Independence day … and the more unheard of act in history

How about this bit of advice??

“when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security” Declaration of Independence

Do we wait until we are there?
Are we destined to cross that line?
Can we be among one of the only nations ever to belay the course of a nation with mighty power and return to principles when given a taste of power beyond compare? To return to the simple concepts which we were founded upon?

It is glorious we have lasted this long, but if we continue to decay and drift farther from our foundations is it healthy for us?

To be sure… we are not quite over the line (my opinion) but when and who get’s to decide that line?

That’s why we should be working now to self-correct … this will be the more unheard of act in history… more great than even our foundation
(perhaps, As I am not the one who can decide what is the greatest, but many good countries have been founded but which great ones have tasted power started to decay, cut off the offending parts and brought themselves back without serious judgment and calamity?)

Universal Healthcare = Pass the buck?

Are we passing the buck by making government take care of our neighbors?

Responsibilty going down the crapper because we pass the buck

I believe that we have lost our sense of responsibility and charity for others because we don’t believe it’s our duty to help others. (Over-Generalization)

Why take money out of my pocket and or rally around to help You get healthy in a time of need… when we can just feel better that the government will do it. (Sarcasm)

We’re loosing our sense of compasion and care for others all the while talking the talk about how compasionate we’re all supposed to be.

Some people seem to act like others are practically murderes because they don’t support present ideas of universal healthcare.
I’d like to take a moment for us to reflect on what kind of people that will make us when we think every solution like this can be solved by government intervention?
Are we passing the buck and not wanting to solve problems ourselves and impliment good ol’ fashion charity?

What’s going on here… I really am not sure… just asking the questions.

The government has proven itself.

I echo the sentiments stated by many others… It is my personal belief that a bureaucracy such as the US government will NOT do a good job and make sound decisions to provide Valuable and reliable health care.

It has proven itself that it doesn’t do a good job at the economy, nor at education and so far it’s screwed things up in the area of Health Care.

So why get everyone ever increasingly expensive healthcare if that health care is horrific.

So what are some possible solutions?

Well I’m sure many of you have your own ideas…
I’ll brainstorm for a moment

Develope a nation where healthcare is cheaper, more effective, drugs are less expensive, more people are encouraged to become doctors, healthy living is a thing of pride, good healthy food is cheap and everyone wants to eat it. Sickness is less.
Take a serious look at how insurance is screwing the healthcare system up.

Why charge cheap rates when it’s just the insurance companies paying for everything? (sarcasm)

There used to be more hospitals dedicated to helping people in need for free.

And more and more people abuse medications and take their kids to the hospital for every scuff or sniffle.

How many times did you go to the hospitals or doctors growing up? Now compare it to how many times you take your kids or see your neighbors going.

Would we be in this mess if prices for care didn’t sky-rocket like this.

Was it government intervention and insurance company policies that created this problem in the first place?
(So would more government would be a solution to a government created problem?)

Where’s the money

Where is that money going to come from? We’re broke! We need to cut tons of other government programs… we just don’t have the money as a nation for these programs they talk of.

One last argument

My argument is a question: I want to know why it is the duty of the US government to do universal health care?
I’m totally open to your answers and look forward to honestly learning something.

Real stability for children

Disclaimer

So turns out I was all fiery on the subject and wanted to be all fiery… to get the juices running and people thinking.
But either people agree anyway or the people that don’t agree would just be set into a combatative mode.
So really what did I do?

I still believe we should be passionate about the subject. 

I’m not a father.

But I was a child.

And sometimes truths/ideals are just what they are.

“I’m waiting to have kids”

I would just like to comment on something I hear people say often, being a wedding photographer and around lots of people getting married.

They say: they want to wait to have kids until they are financially more well off.

My response... 

{deleted by me Imagine what you will, haha}

Yes I’m stirring the fire and getting you believers of this flawed logic riled up… I know this.
But think through things {Edited}

Maybe you SHOULD wait to have kids.

Do you really think the best kids are those who’s parents have the most money?
Do you really think that raising a kid without turmoil or hardship makes for the best environment for a kid with good morals and strong character?

I’m not saying plan on being poor!

Do you understand where I’m coming from?

And if you can’t understand what I’m trying to point out and the prophets who said don’t make up excuses as to why you don’t want to be obedient to the command to bring forth kids into this world… then yes I support you in you not having kids yet.
In fact remember how enough is never enough… believe that junk too.

Enough IS Enough

Don’t go with the sound ideal that Hugh Nibley taught when asked how much money or stuff is “Enough” when he said “Enough IS Enough”  (Sarcasm intended)

What children need

But seriously… sometimes what they need is to see a lighthouse in a storm or a boulder in a rushing river.

They need to see the example of you the parents weathering the storm and being an immovable and stalwart example no matter the hardships. That is among the best things they could ever experience. 

{Deleted to be nicer}

I’m sure you know how I feel by now.

And if you want to say… But Scott… It’s hard in this economy and this world and it’s getting more expensive to raise kids.

Point hasn’t been gotten!! 
Well when you do get your magic riches and weath… I hope you pick a DOG to raise instead of a child. {half kidding… yes i’m trying to include humor…}

 

What it all comes down to:

You can have a plan for life… (lets hope you have a good one)

But the lord might have another… and if you’re too stuborn to change it up. Sucks for you.
May i include… that perhaps this means you are meant to wait for a long time to have kids.

I’m not questing your choice of when to have kids… it’s this pretend logic you give to cover your selfishness (if it is the case)

 

Can I get someone to back me up?
Oh ok you can have a turn President Benson:

“Mothers who enjoy good health, have your children and have them early. And, husbands, always be considerate of your wives in the bearing of children. Do not curtail the number of children for personal or selfish reasons. Material possessions, social convenience, and so-called professional advantages are nothing compared to a righteous posterity… 
Young mothers and fathers, with all my heart I counsel you not to postpone having your children, being co-creators with our Father in Heaven.
Do not use the reasoning of the world, such as, ‘We’ll wait until we can better afford having children, until we are more secure, until John has completed his education, until he has a better-paying job, until we have a larger home, until we’ve obtained a few of the material conveniences,’ and on and on.
This is the reasoning of the world, and is not pleasing in the sight of God. Mothers who enjoy good health, have your children and have them early. And, husbands, always be considerate of your wives in the bearing of children.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “To the Mothers in Zion,” Parents’ Fireside, Salt Lake City, Utah, 22 February 1987.) 
Emphasis added 

Don’t start coming up with your thinking as to why the world thinks this foolishness.

Start thinking… why did a prophet of God think this wise counsel? 
What were his reasons?
The answer you find will be enlightening

JaTwAw (Twitter Awards)

It’s been a year this month since I started using twitter.
I think to celebrate I’ll give out awards.

JArvie TWitter AWards

Yes feel free to be jealous and covet 

 

Most likely to respond award

1st place: @dwterry

2nd place: @Jeremyhall

3rd place: @skylercall

Most helpful in real life award

1st place: @jeremyhall

2nd Place: @kellybranan,

3rd Place: @jrbechthold , 

4th Place: @leggnet

Best Tweet Award:

1st Place: @leggnet / @nicolesy

“Quote @nicolesy during lunch at todays shoot: “I follow @jarvie on twitter, but I don’t get what’s so special about him”. LOL

2nd Place: @cboyack:

“Dear IRS, Please remove me from your mailing list. Thanks. #teaparty”

3rd Place: @LiquidHeaven

The pigeons outside my window are total sluts. 5 eggs in 6 weeks? Come on now… wrap it up guys!”

 

Most Friendly on Twitter Award: @dwterry

Who I want to be like when I grow up award: Co-Champs @kellybranan or @jeremyhall

Best political commentary: @cboyack

honorable mention: @jaycehall & @russpage

Best non-person informative twitter account award: @masteroftrivia

Coolest CEO on twitter award: @donmacaskill

Most like to give away stuff award: @scottbourne

Most likely to post an accomplishment award: @leggnet

Most likely for me to disagree with completely and not spare words and yet remain friends award: @bwjones

Best LDS twitterer award: @cboyack

Best information on the Book world: @bencrowder

Most enthusiastic about photography award: @carissauribe

Coolest Musician on Twitter award: @bentonpaul

Most opposite from me, photography-style award: @leggnet

Funnest, Honestest, Best-lookin Lawyer award award: @Katiebq

Best banter between two individuals award: @kellybranan & @charlesuibel

Most active twitterer award: @calanan

Best lightroom resource award: @heninger

honorable mention: @xequals

Best photography resource to know: @pictureline

Fastest ever to become a great photographer award: @lookieloosuz

Last to the twitter game (so far) award: @mkshelley

Best flirt award: @chillylint

Most unlike the others i follow award: @kissmekate77

Most likely to give you feedback on pictures award: @dwterry

Best avatar awards: @ziggyp @leggnet @lookieloosuz @diamondmind @threewinks, @kennethlinge

Biggest concert fanatic on twitter award : @chrisbcrazy

Best organizer of stuff award: @jeremyhall

Most followers award: @aplusk

Best responder to referrals award: @myler

Photogs I should get together with next time in that area award: @ricksammon @thomashawk

Most famous person to DM me award: @mchammer

Best tweet about LDSCONF award: @cboyack 

“The commands of God have taken a beating in the vacillating marketplace of ideas.” – E. Ballard #ldsconf 

Best promoter award: @leggnet

Most controversial topic of the year on twitter award:   prop 8 (same sex marriage)

Most disturbing icon: @dilvie

Saddest actions of tweeps in the last year un-award: voting for @barackobama or @johnmccain

Wonder why people follow award: @dooce

Trickiest maneuver to become follower 1000 award: @instudio 

Most necessary twitter program award: @tweetdeck

Best twitter promoted purchase: blackrapid strap via @pictureline

Tweep who people would be surprised (including me) to know I follow and enjoy: @mileycyrus 

Closest twitter-friend met while staying in a line all night long: @louish

Utah person I still have been meaning to meet: @paulballen

Doesn’t tweet much anymore but i bet has lots of good things to say: @jrbond

 

About my twitter experience thus far:

• Many of people in Utah that I follow have become good real life friends. 
• Amongst many of the Utah people we meet often specially in the Photographer community.
• I’ve had many many questions answered. 
• I’ve answered many questions. 
• We’ve organized and promoted many events. 
• I’ve even had help with moving houses and borrowing trucks to move.
• I was offered 5+ shop vacs within minutes after asking to borrow a shop vac. 
• I’ve been able to get brides a photographer when I couldn’t do their wedding.
• I’ve had lots of feedback on my photography.
• I’ve certainly received more traffic to my blog posts.
• Even had a follower from out of state request to do lunch when they drove through Utah.

Overall I try to add value to my twitter stream by posting informative facts.
And yes things that happen to me so that others in my situation are benefited.

This next year I’ll continue to do the same, but at the same time I want to spice it up a bit. 

Some things that happened thus far:

Number of followers at beginning of the year abt 300

Number of followers when writing this post: 1223

Saddest tweet: Overheard: father yells 2 son ” when will you realize what reality is… Never come back here again” quite neighborhood. Felt like a movie

Funniest tweet: Sign: “Unattended children will receive a puppy and a free espresso” http://twitpic.com/21kj8

Best rumor started on Twitter: “I hear they’re giving away FREE LENSES at #pictureline opening today. Just ask for NICK @ngilson. Keep it on the DL I want to come get one.”

first 3 people to DM me on twitter no longer follow me: @windley @bradwill @merrilee

First annual JaTwAw had: 61 recepients to 27 different awards

For you photographers out there… Look for tweets that start off: “Wedding Referral” etc

If you are planning on doing twitter awards I would suggest having had used the favorites option on twitter, saves a lot of time.

 

Oh yeah… one last thing… Follow me @Jarvie

Which Water? – The age old question

Background

I don’t buy water.
Seems kinda silly to buy what we get for free.

On the other hand I don’t like tap water and don’t drink it… so maybe I should buy some bottled water.

I was at the store with my cousin.
We were trying to figure out which one does suck and taste like the bottle.

There were 10 different brands of non-flavored non-sparkling

So I got them all.

Announcing the event of a lifetime:

Water tasting party

You know you wanna!

Tomorrow Sunday the 5th of April
12:30MST (In between sessions of conference)
854 E 350 N
Provo Ut
801-362-6372

Over 10 different kinds of water.
If you have another type you want to bring feel free to do so.

We will be doing a blind taste test. Meaning regular cups without knowing which water it is.

We will be solving this question once and for all…

Which is the best water?

Will there be people interested in the results?
Who will be coming? (RSVP please, so we can have enough cups available)

We will have about 12 waters at our taste testing…
Here is a site that reviews and talks about dozens of fancy waters from around the world
finewaters

And another one that caters more to where to get them

I did some checking and here are the results of an international contest

The thing is they were dealing with mostly water we don’t have access too… we’ll be dealing with ones that come right from our own local store.

Twitter and LDS Conference #ldsconf

The Trend Begins

Seems like last year the #ldsconf twitter trend started.

People started sharing their thoughts and quoting the speakers.
I was really engaged with conference last time.

Even more popular

This time I knew it was going to be even more popular, because the popularity of twitter since last october has sky-rocketed.

And I was right of course. It’s crazy the amount of traffic it’s getting.
See some results here 

Some people took great track of the first two sessions of conference. Check back on the messages for what @cboyack wrote. Basically it’s all the keypoints of the conference so far. With great insights
Someone else did a live blog with a bit more information 

My gainful experience (twittering)

For my own sake I can honestly say:

• I am fixed to conference this time around.
• There is not even a thought of sleep.
• I am like a hawk looking for gems of wisdom.
• There are going to be more memorable quotes and themes this time around (More than any other time.)
• I must admit it’s a little chaotic and a totally different experience. 
• But, it is what it is, and even though it’s not typical it is beneficial to me.

I can understand those who just want to sit and take in the spirit and the fealing of it all. 
That’s another option… following the twitter feed isn’t really for that. haha 

My conference twitter workflow 
(playing on the fact that I teach: photography editing workflow)

I have twitterfall.com up
I’m logged in and I’m following the term #ldsconf

When you hover over the messages it pauses and gives you as much time to go through them and read them.
Because I like the stream to go fast .3 seconds and then pause it when i want.

I am favoriting the messages/tweets that I love so that I can compile them to make a blog post.
It’s not just about spitting up great things and or reading through them fast…
It adds more meaning if I go over them again.

It’s kinda like other people are taking my notes and helping me to see the important themes, and I can go over them and internalize them.
Plus I can see their Great insights to what was just said.
It’s like making a fun experience into a pet project that can benefit more than just myself.

So I’m favoriting the good messages and even from time to time Retweeting the really good ones.

Revisit and Compile

Then i’ll compile them here as an interesting post… here on the blog.
Like a quote page.

TwitterFall has super easy buttons to easily retweet and star/favorite tweets.

Normally I am a tweetdeck user

My recomendation

• Check it out and do it during tomorrow’s session of conference 
• Click on favorites (or quickly copy past for later)
• Compile them or do something later to make a post about what you learned. 
• and then post a link for us to see.

Other Options

There are other ways to go about internalizing what you learned. 
Probably better ways.
This is just an idea for those of you out there like me.
Specially those on Twitter.

About Me

Follow me on twitter @jarvie 

Mainly I talk about Photography… since I’m a full time Photographer

Update: I favorited 35 messages from the second session of LDSCONF
Will compile them soon. 

What April Fools’ taught me

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.
This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.– Martin Luther King

Lessons I Learned

1. A lie is found in the intention to decieve.

2. We can decieve without ever giving False Information.

We’re all scared about giving false information.
But a lie goes much further than incorrect information.

3. Secrets breed acts of deception.

Secrets are very close to lies … even if they aren’t meant to be deception
Avoid secrets in your life! And for your life

There is a difference in behaving correctly with important information.
And making someone swear.
Or holding them to a standard where lying is necissary.

Think twice before living a life in secret or making someone carry that burden with you.

I think many of us have heard and understand the difference between sacred vs. secret. 

4. Distracting people from the information they really want is useful to maintain secrets and lies.

The best way to avoid telling people what you don’t want them to know is to pump them full of tons of other information.
Give them lots of information, even secrets or things you haven’t told anyone else. Massage their egos that they think their is nothing else you’re hiding. 

Lies can be told without ever saying a word… deception in silence as well
“Lying is done with words and also with silence.”  - Adrienne Rich

5. The most effective deception is done by using truths.

“Truth and falsehood are opposed; but truth is the norm not of truth only but of falsehood also.” CS Lewis

6. Best lies are made up of smattering of truths...

Factual statements are much more useful.
you yourself believe it more … and are therefore more convincing when you use them.

Always tell the truth. That way you don’t have to remember what you said.–Mark Twain

People think that a truth can only exist in something truthful. 

“And then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies’ plan. By mixing a little truth with it they had made their lie far stronger.” CS Lewis

7. Be very aware of Self-Deception

We think that lies are only done as an hostile act against someone else.

They aren’t necissarily hostile
They aren’t always against a 3rd person

Our own thoughts and words can decieve ourselves.
We can tell a lie so often that we start believing it ourselves.

These are probably the scariest concerns of all 

Sensing a lie from a truth

There are certain people that just sense what’s really going down… but sometimes they can be fooled too.

8. Everyone can be fooled 

A few people can kinda percieve when people are acting oddly or telling falsehoods or half truths or misleading truths.

But a lot of people can tell when you’re telling a flat out lie.

People can sense when you’re avoiding the issue or changing subjects.
But if you commit yourself to it, why would they ever believe that your lying.
Specially with someone who never ever lies. (like is my nature) 

9. Being Fooled isn’t the end of the world

Seeking and understanding truth or lies is important… but…

9. I’ve found that being trusting is a wonderful trait.
If you’re always cautious about lies then you’ll miss out on so much and so will the people around you.

There are many cases it won’t ever effect you.
Don’t give someone too much if in case it comes back to bite you. 

Knowing and understanding the nature is a big part.
Don’t give too much leeway to a rattlesnake 
But don’t fear/treat the bunny rabit like the snake as well.

There seems to be many people get too hurt when they are fooled or lied to.
The mean spirited lies are never nice and easy to take… but don’t let it hurt you twice.
Cut your losses and go home while you’re ahead.
Revenge does not belong to you. It is the lord’s

That being said it’s important to become a person who can see truth easier. 
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.– Galileo Galilei
But we don’t have to sacrifice giving others trust too. I suppose it’s a balance.
 

Tricks of the Trade

10. Beware of Rhetoric

Rhetoric, WordSmithery, Smooth Talking – are keys to making things understood. Good and Bad.
There’s a reason we are so cautious and suspect of lawyers, politicians and sales people.

The trickiest most devious individual is: a smart smart person who can make you believe any lie… Just by the way they portray it.

The devil 

10. Words can be weapons…

Just because it sounds pleasing to the ear and perhaps to the mind… doesn’t make it fully true. 

It is like a lesson about Satan.
The Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis is an amazing book that helps to understand the adversary.
What we’re fighting against everyday… throughout our world and culture.

The smoothest talkers have been proven to make hoards of people believe them because they employ such skillful rhetoric.
Everyone in power has used their communication skills and rhetoric to be there. Some with a heart full of truths.
Most with at least some intention to decieve us and have us follow them or vote for them. 

11. Your reputation proceeds you.

Meaning who you are and what you’ve always been and done goes a long ways to stating your case.
It proceeds you. If you are known for being honest and open, why should anyone doubt you.

I am happy to announce that it appears that my adherence to being honest really helped me out. 

12. Don’t loose faith

Even if some truths are misused and abused and distorted… the real truth is always their to those who honestly seek.

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde
“You can bend it and twist it… You can misuse and abuse it… But even God cannot change the Truth.” – Michael Levy

 

 

13. All this being said … The End

April fools day has become one of my favorite holidays
It is funny how it’s seen as such a game.

The victor is the person with a well executed prank
And also those that don’t believe it.

I’m not so sure I’m into that aspect… but it’s fun none-the-less

 

At the very least I’m happy that I learned so much and internalized so much from the days event. 

 

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. –George Orwell

A Tweetdeck “Workflow”

My tweetdeck workflow… yes this is kind of a joke.

@mojophotoco wrote the following : 
“@jarvie You should do a TweetDeck workflow seminar when you finish your Lightroom one!”

So i took 5 minutes and did so.

I make 3 groups

1. Most important people
2. and then a second of importance
3. and third

The latter two i move people around in based on how often they respond and what kinds of stuff they write about
If they respond a lot I put them in the more important groups because I figure we have a solid method of communication and I can depend on them more for information and questions. And it also tells me they listen more and are therefore more of my audience and I can direct my messages more towards them. 

Other Columns

I make a search on the word Jarvie (because that’s better than the reply and because usually on twitter people are only saying jarvie when it’s me… the benefits of an uncommon last name)

The order of Columns

I organize as such Important, Jarvie, All Friends, Group2, Group3, Group LDS, Direct Message, and some kind of random search I’m interested in at that time.

I add people to the groups.

What I actually check

Then when I check my twitter feed from time to time I usually look at Jarvie to see who’s responded to me… then I look at Important thouroughly and then G2 and G3 a little less thouroughly.

When i am bored and have time I check out the G3 a bit more and the All Friends.

Using tweetdeck means that I have been able to return the love and follow more individuals.
But it also means that on my iPhone twitter apps that reading the stream is pretty daunting… good thing I’m at the comptuer most of the time. 

 

And that’s my tweetdeck workflow.

Recent tweets of interest

I really do post a lot about myself and my life and my thoughts on twitter. Here’s a compilation of a few

Recent tweets of interest by Jarvie

 

 

So my new line to customers: “I’m not really a photographer… but i did stay at a Holiday Inn”

So i installed the new tweetdeck. Do i have to redo my groups?

Last year’s LDS Conference tech stats… including the # of tweets. http://bit.ly/sthW #ldsconf

Well, here’s the thing. I’m not on top of things I have quicken and quickbooks but I fail to use them. Plus i love spreadsheets

@YoungTrends Looks like we won’t be getting married after all… haha… I Hate doing dishes as well. And i capitalized the H

I knew there was a reason I should have deposited a bunch of wedding checks last week. Saw my account and ran over to do it today. Oh well

@CharlesUibel Skype on iPhone… here’s the point… Europe! Or anywhere out of country.

@cato2010 Right now I’m using internal drives in external e-sata casings. But the hope is the drobo very soon.

It looks like I’ll be buying another 1TB drive tomorrow. Seems like every 2 months or perhaps every 6 weeks.

fair 1 wk heads up. Next weekend a big proportion of LDS/Mormon folks will be tweeting a Ton. Like me… And it will be non photo stuff. k?

That sure is a mighty strong wind a’blowin #Utah

That’s funny! Cuz’ I’m not so sure what’s so special either. — Really I’m just trying to bribe people W/ free workshops and kindness…

So who went to Holi : festival of colors?? Tell us abt it.

 

About me:

@jarvie gets the Sherlock Holmes Photography Award for the day. hahah.

Quote from @nicolesy during lunch at todays shoot: “I follow @jarvie on twitter, but I don’t get what’s so special about him”. LOL

@jarvie the main guy here is giving u huge props. He’s asking if u r here.

A few of my favorite things

A few of my favorite things.
I could expand… but I wanna keep this short so I desire to write more posts.

Lightroom

Facebook

Hulu.com

Costco

Playlist.com 

Myself… haha

Uhhh… Photography… but you knew that.

an economy based on principles?

I sure would love it if our country would start making decisions based on principles.

I do know that because we made some pretty bad decisions in the past, that if we now started to live up to those principles that we would have to deal with the consequences and that these might not be easy. But we’re suffering as it is from those lies and deceptions. Might as well go all out and just start doing it right. I guess that’s what they call a revolution.

But now we’re just trying to make a bad problem go away by shifting the focus.

And yes I’m talking mainly about what’s on everyone’s mind… the state of the economy. But I certainly wouldn’t limit it to that.

An economist seems to be worried about making sure the money doesn’t disapear and how to make more. Mix that with a politician who is mostly concerned about happy people and votes in the short term. A short term fix as a placebo for the masses. Get them a job and some money to get them through this crisis and leave bigger issues for the age to come.
What’s another 10 trillion in debt for the country? Why not support failed and decaying business practices… as long as they’re giving jobs to my voters.
Why try real honest and principled solutions when they’re gonna be so hard and probably unpopular.

It’s sad really.

What do you stand for?
Are you alright with standing behind a principle of doubling the debt?
Are you alright with babying people for now to make them happy?
Are you alright with sacrificing an economy based on sound and responsible money for not having to deal with the real consequences of our system and way of life economically?

This isn’t an Obama vs Bush thing… this isn’t Reps vs Dems… they both support this system, just in slightly different ways. They have their differences but neither is making the changes. The republicans are yelling about it now, but they didn’t do their job when they were there and in fact it’s their greed that caused a lot of this. And now the democrats are screwing things up… just in a different way. They both suck! They suck and we suck for letting them screw up our country.

Are you alright with this? Or do you just want to see Obama and friends patch it and pretend that the foundation isn’t crumbling.

If he paints the outside of the house all rosy colored are you still ready to move back in… or will you understand that it’s structurely unsafe? 

So what are the economic principles we want to abide by?
Shall we pick… those that make us the most money? Or is there something above that?

Why we don’t like the new Facebook design

“Facebook used to give us new features now they’re specializing in taking things away they once gave us and that’s why we’re not happy” – me

Well for starters I imported my blog into my notes and loved how i could make it show up on my wall as “one line”, or “short”, or “full”. 
I had so much control on what went on my wall. I fine tuned it to have just exactly the information I wanted up on there.

I often selected “Full” for my blog, that way so many of my lazy friends would get the full run down of my blog post without having to go to the actual blog.
I know it would be better if they actually did go to the blog. But I can’t make them do the things the way i want… sometimes we have to cater to them and the ways they already do things.

Also they did a better job of seperating the information on the wall/news feed.

A huge one is that I thrived on checking the statuses of people.
Now there is NO-Where to click where you can see a feed of everyone’s statuses.
What they seemed to have replaced it with is a cool feature and I’m using it to check on what’s going on with subsections of my friends

I know many are sad that they got rid of that old function and many other functions like it.

Facebook redesigns in the past have always seemed to be about adding new things.
This facebook re-design has been about taking things away from us.

There are a few other things… but that’s the basic concept. We are unhappy that facebook took away many helpful things that we had gotten used to.
I still thrive on facebook and use it a ton… but that being said I use it a whole lot less than I used to. I think with the 90%+ dis-satisfaction they’ll see the drop in use which turns into profit and they might just give us our things back. (Here’s to hope)

How I got over my Twitter burn-out

Twitter Burn Out
So there was a perdiod of time that I was really burned out from twitter.
Prior to that I was going on line in the morning and reading everything and being really involved.
Then i think life got to me and I was just burned out from keeping up with it.

TweetDeck to the Rescue
Then I discovered TweetDeck.

The concept I really wanted was Groups… that’s what TweetDeck has.

Wallah… match made in heaven. http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

Now I have a group of like 20-30 people in my main group i check first then a second group i check frequently. And then I can also see the full feed of all the people I follow.

But beyond that I have it searching for any mention of the word jarvie
Which I’m lucky because no one else on twitter seems to use the word jarvie

I also love the easy to use RT (Retweet) button 

Having built in shorten URL function is way helpful.

RECAP
Groups
Shorten URL
RT functions 

Oh yeah… blatant plug time:
@Jarvie
http://twitter.com/jarvie

One Talk : 38 Gems

Neal A Maxwell – Oct 2000

The Tugs and Pulls of the World

Written Talk

Audio Format

 

38 Gems from one talk!!

I’ve heard some good talks with some great gems…
but to have one talk that packed!

It really is like a mini-quote book or daily flip calender.
There is a word of inspiration for each day… plus some.

I’ve selected out my personal favorites.
I continue to listen to this talk over and over… and I thought it would be good to go through the written version and grab some of the key points and write them out.

And then why not share them? 

1. “For true believers, the tugs and pulls of the world–including its pleasures, power, praise, money, and preeminence–have always been there. Now, however, many once-helpful support systems are bent or broken.“
2. “God’s plan is not the plan of pleasure; it is the “plan of happiness.”
3. “The tugs and pulls of the world are powerful. Worldly lifestyles are cleverly reinforced by the rationalization, “Everybody is doing it,” thus fanning or feigning a majority. Products are promoted and attitudes engendered by clever niche marketing.”
4. “Brothers and sisters, there are so many personalized prisons!”
5. “Like goldfish in a bowl, some are mindless of who changes the water and puts in the pellets”
6. “Granted, some sincerely wish for more power in order to do good, but only a few individuals are good enough to be powerful.”
7. “Actually, discipleship may keep the honors of the world from us.”
8. “those who bestow the transitory things of the world are, themselves, transients.”
9. “How ironical that some go “into a far country” (Luke 15:13), leaving the nourishing family garden–in which there may be some weeds–and go into a desert with its tumbling sagebrush.”
10. “Be wary, therefore, when some demand public tolerance for whatever their private indulgences are!”
11. “Whether young or old, we need to be good friends, but also to pick our friends carefully.“
12. “By choosing the Lord first, choosing one’s friends becomes easier and much safer.”
13. “We can also emulate the spiritual reflexes of Joseph in Egypt: when he was tempted, “he . . . fled” (Gen. 39:12), showing both courage and good legs!”
14. “Youth and adults must get out of circumstances and situations which threaten.“
15. “The returning prodigals are never numerous enough, but regularly some come back from “a far country”
16. “Like the prodigal son, we too can go to “a far country,” which may be no further away than a vile rock concert.”
17. “The distance to “a far country” is not to be measured by miles but by how far our hearts and minds are from Jesus! (see Mosiah 5:13). Fidelity, not geography, really determines the distance!”
18. “All the quick fixes do not really cure the emptiness and boredom of secularism.“
19. “Further, some who laboriously scale the secular heights find, after all, that they are only squatting atop a small mound of sand! They have worked so hard to get there!”
20. “But why covet wealth anyway, if we only “spend money for that which is of no worth . . . [and] which cannot satisfy” (2 Ne. 9:51).”
21. “By our being understanding instead of abrupt, others, in turn, may decide to hold on a little longer rather than to give way. Love, patience, and meekness can be just as contagious as rudeness and crudeness.”
22. “Hearts set so much upon the things of the world may have to be broken (see D&C 121:35). Preoccupied minds far from Him may be jolted by a “heads up” (see Mosiah 5:13).”
23. “Many individuals preoccupied by the cares of the world are not necessarily in transgression. But they certainly are in diversion and thus waste “the days of [their] probation” (2 Ne. 9:27).”
24. “Mark it down, brothers and sisters, people too caught up in themselves will inevitably let other people down!“
25. “Let us adopt the attitude recommended by President Brigham Young: “Say to the fields, . . . flocks, . . . herds, . . . gold, . . . silver, . . . goods, . . . chattels, . . . tenements, . . . possessions, and to all the world, stand aside; get away from my thoughts, for I am going up to worship the Lord” (Deseret News, 5 Jan. 1854, 2).”
26. “There are so many ways to say to the world, “stand aside.“”
27. “Alas, so many couples are too busy.”
28. “Moments are the molecules that make up eternity!“
29. “Mercifully, our errors can soon be swallowed up by resilient repentance, showing the faith to try again–whether in a task or in a relationship.”
30. “The validation of our worth really comes from knowing who we are, not solely from what we do.”
31. “By paying more attention to what we are rather than exclusively to what we do, our public and our private persons will be the same–the man or the woman of Christ.”
32. “Our intrinsic value is not dependent upon mortal acclaim anyway; in fact, the world may actually see us as weak and foolish (see 1 Cor. 1:27).”
33. “God is infinitely more interested in our having a place in His kingdom than with our spot on a mortal organizational chart.“
34. “We may brood over our personal span of control, but He is concerned with our capacity for self-control.“
35. “Father wants us to come home, bringing our real resume, ourselves!”
36. “our mortal jealousies still occur regularly over money, turf, a slight, or the “robes” and the “fatted calf” given to others (see Luke 15:22-23).”
37. “True belonging occurs when we know who we are and to whom we really belong!“
38. “Isn’t it marvelous, brothers and sisters, that God, who knows everything, still spends time listening to our prayers? Compared to that cosmic fact, what does the world really have to offer us? One round of applause, one fleeting moment of adulation, or an approving glance from a phantom Caesar?”

My Busy is nicer than your Busy

My busy!?
I do a pretty good job at making people think i’m busy?  Or so i’ve noticed.

My Busy is a different kind of busy
My Busy doesn’t depend on me for food and sustenance
My Busy doesn’t have dirty diapers to change
My Busy doesn’t cry or scream
My Busy doesn’t have a punch in clock or a sign out stamp
My Busy doesn’t have the remote possibility of firing me for a job not done “on time”
in fact most of the time My Busy doesn’t have a get this done by sticky note

My Busies aren’t dependent on one Busy to get the other Busies done.
I can finish the last Busy first or the first Busy last.
My busy can often be done at 8am or 3pm or 11pm
My busy can wait for me to take a nap, visit with a friend, give service or even go on vacation for a little bit.

My Busy often is alot like your Busy… it has a time stamp and is very demanding.
But that happens only a few times a month.
But I can’t ever ever miss those Busies… not even if I’m feeling sick.

But the rest of the time My Busy lets me sleep when I want, eat when i want, chat when I want, write blog posts when I want.

On the other hand I have so much Busy that if I didn’t add anything new I could work on all my old Busies for probably hundreds and hundreds of hours and still not be done with my Busies. It’s alright it’s the journey right? Not letting myself stress about all the Busies is a great great thing.

Planning my schedule to deal with the kind non-demanding Busies is a great and wonderful trick. 
Important and Non-Demanding
Avoid the Non-Important and Demanding and even and excess of the Important and Demanding… they’ll make you a little crazy. 

So many times other people’s Busies are added day by day and week by week they refresh and go away
and though they always have unended supplies of Busies they couldn’t last even a fraction of that time.

So i guess my Busy is pretty massive… but even you can see My Busy is a pretty nice task master.

And My Busy has time to help my good friends with their Busies

Our Crisis could be the Change we Need

So i know i’m just trying to be the contridictorian but…

Growing Pains

Perhaps we in the United States are just going through growing pains.
Perhaps after going down a road of materialistic greed and commercially driven interests people are starting to wake up to their awful situation.

Maybe all this hype about the economy has taught them a few GOOD lessons.
That it’s usually best to spend what you HAVE and not rack up the credit card bills.
So I’d suppose banks and CC Companies aren’t gonna love that.

Housing Problems

The housing problem showed us all that certain people shouldn’t be buying houses…
So of course the % is gonna drop and that’s gonna affect that market.
But good for them for making sound financial decisions for their lives.

Saving Up

They’ve seen the terrible management of banks and the awful practices of government and the un-principled bailouts of industries that don’t act responsibly with their money.
Now their saving!! Now they want to be better prepared financially for all the natural disasters that seem to be happening.
It’s called savings, maybe they’re working on getting OUT of debt and starting to save and worry about the essentials in life.

New Cars?

Not among the essentials is probably a NEW CAR. If the old one is working then they probably aren’t buying a new one as much.
Car markets are more saturated than ever, car companies are having to Extend their warranties and make better cars! So maybe they’re just lasting longer and that’s one of the big impacts why car sales have dropped.
That means car companies are selling less… and that means they can’t keep producing the same, they can’t keep the same business model and unfortunetly the same amount of workers.
But kudos to the american public that said… we’re alright with keeping our old car that still works.
Or we’re alright with spending $2000 to put a new engine in it instead of $14000 for a new car.
Or we’re gonna use public transit more because that will save the life of our cars and help the environment and avoid the traffic jams.
Maybe they’re saving up for the essentials in life.
Maybe the drop in car sales is a good sign.

AirLines

Then the report comes out that airlines plan on like 5-10% less air travel next year.
Well yeah duh!
It’s called the internet… people don’t always have to be somewhere else to work on a job with someone.
Plus the types of jobs are changing.
Air travel isn’t going away… just less people.
To vacation they still have to fly… or maybe they’re gonna drive more this year with gas prices down and the luxury of their cars up.
Maybe they’re working on getting out of debt and saving up for a year or two then they can go on vacation.

Someone moved our cheese

So what if these are all growing pains!
What if this crisis we’re in is exactly where we need to be!
It seems someone moved our cheese and we can’t just expect things to go back to the way they were.

The worst thing for our country…?

What if the worst possible thing for our country is to prop up these systems so they can return to business as usual. They need to change their system to expect less car sales, expect less people on the planes, expect less new home building and more people satisfied with used houses or the houses they’re in.
Less commercialism in general, because people usually have enough stuff.
This makes you angry because you lost a job, I understand… it wasn’t your fault and it wasn’t my fault. But we have been living in a system that has led us here… it happened.
Start fighting for new economic strategies that promote sound financial principles for people and families.

Possible solutions… I’m not saying i have them all

Don’t go into an industry that doesn’t support people in their needs… that props their lusts… maybe people don’t want to be quite so materialistic anymore.
Also we can start supporting the arts, science, teaching because when we stop consuming it all upon our lusts we’re probably gonna start thinking about other noble advancements.
All those other industries of products aren’t going away… and I for one don’t want them to… i but lots of toys… i’m just gonna try to save up to buy them next time and I don’t need them right now.

I understand the system depends on buying right now and using credit… but that system is gonna have to learn how to adapt to our principled economics. Sorry.

In the good old days…

Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem

What I believe pt 2

To answer the opponents of california’s Prop 8 amendment is hard at times

I suppose that it could be tricky because for me personally many of the evidences some request as to why and how gay families hurt society i have not studied as much as would be needed to give the answers they seek, in the way they seek.

What I believe

It is largely my personal trust
–that I know that there is a God
–that god has always called prophets
–prophets speak the will of the lord.
That makes me believe that we can feel good to take steps to protect the sanctity of marriage and thereby support the definition of marriage.

It is my belief supported by the idea that:
“God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his sevants the prophets.” amos3:7

And my belief
– that through all ages there is a prophet to help give inspired insight into hard issues.

Unpopular at times

This can be very unpopular at times and hard for many people to agree with.

Sometimes we see through a glass darkly…
But I know we can trust that, TIME always VINDICATES the prophets

A Prophet of god will always be right even when it is unpopular or hard to know why it is so.

——

It is also my belief that the following is true:

“The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians.  Even more, the Church does not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.” Link to full statement

What I believe pt1

I believe that we should protect the Rights of Freedom to Believe as you want and worship as you want, I protect the Right to Property, I protect the Right to other Liberties held dear by the constitution.

 

It was always with heavy heart that we/I disagree sharply with people who feel it their right for a Man to marry another Man.

 

Perhaps if government had not entangled themselves so much into the lives of people and of marriage we might not be having this discussion.

 

However i respect the right, for a society to decide their morals – or what others call LAWS.
(Even in the face of knowledge that a society can and has chosen wrongly in the past. It does not take that right away… It only makes me pray harder that we will look carefully and act wisely and responsibly when given these choices.)

I believe, through my trust in God, that a step in the right direction was made and i respect the right of others to believe another way.

BYU national champs… I can hope

Having 4 of top ten teams all coming from the Big12 is helpful to BYU rankings.
They still have to play eachother.
Missouri doesn’t play Oklahoma in the regular season but if it comes down to it they’ll play in the championship.

Same thing with the SEC. There are a lot of high ranked teams from that conference

Oklahoma(1) plays Texas(5) on the 11th of october

Missouri has an easier road. But eventually has to play the Big 12 south conference at the end of the year championship game.

In the mean time they play Nebraska this week and then an undefeated Oklahoma St(21) the next week and then an undefeated texas the week after. If they continue to win they’ll be doing good but they’ll be dropping those around them in the rankings.

LSU(3) doesn’t play for a little while but then has to play Florida(12) 10/11 and then Georgia(11) 10/25
If they get past them pushing each of those two teams to 2 losses they’ll have to play Alabama(2) the second week of november.

Speaking of Alabama(2) they seem to have a decently easy road for a while until that LSU game… which just means if they loose they drop big. Of course this week they do play an undefeated Kentucky even though they’re not ranked.

There is the probablility of a few of the other unranked and undefeated in other conferences like Kentucky to beat some of their conference opponents catapulting them ahead of BYU who doesn’t play the likes of Georgia, Florida, Alabama. Wins against all those would rightfully place them in the top. They can still win against those big guys for all I’m concerned but for BYU to make it farther they’ll need to loose against some of the lesser opponents and they’re in a tough conference.

Oklahoma Vs Texas