read.
A prayer is from the heart, and through the Spirit, yes, but can't you pre-feel the Spirit for help?--Especially if it'll save some anxiety.

When Monkeys Attack in Las Vegas...

2009-04-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

At around 4 A.M. a monkey escaped from it's cage and commandeered a computer with internet access.This monkey then somehow managed to navigate threw millions upon millions of web pages until it decided it liked mine. It spent about 40 minutes on my blog going "Ape Shit" and in the process commented, anonymously on 11 different blog posts. Pretty smart monkey, until you actually start to read the comments:

Gordon B. Hinckley Post: Your religion is bullshit

Well Monkey, at least you capitalized the Y correctly but you forgot the period at the end of the sentence.

The Intro from Jake: The Sweater Friends, hmm, does your band sweat a lot? What a stupid name

Oh Monkey, this is why you're lower on the food chain. When humans get cold, they put on a type of clothing called a "Sweater" to keep them warm.

Bitter Ass Republicans Post: Mr. Glenn, how old are you? You are pathetically snarky. And when did it become okay for a man to be snarky? Sounds like a feminine quality. I assume you possess many other female traits. I am correct, right? See ya snarky!

Wow Monkey I'm half impressed with this comment. Which scientist taught you the word "Snarky"? Probably some stuffy Stanford trust fund baby. I would also like to remind you Monkey, this is my blog, I can do whatever the hell I want.

Nicole's Closet Liberal Post: I agree. It is true that by far the Mormon religion contains the largest percentage of hypocrites.

Monkey are you gay by chance? There seems to be a lot of upset people making this same claim because of Prop 8. Too bad you didn't see my post about it. Would have loved to have your input.

Surrogate Birthing Post: Boring

Ohhh Monkey I'm sorry. I'll do better to post something more interesting for you next time. I forgot monkey's don't have to worry about this particular topic.

Guys & Shaving: just droppin by to say this blog is horrible. especially this topic. gag!

Monkey you must be getting tired. Your posts are progressively getting worse. I guess you don't have to worry about how you look, being a hairy ass monkey and all. We humans do have to maintain our looks.

Spitting in the City Post: what a little baby. grow up

Monkey, certain humans don't enjoy the sound or appearance of another human hawking a loogie on the street or sidewalk. It's nasty.

Cold Feet Post: sdfffpppppp

Interesting Monkey! But I would appreciate it if you could you translate that for me and tell me what it means in English?

Insecure Post: iooojmccc

Now really Monkey, this is getting a bit irritating. English please! I don't speak monkey.

Electric Car Post: limp

Well, at least we know you're a male monkey now. You are from a laboratory right? I'm sure Stanford trust fund baby can cook you up some Viagra and cure your "Limp" problem right away.

Lying to Woman Post: matthew glenn's also "relatively intelligent." pppfffft wtf matthew do you mean by that? (first paragraph) asshole

What do I mean Monkey? I mean he's an intelligent guy. I forget that English isn't your first language Monkey. I'll try to use smaller words so your smaller brain can understand.

Well Monkey, thanks for all your enlightening comments. You certainly have made Easter 2009 a memorable one. Just in case you're not a monkey, and actually some lower human life form, I found a Google photo that expresses exactly what I want to say to you, have a great day Monkey:

Bitter Ass Republican talk show hosts.

2009-04-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

A Clip ripping into Bill O'Reilly on Letterman, Rush Limbaugh on Jon Stewart and Glenn Beck clips on Colbert Report. David Letterman calls O'Reilly a GOON, LOL. Man he has some balls.

Watch the clip

This is JUST the Jon Stewart Clip ripping on Rush Limbaugh.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Rush Limbaugh Leaves New York

comedycentral.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

I am including in my daily and nightly prayers, that Rush never moves to whatever city I'm living in. I'm happy New York is finally getting rid of him, one less bum drug addict in that city.

Gordon B. Hinkley at a Family Funeral

2009-04-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

The semi-annual Latter-day Saint General Conference just ended a few hours ago and I have a lot of thoughts swirling in my noggin. On several occasions, leaders quoted and/or talked about Gordon B. Hinckley my favorite LDS Prophet, MY prophet. About 9 months (May 23rd 2003) after my sweet wife and I were married, I got a call from my mother. Apparently her Aunt Elaine had passed away, yeah THE Aunt Elaine Cannon. She was invited to attend but unfortunately could get there in time for the service. She gave me the Chapel address, and a phone number of her Cousin whom I should make arrangements to meet up with so we could sit together. I met up with her cousin and we made our way passed hundreds of people in a packed stake center in Federal Heights Salt Lake City to sit in the first few rows of the "Family" section. Even though I am a Cannon (my middle name) I had never met anyone in the rows around me or even in the chapel.

I received a startling shocked when I was handed a program and saw that Elder James E. Faust was presiding over the funeral! Not to mention 3 or 4 other apostles mentioned on the program! I quickly and excitedly showed my wife and cousin, we all became excited. We were just a stones throw away from the pulpit. The Apostles showed up, and the other people participating on the program started to fill the upper area near the pulpit. A minute or two before the funeral was scheduled to begin, the side door to the chapel suddenly swung open and 2 secret service looking guys walked in and stood on either side of the chapel door. In walked in President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Monson, Henry B Eyring and several other Apostles. When they were all in we counted nearly the entire Quorum of the 12, plus the WHOLE 1st Presidency sitting in front of us.

I need to explain the feeling when this man, the Prophet Hinckley walked in the door before I move on. As he walked in, the crowd stood up in respect, and a ripple, like an unseen tidal wave ripped through the room. A feeling so strong I'm not sure I've felt it as strong before or since in my life. I began sobbing for joy, my body tingled, and the hairs on my arms and neck stood up straight. When the wave hit me, I turned and looked at my cousin, sitting to my right, and asked "Did you feel that?" Wide eyed, she said "Yea, you did too?"

After all were settled and the funeral began, Gordon B Hinckley stood up and began to speak, smiling, he asked if it was okay for him to take a few minutes to talk even though he wasn't on the program. Everyone chuckled amongst the tears. How could anyone object to the Prophet speaking??? I honestly can't remember what he said during the few minutes he spoke at the funeral. But I will never ever forget the feeling, nor the Spirit present, when he entered, and left the room. He is/was truly a prophet of God, and I am so grateful for the experience I had to even be near such a man.

Here is a post by Co-Admin Nicole about her similar experience with Gordon B. Hinckley

Closet Liberal?

2009-04-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there! My name is Nicole, one of Matt's guest posters and admins for Liberal Mormon. My blog that I consider my baby is The Culture-Loving Pilot Wife. He asked me to make a contributing post to his site...and I really wasn't sure what to say. If my ultra-conservative husband and extended family found out I was even lightly mingling with a democrat, they'd take my temperature and wonder if everything was okay.

I am the wife of a pilot, a mother with a career. I have been working in healthcare for the majority of my career, and have a passion for all receiving adequate medical care regardless of ability to pay. My husband is gone frequently, and I've had to take on a dominant and independent role in my marriage. We have an eight year old daughter who is the light and joy of my life.

I'm a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have long-standing pioneer-era generations of LDS faithful on my mom's side, and my dad's parents converted to the church in the 1950's in Oregon. I was born and raised in Portland, and was uprooted to Salt Lake City in 8th grade. I had a horrible time with the culture shock to Utah. I went from being one of the handful of LDS students at my school, and proudly standing up for what I believed on a continual basis. I knew that I was "peculiar," and I was okay with it. I refuted inaccurate facts about my faith that was taught in social studies and religion classes, and I had no problem with everyone knowing that I was LDS.

Then I was thrown into an environment where I was part of a large mass of believers, or came from believing families (My guess is 80% of my 9th grade class) I hated being one in a crowd, where being LDS could mean so many things...such as the priest in my ward that I saw smoking pot, or seminary friend who appeared be stalwart, but was drinking and sleeping with her boyfriend. Not to directly knock on Utah in general, because I consider it one of my homes, but I'd never experienced so much hypocrisy until I moved to Utah. Figure out who you are and stick with it, right? I've also been put off by the extreme amount of Mormon-culture myths that have become belief. I too read all the faith-promoting experience emails that come around,....but when I hear the far-fetched stories preached over the Relief Society lectern, it's a bit too much.

I've always been an idealistic, creative, free-thinking soul. I believe in including and loving all, regardless of the religion, political stance, race, or other criteria for which one could be prejudiced against. I love the Lord and the Gospel with all my heart, and strive to draw nearer to my Savior every day. However, I'll admit there are commandments and policies in the church that have been hard to adhere to. I frequently feel a deficit of faith that often tempts me to rebell, but I pray that the Lord keeps me on the straight and narrow.
All that being said, I consider myself pretty politically centrist, as you'll see on my above political compass. I vote issue by individual issue, and by the merits of the candidates. I grew up conservative, and had voted Republican until 2004. If I had to choose a party, I don't know if I could. Over the W. Bush administration, I was more and more ashamed to consider myself a Republican (even though I have some staunch conservative views) I was not in the state that I was registered to vote on Election Day, did not think ahead to register absentee, and thus I was not forced to choose between candidates....but I think I would have chosen Obama. And when I told my husband, he almost choked on his tall glass of Diet Coke.

Dangers of Surrogate Birthing

2009-04-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Less than 10 days ago, I did a blog post about a movie I saw called Baby Momma. The plot of the movie was about Surrogate Birthing and in my post I described how I was in favor of it for the right reasons and if in a well controlled safe environment. This week on the Fox TV Show Lie To Me, they tackled this very topic and the dark evil side. In the episode Dr Lightman stumbles upon a suicide victim on his way to dropping his daughter off at school. He later learns that 3 Hindu women have apparently all commit Suicide at the same location in the same week. Definitely not a coincidence. Turns out, all 3 women were pregnant, but they weren't theirs. They were surrogates getting paid to have children. The episode goes into the ugly side of this industry, and it involves a corrupt immigration agent. You can watch the episode on hulu.com here I sad to see this kind of abuse here in the USA happening, anywhere for that matter.

Post your thoughts below please,

Liberal Mormon

An Introduction and A Reason.

2009-04-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hello there.

I am very grateful to have been invited to be a part of the Liberal Mormon blog. As for a little about myself, my name is Jake and I live in Salt Lake City, UT. I have been married about six months now to a girl that I haven't been able to stop staring at since the moment we met. I am an English major at the University of Utah and have plans to attend law school when I'm done. I was blessed to be born into a loving family where I learned of LDS teachings from birth and found support in my endeavors. I served a Spanish speaking mission in Northern California. I also play in a band called The Sweater Friends (yes that's self promoting but what can you do), love the Harry Potter books and could eat pizza everyday of my life.

As this is my first post on here, I thought I would give a bit of insight as to why I consider myself to be Liberal and how this came about. I know it is not the norm for Utah to produce someone who leans to the left but I feel as though my views are rooted in those same places that make this state so red on the electoral college map.

I was talking to my mom a few days ago and she said "I don't want the government to take care of me, I just want them to take care of those who need it." As someone who has grown up reading and hearing the words of our Savior, compassion and empathy are fundamental in the teachings of Christ. We are to love God and love our neighbors, that is really about it. Sure, there are other things we are taught and commanded to do but they all revolve around helping us comply with those first two great commandments.

Before I became a self proclaimed liberal, I would look at the world and say to myself "that's not right" or "I think this should happen." Is clean water and food only essential for people who can afford it? If we are to respect our God, does that not mean we should care about his Earth that he entrusted us with? Should the advancements made in medical care only be for those with a big enough pocket book? As I answered these questions according to what I had discovered to be true, I found that the left made sense. Though, I do not agree with everything that is associated with being Liberal (i.e. the morality of abortion), that is not where the deciding factor lies. I am a liberal because life is too short to go at it alone. We are to love and help each other and just like my mom said, take care of those who need it.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts.

-Jake

Guys, You Better Start Shaving

2009-04-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Guys You Better Start Shaving, or get used to waxing! (Penis Jeans part 3)

Co-Administrator and Author Nicole brought this cute little photo to my attention. This photo is from a Benetton Catalog from their new line of clothes. What the hell's up with the banana yellow His/Hers Penis Pants? Now, 1 or 2 clothing stores doing this doesn't necessarily constitute a trend but, when you have 3 or more, I would say it is the beginning of a new trend in pop culture. Well... enter Abercrombie & Fitch into the mix and we got ourselves a trend. It turns out one of the comments was correct on the Penis Jeans Post:

Anonymous said...

in the near future, men will be subjected to millions of images of perfect young men like this and gay men & women will reject any man that isn't similarly toned and hairless as this...start signing up for 3 hours daily in the gym and lots of body waxing boys, or we'll say your icky and refuse to date you

So I kept looking for more examples of these types of images and jeans/pants and this is what I found: A bunch of half naked teenagers running threw a field with their pants falling down. Apparently, a poster of this photo was removed BY THE POLICE in Virginia Beach, VA. Talk about violation of freedom of speech. So you can see the young man's "dime crack" and his naked back, it isn't obscene or wrong. It isn't immoral in anyway. How is this any different than showing someone running at a beach with out a shirt on? I may think the trend is stupid, but I do think it's wrong for Police to step in and force the Abercrombie & Fitch store to remove the poster from it's store window when in the same mall, Victoria Secrets had nearly completely nude mannequins in their windows, and posters of brazilian women in their underwear. Sounds like a double standard.

So where is this trend coming from, of sagging jeans. From what I've read on other websites it seems to have started in urban poor areas of town. Some people say it was from gang bangers, some say from prisoners who had been released from jail. Some say it started when jails started prohibiting belts to avoid suicides and prisoners just became used to the feeling of sagging off the ass pants. Here is one explanation from a black poster:

The Truth about the Sag To all young Black men; to all fathers, mothers and sistahs locked with young brothers who wear their pants on or below their butts; here is a truth Afromerica thinks you should know about the sag style. Prison inmate intimacy is the root.
From the mouth of a brother recently release from one of the northeast most hardcore prisons comes this truth. No longer concerned about his own dignity but more concerned about the dignity and reputation of young Black men everywhere, this brother reveals the secrets of prison intimacy among young men.
He tells us that when a new inmate has resorted to wearing the pants of his blues around the middle of his butt, it is a prison message for his manhood is ready for breaking, and when he wears it down below his butt, he already belongs to someone inside.The myth that this trend came from having belts confiscated from inmates, which caused their pants to sag is not accurate, but have only help further glamorize the image of prison apparel among today’s urban and suburban youth.
They believe it a ‘hard’ image to portray among other youth in the hood, never even having been behind bars. However, once the truth gets out about the meaning of the sag, more youth should reconsider how they wear their pants or the wrong message about them will be taken.Please pass this message along to someone you may know who has a young son that wears their gear like so. Tell them they must reconsider the trend and make an effort to change. Their manhood is at stake.

So is this trend coming from the jails and streets, or is it just coming from some executive in some tall building somewhere, we won't ever know but one thing is for sure guys, if you want to start wearing these jeans you better start taking care of your junk area, cause I don't want to see your pubes.

(Not So) Great Expectorations: Spit in the City

2009-04-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

What is it about the colder months that makes people shoot phlegm out of their mouths in every direction, in broad daylight, and in plain view, no less? Seriously, who decided this is ok? Is it really any better than picking your nose in public? I can’t tell you how much it absolutely mortifies me when someone in my near vicinity projects a loogey that lands only inches from my feet.

I’m really curious as to why there hasn’t been any kind of legislation passed to prevent this disgusting act. In researching the topic, Wikipedia let me know that social attitudes towards spitting have changed greatly; esp. in Western Europe since the Middle Ages.

Then, frequent spitting was part of everyday life, and at all levels of society, it was thought ill-mannered to suck back saliva to avoid spitting. By the early 1700s, spitting had become seen as something which should be concealed, and by 1859 many viewed the spitting on the floor or street as vulgar, especially in mixed company. I could not agree more!

Spittoons were used openly during the nineteenth century to provide an acceptable outlet for spitters. Spittoons became far less common after the influenza epidemic of 1918, and their use has since virtually disappeared, though each justice of the Supreme Court of the United States continues to be provided with a personal cuspidor.

About the only legislation I could find regarding the subject is that spitting may be considered an assault and battery. Seems really lenient for such a nasty, disease spreading habit.

$@bs

Need more $@bs?: http://thesabs.com

Cold Feet?

2009-03-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Do you get cold feet? I do, and tonight they were icicles. I've been a very happily married husband for nearly 7 years. Our anniversary is at the end of September, and until tonight, I've never had to put something ON before sex. We've tried condoms as a birth control method once or twice but to be completely open and honest, by the time I got it on, my guy got soft and turned into a sack of potatoes in latex. So we haven't used anything but pills and shots for birth control. ANYWAY, this past week has been, sexless because we've had a visitor in town and she finally went away. I am very open to try new things but being intimate during that "time of the month" is gross and not worth the mess.
So FINALLY tonight we get the opportunity to be romantic with eachother without very much to worry about. I crawled in bed and we began to cuddle when my foot brushed against her calf muscle. My wife nearly jumped out bed from the temperature shock. My feet were apparently freezing cold, like morgue cold. She immediately told me if I wanted any attention and action tonight I had to get out of bed and put some socks ON! Now, lucky for me, I was very horny, and wasn't going to let anything stand in the way, she could have told me to go run a mile and I probably would have done it. But it was an odd feeling to actually put something ON before having a sexual experience when I'm more used to taking everything OFF. Well, I did it, I put a pair of white gym socks on, climbed back in bed and everyone rode the "O" train and then my wife promptly passed out. Leaving me to reflect on what happened, and an interesting blog post, not to mention I am still wearing white socks to remind me of our little fun activity.

Insecure Much?

2009-03-28T06:22:00.001-07:00

I have only done this one other time, I might have to start doing it more regularly, addressing posters directly. Several months ago I posted this photo of a male mannequin with a pair of Hollister jeans hanging off it's penis. I posted the photo so people could see THE JEANS, and how ridiculous they were, not of the mannequin and it's "perfect body".

Anonymous said...
in the near future, men will be subjected to millions of images of perfect young men like this and gay men & women will reject any man that isn't similarly toned and hairless as this...start signing up for 3 hours daily in the gym and lots of body waxing boys, or we'll say your icky and refuse to date you

This is totally ridiculous and it won't happen. There enough women out there with low enough self esteem and low enough standards, it won't happen. Not in my lifetime.

Anonymous said...
glad to see men being objectified...partly why they're so afraid of gays in the military...they don't want to be hassled and leered at the way a woman is!! high time men get a taste of their own freaking medicine. how will it feel when you are made to feel worthless if your abs aren't cut like this yummy mannequin, huh??? wah!

Why would you be HAPPY that ANYONE is being objectified? Who is afraid of gays in the military besides retarded conservatives? Who cares what sexual preference you are as long as you can kill the enemy? I will never be made to "feel worthless" because of my body? You know why??? Because I'm happy the way I am. Unless a doctor says I need to change something to live longer, I could careless if I have a ripped body. My wife loves me, I love me, my family loves me, and that is all that matters.

Anonymous said...
At least he shaved.

Absolutely, that would be nasty if it wasn't. I laughed really loud when I saw this message. Thank you it made my day.

Mass Produced Electric Cars coming in 2011

2009-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Some exciting news for those of us looking forward to junking our gas powered cars, Tesla has announced it will start mass producing it's new Electric Sedan, and boy is it sexy. Don't go out and sell you gas piece of sh** right now, these babies are only available in 2011 and the sticker price is still a bit high for the average Joe like myself. Tesla expects base price to be around $57,000 for this little hot rod, but says new federal grants allow a discount of $7,500 which makes the car slightly less expensive. What makes this car exciting is that it can go an estimated 150 to 300 miles on 1 charge, which is fantastic. The undisclosed California warehouse where they're being built is reportedly gearing up to mass produce 20,000 units to be sold in North America and Europe.

The next big deal for Americans coming out in 2011, supposedly, are the new Chevy Volts. And I don't care what you say, it's a sexy American Car. And I don't say that very often, in fact it's almost an oxymoron. This car is a big deal because GM, who is obviously a sex slave to OPEC and the Middle East, has finally decided to produce an electric car that it can sell to the masses. Now, most people only commute back and forth to work (less than 20 miles) and so the Volt only has a range of about 40 miles, however it does have a 1 liter engine that when kicked on and working with the electric system can go upwards of 600 miles. GM is having it's hick ups at the moment with the Volt. They will probably have to push back the release date from late 2010 to spring 2011 because of electrical usage issues. When necessary things like windshield wipers are used or the stereo, milage is significantly reduced. GM has stated they are working on the problem and it will be resolved before the car is rolled out. I actually can't wait to see them on the road. Finally the first major step forward in 30 years or more on fuel efficiency which has barely changed over 3 decades. One sour note, this little sexy car has a high price tag like the Telsa, estimates are around $35,000 for a base sticker tag. However I'm sure Federal Grants will make it MUCH more affordable. But unfortunately unless I win the lottery I'm going to be stuck with my Scion for a while, which don't get me wrong, I love, but I'd ditch it in a second for a non-gas car if I could afford it. So until then I'm going to have to be happy with an electric car that looks like this:

Ladies, why can't we be honest?

2009-03-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today at the good ol' Olive Garden was slow as hell. Yeah, I worked less than 2 hours, so I'm home with not a lot better to do than tell you a little story. A server, whom I'll call "Alice", at the restaurant invited a friend to the restaurant to meet a fellow cook, and recently single guy whom I work next to all day long. My friend, who I shall call "Tom", recently broke up after a long 2 year relationship. He's a very handsome half black half white guy, very tall athletic has a good sense of humor. He's also relatively intelligent. So "Alice" tried to set him up or at least introduce him to her friend. The problem was, Alice's friend was NOTHING like the type of girl PHYSICALLY that "tom" usually dates. He usually dates skinny white chicks who are at least semi intelligent and can hold a conversation. We'll it didn't go over well. Alice got very mad at Tom, when she asked Tom what he thought of her friend, and he said "well to be honest, I don't find her attractive at all". And that pretty much ruined things from there.

Tom was unfortunately a bit to blunt and honest and it offended Alice. What I didn't know until after they stopped arguing was this was strike 2 for Alice. It was the second time she'd tried helping Tom out, but it was the second time she'd gotten his type completely wrong. The first girl was apparently even harder on the eyes and was more like a female version of this guy apparently: So Tom wasn't very happy and Alice wasn't happy. After about 30 minutes they started going at all over again because I guess Tom felt bad he had offended Alice when he knew all she was doing was trying to help. However, Tom, stuck his foot further down his throat when Alice asked "well what do you honestly think of me? Would you go out with me?" And unfortunately Tom told the truth and said "No, you're not my type". Well that pretty much was the last straw Alice stormed away upset and with in 30 minutes, every server in the whole restaurant had heard the story, and gossip was flying everywhere about how "shallow" Tom was.

Now, I would have been a bit more tactful (hopefully) in this situation, but can you blame Tom for being honest? Isn't that what Ladies want? I am man, I am married, happily, but I married a wonderful WHO IS MY TYPE! It's why we're married. I find her sexually appealing, funny, great personality, we have similar interests, not to mention we're both Latter-day Saints. Call me shallow if you want, but I have a type. TOM, has a type, why would someone trying to help him get upset if it's THEM who just doesn't get it?

Ladies what do you want us to do? Lie to you?

Finally some good LDS News....

2009-03-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

The news concerning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)hasn't exactly been very complimentary in the past few weeks. First the Church decided to take on HBO and Big Love and then last week Ignorant Anti-Mormon Fred Karger filed a 2nd petition to investigate the LDS Church for the prop 8 initiative. He seems hell bent on doing anything and everything possible to create scandals when there isn't one. Deseret News reported that LDS Church spokesperson Scott Trotter stated,

;">"The church is unconcerned about Mr. Karger's newest complaint. Mr. Karger has again made claims that have no basis in fact, and this newest round of allegations follows the same pattern. As we have said before, he is entitled to his opinion but not to his own version of the facts."

Unfortunately, I don't think until the LGBT community has won their fight will they stop bashing the LDS Church and blaming it for the loss of their rights. While true the LDS Church contributed to Prop 8, it only represented 3% of the voting community, while Senior Citizens, African Americans, and Catholics were more of a driving voting force to pass than the small LDS community who actually voted in favor of it.

So, finally this past week, the good news. The 13th LDS temple in Utah was dedicated this weekend in several broadcast sessions. The Draper Temple has had a month long open house to allow anyone and everyone the chance to visit, and walk through the temple. Estimates of over 600,000 and probably close to 700,000 visitors walked through the Draper temple during the last 30 days. Considering that Utah has less than 1.5 residents total, THAT'S A LOT FREAKIN PEOPLE! President Thomas S. Monson dedicated it this weekend in 4 sessions, allowing everyone the chance to see it. A beautiful photo of the Celestial Room. The Oquirrh Mountain Temple in South Jordan is expected to open this summer with open the open house starting in July and the dedication in August bringing the Utah Temple total to 14!

Surrogate Birthing: Not Your Babies Momma

2009-03-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was sorta date night. Both my wife and I got home earlier than normal and so we took advantage of it and rented a movie. It was supposed to be pizza and a movie, but freakin Costco closed at 6pm on Saturdays! I know WTF?? They can stay open all week long till 8:30 or so, why not on the weekends as well? Anyway, we had to settle for Panda Express and a movie. I know, it just doesn't have that same ring to it as "Pizza and a movie".

Anyway we decided to rent the only movie that I hadn't seen and wasn't a horror movie, Baby Momma. Now, to give you a quick overview, the main character is a very successful business woman who is now 37 and is having a mid-life crisis, well because she's 37, single, and has no children. Everyone around her seems to be getting pregnant and all the babies are starring at her. So she goes to a sperm bank to get pregnant. She tries and tries but no dice, so she goes back to the sperm clinic and they do what they should have done in the first place, and take exams/X-rays. Low and behold, she can't have kids because she has abnormal tubes, and has about a 1 and a million chance of getting pregnant. So she decides on Surrogate birthing. Basically, her eggs are good, she just can't get pregnant, the little sperms can't get in to where the eggs are. So, she contracts a very price company to find a suitable host (willing pregnant lady) and they inject a fertilized egg into "the host". The host gets paid for everything, medical etc, and they then give birth but the baby goes back to biological parent.

That was the plan, but of course this is Hollywood and that doesn't happen. I wont ruin the movie for you, you gotta see it yourself, it has some funny moments but I was disappointed with Tina Fey, I had heard such good things about her writing. Anyway, the movie had me thinking ALOT about the topic, hence the reason for the post. Would you the reader PAY or BE PAID by someone to have a baby? Would you be able to give that baby up that you kept inside you, and just hand it over to the rightful biological parents? Could you, if you were financially secure and unable to have children with your partner, PAY someone to do what you can't? Now, I know what several of you are thinking, I'd just adopt. Well, it isn't that simple anymore. Have any of you TRIED adopting a child, especially a child of the sex/race you want? It's damn near impossible these days. Most people wanting to adopt spend 10s of thousands of dollars in the process, a lot get screwed out of a lot of money. A couple from Church had to fly to CHINA and stay for 2 weeks while the government observed them before they could take their adopted chinese daughter back to the USA. Personally, I am completely for this type of thing, as long as it is done ethically. Here in the USA so far the states that allow it, things are done pretty well. You have to usually go through an agency, and you pay for medical support, food etc, but it isn't really a way to "get rich quick". In India, it is completely legal and it is fast becoming very popular in Europe to pay for Indian woman to carry fetuses to fill term and give birth vaginally. The 3rd world prices make it very affordable for middle class couples from all over the world to fly and the Indian people are willing and accepting. Clinics are quickly becoming competitive and so is pricing. My fears are quickly becoming reality and there is this huge "Womb for Rent" going on. I'm really not sure how I feel about that. It seems to cheapen the human species and brings it down a level. I am completely for it if a family member wants to help another, or a close friend, but turning it into an expensive commercial industry just kind of doesn't seem very ethical, even to me.

Baby Makin(g) Machine: The Talk Again

Shocked and Appalled Syndrome

2009-03-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Report on Mormontimes By McKay Coppins Shocked and Appalled Syndrome

I stumbled on this report earlier and wanted to bring more exposure to it, and add my comments as well.

So, HBO is at it again, trying to attract attention -- and, consequently, subscribers -- by outraging the Mormons. Can we really blame them?

Offending Latter-day Saints by mocking or misrepresenting our faith has proven to be a very lucrative business, after all.

Lucrative doesn't begin to describe this subject Sir. Have you never wandered into a "Christian" book store and wandered into the "Cult" section. If you want to feel the "Christian Love" that is where you need to go. Endless books full of complete trash, fiction, lies mingled with scripture and cut 'n' paste quotes. The Decker Family, the Tanner Family have made a living hawking their crap for a living. Ed Decker's triple combination was EBAY a few months back, he was trying to sell it for $5000! Can you believe that garbage?? Who'd pay $5k for a famous anti-Mormon Book of Mormon???

Take, for example, Jon Krakauer's inflammatory bestseller, "Under the Banner of Heaven." The book, which was released in July 2003, tells the story of two Mormon fundamentalists who brutally murdered Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter, claiming they acted on divine revelation. Krakauer attempts to prove that such behavior has roots in the history of Mormonism, and compares faithful Mormons to extreme Muslim terrorists.

Understandably upset by the soon-to-be-published manuscript, the Church pre-emptively released a statement condemning Krakauer's assertions. The LDS community immediately responded with defensiveness, anger and boycotts. Apologetics harshly denounced the book, questioning Krakauer's credibility and intentions.And what was the result? The controversy fanned the flame, and the book went on to be a bestseller.

Understandably that was the result. Today's 24/7, twitter, must know now, got to hear the latest gossips generation thrives on this kind of sensationalism. One must only visit a supermarket to see the racks and racks of total and complete CRAP people just THRIVE ON. Anything since the FLDS scandal happened in Texas seems to just explode in the media. The only real major bonus for the Church has been the visitors to to the Draper Open house. Early estimates on visitors is close to 700,000 people during the weeks it was open to the public! 700k visitors! Utah has only 1.2 million or so residents! That's a lot freakin people! The worst possible scandal in my opinion for the Church isn't these dumb anti-Mormons with nothing better to do with their time than rehash, repackage and resell old material, was the Prop 8 frenzy. There has been major negative bad press, unjustly about that, including vandalism, and book burnings!

When we, as LDS, go out of our way to express outrage and indignation (however righteous it may be), we pique others' curiosity. People begin wondering what all the fuss is about and, in the Krakauer case, they pick up a title that never would have caught their attention otherwise. Some of those were likely persuaded by the author's unfounded accusations; others were not.

In any case, we should have learned a lesson from this ordeal. And yet, when HBO revealed a couple weeks ago that they would be recreating the endowment ceremony for their polygamy-themed drama "Big Love," the Mormon community was up in arms all over again. Now don't get me wrong. I find HBO's decision abhorrent, and I can hardly fathom how executives ethically justified using a highly sacred religious ceremony for the purposes of entertainment. I think the Church said it best in its official statement: this depiction was done in "appallingly bad taste."

Unfortunately, the LDS Church should have completely ignored the HBO special episode, what they should have done is what they are doing now, hindsight however, is 20/20. They should have flooded YouTube with Temple Videos, about their purposes etc, just like they are doing now. However, addressing HBO directly, may have helped in an odd way. The Temple Video the Church put out rocketed to the top spot, as one of the most watched videos on Youtube, quite a feat considering all the crap on Youtube. Had they not put out the press release like they did, maybe it wouldn't have fanned the flames so much, but I think the PR department got a little carried away.

But in that same statement, titled "The Publicity Dilemma," the Church explains why it does not call for boycotts: "Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series."

Individual members, of course, are free to boycott whatever they want. But is it worth it? Very rarely have such boycotts actually persuaded media outlets to cancel planned programming, or book stores to pull books from their shelves. If I had a subscription to HBO, I would likely cancel it once I heard about this episode, but I would do so privately. I would not make a public spectacle of my disapproval.

It would seem more productive to invite my neighbors to temple visitors' centers or open houses so that they themselves can understand why HBO's actions were inappropriate. To avoid fanning the flame of controversy in the future, I believe we should try to avoid the "shocked and appalled" syndrome. Keeping our eyes peeled for potential attacks on our faith will almost always lead to an over-reaction on our part and, consequently, more attention given to our aggressors. Maybe, then, we can put the Mormon-mocking industry on the list of bailout-beggars.

The major problem of course, is now you and I are in fact fanning the flames as I type this. Giving it so much as a little attention, whether we like it or not, only tosses more gas on the fire.

The Liberal Responds: Thanks for the comments

2009-03-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

In the comment section of My Story and the LDS Church my new friend and follower Dave said this:

David said...

I am also very curious now. I know that, as a whole, those who follow the LDS church are quite conservative.

A good portion of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are certainly more conservative than me. But I think it's a misconception that we're all republicans.

You state that you are a liberal because you are a registered Democrat plus other factors, that while they are not mainstream for a devout Mormon, are still no where near the path of liberalism. There are more Democrats that are not liberal than those that are.

I agree there are many democrats who are not "Liberals" but I'm sure there are republicans who aren't really conservative either. I am a liberal Mormon in the sense that I have a potty mouth, I speak uncensored for the most part, no topic is taboo, I watch whatever media I take an active interest in whether it be Rated G or NC-17, I drink Coke (caffeinated), I watch Jon Stewart, I watch Real Time with Bill Maher, we get the Victoria Secret Catalog, and I'm not afraid of having sex in positions other than "missionary".

Liberals tend to side with right to choice vs. right to life., big government, higher taxes, political correctness, government regulation of commerce, no religion, social programs etc. Are these things that you hold to be true as well?

I agree with most of this. My stance on abortion is right to choose. I understand this world doesn't hold my religious views about life and death. People make dumb mistakes and really should have to pay for them for the rest of their lives. HOWEVER, I think their needs to be an extensive class or counseling session prior to having an abortion if there isn't already. It isn't a decision to be taken lightly. There should be encouragement to choose adoption, and full disclosure about all the possible side effects and emotional problems. But in the end people shouldn't be forced to be parents even if they make a bad choice.

I love money as much as the next person, but I think there is a major need to have the government control certain aspects of our lifes, WITHIN REASON. Health Care is one of those. Our health care system is a JOKE. IF I had health insurance, I don't because we're too poor, it would be costing me for a family of 3 (who have been perfectly healthy for years) upwards of 3 to $400 a month, and even then there a limits on what they'll pay for. RETARDED! UNACCEPTABLE! It's a joke. Even in the 3rd world country of Brazil, where I served as a missionary, I got treated better FOR FREE, then some of the clinics and doctors I've been to here in the most powerful country in the world. Now, I think Brazil shows a very good model for how things could be here in the USA. They have universal health care for most things (not cosmetics), public free hospitals. You can walk in, and be treated, true there are lines, but you see a doctor. They also have Private hospitals, that if you choose to pay for health care above and beyond what the government provides, you have the right to use. The only other bigger crook in this country besides Wall Street, are the Health Care companies. They have ruined the medical world.

I'm not on the attack here. I just see inconsistencies in your reason for labeling yourself a liberal. You are putting yourself in the same camp as most of the media elite and people like Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo as examples. These examples, by the way, are as far as you can possibly get from Glenn Beck, who I only mention because you had told me he was the only one worth watching on Fox in one of your tweets to me.

I respect Glenn Beck because he is an incredible guy, who bottomed out in life, came back, found God, eventually found the true Church of Jesus Christ, and has now become a successful journalist. I don't agree with a LOT of what he says. I saw him on a Jon Stewart clip crying about how much he loves this country and how thinks it's getting torn apart blah blah and I just rolled my eyes. Nothing save Christ is perfect, including our country. And why? Because it's a democracy run by imperfect people who frequently make bad decisions. I also agree with and disagree with people like Michael Moore but I respect their right to share their opinions and views.

I myself am a conservative. I beleive in less government, no bailouts, lower taxes, the freedom to express myself religiously or philosophically as I choose without being labeled and that elected officials are in office by our pleasure and should be representing us as we tell them to not as they "think" we should be represented. I have recently dumped my registration with the Republican party as they, and the Democrats, are completely useless, self serving and are no longer operating under the constitution of the United States or in the best interests of it's people. I am joining the Libertarian party which is based more on the principal of liberty and is focused on constitutionalism and fair political play. They are closer to down the middle, but, I still see them as fairly conservative even if they reject the label.

Just wondering how you justify calling yourself a liberal while being a member of the LDS church at the same time.

Sorry if I'm over explaining...the fingers won't stop once they get rolling.

Dave

I am a bit disturbed you think just because I'm a democrat that I can't express myself religiously. Since when are Democrats/Liberals godless atheists? We don't have all the answers, the Bible doesn't have all the answers, the Book of Mormon doesn't have all the answers, only GOD does. And until the day He feels ready to come down and straighten out this mess of a world we live in, things will continue to be imperfect. Just because I disagree politically with you, the GOP, the Libertarians, and most conservatives, doesn't mean I don't believe in God, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the LDS Church. I am happy to have met you Dave, I enjoy civil discussions like this and look forward to YOURS and EVERYONE else's comments very soon.

Until then rant over!

Liberal Mormon

Men, Women, the communication breakdown.

2009-03-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I want to share a small personal story that happened last night. I had a very long day yesterday. My dear little daughter Sophie had decided to wake up around 3:30 A.M. and didn't go down again till after 5 A.M. My wife woke up at 9 A.M. which then woke me up again, and I finally crawled out of bed around noonish. I spent the afternoon playing with Sophie, playing with Twitter, and checking this blog regularly before having to head out for work at 4 P.M.

So I spent the evening till about Midnight at the restaurant, and I walked in the door to our little townhome, and kissed my wife hello. She was doing some dishes and organizing the kitchen like she does normally when she is waiting up for me to come home, and I told her I was tired, was going to shower, and change clothes. So I walked through the living room and was bout to go upstairs when I noticed the large Costco diaper box, my wife's purse, and some other things piled at the base of the stairs. Thinking to my tired self, "I wonder if she wants these things upstairs or down here.." I looked to the kitchen, didn't see her (she was probably around the corner), thought "well, Luiza and Sophie are probably asleep I shouldn't yell to Lisiane and ask if she wants them upstairs, and she didn't say anything when I walked in.." So I figured, if my wife wanted them upstairs she would have asked me to do so.

WRONG WRONG WRONG! So apparently she DID want me to take the items upstairs but I didn't get the clue. She came upstairs a few minutes later very irritated I hadn't taken the box and things upstairs for her. My initial reaction was "Honey, you didn't ask me to, had you asked me to, I would have done it with out complaint" She responded "But I left them at the foot of the stairs.."

And that Ladies and Gentleman is the root of the problem. The Human Race, for whatever God's reason, didn't see fit to bless us with the power of discernment, or the ability to read minds. And this seems to be a major problem in marriages. People can't read minds, and so Open, Honest, Communication needs to happen in couples.

I can't read minds, if you want me to do something, you need to communicate with me in the quickest and simplest manner possible! I don't like mind games, guessing games or trying to guess what YOU MEANT to say. Just be clear, okay? If you want something for your birthday, or an anniversary, or just because you like it, SAY IT! Honey, I WANT THAT! Okay, sure no problem, right away. Or No, sorry you're crazy! It's really not that hard people. Studies show that most marriages fail because of 1) Money and 2) Sex, I would venture a guess that communication problems are right up there in the top 5. You know when those stupid celebrities get married and divorced like a year later and file under Irreconcilable Differences??? Yea that's the legal term for I'm a freakin idiot and can't communicate with my partner.

Okay, so thus ends my rant, post your thoughts, comments, stories, hate mail, etc below,

Until Later,

Liberal Mormon.

Hollywood Loves Polygamy/cults for some reason...

2009-03-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

One of the Tv Shows that I watch on a regular basis is a new show called Dollhouse. Dollhouse stars ironically, a non-practicing Mormon!!

Eliza Dushku was born and raised LDS but since involving herself in Hollywood she is no longer practicing the religion and is relatively famous for being involved in the TV Show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Dollhouse is a show about a group of people who volunteer to be part of company and essentially become "Dolls". They are play toys for multimillionaires. Someone can basically request someone EXACTLY the way they want it, for anything, and this company will wipe clean the memory of one of their dolls, and feed back in anything and everything the client desires for what ever purpose they're paying tons of money for, and when the contract is up, the dolls memory is wiped clean and has no recollection it ever happened. Eliza, is one of these "dolls" and her name is called "echo".

On this past weeks episode "echo" is sent into a sect compound to be the "eyes" for an ATF squad looking to bust a Cult group up because they're stocking up an arsenal of illegal weapons.

What I find astonishing is how similar, and I'm not sure if it was intentional, but probably, this sect was to the Texas Yearning for Zion Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is with the exception the episode does not mention in anyway polygamy. HOWEVER, they do say many things that would imply they were.

During the episode they used many words like Temple, Zion Ranch, the Texas Compound" and one of the sister's name was "Emma" a common LDS name referring back to Emma Smith, the first wife of Joseph Smith back in the 1800s.

Oddly, there is a very strange scripture written on the wall of their "temple" from an Old Testament book The Songs of Solomon Chapter 8 Verse 13that says:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

Of all the scriptures in the old testament why on earth would would the writers of this show choose a book like the Songs of Solomon? This isn't even inspired scripture. They're love letters, some a bit naughty. But my guess is the writers wanted to portray the group as weird and brainwashed as possible kinda like the weird FLDS people they're trying to copy.

So why and the hell is Hollywood so interested in these weirdos? Big love just broke the rules showing the LDS temple ceremony the other night (see previous blog post) and made a lot of people angry, but why does the public have such a fascination with these groups? And why do they continue to try and lump the REAL LDS Church with these splinter groups? Newsflash people, the LDS Church stopped allowing polygamy over a hundred years ago. IT'S OVER!

If you'd like to watch the episode in question you can watch here.

The Big Love Episode (I know how original..)

2009-03-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

So the LDS blogs, Internet Movie Database, and LDS Discussion boards wont stop talking about Big Love and the "temple" episode. No, I haven't seen it yet. Stupid bit torrent downloader is taking all day, only at 50% so hopeful by the time I get home for work tonight it will be ready to watch and I can more accurately weigh in on all the fuss.

However, I've been keeping up what is being said in 2 major forums and the general consensus is that HBO got several things right but the plot and reasons for Barb (the main character) being in the LDS temple in the first place is totally wrong. So, great accuracy in what it looks like, most likely from the Ex-LDS consultant they employed, BUT the show's sub-par writers apparently really messed up the story.

Heres a clip from an LDS member who saw the show on mormonapologetics.com:

A few thoughts on the episode:

1. The whole "Barbara going through the temple" thing is really confusing. The Big Love writers would have us believe that she had never been through the temple before. That being the case, borrowing her mother's or sister's temple recommend wouldn't do anything for her. She would need a recommend for a live ordinance. Her participation in the temple ordinance would be as a proxy for someone else, not for herself.

2. She apparently borrowed a temple recommend from her pious mother or pious sister. It seems pretty unlikely that they would do this.

3. Her mother and sister are in the temple with her. How do three women get into the temple with only two recommends between them?

4. They are sitting in the Celestial Room for a while, then one of the temple matrons approaches and tells them they’re 15 minutes are up. Wha???

5. Apparently there is a fictional letter that purports to be written by Wilford Woodruff. This letter states that the LDS Church never intended to stop practicing polygamy. It's apparently a fairly important plot device to the entire show. And it's fictional.

6. Apparently the people on the show have been arguing over the letter, but somehow the letter ended up with the LDS Church. Some crazy polygamists (modeled after the Ervil LeBaron clan, I think) find out about it and kidnap the young daughter of some LDS character, demanding the letter in return for the girl. The girl's father contacts the LDS Church with the crazies' demands. The LDS Church responds that they will never release the letter (even though they are told that a little girl's life is at stake). Nice.

Also, the shows writers made a major factual error. Barb and Bill are apparently inactive LDS members who apparently were "married in the temple". Both Barb and Bill would have gone through the temple for their own Endowment prior to being MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE. So the fact that she was their doing an endowment for herself (instead of someone who is dead aka proxy) is totally bassackwards.

Plus what upsets me, is that the writers would have us believe that 2 faithful LDS women would simply allow their apostate sibling to USE their temple recommend, like it's a day pass to the spa! Give me a small break. Only an apostate member would care so little about what goes on in the temple to just let anyone do that.

Plus, from what I hear, cause I haven't seen the episode yet, a temple worker apparently tells the ladies "their 15 minutes is up" in the celestial room! LMAO that is truly hilarious. Unless the temple is closing, overloaded, or a member is causing a disruption, would a temple worker as someone to leave.

The Celestial Room, for those of you not in the know, is a very peaceful, celestial room for prayer, meditation, and communion with God. It takes about 2 hours to get into the room in first place, I'm darn well going to spend as much time as I can. It's very Holy, spiritual place. When I'm there I loose sense of time, I am a total peace.

Anyway, I'm sure there will be a follow up to this post once I see the actual episode for myself,

Until then

Liberal Mormon.

Mormon News and general politics: Things going on in the world

2009-03-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

The biggest thing to hit the LDS world in the last week has been HBO's/Big Love's decision to play a flashback scene of the main character's wife remember when she participated in the LDS temple endowment inside the LDS Temple. This is such a big deal to LDS members because even the most liberal of us (Me) find it a very private sacred ceremony, between ME and GOD. Now, many people in the world who watch this show, may not care about what they're going to see, however, in a show that isn't suppose to be about the LDS Church, this scene is completely unnecessary. People aren't really going to understand what is being shown, and they're not going to understand the meaning. Anyway, if you want to follow the ranting and see what people are saying about it, you can read here and here.

Some other interesting stories going on in the world: Elephant bones, from around the time the Book of Ether describes them in the Book of Mormon have been found in Mexico. To read more about it you can find it here.

Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol and her fiancé Levi, called it quits. Why do I care? Because I knew it was crap from the beginning. I have 0 proof about anything, but my feeling was they were forced into because of the political situation her idiot mother, Sarah Palin was in at the time. The fact they didn't even last an engagement period is proof positive they shouldn't have been together in the first place. Forced into marriage as a teenager, sounds Christian to me!

Besides Big Love, it has been a very boring week in the LDS world. When I see the episode I'll get back to anyone who cares, about my thoughts concerning the episode.

Until then,

Liberal Mormon.

How low will jeans go? Hollister's new jean...

2009-02-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

So I was walking at the mall the other day and walked past this male model mannequin and about choked on my coke. I'm not sure about you the reader, but don't you think this pair of jeans is going a bit low? Is this Hollister's new line of jeans for guys?

Penis Cut Jeans:

Feel free to comment below

Liberal Mormon

Mormon News: Mormons on TV, we're becoming popular...

2009-02-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

So I've been on this business trip for about 10 days and have pretty much been confined to my hotel room or the restaurant because of my lack of having a car with me, so I get to watch a lot of TV. One night I saw 2 commercials, by 2 major well known companies, both starring well known Mormons. So what's the deal here? Why are Mormons becoming increasingly more popular on TV? Is it our squeaky clean image? Is it because we're beautiful? What's up? Is it the nation's fascination with the "peculiar people"?

The first commercial I saw was this one starring Julianne Hough, the incredibly beautiful Dancing with the Stars champion, it's a proactive lotion commercial a company made famous by using another hot blond, Jessica Simpson.

The next is Marie Osmond from the famous Mormon family, The Osmonds. She is seen here doing a Nutrisystem commercial and has apparently lost 40 pounds using the system. I'm sure the personal trainer had nothing to do with it either (rolls eyes). Anyway, she looks good for her age.

So post your comments, you are free to say what you like, uncensored, but I can't promise I won't make fun of you back.

As always,

Liberal Mormon

Hello from the road....Salisbury, North Carolina

2009-02-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

Hello people,

This is Matthew, Liberal Mormon Chef, I am on the road at the moment staying in a hotel in Salisbury, North Carolina. I am part of an 18 person team, opening the new Olive Garden in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is opening right next to the Longhorn Steakhouse. For anyone that don't know where that is, it here:

View Larger Map

It has been a very long week, and today I finally have a day off to relax and see my family. As a requirement by the opening director, all team members have to stay in a hotel near the new restaurant so we're all easily accessible and under "one roof" so to speak. So I'm staying in hotel even though I only live about an hour away. It has it's advantages, I don't have to make the 65 mile trip home each night, and I don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to drive back.

So what have a I been doing? Training, training and more training. I am training 5 men on the Appetizer/Grill section of the new Olive Garden kitchen line. What does that mean? Well, the appetizer grill section has about HALF the Olive Garden menu, so I have to demonstrate, how to properly cook each menu item, picture perfect, Olive Garden food. It's not hard work, it's just very long hours, on my feet.

The only other hard thing about the opening, is that hours. I clocked out Wednesday night with 33 hours, after 3 days of work! that's quite a bit considering I work about 35 hours average a week, during a regular week.

The other hard part is not being able to go to church. There is a LDS Chapel very nearby,

View Larger Map

but I will be working Sunday very early and won't be able to attend Sacrament Meeting this week. I will miss going to Church with my family, but our home ward is having Stake Conference anyway, so I'll be missing Sacrament meeting anyway.

I hope all who read this are doing well, their families safe and blessed, and your faith in God strong,

Much love,

Liberal Mormon (aka Matthew).

An Interesting take on James 2:20;26 Faith without works is Hallow...

2009-02-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

So I was watching the best political analyst on TV tonight, Jon Stewart, and he was interview a guy who wrote a book on God in the White House. During the discussion Jon Stewart made reference to James 2:20;26, or a slightly modified version of the verse "Faith without works is...Hallow". He of course was discussing George Bush and was criticizing his supposed faith but lack of "works" or fruit of his faith. This is a scripture quoted a lot in the LDS Church, making the point that if you do not demonstrate your faith by showing it, then there is no point to having faith.

Anyway, the part is 2/3rds of the way through the video around the 4 minute mark. Post your thoughts below, you're even welcome to post anonymously. But if you talk smack, I'll mock you back, like the idiot below on my Master Mason blog post.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Randall Balmer

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

My Next Car: Smart Car Crash test at 70 MPH!

2009-02-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

I want one of these cool little smart cars. This is a crash test show what one would look like at 70 MPH.

Unfortunately nobody could survive this crash, but it is cool to see the integrity of the car hold up during such a nasty crash!

Master Mason

2009-01-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

I was raised to the degree of Master Mason today in Speculative Freemasonry.

You can't see it very well but I have a pin on my shirt pocket that they gave me. They also gave me the black guide book for North Carolina and the Freemasonry edition of the Holy Bible.

Another Photo of yours truly in front of our house with the books and pin the lodge gave me.

What this Latter-Day Saint can't wait to see.....

2009-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

So there is a long list of what appears to be very good movies coming out in 2009 and I can't wait to see them. I've compiled a long list thanks to Yahoo.com and IMDB.com. Now, if you are under the age of 17 you may not be able to gain admittance to see a few of them in the theater without a parent, but if you're over 17 enjoy, the MPAA is just a guide for parents anyway.

I will start off with what is in movie theaters now, however I must confess I see very few movies at the actual cinema. They cost WAY too much money, usually $7 to $10 just to get in, and another $5 to $10 just for popcorn soda. Why pay that when I can wait till DVD and watch them on my 32 inch flat Samsung TV?

I saw 1 movie at the cinema during the year 2008, and it was The Dark Knight. So without further ado here is my list for 2009 of movies I'm looking forward to see (probably on DVD).

1. Yes Man: In theaters as of now, starring Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey makes a pact with a motivational speaker to say "Yes to everything" for a year to see how his life ends up. Sounds similar to the comedy of Liar, Liar but people who have seen it say there isn't much of the usually Jim Carrey potty humor. From the trailer, it looks hilarious, and I can't wait till it comes out on DVD.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Starring Brad Pitt, is now in theaters. I love Pitt, one of my favorite all time movies is Troy. A movie about a man born old and who ages backwards. Just that line alone interests me in seeing it.

3. Defiance: Coming out January 16th , stars Daniel Craig (007 badass). Basic Plot: Three Jewish brothers escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and others in danger. I want to see 1 because of Daniel Craig, but 2 because it sounds like a good war-time movie.

4. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: Coming out January 23rd, it is the Prequel to the widely popular Underworld series. Unfortunately the movie does not have the very beautiful Kate Beckinsale, because IT IS A PREQUEL. The story chronicles the rise of the wolf race from being slaves to the vampires, to become their enemies and the major battle that has caused the war between these 2 races. This movie, from the trailer looks awesome.

5. Push: This movie has Heroes in China written all over it. It does however have Dakota Fanning in it who caught this bloggers attention when she was in the Sci-Fi series Taken. She is also in the movie Coraline the animated movie done in the Night Before Christmas style stop animation. Push trailer

6. The International: An action flick with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts the world's largest bank is involved in more than banking. Anyone who has tried to prove it disappears or ends up dead. Sounds like a great movie, you can see the trailer here. It comes out February the 13th.

7. Duplicity: A very clever spy movie that has a very similar style to Ocean's 11 with out the other 9 people involved. Two spies get hired at competing corporations to try and scam them out of a major new development and walk away millionaires. Starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Comes out March 20th. Here's the trailer.

8. The Ugly Truth: Our lovely Jack-Mormon Katherine Heigl and Gerrard Butler star in a romantic comedy. Gerrard is chauvinistic pig who has his own tv show, and Heigl is his very insecure producer who has major problems finding a decent guy. Butler decides to help her out through a bet that he can help her. IF he loses he will quit his TV show that Heigl hates. Enjoy the trailer, it looks cute. In theaters April 3rd.

9. Fast & Furious: OH MY GOODNESS ARE YOU SERIOUS? Yes, I am, they're doing another one. HOWEVER!, this one is going to be as good as or better than the original. Why? Because the freakin trailer is better than both the other 2 sequals combined, AND, EVERYONE from the original movie is back for this one including Vin Diesel. This comes out April 3rd unfortunately, I am crazy to see this.

10. Crank 2: High Voltage: The sequel to the super action film Crank starring Jason Statham. I have an interest in seeing this film for 1 reason only: HOW THE HELL DID HE SURVIVE? I have no idea, but the way Hollywood invents fiction, it could be ANYTHING. This comes out April 17th. There is still not a trailer for this movie. If I find one, I'll post it.

11. The Soloist: From the director of Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, Starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. looks like a truly heart warming powerful movie. Don't take my word for it, watch the trailer. A down on his luck report finds a gifted musician living on the street. A former Julliard graduate, and now homeless, Downey and Foxx strike up a powerful friendship. The trailer alone got my eyes a little wet. The IMDB lists this in April 24th but it looks like it has been pushed back to November according to the trailer.

12. X-Men Origins: Wolverine: HELL YEA! I can't wait for this movie to come out. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out till May 1st! NOOOOO! That's a long time. Anyway, this is a prequel to the other X-Men movies showing how Wolverine, became Wolverine. It covers his falling out with Victor Creed, and his eventual entrance into the Weapons X program. The trailers show precious little unfortunately for fans who can't get enough....

13. Star Trek: Now let it be know, I do not like Star Trek AT ALL. I think the TV shows are cheesy and stupid, I think the movies were dumb. But THIS, this, looks good. Why? It was done by J.J. Abrahams the super genius behind Alias, Lost, Cloverfield, and now Star Trek. And the trailer looks bad ass. The super villain from Heroes, Sylar got a major part: Spock. There are some intimate scenes in the movie it looks like from the trailer, but early reports from the Studio there is no nudity. It is slated for release a week after Wolverine, which is a good thing, May 8th.

14. Angels & Demons: The Dan Brown book and now major motion picture, continues the story of Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and is the prequel to the book The Da Vinci Code. Personally, I was disappointed by the first movie because I love Dan Brown's books. I hope they do a better job with this second movie. The story revolves around the secret cult the Illuminati long thought to be dead. 4 candidates for the new Pope are kidnapped and painfully murdered. Hanks, has to figure out who is doing it and why. The trailer unfortunately sucks, and shows very little....Comes out May 15th

15.Terminator Salvation: The 4th movie in the series looks awesome. I was originally irritated to learn they were doing a 4th film because the 3rd film was dumb. However, they got Christian Bale to sign on as John Connor and are making it POST-Judgement day. SO this promises to be good. The trailer looks great but flies by so fast it is hard to really get good looks at what is going to happen. There are all kinds of new terminating machines from Moto bots to what looks like a giant machine the size of a house. It is slated to be released May 22nd.

16. Night at the Museum 2 Battle of the Smithsonian: Coming out May 22nd. Another sequel this year, this one made my list only because I love Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller.

The first one was cute and a bit cheesy but I think I'll probably see this one when it comes out. It looks like a cute family film with some good jokes. Here's the trailer.

17. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: This movie is under complete secrecy. There are so many rumors flying about that no one but the director really knows the truth about it. The release date isn't until June 26th and the damn trailer for the movie won't even come out until the Superbowl on Feb 1st! OH THE HORROR! I think the funniest thing I've heard about this movie was the fact Megan Fox (Smoking hot Megan Fox) had to lose 15 pounds to be in the movie or be recast because she had apparently gotten a bit chubby since the first movie.

18. Public Enemies: Christian Bale and Johnny Depp, do I need to say anymore??? This is a 1930s Gangster movie based on the real life story of the FBI's first Public Enemy Number 1. Bale is a FBI Agent, and Depp is the notorious John Dillinger the famous depression era bank robber. Dillinger is so good, the newly formed FBI has to bring in real gun slingers and initiate them as agents to finally catch Dillinger. Coming out July 1st.

19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Daniel, Emma, and Rupert are back for the 6th movie and fans are going crazy in anticipation. It was originally slated for the 2008 holiday season but got pushed back because of special effect and editing reasons. Reset for July 17th, there are currently no other movies brave enough to open that same weekend. Here is the theatrical trailer.

20. Inglourious Basterds: I have 5 words for you: Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt. Need I say more? Well, I will anyway. This is yet another WWII movie. Jewish-American soldiers chosen to go after Nazis. No trailer yet, but it sounds good. Comes out August 21st.

21. The Wolf Man: A remake of the 1940s black & white film is finally being made, starring none other thanBenicio Del Toro. It unfortunately is scheduled to be released until NOVEMBER!

Well people that is about it for now, very little is scheduled for August, September, and October but hopefully something decent.

If you're reading this, please comment, I'd love to hear your input, anonymous or not.

Mormon News: Mormon World & News Report

2008-12-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

I apologize to anyone that has been waiting for something new of me lately. I have had a busy last few weeks. Most of the news going on in the Mormon/LDS world has revolved around SSM/Prop 8 and frankly there are more interesting things going on than the latest gay group upset about the LDS Church's involvement. Besides, the so called "boycott" by the Gay and Lesbian community, is already coming to an end: Here

The first interesting bit of info that has come across my computer is the Washington Post's interest in Jon Huntsman Jr as a possible 2012 Presidential candidate. LMAO! Right, maybe he should get together with Mitt Romney and talk about that one first. Mitt's religion whether he wants to admit or not played a major reason in him NOT getting chosen for the Republican nomination. Obama destroyed the Republican party in 2008. While I like Huntsman a lot more than Romney, I think Huntsman would have to start TODAY in campaigning for him to even have a chance at the primaries in 2011 or whenever they are. And even if by some miracle he were to be chosen, he'd still have to face Obama in the Presidential race, and after McCain's butt whooping, I seriously doubt he has a shot.

Second, and more important, the first volume in the Joseph Smith Journals are out and on sale by Deseret Books. For direct info on the project go here. According to reports, all 12,000+ copies of the first printing edition are sold out. 2nd printing are to come soon apparently and you can find some copies on Ebay.com up for sale by some ass-clowns that think the book is "VERY RARE" and that it's worth from $250 to $1000. Don't be fooled. A second coming is coming soon. I for one, are planning to pick this book up to read when I can get a copy at reasonable price, or borrow it.

On Friday the 12 of December the loser who shot and killed 1 missionary in and wounding another in Virginia was found guilty of murder finally by a jury. The Jury sentenced him to 38 years of well deserved prison time. With some luck, he'll spend most of that time in jail, more than likely however, he will be out in 20 or less. What is so tragic in this case was that these to missionaries were simply in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time. The man who shot them was convinced that they witnessed the other shooting. Fortunately, the real justice will be done in the afterlife, when the shooter, meets his maker.

PERU: On the 13th the First Presidency released the news that a new temple is going up in Peru, to bring the South American total up to 17. For more info click here. Interesting enough, the man who organized the first Stake (group of congregations) in the city where the temple is to be built, is none other than Thomas S. Monson the current President and Prophet of the church.

And lastly, the LDS Church has joined the Blog revolution by adding a new widget on their website allowing people like ME, to add them to their perspective blogs to get updated info directly from the LDS Church.

There is a lot of other news going on in the LDS world, but it's mostly gay and really homosexual so I'm going to skip it for now.

Until next time,

Liberal Mormon

Jon Stewart talks about Prop 8 and black community

2008-12-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Proposition 8

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Is the Black community homophobic? They voted yes on Prop 8 in California Nov 4th by a very wide margin.

The victory over homosexuals in a large part is due to their turn out. Where is the backlash from the gay

and lesbian support of Prop 8 like there has been to the LDS Church? The answer: There isn't any. Why?

Because it would be "racist" to say anything bad about a group of people of a different skin color. It would

be evil to boycott black owned businesses because they voted for Prop 8. It would racist to force a black

man out of business or a job because of his disapproval of gay marriage. But if that

man is LDS? Sure go ahead, go on and bash the big bad LDS Church and publicly humiliate him.

Anyway, Jon and Larry discuss the Black communities support of the proposition, my favorite quote:

Jon: "What do you call 2 black guys who have gay sex?" Larry: "Cellmates"

More Famous LDS Members as added by people commenting

2008-12-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

So I've been getting comments and emails about people whom I've "forgotten" to mention on the Mormon n Famous blog post so I decided to post the comments and then add to it.

You forgot Eliza Dushku, best known for playing Faith on TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was born and raised LDS but is no longer a practicing member.

Roseanne Barr, grew up in Utah and raised partially LDS, partially Jewish, definitely not practicing now.

And infamously, Ted Bundy passed through a lot of religions, including a period where he was baptized in the LDS church, attended the University of Utah and stalked victims in the SLC and Utah County areas. A lot of biographies will list his religion as "Mormon," even though he was later Hindu and may have claimed to be a born-again Christian by the time of his execution.

Donny & Marie Osmond are still famous and being seen. Donny was in a fairly new Weird Al video "White and Nerdy" and Marie was "Dancing with the Stars", and I heard passed out once after one of her dances because she wasn't breathing right during the dance...

Wilford Brimley, the guy people know from the diabetes commercials, but I know him from Ewoks II: The Battle for Endor and Cocoon.

Billy Barty from UHF, Masters of the Universe, Willow, Legend.

Don Bluth, producer/director of
Titan A.E., Anastasia, The Pebble and the Penguin, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Fievel Goes West, Land Before Time, The Secret of NIMH, The Rescuers, Winnie the Pooh, Robin Hood, etc. Some of my favorite animated films of all time.
Being a liberal Mormon, I'm surprised you didn't include senate majority leader Harry Reid.

Derek and Julianne Hough are a new brother/sister duel that have recent become famous from the hit tv show Dancing with the stars. Julianne won in 2007 and is back this year with her brother Derek. She is a gorgeous blonde singer/dancer/actress.

Ken Jennings Is apparently famous in some circles. He won Jeopardy a record 74 times and is now a multi-millionaire.

David Archuleta was one of the last 2 contestants on the last season of American Idol. He just released his new self titled CD.

These are the more recent ones I've seen in the news. You can send me names of anyone else that makes the news.

Mormon News: Aftermath of Prop 8 for the LDS Church

2008-12-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

Books burning,

Threats being made,

scare tactics happening,

people protesting,

vandalism to buildings,

and people being "blacklisted",

AntiGayBlacklist.com

sounds like a revolution or rebellion in a 3rd world country doesn't it?

Wrong, all of this has happened here in the good ol' U.S. of A during the last 4 weeks! Who,what where, why might you ask?? Who: The LGBC or the "Lesbian, Gay, Bi community" is who. What: A major backlash against the passing of legislature in California affectionately known as Prop 8. Where: The principal backlash has been in California, however the affects are being felt in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New York, D.C. and even parts of New England.

Why: Good question, why is this backlash happening? Because the Gay community are spoiled children. The Republican Party got their asses kicked in this last election. Obama destroyed McCain but where is the Republican backlash? Where are the protestors? Where is the vandalism to Democrat headquarters, or threats to private citizens who voted for Obama? Where are the people who got fired because Obama won? The Answer? There aren't any!!

The Homosexual community lost in a fair and open ballot vote. Why are you acting in a way that is only hurting your cause? Do you not realize that your reaction is only turning independent voters, and liberals even against you? You have lost me as a supporter that is for sure. Prior to the vote, I had no real beef with gays wanting to get married. Now after your public smear campaign of my religion the Gay community won't receive any support from me.

Quit acting like spoiled children who throw fits when they don't get what they want!

If you want more info on these events check out theses links:

LA Temple Protests

Vandalism in California

Vandalism in Utah

Boycott of Sundance

Interesting article written by a gay editor

Book of Mormon arson attempt

LDS First Presidency responds to Aftermath

White powder sent to temples in fake terrorist/scare tactic

LDS website hacked by Prop 8 Opponents

Seattle website about Siege against Mormons

Online Wall Street Journal about Prop 8

Here comes the Obama junk.....

2008-11-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

I saw an infomercial last night that just had me shaking my head.

We have Jesus Junk:

We have Mormon Junk:

and now we have presidential junk:

OBAMA WINS!!!!

2008-11-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

I'm too tired to blog tonight but when I have more energy I'll post my thoughts here for anyone who cares to read.

Truly a great night in American History!

Jon Stewart rips on Gov Palin's rude comments about "real Americans"

2008-10-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart rips on Gov Palin for her rude remarks concerning "real America".

One-on-One with Jon Stewart and his impact on 2008 Election

2008-10-31T02:06:00.000-07:00

Great 3 minute clip with some nice in site into Jon Stewart and his journey durning the last 12 years doing elections/politics:

Governor Palin: From Jon Stewart with Love

2008-10-31T01:49:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else sick of this election yet? Why can't it be over already???? Oh well, 4 more days.....

Mormon News: Responding to the Anti-Mormon criticism of LDS Humanitarian AID

2008-09-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Having recently visited several anti-mormon sites and heard nothing but garbage criticism of the LDS Church concerning the redevelopment project going on around Temple Square, I thought it would be a valuable to post some of the info, for any one that cared, about what is happening world wide and stateside with humanitarian aid from the LDS Church.

From Mormon News:Here

CANADA
LDS Church members helped collect a "world record" amount of food donations in Calgary. More than 7,000 LDS volunteers distributed bags to nearly 360,000 homes and businesses in Calgary before returning to pick up the goods. Volunteers counted each trailer filled with food brought to the Food Bank warehouse, and the results will be sent to Guinness World Records' head office in London, according to the Calgary Sun.

MICHIGAN
Here's a heartwarming story of an LDS man turning his yard into a garden in Genesee. Charles Beeler credits God with giving him the idea to replace his yard with a cornfield. He gives away the corn and other produce. "The people really need something to believe in, something extra to know that the Lord is watching out for them in these times," he told the Flint Journal.

GUYANA
The LDS Church made it possible for some $4 million worth of items to be handed over to 36 schools in East Berbice. The schools each received educational supplies and hygiene kits, among other items.

Humanitarian missionary Elder Charles Tanner said that this service is offered around the world. So far, 20 projects have been sponsored in Guyana this year. On Sept. 9, the church presented 200 wheelchairs to the Health Ministry, according to the Kaieteur News.

GHANA
Church members cleaned up hospitals and other institutions serving the needy and poor. The church launched its Service Africa Project at Essikadu near Sekondi, according to Modern Ghana.

UGANDA
A water and sanitation project funded by LDS Charities helped fund 40 boreholes and shallow wells.

"Despite the fact that sanitation remains one of the biggest development challenges in Uganda today with 440 people mainly children dying of diarrhea every day, Kamuli has changed this trend drastically. The boreholes were drilled in the sub-counties of Butansi, Nabwigulu and Balawoli and some rehabilitated under the water and sanitation project,"according to theDaily Monitor.

SIERRA LEONE
The church sponsored a two-day child delivery training for nurses in Bo following a similar training at the church's headquarters on Dwarzark Farm in Freetown. Medical doctor David Gourley said the training was designed to equip nurses how to carry out safe delivery, adding that training of nurses was one of five projects the church has sponsored, according to the Concord Times.

ILLINOIS
The Herald & Review reported that volunteers from the LDS Church and other Decatur-area churches helped make 700 quilts for ill and traumatized youngsters during Make A Blanket Day of Project Linus. A church cultural hall was the setting for the event.

INDIANA
With packaged goods from the LDS welfare system, about 200 volunteers distributed food to needy residents in Charlestown.

"We're just trying to replenish people's refrigerators and help them get back on their feet," Dave Fielding, branch president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told the News and Tribune.

PENNSYLVANIA
Quilts and hygiene kits are some of the ongoing projects of the Stroudsburg Ward members. Completed items also include baby layettes, blankets and other supplies. These are sent from the local congregation, as well as from congregations all over the world, to a storage center in Salt Lake City where food and other materials are gathered and stored, ready for quick response to a need, according to the Pocono Record.

ARIZONA
In an effort to honor the lives lost on that terrible morning, the LDS Church organized the 9-11 Community Day of Service in Page. Event organizers hope to honor 9-11 victims by giving back to those locally in need, according to the Lake Powell Chronicle

TEXAS
According to Fort Bend Now, volunteers from the LDS Church have been donating hundreds of hours throughout the greater Houston area, including Fort Bend County, helping in cleanup efforts following Hurricane Ike.

"The volunteer efforts began on the Saturday following the storm and continued through the following Tuesday, with an average of 150 people participating each day. The church volunteer relief efforts resumed over the weekend and are expected to continue for the next several months."

CALIFORNIA
After an Emergency Preparedness Fair in Gridley, those in the community are more aware of how to prepare for an emergency. Individuals were encouraged to roam from booth to booth in the Gridley LDS Ward's cultural hall and listen to preparedness presentations. Volunteers distributed handouts containing descriptions, Web sites and
contacts, according to The Gridley Herald.

FLORIDA
The Gainesville Times reported:

"As part of their efforts for a new church in South Hall, area Mormons are spearheading an effort to spruce up Flowery Branch in a cleanup day set for Oct. 18.

" 'We thought this would be a good introduction to Latter-day Saints for the folks in Flowery Branch, to let them know we care about the city, we care about that area, and we want to do our part ... to make (the city) more attractive and help keep it up,' he said. The church is building a meetinghouse off Cash Road. The building could be finished in late spring or early summer next year."

LIBERAL MORMON CHEF SAYS: To any doubting member or critic of the LDS Church, do you need any more proof the LDS Church is a Christian organization? We give freely of time, service, money and products to millions of people world wide, the above examples are a small fraction of what we do regularly.

Anti-Mormons trying to flex their muscles...

2008-09-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

Enemies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are attempting to flex their muscles and spread more and more lies about the LDS church, here are some recent examples in the media lately.

NEW BOOK SHOWS ANTI-MORMON BIAS HURT HIM DURING HIS CAMPAIGN.

While some will say that Romney lost the election because he wasn't qualified to be president, others disagree and say it was due in a large part due to opposition to his religion. A new book published discusses the topic:

http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_10395456

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign exposed an undercurrent of anti-Mormon bigotry in this country, mostly coming from the religious right, LDS historian Craig Foster argues in a new book published this week. Foster, who has studied historic anti-Mormon pamphlets and tracts, acknowledges that several factors including Romney's own changing positions, his aloofness and his image as a wealthy elitist contributed to his loss. But he also believes religion played a huge role.

"Romney's campaign was burdened by a piece of baggage that he would not and could not throw off and which he could not explain in a way the electorate could understand: his Mormonism," Foster writes in the conclusion of A Different God? Mitt Romney, the Religious Right and the Mormon Question. "[It] became his Achilles' heel. It attracted a phenomenal amount of scrutiny and comment, and Romney's strategy of first, refusing to discuss it, and second, of trying to translate it into terms acceptable to Evangelicals, simply fell flat."

Foster offers numerous examples of what he sees as religious bigotry, starting with polls, revealing how many Americans would not vote for a Mormon from 43 percent in November 2006 to 30 percent in May 2007. He describes media bias, noting a Pew Forum report that 35 percent of all religion-related campaign stories between January 2007 and April 2008 focused on Romney; only 4 percent looked at Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

"It's been nearly half a century since our political journalism has witnessed anything quite as breath-takingly noxious and offensive as the current attempt to discredit the former Massachusetts' governor for his faith," Foster quotes Tim Rutten of The Los Angeles Times as saying.

On the whole, journalists covering Romney's campaign who called the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "were not as knowledgeable about Mormon history and doctrine," LDS spokeswoman Kim Farah told Foster. "There [were] probably more negative than positive articles as a result of the campaign."

But Foster reserves his most detailed criticism for the religious right, especially Huckabee supporters. Foster believes anti-Mormon sentiment fueled Huckabee's win in Iowa, the beginning of the end for Romney in a state he was predicted to win.

This spring a group of Evangelicals launched a "No Mitt VP" campaign, and, according to Fox News reporter Molly Henneberg, many of the signers were Huckabee supporters. Though many Evangelicals denied Romney's Mormonism was an issue, columnist Robert Novak in October 2007 noted that everywhere he went Romney's religious affiliation was cited "as the source of opposition to his candidacy."

Foster has captured many of the highlights of Romney's campaign as it wrestled with how to deal with his Mormon faith. The full text of Romney's "religion" speech in December 2007 is printed in the appendix. Though Foster's perspective is not original, Romney "addicts" will enjoy his detailed descriptions and analysis of the 18-month ride with one of their own in the national spotlight.

The book also will provide an important base of information for Romney's future political plans. Though Romney now says he's not interested in a cabinet level position or a 2012 run at the presidency, Foster feels certain Romney will try again. "The American nation," Foster writes, "has not seen the last Romney campaign."

Personally this blogger thinks Romney lost, even though he was LDS, because he is a poor candidate who said things he shouldn't have said, like this from the RNC "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."

Fact: Bush has been in office for 8 years. Democrats didn't have control of Congress until last year, which means Republicans have been in control for 7 years under the Bush administration. Democrats didn't have control of the House and Senate until 2007. And why do you think we (the Democrats) won control? BECAUSE OF 7 YEARS OF BUSH AND REPUBLICANS FLUSHING THIS COUNTRY DOWN THE TOILET. The G.O.P. has no one to blame but themselves.

http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=01b3e8cb-9675-414f-91b2-aff0c4902f62

In other news,

billboards have begun to appear in highly concentrated areas of LDS population in Phoenix, Utah, and Idaho. www.PostMormon.org has begun advertising on billboards in LDS communities. Some people are upset in the East Valley of Phoenix, as the billboard in this area comes too soon after several attacks on LDS youth just because they were LDS.

A billboard in Chandler is drawing attention from Mormons and former followers alike. The Utah-based group Post-Mormon has placed a billboard at the corner of Gilbert Road and Chandler Boulevard in an attempt to reach out to ex-Mormons who feel abandoned by their friends and family.

It features a family with a note that reads, "You're not alone!" as well as the web address postmormon.org. The East Valley Tribune spoke with Post-Mormon founder Jeff Ricks who said the Chandler site was chosen because of the high concentration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Seven other billboards for the organization have been placed in Utah and Idaho for the same reason. Ricks founded Post-Mormon in 2002 just after he formally asked to have his name removed from church rolls. He said felt lonely and "kind of deserted" by his church friends when he stopped attending. "I lived for eight years thinking I was the only person in the Cache Valley that had left the church," Ricks told the Tribune.

The Tribune also spoke to Don Evans, spokesman for the Mormon church in Arizona and president of the Mesa Mountain View Stake, who said he did not know about the billboard until the newspaper contacted him.

"I think it is another instance of people who have decided to leave the church," said Evans. "Generally, what we find is that oftentimes people who leave the church don't leave quietly." He told the Tribune they sometimes "leave bitterly and want to make some sort of statement."

Ricks said when he stopped being involved in the church in 1993 he didn't know how to meet non-Mormon people, which prompted him to form the group and then create the website in 2004, which he told the Tribune gets seven to eight million site visits a month.

Post-Mormon has 46 chapters around the world, including Eruope and South America.

While critics of the LDS Church claim this isn't an attack on the LDS Church but just a way to help and support people who have left the LDS Church. LDS members see it as yet another open forum for people to attack and say negative things about the Church.

And finally:

http://www.wnct.com/nct/lifestyles/faith_values/article/mormon_woman_says_she_lost_job_because_of_faith/17865/

Associated Press
Published: September 4, 2008

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) - A woman who says she lost her job because she’s Mormon is suing three mobile-home parks in California.

Judy Clark says she was suspended and never asked to return to her job as a mobile-home saleswoman in 2003. She says just a few weeks earlier, she had found a memo that referred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a cult, and said its activities should be banned from the parks.

Parks co-owner Tim Manthei says Clark’s suspension was based purely on performance, and that members of all faiths are welcome as employees. In the lawsuit, Clark says she’s owed nearly $90,000 in sales commissions and other damages. The case is set to go to trial September 15th.

I hope she sues the hell out those people and ends up the owner of the business.

How Obama can win the Election.....

2008-09-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have had many discussions with co-workers and other random people about their feelings surrounding Obama and his choice of VP. Many, myself included, are very disappointed that Hillary was not chosen. Now, as a result of that, Palin, was chosen by McCain and he is doing everything in their power to steal the upset Hillary supporters.

Well, there is a major solution to this problem. OBAMA ARE YOU THERE???? HELLO???? ANYONE CNN?? FOX NEWS?? ANYONE? GOOGLE?? SOMEONE GET OBAMA'S ATTENTION PLEASE!

During the debates, or in an appropriate national forum, or even at a MAJOR rally with lots of press, have Hillary show up and announce, that IF ELECTED, he give Hillary, Condeliza Rice's job.

This would be a great compromise for the Hillary supporters. They would get a powerful woman in control like they wanted, and have the White House controlled by a strong Democratic black man. Many of these independant voters the media keeps talking about would finally swing back, and OBAMA WILL CRUSH McCAIN.

OBAMA did this to himself, but he can get himself out of the tight spot he's in, by simply mentioning there is a major job spot waiting for Hillary if he is elected.

My story, and the LDS Church

2008-08-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have no idea if this story interests any of you but here it goes:

My name is Matthew Cannon Glenn and I am a liberal Mormon Chef. Please don't hold either the fact I am Mormon or Liberal against me. I will attempt to describe to you, the anonymous reader, how I arrived where I am today.

Born on January 4, 1978 in Mesa, Arizona to parents Paul and Elizabeth. I am the Great-Great-Grandson of George Q. Cannon a well known historical member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Apostle. My Great Grandfather Sylvester Cannon was also an Apostle of the LDS Church. Having said that, my family has a long history in the Church on both sides.

My family grew up in a small house in Mesa, AZ I was the 4th child of 6. There were 8 of us in a small 3 bedroom 2 bath house. My parents moved to Mesa from Colorado after my Dad got tired of practicing law (He graduated from Berkeley Law in the late 1960s)after only a few years of practice. He took a position with Cardon Homes in Mesa and my family moved to Mesa where I was born.

I was alive for 3 years when my problems in this world began and my faith began to be tried. From what I have been told I was playing in our small living room when I suddenly collapsed and began to start shaking and trembling on the floor. Scared, my Mom immediately called the paramedics, who arrived after it had stopped and conclude that it was something along the lines of low blood sugar similar to a diabetic seizure. Some time later I went to a basketball game to see the Harlem Globetrotters with my Dad and some friends. At the game I had another and collapsed in the stands. I was rushed to the hospital where they finally decided to give me a MRI. It was this machine that saved my life.

The MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine was very new technology having only been approved for human use in 1977 only 4 years before. They found a benign brain tumor. I was admitted and prepared a short time later. I have very little memory of the whole event with the exception of a reoccurring nightmare of waking up connected to tubes like in the movie The Matrix:

I do however need to return a bit in the story to a spiritual experience my Father and his friend Edward Smith had before I actually went into surgery. Our congregation decided to have a special fast for my full recovery. During the weekend of the fast, my Father and Edward both had separate visions of the same event without the other knowing about. I say visions not in the sense of Joseph Smith, but a dream. My Father later related that he had a vision and saw me as a young adult man about the age of 19, or in LDS terms, missionary age. He was very relieved but also sadden wondering why he wasn't able to see beyond the age of 19. Why not mission and marriage etc? Edward later told my Father about him having the same dream but he saw me at the pulpit after returning from my mission.

Content for the moment that I would survive the operation I was admitted and everything went off without a hitch. After a few days I was released and came home. I had to relearn how to talk a little as I had a slight speech problem and a slight limp. Looking back today I almost feel like I lost the first 4 years of my life and started over. I have always identified with a younger crowd for some reason.
Six months after the operation, I went in for another MRI and they found that the tumor had come back with a vengeance. I had to go back under the knife. This time the doctors were more liberal in removing brain cells surrounding the tumor. I had radiation treatment as well. Because of this I have been bald all my life since the operation. I have a metal plate and screws in my head. Shortly after my recovery my family moved into a larger house in Phoenix and my parents purchased an even larger house that they proceeded to pretty much gut and rebuild on top of Camelback Mountain.

We have now fast forwarded in time and I am now 12ish. My father for some reason still hadn't accepted the fact that in his private dream/vision he couldn't see past me being 19. I guess the fact I was now almost a teenager he began to get nervous something would happen to me. One night while the E. Rockridge Rd house was under construction my Father went up to the house to be a lone and pray. He asked God why he'd only seen me at 19 and why not longer. Completely alone in the house he heard a voice call him by name saying "Paul, Matthew's life depends on you". Obviously startled he left the house quickly.

I wish I had the actual letter to quote him word for word however, they're boxed up with other things in Phoenix. During high school I battled severe a.d.d. problems barely made it through school with a C average. Drugs and medications didn't help and only made me hyper and jittery. I had dating issue and always thought no one liked me. I even thought (probably during puberty) I might be gay as no females had any interest in me. Imagining the thought of kissing a man about made me puke so that thought was quickly thrown out.
In my Senior year I met a girl by the name Julie and we dated seriously for about 9 months until she went on vacation in San Diego and came home confessing she'd cheated and only wanted to be "friends". Devastated I was depress for a long time. I dated another girl who I was madly in love with behind her psycho Dad's back. He was Nazi, not literally, but pretty close.

About this time my Father broke some ribs in Tae Kwon Do and they never healed. Finally, after my Mother bugged my Father for months, he went to the doctor and got an X-ray, what he found out changed my family's life forever. He had skin cancer that had spread into his body. He claimed on a Sunday afternoon in our dinning room that with good treatment he had 5 years or more to live, best case scenario. 5 months later, he was gone, along with any testimony I had for the LDS Church.

The major problem with my testimony about the LDS Church was I didn't have one, so loosing my Father, meant loosing my testimony as well. I went to church because he told me too. I went because I loved being with him. With him gone, I had nothing.

I spent the next 2 years doing many things I regret today. Sex, Drugs, and Rock N' Roll is what musicians do, and pretty much that's what I was involved in. My friends worked to get high and drunk. When you associate with those kinds of people you end up getting mixed up with it. I wasn't happy, I was just trying to kill the pain. About 12 months into my falling away with the LDS church I moved into a house full of return LDS missionaries all attending ASU. One in particular Nate, was an awesome guy who had everything going for him, good grades, strong testimony, beautiful girl friend (later wife), and I was envious. I wanted that too.

I started going back to church, but with no real commitment. I still did things I shouldn't have but habits die hard. It came to a point when I was at party with these friends and I was walking through the house in a smokey stupper. There were people passed out, people puking, random people having sex on the couch, bedrooms, and all manner of crap going on. I looked around and decided I was done. I didn't see any future in this, and it wasn't fun. I quit it all and started to go back to church actively. It took me a year but I cleaned myself up at 21.5, I got a mission call to Fortaleza, Brazil.
More later if you choose to read this. I must stop for the moment. This is a work in progress.

Part 2 the Mission.

Prior to putting my papers in with my Bishop, I had a discussion with him concerning how difficult that going be for me, spiritually but also mentally. I told him (the bishop) that I really felt I needed to go on a foreign mission somewhere VERY far from Phoenix, AZ. "Why?" Was his response. Because this is/was the hardest decision of my life, and if I get sent to somewhere like PROVO, UT then I am going to have a very hard time paying attention and keeping focused. I need to go somewhere very far a way, half way around the globe so if I get weak, and want to go home, the flight home and cost of a ticket will be a major deterrent. I didn't want to go somewhere I could grab a quick flight home or even a greyhound bus. He listen, made some notes and sent me on my way to talk to the Stake President. I repeated my concerns to him and he made notes, and sent me on my way. 3 months later, I received my call to Fortaleza.

I have no idea if my concerns swayed my leaders or even if they wrote any of them down. Probably the Lord was listening, and he inspired the Apostle in charge of missionary callings, to send me where I was sent. Because of my mission, my life was changed forever, again.

I arrived in Provo and was grouped with a very diverse group of young men, 10 of us, all going to different parts of Brazil. 4 of going to Fortaleza, 2 going to Rio de Janeiro, and 4 going to Brasilia. 4 of the 10 were not from Utah and I quickly became friends with the more liberal and more relaxed members of the "district" or group of guys. Particularly with Joseph Hiatt, a young man from Charlotte, who is in part, part of the reason we live in Charlotte.

Learning Portuguese 12 hours a day 6 days a week was the hardest thing I'd ever attempted in my life. Following strict rules was even harder. Being older than the typical 19 year old missionary and closer in age to most of the Sisters, I was a bit more independent and had spent time a way from home and living on my own. I found it very difficult to being told when to wake up, when to eat, what to wear, and when to go to bed. My rebelious attitude caused some issues in our group and almost devided our district as time went on, as there were several ultra conservative, never left Utah, Elders in our group and I didn't get along with such narrow minded people.

Finally we got sent to Sao Paulo, SP Brazil to the Missionary Training Center in Brazil and the real adjustment began. No air conditioning, no hot water, weird food and not being able to leave the 6th story building without an escort, I thought I was going to go crazy. I'm surpised I didn't go hungry. I think I survived by eating rice, bread rolls, and butter. Doing nothing but study Portuguese, Scripture, and Eat for 12 hours a day for a month did however make me fat. I left the MTC 190 LBS which for me, who was 6' tall 160 LBS my senior year at Arcadia High, was super fat.

The shock of being in Brazil was nothing I'd experienced before, the humidity, the language, the weird food (Feijoada- aka "random pig parts chili") I loved looking at everything. I would not really begin to gain a testamony of the LDS church until my first area in Fortaleza, a small city considered the "interior" of the state of Ceara, called: Maranguape.

Now if a movie ever got made of my life, and I loved to write a script with someone if you know in any Hollywood let me know, THIS is the point the movie would begin.

The airplane landed in Fortaleza to a very beautiful, no, GORGEOUS beach side city out one window, and military armed air force planes out the other.

Got a spare $50k to $250k that is all it costs to live here beach side.

My initial thoughts were "Where the hell am I?" War planes on one side of me and a beautiful beach just down the road? We had a great lunch with President and Sister Arias, and then met our trainers. I was upset, I got a Brazilian. I could barely say my name in Portuguese, much less communicate with this HUGE linebacker sized native, Elder Ribeiro. Lucky for me, 2 other Americans lived with us. The bus ride getting there was incredible, tons of people packed into a bus without air conditioning with 2 huge suit cases. It took 2 hours from the mission home to get there by bus. I then had pull my luggage up hill for a good 10 minutes. We were in Maranguape finally. And it was quintessentially what I thought of when I thought of Brazil. Mountain city, sweaty humid, and lots of trees.

So I arrived up stairs set my bags down and walk up to this huge window overlooking the street and with a view down to the main square. I looked out the window and saw a cute local woman walking up the hill, my first thought, was "well this may not be too bad, at least the natives are cute". As soon as that went through my mind, very loudly she snorted, and hocked a luggie on the ground. For the 2nd time in 1 day I thought "where the hell am I?" We spent the following weeks walking all over the city. And I spent every free moment trying to understand just what people were saying. I was very sad a lot of the time, and discouraged as I had little idea what was being said.

After 3 weeks in the area, a major outbreak of Dengue flu was going about the city being transmitted by misquitos. Major symptoms included:

fever;
chills;
constant headaches;
bleeding from nose, mouth or gums;
severe dizziness; and,
loss of appetite.

All of which except bleeding I was experiencing. My fevor hit 103 and wasn't breaking. I felt like crap and thought of death. My companion left me with a local ward member and went to get the Bishop. This was my first major testimony building exerience. I was so weak I couldn't sit up and so they gave a blessing laying in bed by the laying on of hands, by priesthood authority. With minutes, the fevor broke, and all major symptoms went away. I stood up, sweaty wet, and almost instantly felt better.

A week later Elder Ribeiro was transfered and I got a white nerdy kid, Elder M. Smith from Rexburg, Idaho I think. So where the 2 other Americans in our house, but they were replaced by 2 Utah elders, lucky for me, we got along. Elder Voss from Layton, and Elder Hellstrom from SLC. A month or so after the transfer we were walking around a poorer part of our area, on our way home. It was getting late as the sun was going down. A group of teenagers started to follow us harassing us and asking for spare change or money. We responded we didn't have any and to please leave us alone. They kept following us faster, I was sure they were going to attack us, and I was right.

As about the same time my traveling companion said "elder lets move FAST" I felt what felt like a cooking pan hit me in the back of my head, inches from where I had brain surgery. I turned and saw on the ground a broken roof tile.

I turned to see the teenagers running and a building supply shop behind us. They'd thrown roof tile at me strong enough and sharp enough it could have killed me. I quickly felt warm liquid down my neck and realized I was bleeding pretty bad. Elder Smith grabbed me and we ran most of the way home. We got home about the same time as the other companionship, and to their shock saw me covered in blood down the back of my shirt. They ordered me into the shower clothes and all to rinse the back of my head. Elder Voss quickly realized it was a bad gash and I need medical attention. We ran to the center of town to call our Mission President as we didn't have a phone in our apartment. By the time I got there they had to help support me as I was getting dizzy from the loss of blood. President Arias instructed to find medical help immediately and even if that required traveling to Fortaleza, some 45 minutes away. It was Sunday, and late at night, we were in a small city with very limited resources.
The 2nd major testamony building experience happened next. Faced with limited choices, we figured we should get a taxi, even though it would cost a ton, and get to the main hospital for attention, as the Church had a contract with them to treat our missionaries without any paperwork. Out of nowhere we heard a car honking and turned to see the bishop who had given me a blessing, in his car. He was coming from a meeting and had the feeling to take a different route home. He saw all of us standing around the phone and my shirt bloody wanting to know what was wrong. We quickly explained and he told us all to pile into the car as he raced to the hospital. Be the time I finally got into the examination room I could barely walk from being so dizzy. They cleaned up the back of my head and stitched me up. They gave me a drip line to rehydrate me with some antibiotics for any possible infection and then sent me on my way. Now, I understand this wasn't a life threatening experience, but having the Bishop just appear on the opposite side of town with his car, and then have him able to take us to the hospital and get me admitted quickly was a very uplifting experience.

Several months later I was in Sobral, Ceara, a city 6 hours from Fortaleza by bus, even further interior in the state. My traveling companion was Elder Kim, an American, who was from Hawaii.
After lots of success in the area reactivating a family, baptising some teenagers, and in general having a good experience, I awoke in the middle of the night in a LOT of pain. It felt like my appendix was going to burst. It felt like someone stabbed me in my stomach. I got up and immediately fell to the floor in pain and with just enough energy moaned "Elder WAKE UP". He jumped up and found me holding my side and wincing. He grabbed his blessing oil and gave me a priesthood blessing, blessing me that the pain would pass and I would be healed. Living just the 2 of us a lone, he had to leave me and run outside to use the payphone. He first called our Zone Leader and then a taxi. By the time I got into the taxi and nearly to the hospital, I was feeling no pain. They gave me an ultrasound, like I was a pregnant woman and couldn't find anything. They gave me huge shot in arm full of I don't know what, maybe pain killers. No one could find the problem. The pain was gone and never returned. Subsequent ultra sounds revealed nothing wrong.

In Floriano Piaui, my third area, I meet my soon to be wife. I was in the area about a month when an inactive young woman showed up with a group of friends to the weekly activity. Having never met her before introduced my self and we chatted a bit. What struck me as strange was that all the VERY strong members of the Church were her friends, but she wasn't active. In a fast prayer I asked Heavenly Father, how I could help fallen members of the ward, her included, return to activity. We had a ward list of 400, but only 50 people active. During the fast, I got an answer. "Talk to her mother, she will listen." So my companion and I set out for Lisiane's work place. We talk to her briefly, and asked if she thought her mother would listen to the missionary discussions. She said we could try but "Boa Sorte" good luck. We presented the discussions to her, and during the part about the Book of Mormon, Luiza, finally understood for the first time the importance of the book as scripture, in addition to the Bible. She agreed to read and study it.

I unfortunately was transfered. However, against mission policy, I kept in contact with Lisiane and her mother. Having had such a powerful experience during my fast, we kept in contact. We became very close friends, a much as one can by letter, talking about all aspects of our lives and personality, as well as the progress of her mother's journey into the Church. Close to Christmas in 2000, Luiza, her mother was baptized. During the following 12 months we kept in contact, Lisiane and I talking a lot about life, interests, and how her mother was doing.

I am going to take a break for now, as Obama is about to speak.

In Beira Mar, my 2nd to last area, I felt pure evil. Brazil is full of people who worship Macumba, or black magic/voodoo. I did splits as we called them, or missionary divisions, where 2 companionships switch so that 1 leader can evaluate how a missionary is doing. Being the District leader, I took the junior companion and went to his area. We were walking down a long road when I began to feel a tightness in my chest. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and we began to hear drums. The brazilian stopped, and looked at me and said, "we're not going down that road". I looked at him and he said "Macumba", and we turned around and left finding another way to our appointment.

In Crato, Ceara, my last area, I had probably the most powerful priesthood experience of my life. We taught

a religion teacher well known in the area, A CATHOLIC religion teacher who taught at one of the major high schools. She and her niece took the discussions. One day during the discussions, as we were sitting under our usual shade tree to escape the 100 degree weather, she looked at me sort of wide eyed as I sat and bore testimony of the things I was talking about. She related later that as I was talking there was a white light all around me and particularly my face as I spoke, testifying to her that what I was saying was true. She and her niece were baptized after a few weeks of lessons. Later at her baptism came the major priesthood experience. I had the privilege of baptizing her and afterward at her confirmation that Sunday I felt something I hadn't before. As I laid my hands on her head, I felt the Holy Ghost, pass from my body, down my arms and to my hands and was transferred to her. She remained faithful for a long time in the church until last I heard someone had personally offended her and she's since fallen away.

Finally, the end of my mission came, I had sent letters to everyone I had the privilege of teaching and baptizing, and getting to know informing them that my family was coming to Brazil, and we would tour my mission. I would also be traveling to Recife to visit the temple there if anyone wanted to come and do temple sessions. No one could afford the time off, except Lisiane.

She had prepared about 12 names or so, of past relatives that had past on, and needed their temple work done. After it was done, I sat in the waiting room with her and we talk about the future, we had gotten to know each other well and were interested in keeping in touch and more after I was released as a missionary. Possible marriage had been discussed but many things like her passport, visa, etc need to be resolved, the Visa being the hardest and most complicated part. While we were quietly talking a man walked up to us and said, "I've had the strangest feeling that I need to talk to you 2. You're going to get married aren't you?" Shocked we looked at each other and said, "well...." I mean we've talked about wanting to date etc, but we hadn't set a date or anything like that. He then proceeded to say, "I work in the Immigration office, this is my email, if you need help with her visa please contact me, and I'll help out". We thanked him and he left. I emailed him 2 months later, and he gave me some advice, but we both have never heard from the man again. Lisiane's visa went through very smoothly, even though it took nearly a year from start to finish.

I remember exactly the date I got home from mission, and back to Arizona, not because something special happened, but because a week to the day, and almost the same hour, the terrorist attack of September 11th happened. I remember it like a bad dream. My mom rushed into my room and woke me up just after the first plane had hit. We stood there in shock as the second plane came flying into view and smashed into the second tower. I stood there in tears crying in disbelief, to watch the people jumping from windows and dying. I was further terrified, to watch the whole towers come down. Probably the worst day in American recent history, and I remember exactly where I was. In the breakfast room of my family's house watching it all live.

So this is my story, Lisiane were married September 28, 2002, and on July 31st 2007 our first gorgeous little child Sophie was born.

With all these spiritual experiences in my life, I KNOW THAT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IS TRUE. There is nothing, save Jesus Christ himself appearing to me and saying so, that will make me deny it. There is nothing an Anti-Mormon, or evil person can ever say to me, or show me that will make me deny it. For, I would feel like Judas.

I hope I didn't bore anyone, thanks for reading.

Mormon News: Mormons, The Correct Answer!

2008-08-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hilarious South park clip about Mormons. Season 4 Episode 11.

Mormon News: Mormons can't dance or send flowers????

2008-08-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Classic Cheers episode. I love how Ted Danza irritates her to the point she leaves.

Hilarious

Mormon News: World going mad or just Mormons????

2008-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I get lots of email alerts about things happening relating to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It seems lately that the world is going MAD or maybe just a lot of REALLY weird things are happening in relation to the LDS Church.

This article was posted in the Salt Lake Tribune about an LDS member who is also a Nudist:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10142710

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not against nudity, although a lot of LDS folk beliefs oppose it, D. Michael Martindale, an avowed naturist, said at the annual Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City Friday. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints balk at those who practice nudity because they find it contrary to teachings about modesty and the requirement that faithful Mormons wear sacred undergarments day and night, Martindale said.

The modesty question is easy to respond to, he said. "What we feel modest wearing today would have scandalized Brigham Young. What we wear to the swimming pool would horrify us if we wore it to church," Martindale said. "Modesty is a fluid concept." True modesty is in the heart and the mind and not in the amount of fabric we drape over our bodies, he said.

Some also have objected to social nudism, presuming it increases illicit sexuality. Nonsense, Martindale says. "Rather than diffusing lust, clothing creates it. We make certain parts of our bodies more mysterious, more alluring. That heightens sexual awareness." A naturist resort is one of the least sexual places on Earth, he said. As to the question of garments, he said there is a line in the instruction given to bishops saying that the proper wearing is between an individual and God. Martindale feels he is closer to God when he sheds his clothes as long as it's in an appropriate, respectful settings. As long as he is doing so for the right reasons, he feels God would understand.

When Martindale began hiking naked, for example, he experienced nature without artificial barriers for the first time, he said. Nudity, he argued, improves a person's psychological, social and emotional health. It can decrease self-consciousness in a youth and body-obsessed culture. Children are conditioned from an early age to hide their bodies or feel shame in nakedness.

Martindale does not want to convert anyone else to the idea of nudity, he said, but does want to be left alone to practice it as he feels is appropriate. "I am very serious about what I believe," he said, "but I am constantly at risk of going to jail for it." The United States and especially Utah have not been particularly welcoming to nudity, even in the creative world.

Davie Pace, a writer who is immersed in Utah's dance community, said it is important to look at the human body "as a work or art, in biology and in an erotic context," Pace said. "The use of the nude body in dance and art has a rich history and rhetoric that is a useful corollary to naturism."

While I agree the human body is beautiful and a work of art, nudism isn't modest and what God wants. He gave members of the LDS Church sacred garments, to cover our bodies and keep them sacred. They are to only be shared with our celestial partners.

In other news a former BYU student is calling for Honor Code to be repealed.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10130742

Brigham Young University's honor code should be repealed and then rewritten with input from people of varying opinions, one participant said Thursday at the annual Sunstone Symposium, an independent forum for Mormon thought.

By spelling out strict grooming codes, limiting social interactions between the sexes and reducing avenues for dissent, the LDS Church-owned school is "producing a Mormonism that is smaller than Mormonism itself," said Ashley Sanders, a former BYU student. "It puts two unlike things together - spirituality and hair length, for example - and then re-enforces it to create a relationship that people think is natural and necessary."Her English professor, she said, could enter a temple with his longish hair, but was denied service at the CougarEat, a cafeteria on campus.

Sanders, who last year organized an alternative graduation to protest the school's invitation to Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at commencement, described being ordered off the school's quad for protesting the Iraq war, while ROTC recruiters were passing out fliers and carrying guns nearby.

"BYU will always approve something that is part of the majority culture and silence minority voices," she said. "By doing this, the school is creating a religion that values insularity and provincialism, rather than expansiveness." BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkin said all demonstrations have to be approved by the administration but that the school did allow many anti-Cheney demonstrations.

"The university does not dictate political opinion for students or faculty," Jenkins said. However, the school's academic freedom policy strictly forbids any public speaking that "contradicts or opposes, rather than analyzes or discusses, fundamental [LDS] Church doctrine or policy; deliberately attacks or derides the Church or its general leaders."

Civil disobedience, for example, would violate the honor code because it is against the law.
"That would be handled on a case-by-case basis," Jenkins said. Caleb Proulx, who joined Sanders on the Sunstone panel "Does the BYU Honor Code Honor Mormon Values," presented just such a case. He dropped out of BYU after he was arrested for peacefully protesting the Iraq war in 2003.

"I had already had several run-ins with the honor code office," said Proulx, who now attends the University of Utah. "After I got arrested for civil disobedience, I went to the office to tell them."

The man in the office asked lots of questions, Proulx recalled, and then said, "We'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk to the press." Because Proulx had been interviewed by a newspaper reporter, the school put him on an eight-month probation. He then left and shortly thereafter served an LDS mission to Las Vegas.

"I was really bitter about how I was treated by the culture that was spawned by the honor code and the honor code office," he said. "Here I was at BYU. This was my community of fellow Mormons who should have been acting more Christian toward me, I wasn't shrill about [my views]. I thought people would welcome a dissenting opinion. I felt rather shabbily treated by the administration and the student body."

Tristan Call, who graduates next week with a degree in anthropology and Latin American studies, organized a BYU event called "Seven Straight Nights for Gay Rights." The honor code section about homosexuality forbids "advocacy," which it describes as "seeking to influence others to engage in homosexual behavior or promoting homosexual relations as being morally acceptable."

Because of that "homosexuality cannot be discussed on campus," Call said. "The code says we should be honest but what if we honestly believe same-sex unions are a good thing?" The Sunstone Symposium continues at the Sheraton Center in downtown Salt Lake City through Saturday.

Now, I disagree with BYU's strict honor code. However, I am not a BYU student, nor have interesting in BEING a BYU student. I disagree that someone can't take a test if they don't have their hair cut and face shaved but can go to the temple. I believe they are in direct conflict with one another, and that either the temple standards need to be applied to the testing center OR the testing center rules need to be applied to the temple. As it is right now, in my opinion, the BYU testing center is considered more special than the temple as their standards seem to be higher.

As far as homosexuality and the honor code, I believe being a GayMo (Gay Mormon) is unacceptable however I see no reason why homosexuality can't be discussed especially if it is in a political environment.

And finally onto the truly weird and bizarre. A woman made famous for having her Pit Bull cloned is believed to be a woman who fled England after being convicted of kidnapping a LDS Missionary 30 years ago and turning him into a sexual slave. Some how he convinced her to unshackle him and he escaped. Here is the story:

http://www.nbc6.net/msnbchealth/17134361/detail.html

Just hours after appearing live on TODAY to share her joy at becoming the first owner of commercially cloned puppies, Bernann McKinney found herself dogged by controversy that had nothing to do with a scientific breakthrough.

In a bizarre twist to what had ostensibly been a feel-good story, reports surfaced Thursday that McKinney may be actually be a former softcore porn model who jumped bail in England 30 years ago when facing charges of false imprisonment of a former beau.

After McKinney appeared on TODAY and her story was picked up by newspapers around the globe, reporters who covered the sensational case of one Joyce McKinney back in 1978 believed that the 57-year-old Bernann and the woman who set England on its ear with a lurid, celebrated sex case decades ago were, in fact, one and the same.

The women's ages appear to jibe, and then-and-now pictures that ran on the TimesOnline Web site in England are uncanny in their resemblance. But when queried by reporters at a press conference presenting her puppy clones to the world, Bernann McKinney angrily denied she and Joyce McKinney were actually one and the same. "That's garbage, that's rot," she said.

'70s tabloid sensation
Joyce McKinney was a former Miss Wyoming who reportedly had a relationship with a 19-year-old member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while living in Utah. But when Mormon Kurt Anderson received a two-year missionary's position in England on church directive, Joyce McKinney reportedly hired a private detective to track him down.

With the help of a friend, Joyce McKinney allegedly took Anderson against his will from a Mormon church in Ewell, England, and held him captive for three days in a remote cottage. Anderson told a British court he was sexually assaulted three times by McKinney while bound to a bed before managing to escape.

Joyce McKinney became a media magnet in Great Britain when she took the stand at her bail hearing on kidnapping charges. Although not required to make a statement, McKinney filled the court's ears with intimate, kinky details of the couple's sex life, which were lapped up by England's racy tabloids and blazed across their covers.

She served three months in a British prison before being released on bail for mental health issues. But when her trial was due to begin in May 1978, McKinney was nowhere to be found - according to reports, she fled the country through Ireland before returning to the U.S. She was given a one-year prison sentence in absentia - although when authorities tracked her down in Atlanta, Ga., a year later, Britain declined to extradite her.

Still, Joyce McKinney's case became the stuff of contemporary legend, especially after she told the court "I loved him [Anderson] so much that I would ski naked down Mount Everest with a carnation up my nose if he asked me to." She later became the subject of a pulpy book, "Joyce McKinney and the Manacled Mormon," which included 16 pages of semi-nude modeling she had done for a host of mainly bondage-themed magazines.

Bernann and Booger
But if Joyce McKinney is indeed clone-owner Bernann McKinney, no secrets of her colorful past were on display during Bernann McKinney's interview with Natalie Morales on TODAY Thursday. She related the heartwarming story of how her beloved pet pit bull Booger saved her life when she was attacked by another dog 11 years ago, and spoke about her quest to have Booger cloned after his death in 2006. A South Korean biotech firm took tissue samples saved by McKinney and cloned Booger into five puppies that were born July 28.

"We cloned an exceptional dog," Bernann McKinney told Morales, adding that she believed Booger, a rescue dog, was sent by God to save her life and that she was blessed all over again with the new puppies.

"He sent Booger down to help me out, and he knew I would be lost without him," she said. "So he sent some more."

As far as the mystery of whether Bernann McKinney was once tabloid sensation Joyce McKinney - or merely bears a resemblance to her so strong that she might be called a clone herself - the truth may be lost to history.

Mormon News: Mormon author giving J.K. Rowlings a run for her money

2008-08-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

Mormon author Stephenie Meyer is giving famous children's book author J.K. Rowlings a run for her money. Meyer's new book Breaking Dawn broke a single day record selling 1.3 million copies of her new novel.

Stephenie Meyer was born in Hartford, CT in 1973 but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1997 with a degree in English. She is married with 3 children.

Her first book was Twilight in 2005. The sequel New Moon spent nearly a year on the New York Times best sellers list. The third book in the series Eclipse was release in 2007.

The first book in the series is already in production and is being made into a film. It is set to be released December 12 2008. The main actors of the film are: Kristen Stewart who will be playing "Bella", Robert Pattinson who will play Edward Cullen.

Meyer's has interjected several aspects of her LDS/Mormon beliefs into the book series, including having the vampire abstain from human blood just as she abstains from alcohol. There is also no premarital sex in the books even though her editor pushed it for the romance angle of the book.

The author has mentioned another book in the works from Edward Cullen's perspective called Midnight Sun retelling the events of the first book twilight.

Mormon News: GayMo's Upset at canceled meeting

2008-07-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Mormon homosexuals (GayMo's) are upset that a historic meeting that was setup to take place August 11th. The leader from the LDS Church is apparently stepping down (being released?) from his post and sent a letter to the representative informing them that the meeting was canceled or at least delayed.

The group is seeking changes in the Church's policy concerning homosexuals.

The Group wants more effective counseling methods to avert family disputes over a homosexual member. A good thing in this LDS members opinion.
A change in BYU's honor code. Being a sexually active gay student is grounds for expulsion but it's against honor code for any single student to have sex with anyone straight or gay. THIS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I don't care how hard they try, the LDS Church isn't going to change this.

I really don't see much coming out of this meeting if it happens. For now they will have to wait as the process could take as long as 6 months to call another person to the position. And then it has to be rescheduled. Representatives of the Gaymo's wrote a letter to LDS Church President Thomas Monson to keep the meeting regardless of the situation. Personally, I hope he does.

Mormon News: Famous People who are or were LDS

2008-07-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck - Radio Talk Show host/CNN TV Show

Orson Scott Card - Famous LDS Author served an LDS mission in Brazil, BYU Graduate

Kee Chan - Is a LDS convert from Singapore. He had a small roll in Mission Impossible 2, and was in Star Wars 3. He also starred in the TV version of Moby Dick.

Joan Child - 2nd wife to Rodney Dangerfield the legendary foul mouthed comedian.

Ryan Gosling - Raised in a strict LDS family in Canada stared in notable films as: Murder by Numbers, Remember the Titans, The Notebook, and Half Nelson in which he was nominated for an Academy Award.

Jon Heder - Napoleon Dynamite made him famous and has since stared in films such as: The Benchwarmers, Blades of Glory, and School for scoundrels. He speaks fluent Japanese and showcases his fluency of the language in Blades of Glory when he responds to a Japanese journalist in perfect Japanese.

Arthur Kane - one of the members of the punk band "The New York Dolls". Converted to Mormonism and served in the LDS Church till his death. Stared in the documentary about himself and the band shortly before his death.

Shawn Southwick - Actress in the 80's but is now the wife (6th) of famous talk show host Larry King.

Mitt Romney - Former Presidential Candidate and Governor of Massachusetts. Currently a short list of candidates for VP for John McCain.

Grant Wilson - is on the show Ghost Hunters. Served a full time mission in Italy. Has been a guest on the View, and Late Night with Conan.

Aaron Eckhart - Currently famous for his amazing role in the Dark Knight the newest Batman movie. Has also stared in Thank You For Smoking (great movie), No Reservations (Great Movie), and Bill (haven't seen it yet. He apparently is very sensitive to people asking him about his affiliation with the LDS Church and doesn't really talk it about it.

Glady's Knight - Famous musician and singer was evangelical but converted to Mormonism, which I bet pissed off a lot of people.

Katherine Heigl - See previous post.

Christina Aguilera - ???? Her parents met at BYU and were married in the Washington D.C. LDS Temple. One can only assume if her parents were faith members at some point she was baptized.

Jared Hess - Wrote and Directed Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre with Jack Black.

AJ Cook - Canadian Actress currently on the show Criminal Minds.

Rick Schroder - ???? Silver Spoons child actor married a Mormon from Canada and joined the LDS Church in the early 2000s.

Paul Walker - most well known for his role in Fast and Furious and Into the Blue, he also stared in Flags of Our Fathers. Hasn't been active in many years.

Mormon News: Katherine Heigl wants to return to Mormonism

2008-07-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.hollyscoop.com/katherine-heigl/katherine-heigl-wants-to-be-mormon-again_17019.aspx

She tells the Daily Mail, "I'm not as disciplined about it was I once was, but I hope to find my way back as I get older and a little less selfish. I'm ashamed to say that I've just got very lazy about it. I satisfy my vices instead of fighting them."

Could she be talking about smoking? Katherine has been pictured many times with a cigarette in hand, and maybe seeing herself with one in her hand has prompted her to do something about it. "

This is very interesting to hear considering she isn't known for doing movies or TV shows that are very conservative. Her most known movie is "Knocked Up". About a hot girl who hooks up with an ugly guy and gets pregnant. She apparently has a private ranch in Utah which is the only really info I can find about her connection to the LDS Church.

What is your price?

2008-07-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

Greg Olsen Photo of Christ of walking on Shore

Betrayal of Jesus by Judas

Rembrandt painting of Peter

I have recently watched the movie The Dark Knight a movie about Batman. Though there is nothing biblical or religious about this movie there are several themes about Good and Evil. Throughout the movie several people betray others which begs the question, what is your price?

For Judas, it was a bag of silver. He traded his eternal salvation for money. Peter traded his dignity for the fear of being identified with Christ.

If you were faced with the decision to trade something: money, your life, the life of another, your soul. What would you trade it for? Money, Glory, Fame, Power? How much would it cost?

If I was in a life and death situation I don't think I have a monetary price. The only thing I could ever see myself sacrificing my dignity, my life, my salvation, or even worldly possessions for would be for the lives of my family. No $$$ amount is worth the pain and suffering.

What Is Your Price?

The Dark Knight Returns

2008-07-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Truly a great movie. I gave it 10/10 on www.imdb.com

Definitely worth the price of admission. Especially if you can get in for $5 like me :)

I really hope they continue with the Joker even though Heath Ledger is dead.

Because I can't add anything new to the hype about this movie I will simply say this, Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton were GREAT. Christian Bale and Heather Ledger? OUTSTANDING.

5 Reasons Obama NEEDS to Win

2008-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

1. Removal of Republican Power from the White house: 8 years of Bush has flushed this country down the toilet. We've had 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Katrina, Mississippi river floods, etc.

2. Elect a non-old-white-male: This country needs some change. Obama is a very educated, intelligent, and outgoing black male. It's time to show everyone we've put our petty disagreements about race aside and elect someone who isn't white.

3. 2 Simultaneous Wars: Involving 100,000s of troops, the Iraq and Afghani wars have our troops stretch thin. The Iraq war NEVER should have started. I was initially pleased to hear the Saddam was removed from power, but as facts have come out, there are no WMDs, it's been 5 years, and there is no clear exit strategy. The President should have sent the full might and power of the full US Army to crawl up Osama's tushy and bring him to justice. The worst murderer of American lives is still at large because Bush wants more oil.

4. The Economy: Things keep getting worse and worse. Gas prices have quadrupled in the last 8 years. The direct effect has been felt nation wide. Milk prices, cheese prices, bread prices every thing has gone up but our paychecks. Foreclosures have hit record highs. Airlines are going out of business or jacking up prices so high it's hard for the poor man to travel. Last I heard the average ticket price to fly was $400!!!! Imagine a family of 4? That would cost nearly $2000 after taxes, fees, and baggage fees. How can someone afford that when that is a 1/8 of their annual salary??

5. Repair our national image: The world pretty much hates us. And after 8 years of a dictator like George W. I don't blame them. Obama is hell bent on doing what he can to repair that image. Willing to do what he can to turn enemies into allies . He is willing to repair the horrible image this great nation has and return it to it's former glory.

Vote Obama in 2008

Notable Masons in Current and past history

2008-07-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

George Washington - 1st President of USA
Joseph Smith - Restorer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and 1st Prophet of LDS Church
Nat Cole - Famous Musician
Gov. Douglas of Vermont
Ben Franklin Famous Founding Father/Inventor
Henry Ford Famous Automobile company founder
John Glenn - 1st man on the moon
Barry Goldwater - Famous Arizona politician
Brigham Young - 2nd Prophet of the LDS Church
Edgard Hoover - Director of the FBI
Rev Jesse Jackson - Baptist Minister and civil rights leader
Harry Truman - President of USA
FDR - President of USA
James K Polk - 11th President of USA
James Monroe - 5th President of USA
General MacArthur - WW2 war general
Matthew Glenn - Awesome Blogger/Chef and DAD

Mormons and Masons
Can a Mormon be a Mason?

From: http://www.masonicinfo.com/mormons.htm

"Today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are free to become Masons and vice-versa without any hindrance whatsoever. A common 'threat' made by some religious intolerants is that Mormons are not able to advance in their Church or its rites if they are known to be Masons. Many Masons who are of that faith will readily attest to the fallacy of this statement."

I was accepted..........Freemasonry

2008-07-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

The international Symbol of Masonry

I will do my first degree on August 7th :)

I have completed my Entered A

pprentice.

I have been initiated a Fellow Craft and will stand proficient Jan 8th.

ATTENTION : FREEMASONRY WATCH.ORG

I know you have

somehow linked my blog post that I was accepted into my local lodge on your lame website. Please remove it and stop sending people here to look at my blog. I am asking nicely.

Shaken Faith Syndrome

2008-07-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.ShakenFaithSyndrome.com

The late LDS Apostle Neal A. Maxwell expressed concern that critics shouldn't be allowed to make "uncontested slam-dunks." In 1997 the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR)-a volunteer organization-was established to take that advice seriously. Today FAIR announced the publication of "Shaken-Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One's Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt" by Michael R. Ash

"Shaken-Faith Syndrome" provides answers to several of the most popular LDS-critical arguments, and examines the underlying misconceptions that contribute to deconversion. Ash explores ways that Mormons can be both critical thinkers and devout believers. He advocates a faithful yet more nuanced understanding of religious issues, and explores the limitations of science and history. This FAIR-published book is distributed by Deseret Book (http://www.DeseretBook.com) and sells for $19.95.

FAIR, or the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (http://www.fairlds.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (C) 3 Corporation staffed by faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who seek to defend the Mormon Church, its leaders, teachings, and practices from inaccurate or deceitful criticism. Staffed almost exclusively by unpaid volunteers, FAIR seeks to provide well-researched and -referenced answers in an easy-to-understand format.

For even more info on the LDS Church visit:

http://www.lds.org
http://www.mormon.org
http://www.fairlds.org
http://www.mormonapologetics.org

Scrubs - Guy Love (Hetero of course)

2008-07-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Jeff Dunham

2008-07-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

My next car #1

2008-05-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

If gas prices keep going up, this is what I'll be driving. A glorified golf cart, The Smart Car.

The Real Axis of Evil

2008-05-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Want to know who is running your life? There they are...

Why did we go to war? So Bush could hold hands with the King of Saudi Arabia.

I wonder if Mrs Bush knows about their affair?

Though I don't like Greenpeace, I think this cartoon is funny.

Another member of the evil axis

Satan?

The Dream Ticket

2008-05-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

Obama/Clinton in 2008 could it happen? The media won't stop talking about it and neither Clinton or Obama will talk about it. In my opinion it would be the perfect ticket. McCain wouldn't stand a chance. It would probably be a landslide Democrat victory.

Why it would also be good for the country. Unfortunately the middle east has very little respect for women. Electing Clinton at this point in time wouldn't help middle east-US relations. I really don't see them respecting her. On the other hand, I think Obama could really help things.

As for Bill, do we really want another 8 years of Billary??? As the husband of a VP he would have a much less public position in Washington. Who ever sees or hears from Mrs? Cheaney?

So lets do something for a Change and give this country Hope,

Obama/Clinton 08!

Enough is Enough!!!!!!

2008-05-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Okay so when will all this garbage about Obama's pastor Wright stop??? The guy is a complete idiot who is just making things worse for the Democratic party. Obama has said repeatedly that he does not agree with guy's remarks and has done everything he can to distance himself from this guy. WHY DOES THE MEDIA KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT! It's now going on 9 days. WHO CARES?!? If Obama says he doesn't agree with his remarks and wants nothing to do with him, it's over. The only thing this is doing is making me CHANGE THE CHANNEL. Who cares what he says? I want news reporting on issues NOT RANTS FROM A CRAZY PASTOR. I want to know what all the candidates are going to do about the economy, gas prices, health care, education, the war in Iraq etc, to what they think about a "spiritual advisor".

Stick to the issues or I'll change the channel!

2 New LDS Temples announced in Arizona

2008-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

The LDS Church has announced that they will construct 2 new temples in Arizona, one in the Thatcher area, 150 miles east of Phoenix and the other in Gilbert only 9 miles from current Mesa Temple.

For the full story check out the Salt Lake Tribune:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9071215?source=rss

Have a question about the LDS Church or Mormons in general?

2008-04-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

For an official response to questions or info about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints go to www.lds.org or www.mormon.org.

For open debate or questions that aren't covered on those websites, try:

www.mormonapologetics.org/

This is an open forum provided by FAIR a mormon apologetics site. It is open to Non-Mormons and Mormons alike. However, it is regulated by Mormons so if a topic you start happens to be offensive they delete and or ban you. But, if you are respectful and have a genuine interest in asking questions and getting opinions people will answer.

Just don't talk politics, stick to religion.

How far will it go?

2008-04-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

So as I was driving home from the OG (Olive Garden), tonight I happened to glance at the corner Shell gas station. $3.59. Ouch, that sucks. Our little Scion gets 23+ a gallon but this is getting ridiculous. How far will it go? I filled up maybe a week ago (we don't drive much I work 3 blocks away and church is less than a mile), and it was $3.39. Seriously, when is someone going to do something? Obviously terrorism is wrong especially with the intent to kill people, but I might make an exception if someone happen to blow up the ExxonMobile headquarters as long as no one gets hurt. They continue to destroy our economy and hurt families and our current administration could care less because they're leaving in 8 months.

For you're viewing pleasure....

2008-04-25T23:38:00.000-07:00

So this is the second part of what I'm watching on TV.

These are great shows but not necessarily funny or a comedy.

Smallville: The early life of Clark Kent. After 7 season when will this retard learn to fly? I understand he has a "fear of flying" but come on, how much longer are we going to have to wait?

Heroes: If you haven't seen this show WATCH IT. I loved the first 2 season and can't wait till this comes back on the air. I might actually buy a TIVO just for this show.

Californication: Don't let the title confuse you, it really is about California and fornication. A burnt out writer has serious relationship problems. David Duchovny has been great on this show. I hope they renew this show for a second season. Very intelligent show.

The Tudors: Is about the early years of infamous King of England Henry the VIII. Basically it picks up as Henry becomes irritated that his wife hasn't given him an heir to the throne and now he wants a divorce. Tisk tisk, the Catholic Church won't allow it so, Henry starts to break away.

The Fixer: A show I've found via the internet that is actually on in the UK. Basically the premise of the show is that a former elite soldier goes to jail when he takes revenge on his aunt/uncle for how badly they treated his sister. He is released from prison basically to be a private assassin for sub-agency of the police that "doesn't" exist. He pretty much eliminates people who deserve to die but have beaten the system. Watch it if you can find it.

Dexter: BY FAR THE BEST SHOW ON TV! I love this show if you can't tell. If you watched Six Feet Under, and liked it, this show is for you. If you're in to CSI shows, this show is for you. Basically a CSI blood splatter analysis scientist lives a double life as a serial killer. What is different is that he only kills people who deserve to die, people who have escaped from being behind bars.

Rescue Me: Set to come back for it's 5th season I can't wait to see what happens. This show is about a NYFD firefighter living in the post 9/11 world in New York. It's funny because it has Dennis Leary who does a lot of the writing for the show. It also mixes in a bit of drama to keep things interesting.

Check em out if you have time, especially Dexter.

What's funny on TV?

2008-04-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

So what are you watching on t.v.?

I love to laugh. Throughout my life the only thing that has kept me going, has been comedy. That being said my major outlet has been TV and or movies. Having a baby has pretty much killed our movie going habits and Blockbuster raising their monthly online rates to nearly $30 has pretty much killed our renting habit. So what else is there? TV and downloading.

What am I watching that's funny?

South Park - Going on it's 12 season this show just keeps getting funnier. Although it is a bit much for some people, I really think this show just takes current events and puts a hilarious spin and different point of view. Borderline sick sometimes this season Boobage and Overlogging have been my 2 favorite episodes. Boobage is about how dumb people are and how desperate they are to get high. The thought that someone would actually use "cat pee" to hallucinate is beyond me. What happen to just plain ol' weed? Anyway Overlogging is a hilarious take on what would happened to our society if the internet went out nationally. Especially since AT&T recently claimed that the internet will "run out" if major structural changes aren't made. This episodes was hilarious, not for the conservative taste.

The Big Bang Theory: Is a great show about super genius nerds. It pokes fun at them for lack of social skills but it's not mean. I really recommend it for my brother in laws.

The Daily Show with John Stewart: Most of the time after watching the news (CNN mostly) I really can't decipher what they're talking about, especially in the political world. 10 minutes of John Stewart and I feel more informed about what's going on than watching CNN for hours. Plus I love his sense of humor. I love his guests most are good sports.

Weeds: Weeds was affected by the writers strike (boooooo). Even though this has become more of a drama than a comedy there is sill a lot that makes me laugh. Plus I can put myself in her position. If I was in such a desperate situation (no education or job experience), I could see myself selling weed to pay the bills.

Entourage: Yet another show affected by the strike (boooooo). I'm not quite sure where these guys are going to go, probably down hill. It's a short 30 minute show and I always want more when the episodes end. I've heard rumor that since Vince's movie bombed at Cannes that so does his career. Can't wait to see.

Chuck: Chuck is about a very intelligent guy who gets kicked out of Stanford for something he didn't do. He ends up at "Buy More" which is suppose to be a fictional Best Buy. He ends up involved with the FBI/CIA unintentionally but it's funny especially with his sidekick Morgan.

So that's what I'm watching that's funny on TV at the moment. If you have recommendations or comments be sure to let me know.