Kick the Can

Walls up on every side--such is the case with Washington yet once again.  As a country we have moved decisively into political party division.  It no longer is about the issues or the people or the inevitability that we are about to fall off a cliff, it's about which party wins. 

I heard a recent interview on Fox News where a prominent Republican boldly stated that he hoped things would not go smoothly in the debt crisis debates so as to assure that Obama would not be able to be elected to a second term.  He then went further to say he is and will do everything in his power to see that that happens!  How absurd!  How myopic and partisan, that he would risk plunging our economy into further travail and free fall just so he could point blame and destroy the other party.  "Yeah, you messed up and now the world is broken, ha ha we were right".  Only to then realize, "oh the world is broken and now it's too late to fix the damage!" 

I believe Washington is corrupt on both sides of the aisles.  Both hold much blame.  Both are to blame for where we stand as a nation today.  The debt crisis of today was not created by only one party.  Yes we can blame Obama for the latest hemorrhaging of new debt, but every president before him spent and spent.  Each acted like a teenager with a credit card, some more responsibly that the others, but ultimately, everyone spent more than they had to pay it back.  Each raised the debt ceiling multiple times, each expanded programs and agencies and made promises that can't be paid for.  I get sick and tired of the one-sided bantering and attacks.  Each party talks as if they were innocent and all the ills of society are the other parties fault.  Yet when the Republicans had full control of Washington they didn't use their power and influence to fix the problems, they too kicked the can down the road just as the democrats are trying to do on their watch.  The difference is we are getting near the end of the road where an enormous economic cliff is looming. 

How much longer can we keep kicking the can? 

This is the problem:  When news reports, emails or blogs voice extreme opinions and are clearly filled with biased partisanship comments immediately all credibility and debate is lost as rational discussion is inherently impossible.  Throwing out vicious accusation and narrow minded comments will automatically cause a reactionary wall blocking communication and progress.  This happens on both sides.  No one is listening to each other, no one is willing to truly see the other's opinion and compromising is futile.  Whatever the debate, it is not about the issue, it is about what party side your fighting for.  You want your side to win, regardless.

The path we are on as a country looks grim and I am pointing to both sides.  I feel that Obama has made a bigger mess of our country, although it wasn't in very good shape when he inherited it.  I believe that Washington needs to come together and invoke real change.  But I don't expect to see any.  While I think the tea party folks are a bit extremist, they are the only ones really serious about change.  Everyone else is just trying to come up with new ways to kick the can down the road a little farther but make it look like the didn't.

Please click on the link below -- it's a visual representation of our nation's debt and worse what is coming.  It is mind blowing!                 
                                      http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/

Please leave a comment--Thanks for listening

Our future with an extra side of bacon

Last night on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart they ran a bit on the rampant pandemic of obesity in America.  With every state in the country reporting that a minimum of 20% of their residents were obese, except Colorado who reported 19.8%, thats 1 out of every 5 people.  Worse in some southern states they averaged over 30%, thats 1 out of every 3 people who are not just overweight but medically lopping over into the aisle OBESITY!!!.  

They then panned to a recent advertisement from Wendy's introducing "The Baconator":

It's a real mystery that we are all fat.  Garbage, sugar and lard stuffed in a ridiculous excuse for a meal.  I found the following (edited) review on this nutritional insult:

Review: Wendy's Baconator by Jeff Kay

It was like I was 18 again, and buying birth control at the hometown Rite-Aid. I felt the same mixture of exhilaration, panic, and shame as I walked to the counter. I was terrified somebody might see me, a neighbor or a family friend, and adrenaline was pumping… wherever adrenaline pumps.

”Um, I’ll take a Baconator,” I mumbled down the front of my shirt collar.

”WHAT?!” the snaggle-toothed cashier bellowed.

”Baconator,” I repeated, already a little rattled and losing my nerve. I knew if all this shouting continued I’d probably just make a run for it, and leave my car in the parking lot until after closing time.

But she processed my order without further incident, and in a couple of minutes I was handed a white sack with a shockingly heavy weight to it. And I walked out the door feeling naughty.

The Baconator, in case you’re not aware, is Wendy’s new Screw You hamburger, aimed directly at a demographic that wants to get all defiant with its fast food.

Tired of the suffocating healthy-living propaganda, and light choices and whatnot, there’s a considerable number of people who respond to items which blatantly stick a thumb in the collective eye of hand-wringers and crybabies everywhere. And if it halts your heart, well mister, that’s just the way it goes… You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in.

I’m not really one of the Screw You guys. Not yet, anyway. I still feel slightly guilty when I order something I know is loaded with fat. And contrary to popular belief, I give such things at least a passing consideration.

But when I saw the advance advertising for the Baconator, I knew I had to have one. At least one. 

This baby features two quarter-pound beef patties, each breaded in salt, two thick slabs of American cheese, six(!) slices of hickory-smoked bacon, mayonnaise and ketchup… and not a single thing that’s healthy. 

Heck, there’s not even a single thin slice of tomato on there, because, I suspect, the Baconator framers felt it might whimpified the situation, and maybe alienate the Screw You crowd.

So I took the disgraceful thing home and unwrapped it. And it was a little smaller than anticipated; it was no larger than a regular Wendy’s Double, or something like that. But boy, was it dense. It’s like some kind of optical illusion. You see it and subconsciously calculate its weight. But when you pick it up you find that it’s impossibly heavy.

And here’s the insidious part: it's good. Real good. Oh man, I enjoyed every last bite of that bunker-busting, colon-choking hamburger. I have no doubt half of it’s still clinging to the walls of my beleaguered bowels, likely furry and fluttering by now, and that my heart is probably starting to resemble a stuffed pepper at this point. But I wasn’t caring about any of that as I lifted that beautiful, delicious burger to my quivering lips. It’s all about the rush, man.

But since then I’ve been doing a bit of research, and have uncovered some amazing information. For instance, did you know that the Wendy’s Baconator has roughly the same amount of fat grams as 10 Dolly Madison Zingers, 3 orders of cheese fries, 22 Oreo Cookies, 51 cups of Froot Loops, or 1 entire Sara Lee Frozen Cheescake [51 g Fat]? Apparently it’s true.

And were you aware it serves up about the same number of calories as 4 Krispy Cream doughnuts [930 calories]? Or that it contains approximately the same amount of sodium as 180 Pringles potato chips or 132 Doritos [1920 mg Sodium]? 180!!

In addition to the information above, it appears a person would have to do 78 minutes of non-stop vigorous jumping jacks, or walk at 3.5 mph for 2 hours and 45 minutes, to work off the number of calories in that outrageous burger.

But, of course, I didn't do any of that nonsense. I just ate the thing (along with a Coke and a full order of fries), wiped the grease off my face, my hands, the table, the chair, the credenza, and all the windows on the first floor, then got on the internet for the rest of the day.

And I give the Wendy's Baconator a solid B+."

Wow and this is just one sandwich at one fast food restaurant.  Literally everywhere you go there are companies ready to sell you unhealthy garbage that is bad for you because there is a growing class of lethargic, overstimulated, underworked and exercised, entitled society burdening blight of humanity that will buy it.  These irresponsible adults are propagating their carelessness and unreserved sloth onto their children:

       

Some are actually proud of it!

This brings to mind images from the computer animated movie Wall-E where human society has become so inactive and addicted to superficial entertainment that they have lost the use of their legs and travel everywhere on robotic loungers with in-built entertainment systems and all grew immensely obese.

 

Welcome to the future…!

Backwards Clarity

Recently Sandra posed the question, "Do you have a testimony of wearing garments?"  It took me a bit off guard.  I hesitantly replied, "Truthfully, I don't ever really think about them.  I wear them because we are supposed to wear them, but I don't really have a testimony about garments.  I promised I would wear them and I do".  She then asked, "Do you think it's bad if someone who has gone through the temple decides to stop wearing their garments?"  My knee-jerk response was, "Yes, I think it's wrong to stop wearing them".  I know they are unbelievably unattractive, ill-fitting, and often disgustingly stained and frayed beyond words.  That being said, besides the bold personal statement of recanting a sacred promise and turning contrary to church policy and standards, I had to ask myself "what really is the purpose of wearing them"?

Today, Sandra and I were invited to attend the temple with her family.  They wanted to do initiatories and it was a wonderful experience.  At the end of each rotation we received the authorization to wear garments for the person we were going through for.  After describing the promised blessings for faithfully wearing them, they warned that these blessings were only available so long as we did not defile our garments AND that we kept the other covenants we made in the temple.

After our sessions were over, me, Steve (my Father-in-law) and Zack (my Brother-in-law) sat in the temple waiting room and began to talk about our experiences and I brought up the question, "What do you think it means that our garments will be a protection against the destroyer"?  We discussed variously debated replies, such as a literal shield protecting you from harm (ie. fire, danger…) to a continual reminder of the covenants you have made and person you ought to be.

Then my father-in-law brought up a really profound thought.  He said, the first conversation from heaven after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden was from an angel who asked, "Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me" (Moses 5:6).  You see, even Adam and Eve didn't know the 'why's' about everything they were asked to do.  Steve then said, I have found throughout my life that you just do what God asks you to do, even if you don't understand why right now.  Eventually the day will come when you look back on your life and exclaim, "I am so glad I was obedient, because God blessed me in so many ways that at the time  I never could have fathomed the blessings I would have gained and while I did not understand then, I understand now and the reasons are as clear as day."

He then used the example of tithing.  The promise is if you pay your tithing, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessings so grand that we wouldn't have enough room to receive it (Malachi 3:10).  For those of us who begin paying our tithing for the first time, it was scary and the blessings uncertain.  What are the blessings going to be?  I could really use the extra money, but paying tithing doesn't guarantee money, or health, or prosperity?  However, in time, you see God's hand in your life. You look back clearly on your life and see how often He has intervened in your behalf.  Then, you couldn't fathom not paying your tithing, for the blessings far outweigh the sacrifice.

Upon leaving the temple I discussed our conversation with Sandra.  She too was impressed and found answers while serving in the temple and shared her inspiration with me.  She felt that for her, wearing the garments is an outward manifestation of an inward commitment and that wearing garments gives us protection against the world and evil because we have already inwardly committed to not be a part of the world and evil.  Deciding not to wear the garment is more than the mere decision of fashion or comfort; it is the outward manifestation of a collapsing inward commitment and testimony.

I am grateful for Sandra challenging me to deeply consider a part of my testimony that I hadn't developed or even considered for that matter.  I am also grateful for the temple, scriptures, prayer and family where we can go to find answers and nurture our testimonies.  For the first time in my life I can say I wear garments not just because I am supposed to, but because I want to declare (even if it's just to myself) my inward testimony that I will not be of this world and that I will be obedient and faithful even when I do not fully understand.  I acknowledge that I do not understand all of God's ways (maybe not even most!), but I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  I know the day will come when I will be able to look back at my well-worn life and see God's hand clearly.  At that day I will be so grateful that I chose to be obedient even when I didn't understand.