Love your Children

With the millions of issues going on in the world today one might think 'How can I help safeguard my children?'

You might also wonder 'how can I prevent these things from happening to them?'

Bottom line is Love your Kids.

A wonder talk was given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson titled 'Brethren, We Have Work to Do' in the October 2012 Priesthood session.
He mentioned a lot about how our children and especially how boys are being treated in society and the consequences there of.  He opening comments are fitting to be copied.

"Brethren, much has been said and written in recent years about the challenges of men and boys. A sampling of book titles, for example, includes Why There Are No Good Men Left, The Demise of Guys, The End of Men, Why Boys Fail, and Manning Up. Interestingly, most of these seem to have been written by women. In any case, a common thread running through these analyses is that in many societies today men and boys get conflicting and demeaning signals about their roles and value in society."

 As we look at society we find that in almost all cases the best situation for a child is to have both parents present and if possible at least one at home so they have an anchor on which to hold.
Unfortunately, due to the cost of living and other circumstance we find way to many children coming home after school to an empty house.   But, this is not worse then giving your child a fully activated IPhone to take with them and use all day while your not around.   You really don't know what is happening do you?

In this world we live in today there are so many outside influences that can effect our children.  Sometimes we really don't know how much influence that idle chatter on the playground is really having.


Don't you want to be the primary influence in the life of your kid?

It's not easy but, there are things you can do that will help to make sure your an influence in the life of your child.  Especially, as they grow you don't want them getting their information at school if you can provide it in a more appropriate way at home.

Consider these things:

• Have dinner together as a family.
  "Our second key relationship is with our families. Since “no other success can compensate for failure” ¹²  here, we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship." Of Things That Matter Most Dieter F. Uchtdorf
  
• Actively participate in a religion. This will provide a moral and ethical basis for decision making. This also provides a support group various members of your family may decide to use.

• Hold a week family home evening   
  
  “We have a family home evening program once a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kind. I don’t hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you’d see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world” (interview, Boston Globe, 14 Aug. 2000). Family Home Evening By President Gordon B. Hinckley

• Don't overly criticize the choices of your child.  This may cause them to not confide in you down the road.  Keep the communication channels open, then you can find out what is going in their lives and intervene when appropriate.

• Be fair and do not show favoritism.   Give 'T-I-M-E'.  Involve your children in activities together.  And so them you care about each one.  This may have to be on a one-for-one basis.

• Be consistent. 
  Give 'T-I-M-E'.  Don't have a dual standard.  They will not trust you after a time.  This takes work so that mom and dad are on the same page.

As we strive to follow the above ideas we have a chance at protecting our children.   They will be emboldened and more confident.  You will also be the major influence in their lives.  They will feel comfortable coming to you and if not they will likely confide in a youth leader in your chosen religion.   Don't be scared by this.  It can be helpful in more ways then you can imagine.


Check this link for a variety of Free publications that relate to helping strengthen families and marriages.






Here is a list of some of some wonderful films you might want to view with your family on your weekly family night.



Or consider these family friendly games





Buaidh - NO - Bas

The Dirty Little Secret

I'd like to talk about what I call the dirty little secret.  It's now exactly what you might think.  I refers to how things are being handled with teachers here in California and their pensions.

What some people might not know is that it takes about Five(5) years to make tenure for most teachers.  It is also known that in many school districts they give out pink slips almost every year and turn around and hire back many if not most of those same teachers.   Why do these 2 facts really matter.   You only begin to get access to pensions when your tenured and you restart the clock every time your pink slipped.  So that means some teachers at the local school may be working in the district for 5 years but, do not have tenure.

It will known and complained about that the Pension fund for teachers and other public state workers is very underfunded.
So this 'Dirty Little Secret' is in directly helping the pension fund since you have a growing portion of teachers that have yet to qualify for access to the pension fund.  This odd gap that is being created will create what one could call a doughnut in regards to payouts.  You have the fatted stuff now and the lack there off in the future or the gaping hole in payouts.

Is this really a good thing.  Well some would say yes since it is helping the over all pension situation.  Others would say no since it really does not solve the problem of how much is being paid out it just messes with the number of people that will receive payouts. 



And think about the teachers that are doing 4-8 years of teaching and have no retirement to show for it.  They have no district sponsored 401(k) and also no pension to speak of since they keep getting put back on the merry-go round each year.  Talk about a disaster in the making.

The payout will become excessive for the few that qualify and non-existent for those that can't get there at times for no fault of their own.  Reward the one that worked the system and don't bother with the newbies.

Do you think the unions are helping any?  Not really.  They currently can get union dues from all the teachers, and claim they are fighting for them, while due to some regulations deny them access to what they also claim is right of the union employee.  They also like to use the last in first out system.   Everything is based on seniority and not quality, test scores, or any other real valuable measure.   You keep the bad one in for longer then they should be and keep putting the young highly motivated teachers on the merry-go round.

Here in California they had a proposition to make it so corporations or unions could not automatically use monies that they have taken from your pay check for political purposes without your prior consent.  Prop. 32 when down 56% to 44%.  A slight majority in favor of leaving thing alone.  So we will continue to see teachers unions take the money given them and buy off candidates even if a good chunk of the teachers don't support  that candidate.  A bummer really since it could have leveled the playing field a bit, though the negative ads did their job and got people confused as all get out. 



How then do you try and help solve the whole pension issue and in the process help the younger or newer teachers that are not eligible for the  pensions yet.  You have to get around the merry-go round or 'dirty little trick'.   You have to offer some type of 401(k) or flat retirement plan.  People in private industry overwhelmingly are put into 401(k) plans.  So why not go that route with public employees?   Why do we have to have a pension for them?   The usual system is the employee decides to have X amount taken from the pay check.  The company matches up to a certain amount.  The employee has the money invested in a somewhat limited set of mutual funds or other financial instruments.  Hopefully, the money grows over time but, bottom line the company is not on the hook for pay outs years down the road.  It's more on the head of the employee and not the pension fund.  And since most public worker pension funds back fill with government money at times you wonder how soundly the money is being invested or whether they are taking in enough in the first place.

Now think about how this system could be beneficial over all.  You could even have a 100% match and come out ahead.  Instead of having to pay out a teacher that retires at say 55 with a set amount for the rest of forever.  If that person lives to 90 you'll have 35 years of payouts.  The 100% match would be progressive since it would be lower as the teacher starts out and then gets bigger as pay raises.  This is better then the fixed higher rate down the road that traditional pensions provide.  You do have to handle the health care portion of the equation.  This means that if you go with the 401(k) system you have to have the people paying into medicare and the like or compensate for it in some way.

Here are some simple numbers:
start pay 40k annual
end pay 75k annual
30 years work - so pension would be forking over ~70-80% of final pay i.e 55k.  Take that over another 35 years of payout.

Pay per pension over 35 years - $1,925,000
Average pay 30 years work - 57k if you did the 100% match - $1,710,000.

Seems like peanuts but, when you add this all up it can count for millions upon millions.



Most people go with the higher contribution by the participant of the pension.  But, are the people being stiffed by the 'dirty little secret' pay in as well?  If so they really are being stiffed on a massive scale.


So how do we save money in the long haul and also help out those being hit by the 'dirty little secret'?  Likely a investment system where the worker takes on more control and the decision making.

And hopefully the worker will make good choices, which you can not guarantee will occur with the current system and a bureaucrat handling things.



Buaidh - NO - Bas

Standing in Holy Places

What or where is the most holy place on earth?  [pause] NO one would argue against anywhere that Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ is currently at.  However, we know they are not present on earth very frequently.  There are few recorded instances in the scriptures; Mount Sinai, Sacred Grove to mention a few.  Beyond that most would say the Temples of the Church, then maybe meeting houses and other church dedicated buildings.   I ask of you today – Are the 19 inches of bench you are currently sitting on holy? 

Or more importantly are the 19 inches of sofa you will occupy later today holy?  I’ll tell you why as we consider how where we are currently standing can be a holy place.

The Bible Dictionary specifies:

Holiness. According to the O.T. things or places were holy that were set apart for a sacred purpose; the opposite of holy is therefore common or profane…. Similarly a holy person meant one who held a sacred office.  …  The word holy therefore came to refer to moral character.

“What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are. -C. S. Lewis.”

http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/C.+S.+Lewis/4/index.html

Locations and places do not necessarily define who we are but, they can have an influence on what we will become.  Just because you are at a bar does not mean you’re an alcoholic.    Hanging around the Temple grounds all day does not therefore make us Celestial Kingdom material.  It sure can help in comparison to an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages or promotes something against the commandments.

“We unavoidably stand in so many unholy places and are subjected to so much that is vulgar, profane, and destructive of the Spirit of the Lord that I encourage our Saints all over the world, wherever possible, to strive to stand more often in holy places. Our most holy places are our sacred temples. Within them is a feeling of sacred comfort. We should seek to be worthy to take our families to the temple to be sealed together for eternity”

Standing in Holy Places James E. Faust

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

April 2005 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/standing-in-holy-places

Also think of your home computer or Television.  At one moment you can be watching the Prophet at a session of General Conference.  A few clicks later you can be viewing images or video that do not invite the spirit.

“Standing in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are alone or with others. It's being where the Holy Ghost is our companion—alone or in a crowd. When we determine within ourselves that we will control our thoughts and our actions and be the best we can possibly be, the best of life will come to us.”

Standing in holy places

Sister Sharon G. Larsen Second counselor, Young Women General Presidency

Published: Saturday, March 30, 2002

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/41554/Standing-in-holy-places.html

Further more, Sister Larsen mentions the following:

“It is possible the loneliest times are when we are surrounded by people, even friends, who are making wrong choices, and we have to stand alone. There are some places it would not be safe for you to go even to help someone in need. The Lord said to stand in holy places. There are places where the Spirit would never be. You know where those places are. Stay away from them. Do not encourage a curiosity that ought to be stopped. Pay attention to what you are feeling so you will know when you are feeling unsure or uneasy.”

Standing in holy places

Sister Sharon G. Larsen
Second counselor, Young Women General Presidency

Published: Saturday, March 30, 2002

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/41554/Standing-in-holy-places.html

We agreed to come to this earth and gain a body.  We knew there would be challenges.  A plan was detailed for us that we readily accepted.  NO one said it would be easy.   Therefore, there will be times when we have to make choices.  Sometimes really hard choices.

Doctrine & Covenants 87:8

Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh ^bquickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

Bishop Stevenson Presiding Bishop relates the following story from the Priesthood Session of October 2012 Conference:

“Each of you will also have defining moments in your life requiring courage. A friend of mine, John, shared with me one of those moments in his life.

Some years ago, John was accepted at a prestigious Japanese university. He would be part of the international student program with many other top students from around the world. Some enrolled with a hope to deepen their understanding of the culture and language, others viewed it as a stepping-stone to an eventual profession and employment in Japan, but all had left home to study in a foreign country.

Soon after John’s arrival, word of a party to be held on the rooftop of a private residence spread among the foreign student population. That evening, John and two friends made their way to the advertised address.

Following an elevator ride to the top floor of the building, John and his friends navigated the single narrow stairway leading to the rooftop and began mingling with the others. As the night wore on, the atmosphere changed. The noise, music volume, and alcohol amplified, as did John’s uneasiness. Then suddenly someone began organizing the students into a large circle with the intent of sharing marijuana cigarettes. John grimaced and quickly informed his two friends that it was time to leave. Almost in ridicule, one of them replied, “John, this is easy—we’ll just stand in the circle, and when it is our turn, we’ll just pass it along rather than smoke it. That way we won’t have to embarrass ourselves in front of everyone by leaving.” This sounded easy to John, but it did not sound right. He knew he had to announce his intention and act. In a moment he mustered his courage and told them that they could do as they wished, but he was leaving. One friend decided to stay and joined the circle; the other reluctantly followed John down the stairs to board the elevator. Much to their surprise, when the elevator doors opened, Japanese police officers poured out and hurried to ascend the stairs to the rooftop. John and his friend boarded the elevator and departed.

When the police appeared at the top of the stairs, the students quickly threw the illegal drugs off the roof so they wouldn’t be caught. After securing the stairway, however, the officers lined up everyone on the roof and asked each student to extend both hands. The officers then walked down the line, carefully smelling each student’s thumbs and index fingers. All who had held the marijuana, whether they had smoked it or not, were presumed guilty, and there were huge consequences. Almost without exception, the students who had remained on the rooftop were expelled from their respective universities, and those convicted of a crime were likely deported from Japan. Dreams of an education, years of preparation, and the possibility of future employment in Japan were dashed in a moment.

Now let me tell you what happened to these three friends. The friend who stayed on the roof was expelled from the university in Japan to which he had worked so hard to be accepted and was required to return home. The friend who left the party that night with John finished school in Japan and went on to earn degrees from two top-tier universities in the United States. His career took him back to Asia, where he has enjoyed immense professional success. He remains grateful to this day for John’s courageous example. As for John, the consequences in his life have been immeasurable. His time in Japan that year led him to a happy marriage and the subsequent birth of two sons. He has been a very successful businessman and recently became a professor at a Japanese university. Imagine how different his life would have been had he not had the courage to leave the party on that important evening in Japan.³”

Be Valiant in Courage, Strength, and Activity

By Bishop Gary E. Stevenson Presiding Bishop October 2012 General Conference

Doctrine & Covenants 115:5

Verily I say unto you all: ^aArise and shine forth, that thy ^blight may be a ^cstandard for the ^dnations;

Joshua 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, ^achoose you ^bthis day whom ye will ^cserve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my ^dhouse, we will ^eserve the Lord.

“Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal journey without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him God-given guidance to assist in our safe return at the end of mortal life. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice within each of us, and I do not overlook the Holy Scriptures, written by mariners who successfully sailed the seas we too must cross.”

Thomas S. Monson, “The Three Rs of Choice,” Ensign, Nov. 2010,

Truly we do not have to be like unto Lewis Carroll’s Alice in the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.   You may remember that at one point she was what some would say lost in the forest.  The Cheshire Cat was asked by Alice which path she should use as she lamented on the confusion of the signs and directions available.  The Cheshire Cat who gave some sage advice told her any path would do since she had not particular goal in mind.  The worm in the Movie Labyrinth also gave some great advice to Sarah as she began to navigate the maze in search of her baby brother.   However, since she did not listen long enough she wasted much more time getting to her final destination and goal.  We don’t have to be the wandering soul with no goal in mind.  We have that goal.  And we also are constantly given the directions we need as long as we will listen and head the advice and promptings of the spirit.

“Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And, taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a Heaven creature or into a hellish creature -- either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is Heaven: that is, it is joy, and peace, and knowledge, and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.”
Christianity Quotes – CS Lewis

http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/C.+S.+Lewis/1/index.html

Technically speaking we can not be fence sitters or non-progressing.  We are either moving forward in our progression to eternal life or we are slipping back thus losing ground.  There is no such thing as autopilot when it comes to eternal progression.  Unfortunately, it is a constant battle, one we wage each day.

“But remember that the Savior himself was tormented, ridiculed, spat upon, and finally crucified because he would not waver in his conviction. Have you ever stopped to think what would have happened had he weakened and said, “Oh, what’s the use?” and abandoned his mission? Do we want to be quitters, or do we want to be valiant servants in spite of all the opposition and evil in the world? Let us have the courage to stand up and be counted as true, devoted followers of Christ.”

For They Loved the Praise of Men More Than the Praise of God

President N. Eldon Tanner First Counselor in the First Presidency Ensign November 1975

Elder Whiting in the most recent conference talks of a time when he inspected a mostly finished temple in Hawaii and the imperfections that were found.  He was also surprised at the fixes actually being made to these seemingly insignificant parts of the temple.

“Why would walls with a little grit and a window with a little asymmetry require additional work and even replacement when few human hands or eyes would ever know? Why was a contractor held to such high standards?

As I exited the temple deep in thought, I found my answer as I looked up at the refinished exterior and saw these words: “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord.”

The temples of this Church are precisely as proclaimed. These sacred buildings are built for our use, and within their walls sacred and saving ordinances are performed. But there should be no doubt as to whose house it really is. By requiring exacting standards of construction down to the smallest of details, we not only show our love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also hold out to all observers that we honor and worship Him whose house it is.”

Temple Standard by Elder Scott D. Whiting of the Seventy  October 2012 General Conference

It is clear we are always refining ourselves.  We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.  The Lord knows we can do it, we know we can do it.  The helps are there.  We can succeed.

Let me summarize briefly a few of the helps the Lord has provided for our use that will help us to stand in Holy Places.

• Holy Ghost and his promptings
• Scriptures and other church literature like the Ensign
• Prayer
• Sunday Meetings and the Sacrament
• Temple Attendance
• Church Music

With this plethora of helps it is obvious the Lord wants us to succeed.  We simple need to reach out and take it.  He’s stand at the door with no handle on his side.  We have to take the initiative and open the door so he can come more fully into our lives.

In Conclusion I’d like to quote from our dear Prophet Thomas S Monson.

“If any of you has stumbled in your journey, I want you to understand without any question whatsoever that there is a way back. The process is called repentance. Our Savior gave His life to provide you and me that blessed gift. Despite the fact that the repentance path is not easy, the promises are real. We have been told: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”⁶ “And I will remember [them] no more.”⁷ What a statement. What a blessing. What a promise.”

Dare to Stand Alone Thomas S. Monson  President of the Church General Conference October 2011

{End}

Buaidh - NO - Bas

San Diego, CA NF Walk 2012

San Diego, CA NF Walk

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Join us for the San Diego NF Walk to benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

This is a great opportunity for children, family and friends to connect at a community event and draw support from each other while raising awareness and funds for neurofibromatosis (NF) research. NF is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. There is no cure nor are there effective treatments for NF.

Step up and support this important cause today:

Register
Support a participant
Donate

For more information about the San Diego NF Walk contact Kelly Mills at kmills@ctf.org or at 310-216-9570. For website support contact Chrissie Connors, at cconnors@ctf.org or at 212-344-6633 x8544.

Thank you for supporting the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s mission to end NF! To learn more about CTF visit www.ctf.org.

We Reward You for Fundraising!

Fundraise $100 and you will receive a Children's Tumor Foundation pedometer.	Each walker who personally raises $500 or more will get an official Children's Tumor Foundation tote bag.

 

Facts & Statistics

·	NF has been classified into three distinct types; NF1, NF2 and schwannomatosis. They are caused by different genes, located on different chromosomes.
·	NF1 is the most common neurological disorder caused by a single gene; occuring in one in every 3,000 children born.
·	NF2 is a rarer type, occurring in 1:25,000 people worldwide.
·	While today there is no consensus, studies indicate that schwannomatosis occurs in 1:40,000 people, similar to NF2.
·	The Neurofibromatoses are genetically-determined disorders which affect more than 2 million people worldwide; this makes NF more prevalent than cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntington's Disease combined.
·	All forms of NF are autosomal dominant genetic disorders which can be inherited from a parent who has NF or may be the result of a new or "spontaneous mutation" (change) in the sperm or egg cell.
·	Each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene and developing NF. The type of NF inherited by the child is always the same as that of the affected parent, although the severity of the manifestations may differ from person to person within a family.
·	NF is worldwide in distribution, affects both sexes equally and has no particular racial, geographic or ethnic distribution. Therefore, NF can appear in any family.
·	Although most cases of NF1 are mild to moderate, NF1 can lead to disfigurement; blindness; skeletal abnormalities; dermal, brain, and spinal tumors; loss of limbs; malignancies; and learning disabilities.
·	NF1 also has a connection to developmental problems, especially learning disabilities, which are five times more common in the NF1 population than in the general population.
·	The distinguishing feature of NF2 is tumors that grow on the eighth cranial nerve in both ears, commonly causing deafness and severe balance problems.
·	NF2 brings on increased risk of other types of nervous system tumors as well.
·	NF2 can also cause severe vision problems, including cataracts, retinal abnormalities and orbital tumors.
·	Accordingly, NF research may benefit an additional 100 million Americans (i.e. 65 million with cancer and 35 million with learning disabilities).
·	NF is not the "Elephant Man's Disease," although it was at one time believed to be. Scientists now believe that John Merrick, the so-called "Elephant Man," had Proteus Syndrome, an entirely different disorder.
·	NF research began eighteen years ago by the Children's Tumor Foundation, and has been enormously productive ever since.

 

Buaidh - NO - Bas

How not to become depressed

I have come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to not become depressed is to provide service.

Now you might ask how that is.  Well as we give service to others we have our minds on other things.  You get those feel good endorphins moving in your body.  Bottom line you have an overall generally good feeling when you provide service.  Thus how is it possible to be depressed when your providing service?



The great thing about service is you forget about yourself and apply your energy to someone else.  Have you ever been out doing some form of more physical service and completely forgotten about having lunch?  It is very possible as you are helping to clean up an elderly person's yard you simple lose track of the time and forget to have lunch.  This is what I'm talking about.  You lose yourself in the work and who can help but not be happy.

Now we all know there is service for service's sake (I.E. service to be seen or recognized) and then their is the more Christ like service were the giver is trying to stay anonymous or is not seeking recognition.  It is far better to give the second type of service then the first but, you have to admit it is dang hard to be depressed when doing either type.

"All of this illustrates the eternal principle that we are happier and more fulfilled when we act and serve for what we give, not for what we get."
Unselfish Service Elder Dallin H. Oaks Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“Do [your] duty; that is best; leave unto [the] Lord the rest.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Legend Beautiful,” in The Complete Poetical Works of Longfellow (1893), 258.

Have you done any good today? - President Thomas S Monson.


          So get out and do some good in the world today.  "A good turn Daily" (Boy Scout Slogan)  You might just feel good and get some exercise in the process.   Somebody is bound to thank you for your kind deeds.

A few Words on Mitt Romney

Over the weekend we were able to view a session of Meet the Press where they interview Mitt Romney Republican Candidate for President of the United States of America.


I really liked the interview.  Not only because Mitt is from my church and religious persuasion.  It was more on some of the responses that the provided.   Naturally some of his responses had the old political talk with vagueness and non-commitment.


There were mainly a couple points that the interviewer was going after.  One was how different will he be in regards to the economy and secondly, a few thoughts on him as a person and the fact that he and his wife are "insensitive" etc.

He brought up a good point in regards to the economy.  Basically, you want things to get better.  And to solve some of the revenue problems we have at the Federal level we need to get more people back to work and not just tax the rich because they have so much.  Yes, per the typical republican response he is not a redistribution type of person.  He is more the lift things up from the bottom type of person.  If let's say 1 million people become employed and that all of them make $8 per hour.  That is a ton of money back into the system.  Now some of those people may have been getting assistance from the government or other location.  They now with some increased income can begin to buy necessities (Not luxuries and the like).  It may be hard to follow but, people employed even at lower rates is better then people that are not employed.  It generates a certain amount of tax revenue (income and sales) as well as purchases etc. which then go toward revenue and profits for the companies or institutions.

Unfortunately, he was pressed a bit on what kind of tax incentives/breaks and loopholes he would remove so that we stay revenue neutral when he implements his plans to lower the tax rates of the higher income earners and middle class.   He just kept going back to the loopholes and incentives.   He did not provide any examples.   Now, in reality not providing specifics is a good thing because when you go and have to compromise you might find that one thing you promised has to be taken off the table to get the votes needed for overall reform.  So yes he was acting like a typical politician in the end.   What does he need to do to not get that evasive branding and that of "he really only wants to help the wealthy"; he needs to provide some things that would be on the table for consideration.   Take for example, capital gains taxes, or mortgage deductions, or some types of limits on donations etc.  Maybe even increasing the amount of income that is taxed for social security or medicare.   Does not mean he would be committing to actually removing those deductions or loopholes.  He'd be saying they are things to be considered, things that could make a difference in the overall picture.  If in the end it is found that removing the mortgage deduction would have an overall adverse effect then they would not touch that.   Until you have some real numbers you should not be promising to touch anything.

Vague may work for a while but, as things get tighter in the race there will be people looking a little more at the specifics.  Then as they get a more broad picture of the candidate and his  ideas or principles they will begin to feel comfortable with said candidate.
But, making empty promises never helps.  It's a kin to lying and no one needs that label.


As for the lack of empathy the Romney family have for the average person - Ann Romney give one of the best responses.

"MS. ROMNEY:  Well, I think the-- the thing that I want to communicate to people, and that it's so important that people understand, is that Mitt and I do recognize that we have not had a financial struggle in our lives.  But I want people to believe in their hearts that we know what it is like to struggle.  And our struggles have not been financial, but they've been with health and with difficulties in-- in different things in life.  And one thing that I-- that I again like to remind people is that multiple sclerosis has been my teacher.  It has been at times a cruel teacher.  But it has also been a great gift in my life because what it has done it has taught me to be more compassionate and caring for others that are suffering.  And I know that people are suffering right now.  And for people to think that we don't have empathy just because we're not suffering like they're suffering is-- is ridiculous.  It’s-- it’s ridiculous to think that you can’t have empathy for somebody that’s struggling. 
Our life has always been devoted to those that are struggling more than we are and I was grateful for the opportunity that we had at the convention for others to speak up and talk about the kind of lives we’ve led-- we’ve led.  And in particular for Mitt who really has been demonized in many ways as being heartless.  And for people to stand up and say, excuse me, he was there when my son was dying of leukemia.  He came to my son’s bedside.  He did all of these things for my son.  And then another woman saying how Mitt was there for her.  So there’re hundreds of those stories that haven’t been told.  And it was refreshing to me for the American people to finally be able to see the lens through which I see my husband and the perspective in which I understand how he operates."
Meet the Press Sunday September 9th 2012


Yes it might be hard to think of what is like to be Homeless for them.  But, when you begin to consider the other struggles and challenges you begin to see they do have a unique perspective.  They are not totally insensitive and callus.  And his work as a Bishop and Stake President allowed him to come into contact with a bunch of people from all different walks of life.  The labourer or store clerk to the business owner, or operations manager.

And Ann Romney gave another great response earlier on when asked how she would feel if Mitt became the first Mormon President.


"MS. ROMNEY:  …I-- I certainly hope so.  I mean it's always wonderful when milestones like that are accomplished.  And I think that was why we were all so pleased with so many Americans.  We’re so pleased with the-- the last election and seeing that a black man was elected as president of the United States.  It made us proud as Americans to know that those prejudices that we've had in the past are-- are falling away."
Meet the Press Sunday September 9th 2012


So let us give him a little slack for all he's being hit with.  It's not easy to give your life story and have it examined with a fine tooth comb.  Let's look to the good things he has done and hope he can give some more concrete ideas as to how he will fix things.  If you go by the view point that Obama has squandered the last several years then we do need a change.  But, we need to verify what type of change we are getting ourselves into.

But, as for me it is looking much better to have a change then none at all.......   what ever you do please make an informed decision when you vote.  Get additional information and verify the facts from both sides of the isle.  You'll be glad you did and will then vote with a good conscience.


Buiadh - NO - Bas

Trip to Brazil

I recently returned from a 3 week long trip to Fortaleza Ceará Brazil to visit with some relatives.

Many things have changed since we had visited 4 years prior.  For one the slow down in the world economy had occurred, and thus the repercussions were being felt everywhere.  However, from everything I've been able to read it seems like Brazil was one a roll starting back then and has been buffeted a bit from the over all slow down.  They did not have a house crash like the in the USA.  They don't have a massive debt debacle hanging over their head like Greece.  In fact they were having 6-7% growth as late as two years before.  It has markedly dropped off recently.

What seems to have changed so much in part is how expense things have become.   We found that toys in general are nearly double the price.  Oddly it includes products from Brazilian companies as well as brand names more familiar to us in the US.
Also we found that there has been an increase in car ownership.  Motorcycles for that matter too.  Thus an increase in the over all traffic in the area.  Since most commerce happens downtown it sure has made a mess of things.   The light at the end of the tunnel is the fact that more shopping centers are being built further out from the city center, and more super markets are being built.

Unfortunately, it is apparent that the infrastructure has not been keeping up with the changes.  The amount of additional traffic on the street where we stayed was just amazing.  Tons of people walking, or jogging early in the morning or just before dark to beat the heat.   Tons of extra cars, and the noise.  Lots of extra noise.

Another main thing that has changed is the perceived and real crime that is occurring daily.  It may not be as bad as some would lead you to believe, but, with just a few reports on TV about it you never know.  It has gotten so bad that some people will leave their cell phone home if they are going to certain parts of town which might include downtown.

Many people who want to take advantage of the beach do so at locations outside of town due to this phenomena.  The local beaches have been left to the unsuspecting tourist.  A said state of affairs though I'm not sure it is any worse then being in certain parts of Los Angeles or New York City.


There has also been an increase in the number of people traveling within Brazil.  This is in part due to the fact that there are now several budget air lines within the country.  Sadly, by all reports many of the airports have not been updated to handle the increased traffic.  In some cities that have gone off and built a new airport.  Then one of the budget companies will use the old one to help keep the airfare down.  This appears to be the case with AZUL, that was founded by the former head of Jetblue.
We happened to fly on GOL inside of Brazil and had a mixed experience.  These companies have helped to change the way things are done int he airline business in Brazil.  Both are less then 15 years old.  They are new millennium companies.  Thus taking people from using buses as the main mode of transportation between cities and changing it to flying.


Brazil is without a doubt a country in development.  It can not longer be called a 3rd world country.  It's been 2nd world country for quite some time.  it still has a long way to go and hopefully due to the World Cup in 2012 and the Olympics in Rio in 2016 things will change for the better.

Eles defitivamente estão um País em disenvolvemento.  Nâo pode mais dizer que estão do triceiro mundo.   O gigante finalmente acordo.   Infelizmente acordo com certas dores de cabeça.

Viva Brasil!  

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Youth Protection

As a scout leader one of the many trainings we must complete is Youth Protection.  This training is as much for the protection of the adult as it is for the youth. 

Now you wonder why we even have to bother with such training, right?  Sadly, a few rotten apples make life a mess for all the other adults with good intentions.   And sadly a few of those rotten apples have been from my church.  It's not to say that all the adult volunteers are to be suspected of anything just because they want to help in an organization like the Boys Scouts.


With the recent revelations at Penn State I'll bet a million people will reconsider sending their kid off to some summer or spring break sports camp just because they are afraid something might happen.

Clearly the system failed in the case of Penn State.  Multiple people including a janitor told higher ups of some misdeeds.  However, I'd tell not just the president of the school or the director of athletics if I saw a man doing the inappropriate sexual acts with a boy in the locker room.  That already raises to the level of - TELL the POLICE and TELL them NOW!

I'm not sure things have changed all that much in the last 30 years.  I mean are there more child molesters in the world today then back then?  For that matter are there more today then in the 1800's.  It appears that in 1800's England there was an epidemic of child prostitution.  So is it really worse?  Are we more keenly aware of what is going on around us?

Back in my day we had Den Meeting at the home of one of my best friends.  His mother usually ran the meeting.  There were rarely extra adults present.  Contrast that to our meeting two nights ago.  We had three adults present for 4 boys and at least one parent was within a stones throw distance in the building due to travel issues.

It makes it fairly hard for someone to start accusing misdeeds when you have an adult to youth ratio at that level.    Sadly, things have gotten to that level.  Nary a person dare be alone with a child out of fear of rumors, accusations and the like.  Even some of the leadership in our local units have a second adult outside their office when interviewing people.  Just in case something gets out of hand or it a man interviewing a female.
We have to actively be a part of the life of our youth; of our children.
It appears the guy out of Penn state chose justly the people lacking a full set of parental support as his victims.  He knew that it would be harder to be caught since fewer people were on the look out.
But, one boy's mother was watching, participating and she did not take it sitting down.  Sadly, the system failed her.

How can we live in the world but, not of the world?  How is it that we can really protect our youth from all the issues they face today?
How can we protect them from inappropriate media, friends, activities, drugs and all the other bad influences that exist?

I like what I read in the October 2011 General Conference talk by Elaine S Dalton General Young Women's President of the LDS Church.
"You are your daughter’s guardian in more than the legal sense. Be present in your daughter’s life. Let her know your standards, your expectations, your hopes and dreams for her success and happiness. Interview her, get to know her friends and, when the time comes, her boyfriends. Help her understand the importance of education. Help her understand that the principle of modesty is a protection. Help her choose music and media that invite the Spirit and are consistent with her divine identity. Be an active part of her life. And if in her teenage years she should not come home from a date on time, go get her. She will resist and tell you that you have ruined her social life, but she will inwardly know that you love her and that you care enough to be her guardian."
Read - Elaine S Dalton Oct 2011 Conference Talk

Imagine that - a father actually going down and finding his child that is late from a date and dragging her home.  Most if not many would think you a prude.   But, in reality you are showing the kind of attitude or respect you are expecting from the child and their date.
My wife got a bit of that when we were traveling around in Brazil before we were even engaged.  Most if not all the people she worked with thought it prudish to have a separate hotel room while both of us were in another city visiting.  No one would really have known.
But, it is the principle.  Honest/Integrity - Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

So we take the training, hold to the standards, not because they are fun, enjoyable or plain neat.  They in reality can be a bit of a pain.  We hold to the standards because we know they the right thing to do and will in the long run protect our youth.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Voting Styles

I'd like to talk about 2 alternating voting styles.  I'm not talking about political parties or the like.  I'm talking about the 2 styles that are voluntary voting and required voting.

Voluntary voting is what we practice in the United States.  A person decides to register and then also has to decide they want to vote in particular election.  Small local off season elections get very little turn out.  Couple it with a national election for president and you get a wider, better turn out.  However, better turn out can be only 30% of the registered voters and the number of registered voters among those that are eligible can be as low as 30% in some places.  This is compounded with a bunch of people in the country illegally that can throw the numbers off as well and don't forget those that are ineligible since they are convicted felons.


The other system is Compulsory Voting.  This method is practiced in Brasil for one and other parts of the world.  They require everyone up until a certain age to vote.  Those that are older have the option I believe at age 65 or the like.  This includes all the illiterate persons as well.   Since they are requiring all sectors and regions of the population to vote they have developed a fairly accurate and speedy system for vote tabulation.  A Sunday vote has a declared victory in just days not weeks like occurred in the United States 2000 presidential election.

So which is better?  You'll see that certain things have had to be put in place for the elections in Brasil to have them work better.  One is the need to put a picture next to each candidate.  This resolves the issue with the illiterate people.  However, that also means who ever put more propaganda out with a candidates picture could likely win.  Also there is some standardization required in the voting devices.  Unlike the United States, you have to  have a consistent, quick and accurate method to tally the vote.
However, the compulsory system also means you have tons of uninformed, possibly "bribed" persons voting(more on this later).  So is it better to have a small but informed electorate voting or open it up for everyone include a bunch of people that have no clue on the candidates position, track record, or the like?


The reality is some where in the middle would be best.
It has been said that some candidates "bride" people to vote for them in elections in Brasil.  How?  They go around to poor uninformed neighborhoods and hand out food or other stuff and in the end pay for a vote.  Who knows if this really works but, I'll bet it would sure help sway a person in the end.  I can't say this is wide spread or even common.  But I'll bet it has happened.

Don't we have the same thing here?  Imagine a senator up for reelection.  He helped to get some pork barrel legislation through that brought $100 in federal funding to his small state. Now he may threaten that due to a lose of seniority etc that fund will not be present in the future.  Similar thing different arena.

Both system of voting also have a ton of propaganda.  TV ads, mailers and the like.  Sometimes for local elections you have almost nothing on a candidate.  Even the title of the persons occupation can be misleading.  It's ever so hard to become an informed voter.  So maybe having a ton of other uninformed voters in the pool might help.


Final verdict.  Like a quick vote tally with accuracy that does not usually have to have a recount.  Like the fact that a larger portion of the population participates in the process, including making things more accessable to the disadvantaged.

Don't like the "bribe" element that exists in elections.  The inability at times to be an "informed" voter, and the inability to identify the candidates and what you might really be getting.


So as we head into the election season be glad for what you have.  It could be worse.

Buaidh - NO- Bas

Cub Scout Space Derby

Well back at the beginning of the month we held our Space Derby.
This was the first time I've run one of these as a Cub Master.  There were a lot of things to resolve.  Compared to the rain gutter regatta this was not a walk in the park.

First I found out we were going to have to build the rack to hold the lines to run the rocket on.  We based it off of the information provided in the cub leader how-to book Cub Leader How-to Book I decided to make the rack of the Inverted "T" format.  This seemed simpler though I did add the gating system on to one side.  More on that fiasco later.  There were problems through out the process.  Nothing seemed to go as expected. And since this competition required such a technical track just like the pinewood derby you add an additional element that can go wrong.

And you have all the issues with the rockets.  These rockets require a set of rubber bands inside to make the propeller function.  That in itself create issues.  We had mostly broken rubber bands at the end of the night.  You also have issues with weight.  Several of the rockets could go no more then 1- 1 1/2 feet max even with the propeller wound 100 times.  They were just to heavy or unbalanced like the one I created.

Strangely we have some of the parts coming unglued as well.  We are not sure if it was the type of glue used, lack of glued used or a combination of the two.  We had the plastic carrier piece that fits at the top of the rocket come out on at least 2 rockets.  One was put in with Gorilla glue and eventually came out.  It may have been something to do with plastic to balsa wood.  Hard to say.

Not much was consistent at the event.  Just problem after problem.

The rack was giving us tension issues.  The fishing line has to be tight or there can be some sag in the line and performance issues shortly there after.  In the end we have a person on each end holding back the rack. It tended to want to bow inward and stability being and issues we could and did have the rack fall over more then once during the night.
We also had issues with the courier mounts.  Cheaply made out of out plastic the ones we got from the scout house had to be hot glued to even get some use out of them.  Some one has to design something better.  Expecting to have 2 small plastic knobs hold a critical piece together does not make good engineering sense.  I know that due to weight the whole thing could flop if the couriers were not designed as light weight as possible.  possibly a thin aluminum one would work better.  Just too many things that could and did go wrong to make this worth the effort.

It would be better to do a rocket launch for height then this event in the future.  I'll be sticking to the Rain Gutter Regatta when we decide to do big events like this.  The major issues with this is how to drain the gutters.  Mild compared to the Pinewood Derby or Space Derby.  And if outside how to make sure you have a level location and not let the wind effect things to much.

I did find a good multi-lane round robin scheme.  See Below.  This allows the person to race on each lane at least once and also against each other participant.  Good for 7 racers.

		Lane
	1	2	3
Rocket	1	2	4
number	2	3	5
	3	4	6
	4	5	7
	5	6	1
	6	7	2
	7	1	3

So put this down as one more learning experience.  I'll include pictures or the like in a future post.

Buaidh - NO - Bas