Jinxed Universe

A few years ago while I was still attending Weber State, I had to write a paper on a controversial topic for a politics class, yeah I took a politics class, it was way fun.

Anyways, he wouldn't let us do the standard topics of guns, abortion, or the like, so I chose talking about what is called Legislating from the Bench. What this means is when our Judicial System begins creating rules, which is beyond the scope of their branch of government.

One of the prime examples I used to enforce my case was a law Congress passed, it was called the Communications Decency Act. This was passed in 1996 and was overruled in 1997 by the Supreme Court.

This law basically made it a crime for anyone to "knowingly (A)use an interactive computer service to send to a specific person or persons under 18 years of age, or (B) uses any interactive computer service to display in a manner available to a person under 18 years of age, any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs." In other words, I can't push my porn on you, but you have to seek it out.

The Supreme Court overturned this ruling stating that it stepped on others' right to Freedom of Speech. Basically the porno industry has a right to search out people and send them porn even if they don't want it.

Let me give you some first hand experience. I'm a computer guy, my business is to keep computers working. I'm always cleaning up "messes" of pornography and such deceptive programs they use to get one addicted. There are also malicious programs out there that will install themselves on unknowing people's computers that will pop-up with pornographic pictures. But, of course according to the Supreme Court, these makers have a right to infect and distribute their programs/images.

It doesn't take much to realize that pornography is very addictive. We have been counciled time and time again that pornography is destructive and will ruin us. But, with the Porn Industry free to use deception and lies to expose themselves to us, how do you keep it out of your homes?

Well, the Supreme Court has made it our responsibility to keep their garbage out of our homes. Now, this applies to all who have the internet coming into their homes.

Get a firewall!! This doesn't include the router that came from Qwest and Comcast, they are not firewalls. Even those cheap Netgear firewalls won't do the trick. You must make an investment!! Get a professional firewall.

Now, I personally love Sonicwall firewalls. I am biased, I work with them all day long, but it is a fantastic product. It will allow you to block sites according to categories that the manufacturer places on all internet sites, or even create a list of approved, or disapproved sites. The newest ones allow you to use only a "Safe Search" on search engines, meaning the results of a search are safe from garbage and not hidden porn. In addition to keeping the unwanted internet sites out, it also cleans up any viruses, malware, and other intrusive programs and hackers from getting into your home network.

Now, let me make one thing clear, just because you are married, or you are a bishop, or whoever. You aren't immune to this porn and can go without. I've have had stories shared to me about Bishops, Stake Presidents and everyone else that have fallen victim to pornography.

It is not a question, now days, if someone has seen porn, but when they have seen it. By implementing a firewall into your home/business, will reduce the exposure we will experience in our lifetime and eliminate the chances from our homes. Just like any addictive substance, the less we are exposed to it, the less likely we will get addicted to it.

For many it comes down to money. I agree a firewall isn't cheap, I won't lie to you. But, you have to realize that buy putting down $100 a year to keep your home clean, you will have less computer problems and less spiritual problems. Can you really put a price on your children's salvation? We can repair computer problems, and it will cost you more than the cost of the firewall's yearly subscription, but the damage made on an individual by pornography will forever be etched upon their minds and that we cannot totally repair!!!

Well, if you have been around me much, you will know that I don't talk much. Yes, for all of those who do read this blog and haven't really talked to me much, I'm on the shy side when in public. I am trying to work on that though, but that is a subject for another day.

Because I don't say much, I spend a lot of my public time listening and watching people. You would be amazed at what you observe about people. The way people dress, drive, eat, everything speaks of your personality.

So, on to what I really want to talk about, the stupid things people do at General Priesthood Mtg.

Now, I enjoy this meeting, but occasionally someone gets up and tries to put me to sleep, but to keep myself awake, I start my people watching.

One year we had someone sitting in front of us with their laptop. First, if you are going to bring a laptop to a dark room, have the courtesy to sit in the very back of the building, as your screen brightness, no matter what you set it to, is going to bother everyone behind you for at least 2 rows back.

Second, why are you bringing a laptop to this meeting? So you can play solitaire when you get bored, well maybe, but most likely not, but this instance in particular, he was taking notes of the meeting. Now, again just a little logic, but doesn't the talks in full get put on lds.org just a few days after the meeting? I mean this is to say that some major disaster was to happen in his life where he was thankfully able to reference the talk he had taken notes on, because the talk wasn't on the site yet, then he would be in the right.

Here is another observation that I don't get.

Why would you drag the couch and chairs from the hallways and bring them into the gym? Don't you have any respect for the building that you are in? This isn't your home and you can rearrange the furniture as you please. Anyways, if you are going to do it, please don't let my family see you.

We had someone do this about a year ago and having my Dad in the Stake Presidency, made it all the better. The guy brought the chair into the gym and sat in it next to his buddies and then starting talking to them and thought he was the smartest guy in the whole place, my brothers and I all watching. One of us points this guy out to our Dad. You see this glimmer of fury in his eyes as he gets up. We all start bracing for the crash. He doesn't beeline for this guy, but boldly walks right up to him and asks him what he is doing. The guy told him he needed a chair, and one of his buddies had the wonderful excuse of he has a bad back. Yeah, this guy has a bad back as he just hoisted this chair into the gym from outside, right!?! Anyways, my Dad told him put it back, in the best manner when he is mad, and the guy hauled it back with his tail between his legs.

We just now wait for a repeat of this every six months, but it hasn't happened yet.

I have saved the biggest annoyance for last. Every Priesthood Meeting, as everyone arrives, they position themselves so they can leave as fast as possible. What this means is, even though there is plenty of parking spots at the church, they have to park on the street, they have to back into their parking spot, and most of all...

THEY GET UP AFTER THE PROPHET SPEAKS AND LEAVE BEFORE THE MEETING HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED.

Now, I can understand backing into a parking stall, I prefer just parking in the back of the parking lot so as I don't have to wait for someone to let me into line and back out, but that is me. But, to park on the street? That is looking pretty petty!! But as I said before, you have to have some audacity to leave Priesthood Mtg. early just to get ice cream, go eat, or whatever your lame excuse may be!!

If the song/prayer wasn't important for us to participate in, don't you think they would have just ended the broadcast once the Prophet sat down, or are you done gracing us with your presence in the meeting and we can just get finish the formalities of the meeting without you?

These people are a disturbance, you can just sit and watch as they trickle out of the building not making eye contact as they feel ashamed in what they are doing, but not enough to keep them in their seats. I hope that ice cream/dinner, tastes good enough that you have disturb a spiritual feast for everyone for a little physical gluttony!!

Anyways, before you do something out of the ordinary in Priesthood Mtg. make sure that my family isn't there or you will be the topic of our conversation.

Many years ago, my family would anticipate the KJZZ Channel 14 Friday night movie. What was great was they showed many rated "R" movies, but since it was on TV, we were able to watch them. As much as I can justify watching a rated "R" movie now that the "For the Strength of the Youth" pamphlet doesn't specifically mention rated "R" movies, I just can't do it. But, that is a topic for another day.

They had some great movies on, like Predator, Alien, Braveheart, and such. They had Scott Christopher, he was in The Best Two Years, RM, Singles Ward and such, directing the showing and he would sell you on the movie before it would start and then later during the movie he would poke fun at some of the scenes and just made watching an average movie even better.

As time went on, the movies that were being shown, started to slide downhill, like an avalanche!! If Gigli had been out at the time, they would have shown it here. But, the only reasons I stayed and finished these shows was that it was like a train wreck. Scott started to be very critical of the movies that were being shown and I think at one point he told viewers to change the channel, the movie was so bad. He was harsh and I couldn't believe they let him say some of the things he said, but everything was true. I was hoping KJZZ got the idea and improved the movies they had on.

It wasn't long before he had been replaced with a couple of retards, that were just plain horrible and complimented these feature films really well. When Scott went missing, we all knew why. We wanted to send KJZZ a letter telling them how idiotic they were in what they did, but as many ambitions in life, it got thrown by the wayside.

It wasn't long before the KJZZ Friday Movie went the way of the dodo and I can understand. It wasn't months later that they were off the air.

Now days, whenever I watch some of the LDS films that have him in it, I am always reminded of the great times we as a family had watching him talk about the movies we were watching. Too bad.......

I don't own a business, but I have always had the desire in my heart to do so. Every so often I will "test" the waters to see if the time is right, and as you can see it hasn't been, yet!!

This last year I did a lot of thinking on this subject and here is why I believe that small businesses are struggling and Obama is taking the wrong view on this.

I love guns, I love the acrid smell of burned gun powder, the large holes punched in my bowling pins by passing ammo. My dream is to open a gun store. We are in great need of one here in Bountiful, especially one with an indoor range. But, I have been hesitant to make the plunge for a few reasons and I will outline them below:

1. Gun dealers require a permit to buy and sell firearms. I put in a request for an application in January of last year, mind you this is a request for an application only. It took the BATF until May to fill my request for just the application. Once I got the application here is what they wanted to get the permit.
a. What the name of the business? You cannot just have a personal permit, you must have a business in order to buy and sell guns.
b. What hours are you open? You must provide them with your working hours, no problem except they get to do random searches on your business because they don't like your business.
c. Two sets of fingerprints, one copy will go to your local police chief, who gets a full copy of your application also. The other set goes to the BATF with the second copy of your application.
d. My initials stating that I will sell gun locks at my business.
e. That I will fill out a firearms form and do a background check on anyone who doesn't have a dealer permit and purchases a gun.

Now I will jump through all these hoops if it means that I can have my own guns store, that is how bad I want it.

2. They don't want a home-office business. I was thinking of doing this to start, but with the whole provision in #1.b, I don't want to allow the BATF into my home and scaring my kids and wife.

2. I don't have the money. I am working on saving money for a business. But, with all of the taxes you have to pay as a business owner, taxes on the business itself, all of the various government regulations on a business, then on top of that because of #2, to start my business I would need to buy/rent a building to run my business. To have an indoor range will cost more to meet the standards for safety, but even if I waited on the range I still don't have the money for a space.

3. Who knows what the future will bring. With all the crazy garbage our democrat run government is doing, I have no confidence in them or their abilities. Who isn't to say that tomorrow they won't jack my taxes through the roof and put my business into bankruptcy. So, why would I stick my neck out and take a chance with the odds are it will get cut off.

Sometimes I feel I am too cautious on this subject, but with #3 being so big, I just can't do it. Here is where Obama is out of touch. He has never had a real job, his experience is in politics only. With the policies he and his friends are pushing through, we are going to be in for a long haul. There is nothing in his policies that is friendly to the small business.

In my current job I would like to get some additional help, because I'm so busy. But, will our government put into effect Healthcare, Cap and Trade, or some other law that will whittle away at those funds that could have provided a job for someone who needed it?

The answer is who knows, as for now me and my dreams will play it safe and wait and watch.

So, with my two daughters growing up, I have been forced to spend my money on new car seats. Now, I admit my daughters are young enough that what I'm writing about hasn't made an impact yet on my wallet. But, I do see and plan for it on the horizon.

It wasn't but just a few years ago that our local state government passed a law requiring that all children are required to be in a booster seat or a car seat until they are for 8 yrs of age or taller than 57 inches. This is good news for the car seat industry because in Utah our state is overflowing with children and many are now of need of a car seat. This is bad news for anyone transporting many children, especially anyone that is strapped for cash. What makes this even worse is many of the car seats made at this time take more room than a single seat. So, if you have more than 2-3 children under 8 yrs, it is difficult to seat all of these children in a single car. Which then compounds the problem of what car these people can drive and can fit all of their children.

So, as you can see the financial burden that is placed upon the citizenry is a little much, and why would I dare say would our state pass such a law? Well, its "for the children!" they say. I say anyone that uses that phrase has an alternative motive and is trying to generate a feeling of emotion in the other party.

By passing such a law the government deems to save us from ourselves. For the government to tell me what I can or cannot do only restricts me from my successes and my failures. By forcing me to purchase specific cars and car seats the government is confining my success to a set of car seats which must be replaced because car seats have an expiration date. Think of that, car seats expire just like a piece of cheese or a quart of milk. Or forcing my payment on a car that may not really suits my needs, besides transporting my children.

Now what could anyone do with that extra money? Well, many things;
Start a business, invest in stocks/bonds/mutual funds, save for retirement, any amount of things. But, for the government to force my hand in a specific direction may have some benefits, but what are the costs?

In my estimations, once I have four children, I must trade in my current car for a new one. But, what kind of car can I get, well what I can figure I have only a couple of options.

One, would be to go with a suburban. Now this car is the most appealing to be because it comes with four wheel drive and is very roomy. But, being four wheel drive it gets less than ideal gas mileage and the insurance costs are more expensive. Most importantly this vehicle is manufactured by the all-so-famous GMC, aka Government Motors Company. I refuse on principle to be raped again by the government in supporting them in this company.

The second option is to go with a van of some sort. These can range in looks and styles and I despise these in all their variety. Some of these vans cannot seat 5 car seats, so only a few of these are an option.

So, as you can see I'm hurting in this situation. I am not currently in this position, but I do see this problem surfacing and all thanks to government intervention on behalf of my children's welfare.

So, because I know many of you are finding my blog so tedious, I wanted to talk about a topic that I haven't really understood and hopefully will help some people.

As far as I can remember my family has grown a garden. Our expertise lied in growing weeds, we had an uncanny knack for growing even some of the most strange looking weeds. When we moved to my parents new house, my father layed out a garden that probably can be see from space. It was from this point on that we got "serious" and gave up our talent for weeds. We even bought a book to help us know what we were doing. We were blessed to have had a dairy on the land we had, so their had been a lot of natural fertilizer on it, which had changed the type of soil we had.

We have been able to grow anything that our land and climate would allow. Every Fall I'm amazed with how many piles of dead plants I see in garbage cans being thrown out. We have always tilled under all the leftovers/plants that were in the garden. This is where I don't understand some people. Soil only has a limited amount of nutrients, so putting those nutrients back in is important. If these people have so much money to buy fertilizer for their garden, they need to start giving me their extra cash.

A year ago we moved out of our apartment and into our house. Our new place didn't have a garden, so we made a place for one. We marked out a place and I began to put all of our grass clippings and yard debris into this area. By the next spring most of this stuff had broken down and we tilled it under. Our soil here was horrible, it is hard clay, but where we had gone and put all of these clippings it had become soft and the tiller just sunk in it was so soft.

When we grew our garden we had no problem growing anything. We actually ended up with loads more than we had planned and couldn't eat it fast enough. We even got a few compliments and questions on how we have been able to grow such a great garden.

This Fall we put the whole years worth of clipping AND garden material on the garden area. We have about 1-2' worth of yard debris on our garden. So, I'm hoping for a great year next year. I've put all the grass clippings, fallen leaves, and anything else I could get my hands on. The only thing I wanted that I didn't do was to see if I could get my hands on some chicken/turkey, or some kind of manure, would have been ideal.

In 1776 we declared our independence from England. In that declaration, we believed a change of government was necessary because our most basic freedoms had been refused.

In 1787 the current Constitution was formed. Seeing that the Articles of Confederation weren't amendable, they started from scratch and created our current Constitution. At its foundation was a system of checks and balances to help maintain the freedoms of its people.

Since this time many of those involved in our early government saw it necessary for a bill of rights. A document to establish what rights the government cannot infringe on, they knowing that the natural course of a government is to take over the freedoms of its people.

In 1789 the Bill of Rights was introduced and by 1791 these rules were then enforced.

These three documents each have a purpose;
The Declaration of Independence, to declare the most basic rights of an individual.
The Constitution, to establish a government to protect and support the rights of an individual.
The Bill of Rights, to restrict the government from invading our individual rights.

Our Founding Fathers were trying to enable us to be successful.

The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

This statement establishes to all that we are all equal, in that though we are born to difference circumstances, that we all have the right to pursue what makes us happy. It doesn't pioneer the idea that life will treat us the same. Some will always have to work harder than others for the same goal. But, what it does do, is it keeps the door of possibilities open to us and allows us to do as we please.

When a government tries to balance out life for everyone, the results can be disastrous. The hardships we face cannot be removed by the government only displaced. When we are removed from our failures, we are also removed from our successes.

"... to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." It is not the purpose of the government to provide for us, but to secure the rights that have been established in these documents and whenever the government violates this purpose they are overstepping their bounds.