speed cameras

Report on the speed/red light cameras.  

Then this christmas this is what santa brought.  

Prop 8 in California and the LDS Church.

I don't know how many of you are following the current events that are surrounding the LDS Church and Prop 8.  Prop 8 in California was the marriage amendment. The amendment passed and I think that it should have passed, as it did.  Some may say why does it matter what happens in CA?  I'll tell you.  California is somewhat of a proving ground for the rest of the country.  I grew up in California and I am living in Arizona and I am LDS.  I understand the longing and the desire that people feel when one finds some one that they love so much that they want to be married.  I am married and have been for the last 7 years.  The institution  of marriage of God and should not be some given away because the government says that it should be. 

 Marriage is not a civil rights issue, it is a moral issue.  If the issue is about health care or tax breaks then fine, here is an idea. Why not give those privileges to those that can prove that that a couple has been together for some period of time then they can have some of the same privileges that a Married Couple have.  If this happening then it needs to be extended to everyone.  This would include Heterosexual community and not just the Homosexual community. There are strait couples that don't want to get married but they want have those same privileges as married couples.  I the government wants to recognize couples that have been together for a year or two years or however they want to do that then they should.  However it needs to be for all people.  

My issue is with the small minority of the Gay community that are singling out one group that supported Prop 8 in California.  There are many that supported the Proposition.  There have been protested at LDS temples and I am not against the protest but why is this group just singling out the LDS people although there has been instances with other relgious meeting places.  Check out this video that I found about how bad the protests got at the Los Angeles Temple. 

I don't see how this is protesting peacefully.  I understand that they are angry however putting signs on private property without permission is illegal is it not?  

Here are other things that have happened to LDS and other churches.  Check this article out. 

Churches Vandalized Over Prop 8

CBNNews.com

November 12, 2008

CBNNews.com - Several churches have been vandalized by apparent supporters of same-sex marriage since the idea was banned in California last week, local police have reported.

Proposition 8, which defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman, was passed 52 to 47 percent on Nov. 4. Since then, local authorities have reported a protest or vandalized property nearly every day.

"It is evident that the election results for the constitutional marriage amendment will not mean an end to the debate over same-sex marriage in this state, or our country," Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokeswoman Lisa West said.

Click play for an analysis of media coverage on Prop 8 with Robert Knight of the Culture & Media Institute.

ON CBN.COM: How Should Christians Respond to Homosexuals RELATED STORIES: CA Gov. to Prop 8 Opponents: Don't Give Up Gay Marriage Supporters March in Calif. Gay Marriage Supporters Protest Prop 8 How Moral Issues Fared  in the Election

Last Friday in Orangevale, Calif., a Latter-day Saints chapel sign and several walkways were tagged with the phrases "No on 8" and "hypocrites."

Saturday morning, two churches in San Luis Obispo, Calif. were also hit. Someone had poured adhesive on a doormat, key pad, and window at a Mormon church, while eggs and toilet paper were thrown at a nearby Assembly of God church.

Mormons, Evangelical Christian churches, and other religious groups were strong supporters of Proposition 8 and provided much of the funding for the measure.

Monday in Utah, home to the Mormon church, the windows of five Latter-day Saints wardhouses were shot out with a BB gun. Police, however, did not openly link the damages to Prop 8 supporters.

"A lot of opinion has generated that this is in connection with Prop 8," Layton Utah Police Lt. Quinn Moyes said. "We aren't making that connection yet."

Several protests have also been reported in California; most of them peaceful.

About 1,000 gay rights supporters protested outside Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Sunday. Warren publicly endorsed Prop 8 weeks before the Nov. 4 election.

Monday, at least 400 gathered outside a Mormon church in Oakland. Police had to close two highway ramps because of the protest.

Marriage ballots were also passed in Arizona and Florida, but demonstrations have been on a smaller scale in the states.

Sources: San Francisco Chronicle, KCRA Sacramento, Associated Press

Here is the link to this article. http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/479857.aspx?option=print

Here is another one.

DELTA TWP. - A radical gay rights group is claiming responsibility for a protest Sunday at Mount Hope Church in Delta Township.

Protesters who entered the Creyts Road church along with worshippers surprised the congregation when they stood up during the service, threw fliers at churchgoers and shouted slogans such as "It's OK to be gay," and "Jesus was a homo," according to David Williams, communications director at the church. His father, Dave Williams, is the church's longtime pastor. He was not preaching at the church Sunday.

Another group of protesters demonstrated outside the church at the same time as the indoor protest.

The Eaton County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene Sunday but no arrests were made.

In a released statement, David Williams said churchgoers were unclear as to the purpose of the demonstration.

A Lansing group affiliated with a radical gay organization known as Bash Back, formed to protest the Republican and Democratic national conventions earlier this year, put out a call on the Internet on Oct. 7 for activists to come to a "radical queer convergence" in Lansing on Nov. 7-9.

A posting on its MySpace page declared the convergence a "fierce success."

Fire Alarm Pulled

According to a report on the Bash Back group's news site, protesters inside the church pulled a fire alarm, unfurled a banner from the church balcony, shouted and threw fliers to the worshippers.

Outside the church, protesters carried picket signs and an upside-down, pink cross.

The conservative RightMichigan Web site posted an account of the incident Monday, and a number of conservative bloggers had picked up on the item by Tuesday.

Williams said the church had received 80 to 85 e-mails and phone calls by Tuesday, "from churches and individuals around the country to express their concern and general disgust for what happened on Sunday."

Nick De Leeuw of RightMichigan said he got his account of the incident from a church member who was there.

However, he said, the photo along with his report - of protesters dressed in black with their faces covered by pink, Middle-Eastern style headcoverings - was not from the protest at the church but from an earlier Bash Back protest elsewhere.

No Arrests Made

Mount Hope Church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination, teaches followers that homosexuality is a sin.

However, "Mount Hope Church strives to follow Jesus' example of loving the sinner but not the sin," Williams said.

The Eaton County Sheriff's Department got a call regarding the protest at about noon Sunday, said Lt. Jeff Warder.

Warder said protesters outside the church left peacefully when someone from the team of pastors came outside and told them they were not welcome on church property.

Warder said deputies did not handle the protest inside the building.

No arrests were made.

In New York City on Tuesday, the conservative Catholic League said it would ask Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to investigate the protest.

Typically, the sheriff's investigation would be turned over to the county prosecutor if the sheriff felt charges were warranted, said Matt Frendewey, spokesman for the attorney general's office. He said it would be rare for the attorney general's office to get involved in such a case.

Here is the link to this article. http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20081112/NEWS01/811120369

It doesn't seem that these groups have very much tolerance for religious people.  A letter for the Catholic Church 

Former Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake City Decries Religious Bigotry in Political Ad; Defends LDS Role in California Ballot Initiative Protecting Traditional Marriage

Last update: 9:26 p.m. EST Nov. 7, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov 07, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The following statement was released today by Bishop William Weigand, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and former Bishop of Salt Lake City, in response to attacks on the Mormon Church for supporting California's Proposition 8, defending the traditional definition of marriage:

"Catholics stand in solidarity with our Mormon brothers and sisters in support of traditional marriage--the union of one man and one woman--that has been the major building block of Western Civilization for millennia.

"The ProtectMarriage coalition, which led the successful campaign to pass Proposition 8, was an historic alliance of people from every faith and ethnicity. LDS were included--but so were Catholics and Jews, Evangelicals and Orthodox, African-Americans and Latinos, Asians and Anglos.

"Bigoted attacks on Mormons for the part they played in our coalition are shameful and ignore the reality that Mormon voters were only a small part of the groundswell that supported Proposition 8.

"As the former bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, I can attest to the fact that followers of the Mormon faith are a good and generous people with a long history of commitment to family and giving to community causes.

"I personally decry the bigotry recently exhibited towards the members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints--coming from the opponents of Proposition 8, who ironically, have called those of us supporting traditional marriage intolerant.

"I call upon the supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words--and to refrain from discrimination against religion and to exercise tolerance for those who differ from them. I call upon them to accept the will of the people of California in the passage of Proposition 8."

SOURCE: Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento

Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento  Kevin Eckery, 916-443-2528  keckery@eckery.com  

Copyright Business Wire 2008 

Here is the link to this article.http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Former-Catholic-Bishop-Salt-Lake/story.aspx?guid=%7BBE149180-C54A-41B7-B3DC-14EAC89B5D6E%7D

All this is very interesting.

Viva President Obama!!!

It's the next day after the elections and Obama won.  Although he was not my first choice he is now the President that will come into office in January.  I honestly don't agree with a lot of his policies, like the raising taxes on people that make 250k or more, or was it 200k or was it 150k. It's hard to keep track of what the number really is. I don't make anywhere near those numbers however I don't think that it is fair to tax someone that has worked hard and are being rewarded with a high paycheck.  I'll have have to wait and see if that happens. I hope that it doesn't.  I'm also looking forward to my taxes staying the same.  I don't believe that they will go down.  I also look forwarded to having my health insurance cost go down because I am one of the majority of Americans that have health care. Although I may not be able to get the higher raise or I will be asked to do more at work for less pay and my bonus may not be as big as they have in the past because my employer will need to pay more for my health care. Not to mention that I may have more taxes come out of my check because less money is going toward paying for health care before taxes.  So I maybe taking home less money not more, but my health care cost for me will be less.  I guess it is patriotic to pay less in health care and more in taxes.  Just my speculation though. 

What about the people that don't have health care.  Obama said that they will be able to get the same health care that people have in Congress.  How will that be paid for? Just a question.  He can just pay for the extra with the higher taxes on the rich.  It's only 3% higher so will really cover the cost?   My guess that it is not.  How will it be paid for if my taxes will not go up? Just another question.

Well look forward to having lower Health Care and getting money from the rich.

Tomorrow is Halloween and Meckenzie, and Alexis are so excited to go trick or treating.  It will also be the first year that I will be able to take them.  The years past they have either been little or have had to work on the day.  This year I took it off so I can be apart of it.  The kids want me to be batman.  I will probably end up going and getting a batman mask to not to disappoint the kids. I am hoping that I will be able to find out for cheap. I don't want to spend to much a silly costume.  Either way I think that it will be fun. 

With all that is going on in the world I think that it is important to be prepared for anything that may come about.  Shannon and I have stopped any unnecessary spending and made sure that we have food storage and some savings that we will be able to depend on.  These are uncertain times and we need to be prepared for anything that may happen.  I don't want to be an alarmist but I've in last little bit I have seen the cost of just about everything go up in price. Gas is given.  But when things like food start going up in price dramatically, and it maybe because of the gas prices, when will the time be when the cost of food goes up dramatically and the government feels that they need to step in there?  What type of system will they have to distribute the food and water?  What will society be like when people can't afford food?  If they can't afford food then will they be able to afford the prescriptions that they need to function? I don't think that time will be a very safe time. Hopefully this takes place later than sooner.  I know that this sounds far fetched and I hope that it doesn't happen.  I maybe the crazy guy that thinks the world is going to end with people looting for food and prescriptions instead of televisions, computers, and furniture. If I am wrong (and I hope that I am) then I've been prepared for nothing and it hurts nothing.  I think that the counsel that we have been given to be out of debt and to have food storage maybe pointed to something like this or it could be in times of famine.  In the bible what were the times of depression? I think that it was times of famine.  Joseph helped prepared the people of Egypt for their 7 year depression by setting up their food storage so the people would be able to get through their depression.  They were self reliant.  Times are different then what they were so we need to prepare differently.  Shannon and I started with food storage.  We tried to get 3 months worth of food and then tried to get another 3 months of food.  We are tracking what we have through an excel spreadsheet.  We will eventually have the one year supply that we are working towards.  We try to save all that we can. We want to have some savings to fall back on if anything were to happen.  Just some thoughts that I have had over the last couple of days.  

Marching to Bob

Any one that knows me knows that I have a fondness of music.  I will listen to pretty much anything that is written well and not offensive.  I do have my favorites. Mostly rock and roll.  With this in mind I want to teach my kids about the music that I have loved.  We have learned about Jack Johnson, John Lennon, of course the Beatles, Pearl Jam and recently Bob Marley.  One can not be sad and listen to Bob Marley.  So the we were listening to some Bob Marley and Meckenzie thought to start Marching.  Alexis joined because it looked fun.  So I watched awhile it looked a little funny.  When my girls march they don't bend their needs they keep them strait and march like the North Koreans March.  It's the funniest thing to watch them march that way.  Soon I joined because why not.  

being open minded

has any one ever noticed that those to profess being open minded are really open minded to what they are doing? For this reason I don't believe that anyone is truly open minded about everything.  If you are then congratulations because you are the exception. For example, those that are convinced that global warming is happening. I've talk to some that will absolutely tell that  there is no way that Global Warming does not exist. Is that person truly open minded about global warming.  I don't think so.  How about the people that feel the government should provide things to it's own citizens like health care.  Are those people open to the idea that the Government is not responsible for health care?  Of course it goes both ways.  Is there anything wrong with not being completely open minded?  No, there is nothing wrong with having your opinions.  If we were all "open minded" then what would people believe in?  There would be no standards that someone would hold themselves up to. If we were all completely open minded then we would not have an opinion about anything because that would mean that we are closed to the opposite side. I think that it is silly to say that a person is closed minded about something, especially if they have study both ends of the issue and then came to a conclusion.  

Diapers

So  we all know that Diapers are expensive.  If you don't have kids, go down to the baby area of your local store and look at the prices of baby stuff.  I think this is partly because when you have a baby one really doesn't have a choice.  you need diapers, baby wipes, bottles and all of the other supplies and the baby industry know this so they charge what ever they want.  This is evident when one diaper company lowers or raises prices the others do the same.  I think that there is some baby opec that is involved.  So as frugal parents that we are we try to save a few dollars because if I don't need to pay the high prices I don't want to.  So we went and found some diapers that were a little less and apparently not in the baby opec organization because the diapers that we bought were like $5 cheaper.  When we saw this we thought wow this is great and we proceeded to check out and have a large smile on our faces because we thought we defeated the diaper enemy.  I guess if you are not in the baby opec you don't get the same secrets that the opec members get because those cheaper diapers that we thought had such a great deal is apparently not that great of a deal.  The diapers don't hold crap.  Literally and figuratively.  My kids will pee once and the diaper will have the pee oozing out the other side. Such a mess and now I have to spend the more money to get a better diapers so I don't have the mess every single time.   Curse you Baby OPEC!!!

Lexi bug

So today is just going to be a random post about whatever.  I don't think that I really have a topic to speak.  For those that have kids they will know that kids can be the biggest pain one minute and then do something that will make you laugh so hard it makes you cry.  Lexi is one of these kids that will do that with just her laugh.  There will be one moment that she will be so worked up over a blanket because she can't find it and will not except anything until she gets that certian blanket. It make e want to pull my hair out sometimes but right when I'm about to pull my hair out she looks for and see it and with a big smile and a giggle she says there it is.  All that frustration seems to go away when she has that big smile on.  She is infections.  She has no fear but will take her time warming up to you but then all of a sudden she is done being shy and you have a friend for life.  She is my little bug.   

Half Yearly Resolution

July 31st. how about that.  The year is more than Half over and what have I done.  I've worked and played.  We celebrated 2 out of 3 of the kids birthdays.   The last birthday being in december.  What a year it has been.  we still have the rest of the year to do what ever we want to do.  So because we still or at least I still want to improve my self in the next half year I am going to make half yearly resolutions. I resolve to continue to lose weight.  Read a book.  Yes, just one.  Come on I need to be honest for pete sake.  Yes, it will be a grown up book no children's books and it may not even have pictures in it.  I'll keep you posted on what book I read.  That's it just two for right now.   

Food Storage.

So how many of us would have the means to to feed our families if there was a food shortage or food became so expensive that we could not afford to purchase enough to feed our families. Shannon (my wife) and I have been talking about this over the last couple of days.  Let's face it if it can happen with gas why could it not happen with food.  It's just as important as gas is it not?  I know that some maybe saying, but we depend on other countries for our gas and not our food. By all means I'm not an expert at all but looking at what's happening with our food.  Not too long ago our lettuce and spinach were bad because of salmonella and now our tomatoes are the same way.  What about our grain.  I assume and again I'm not an expert but I would assume that the majority of our grain comes from the mid west. We all know that they are under water and the crops are gone because of the flood waters.  I feel that because we have not gotten some food that can be stored now is the time to try to get as much as possible.  That way we are prepared for what ever may happen.  If the food prices start to go up like gas then we maybe able to keep our cost down because we can us the food that we have saved.  If the prices don't go up then we have some food storage if I happen to lose our job or some other disaster that could happen.    

Here's what I don't understand, how can kids sit and watch the same movie over and over again?  I know I did it when I was young but now I'll watch a movie and then maybe a couple of months later I will watch it again. Kids on the other hand will watch a movie and then 10 minutes after it ends they want to watch it again.  This is why I have seen Alvin and the Chipmunks about 20 times in the last two weeks.   It's not a bad movie at all but when I start quoting the movie right along side the movie then there is a problem.  I must say the computer animation on the movie was done quite well, so that helps to watch it over and over and over and so on.  

So today, what a day.  The kids were funny and great like normal and then I had to goto work.  It's not that I don't like my work it's just on Fridays it is incredibly slow. It's not good when it is slow because the night seems to drag a bit when that happens.  Although I did get through the night and made it home in one piece.  I sit here blogging about really nothing at all. I get to go out again with shannon tomorrow because we got a baby sitter.  That will be twice in one week. Will be so nice to be able to do that. 

I saw the most recent chapter of the Indiana Jones movies and although it was good I didn't quite understand the direction that it went.  I was enjoyable though.  

I love photo booth on my Mac. It's fun. My girls think that it is the greatest thing that they can do.  They will scurry over to the computer to take pictures on the computer and then change the effects and then take some more.  My oldest will get up were the computer is and pull up the program and then spend 10 to 20 minutes taking picture.  She likes to make funny faces and move really fast so the picture is a little blurred.  She is so creative.  My second just likes being goofy and funny on the picture.  My youngest is still too little to know what the computer is.  He is only 11 months.   Kids are great..

Shopping with three kids

Grocery shopping with three kids is not as easy as it looks.  I went grocery shopping at Target with all the kids today. Although they were good.  It is not the easiest to keep track of a three and a half year old along with a two year old.  My third child rode in the cart so he was easy to keep track of because he was staring at me the whole time.  He would look at me to say "My sisters don't know what they are missing all I have to do is sit and smile and make cute little sounds while they walk."  Little does he know the joys of walking. When he does though he will never look back.  The oldest started to play red light green light through out the store. At one point I had to yell RED LIGHT just to find them.  They were in the shoe section. I guess my girls are going to love shoes.  Lucky me.  Of course I'm kidding about not knowing where they were.  They were always with in sight and a brisk three step grab from me.  But they did want to look at the shoes when we went by the shoe section as we were on a trek to the electronics section. I'm on the hunt for Mario Cart for the Wii.  My hopes were dashed when I had arrived to find that they didn't have the game.   Although Meckenzie my oldest did find a flash light that looked like a pig that she liked.  She told me how special it was to her and how she really needed it and said Please Daddy it's so special to me.  How could I resist such persuasion.  We added it to the cart along with some bouncy balls and bath time fish for the other kids. I have learned that if you do one thing for a child then there needs to be some thing else that needs to be done for the others.  It's almost a law.  I think it's going to pass if Obama gets in the White House right along with his universal health care plan.  Over all we made it out with happy kids and no one got lost in the store, I'm going to say that it was a success.  

What to do about Mickey Mouse's type "A" personality

Have you ever noticed how bossy and almost arrogant that mickey mouse has become?  My kids love to watch Mickey Moue Clubhouse on the Disney Channel and that little mouse seems to always to be telling his friends what to do.  I wonder if Walt wanted Mickey to be such a type "A" personality.   I would think that Donald Duck would stage a revolt against Mickey.  One has to think that he would be able to get enough people to start the revolt. He should at least be able to get Pete that big cat that is always charging them to get into the park and such.  Then there is Goofy that dog is totally a follower  Donald would just need to tell him that he needs his help and Goofy would be all over it because he just wants to follow a leader.  Mini Mouse would totally like it if Donald would liberate her from Mickey's Type "A".  There needs to be something done.  I bet Mickey is like the Dictator of the disney cartoons.  There could be a spin off show that is called Donald's secret mission and it could be about Donald Duck trying to take over the Mickey's club house. I would totally be part of Donald's posse.   

The Starting Point

My thoughts today are these.  I wish I didn't have to go to work.  Although I took off Wednesday so the blow of starting a new work week has been deflated a bit.  That just means that I just need to endure two days of work and then have a day off and then work two days again.  I'm should I'm not the only one that has counted the days like that.  

I work at Verizon Wireless and wont get home until probably 1 am because I will go to the gym after work.  I tough working so late but it's what I need to do so my kids are not in day care.  I have this odd goal of running a marathon.  I'm taking the training a bit slower so I can make sure that I will be ready to run it and not die.  I don't mind if I am a little dead after the race so I can walk maybe the day after.  We'll see what happens. 

I'm coming off my third Father's day of my life as a father and it was great.  Anytime that I get to spend time with my kids and wife for the entire day and get gifts is alright by me. I'm lucky to have them.  Although that is probably the most machismo thing to say it's the truth and I think that if you ask any man that has a family they will say the same thing.