Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas

Walt shared this with me and now I pass it along. My family and I will read this each year with our own bag of props. And I don't want to hear anything about the Pagans either. Regardless, the symbolism below is meaningful and should draw our minds to the real meaning of Christmas.

Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired but content, into my easy chair. The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn't help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn't long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn't alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus himself standing next to my Christmas tree. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the "jolly old elf" of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed, and there were tears in his eyes.

"Santa, what's wrong?" I asked, "Why are you crying?"

"It's the children," Santa replied sadly.

"But Santa, the children love you," I said.

"Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them," Santa said, "but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It's not their fault. It's just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children."

"Teach them what?" I asked.

Santa's kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent."

Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. "Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind's thoughts should turn heavenward as well."

Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. "The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him."

 

"Red," said Santa, "is the first color of Christmas." He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. "Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave His life and shed His blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful Gift."

Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. "Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep."
 

Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. "The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God's Son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ's foot steps... to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light so shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what is symbolized when the twinkling lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see."

 

Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. "The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy: white to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God's promises. The candy cane is in the form of a 'J' to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd's crook, which He uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life."
 

"Teach these things to the children."

 

Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. "The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children."

I asked, "But where does that leave you, Santa?"

The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa's face. "Why bless you, my dear," he laughed, "I'm only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I'll ever be forgotten."

"I think I'm beginning to understand."

"That's why I came," said Santa. "You're an adult. If you don't teach the children these things, then who will?"

(Author Unknown)

What Shall We Give?

The CA just shared with me and I loved it. Simple video about small acts of kindness and service that make Christmas so wonderful. I hope all of you can feel the Lord's love for you this Holiday season.

Merry Christmas!!

Getting My A$%# Handed to Me

Last night the Lizard and I threw down on Black Friday shopping and decided to play some Nintendo Land when we got home. This game has a mode where you can go head to head or have a group competition over a bunch of mini-games. It really is quite fun... until you kid absolutely takes you to the woodshed.

Yep. My girl now owns me at video games. Normally I hear of young men that secretly cry or feel bad after beating their dad in one-on-one basketball or chess. I guess little girls missed that memo. Slammed my face into the floor and mopped it. I got every insult Mordecai and Rigby ever came up with.

Truth be told, I wasn't even that upset. Heck, I might play for 30 mins a month vs. this kid who is playing on a regular basis and has Gen Y powers. And that's what makes this a true end of an era in my life. I suck and I don't care. I've moved on from being good at something younger people tend to do.

I'm officially OLD.

 

NO MORE PATIO SHOTS

I know this has "gone viral" but I must post this for posterity. The mic drop at the end just puts the icing on the cake... or the snow on the table... shoot me.

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/365622/346/9NEWS-anchor-pleads-for-better-snow-pictures

Catching Fire - Merchandising!

Catnip. A Baker's son with a name that sounds like Pita and the boy named Gale. Love triangle shoved down our throats for all the Twihards. And a bloody revolution. These are the 75th Hunger Games and it definitely caught fire on the screen. Rarely do I say this, but I think I liked the movie better than the book. 

WHY???

It simply spares you the one thing I detest in this series. Endless insufferable whining from Katniss. Instead, it focuses on the pain and courage required for a rebellion. I honestly don't feel like all of the detail of the book made it more enjoyable. I'd say I liked it better than the first movie as well. Plus, Caesar is even more fun to watch in this installment. 

My personal favorite moment. Early on, Katniss is about to shoot some wild Turkeys. As she draws back for the shot, I heard the Boss chanting, kill, kill, kill, kill... She really hates those animals. Ask her about it sometime. 

So back to the point of my heading. This is one of those movies where you can sell action figure dolls, but not much else without serious backlash. But if we threw out the whole PC issue, here is some merch I would totally love to buy:

• Finnick's Trident - The Gator would flip out with that featured under the tree. 
• Peeta's "Easy Bake" Bakery - If girls can make brownies with light bulbs, then my son can make a lovely rosemary olive loaf too. 
• Dresses and Suits that burst into flames for teenagers. Prom. Legendary. 
• Dream Light - Let your child find soothing comfort in a favorite tribute doll that plays the capitol theme song while shining the dead of the day on the ceiling. They could customize it so you can upload photos to show the bully from school or the mean girl who said your arms look fat. I always sleep better pondering the death of my enemies. 
• And Chocolate bars for each of the 12 districts. Nothing sweeter than feasting on the oppressed. 

Yeah. Like my merch, this whole book series for teens is pretty messed up. My only hope is that since this film largely succeeded in removing all of the Katniss drama, perhaps they can do the same with the third book and let this trilogy end in something other than disgrace. 

NYC - THE ASSAULT

Last weekend the Boss and I crossed one thing off our bucket list, a full blown trip to the Big City. We arrived Thursday afternoon and went back on Sunday staying in the W Hotel in Times Square off Broadway. Trip was sponsored by our Venture miles and home renovation! Many thanks to the Google Maps App which had all of the train routes and compass pointing me in the right direction. Here is a brief rundown of our mission to ingest as much of NYC in four days as possible. I hope you are warm and comfortable. Here is a pic with one of the new world trade center towers that we saw.

• Tons of subway travel. I love subways so we used this system to-and-from the airport and everything in between. Which also meant a ton of walking. We never took a cab and the Boss confided at the end of our trip that she was sad that she had never hailed a cab. Normally, I'm a sucker to make her dreams come true, but this one didn't happen. No crazy people or encounters on the trains. It was largely a model showcase for the MTA to these tourists. 
• Accidentally went to Brooklyn. TWICE. I thought the sign for DUMBO (not the Disney Elephant) was talking about me. 
• So much walking demanded some Gellin insoles for the Boss's boots. Apparently they were not made for walkin. 
• Snackbox in Times Square. Best donuts I've ever had. Period. Heck, go there just for that. Coconut Creme and Peanut Butter. The texture was amazing. Krispy Kreme really is white trash. This place has ruined my opinion of all other donuts... not that I'm going to quit eating them anytime soon. 
• LDS Temple. Its awesome. You should go... but it may have technically been the priciest thing on our list. Steve Young basically told Jerry Rice the same thing. 
• BTW we met a great couple there that we hung out with off/on for several days: the Today Show, Empire State and the MET.
• You know I don't do names on here, but one of our new friends is a full-on doppelganger for Stephanie Meyer. I was half expecting her to get stopped over it. 
• And no, for once in my life I did not ask any embarrassing questions about it. (although I should have).  
• LOTS AND LOTS OF PIZZA. DURING THE DAY AND LATE AT NIGHT. By far the best was John's on Bleecker Street. It was condemned last year for infestation... its that old and yes there was still a serious line to get in. Its that good. I'm that much of a tourist. Go look it up. It was fantastic. Thanks to "The Sweat" for that recommendation. 
• Second place was some dive directly southeast of the Empire State. Yes, the pizza made me giddy. 
• Jersey Boys - This musical had everything you'd want in a Broadway show, good story, laughs, lots of fun music and tons of swearing. Yes, leave the kids at home for this one and rat me out to my Bishop so I can become the hymn book coordinator. 
• TOURIST JUNK SHOPPING IN CHINATOWN - I have no idea what possess people to want to buy lame tee shirts, statues and knock-off designer bags from theses places. Hence, the reason I still find my wife full of mystery. But hey, this whole trip was not just for me. 
• MoMA - I'm sure the Boss would say "I have no idea what possess people to want to blow $25 to look at kids paint splotches and see pointless works of art where silence is a 4'33 song." And she is totally right. I actually had more fun at the San Francisco and DC MoMAs than this one. Its got all of the Picasso's, etc. but I want the truly crazy stuff like rooms filled with machines cutting paper into art. 
• The MET - Don't know what to say. Its the MET. We went and saw nothing good. Nothing good? What do you mean!? We saw priceless works of art.. we ate pancreas!? (name that reference!)
• Grand Central Station - Nice architecture. Lots of trains, beams of light and a clock. 
• 9/11 Memorial - The museum was not yet open, but the waterfalls in the foot prints of the two towers was spiritual and haunting. The holes seems to just drag you down to the sorrow of that moment and the water has a cleansing aura. Very well done. The new towers look cool, it will be nice to see the whole thing completed. BTW - they are making a killing off the entry fees.

• Wall Street - Yep. Satan and his minions are there with a ton(s) of gold beneath the Fed according to the Museum of Finance. The bull statue was cool, except for all the annoying people trying to get a picture touching its balls. At least I saw no one treating it like the Blarney Stone...
• Cheese-steak Cart - Famished and wanting after the EPIC FAILURE of Champ's deli to produce a sandwich worth eating (yes we actually threw away $18 worth of food. Why? Because we were better than it) we found this cart. Cheese whiz, peppers and steak? It was bliss. 
• Found Fletcher Street. Seemed like a tiny alley that time forgot.Took a picture. Apparently its getting a make-over. Go Fletcher Street!  http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/30_fletcher_street_79675.aspx
• Slept in twice. Time well spent. 
• BUT DID NOT SLEEP IN on Friday for THE COMMUNIST TODAY SHOW.
• My precious Broncos Sign was made for free. "Mile High Madness | Go Broncos!"
• My precious Broncos Sign did not make it into the broadcast even though they said it would
• The only reason they asked us to be in that "so called fame shot" was becuase my wife is so beautiful... and we had Stephanie Meyer with us.
• Boss shook Al Roker's hand. I had chills. 
• Hear the news delivered from a communist perspective. I was tempted to try to get the crowd to start chanting DRAGO! DRAGO! DRAGO! 
• Stayed wayyyy too long. I ran away to Walgreens and got warm for a good clip of the time. 
• FAO - It was just like Big. The piano was there and its all 30+ years old and completely jumped the shark. 
• Dylan's Candy Bar. Tons of candy, loud music, kid friendly with a bar upstairs. New York!
• Serendipity 3 - The home of the original iced hot chocolate. Yes, I know that's an oxymoronic food but I didn't invent it. Worth the 45 minute wait? You bet. It was charming and the bizarre Summer Bries sandwich was delicious. 
• I can't believe I've typed this much already and you are still reading. You deserve THE TRIPLE CROSS. (name that reference!)
• Starbucks truly is on every other corner and the lines to get a stupid hot chocolate are insane. 
• Seems like 1/3 of all women were wearing spandex or tights. Often with no skirt and no it was not always attractive. Yep, that questionable look may be coming soon to your hood. 
• Saw lots of hipsters with ironic modes of transportation and popular counter culture clothing... Good for them. 
• Peanut Butter & Co. This was a pleasant surprise next to NYU in "THE VILLAGE" (Greenwich). I had a maple peanut butter bacon sandwich and it was jaw dropping or locking. Boss got the Elvis. Even better. 
• Central Park. Its nice. But to a guy from Colorful Colorado, it doesn't do much for me. Bought some chestnuts that were roasted, but not over an open fire. They seemed awfully bland. No wonder I've never had them before. 
• It was fun to muse over how many times this place has been mangled in super-hero battles while walking around. 
• Did I say we ate a ton of food? 
• I should also mention we walked it all off. I weighed less after the trip than before. So did the Boss.  
• EAT THAT NEW YORK CITY!!! I DEFY YOU!!!

My biggest take away from the trip was how much fun I had with my wife. Take any couple with nearly 15 years of history and get them in each other's faces for 4 days non-stop in the NYC pressure cooker and tempers could flare. Quite the opposite for us. I wish I could do nothing but tour the world with her. But alas, these are the days of our lives and at least I get to spend a few great ones like these with her alone once every three years.

Now go and do all the stuff we did. Seriously. The list is not long enough when you are with someone you love. Here are some of the pics. Don't tell anyone who we are. 

ENDER - The End of Card?

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them.... I destroy them.” A.E. Wiggin

This is a bit late in coming, but wanted to chime in with my thoughts on this book adaptation. Card is probably one of the best known LDS authors (not counting that mom in AZ) and has a TON of material that could be made into movies. I read an article with Card saying this film was like an audition to Hollywood for his other books. If this one makes it, others can follow. Which makes sense, movies on this scale need to be bankable and have some built-in measure of success or following before being made. So... does this movie do the book justice and create a huge market for adapting Card's works into film?

The short answer is NO.

According to Box Office Mojo, this thing cost $110M to make and after the first couple of weeks (where most the bling is made) it only made about $63M world wide. That's basically a death knell for adapting the rest of his works since this was regarded as his best or most popular book. Some say the gay rights activists killed the momentum of the film. HOGWASH. Are you serious? They may not like Card, but hardly have the time or inclination to do serious boycott/damage to the film. The target audience for this movie was not the gay community. Like politics, you need to energize your base and win over new/swing supporters. The base is not large or outspoken and off the cuff it looks like another sci-fi movie with explosions.

This movie in my opinion was as good as one could hope for. The production values were strong, acting was good enough, music and effects worked nicely. Can't recall anything super-awkward or silly. However, many including Card had thought this book un-adaptable since its written largely in between the ears. It did an OK job of showing you what happened on the outside, but it failed to really convey Ender's personal struggle and genius, which are what makes character and the book so popular... and that is what the rest of his books typically rely on as well. Perhaps this movie really needed another 30-45 mins to explore battle school and give Ender more time to develop on screen?

I was particularly disgusted that many of the "fart" references from the book failed to make it into the film. 

So its sad that no more Card works are coming to the cinema anytime soon. I wish they would, but my tastes don't match the budgets, electoral college or the popular vote. This flick is definitely worth a rental and may get you interested in a bunch of other books that I loved, so I guess this can't be all bad for Card and his portfolio after all.

Gravity - The Theater Event of 2013

IMAX 3D + Gravity = Mind-blowing.

Several years ago I posted about Avatar and how I'd never seen anything like it. I'm pleased to say that feat has just been replicated, only this time I have no complaints over naked blue aliens making me feel like a capitalist swine pig who abuses minorities for fun and profit.

This movie is relatively simple in plot and dialogue, but rich in visuals and visceral emotion. It comes off as more of a study in core emotions such as fear, grief, pain, hope, and courage. There is beautiful symbolism in the simple essential nature of life and how fragile it is.

Without spoiling the film, I'd also say there are some interesting spiritual messages about prayer, faith, sacrifice and hope.

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney did a fantastic job. They definitely help you feel the terror and emotion of the moment, but not in an overly dramatic fashion. I would imagine that is a hard balance to strike in front of a green screen and of course the director deserves props for getting that out of them.

What really impressed me the most in this film was the camera work. Its like a fish in water that can swim anywhere around the astronauts or their ships and even seamlessly get inside their heads for a first-person perspective. Dealing with 360 degrees of freedom, planning out those shots must have been tedious (I heard it took 4 years to make this film) but it comes off graceful and really enjoyable to watch.

Finally a word about IMAX and 3D. Owning a 3D projector at home I think I'm qualified to comment on this. There are two key aspects of this technology.

1. Depth perception of the image - This is what most people don't consider with 3D. It allows you see spatial relationships as if you were there with your own eyes.  
2. Pop-out Effects - This is what most people think of and is difficult to do well without it being a cheesey distraction. 

Normally, I hate 3D because it can be distracting (wearing glasses), makes the picture dark (due to the lenses on the glasses) and most 3D movies were not made for 3D and are just a cheap up-scaling with almost no benefit.

Let me assure you, its not just a gimmick in this show. It took forever to make was developed for 3D viewing. Having your field of vision full with depth perception makes the experience remarkable and elements of shrapnel flying at you are not just for gee-whiz effect, its part of the story. Additionally the droplets of blood, tears, etc are all beautifully captured with this technique.

Simply put, this is a film that should be experienced at least once on a big screen. Avatar, Jurassic Park, Star Wars/Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey are a few that come to mind. Easily the best movie of 2013 thus far and likely to stay that way.

The Bronco Way

Stuck in an epic shoot-out with time winding down and ball control could mean the game?

The Drinking Game for Mormons

Thanks to Megan, I now have a fantastic idea to implement for the next session of General Conference. Before the start of the Mo Tabs singing, have the following on hand:

1. Several chilled 2-liters of full bodied, caffeinated soda or whole chocolate milk - in honor of the heroin laced variety they sell at the BYU Creamery. 
2. Shot glasses for all participants.
3. Table near the TV for pouring in rapid order.
4. Volume at maximum, sub-woofer at full capacity for the bass pedal notes.
5. Bonus - Eat 1 tater tot with each shot

Each time you see the following during the music, take a shot. 

• Anyone not Caucasian
• Anyone mouthing "watermelon"
• The conductor
• The organist
• Anyone singing with their eyes closed
• Add your own rule

This is stupid, but then that's exactly the point. Have fun and keep it all down and off the carpet. 

REJOICE POT-HEADS!!

I'll admit, I was really starting to get sad about the HP universe dying. No more books, movies, etc. I'm a balding middle-aged man, but went giddy like a school girl over the following:

http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-325215/

Is she going to make a bazillion pounds off this? YES. And I love it! 

I've said it before, if they made a full-on theme park out of HP, I'd be more than happy to visit every 5-10 years. 

Now, let's light a bucket of chicken on fire and pray that the Ghost of the Phantom Menace stays Far Far Away from this production.  

Stomping Grounds, Sacred Grounds & BBQ

I've been meaning to catch up to this for some time and am now setting my universe straight. A few months ago Jeff (as you know I don't do last names on here) invited me to hop into his Mercedes and make a 1,700+ mile road trip in 3 days to his native St. Louis for the Baptism of an old friend and a weekend of culinary debauchery. Along the way, we would visit some church history sites and get some Kansas City BBQ. How could I resist? Here is the blow by blow of our epic quest for nostalgia through travel and food.

DAY 1
854 Miles traveled
4,500 calories consumed

We started out Friday morning and made it to KC around 4 or 5 PM. I've never been to KC before and had been fixin to eat some BBQ in one of its most famous cities. I'm partial to the heavier tomato based sauces so I was expecting to achieve nirvana upon finishing my plate. I should first state that my ideal BBQ is not a fancy place where men are trying to impress women. I want a run-down, shack where men eat like men and if women are there, they are throwing any diet out the window. The guy cooking should be a swarthy individual sweating into everything he serves. So, with that said, one of Jeff's friends recommended Oklahoma Joe's BBQ. http://www.oklahomajoesbbq.com/. Located as part of a Gas station near the hood, it fit the bill! Was it the out-of-body experience I had hoped for? No. Some of the best BBQ I've had, but perhaps I went in with expectations too high. The sauce was fantastic. I could have just dunked bread it and been very happy.

Next, we proceeded to flex the sub-woofer and drive through downtown KC while playing Sir Mix-A-Lot's Big Butts song. Typing it here it sounds somewhat juvenile for a couple of 30 something dudes; but for us, a dip into the fountain of youth.

Satisfied all were now aware of our taste in music, we headed over to catch some of the KC Royals and Anaheim Angels game. I was shocked to learn Jeff (major Cardinals fan) had never visited this park so close to home. Of course he mocked and derided everything about the place along with their fans the whole time. Although he grudgingly admitted the place was fairly full, probably due to $1 hot dog night. Worried we would not get into STL until 2AM, we left the pathetic Royals game early and crashed on his sister's couches.

DAY 2
50-100 Miles traveled
10,000 calories consumed

I awake to the humidity and green foliage of suburb know as Fenton. Right from the start Jeff rocks my worldview and informs me that Panera Bread is really just the Saint Louis Bread Company re-branded for a national campaign. But rather than visiting some vile corporate chain establishment first, we drive through the neighborhood as Jeff regales me with tales of all of the trouble he got into a child and where every hot girl used to live in the area. If I didn't know him better, I'd be worried about his aptitude for serial killing. But after visiting so much history, breakfast is calling and we head for Russell's Bakery, a joint now run by his childhood neighbor. We are going to partake of "Gooey Butter Cake" a STL delight. But due to the memorial weekend, we are thwarted as Russel is more interested in fishing that keeping his restaurant open. Not to be denied after nearly 1,000 miles of travel, we drive to his other location downtown and feast on this singular breakfast treat.

For those of you who are uninitiated, GBC is like a lemon bar, minus the lemon, but just a hint more of a rich creamy flavor that has a subtle and smooth finish. The guilt is swelling in me now. Next we head to the church where Jeff will baptize his old friend. Despite not presenting a temple recommended, he performs the baptism and shortly after exiting the font, realizes there are no towels. Thus Jeff's friend (David) was forced to start his new life in the Kingdom with a paper towel pat-down. Thanks to this fiasco, I sang about 50 hymns with the group while we waited for them to return. After all that exhaustive singing and Jeff's hard work to get dry, it was time to eat again!

Next was Cecil Whittaker's Pizzeria where I was treated to ultra thin crust pizza but the real star was Toasted Ravioli, another STL specialty. All was good and the ravioli was interesting, but not quite the revelation of the GBC. Parting ways with David, we headed into downtown and saw a bunch of sights including the Arch (which I realized was not white but steel - I know I'm an idiot), Busch Stadium (home of the STL Cardinals), some abandoned railroad mall and visited some of the spectacular free museums.

Dressed in a suit with my goatee, I was accused of looking like a Tony Stark wannabe in front of this gateway to the west.

Naturally all of that driving and moderate walking called for more food! (Yes, I don't allow myself any other vice). We decided to reverse order and go to Ted Drewes (the all time greatest custard place in STL) prior to dinner. Custard is like ice cream on steroids and is verrrry good. Its so think you can flip it upside down and experience no drippage or falling of the food. I got a Smores mash-up, but after looking at Jeff's apple pie (yes a real apple pie crushed up in custard) I got an unconscionable second helping and loved every bite of it. Jeff informs me I'm the only person he's ever seen attempt such a feat. My powers of gluttony were in full swing...

Next we headed to the Italian district for some mafia good food. At this point we were so full that dinner was a chore. We ate Provel Cheese sticks, which are unique to the area and were tasty, but I couldn't hardly touch my entree. I mean no disrespect to this place so I will leave it unnamed. Headed back to Fenton, I ate a bundle of parsley and went to bed.

DAY 3
854 Miles traveled
5,000 calories consumed

Sunday, Fattening Sunday... We stopped off at one of Jeff's old wards where he was warmly greeted by some old lady who had a recipe book and something else magically ready for him. Some girl he used to date shunned him after Sacrament and I continued to be the mysterious, handsome stranger accompanying the prodigal son. After church we struck out for the long trek home. Before leaving town, we frequented the infamous (that means more than famous) White Castle. In case Jeff's wife ever reads this, I'll spare the details of what he ordered. Let's just say there was enough processed cheese to get to a triple bypass. I actually laughed out-loud when he placed his order (which I assumed must have included me) and then asked me what I wanted.

After much travel, we arrived on the eastern edge of KC or Jackson County Missouri. This is where New Jerusalem will be built and is a curious sight of historical and future significance to LDS people. We toured the visitor's center, walked the vacant lot and saw the RLDS or now Community of Christ Temple. Here are some photos.
Since I don't like to delve much into politics or religion on this blog, I'll leave it alone except for the Liberty Jail. During our tour, we were joined by two younger men in working (cowboyish) attire that were very quiet. Towards the end of the tour, the older Missionary giving the tour testified that one day our friends would know that Wilford Woodruff was a prophet of God. And the lights went on for me. I realized these were some good ol boys from a polygamist splinter group. I was content to leave them alone, but Jeff would not be satisfied. He chased them down in the parking lot and began to interrogate them as to which compound they were from and mentioned several reality TV shows which I'm sure they found to be repugnant or ignorant of. After a major internal struggle of of the guys said they were from the Warren Jeff's clan and not to believe everything in the media. Whatever. But it was fun.

Finally, we visited Gate's BBQ another KC staple where you are greeted with the catch phrase "May I heeellp yoooou?" whenever you walk in the door. Maybe I was too fooded out at this point, but I was not impressed. Not bad, but sadly on par with BBQ in Denver.

Summary BBQ Judgement: KC BBQ is good, better than Denver (easily) but on par Q can be found at Rudy's in Colorado Springs. So save the drive if you are craving a serious BBQ experience on the Front Range.

The rest of the drive late into the wee hours of the morning went successfully (with much diet dew on my part) and thus another LDS bachelor roadie was committed to the annals of history. [yes that pun was intended]. I'm still not sure my colon has recovered. But like John Cougar says, "It hurts so good."

Rocky IV = Inception

During the last 4th of July gala at my house, we were feeling patriotic and decided to watch Rocky IV to celebrate one man ending the cold war and help secure American freedoms.

Towards the end of the film, I started to wonder how this movie would have been accepted by a member of the Politburo and then it hit me.

ROCKY IV WAS A SECRET GOVERNMENT LED FILM USED TO PERFROM INCEPTION ON MIKHAIL GORBACHEV. 

Imagine watching a movie and seeing yourself stand up and applauding the mantra, "If I can change, you can change... EVERYBODY CAN CHANGE!!" 

Christoper Nolan was obviously inducted into the inner circle of the Illuminati and the New Word Order years ago, otherwise he would not have been entrusted with such large budget films to shape the views of millions with his work. His film on the concept of inception was very interesting, but the idea of shared dreaming always seemed a bit ludicrous to me. In fact, the whole point of the movie Inception was make us believe that the real thing was not possible or out of the realm of reality.

Think about it. What experience is closer to shared dreaming than watching a movie with several close friends? How many people have pointed to a movie as changing their world view or outlook on different people, places or ideologies? Everytime you watch a movie, you make yourself vulnerable to inception at the hands of the Illuminati.

In this case, the NWO wanted the fall of the CCCP and so they used one of their most reliable tactics. Inception through film... AND IT WORKED. Once again, we may hate the Illuminati and the NWO, but they sometimes produce results that the rest of us enjoy... for the moment.

Brother Husbands - Pioneering the Future

Mormon Feminist Housewives Rejoice!

Today while cleaning the house with my B.I.L., I realized we were accomplishing much in a short period of time. Soon my mind began to dwell upon the fantasy of cloning myself to achieve my Highest and Best Use in life. Since that is highly unethical, I decided the next best thing would be to go out to the male market and find myself... a Brother Husband.

Let me just say it now: Its not about the sex. In the modern economy where the ideal is a woman staying at home with the children and two or six incomes are required, this makes total sense. Full pay for the same work, no glass ceiling and no maternity leave to disrupt the family revenue stream.

Since the number of children would not explode like polygamy, children would benefit from a mother's full nurturing attention. The best schools and tutors could be attended, all sporting interests embraced with no lack of fatherly coaching or support on the sidelines. Christmas and birthday parties? Off the chain...

And let's not forget the benefits to men.

• Six income against 1 mortgage? You could qualify to live in a SICK home with an infinity pool, home theater, steam room, full gym, basketball court and massive spa. 
• Imagine only having to cover Valentines day once every six years! 
• Buying the wife diamonds only represents one month's salary.
• Six Dudes for a child to fear... child defiance disappears. 
• Facial hair with no guilt. Even handle bar mustaches.  
• Mowing the lawn once every other month.
• Putting only 1 to 2 children to bed at night. 
• Dishes once per week (kids have to do at least one night)
• Camping every weekend and its not just survival, its MEN vs. WILD. 
• Genuine need for a male nursing lounge in every chapel. 
• Full basketball team with one man to stay behind in rotation to keep the wife happy!

I could go on, but I welcome your ideas.

Brother Husbands, I know what you are thinking. But you are wrong. If you divert all of that pent-up energy to other ideals, imagine the good that could be accomplished! The following blog details ideas from Napoleon Hill's classic THINK AND GROW RICH.

http://boldanddetermined.com/2011/10/24/how-to-harness-your-sexual-energy/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612930298/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=boldanddete-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1612930298

Did I mention Twinkies came back today?

Just set aside your ego and jealousy, read the blog and you will be convinced polyandry this is the way to go.
Its time for the pendulum to swing the other direction and for families to embrace their full potential. Soon marriages of any kind will be permitted in society. Its time to Pioneer a new family for the new economy in the 21st Century. Not every man has what it takes to be a Brother, but for those willing, the maximum productivity and satisfaction in life awaits.

How to Create a Horcrux - Wikihow

Years ago I found this article on Wikihow that has since been deleted so I now post it here since this blog is my own horcrux. http://fletchword.blogspot.com/2010/01/truth-about-this-blog.html It just a shame they take themselves so seriously that they deleted it. 

HOW TO CREATE A HORCRUX

1. Become an extremely powerful witch or wizard. This will take years of study and sacrifice which lie beyond the scope of a WikiHow article. As a general guide you should not attempt to create a horcrux until you can cast non-verbal killing curses.

2. Locate an object of extreme significance to you. An emotional attachment to the object will aid the process and make it easier on your body and soul.

3. Bathe in the Water of Sorrows and eat 1 cup of paste made from the Herb of Undeath no sooner than 12 hours before committing the principal act of the ritual.

4. Cast the preliminary incantation in the presence of your object. Bring your wand from hanging medial at your side to in front of your heart at approximately 45 degrees from your waist. At this point you should flick the wand in a circular fashion 146 degrees and then whip it outwards to the full extension of your limb. During this last movement issue the following command: "Voces fallacis amicae"

5. Perform an act of unspeakable evil while carrying the object you wish to turn into a horcrux. Murder is dirty but very effective in this regard.

6. Within 15 minutes of performing the act, clutch the object you wish to turn into a horcrux with both hands and yell the following incantation: "Diabolus fecit, ut id facerem!"

7. You will lose consciousness. This is a normal part of the process. When you have awoken the object in your hands will be a horcrux. You will feel very different (some have described the feeling as if you are "half empty") and will have an almost motherly affection to the object.

8. Cast protective spells on and around the horcrux, and do not tell anyone of its existence. You must eliminate anyone that finds out.

Tips 

• Although you should choose objects which are significant to you, be careful not to choose objects that can be linked to you with relative ease. This will generally send hordes of jealous followers or irritating enemies out to destroy your horcrux, leaving you half a soul closer to death. 
• Don't ask your potions master about the creation of horcruxes, as it may undo all of your plans at a later date when he feels sympathy for a boy whose parents you killed a decade earlier. It is easier to figure out the general process through this wikiHow article, through books in your school library (please remember to wear an Invisibility Cloak while browsing to avoid attracting attention), or ask general advice from the Dark Lord himself (avoid seeming too curious, or he may see you as a threat and set out to destroy your horcruxes). 
• Don't make your horcrux your pet snake. Remember, driving somone's parents to insanity MAY make them want to destroy you. 

Warnings 

• Do not attempt to split your soul into seven pieces. It sounds very fashionable but will turn you into a psychopathic maniac, assuming you are not one already. (Note: If you are a psychopathic maniac, it may be simpler to avoid the process all together, as it will simply cause you to appear more unhinged and cause man to avoid you).
• When a teenage wizard comes to challenge you without a weapon in the midst of an epic battle, DO NOT attempt to kill him with the same curse which has already backfired on three previous occasions. He probably knows something that you don't.
• Don't even bother trying to find the Deathly Hallows. Honestly, just don't.
• While a teenage wizard is attempting to make an epic fight-to-the-death speech, realize that you do not need to listen to him. It would be much simpler to just perform the Avada Kedavra (Killing) Curse on the spot (or at least use the Cruciatus Curse.)But also remember warning #2 just in case
• Do not leave behind any memories people may have that your old professor could use to figure out your plan and annihilate your horcruxes

JJ Abrams is SAURON

This morning I was in the shower day dreaming or more accurately fantasizing... about the next Star Wars movies. And then like all good showers or baths, I had an epiphany! How does one man become the central force behind the two greatest sci-fi franchises of all time?

Black Magic & The Illuminati

Most of you recall the story of Sauron in the Lord of the Rings. He desired to rule the world (or at least the middle part of it) and forged several mystical rings that would be given as gifts to power hungry men, little people and supermodels. Secretly, he made a master ring to control all of them and revealed his evil to the world as the most powerful being alive... until someone cut his finger off and he exploded.

JRR Tolkien was not writing about some fake history in LOTR. He was attempting to uncover the methods by which the Illuminati enslave the world. Tolkien was lucky and got away with it; since up until recently, Fantasy novels where largely mocked and shunned by society. Stanley Kubrick blew the lid off the Illuminati in Eyes Wide Shut and was shortly killed thereafter. He had reached staggering heights in the film arts, had been allowed into the inner circle and tried to expose them through his work and paid the price.

Abrams is the puppet master. Using black magic (or blackmail) from the bizarre rituals depicted in Eyes Wide Shut, JJ used  the power of his ring to enslave several influential producers in Hollywood. He then took control of Star Trek and made it AWESOME furthering his hypnotic spell over not just his Nazgul producers, but the whole of Geekdom. There was one lone hold-out who seemed to be immune to any kind of criticism, manipulation or advice... George Lucas. Abrams used his Nazgul to remove the power structure at Disney by forcing the production of John Carter (a staggering defeat) so he could place Bob Iger (AKA the Witch King) at the head of Disney, the most powerful and magical place on earth (also controlled by the Illuminati). The stage was set to pressure Lucas into giving up the franchise and inexplicably relinquishing his power. Now that Abrams has control of Star Wars his grip on sending messages to BILLIONS will be unmatched. One Ring to to rule them all... AND IN THE DARKNESS OF THEATERS ACROSS THE WORLD BIND THEM!!!

This is usually where I go off on a rant and beg you three readers to wake up and fight this sadistic blood cult that is preparing for the New World Order after the oceans are flooded from their global warming scheme. But today, I've taken the bait and can't wait for the next move by our friends at the Illuminati. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Minimalist Mormon Housewives

A few days ago the Boss commented to me how much she enjoyed not having a ton of stuff on our walls. We've always been a house of mirrors and not much art work or pictures of our family. I used to chide her for our lack of displaying what is beautiful or the people we love in our lives. But recently, I've come to the opinion there is a trend in our culture regarding our beloved Domestic Engineers and its impact on our lives. The Collins Dictionary has a definition of this new lifestyle that goes beyond art/nick-nacks to what I'm talking about:

Minimalism: 3) design or style in which the simplest and fewest elements are used to create the maximum effect.  

Perhaps due to the depression and the nature of our economy changing to a service base, women are getting away from collecting or hoarding household goods and decorations. I grew up in a era where the more nick-nacks you had from Homemaking demonstrated your prowess as an LDS mother. Pictures and paintings of Gospel significance were everywhere. In my house, there was individual portraits of the kids in our main bathroom. (Just in case you forgot about who was making all that noise outside). In addition, your family needed to be involved in a TON of activities. I recall the Sunday night scheduling meeting where 50 things for that week were discussed and I watched my mother's blood pressure go through the roof. Back then, it was always more, more, and more. I know that sounds like today, but now we are heading in a different direction where "less" is supposed to be "more." Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

• This is the information age where we are overloaded with too much stuff. The goal of most thoughtful people is how to cut through the haze of information/opportunities to what matters most. A talk by Elder Oaks is often simply referenced almost like WWJD in our culture --- Is it Good, Better or Best?
• Cut out the fat. I suppose this has been going on for ages, but these days, controlling your eating/weight/food has nearly endless ideas on Pinterest and MMB's (Mormon Mommy Blogs) or just food blogs. Some are all about cutting everything out of your eating life to look minimalist or maximizing your cuisine to eat the tastiest things ever made, just not all the time (sorry to The Girl who "reportedly" Ate Everything and Pioneer Woman). 
• Last Christmas I ordered a subscription for the Boss to the magazine Real Simple. Its a monthly magazine of about 300 pages detailing how to simplify your life. The physically oxymoronic nature of this magazine still cracks me up but I know many women love to dive into its pages seeking ways to simplify their lives and breathe easier.  
• De-clutter. Along the lines of Real Simple, this is a mantra I often hear repeated by DE's at various church and social functions. "Guess how much stuff I got rid of last weekend!" (audible gasps and approvals). Can you imagine hearing that as a kid? Its all too easy these days to walk out of Target with hoards of goods and later wonder where did all this stuff come from? This is a consumption culture. Here are a few lines of sage wisdom from Tyler Durden in favor of minimalism: 

• "Do you know what a duvet is? It's a blanket. Just a blanket. Now why do guys like you and me know what a duvet is? Is this essential to our survival, in the hunter-gatherer sense of the word? No. What are we then? Right. We are consumers. We're the bi-products of a lifestyle obsession."
• "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."
• "The things you own end up owning you."

• Christmas. In yesteryear, conversations about how to cut-back on Christmas presents would have been unconscionable  Now they are common. We know we are drowning in the piles of stuff we consume, but can't seem to break the cycle and the happiest day of the year is a painful time to take our medicine, but we've got to start showing kids that presents don't equal love and acceptance.
• Never enough time. I wont' say more so I don't run out of it.
• My mom used to come home with stuff from Homemaking, but I rarely see the Boss bring anything home from Relief Society activities. (maybe its just her?)    
• Going digital. Thanks to smartphones, computers, internet, etc. we can now keep our schedules, photos and STUFF in one convenient place, often small enough to fit in the palm of our hand. Virtual British women enslaved and given the name Siri are at your beck and call to find recipes, give you directions, look up answers to kid's homework.
• My house is all now various shades of white/grey with little "pops" of color. The words traditional, open, fresh, clean and crisp were often used during our remodel. Open it up, maximize the space, but don't fill it with crap. Sounds like a mantra for life. 

I believe the principles of minimalism will help us maximize our happiness in our information and consumption saturated world. But we seem to be failing. I'm overwhelmed and you are probably feeling that way too. Life should be about the journey and not the destination or stuff we have. Perhaps our children will take our minimalist reformation we've started and really make the tough choices that we can't --- Just one TV in the house? Uniforms at public schools? 2-3 meaningful presents for Christmas? No video games? One car and the rest bikes? Debit only and no credit cards? It could go on but I've got to get to work to pay for our minimalist lifestyle. If anything, the obscene amount of money I've spent over the last year has re-confirmed the notion that money and material possessions will not make you happy. This whole minimalist business should be pointed at men as well. Time for me to get with the reformation (and quit writing such long blog posts). I open my arms to this new era of Mormon Domestic Engineering and hope it allows us to experience  maximum, joy, productivity, relaxation and happiness .      

Its Alright to Cry

In keeping with the last video, I recall a nasty mock song we used to sing as kids:

"Its alright to cry, it help take the pain away...
Its alright to cry, EVERYDAAAYY!!"

(It usually got no further than that as a fist fight was on at that point.)

Let's Get Vulnerable!

A friend of mine shared this video with me and I found it to be very profound. Like most of you, I don't enjoy being vulnerable, but it really is the key to unlocking real joy in life. For my LDS friends, ideas about opposition in all things will resonate.

I especially enjoyed her ideas on scarcity and being extraordinary. In the ordinary moments is where our greatest joy is found. Hope you enjoy and find some inspiration from this.

Mole Man

A couple weeks ago in Elder's Quorum I announced to the group that I would be making a Mole (chocolate) Chile to represent us at the Ward Chili Cook-off. I was met with skepticism and doubt, seasoned with a pinch of mockery. Nevertheless, I persevered and used the following recipe.

http://www.food.com/recipe/eds-chicago-cocoa-chili-chocolate-chili-18414

Almost all of the reviews were positive and I was ready to start my quest to ROCK THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHILI. My first photo:

THE KILLER COCOA CHILI SPICE MIX

The first step was definitely the most tedious. Many of the spices called for were not in our pantry and thus, I wound up blowing a lot of time and coin at the store to make this dish... would the results justify the costs?

COOKING WITH CHANTICO & INDUCTION

 The above shows all of the wonderful color that goes into this dish before adding the spice mix and chocolate which tends to darken the color (just a little bit :). In case you are wondering, here is some background on Chantico from Azteccalendar.com

"She Who Dwells In The House, the goddess of hearth fires, personal treasures and volcanoes. Chantico broke a fast by eating paprika with roasted fish, and then was turned into a dog by Tonacatecuhtli. Chantico is closely related to Xiuhtecuhtli. In the tonalpohualli, Chantico rules over trecena Ehecatl (wind)."

CHANTICO - MY CHILI GODDESS

 I especially like her mustache.

The final touch - 2oz of 100% Ghirardelli dark chocolate. I watched as they settled on the top of the mix and slowly devoured the stew. After the Boss intervened and doubled the brown sugar, my creation was ready for competition. I was aware that presentation would be considered, so I searched the house for something Mexican that would add a layer of artistic appeal to the dish beyond salivating, sweaty men greedy for a fattening stew.

Over the past year, I've been cleaning out the ol basement and came across a figurine that was prominently displayed in our home for many years. He was gawked at and often dismissed as "lame" or "weird" by my associates. But he hung in there against the establishment. My chili must do the same. And so he became the symbol of my passion.

I took everything to La Iglesia for final judgement and was forced to wait in a sealed chamber while the judges practiced their analytic skill on the 13 entries. I honestly expected nothing as my work was outside the norm for typical Mormondom. As I said, I only hoped to rock people's world view. To my surprise the chili actually won second place in the judges voting. In the popular vote, I got nothing. Many confided to me afterward that they shunned my chili due to the bizarre owl man and the "DARKNESS" of my offering.

So in American political terms, I had a good run in the electoral college but got slaughtered in the popular vote. But it still felt like a strong moral victory for Mole Man and the art my father preserved for years despite its unpopularity.

Hopefully Dad got to take a quick peek at his creation draped with a silver medal and a side of chips.

World War Z

Just caught up with this audio book of the Oral History describing the zombie apocalypse. First off, let me say I'm not a huge zombie fan and was more interested in this book for its allegorical messages than fan-boy fiction. I should also say the pending film appears to be a MASSIVE departure from the book. I knew this going in, which actually made me more interested to hear it as the film will probably be much thinner on substance.

The book is supposed to be oral accounts of survivors across the world compiled by a UN historian years after the war. He makes it clear the point of the book is not to detail numbers, logistics and the science behind the war, but the human spirit involved.

So onto the allegorical applications:

• An actual outbreak of a virus. This has to be taken seriously regardless of whether you favor science fiction or fantasy, God or evolution. Here is some light reading and video on the subject. Of course, Michio Kaku is in the video. (I love that guy!!) 
• http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/art_less/p-q22.html
• Spiritual Plague - How would people have to band together and fight to overcome tremendous evil sweeping the earth and turning all casualties into enemies? To a certain extent some of us probably think this has been going on since the beginning and is essentially how Satan does his missionary work. 
• What if we allow vampire culture to overrun the earth? We will all turn into Zombies. 
• Others might argue this story is an allegory of the kind of disaster it would take to return mankind to sound conservative principles such as public flogging, hard work, courage and a strong military complex. Hollywood would lose all of its value when people are constantly faced with death by un-dead cannibals. That is way more exiting than any 2 or 3D movie. 
• It is interesting to note that no reason is ever given for the outbreak and no cure is ever mentioned. It was simply war for warm blood. This again implies the allegory of the book is get us thinking about pure life and death struggle and what would we sacrifice to win. 

All I have left now is to wait for the movie and hope that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) gets at least a cameo after his fantastic voice work on the book. 

Docu-MANIA!!!

Two quick reccomendations on stellar documentaries:

1. The Queen of Versailles - Chronicles the fall of a billionaire and his shopaholic wife. It was fascinating to see the cameras continue to roll after the recession and how these people can't quite seem to catch up with reality. Its like rolling in the slop with the greased up pigs of capitalism. Disgusting is the word I keep coming back to... and loving it.

2. Searching for Sugar Man - If you don't know anything about this... keep it that way and watch this flick. Totally awesome to see how things turn out. Needless to say, I love the singer-songwriter genere and bought the soundtrack right after watching the movie. If you watch the film, the music will honestly be about 5x better. Favorite track would probably be "A most disgusting song."

And yes, I did just give two glowing recommendations for documentaries. For some of you, this is a sign not to watch these films.

Getting Real with the Bible

Recently a reality TV producer set his hand to making a high-impact production of the Bible. I tried watching about 20 minutes and couldn't stomach it. It was all about violence and the spiritual message seemed lost. Apparently, they missed the message that the Bible is primarily a spiritual book and not meant to be an action movie.

This is a reason why I really enjoy the Church's Bible videos. I'm assuming they are much more quiet than the real life events. But its intentional, and allows us to feel the spiritual message conveyed by the book. Current film tastes push for that "real/gritty" factor, but I'm not sure it works when telling spiritual messages. They need to drop the grit and just get real to the purpose of the book.

The following video is of Peter and John healing a crippled man outside the temple. But the focus is ultimately not on the healing, but the quiet moments after the healing as the man realizes what his new legs can do.

I HATE Tortillas and Demand Universal Calorie Postings

Today the wife snagged me some lunch from Chic-fil-a and when she called me I thought of my options: greasy breaded sandwich, grilled sandwich or wrap. Thinking it was less of a calorie hit, I chose the wrap.

That stinking wrap had 410 calories!!! The greasy sandwich (which tastes about 1,000x better) was 440. For a measly 30 calories, I would have picked the latter.

Since last April I've become a calorie counter and generally know what I'm up to. But on this day, I was not thinking. For some reason, me and many others have tortillas in their heads as less calories than buns. (I don't blame you little girl... I BLAME YOUR MOTHER!!!) Generally tortillas are just as bad if not worse than buns. I can't even remember the last time I got the tortilla at Chipotle or Cafe Rio for this very reason.

But the real issues here are calories, information and the free market. I definitely lean conservative on most issues, but posting calories on menus is something our country has to do. EVERYWHERE. We have an obesity epidemic and I think it would be very helpful to the general public if this information was required on all menus (especially drive-thrus). But this sounds like another big-brother government program right? WRONG.

Proprietors complain that posting calories will hurt their sales. Why? Because its easy and cheap to make nasty food that tastes great and we buy a ton of it, unaware of exactly what we are consuming. This is not a market transaction. Here is a slightly abbreviated OCC definition of a market transaction between buyer (consumer) and seller (business).


Market Value - The most probable price... in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller each acting prudently, knowledgeably, and assuming that the price is not affected by undue stimulus.

1. Buyer and seller are typically motivated;
2. Both parties are well informed or well advised, and acting in what they consider their own best interests;
3. A reasonable time is allowed for exposure in the open market;
4. Payment is made in terms of cash in United States dollars or in terms of financial arrangements comparable thereto; and
5. The price represents the normal consideration for the property sold unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with the sale.

At a restaurant, motivations are generally clear for both parties (they offer food, we pay and eat). The big question is on point two. The proprietor knows what is in their food, but you don't. Its like buying a house but not knowing what may be wrong with it. That transaction is nuts for a buyer, but we do it all the time with food. We are therefore not well informed or advised and potentially acting in what we consider to be our own best interests. 

Proprietors complain:

But its hard to re-design menu boards! (except when you have a new menu item or special)

The information is posted on our website or that chart the size of Africa on the wall! (Yes, and everyone in line can easily get there or see it or have the time to look it all up.)

So why not require businesses to compete in the open market? If their food is crap and filled with 800-1,200 calories the market will decide if they want to buy or not. But consumers need the information readily available to even the playing field. Right now the deck is stacked in the restaurant's favor. We are all going to pay the bill (thanks to our medical system) for treatment of obesity related problems. Why make it worse so a few businesses can compete unfairly (with each other and consumers)?

I know there are a bunch of studies that say posting calories on menus and at fast food joints isn't helping. A few comments. 

1. How long have we been doing these studies and under what conditions? There may be flaws in the collection and analysis of the data. 
2. Many people eating fast food accept they are eating like garbage, but what about sit-down restaurants or other small establishments? Plenty of heath-minded consumers go there and could use the information. 
3. If this information were readily available everywhere and not just a few places, it may become more ingrained in people's decision making. 

Lately, there has been a witch hunt on smoking and getting out the truth about how its killing us. Why can't this be done for calories, weight and health? Look at what we've done according to the CDC:

Clearly, we can do better. I really don't want regulate people into skinniness, or control businesses. But I do believe in a free market place of ideas AND INFORMATION.

Imagine eating out in a world where restaurants are competing to offer menu items that maximize taste and calories. Give people the information and let the market decide. Its not socialism, its responsible capitalism.

DEATH TO ALL TORTILLAS!!!

Goulet = Valentines Perfection

To most of you it will come as no shock that I am an unabashed ROBERT GOULET FAN.

I don't hold him up as the greatest singer of all time, I just love his camp. Therefore he is perfect for Valentines day. And now I give you a classic.

Next, of of his all time best songs from Camelot:

  YOU ARE NOW COMPLETELY LATHERED UP. 

GO BUY ROSES, CHOCOLATES, 4LB TEDDY BEARS AND HEART SHAPED NECKLACES. REJOICE!!

I Love Comedy

Here are some videos I've seen lately that just killed me.

1. Adventure Time - Is it pathetic or awesome when a show your kids introduce you to becomes one of your favorites? I've never done the magic card game, but dabbled in a little D&D as a kid and the following clip reminded me of many a ridiculous evening with tons of tedious rules.
2. Next, a new take on the song I'm Sexy and I know it. All credit to M.I.L. John Mayer?
3. Key & Peele Sucher shared these with me and now I share them with you. Some mild profanity, but simply hilarious. You have to watch this one to the end. The photos on the side are priceless!

Fathers

Loved this clip from Mormon Messages. The symbolic use of sunlight is beautiful. Makes me proud to be a Father and a member of the church.

Movie & Book Club - Pathfinder and The Words

Dudes. Time for another iteration of my media breakdown for all outcasts from real book and movie clubs.

PATHFINDER - This is the first book in a new series by Orson Scott Card. After having multiple people tell me that I must read this book, I broke down and listened to it on a two-day marathon trip through the mountains. If you have read any of Card's work, you'll know or love the following elements of his writing:

• Genius or gifted children
• Multiple fart or other ridiculous juvenile jokes
• Time travel or people skipping through time
• MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TIME being covered (rise and fall of empires and civilizations)
• Bizarre pseudo-scientific explanations of theoretical physics
• A ton of talking and debate about said physics 
• Political intrigue
• Smart kids mouthing off to adults and ROCKING their world view
• Very little fighting
• Main character that should be a total Haas, but just talks his way out of everything

So while it may sound like nothing is original here, I choose to say its everything I love about his writing in a complex plot that is very engrossing. I'll admit some things could have been shortened, but I always love the huge scale and scope of his books. I don't want to spoil the books, but they are another very interesting take on humanity's potential and their relationship to the planet and the things they create. So just go read it and don't be like me. 

One small complaint. If the people in this book are so smart but lack fossil fuels, I find it hard to believe they would still be living in such squalor. A society with as much advanced knowledge could surely do better than the mid-evil world portrayed in this book. 

THE WORDS - The Boss and I did our usual Red Box run last night for a movie that she picks and I finish. Before you go any further I must give a spoiler alert! I'm not sure how I can discuss this movie without giving a few things away, but its a predictable film so I don't feel all that bad about it. 

Simply put, this movie is INCEPTION using authors. Layers or stories within stories, massive amounts of guilt and the desperate struggle to escape or cope with that guilt. It also has a somewhat ambiguous ending.  

I was surprised at what is a very star-studded cast with Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde. I'll say it right now, this is not a typical popcorn feel-good movie. It probably ticks a lot of people off which is why it was not a large commercial success. So if you are more indy-minded in your movie selection, this may be in your wheel-house.   

So let's get down to it. A struggling writer steals another man's long lost book and is treated as the next great American author. When confronted by the true writer of the story, can he live with the lie or will it destroy his life? Seems like an obvious answer, but it was interesting to see how this film shows the writer's attempt to explain what happened and blur the lines of fiction and reality to numb his guilt. I think the story shows the power of finding your true self (voice) in the midst of suffering and why we can't fake the stuff that matters most - even if we have succeed in fooling everyone. 

A good example of finding voice comes from JK Rowling. I recall her explaining that the death of her parents was with her the entire time she wrote the Harry Potter series. It wasn't really about the boy who is a wizard but doesn't know it. It was about a boy dealing with life after losing his parents. Those books are not literary classics, but the power of her grief gave her a voice that rang true for millions (billions) of readers.

Writers or not, I think everyone comes to develop a voice. Some call it identity, brand or "your offer to the world." What do you genuinely do well and have to share with others? Life can be sweet when you pay the price and make the world a better place. Fiction and fantasy cannot replace it. Perhaps its why most of our media choices leave us feeling so empty. Hard to be fulfilled by someone else's work.    

No to Thank You

I was brought to my attention about a year ago that the staff at Chic-fil-A is trained say "my pleasure" whenever you say thank you. At first this didn't bother me but over my next visit or two, it started to annoy the heck out of me. I had a day trip for business a week ago and I made it my goal not to say thank you at any point during the transaction.

Rather than saying thanks I say:

Yep
That's fantastic
Good deal
Cool
Sweet
Word
Solid

Not once have they responded with "my pleasure" to any of the above.

Am I being a jerk or saving these poor workers from saying something they don't mean? Am I not saving them from four extra lies in a given day?

People don't typically say my pleasure any more instead of the more common "you're welcome." It implies something more intimate than just common courtesy or performing one's duty. Maybe our society is so over sexed that the word pleasure simply can't be attached to anything non-sexual without some level of discomfort. Regardless, I'm going to carry on in my private crusade to have a more honest interaction with the Chic-fil-A staff. Join me if you are tired of the lies.

How Bitter It Is

I can't bear to say much more than this about our loss yesterday.

I think I may have urinated vinegar at some point last night. Here's to doing better next season once the next genius head coach in the NFL is no longer jacking up our offense. 

One-ups & Youtube

Just loved this... my kids will probably know this much problem more intimately than I ever will.