Monday, December 29, 2008

LANE CHANGE

PLEASE NOTE THAT, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2009, THE NEW ADDRESS FOR THIS BLOG WILL BE:

craftedclarity.com

Please update your bookmarks accordingly.

Many thanks to all those who hit this blog more than 2000 times since it began six months ago. 2009 will be better than ever!

Michael

Friday, December 26, 2008

Recipe for Handling Tough Times


Times are tough, and will be for a while. You can't open the newspaper without reading the stories of people who are suffering through compelling personal economic crises. One of the core tenets of my faith, described in this AP article, really affords peace of mind in times such as this.

Take care of yourself...save for the rainy days...reach out and care for others...be wise in managing your finances. Use it up, wear it out, make it do. When times get tough, maybe the first thing to do is fire the servants and reconnect with the simple pleasures of caring for yourself, your family, your home.

I may be old fashioned, but I think conspicuous consumption, i.e., the addiction to spending on ever-more-expensive wants instead of fundamental needs, is a great curse in our society. It is evidenced by the length of time we supported a store like Sharper Image, where everything was outrageously overpriced and value was a mere afterthought.

Life style does, and ought to, shrivel into insignificance when life itself is jeopardized.

Some government officials have already begun the clamor for middle class America to "spend its way into prosperity." I think Churchill had an apt description of such a notion when he said, "it is like man standing in a bucket trying to lift himself up by the handle."

Well, sorry, but I'm not listening to that. I'm headed back to the farm. Maybe some of those people who were trying to make money out on the fourth decimal place of some "troubled asset" would do well to consider the same.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Want Christmas Happiness?

Times are tough, tougher than they gave been for quite a while. There is much in the news, and much in people's lives, that can cause sadness and fear.

In the face of all this, I continue to believe that happiness is always a choice even when it is a difficult choice to make.

I hear people complain about the bailouts for the financial and automotive industries, and half-joke by saying, "where's the bailout for me and my family?"

Well,if you think about it, Christmas celebrates the Ultimate Bailout for each one of us.

:)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Annuling the 18,000?


Some of the organized groups supporting the ban on "same-sex marriage" have filed legal briefs asking the California Supreme Court to annul the 18,000 "same-sex marriages" that were performed during the brief interval of time wherein they were legal.

Serious thought about this issue makes me glad I am not a judge. Nevertheless, I feel it correct to apply the same dispassionate analysis to the question that I have to all Prop 8 issues in this blog.

Ban supporters argue that Article 1 Section 7.5 is as clear as it is brief: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." This sentence is currently Constitutional law. It's direct and straightforward application directly supports the argument for annulment of the 18,000 same-sex unions.

On the other side...those 36,000 people entered into those unions at a time when it was perfectly legal to do so. Their actions broke no laws when they were taken. I am not a lawyer, but I have friends who are, and they tell me it is quite rare in jurisprudence for a law to be made retroactive.

There may be legal reasons, stratagems, or tactics that compel this request by ban supporters. I can find no statement to that effect, which may be understandable given the current order of battle. Absent that explanation, the request feels vindictive and punitive to me.

Generally, our culture expects victors to act magnanimously, and that is my natural inclination. So why do I feel so conflicted over this issue?

Maybe it's because the battle isn't over yet.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Prop 8 Is No More

No, the California Supreme Court has not suddenly hit the gas on making their decision.

Nevertheless, people who continue to refer to Prop 8 as though it were some standalone, self-contained entity are in denial.

THE SINGLE SENTENCE THAT USED TO BE KNOWN AS PROP 8 IS NOW ARTICLE 1 SECTION 7.5 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

A Tyranny of the Majority?

As the fight over same-sex marriage in California continues, one term I hear thrown around often is "tyranny of the majority". Opponents of Proposition 8 use it to cast same-sex marriage opponents as unjust and oppressive.

"Tyranny" is a strong word. It most often describes government by a single person who illegally seized power and used it in ruthless, harsh and cruel ways to impose his will and maintain his position on those he governed. When listing the great tyrants of history, who questions the qualifications of people like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Josef Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Hipparchus, etc.?

So, was the vote that passed Proposition 8 tyrannical? Are the millions of voters who said "yes" ruthless, harsh, and cruel? Did they seize power illegally and use to impose their will on those they governed?

I hope you will pardon the rhetoric, but it does make the charge of "tyranny" seem rather absurd.

Voting yes on Prop 8 was no arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, no despotic abuse of authority. It was the simple exercise of the franchise available to all non-felons over the age of 18 who will bother to register. The election was free and fair, performed in compliance with all applicable laws. Every one of the millions of votes cast had the SAME weight, the same value. Neither side had any unfair advantage; the playing field was level, the referees impartial.

SO, tell me again how casting a "yes" vote for Prop 8 makes me, and the 7 million others like me, tyrants?

As an ultimate test, I ask the opponents of Proposition 8 this hypothetical question: If the election results had gone your way instead of mine, would you accept my stapling of the "tyrant" label to your forehead?

Enough of the slander already.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Tazing Attorney General Moonbeam


I have zero problem with the fact that California's Attorney General, Jerry Brown, has a personal opinion about "same-sex marriage" and the legality of Proposition 8.

I have zero problem with the fact that he is disappointed that Prop 8 passed and that he wishes it hadn't.

I have a huge problem with the fact that he has chosen to violate the oath of his office and use its power to attempt to persuade the California Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8 and nullify the will of the people in a free and legal election.

Prop 8 is no longer Prop 8--it part of the CONSTITUTION of the State of California. Brown's primary legal and moral obligation in the office of AG is to uphold and defend the Constitution. If Jerry Brown can't do that, and chooses instead to pursue a course of public advocacy for his personal opinion, he should have the integrity to resign the office first.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas Carols for the Mentally Challenged

I know this blog has been light on political commentary lately, but I'm so disgusted with what's going on in Sacramento I might violate my own obscenity standards if I were to write anything pertinent. SO...now for something completely different!

I can take no credit for this, but I thought it was hilarious. Everyone I know, including myself, is mentally challenged in some way. Which of the carols listed below rings your bell? :-D


Schizophrenia -- Do You Hear What I Hear, the Voices, the Voices?

Amnesia -- I Don't Remember If I'll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic Personality Disorder -- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Bipolar Disorder (Manic Episode) -- Deck The Halls And Walls And House And Lawn And Streets And Stores And Office And Town And Cars And Buses And
Trucks And Trees And Fire Hydrants And.......

Paranoid -- Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Us

Borderline Personality Disorder -- You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Shout, I'm Gonna Cry, and I'll Not Tell You Why

Antisocial Personality Disorder -- Thoughts of Roasting You On an Open Fire

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

Agoraphobia -- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn't Leave My House

Alzheimer's Disease/Senile Dementia -- Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe

Oppositional Defiant Disorder -- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned the House Down

Social Anxiety Disorder -- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

Attention Deficit Disorder -- We Wish You......Hey Look!! It's Snowing!!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Silver Bells? Silver BACK!


My holiday alter ego, in all his glory.

Monday, December 15, 2008

You Don't See That Everyday


OK, if you're a Mo, I bet this pic really grabbed your attention.

It's very tempting to comment, but, then again, maybe some things are just better left unsaid.

LOL

Friday, December 12, 2008

MOs


From our friends at lightplanet.com:

Many of the gentile persuasion in the Salt Lake City area have taken to calling members of the Church, "MOs."

Well, the truth is that being called a MO isn't so bad. While it's not exactly a term of endearment, MO beats some of the other things I've been called--lots of them by fellow MOs. To ease the tension, between MOs and gentiles, I've come up with a brief MO Lexicon. Practice these terms, learn to be comfortable with your MO self.

MO - Mormon
NO MO - Non-Mormon
MO NO MO - Apostate
MO TOWN - Provo
MO PEDS - People walking across the street to Temple Square or the MTC in Provo.
MO HAIR - Missionary standards haircut.
PO MO - A financially challenged Mormon
MO LASSES - Mormon Babes!!
MO TEL - Bishop's interview, tithing settlement.
SU MO - Grad of BYU Law School
MO GUL - Large white Utah bird frequently seen in Church history books, parking lots and dumps.
MO RALLY - Third quarter BYU drive against the U of U.
MO SEY - LDS sense of time.
MO NOGAMY - LDS marriage practice.
MO TIF - Two or more Mormons engaged in a heated difference of opinion.
MO LDIE - Older LDS member, temple worker, etc.
MO MO - Missourian Mormon
MO TION - What LDS do to coffee, tea, tobacco and alcoholic drinks
MO DERN - a western LDS cuss word - softer than "fetch"
MO DULATE - how outsiders refer to "Mormon Standard Time"
MO DULE - since killing isn't allowed, it usually amounts to scripture chase
MO HAWK - political faction opposed to the MO DOVES
NO MO MO MO - What Governer Boggs tried to achieve.
MO LDS - What we get when we do our missionary work
MO LAR - One who doesn't do his hometeaching, but says he does.
MO NARCH - A Mormon DEA Agent.
MO NOTONY - The Ward choir.
MO NOLINGUAL - First week in the MTC

Down the Drain

Roto-Rooter says they have found all of the following while unclogging drains:

Broom handles, doorknobs, garden hoses, bungee cords, a hummingbird feeder, a glass eye, gold teeth, dentures, contact lenses, toothbrushes, hearing aids, toupees, lingerie, long johns, towels, robes, socks, TV remotes, pagers, an alarm clock, Timex watch that took a licking and kept on ticking, a Rolex watch that took a licking and died, a billiard ball, golf balls, a shrimp net, a tear gas canister, birds, bats, beavers, cats, fish, ducks, frogs, possums, skunks, a piranha, a six-foot rattlesnake, $400 in coins, $58 in change in a laundromat pipe, canceled checks, a $4000 diamond, $50,000 in cash, a Cornish game hen and a six-pack of Budweiser.

There's never a dull moment in the plumbing business.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Don't Hold Your Breath

Remember when rising fuel prices became an excuse for everyone from American Airlines to your gardener to increase the prices they charged you?

Well, recently, the price of gas looks like this:

SO, NOW...the question is...will they cut their prices because their fuel costs have fallen off a cliff?

I'm not holding my breath.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Itoldyaso


I'm not above an "Itoldyaso" when I feel I called the shot sufficiently right. In the face of withering fire from my conservative friends during the campaign, I predicted that Obama would, after running for office from the left, actually govern the country from the center-right.

According to The Politico Network, Mr. Obama has, to date, disappointed and dismayed the far left by surrounding himself with a center-right Cabinet. The national director of the Progressive Democrats of America seems so distressed he sounds like he thinks Obama is pitching a shutout: “He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet. But we do hope that before it's all over we can get at least one authentic progressive appointment.”

Among Obama's recent actions that are heartening (to me, at least):

1. Instead of immediately rolling back tax cuts for people making over $250,000 per year, he now says he will simply let them expire on schedule in 2010.

2. Instead of ending the war on is first day in office, he has stated he will begin to “design a plan for a responsible drawdown.”

3. He as changed his mind about taxing the "windfall" profits of large oil companies (which ought to hearten everyone whose retirement savings are partly invested therein).

Juan Cole, who runs a prominent anti-war blog called Informed Comment, echoed the view I expressed in an earlier post in this blog when he said of Obama, "But overall, my estimation is that he has chosen competence over ideology, and I'm willing to cut him some slack.”

During the campaign, I constantly warned my friends on the right to believe no campaign promise by any candidate. I also said that politicians run on the extremes in the primaries then move toward the center during the campaign. If elected, they govern by orbiting the center where most of the country's citizens actually live, politically speaking.

Of course, the performance of this new government remains to be seen, but I'm genuinely hopeful. So, my conservative friends, all hope is not lost. Yet.

Remember, Itoldyaso.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Just Say No...To Mobs


This full-page ad ad appeared in the New York Times today. It was signed by a number of prominent scholars, politicians, and religious leaders in response to the targeted violence by Proposition 8 opponents against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Click here to learn more about the organization behind the ad and add your name to the list of signatories if you wish.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

A Grand Strategy


Fareed Zakaria hits the bulls eye again in this article about the changing world and a compelling need for a new "grand strategy" that is FAR different than any the United States has attempted to execute in the past.

We may still be the lone superpower on the planet, but our waning influence no longer allows us the luxury of acting as though we were.

Zakaria eloquently expresses why the "rise of the rest" of the growing nations, especially, China, India, Russia, Brasil, et. al. now compels us to pursue a world where fully functional alliances and partnerships are the rule instead of the exception.

Want one example? Think about the many hundreds of billions of dollars the federal government is about to throw at our economy to keep it afloat. There are only two ways to accomplish that: either print more money (and fuel hyper-inflation) or sell U.S. bonds and notes to someone. That someone has to be China, which recently passed Japan as the single largest holder of U.S. government debt on the planet. We had better learn to get along with the Chinese.

Highly recommended reading.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A Right to Conscience?

Word out of Washington that in the final days of his presidency, Dubya may expand the right of doctors and other health care workers to refuse to perform any medical procedure that violates their moral conscience. Procedures such as abortion and artificial insemination are at the center of this debate.

Opponents argue that such an expanded law would sacrifice patient care quality on the altar of the doctor's/nurse's/other's religious beliefs. Health care managers argue that an expansion of the law would invite chaos if any health care worker could refuse to perform any part of their job as a conscientious objector.

My take on this debate is purely practical: it seems to me that there must be enough doctors and other health care workers who have no objection to abortion, artificial insemination, or other controversial medical procedures to provide them to anyone who wants one.

I doubt that forcing a doctor to perform a procedure to which he/she has moral objections is good for patient care quality. Whenever I undergo a medical procedure, I want the doctor to be on MY side, rooting for me all the way.

If a patient wants a certain procedure performed, just choose a doctor/hospital who will do it gladly and professionally. Even if you succeed in legally forcing a doctor to act against his/her conscience, why would you trust yourself to his/her care?

Monday, December 1, 2008

Captioneer's Challenge!


This photo is screaming for a funny caption. Submit your entry in a comment. I'll publish the winner's name right cheer!