Economic Crisis- Reflections from an honest journalist,

Here's a reflection of a really honest writer from the N.Y. Times, Edmund Andrews:

My Personal Credit Crisis

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/magazine/17foreclosure-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

"Hundreds attend Global Warming Protest"

"Hundreds attend Global Warming Protest"

A co-worker sent this to me. I thought it was funny.

It causes me to reflect on caring for our earth. My thoughts on this are, global warming or not, we need to care for our earth. It is our home. It deserves the best and I feel that there is a lot we can do to improve our use and investment into renewable energy sources.

To me the idea of "energy independence" goes far beyond drilling for our own oil and independence from oil-producing nations. It means every family having a simple solar system on their homes, being able to be independent from the grid when the power goes out, thanks to a battery that can run furnaces and several florescent bulbs inside, that recharges each day when the sun comes up.

It also means that during really sunny days that the electrical meters on homes are turning backwards, generating more power than their home needs and putting it back into the power grid. That is the way things ought to work.

This same principle applies to finances, food, and so on... ever heard of a garden and food storage?

"And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face?" - Moses 7:48

The Family and Proposition 8

Proposition 8, the proposal in California to define marriage in the state's constitution as limited to a man and a woman, has been a very hot topic as of late.

In late November I read an interesting article from the LDS Newsroom on Proposition 8. It includes pleas from individuals on both sides of the issue to maintain civility and clarity. Especially awesome are two letters written by Catholic Bishops from the Sacramento and Salt Lake Diocese, both of which are linked from the above article. I would recommend reading the article and both of the letters.

CLERGYMAN: Mahwage. Mawage is wot bwings us togevah tooday. Mahwage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam ... And wuv, twu wuv, will fowow you foweva. So twesa your wuv –

PRINCE HUMPERDINCK (interrupting): Skip to the end!

CLERGYMAN: Have you the wing?


I feel that it is important for each of us to ask ourselves and study out in our own minds why we believe what we believe. The following thoughts probably began as a teenager, evolved as I served an LDS mission, attended college at Utah State, and continue as the battle rages regarding the definition of marriage and family:

After every argument is heard regarding the definition of marriage, etc., I always come back to one very simple set of ideas:

• We (people) are important. You and I are more important than we can even fathom. We tend to love our freedom, or agency (most do, anyway). Many individuals have both lived and died to grant and protect freedom.
• We (people) are the product of a man and a woman. Regardless of your parents' level of commitment to each other, it was a man and woman that are the source from which you and I sprang. Due to these origins, it is natural for me to promote this idea of family, for it is within this idea of family- the traditional family- that people come. This idea of family is powerful, it creates life, and generates the opportunity of "freedom" for another generation. How wonderful it is when parents are committed to one another and their children!
  
• Any idea, lifestyle, choice, or organization that denies, limits, or minimizes the traditional family, or opportunity for children (like you and I) to be born and enjoy the opportunities of life, liberty, and happiness, must be questioned. Does it not make sense that if an individual truly loved their own freedom, their very existence, and was truly grateful for it, that they would need to acknowledge the man and woman who made this gift and opportunity possible for them? Is it not true that pursuing or supporting any idea, lifestyle, choice, or organization that limits, minimizes, or neglects the idea of children is contrary to the nature of freedom, giving, and life itself? Is it not true that if we seek a relationship that does not generate what we were given- life- that we essentially deny it to others?
  

On the surface it is clear why individuals view same-sex marriage as a "right." Almost any choice could fit into that category of being one's "right", although we could quickly rule out choices that infringe upon the freedoms of others (theft, violence, murder, etc.). But it is this very idea- the idea that our choice restricts the freedom of others, that is the reason that same-sex marriage is a poor choice. It does not preserve freedom, but just seeks its own, and as it is pursued- becomes the end of that very idea.

More thoughts...
It is interesting to see individuals promote same-sex marriage, civil unions, etc. They perceive that others have "rights" that they are denied. They act as if they are being overlooked, neglected, or robbed of privileges that should be available to them. The truth is that those opportunities are available to them and can be theirs if they choose. They seek to change the rules, redefine marriage for everyone, as if the definition of the marriage relationship or "gender" are now ours to define and change, regardless of how things work naturally in the real world. Hello! People are born to men and women! Not only are men and women unique and necessary to produce life, but they are also unique and complementary as they fulfill their roles as parents as they raise their children. Traditional marriage is pro-choice, pro-life and pro-freedom, is it not? Choose what you may for a relationship, but don't redefine it for others!

Lifestyles other than traditional marriage, whatever they may be, tend to be selfish in nature in that they exclude or delay a future generation from the life and liberties that we now have. Those actively pursuing or promoting "alternative" lifestyles need to understand that if their forbears had espoused- and lived- by these same ideas of rights and freedom- that they, the following generation, probably would not exist.

Love gives and does not take. It seeks the benefit of others and not self.

Why do individuals defend the traditional definition of marriage? That's easy- they are FOR people. They are FOR children. They are for the freedom of OTHERS. Others like you and I will not continue to exist without the idea of traditional marriage.

Choosing to pursue or support anything other than the traditional marriage relationship is an end in and of itself. What makes it even more significant for those that believe is the fact that marriage relationships can be eternal.


On another note...
How should "The Princess Bride" been different? Wesley, under his guise of the Black Pirate Roberts, should have swallowed his pride and simply asked Buttercup why she had not waited to marry her true love, instead of accusing her of what he perceived to be "bailing out" on her. But of course if this had happened we would have skipped out on all of the adventures that followed- falling down the hill, the fire-swamp, ROUS's, etc. :) I guess I am wont to run through fire-swamps and battle rats of unusual size instead of just getting to the point of love and marriage as well. :) I apologize if there are any typos in this post or any incomplete sentences, etc.

Financial Wisdom

I have not read his book, Crash Proof, but it sounds like Mr. Peter Schiff could see what many of us could see coming. I really felt like the home prices around me here in Utah, as well as my own was a false, blown-up bubble that would pop. It was unhealthy, unsupported growth.

I can remember practicing in a combined choir with Brian Weston and Lynn (I can't remember his last name) when a guy next to me was asking what I thought of the government's deficit spending. I remember telling him something to the effect that anybody or any organization who continues to go into debt further and further will one day have to pay the consequences. I can remember being discouraged at the fact that the government was not balancing its budget. I am not a financial wizard, nor the world's greatest budget-keeper, but I know I feel better when I save my money and am able to make sound investments. Many of us in the U.S. have borrowed way too much and it is now coming back to bite us.

An address from President Gordon B. Hinckley has been a great guide to me in my life. It is entitled, To the Boys and To the Men, and was given in November of 1998. I include what is to me the most significant excerpt:

Now, brethren, I should like to talk to the older men, hoping that there will be some lesson for the younger men as well.

I wish to speak to you about temporal matters.

As a backdrop for what I wish to say, I read to you a few verses from the 41st chapter of Genesis.

Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, dreamed dreams which greatly troubled him. The wise men of his court could not give an interpretation. Joseph was then brought before him: “Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

“And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

“And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed. …

“And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: …

“And I saw in my dream … seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

“And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

“And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: …

“And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, … God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

“The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. …

“… What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

“Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

“And there shall arise after them seven years of famine;

“… And God will shortly bring it to pass” (Gen. 41:17–20, 22–26, 28–30, 32).

Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.

So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.

We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

This counsel has guided me in many decisions. I am thankful for a prophet who just simply wanted us to live wisely, both spiritually and financially.

And now, just for fun, here is an excerpt worth watching that my brother Andrew showed me today. Note how Mr. Schiff is almost mocked by some of the other investment advisors because of his opinion:

Sweet!

The Land of the Free!

Don't blame it on the president!

Everyone needs to see this:



Let us never forget that we are free and accountable for our own actions.

If I were a reporter, this is the kind of stuff I would like to create.
Good job John Stossel!

America's Most Wanted Couple: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac

Here they are- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac:

Okay- seriously, Fannie Mae is really the "Federal National Mortgage Association" and Freddie Mac is the "Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation." They are two financial institutions, not grandparents, that share great responsibility in the recent financial meltdown. Sure, many individuals were allowed to get in over their heads, and they are to blame as well, but they were merely following the example of the federal government and are living beyond their means. See the National Debt clock here. And here's a recent article on the clock. Apparently it ran out of digits because of the recent financial intervention of the government. Would it hurt to just let these organizations and businesses drown on their own? I am sure that it would hurt, but maybe it would send a strong message and help us and others make more sound investments. If the government were to be compared to a business, I would never invest in it in the fiscal sense. It needs a infusion of new blood, though- a MAJOR blood transfusion. I wish a candidate would balance the budget and create a plan to pay off the national debt.

My brother send me an e-mail about a week ago citing one of the origins of the current financial meltdown. I will quote Kimball from his e-mail:

The New York Times link below explains the hand the government had in creating the current mortgage crisis. The article was written in 1999, and occurred within Clinton's administration. This article was sent to me by my politically savvy friend, Mike Taylor.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F958260

Today I ran across another article today on DeseretNews.com as well that cited a Republican-sponsored bill that was never voted on in the Senate, possibly in part due to a group paid large sums of money by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lobby against the bill. Glad to know that a lot of Republicans in the Senate could see this financial meltdown coming:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705256560,00.html

Isn't it nice to know that we can live life based on sound principles? I found it interesting that it was primarily Democrats in Congress that were primarily voting for the economic bailout proposed by President Bush and that it was a crew of Republicans that did not like the looks of the bailout package initially.

I think that a lot more time should have been spent in analyzing the problem, or that smaller bills should have been passed, incrementally, each with a specific target on what it was intended to do, not a one-size-fits-all mega-bill.

I can remember somewhere in the mid/late-1990's when I was sitting next to a guy in choir practice who was asking what I thought about the national debt. I told him that I thought it would come back to bite us one day and that the government and nation would fall on its face financially if it did not do something to pay the debt. One loses credibility with so much debt. We reap what we sow, right?

What would I do about it?
Turn Mitt Romney loose on the problem. He'd probably help for free.

Stocks on sale! Also homes.

Isn't life all about perspective? And there is always more than one way to view the current economic status of our nation. If you're one that has savings, a great credit rating, and have been waiting to get into the stock market or a house, this may be your big chance!

When the prices of stocks, or homes, generally plunge like they have recently. It's like having a sign saying:

BIG SALE!
Lowest prices in 10 years!
Wahoo!

This is not intended as investment advice, but nearly as an alternative perspective in an economic downturn that anybody knew was coming. Watching house prices inflate the last few years has been ridiculous. My house's estimated value has risen over $100,000 in the last 3-4 years (that's not healthy growth, or normal). On my property tax forms the county listed it as being worth $9,000 more each year in the first 3 years and then in the last year increasing in value about $75,000. And this was at a time when home prices across the nation were dropping, and just as they started to slow and drop here in Utah.

Saturdays

Here's what's happened today, and what might be a normal Saturday for me lately...
1. Sleep in until 8 or so (normally I do like to get up a little earlier).
2. Read (currently John Groberg's, "In the Eye of the Storm")
3. Run (4 mile loop- haven't gone that far in a while).
4. Vacuum
5. Breakfast (2 bowls of cereal and about an hour later, 2 awesome breakfast burritos made by yours truly).
6. Watch the rest of the Texas Longhorns game with roommate as they beat the currently #1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
7. Help roommate clean up kitchen because I feel guilty that much of the mess is mine.
8. Load 1,960 lbs. of junk in the old orange flatbed dumptruck (cement chunks, old beams, wood, pipe, and other miscellany). Added a new driveway a few weeks ago and the cement guy did his "cleanout" right in front of the leftover cement. Gratefully there was not too much.
9. Visit the dump as a very light rain turns so snow (that makes 3 weeks in a row). Last week's trip was almost 3 tons and great fun in the rain. The landfill was a muddy, stinky mess and after I dumped my load I felt like I was in one of those events you might see at a truck pull. I was peeling out and flipping mud everywhere. It was pretty fun. Good thing I had "duallies" in back or I may not have made it. :)
10. Hurry and answer a few e-mails that have been sitting in my inbox.
11. Check friends' blogs. Feel guilty about not posting anything. Create this post.
12. Get a little to eat (leftovers from Saturday breakfast last week [blueberry pancakes] and today).
13. Hope to work on finishing a few small rough framing things in the basement "studio" room I am finishing.
14. Get cleaned up.
15. Go dancing with friends at the Murray Arts Center (M.A.C.). Possibly visit IKEA beforehand to check on flooring that is $0.49 a square foot (probably pretty cheap stuff).
16. Bed.

What would I change? A few things- three, in fact. Love Saturdays. Next week I have a 4-day weekend. Awesome.

Ball Game, part 2 (extra innings)

After a little feedback from friends and a Louisville Slugger to the head (courtesy of an anonymous comment on my 'flaky' analogy posted a few weeks ago), I thought I'd elaborate a little on the baseball/dating comparison:

1. This analogy is probably more fitting to a baseball practice or baseball tryouts. Don't take it beyond the pitcher-batter idea.

2. Consider it, women who are pursuing men that are NOT stepping up to the plate does not help them to STEP UP and be a MAN. Men need to STAND UP and put forth their best effort. They need the challenge and the chase. Each situation is different, but a healthy relationship is based on the fact that each person inspires the other to be their best- in a simple and wonderful, kind of way. I would not recommend that women date the guys that are forever languishing in the dugout. But everyone has that choice. The point of dating and life is that men learn how to step up to the plate. The dudes who NEVER step out of the dugout just get booted off the team anyway. Women- be your best and the men that can handle what you dish out will be the ones that chase you. Birds of a feather flock together, but the scriptural reference says it best.

3. Men: It may appear that some women are not pitching at all when you are doing your best to ask for a pitch. She may be pitching or winking elsewhere.

4. Women: Just because a particular fellow is not stepping up to your plate does not mean he is not doing his best to hammer a homer (connect) or get a pitch elsewhere.

5. We have a limited view of each other as we live in our little worlds. Sometimes we become generally frustrated that a certain person(s) is not doing what we want s/he to do. Thus the need to gain perspective from other sources.

6. Amen to the comment left on the post: "It's easy to lose track of the whole doggone' game when you're hanging out in the dingy dugout with the boys." That is very true.

7. Also in response to the same comment: Getting "beaned" in the head with a fastball while sitting in the dugout WOULD be a great wake-up call. It may even put a fellow in the hospital. Lighting a fire under the pine bench in the dugout might be even a better idea.

Dating and courting does really hurt now and then, believe me. The pain can inspire growth and understanding or make one retreat (both can be equally helpful). But it is only when we take the greatest risks that we can expect the greatest returns. Though I often feel like a "Little League" kid when I step up to the plate, awkward and inadequate, I must say that the dating/courting experiences that I have had are some of the most rewarding of my life.

Thanks for all of the feedback- it has given me more insight.

Take me out to the ball game

Here's my take on the good old fashioned game of dating...

Dating is much like baseball. In dating men should step up to the plate & ask a woman for a pitch if they're interested. Women then choose whether or not they'll pitch, & what kind of pitch to give. Both she & he want to know what the other is all about. Good pitchers throw challenging pitches, not soft tosses given half the distance between the mound and home plate, and a good slugger keeps his eye on the ball and swings strong and level.

A man needs to understand & respect the fact that even if he steps up to the plate, a woman may not choose to give him a pitch. It also gets confusing if pitches are unexpectedly thrown into the dugout. A pitcher can wink from the mound & pursue her game, but throwing a pitches to those not up at the plate is not how it works. This is the old-fashioned version of baseball I was taught.

Girl's baseball team from Mill Valley, CA

If you're pitching in baseball tryouts and are not sure of what kind of pitch to throw, watch the catcher. He'll help you. If you're at bat, watch for signals from the 3rd base coach. They both work for the same Manager & Owner, who are always looking for talent to put together as part of a great team.

Men, let us stand and step up to the plate- the women I know are pretty darn good pitchers.

Play ball!

This is the short version of the analogy. Maybe I can expound at a later date on a few points.
-Loren

Free Gas!

With gas prices at an all time high, I was surprised by a sign I saw while on my way home from a hike. I had stopped to pick up a few items at a shop when I spotted it:


Wow! Free gas!

What?

Free gas! About 12 miles south of my house- $0.00 per gallon!

Free?

Yes! Frrreeeeeee!

Hurray!

I couldn't believe it either and took the photo above to prove it. I'll have to go there more often!

Here is a photo of the whole storefront:

Look closely at the photo...



Yeah, it's a bike shop- Bountiful Bicycles. I recently re-invested in a bicycle and needed to get a few things. I thought that the sign on the storefront was pretty creative and funny. I used to have a road bike in high school that I rode to work quite a bit between Kaysville and Centerville, and thanks to ebay, I found a decent, used bike in Colorado to replace my aged and crippled Specialized Hard Rock (that is now 18 years old). Now I need to get a second set of rims in order to exchange quickly between mtn tires and road tires, or slicks.

Here is the new ride:

I was surprised that I won the ebay auction. I thought I'd have to increase my bid by $100 or so, but didn't have to. I also am learning to use clipless (eggbeater) pedals for the first time. They're easier than I thought they'd be, although not as easy as toeclips. So far, it's harder to get INTO the pedal than releasing it.

I figure that I'll have to bike well over 4,500 miles for this purchase to pay for itself. With the ride to work and back being a 24-mile round trip, that'll be nearly 200 trips to work. At least it will give me about an hour of cardiovascular exercise each day I ride. Also cheaper than a Toyota Prius and faster than walking!

Diesel Mechanic

(written Saturday afternoon, June 20)

Today I feel more like a man. Why? I discovered the deeper meaning of a weighty, masculine word. There are a handful out there: lumber, football, etc.

Well, today it was "diesel."

No, not that one...

..not this one either...

...this one:

Main Entry: die·sel

Pronunciation: \ˈdē-zəl, -səl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Rudolf Diesel

Date: 1894

1 : diesel engine
2 : a vehicle driven by a diesel engine
3 : diesel fuel

I have been able to borrow my dad's old CASE 680 "Construction King" backhoe to do occasional work. Despite "construction" being part of its name, the yellow beast does a great job at demolition. Now, I am speaking of planned demolition, like when we tore out the old milk-house or pulled the silo over. It also does a great job of smashing things unintentionally- like when one of my brothers managed to mash the rain gutter into the side of the house. I was inside at the time and it felt like the whole house was going to come down. He is not alone- I did thump one of the post that holds up the deck a few weeks ago with the hoe (yes, it left mark).


Besides being a great help when I was in the demolition stages, it has come in handy recently to dig out the area where I am installing a retaining wall and to also bring in the retaining wall blocks. I've made a few temporary roads, haul gravel, rocks, and dirt- of course.

In the course of these events it has broken down at least three or four times. We've blown just about half of its hydraulic hoses, improved some of the electrical wiring, and most recently I had to replace the starter. Thus this blog entry.


It was my first ever "starter-ectomy" (I hadn't even done this on a car) and the old 60's backhoe didn't give it up willingly. Three bolts held it in. One was right out in front, one in back, and the last one underneath. I am embarrassed to admit that I mistakenly worked for at least 20-30 minutes trying to remove another bolt that was located just next to the REAL bolt (the third one) that I should have been removing. This impostor was so tight, and the space so small for my socket and wrench, that I could lot get any leverage. Of course it was when I finally got that darn bolt to budge and was removing it when I noticed that it played no role in holding the starter. Oh well- the fact that I got it loose made me feel good. Of course the real bolt came out lickety-split and I used a lever to heft the huge, greasy starter out. Finally! After over an hour victory was mine! I am guessing it weighed 60-70 pounds. This is a photo of me AFTER I cleaned myself up (I was black up to my elbows) and was preparing to drive to the rebuild shop in SLC.

It took them over a week to find the right parts to rebuild it, and it took me about 30 minutes to put it back in. The backhoe starts much easier now- and without starter fluid. I now have a great respect for diesel mechanics and know why they make about $40/hour. Let's just pray the backhoe lasts another month or two. I don't know how much of a man I am to handle much more than a starter.

Help for a poor sole?

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

- Doug Larson

I'll try to keep this simple:
I've had a difficult time finding a pair of shoes the past two months. In my usual stops at Famous Footwear and other local stores I have been unable to find a pair that I liked. I did find a few once, but they did not have any in my size. So this blog entry is a lame request help on the best places to buy shoes!

In a few of my conversations with my farmer-neighbor, the topic of shoes came up. He is quite the internet-shopper and buys his shoes on-line. He also buys seeds and sells his sheep occasionally on-line. He recommended B.A. Mason Shoes. I checked it out and was pretty impressed- except for the fact that once I found a few pairs that I liked, they didn't have my size! I found some of the same shoes at Shoes.com, but wanted to find what places you'd recommend. If you're guy and would be willing to divulge the location of your favorite "shoe-fishing hole," please do! I wear a 10.5 and will be sure that I don't buy the last pair. And you ladies- if you happen to have a little "Imelda Marcos" in you (1,060 pairs?)- or happen to know where the men in your life find their shoes, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I'd appreciate your help. Now that the snow has melted I think people are staring at me for continuing to wear my moon boots everywhere I go...

What in the heck are you staring at?!
GOSH!

(Halloween 2005)

Tai Pan Trading, part 2

The following is a comment my brother Andrew left on the previous post, "Tai Pan Trading Co." Read it as you would a Dr. Seuss book:

M.T. Soule said...

I LOVE TaiPan Trading Co!
Next to Wal-Mart, They have the world's largest selection of STUFF! But everything at TaiPan is non life-sustaining yet you can't get enough!
A perfect plethora of plastic pastries and fruit,
Baskets, vases, bowls, and statues –SO cute!
The endless array of faux flora and fauna will make you a bonified Martha Stewart prima donna!
Pre-assembled crafts and McMansion wall-hangings and paraphernalia. Shiny, aged, copper-patina whoknowsits and whatsits all made in China.
It comes in all colors, all shapes and all sizes.
Each glance yields more 'didn't-know-I-needed' surprises!
More and more and more and more, this endless cycle of consumer glut-decor galore!
It's just like walking into a landfill but it's all indoor!

He highly recommends visiting www.thestoryofstuff.com

I'll have to put a few photos of the planters I found at Tai Pan Trading. They are pretty nice. The only other thing that they had that I thought was cool were some really big framed prints of bold yellow and red flowers. If I didn't already have a dozen other prints I am wanting to buy, frame, and hang, I'd have been tempted more than I was.
-Loren

Tai Pan Trading Co., also known as...

Today I went to visit Tai Pan Trading for the first time- a Utah store that sells a variety of home decor items. I had been warned by my brother that it was the place that had "everything you never needed," but when I texted him to ask if I should go there to find planters and pots for plants, he replied, "oh yes." So, after work today and on my way to look at planters at Lowe's (Home Improvement), I decided to make a quick visit. I had a few plants that are getting too big for their britches.

To cut a long story short (yes, you can thank your lucky stars today- this post will be shortER), I didn't get lost, but it was difficult shopping. Everything is in general 'areas' and you have to just meander through it all, hoping you're going to find another display of what you're looking for, or wondering if you're entering another area, or if you've seen everything that particular area in which you were hoping to find something.

Okay- I confess, I found a few long planters I liked- and I bought them. But I found them the second time I meandered back through the pottery area, or areas. Without the normal aisles and rows I just followed the outer wall, for fear I'd get lost and locked up inside the store when everyone went home for the night. I knew when I was getting close when I once again approached the stoneware and plastic food displays- one of which is a bowl of plastic chocolate-dipped strawberries. I thought that the strawberries were there to show off the dishes, but no, they sell those too.

In conclusion, I think that that the store needs to change it's name. What would be an appropriate name? The "Pre-D.I." For those of you who don't know what the D.I. is, it is a local thrift store, more commonly called by its initials rather than its name, the Deseret Industries. At Tai Pan you'll find the common items normally encountered at garage sales and thrift stores. So, if you want something from Tai Pan Trading, just visit a neighborhood garage sale IN A FEW YEARS and you'll find EVERYTHING they bought at Tai Pan Trading THIS WEEK- and you'll get it at a fraction of the price!

Why do we write? (re-post)

Alternate title: "Loren's Excuses for Blogging")
(original post was started on Feb. 2nd, but never finished and published until now)

I've thought the last week of the topics about which I could write. As a student at Utah State University I did a research project on the value of students to engage in reflective writing for students. This is one of the reasons that I like to write- in order to reflect. Often in the act of expressing ourselves is when we begin to bring greater understanding to our own thoughts (if we are actually thinking as we express them). There is a philosophy that exists in education that is termed, "Writing to Learn." The basic premise is that the writing requires us to summarize and synthesize our understanding in our own words. It reveals what is inside each of us.

Writing also brings clarity to our thoughts- it expresses what is inside us. Many times I have begun to understand concepts not only as I think on them, but as I seek to relate my thoughts to others. One goal I have as an educator is to help children read well, think well, write well, speak well, and serve well. We attempt to sow good, with the hope that their lives will yield a veritable harvest of attitudes and skills as they set out to change their world.

My mother gave me my first journal when I was about 7 years old and I have some entries I penciled in- full of mistakes and a mix of upper and lower-case letters. The first memorable entries are about fighting with my brothers and also about some ducks my brother had just brought home. I think we write about things that have impacted us or that we're thankful- see Bamamoma's blog about keeping a gratitude journal. I think we also write about compelling topics, about things we are particularly concerned or passionate. We share things that we want others to hear- or we just write because we want to remember. Just after I had started this blog entry I read Monica's blog on writing.

In early February I made a list of topics for about which I hope to write and reflect:
1. Writing (this entry)
2. My Mother
3. My Father
4. Where does a guy buy a good pair of shoes? (a plea for good shoe-stores for men)
5. Emergency preparedness & food storage
6. Home projects (tiling, yard, fences, flowers, trees, sprinklers, grass... can you tell that I have a lot left to do?)
7. Human Dynamics
8. Good, Better, Best
9. More favorite books (two recent ones)
10. 6 Thinking Hats (a model for decision-making/perspective-taking)
11. Mark Lambert's bread recipe (and my variations on it)
12. Another topic I yet have to reveal... (I don't feel yet qualified to even mention it here)
13. Automobiles
14. "Trick or Treat" - a Halloween lesson from some kids in Clearfield, UT

Boyd K. Packer writes in his book, Teach Ye Diligently, that the reasons for us to gain knowledge and understanding are that we might both live and share it. That reminds me of an experience I had that I could also write about...

15. Second-grade pea-plant experiment on gravitropism (geotropism) and phototropism.

Primarily, I think I write to share.

16. Oh yeah- I need to respond to Bamamoma's blog entry on furnaces and fireworks. What a great post!
17. And another update on presidential candidates! If you enjoy reading about the candidates, visit RealClearPolitics.com 2-3 times a week and read all of the articles they list there. Many of them are excellent and written by leading political analysts from leading papers. It is interesting to me to discover more and more about the three leading candidates.

Parabolically Speaking

"And he spake many things unto them in parables..."
-Matt. 13: 3

For a few weeks in late January and early February I was helping a high school student I knew prepare for the ACT test. He was getting ready to apply for college and was looking for a little help. During these weeks I once again re-visited all of those wonderful and once-confusing math concepts. I can remember learning about "conics" for the first time in trigonometry- one of which is the parabola. For the student I was tutoring this was his first introduction. I am sure he was thinking what I did in my first encounter, "Okay, when I am I going to use this in real life?" He had a point (I also note here that it is a a good thing that we ask this question). Asking this question just proves that Jean Piaget, French philosopher and developmental psychologist, was right with his constructivist ideas- that we always seek to connect new knowledge to what we already know, use, and understand.

Hey- maybe knowing about conics would come in handy on that future day when you're cutting a slice out of a cone-shaped chunk of cheddar cheese. You could then say, "Look! A parabola!" What is interesting is how an understanding of various concepts, theories, or historical events, can provide us with a "multi-dimensional" view into different problems and/or situations. Having that additional background knowledge allows an individual to think on more than one level, or approach the idea or problem from more than one angle. Mathematics has always amazed me. It began being tough for me in 5th grade (fractions), and continued until, like Charlotte, two high school teachers helped me to rediscover my confidence and begin to understand the math world. I cannot tell you how many little mathematical "aha's" I've had over the last 10 or so years as I've taught and tutored math. Some have been doctrinal/scientific in nature, and some are just basic math that I should have caught in elementary school. A few years ago I was taught by a first grader who solidified my theories on Euclidean/non-Euclidean geometry and the course of God. Her quick and simple answer to my deep scientific question about the universe was all it took.

Well, a little gospel math clicked in my mind today with regards to the teachings of Christ and the teaching style of our newly-ordained prophet, President Monson. Both a parabola and parable has two sides- the obvious side and another, less-obvious side. When you're driving that knife through the "conical chunk of cheddar" you're creating two new "edges"- on both the close and far sides of your knife. But first note the meaning and origin of the word, "parable..."

parable
Main Entry: par·a·ble
Pronunciation: \ˈpa-rə-bəl\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin parabola, from Greek parabolē comparison, from paraballein to compare, from para- + ballein to throw
Date: 14th century

: example; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

My thoughts are not profound, but last Saturday I found myself really thinking deeply on the simple story that President Thomas S. Monson shared in the world-wide training broadcast (text, audio, & video available here). It was his first formal address to members of the Church as its president. He encouraged us to develop:

1. A pattern of prayer
2. A library of learning
3. A legacy of love
4. A yearning for home

At the end of his address he shared a simple story about a young man who did not know his parentage. The only distant memory he had of his childhood were some chapel bells that rang each Sunday. He went out in search of that sound that he knew that he would recognize when he heard it, and continued on, stopping in each town to listen to the bells on the Sabbath day. In the story, the man eventually recognized and found the home of his birth.

In the lesson today our instructor challenged us to become familiar with and understand the language of the prophet Joseph Smith. It was different that ours. My mind went to the story shared by President Monson. It had many different meanings- from missionary work and the Spirit, the purpose of mortality, and to my own family.

Listen to a prophet. When he shares again the story from his childhood about giving up a few beloved train cars on Christmas Day in order to brighten another's life, don't start falling asleep- listen! There is another side. He is telling your story! It will always go a little deeper if we take the time to ponder on it- and especially act on it.

I wonder if I would have dismissed the Savior as a "teller of simple tales" had I encountered him in his ministry.

"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it."
-Mark 4: 33

Why do we write?

(Alternate title: "Loren's Excuses for Blogging")

I've thought the last week of the topics about which I could write. As a student at Utah State University I did a research project on the value of students to engage in reflective writing for students. This is one of the reasons that I like to write- in order to reflect. Often in the act of expressing ourselves is when we begin to bring greater understanding to our own thoughts (if we are actually thinking as we express them). There is a philosophy that exists in education that is termed, "Writing to Learn." The basic premise is that the writing requires us to summarize and synthesize our understanding in our own words. It reveals what is inside each of us.

Writing also brings clarity to our thoughts- it expresses what is inside us. Many times I have begun to understand concepts not only as I think on them, but as I seek to relate my thoughts to others. One goal I have as an educator is to help children read well, think well, write well, speak well, and serve well. We attempt to sow good, with the hope that their lives will yield a veritable harvest of attitudes and skills as they set out to change their world.

My mother gave me my first journal when I was about 7 years old and I have some entries I penciled in- full of mistakes and a mix of upper and lower-case letters. The first memorable entries are about fighting with my brothers and also about some ducks my brother had just brought home. I think we write about things that have impacted us or that we're thankful- see Bamamoma's blog about keeping a gratitude journal. I think we also write about compelling topics, about things we are particularly concerned or passionate. We share things that we want others to hear- or we just write because we want to remember. Just after I had started this blog entry I read Monica's blog on writing.

In early February I made a list of topics for about which I hope to write and reflect:
1. Writing (this entry)
2. My Mother
3. My Father
4. Where does a guy buy a good pair of shoes? (a plea for good shoe-stores for men)
5. Emergency preparedness & food storage
6. Home projects (tiling, yard, fences, flowers, trees, sprinklers, grass... can you tell that I have a lot left to do?)
7. Human Dynamics
8. Good, Better, Best
9. More favorite books (two recent ones)
10. 6 Thinking Hats (a model for decision-making/perspective-taking)
11. Mark Lambert's bread recipe (and my variations on it)
12. Another topic I yet have to reveal... (I don't feel yet qualified to even mention it here)
13. Automobiles
14. "Trick or Treat" - a Halloween lesson from some kids in Clearfield, UT

Boyd K. Packer writes in his book, Teach Ye Diligently, that the reasons for us to gain knowledge and understanding is that we might both live it and share (teach) it. The purpose for every good thing that goes "in" to us is meant to "come out." That reminds me of an experience I had that I could also write about...

15. Second-grade pea-plant experiment on gravitropism (geotropism) and phototropism.

Primarily, I think I write to share.