Friday Night

The Cougs are killing me tonight. I know we are injury-depleted, but it is still a bummer to be playing this way at Utah State. The Aggie coach needs to learn where the sideline is.

Two weeks ago I texted my friend Matt that I hoped BYU would learn to tackle sometime this season. Still waiting.

I like what I've seen so far from true freshman Jake Heaps. He sometimes forces the ball, or throws into coverage, but he has a strong arm and pretty good accuracy. He's made some costly errors, such as the interception that JUST happened. Strange throw. I think this one is out of reach at this point. Despite his errors, Heaps has me optimistic for the future.

As for this year? I'm going to the BYU-Colorado State game. I thought it might be a gimme, but this year? Wish I knew for sure. But I'll be at a game with good friends, so it will be a good time. Better than tonight I hope.

Bad News Tarheels

There was a really interesting piece today from Yahoo! Sports about the ties between a former UNC coach, a suspended player, and a prominent sports agent. The article is very detailed, and it means big trouble for North Carolina. It seems reasonable to expect that they will receive sanctions more severe than those received by USC a few months ago.

Another piece from Yahoo! Sports (getting it done today!) talks about why the investigation is important. It is emblematic of a sport rife with violations. It's not surprising given the huge sums of money at play.

I've respected Butch Davis ever since he rescued the Hurricanes from their own NCAA penalties through solid recruiting and high quality (low trouble) players. It will be hard for him to keep his job if the allegations prove true.

Cambio es bueno

The democratic process seems to be working for the benefit of the Venezuelan people. In recent parliamentary elections Hugo Chavez lost his 2/3 majority. That is the percentage required to pass legislation unilaterally. It is not all smooth sailing for the anti-Chavistas:

The electoral results set the stage for intense debate over Mr. Chávez's policies in and out of congress. Some analysts say Mr. Chávez may not relinquish his grip on the legislature easily. He might rule by decree, for example. A new congress won't be seated until January, meaning Mr. Chávez could push important legislative changes before then.
Mr. Chávez hasn't sat idle in the past when opponents have won. Two years ago, when an opposition politician was elected mayor of Caracas, Mr. Chávez stripped the office of its power. That same year Mr. Ocariz won the mayoral election in Petare, a vast slum on the Caracas outskirts. Mr. Chávez stripped the district of 16 garbage pickup trucks the very next day, he said.

Chavez doesn't play fair, and he still has a lot of power. This will be something to watch.

Awesome Video Saturday CXLIV

I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan (who isn't?). This is a trailer for his new film and it looks very intriguing.

SPOTD #165

Back on the bus.

Today's Phrase:
This Arabic proverb provides a needed lesson for fractious times.

Actual
Tu buen humor es un regalo que haces a los demás.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Too bwain oo-more ess oon ray-gah-low kay ah-says ah lows day-mas.

Translation (roughly)
Your good humor is a gift you give to others.

Fantastic
I watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox a few months ago. I thought it was an extremely entertaining movie, with really superb stop-motion animation. I am big fan of the genre, dating back as far as I can remember. This is a pretty cool behind-the-scenes shot of the Badger and the actor who did the voice work- Bill Murray.

Putting in the Time
This is an interesting article about one of the workhorses of the NFL, New York Jets fullback Tony Richardson. He was released and resigned at the start of the season, to the consternation of some people who consider him one of the “good” guys in the NFL.

Cougar Pride
Max Hall was the quarterback of the (my) BYU Cougars for 3 years. He had a great college career, and although he would sometimes drive me crazy in big games he was always fired up to play. He has been signed by the Arizona Cardinals and is now their back-up QB. Read more about it here.

The Real Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan was based on an actual detective who worked in Honolulu around the turn of the century. This is an article about the book written about him, the Cantonese detective Chang Apana.

Serious Care
This guy really likes to take care of his jeans. It is an entertaining look at “optimal jean care.”

A Caper
Can be a delicious addition to many meals. Lacy has enjoyed making a really delicious salmon with lemon and capers. She got the recipe from my sister. Here is a place for some other caper-related recipes.

Vacations for the Apocalypse
This is an amusing look at some places that might be ideal destinations if the world comes to an end.

Link of the Day
This is a fascinating article about the use of linen “armor” in the ancient world. Well worth a look.

Doing Good at the U

Win or lose, Randy Shannon is making a positive impact at the University of Miami. I hope we win though, and I think we will tonight against Pitt.

Read this article for more on the good things happening in Coral Gables.

Awesome Video Saturday CXLIII

Got this video from #EricDSnider. It's a hilarious re-dub of the Inception trailer.



You will like it!

Trouble

I was actually a little surprised by this article from the Gainesville Sun's Pat Dooley. In the past I have felt he was a little too forgiving of the rather poor law enforcment experience of the Gators in recent years. For some reason the Gators have had a large number of players arrested for felony or misdemeanor crimes. I don't think Urban Meyer is a bad guy, but there may be an institutional failing in the recruiting process employed by the Gators (and other schools with similar issues).

On a separate note, NCAA enforcement (humanized somewhat by Stewart Mandel in this piece) is confronting a challenging environment with agents and the many others who also work in that field. This is not a high point for the sport from this perspective, as many prominent programs have seen their players face eligibility issues.


On a lighter note I really enjoyed this article by Pat Forde about the University of Texas.

After-action Report

This was an important weekend, and not because of football, although football played a role.

As everyone is aware, it was the 9th anniversary of 9/11/2001. I'm sure none of us will forget where we were or who we were with that day. As the years have passed, the pain from the day seems to have faded. At least it seems that way sometimes

During the broadcast of the BYU-Air Force game, one member each from the NYPD and NYFD were invited to the game. The fireman had lost two of his brothers in the Towers. It was an important reminder that some things simply matter more. The officer and fireman expressed their gratitude for the commitment and effort of the airmen at the game and the work of our entire armed forces. In my small way I want to echo that. It certainly matters more than the outcome of a football game.

--------------------------------------

Miami and BYU both lost their games. Here is a rundown of facts and information on the Cougs. I guess if we have to lose, why not to Air Force on 9/11? They certainly earned the win.

I felt like Miami's loss was less frustrating given who they were playing, but still disappointing given the history. Here is some post-game analysis from Manny Navarro at the Miami Herald.

I went to the Gator Game for the first half. We left as it was brutally hot and the Gators looked terrible while we were there. It will be an interesting season.

Awesome Video Saturday CXLII

The first video is not-so-Awesome. For some reason the Disney Channel thinks it is necessary to pervert classic cartoons by adding some kind of annoying commentary. See below.



The following is a parody in the style of the mess shown above.



Leave the good stuff alone. Terrible tv movies are bad enough.

Turnabout?

The last time Miami played Ohio State marked one of the worst nights of my life as a fan of college football. There are some other key games in that pathetic pantheon, but the 2002 Fiest Bowl has special place in my heart. I was engaged to my wife at the time, and her being there may have ensured that household objects avoided breakage.

Terrible outcome to an exciting game, a game that signaled Ohio State's renewed power and Miami's eventual decline from national powerhouse status.

The two teams meet tomorrow. I am worried about the game, but Miami certainly has a chance to win. The play of quarterback Jacory Harris will depend on the strength of his offensive line. The ability of Miami's defense to pressure Terrell Pryor and stop the Ohio State run game will also be critical. I hope it goes our way.

BYU also has a potentially difficult matchup, but I believe that we will be able to win that one handily.

I'm going to the Gator game with Joseph, so this will be a good day for Football, and hopefully a good day for me!

Burnin'

Much has been made about the upcoming, planned Koran burning, set to occur here in Gainesville on Saturday, September 11th.

It is an unfortunate chapter for this fair town, once known for football, Gatorade, and the murder of 5 college students by a serial killer in 1990. I find the epsiode unfortunate for several reasons.

1. This is a small church of about 50 members. The pastor's influence is likely somewhat larger owing to his web presence. I feel comfortable making the assumption that just about any city of more than 100 thousand people has someone like this guy. It just so happens that our local crackpot is now the most well-known nut job in America.

2. The desire to demonstrate rejection of this church's plan has resulted in much wider exposure for their cause. The threats and negative reaction to their plan has been well-documented, but I bet that they have some new adherents who were unaware of them before a few weeks ago. They don't deserve this kind of spotlight. Media time is so hard to come by for GOOD causes, yet we devote hours of discussion to them?

I don't know anybody who has expressed support for this church or it's plan. A multi faith prayer meeting was held today to express unity and opposition to the plan. Are there people out there who support them? Of course, but they are a tiny fraction of the local populace and the nation at large.

My preferred method of handling this would have been to deny then the forum they are obviously seeking. Too late for that I guess.

SPOTD #164

It has been 7 months since the last SPOTD. I intended to put more things on the blog and stop doing this, but there are a lot of quick things that are better laid out on the SPOTD. I’ll try to do this once or twice a month.

I also changed the recipient list, eliminating anyone that I wasn’t actually acquainted with who had signed up on my old website. If any of you want to be removed from the list, just let me know.

Today's Phrase:
Football season has started. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A hopeful time, when none of our nascent dreams have been dashed. From Samuel Johnson-

Actual
Donde la esperanza no existe, no puede existir el esfuerzo.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Done-day lah ace-pay-rahn-zah no ache-zee-stay, no pway-day ache-zee-steer ell ace-fware-so.

Translation (roughly)
Where there is no hope there can be no endeavor.

Beautiful Architecture
I love this house. I don’t know if I would live there, but I love its minimalist look. Mind you, it is $35 million worth of minimalism.

Tragedy
This is, without a doubt, one of the saddest articles that I have ever read. To tell you more would spoil it.

Do You Remember the Time?
Now that Egyptian-themed video with Magic Johnson makes more sense.

How It All Ends
5 ways that we could all go adios, courtesy of the cosmos.

Thorium? More like bore-ium!
Seriously though, thorium may provide an alternative to uranium and plutonium-based nuclear reactors. According to this article from the Telegraph (U.K.), thorium reactors would be clean-burning with little-to-no waste, and thorium is extremely plentiful. What are we waiting for?

I’m Going Fast
This is a great article about the world’s fastest electric land-vehicle.

Link of the Day
This is from a series written by Eric Snider, Eric’s Bad Movies. This is one of my all-time favorites, written about the 2009 Canadian film, Gooby. Read and enjoy.

On Moderate Islam

I thought this was a great bit from the WSJ. 6 thinkers are asked to explain what they think moderate Islam is.

There are some interesting thoughts.

La Independencia

BYU is now an independent football school. I am glad that they made the move.

Here are some links to pertinent articles:

• How they will affiliate for other sports (The WCC, made up of smaller, typically parochial schools).
• What kind of TV deal they have (ESPN or BYUTV for every home game)
• Scheduling Deals (Notre Dame for 6 years)
• Notre Dame AD thinks it could work (He must have already started the deal named above when he was interviewed).

Wouldn't you rather go to Portland than Laramie?

Trouble in Tehran

This is an interesting article from Michael Ledeen. He explains that the Iranian regime is showing new signs of vulnerability. I love this story:

A few weeks ago, according to official and private reports, the Iranian air force shot down three drones near the southwestern city of Bushehr, where a
Russian-supplied nuclear reactor has just started up. When the Revolutionary
Guards inspected the debris, they expected to find proof of high-altitude spying. Instead, the Guards had to report to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that the air force had blasted Iran's own unmanned aircraft out of the sky.
Apparently, according to official Iranian press accounts, the Iranian military had created a special unit to deploy the drones—some for surveillance and others, as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad bragged on Sunday, to carry bombs—but hadn't informed the air force.

A turning point?

Not really. That happened back in 2007 when the Bush administration implemented, against great opposition, the surge strategy. For more see the piece from Stephen Hadley (Bush's national security advivor) on the Iraq War.

The President's speech was okay. Most of his speeches are. But they also turn out to be empty in their execution. He talks about harmony but is highly divisive in practice. I could actually sit through this whole speech though, which is the first time I've done that since...the Inauguration.

He should have given some credit to President Bush for leaving Iraq on a solidly upward trajectory. That is all I have to say about that.

A little history-

Awesome Video Saturday CXLI

This is for Lacy.

A Must-read on Afghanistan

The Weekly Standard is a conservative magazine, but regardless of your leanings it would be worthwhile to read this article from P.J. O'Rourke. It is a fascinating look at the complexities we face in our involvement in Afghanistan. There are some digs at the Dems (deserved in my opinion) but the piece is about much more than that.

We need to learn more about what is really going on there. The traditional media is not doing a good enough job. Here are some excerpts (some long) from O'Rourke's piece.

On the relative longevity of the Taliban:

The Taliban offers bad law—chopping off hands, stoning desperate housewives, the usual things. Perhaps you have to live in a place that has had no law for a long time—since the Soviets invaded 31 years ago—before you welcome bad law as an improvement.
An Afghan civil society activist, whose work has put him under threat from the Taliban, admitted, “People picked Taliban as the lesser of evils.” He explained that lesser of evils with one word, “stability.”
A woman member of the Afghan parliament said that it was simply a fact that the Taliban insurgency was strongest “where the government is not providing services.” Rule of law being the first service a government must provide.

On why Afghans sometimes choose to support the Taliban and not American (or NATO) outsiders:

The Pashtun tribal leader said, “I tell my own tribesmen to not support the Taliban, but they don’t listen. They see the Taliban as fighting invaders.”
The Radio Azadi journalist said, “When people felt they were dishonored, they needed revenge. The Taliban gave them revenge.”
To fully sympathize with the dishonor an Afghan might feel, foreign government, U.N. and NGO aid agencies must be considered. Myriad of them operate in Afghanistan, staffed by people from around the globe. So it’s not just that you’ve got Highland Scots marching in hairy-kneed formations up and down your cul-de-sac.
Many of the most ordinary functions of your society have been taken over by weird strangers. When you need a flu shot or a dog license or a permit to burn leaves, you have to go see Bulgarians and Bolivians and Nigerians and Fiji Islanders.

On bribery:

If Americans claim not to understand Afghan corruption, we’re lying. Bribery has been a dominant part of our foreign policy in Afghanistan, the way it’s been
a dominant part of everyone’s foreign policy in Afghanistan including al Qaeda’s. What we Americans don’t understand about Afghan corruption is why it’s so transparent, just a matter of openly taking money. Don’t the Afghans know that you should take bribes indirectly—by collecting publicity, popularity, public recognition, prestige, influence, and, most of all, power? Then big corporations put you on their boards of directors and that’s when you get the money. Meanwhile you’ve been riding in government cars, flying on government planes, eating out of the government pork barrel (lamb barrel in Afghanistan), so why worry about payoffs up front?
Afghans have failed to move their corruption from the Rod Blagojevich model, which we all deplore, to the Barack Obama model, which we all admire.

On something we are doing right:

There must be something in Afghanistan that we’ve got right. There is. Radio Azadi, the Afghan bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, is on the air 12
hours a day, seven days a week, half the time in Pashto, half the time in Dari.
What Radio Azadi does is known as “surrogate broadcasting,” meaning the content is Afghan-produced as a way for Afghans to get news and views in a place where
otherwise they have to be delivered mostly face-to-face. And there is no agenda except to be factual (although facts are an agenda item if you care about freedom, which is what Azadi means in Dari).

An excellent story to end his article:

There was one other point that people in Kabul agreed on. Whatever it is that America does in Afghanistan, America should proceed with wisdom. The governor told a story about wisdom.
There was a student who had been studying for many years at a madrassa. He had memorized the Koran and learned all the lessons his teacher taught. One day he went to his teacher and said, “I am ready to leave and go be a mullah.”
His teacher said, “I think you should stay here for a few more years.”
“Why?” asked the student. “Is there some additional degree or higher certificate that I will get?”
“No,” said the teacher, “all you will get is wisdom.”
“But I’m ready to be a mullah now,” said the student. And he left the madrassa and wandered from village to village looking for a mosque where he could be the prayer-leader.
Finally the student came to a village where a corrupt old mullah was using the mosque as a stall for his cow. The student was outraged. He gathered the villagers together and told them, “I have studied at a madrassa. I have memorized the Koran. It is a great sacrilege for your mullah to use the mosque as a stall for his cow.”
The villagers beat him up.
The student limped back to the madrassa and told his teacher what had happened. The teacher said, “Follow me.” They went back to the village where the mullah was using the mosque as a stall. The teacher gathered the villagers together and told them, “I see you have a beautiful cow being kept in your mosque. It must be a very blessed animal. And I hear the cow belongs to your mullah. He must be a very holy man. In fact, I think that this cow is so blessed and your mullah is so holy that if you were to take one hair from the cow’s hide and one hair from the mullah’s beard and rub them together, you would be assured of paradise.”
The villagers ran into the mosque and began plucking hairs from the cow’s hide. The cow started to buck and kick and it bolted from the mosque and disappeared. Then the villagers ran to the mullah’s house and began plucking hairs from the corrupt old mullah’s beard. And they tugged and they yanked so hard at the mullah’s beard that he had a heart attack and died.
“You see,” said the teacher to the student, “no cow in the mosque and a need for a new mullah—that is wisdom.”

A Loss of Connection (cont'd)

Even David Letterman seems to think that the President's behavior has led to a disconnect with the people. About the President's 6 vacation in the last 18 months, Letterman said the following: "He’ll have plenty of time for vacations after his one term is up."

The economy has not been responsive to the stimulus or the various "reforms" that have made their way through Congress. If anything the regulatory environment has made the economic recovery more difficult. Comments from the head of Intel mirror those of other companies:

I think this group does not understand what it takes to create jobs. And I think they're flummoxed by their experiment in Keynesian economics not working."
Last year, he said: "I am not a Keyensian. I don't necessarily think that all this spending by the government is what will save the economy. My opinion. I do think that it was essential to do some significant short-term spending to put confidence back into the system. Notice I said confidence, not money.

As Obama's vacation continues, the following was reported by ABC's Jake Tapper:

As the president walked around the restaurant, some cordoned-off reporters shouted out to him questions, including one about the war in Iraq. Next Tuesday night, the president will deliver an Oval Office address at 8 pm ET, in which he will mark the occasion of the withdrawal of US combat troops from the country.
But the president was in no mood today to discuss the issue with reporters in that setting. He ignored questions for a bit, then turned to the reporters.
"We're buying shrimp, guys,” he said, smiling. “Come on."

I don't begrudge the man some time off with his family, but Obama is the CEO of the United States. This is not a 9-5 occupation. His attitude toward the question does not promote a sense of confidence (in my admittedly biased mind).

A Loss of Connection

It seems clear that frustrations with Obama are not unique the Tea Party or very conservative voters. He has lost a lot of mainstream support, and it seems linked to his inability to connect with voters on an emotional level. His political choices have played a role, but the emotional angle can be critical. This post from The Anchoress makes a good point for why George Bush is becoming a figure of some affection when compared to the current POTUS:

One of my husband’s friends–hated Bush, loved Obama and defended him vociferously for the first year, less passionately the second–told him over lunch this week that he’s done with Obama and “I never thought I’d say this but I miss Bush. We knew that he said what he meant, even if we didn’t want to hear it. We knew who he was, even if we didn’t like him. And we never had to wonder whether he liked us. He always did.”
And that is it, in a nutshell. Bush is missable, because we miss having a president whose affection for his country and its people–even the ones who hated him–was never in doubt.
We miss Bush because he never lectured us or harangued us, and when people disagreed with him, they were not immediately called names in an attempt to simply shut up debate.

Obama's success in 2008, driven by an emotional connection to his persona and background, seems a distant memory.

Awesome Video Saturday CXL

This is an interesting trailer for a documentary about Drew Struzan, an excellent artist whose work is known (maybe unknowingly) by anyone who has been to the movies in the last 4 decades.



I think his posters are as emotionally resonant as any art that has been done over this span of time.

Writer's Revenge

This was an amusing article from the Wall Street Journal about the ability of the TV writer to use his craft to settle scores.

BYU going for it?

I did not grow up a big fan of BYU football. My father is an alum of the school, but my love and allegiance was with my hometown Hurricanes. When Miami played (and lost) to BYU in 1990, I was grieved.

All that changed when I became a Cougar in 1997. It wasn't that I disliked the Cougars, I was just a bit indifferent until that point. I was sure that games played in the WAC (stands for "We Ain't Credible) didn't matter much in the National Title discussion. For someone born and raised in Florida, home of three of the strongest programs in the country (at the time), BYU's win-loss record didn't matter that much.

Like I said, that changed. As a freshman I committed fully to the Cougs, and that has been the case ever since. The move to the Mountain West was a good one for us, but Utah's departure to the Pac-10, which did not invite BYU, changed the complexion of the league dramatically. Boise State's addition was a good one, but seeing Utah go just made this Cougar feel a little sick. They were called up to play in the big leagues and we were left behind.

This was especially painful because Ute fans HATE BYU. I don't know why there is such a visceral dislike for the Cougars. As an out-of-stater I was shocked by how deep it went, given the low national stakes of the rivalry. LaVell Edwards largely owned the Utes, so it is possible that years of frustration added to the dislike. For them to have something like this, to crow over, was pretty bad.

So now the news emerges yesterday that BYU is considering leaving the Mountain West and going independent in football. The easiest comparison is to Notre Dame, but any reasonable Cougar will admit that we are not in the same league in terms of fan base and the ability to earn revenue. Just the same, BYU is in a better position than almost any other school, as explained here by Dick Harmon of the Deseret News, to go the indendent route. We do have a national fan base, albeit smaller than the Irish. We have excellent television infrastructure. We can also draw a lot more money than we are getting right now.

What are the potential problems? Stewart Mandel talks about them here, but it includes the difficulty of scheduling quality opponents and possibility that a BCS berth might be even harder to attain. I think these challenges can be overcome. I became resigned to the fact that BYU was probably going to be an 11-1 or 10-2 team most years. It is hard to go undefeated in any conference, and having a loss in a non-BCS league means you are probably not going to a big bowl. But that is the case if we STAY in the Mountain West. We already have trouble scheduling quality opponents because of our conference, and importing Fresno State and Nevada doesn't change that. These are still non-BCS schools from a non-BCS conference.

Affiliating with the WAC to play 4 or 5 games means that the remaining 7 or 8 could be against BCS teams. They don't all have to be top-25 opponents either, just 3 or 4, and we would have a schedule that, if we managed a one-loss year or even better, went undefeated, would put us square in the at-large BCS mix. The loss of Fresno State and Nevada does put the WAC in jeopardy and I'm not sure how it comes out of this looking very good.

BYU could make it work (I like what Greg Wrubell of Deseret News had to say about BYU's uniqueness). As Harmon said in today's column, among the benefits of BYU's independence could be great recognition and awareness of its sponsoring entity (and my Church), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

Nothing may happen in the end. The Mountain West is better (on paper) than it was yesterday, and the prospect of a BYU defection has certainly been fun for this Florida-based fan to consider.
I hope they do it, but if not, we still have a chance to improve our program and compete nationally. In the end, you have to win, wherever you are.

No Hire No Cry

The article I am going to refer to was written last week and is a perfect, albeit anecdotal, explanation of why unemployment continues to be high in the U.S. Michael Fleischer is a business owner in New Jersey, and he breaks down the high cost of maintaining and increasing his employees:

Employing Sally costs plenty too. My company has to write checks for $74,000 so Sally can receive her nominal $59,000 in base pay. Health insurance is a big, added cost: While Sally pays nearly $2,400 for coverage, my company pays the rest—9,561 for employee/spouse medical and dental. We also provide company-paid life and other insurance premiums amounting to $153. Altogether, company-paid benefits add $9,714 to the cost of employing Sally.
Then the federal and state governments want a little something extra. They take $56 for federal unemployment coverage, $149 for disability insurance, $300 for workers' comp and $505 for state unemployment insurance. Finally, the feds make we pay $856 for Sally's Medicare and $3,661 for her Social Security.
When you add it all up, it costs $74,000 to put $44,000 in Sally's pocket and to give her $12,000 in benefits. Bottom line: Governments impose a 33% surtax on Sally's job each year.

This is a real dilemma for business owners in a high uncertain environment. I find his closing comments compelling:

And even if the economic outlook were more encouraging, increasing revenues is always uncertain and expensive. As much as I might want to hire new salespeople, engineers and marketing staff in an effort to grow, I would be increasing my company's vulnerability to government decisions to raise taxes, to policies that make health insurance more expensive, and to the difficulties of this economic environment.
A life in business is filled with uncertainties, but I can be quite sure that every time I hire someone my obligations to the government go up. From where I sit, the government's message is unmistakable: Creating a new job carries a punishing price.

Haitian Situation

I had an interesting conversation the other day with some Haitian friends. I asked them what they thought about Wyclef Jean running for president. Their answers illustrated how my American media-fed perspective differed from that of the people with something at stake in Haiti.

When I first heard about Wyclef's plan I thought it was fun. I am a fan of his music, but it seems that Wyclef's musical background could be a serious detriment to his ability to govern.

According to my expatriate sources, Wyclef plans to give positions of responsibility to prominent members of the Haitian rap community. It makes Wyclef appear unserious at a time when Haiti is in dire need of serious solutions.

I've had trouble finding independent news on the issue, so some of what I have written may prove inaccurate. With dozens of candidates running, in a country where educated and qualified people have fled in droves, the likely outcome is not good for Haiti's recovery.

It's unlikely that we will get the kind of information on the elections that would provide a real view of what is happening there. Haiti continues to be dangerous, and the mass media has earned a reputation for gathering news from the hotel lobby.

We should pay attention. Haiti has security implications, but more important than that, there are millions of people who need help.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXIX

Relive your dramatic childhood memories of THE OREGON TRAIL!

Cool Toy Alert

Joseph got this Star Wars Blaster Rifle from one of his friends for his birthday. I think I may like it even more than he does.

I remember that most of my toy guns provided noises of the strictly imaginary variety. The motorized laser guns and water guns never lasted that long, sounded so cool, or were so darn huge.

It's fun to be a Dad.

Obamacare- Why we don't like it

I am going to take some quotes from a WSJ article of a few weeks ago, featuring law professor Randy Barnett. Barnett is a libertarian, and has a dramatically different view of how the Constitution should be interpreted:

Since the New Deal, Supreme Court justices have generally assumed a law is constitutional and overruled it only when it infringes on an individual right that is enumerated in the Constitution (free speech) or not (privacy). "If you're talking about the regulation of economic activity, the presumption of constitutionality is for all practical purposes irrebuttable," Mr. Barnett says.
Instead, Mr. Barnett would have the court adopt a "presumption of liberty," placing the burden on the government to show that a law has a clear basis in
Congress's constitutional powers. "The easiest way to explain it is, it would basically apply to all liberty the same basic protection we now apply to speech," he says.

He is quick to say that this is not usually how cases are decided, and does not expect the Supreme Court to treat Obamacare this way. This is a long quote, but worth your time:

Mr. Barnett's own view of the Commerce Clause is extremely narrow. If he had his way, ObamaCare would be struck down on the ground that Congress has no authority to regulate the insurance business. When the Constitution was written, Mr. Barnett says, commerce was understood to mean "trade in things—goods. . . . The Commerce Clause was really put there, essentially, to create a free-trade zone for the United States," not to give Congress power over all economic activity. "Not only was insurance not thought to be a part of the original meaning; in fact, it was held by the Supreme Court for 100 years that it was not something within the commerce power to reach."
Today, however, Mr. Barnett acknowledges that is a losing argument. The court reversed itself in the 1944 case of U.S. v. South-Eastern Underwriters, holding that the Commerce Clause does authorize federal regulation of the insurance business.
So would "any constitutional law professor" be right to scoff at the case against ObamaCare? Not according to this law professor. "The challenges to ObamaCare are serious legal challenges within the existing doctrinal framework," Mr. Barnett says. "They are not an attempt to restore the lost Constitution."
That's why the "individual mandate"—the requirement that all Americans purchase medical insurance or pay a fine—has been the focus of the lawsuits by state attorneys general seeking to overturn ObamaCare. (Mr. Barnett wrote a friend-of-the-court brief with the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, in support of the Virginia attorney general's lawsuit.)
Such a mandate is unprecedented: "This is the first time in American history that Congress has claimed to use its power over interstate commerce to mandate, or require, that every person enter into a commercial relationship with a private company," Mr. Barnett notes. "As a judicial matter, it's also unprecedented. There's never been a court case which said Congress can do this." That doesn't establish that Congress can't do it, but the high court could reach that conclusion without undoing existing law.

Enough with the legal aspects- why do people have a visceral and negative reaction?

"What is the individual mandate?" Mr. Barnett says. "I'll tell you what the individual mandate, in reality, is. It is a commandeering of the people. . . . Now, is there a rule of law preventing that? No. Why isn't there a rule of law preventing that? Because it's never been done before. What's bothering people about the mandate? This fact. It's intuitive to them. People don't even know how to explain it, but there's something different about this, because it's a commandeering of the people as a whole. . . . We commandeer people to serve in the military, to serve on juries, and to file a return and pay their taxes. That's all we commandeer the people to do. This is a new kind of commandeering, and it's offensive to a lot of people."

A case challenging the individual mandate is continuing to proceed through the judicial system. It will be a landmark moment for the nation. I hope there is some of Barnett's judicial philosophy in their decision.

Fleshing it Out

A while ago I wrote about Shirley Sherrod. A few things have happened since then to flesh out the matter. I wrote about how she had been treated unfairly in the way that her speech had been cut up and posted, and then in the response by the media and White House.

Some more has emerged since then that is unflattering about Sherrod, but this time of her own doing:

• She has stated her intent to sue Andrew Breitbart over his role in posting the video. I'm not sure if he edited the clips or if he passed them along. The latter seems to be the case. Still, no one has contended that he altered her words in any material way. She claims racism. I think that is absurd. It was politically, but not racially motivated. I don't think she has a case.
• Sherrod's story may not be as rosy as it seemed. This is an article, also detailing events well in the past, that may indicate whether initial impressions had some validity.

Happy 5th Birthday Joseph!

Joseph actually turned 5 on Tuesday, and I wanted to pay a little tribute to him here. These are a few photos that help mark his life at various points.

He had to spend a little time in the hospital when he was born. He had a serious congenital defect that was corrected shortly after birth. It was a period of great growth and faith for our family, and I am grateful for his living reminder of how precious life is.

Lacy is holding him here, but this photo was snapped on my 26th birthday (I believe), the first day that I was able to hold him.

We got him home, not knowing that sleeping was not among the things Joseph would do well.

But smiling definitely was (and is). The below pictures can demonstrate that.

(Almost) without trying I have been able to inculcate Joseph with a love of 2 teams- BYU and the University of Miami. You have to start young.

What a smile.

I am named after my dad, and Joseph is the third Lowry to bear the name. Here he is around his 2nd birthday with his Papa Joe.

Joseph was almost two when Millie was born. He is a good and loving big brother.

And he loves his mommy (holding his hand here).

He decided he was going to the office. I thought my tie looked even better on him.

This was taken on Father's Day this year. I am truly a blessed man to have this family, and a little boy like Joseph.

I thought this was great. After a while of being neglected, the kids decided to use the sandbox. A toad had made his home there, and with not an ounce of fear, Joseph picked him up. He is such a great kid, and makes our lives more interesting and fulfilling, every single day. Often that means trying to explain to him why, despite how cool it would be, we can't build a rocketship in the backyard and why he can't learn to drive a motorcycle.

Happy birthday little buddy!

Inception

I wrote this over a week ago but never published it.

I saw Inception last night (Wednesday the 21st). I'm glad I went. It was a supremely engrossing movie. I'm left with a lot of questions about the film's resolution, which in turn have led to other questions about events preceding that.

I have not seen every film made by Christopher Nolan, but he is responsible for one of my all-time favorites, The Dark Knight. Despite the heavy nature of the film's subject matter, and the fact that its relentless pace is characterized by tragedy and setback, I always find a moving positive message in it. I think I have rewatched it 7 or 8 times. This is a piece from Film.com that talks about why Inception has ideas worth discussing (SPOILERS). My feeling of Christopher Nolan's work is summarized nicely by this quote from the article:

Again and again people choose humanity over certainty. It may not be the
right choice ... but it's the only choice we've got.

I would change it a bit. It may not be the easy choice.

The Whole Truth

I hadn't paid much attention to the story of Shirley Sherrod. She is the USDA official who was forced out of her job for making allegedly racist comments in a speech to the NAACP. According to this piece from Peggy Noonan, she was treated unfairly by many commentators AND the Obama Administration.

It is a lesson in the importance of learning the truth about a person and their actions. We are all potential victims of a 24/7 news cycle and instant-publish news and commentary.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXVIII

I grew up loving the original TRON movie, so I have been looking forward to the sequel. Here is the latest trailer. Looks great.

A Fascinating Life

A local photographer, filmmaker, and explorer passed away Wednesday while diving. By any definition, Wes Skiles was a cool guy. He had done things that most of us would never even attempt, such as mapping underground waterways and exploring uncharted caves. He directed films, worked in TV, and has the cover photo in this month's National Geographic.

I was able to get to know Wes a little bit over the past 6 years or so. As someone who wanted to be a filmmaker at one time, I was fascinated by his work. He was a big idea guy and was able to see some of those ideas come to fruition. I know he had a lot more that he hoped to accomplish as well.

He recently had a photo selected for the cover of National Geographic Magazine. You can see some of his work here.

His wife, 2 children, and other family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Bias

Fred Barnes is a well-known conservative commentator. He wrote a great piece in yesterday's WSJ about something called Journolist. Journolist was a network of liberal reporters and journalists, and Barnes explains the unique historical context of the network, and their apparent collusion, at least intellectually, in support of liberal causes.

Independence & the Court

This is a great article about the political ramifications of recent Supreme Court decisions. In particular it looks at how the Obama administration will likely face more push back from a conservative-leaning Court.
Obama has demonstrated petulance in response to some of these issues, as in his State of the Union address. I like the following quote from the article.

McConnell, the law professor, said the administration's broad set of regulatory moves made a clash almost inevitable. "It does not mean the courts are being 'political,' " he said. "It is the way the institutions are designed, to create checks and balances."

I think it will be too much to imagine that Obama will take this view.

Happy Independence Day!

Reasons to love the Cup

I enjoyed this column about the World Cup from ESPN's Bill Simmons.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100701

Living Hero

I enjoy reading the stories of people who do remarkable things to protect others. Many of these seem to come from the experience of men and women in the armed forces. A soldier is being considered for the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan, and if awarded, it will be the first such Medal given to a living recipient since the Vietnam War.

You can read a little about it here.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/07/01/2010-07-01_pentagon_nominates_medal_of_honor_for_living_soldier_to_white_house_first_since_.html

Raise it!

By this I mean the Social Security retirement age. It won't "cost" us a single dime and would put the system on much sounder footing.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXVII

A pretty cool video, put together the old-fashioned way, with no computer trickery.

Second Lives

Sometimes I think I would like to be a butcher whenever I quit doing what I am doing. I just love cutting meat.

I've never dismembered a whole animal before, but this post from Popular Mechanics gives some of the basics.

You think there is a market for specialty meats in Gainesville?

Our Leaders

No one will know until this is actually in place how it works. But we
believe we've done something that has been needed for a long time. It took a
crisis to bring us to the point where we could actually get this job done.

Those words were said by Senator Dodd this morning. Forgive me if I am unimpressed. How does Dodd know that they got the job done if they don't know exactly how it will work? They mislead the public if they think they have solved the problem of bank failures and financial crises. We probably won't see a repeat of 2008, but problems will emerge again in some form.

And there will be, as always, unintended consequences of additional regulation. The costs of reform always flown down to the rank-and-file employee and the common investor and customer.

Toy Story 3

It was a fantastic movie. Period.

It was completely engaging, often exciting, and consistently funny. The voice acting is fantastic, as always, and several times I was impressed at the emotion conveyed by the performers.

The ending is emotionally satisfying and I don't want to spoil it. Just go see the movie and consider your money and time well-spent. And you don't need kids to enjoy it.

If you've seen it (and don't read this unless you have), are male, and got a little choked up, just know that it is okay. It seems a common occurrence.

iPadding it Up

I was away from home this week on a beach trip with my wife and kids. The ONLY bad thing (and it was a very small one) was that I was away from the office when my new iPad arrived. I love new gadgets, but I wouldn't really call myself an early adopter. The iPod was out for years before I bought one. I resisted blogging until it was thoroughly mainstream.

Buying an iPad just a few months after introduction has me about as trendy as it gets, and as I write this first post on my new device I have to say that in just a few short hours of playing with it I am very pleased. I would like for it to be useful, as well as fun, so I plan to test it out in that way pretty thoroughly over the next month or so.

There are some things it can't do, like type this post in the "compose" view (I'm using the "edit html" side), and I am such an avid user of tabbed web browsing that I feel some lack there, but all in all I am pleased with my choice.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXVI

This is a few weeks old, from the finale of 30 Rock. Hilarious.

Better to be Lucky

This is a good piece from Peggy Noonan on the President Obama's string of bad luck (and bad choices). A favorite part:

No reason to join the pile on, but some small points. Two growing weaknesses showed up in small phrases. The president said he had consulted among others "experts in academia" on what to do about the calamity. This while noting, again, that his energy secretary has a Nobel Prize. There is a growing meme that Mr. Obama is too impressed by credentialism, by the meritocracy, by those who hold forth in the faculty lounge, and too strongly identifies with them. He should be more impressed by those with real-world experience. It was the "small people" in the shrimp boats who laid the boom.
And when speaking of why proper precautions and safety measures were not in place, the president sternly declared, "I want to know why." But two months in he should know. And he should be telling us. Such empty sternness is . . . empty.

Looking Forward

Toy Story 3 premieres tomorrow. We'll be there.

This is a great review from the WSJ's Joe Morgenstern. I'm trying not to be OVERestimate how good it is.

Gobar

If the expected mineral deposits are successfully extracted, it will be years before any of that comes to pass. Even then, it is reasonable to ask how much of that will make it to common Afghan.

The country is in need of immediate help for development. One interesting idea is provided by Michael Yon. Cow Dung has been successfully used in Nepal to provide clean (really!) and sustainable fuel in places where none was available before. It could be a helpful and near-term way of improving the lives of many Afghans.

Mineral Rush

Significant, possibly enormous, mineral deposits have been found in Afghanistan. It is both problematic and wonderful. It could transform the poor nation into a commodity powerhouse, which is extraordinary. It may also have other, unintended consquences.

1984

The premiere of the A-Team movie prompted this entertaining column from Eric Snider. I loved the A-Team as a kid, and this is a movie I will probably enjoy (on DVD most likely).

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXV

I don't really know anything about this candidate for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner, but he makes an entertaining ad.



A little too casual with his firearm for my taste though.

Why we wait...and fail

I am frustrated when the blame for an event like the BP spill falls on the shoulders of any one person. I thought it was silly when Bush bore the brunt of the blame for the response to Katrina, and I don't think the continued failure to fix the oil leak is solely Obama's fault. The president does is not omnipotent or omniscient.

Both of these examples do demonstrate lapses of leadership. Obama, for a while (and still to some extent) avoided the negativity cast upon Bush, thanks to a more forgiving press. That appears to be mostly over.

I don't want to dwell on Obama's failings as a leader (although there are some great articles that explain why he is having so much difficulty, like this one from Peggy Noonan and this one from Dorothy Rabinowitz).

The point of this post was really to highlight this great op-ed piece from the Washington Post. Richard Posner writes about how a combination of common factors lead to bad outcomes. They are not limited by ideology, age, or intelligence. He explains it as follows, in his words-

1. when fixing things after the fact seems like a feasible alternative to preventing disaster in the first place
2. when the people responsible have a short time horizon
3. when the risk is uncertain in the sense that no objective probability can be attached to it.

I like his reasoning. We ought to consider these inputs and motivations before and after disasters occur. We can't always prevent a Deepwater Horizon or Financial Crisis, but our responses can be more decisive and effective.

¡Adios Uribe!

¡Y gracias!

This is a synopsis of an interview with Alvaro Uribe, outgoing president of Colombia. He has accomplished much under difficult circumstances, so it is worth reading about what he was able to do.

Invictus

Just watched the film by Clint Eastwood. I really enjoyed it, and thought it was an excellent story, well told.

The poem that inspired the title is also great, provided here for your convenience. It was written by William Earnest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Catching Up

Things have been more hectic than usual lately. Since the passing of Lacy's father, we have enjoyed the visit of best friends Justin and Kira Palmer and just yesterday the wonderful memorial service of Lacy's dad.

This is a funny post on the origin of an entertaining Wiki-Hoax.

I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, and take a moment to remember its purpose, and the men and women who have paid for our freedoms with their blood.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXIV

I have enjoyed the latest string of ads promoting Toyota's new Sienna. We have a Honda Odyssey, which we selected in part because of what I felt was superior drive-feel. Still, good campaign, and this music video is pretty good.

Sadness and Joy

My wife Lacy's father, Randy Frisch, passed away early Sunday morning. She has written a beautiful post on her blog, which also chronicled the blessing of our son Isaac on Sunday morning.

Randy left behind a big loving family, and many great memories. He was great fun to be around and always enjoyed a good party, and he frequently commented on my political posts as we shared a pretty similar idea about what was good for the country.

He will be sorely missed.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXIII

All of your marriage problems solved!

EU Boo

This is a great piece on how inept the EU has been in dealing with Greece's debt crisis.

For all of our government's failings, things could have been worse.

Vaccine Denial

Frontline produced a piece on Vaccines, as mentioned by Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker.

One of the issues mentioned by Tucker is the bogus story of a woman who claimed to have serious side effects to the flu shot. Watch the video below and you will see how absurd her claims are.

I'd like to write more, and may have time later.

Declare War on the Groin Joke!

This is an interesting piece on how the "acceptable" nature of genital assault on males is a significant problem, one leading to very negative outcomes for some boys and young men.

The Unintended Consequences of CSI

From BoingBoing, how CSI is helping criminals become more effective.

Saw this coming a while ago.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXII

A funny, Twilight-themed clip from Jimmy Kimmel-

US Supremacy and the Space Program

I've been meaning to write about this for days and days, but haven't the time to do it justice. Instead, I am going to do this in bullet format:

• There are very different opinions of how NASA should proceed after the Space Shuttle program ends in several months.
• I agree with this column from Car-and-Driver's Aaron Robinson, where he argues that government involvement in the Space Program is critical, not just technologically, but from emotionally.
• Proponents of private space travel are happy with the President's proposal to shift the focus away from government-led technology.

Polio makes a Comeback

In a sad turn of events for the fight against Polio, the disease has made a resurgence over the last 12 months. This is terrible, as the previous 12 months were among the best ever, with the disease being limited to just 4 countries. That is no longer the case.

This great article from the Wall Street Journal examines the very significant effort that Bill Gates has made to eradicate the disease, in concert with various government agencies and Rotary International (of which I am a member).

It is possible to eradicate Polio. It is debilitating and sometimes deadly. If there is a massive effort and a huge amount of funding it could be successful in as few as 2 or 3 years.

A Rundown

Happy Earth Day! I hope you will do something Earthy, which does not include supporting well-intentioned but deeply flawed climate change remedies like carbon offsets and cap-and-trade.

Here are some links of interest (perhaps to me and no one else).

• The man who invented Tickle Me Elmo has designed a non-lethal weapon for military use. It uses compressed air and delivers what you might call a VERY BIG TICKLE.
• Chris Collinsworth on why Ben Roethlisberger's suspension was the right thing to do. I agree.
• Some reasonable criticism of the President and Vice-President's trips to New York, on environmental grounds.
• A great piece on the badness of Jaws III, unnecessary Florida jabs notwithstanding.

New iPhone Emerges...Accidentally

This is a great post from Gizmodo. They came into possession of a disguised, genuine, next-generation iPhone. You can hit the link for their analysis.

Their generally positive review makes me wonder how accidental the iPhone's loss really was. This could be a case of brilliant, free marketing, where the new version's design and hardware could receive a real-world critique, months before its initial release. This would allow time for refinements to be made to design, and the wipe of the phone's firmware meant that bugs in that system would largely be unknowable at present, at least to those outside of Apple.

Either way, I think it only helps Apple.

Pic Tricks

Here are a few cool photography tricks, some of which can be done with lenses and/or software (via Instapundit).

The Tilt-Shift Effect is my favorite, as demonstrated in the post and on my sis-in-law's blog.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXXI

Pixelation.

The Therapist as Narcissist

This is an interesting article by Helen Smith, a psychologist, on how the role of a therapist may be changing, and not for the better.

I like her mention of the term "social justice," a catch-all phrase which doesn't have a place in the individually-focused discipline Smith discusses.

Point A to B

Consumer Reports thinks a big Lexus is unsafe. Poor Toyota. I just think that the big Lexus is overpriced.

Speaking of expensive vehicles. Here is a VERY expensive one, while not quite top-of-the-line for it's brand. Still, it seems an impressive car-

Everything about the Rolls feels gusseted, wrapped in velvet, strung with silk, double-isolated with hydro-elastic this-and-that and suspended on bushings made of fetal pigskin.

Moving up the ladder to the EXTREMELY expensive, here is a review of the race-ready, only-29-will-be-made Ferrari 599XX. It sounds like a wonderful achievement, the kind of thing I would like to experience someday.

Sir Charles Weighs In

I enjoy listenting to the Dan Patrick show when time allows. Otherwise I will check out the website, where I happened upon today's interview with Charles Barkley. He is always entertaining and opinionated. An excerpt:

DP: You also said Tiger should quit saying he's not black.
CB: I've been telling Tiger that for 10 years or more. Quit saying you're not black, because when you screw up, you will be black. You will be black in a hurry. We, not me, we, all of us have been telling him that.
DP: What's Tiger say when you say, Look, your dad's black?
CB: He didn't want to offend anybody, but I said it doesn't work like that. You don't get to choose the way it is, bro. Everybody who's got a black daddy is black.
DP: Do you think Tiger would be treated differently if he were white?
CB: Of course, of course. I'll give you an example. The way that Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are treated are like night and day. There's hatred and venom toward Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens ... there are some people who still think he didn't do steroids. There is a double standard. First of all, everybody knows that. Any person who doesn't know there's a double standard when you're black and white is living with their head in the sand.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXX

This is a pretty amusing clip that a math professor created for his students.



I guess the guy at the end is the University President.

The Oprah

There is an unauthorized biography of Oprah Winfrey that comes on sale next week. According to this post from Margo Howard, many media elites are not going anywhere near it for fear of upsetting the Oprah.

I don't think any of the people mentioned, such as Barbara Walters or David Letterman, should be required to have anyone on their shows. It does say something about them that they have refused to address the book for fear of offending Oprah.

I've never read any books by Kitty Kelly. Not my genre of choice, but a major book about someone as powerful as Oprah Winfrey is certainly newsworthy.

Facebookism

I've been meaning to write about the benefits and drawbacks of Facebook. Among other things, it provides the illusion of intimacy. You can spend hours looking at photos and reading about the likes and dislikes of family, friends, and acquaintances, without any actual interaction. Yet the level of knowledge you possess may provide an approximation of contact.

You might leave a comment on the post of a person that you would likely never call or talk to, if that required something more overt, like picking up a phone.

Obviously people can be too free with information. Many times I have seen people wonder why their isn't an "Awkward" button alongside the one for "Like."

Still, I love Facebook. I have been able to get in touch with old friends and enjoy the occasional philosophical and political discussions that can emerge. I also play stupid games. But I also try to be discreet, and encourage the same, particularly with young people I am acquainted with.

This post from a WSJ blog questions how Facebook and other social media may have led people to becoming too free with personal information- she calls it "oversharing."

I wonder whether society's tendency toward being less discreet is what led to social media's rise, rather than the other way around.

Food for thought.

Surprise, Surprise

I am going to be critical of an Obama policy. Or at least relay some criticism.

The sad part it, I was hopeful when I first learned about this idea- that offshore drilling would be allowed by the Obama administration. Unfortunately the policy is very limited and will not begin for several years. It is also tied into an energy tax, which is exactly what a recovering economy needs.

The Left is unhappy that any kind of drilling will occur. Some drilling is better than none I suppose.

Any thoughts?

Awesome Video Saturday CXXIX

One of the most clever advertisements I've seen in a while.

Misadventures in the 3rd World

Libya has made tremendous strides toward more normal relations with the West. They have a looong way to go, as evidenced by this somewhat humorous anecdote by a journalist who tried to attend a conference there.

Way of the iPad

The Wall Street Journal's tech guy, Walt Mossberg, has a very positive review of Apple's new iPad. I am a fan of Apple's products, having drunk the Kool-Aid 4 or 5 years ago. Even with that, I watched the video of the iPad that Apple had on it's site post-announcement and I thought it was a bit much.

It is a little hard to believe how the device could be as revolutionary as the hype makes it sound. The hype may be right. Read the article for more information.

A Sunday Thought

I have very rarely used my blog to express my religious convictions. I feel like doing so today. This will be primarily a theological post.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twice a year we listen to a broadcast of our Church's leaders called General Conference. During the Conference we hear instruction and reminders about how we can apply the principles of Christ's gospel to our lives.

Today we studied one of the discourses from the most recent Conference in a men's study class that I led. It is titled "Moral Discipline" and was given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. He is a member of our Church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles, and I consider him a witness of Jesus Christ (this is also his official duty in the Church).

I thought this talk worth sharing because it touches on a few areas that are applicable to our day and time. Here is a quote:

The societies in which many of us live have for more than a generation failed to foster moral discipline. They have taught that truth is relative and that everyone decides for himself or herself what is right. Concepts such as sin and wrong have been condemned as “value judgments.” As the Lord describes it, “Every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god” (D&C 1:16).

As a consequence, self-discipline has eroded and societies are left to try to maintain order and civility by compulsion. The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments. One columnist observed that “gentlemanly behavior [for example, once] protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual harassment laws to restrain coarse behavior. . . .

“Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we’ve become.”²

I believe in moral absolutes. I believe that each individual has the right to choose their own path, but mere selection of a moral path does not make that path correct. I don't walk around judging people who make different choices than I do- I don't have the time, inclination, or right to do so. But I try to make choices based on whether they conform to a moral constant.

I think many, many people do this as well. The unfortunate part is that we, as a society, have failed to maintain a core moral discipline that provides a framework for our behavior and treatment of others. We are afraid to declare societal norms to guide individual behavior. Elder Christofferson continues:

I have heard a few parents state that they don’t want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness.

As a a parent I am more than a little terrified about the possibility that my children will make bad choices. I don't plan to be ambiguous about what "bad" means. I'm frustrated that the world we live in will likely hinder, rather than aid, my efforts. I am grateful to have a framework that I think will help me in my efforts.

It's not the most popular ideology. It drives some people nuts. It has helped me live a simple and fulfilling life, and I am grateful for it.

Awesome Video Saturday CXXVIII

Joseph has been requesting this story every night. I don't know if he gets the environmental message, because when I ask him what he likes about it he says "the grickle-grass and the old crow."

He has quite a bit of it memorized though.