December 16, 2009

I Love Me Some Potatoes

So the semester is coming to a close. Finals are making everyone crazy. Everyone is ready to be done with this semester. This time of the year makes it the perfect time for some comic relief. Thuy is a great source of humor. Everything she says makes me laugh. She has theories about marriage, dating people in the ward and Facebook. She is pretty much a genius. She also has funny jokes/stories. One such story involves a potato and a certain body part that we don't need to mention here. Anyway, we have a lot of potatoes that need to be eaten lying around the apartment. So, Owen decided to carve a potato for Thuy. It said "Merry Christmas Thuy." She really enjoyed it. We had a nice chat too and even learned how to speak some Vietnamese. Did somebody say Geico? Well, finals are almost over. Owen leaves today. How sad! Only another day for me!

November 30, 2009

The Holy War 2009

The end of the football season means war in Utah. HOLY WAR that is. The rivalry between the University of Utah and BYU is like no other. There are so many competition it is not even funny. Blood drives, food drives, even ice cream eating competitions. It’s nice to know that even with all the bitter feelings some good things come out of it all. The battle began at three in the afternoon. There was even a U of U fan that dressed up as the Pope, which I thought was actually pretty creative. Anyway, it was a hard fought battle till the bitter end. We had this cool guy sitting in front of us giving us commentary the whole time. The best was when he announced that it was time for the Cougars to stick a dagger into the hearts of our fellow Utes. Figuratively speaking of course. In what was looking to be a repeat of our Freshmen Year, when the Cougars lost to the Utes in overtime, the dagger finally came on a pass to number 88, who ran it into the end zone in overtime to secure a victory for the Cougars.


At the end, all of the fans joined in the spoils of victory. It was so intense. I have never seen a field stormed before in person. It was pretty cool A momentous occasion and victory for BYU. I will certainly never forget it and neither will the Utes.


Max Hall continued the battle off of the field. He wasn’t shy about his feelings concerning the Utes. “I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything. So it felt really good to send those guys home," Hall continued. "They didn't deserve it. It was our turn, and our turn to win. We deserved it. We played as hard as we could tonight. And it felt really good, again, to send them home, to get them out of here, and so it is a game I will always remember. I think the whole university, their fans and their organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and they did a whole bunch of nasty things, and I don't respect them, and they deserved to lose.” All I have to say is that if the shoe fits wear it.

November 26, 2009

Buns and Pies of Steele

My roommate Steven and I decided that we would have our own Thanksgiving this year because he got a free turkey from NuSkin. I pretty much knew how to make everything except the pies and the most important part of the Thanksgiving meal: the rolls. At least that is what my mom says is the most important part of the meal. So I recruited the help of my friend to help me make rolls for our feast. When I say help, i mean handing Savannah Steele the ingredients so she could make them. She did a really fine job too.



The pies went well too. They now make a pie ready pumpkin stuff which makes making pumpkin pie a lot more easier and it is gluten free for all of you people with celiac disease out there (1 in 133 people are born with it).



We made Pumpkin and Pecan Pies. Notice the foil covering which I thought were really amazing considering I was trying to get strips to put around the edges. The baked really nicely and the crusts did not burn!



Anyway it was a fun evening and Thanksgiving should be great tomorrow as well. Some people from the ward are going to join us and so is my cousin from Maryland so it should be a really fun day. I can't wait.

November 20, 2009

What Do Ya Know Joe---It’s Your Birthday

Today is a very special day. It is our Vice President’s Birthday. He was born on this day in 1942. We have been blessed with Joe Biden’s existence ever since. So in honor of the first Delawarean (or is he a Pennsylvanian?) to become Vice President I decided we should celebrate with the top five Joe Biden moments.

Number Five---Barack and Joe’s Berretta. I like the fact how Joe is essentially threatening violence against the future president.



Number Four---He knows where Bin Laden is. If he knows why haven’t we captured him?



Number Three--- JOBS! That Three Letter Word!



Number Two—Oh Thank Heaven For Seven Eleven. You know that if a Republican would have said this there would have been hell to pay.



Drumroll Please----The Number One Joe Biden moment of all time…Why don’t we have Chuck stand up and tell us what it is.



Happy Birthday Joe! Here is to many more great moments!

October 30, 2009

This Made My Life

This week has been filled with great events. I officially got a job as a research assistant for a political science professor. That was a miracle. I had interviewed for another job with the same professor and I didn’t get, but then out of the blue he e-mailed me and offered me a job. I’m going to be searching through books about Supreme Court Justices to look at their interactions with the Press and Politics. Awesome! Then as a result of getting a job, I got to put in my two weeks notice at the Cannon Center. I will miss my co-workers, but I will not miss smelling like a hamburger at the end of my shift. I could not stop smiling the whole day. I was so happy.

Yesterday was Cougar Tip Off and I really wanted to go to it. Cougar Tip Off is where the BYU Basketball Team splits in two and they play against each other. I talked Mike into going, which was way good because that meant that I didn’t have to go by myself and I didn’t have to walk in the cold, windy weather (I’m so grateful for roommates with cars). I didn’t think there would be a lot of people there, but there were tons of people. The game was well played. We rooted for the blue team because of Jimmer. He not only won a guy a trek mountain bike at half time, but he also scored the winning shot at the buzzer. P.S. He had 22 points in the game.



So…I am a really huge fan of Jimmer Fredette. His name is Jimmer! How can he not be the coolest guy ever? That is such an awesome name. He is also from Glenns Falls, New York (just like Rachel Ray) and we know that people from New York are awesome. So, I had seen him on campus a couple of times, but never had the nerves to go talk to him. After the game they had an autograph line with all of the team members. After waiting in line for a while we approached the table. Notice Jimmer in the background.



Getting closer….



Then we made it. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. He didn’t even hesitate when I asked him if I could have my picture taken. I also shook his hand. It was awesome. Needless to say I was on cloud nine all night. I would have to say that this has been one of the best weeks ever! And it’s not even over yet.

October 21, 2009

This Made My Day

This week has been really hectic. The school work just keeps on coming. I did take a break on Friday to go to my “sister’s” wedding reception. Now I know what you’re thinking: How can he have a sister if he is an only child? Well it was my adopted mission sister who was in my MTC group, Sister Call. She is one of the most amazing people on the earth. I don’t think I would have survived my mission without her. She is the only sister I have. I was so glad I was able to go. That was only possible because of one person: Savannah Steele! I’m so grateful that she gave me a ride to the reception which was in Alpine. That meant so much to me. I would definitely say that she is one of my “sweetest” friends, which is appropriate because October 17th is Sweetest Day. Thanks again Savannah!



On Saturday I spent close to 11 hours in the library. It should be illegal to be in the library for that long in one day. At any rate, I got done what I needed to get done. Just when you think you are over the hump, the humps just keep coming, but the semester is half over. Because of this stress, I have been finding things to be a lot funnier than maybe they actually are. This definitely made my day today. I mean, I knew about the Sacred Obama Candles, the Obama Bobbles and the B. Hussein Obama toilet paper (we're going to need that to wipe up the mess he has made), but when I saw the Obama Sushi I busted out in laughter.



It gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a while. I think it’s ironic that the word sushi, according to Wikipedia, means “it’s sour,” which I think is a proper term, fitting of our President.

September 22, 2009

Rise and Shout



So, the biggest home game of the year was on Saturday against Florida State. I thought that I would go the extra mile to show my support for the Cougars by coloring my hair blue for the game. It was pretty liberating actually. Well, my show of support didn’t help the Cougars, who were soundly defeated by the Seminoles. There have been many excuses for the loss, but I think it is because they didn’t do the haka.

September 10, 2009

Niner

So today was an unofficial holiday. 9-9-9 (in case you can't figure out why it's because all of the numbers are the same when writing the date). I thought it was cool, but apparently some people take the celebrating to a whole new level. I knew something was up when Owen made pancakes with nines in them made out of chocolate chips. Apparently it is really big to celebrate these types of days in their family. So, according to tradition of following the Barnes' lead in celebrating holidays in a particular way (first it was chili dogs on Halloween) we made a cake. It turned out pretty well. Happy "Niner" everyone! (P.S. Notice Owen's shirt in the picture. How does he always end up wearing that shirt when a camera is around?)

August 19, 2009

Van egy ország, ahol álmomban jártam: Magyarország


Today, August 20th, is the biggest national holiday in Hungary. Today they celebrate the life of their first and most revered king. King Stephen did many things for the benefit of Hungary. His most notable act was probably was officially bringing Christianity to Hungary. He also made it easier for missionaries to travel through Hungary. He was eventually made a saint by the Catholic Church. They revered Stephen so much that a later king dug up his body and cut off his right hand and put it on display at the basilica in Budapest to remind the people of the goodness of Szent István.


There will be fireworks today along with a really cool airplane show on the Danube and plenty of drinking in Hungary today. This country that has been through so much throughout history needs something to celebrate. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve in that country among the amazing Hungarian people. Milliók áldása szálljon rád!

August 13, 2009

Obama Lies, Grandma Dies

So I thought with all of the protests going on at town hall meetings around the country I thought I would comment on President Obama’s slipping poll numbers and health care reform. First of all I am against socialized health care. "Obamcare" might not be that exactly, but it would create a slippery slope that would lead to socialized medicine. I had a chance to live in a country with socialized medicine for about two years. It sucks! Their hospitals were gross. Six people in a room with very poor care. I’ll never forget Kovács Maria and her story. She had a grandson with a myriad of health problems and he needed two operations immediately after he was born. In order to get the operation performed the parents had to pay money under the table in order to get a doctor to do it. So it really wasn’t free. People seek incentives. I learned that in Econ 110. Socialized medicine doesn’t work. Plus one proposed plan gives the government direct access to our bank accounts if people don’t pay certain fees. That should not be allowed.


In other news, Obama’s support is slipping. More people now oppose his health plan and his approval ratings overall are slipping. Shoot even the Russians won’t shake his hand.



Hillary Clinton has even come unhinged. When she was asked a question concerning what her husband thought on an issue she got very angry at the reporter. Turns out the translator just messed up the translation.



Finally, for most of the last four years of the Bush administration people protesting the war used the phrase (Bush Lied, Kids Died). Funny how those people protesting the war were normal Americans rightly exercising their rights. When the right protests however it is wrong and evil concoctions of the far right. What a bunch of hypocrites! There is a new slogan for the health care reform opponents: Obama lies, Grandma dies.



Regardless of this report I do think that Obamacare will result in poorer healthcare for senior citizens. Obama doesn’t even know what’s in the plans. This was all topped by the white house asking people to turn in people who express opposition to his plan. Hopefully I’m still alive tomorrow morning.

July 22, 2009

This Is Why I'm Fat

So my friend Owen has a knack at finding really random websites that are really interesting. He frequently visits Today’s Big Thing which has some pretty impressive videos. He also discovered This Is Why You’re Fat. It normally features really disgusting things like The Spamsicle and Dorm Food Casserole. One day however they featured The Pursuit Of Awesomeness Ice Cream Sandwich.



We talked on Facebook about it and even texted about how good it actually looked. So today I decided to pursue awesomeness. I didn’t have blueberries or raspberries so I mixed cherries in with my ice cream. I must admit that the final product was pretty awesome. It would have been easier to eat if the brownies were more cookie like, but it was still really delicious. Give it a try!

July 17, 2009

Is It Over Already

Monday was a really exciting day. I woke up late as usual. We just kind of hung around in the morning. I went out to my car to straighten up the trunk and accidentally locked the keys in the trunk. Thank goodness for AAA. Two hours later the guy arrived and broke into my car so I could open my trunk and get the keys. I can be such a scatter brain sometimes.



In the afternoon we made our way to Palmyra. Savannah and I did some sight seeing. We went to the sacred grove and the Smith family home. The grove was especially pretty. The weather was perfect. We also discovered a stone fence, which both of us had never seen before. That was pretty cool. After that we went to see Alvin’s gravestone. That made me wonder why they always put cemeteries on hills.



Then we went and picked up a really good pizza for dinner. It was a buffalo chicken and blue cheese pizza. We then went back to the hill and ate our pizza. I pretty much inhaled it because it was really good.



Then they had the cast talent show. That was a lot of fun. They had a lot of good and funny acts. Synchronized Swimming. Primary children doing the twist and shout. A lot of singing acts. I thought one of the best was a tribute to John Williams.



After the talent show and munch and mingle we went back to the Steele estate. Savannah and I snuck into her dad’s office to try and fax something. We weren’t exactly sure if it worked. Hopefully it did. Then I e-mailed some pictures to myself and went to bed. It was a really fun trip. I’m glad I had the chance to see the pageant which was really amazing and spend some time with great friends.

July 16, 2009

Oh Canada--Terre de nos aïeux, Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!



Sunday found ourselves at the Hill again. We had sacrament meeting with the whole entire cast and work crew. We got there early to get a good seat. Hunter made these in the car ride. They were actually a lot of fun.



After church we walked around for a little bit. I learned this really cool dice game and ended up winning which was really cool. Then we went to the seating area and talked with Mathieu and his wife and baby Ella. It was fun to see them and the baby. After that I got the backstage tour. I got to see the costume shop where a lot of the cast members get dressed. It was cool to see how well done they were. I also got to go behind/under the stage. I got to see where Sister Steele meets up with Alma every night. It was neat to see all of that. Then I talked to Owen on the phone. It was fun to talk to him. Then we had Thanksgiving dinner, which was really good. Then we had the fireside which was pretty interesting. Despite the rumors that David Archuleta was speaking, he wasn’t the main speaker.

Savannah had been talking about how weird last year’s devotional was really weird and not that good. It was about the Constitution and stuff like that. Well, we were destined for a repeat after we found out the opening hymn was The National Anthem and it was the same speaker as last year. We also had the treat of singing “Oh Canada” as well. That was exciting because Savannah’s dad decided that instead of singing the second verse in English, he decided to sing the first verse in French. He belted it out really loud. It was hysterical. The fireside ended up being about justice and freedom. It was pretty boring actually.

After munch and mingle, we headed back to Bloomfield. At around eleven o’clock we tried to have family prayer. It started with Brother Steele trying to gather all of the kids to the living room. It wasn’t so successful. John then decided to try and slit people’s throats with a knife. After finding out he wasn’t just trying to practice for the pageant, we discovered the John had his tote and chip card which made it okay. Then we had a super huge laugh about the difference in pronunciation between “done” and “dones.” That one lasted for a while. After a good spiritual thought we checked up on someone’s Facebook status to make sure that they were okay. Then after talking about a love of “hoeing” we actually said the prayer. That whole experience really made me want to have siblings. It was cool to see the closeness of that family.

After family prayer we played Mad Gab for a little while and talked and then we went to bed. It was a fun day. Only one more day to write about!

July 15, 2009

Saturday with the Steeles

So Saturday was another fun day hanging out in western New York. We all kind of slept in which felt really good. I had cereal for breakfast. It was a new kind that I had never heard of. It was Rice Krispies, but they were extra big. They were pretty good. Check them out. Then it started to pour down rain. Savannah and I went on a trip to Wegmans. 20 packages of blueberries later we emerged victorious. After we dropped of the goods, we went to a graduation party for one of Savannah’s friend. There I got to experience a staple of western New York: salt potatoes. It’s basically potatoes boiled in salt water and then when they are done they cover them in more salt and butter. They were amazingly delicious.



Then I dropped off Savannah at “the Hill” and I went exploring. Thanks to Danielle (my dad’s GPS thing) I ended up at the Erie Canal. I sat on a bench and wrote some post cards for a couple of hours. The weather was amazing. It really was a beautiful site and great day to be out there.

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Then I went back to “the Hill” to wait for the Pageant to start. Rosemary came around and asked for a referral. I’m sad to report that I didn’t giver her one. Sorry, but I am a really bad member missionary. It’s something I’m working on. Then Pageant started. It was pretty normal until Samuel the Lamanite came on stage and started prophesying about thunder and earthquakes. Well, they came along with rain. By the time I got back to my car I was soaked. After that they canceled the rest of the show. We went to Munch and Mingle and then went home and straight to bed, which felt really good.


July 14, 2009

“Whatever you shoot be sure it’s Remington”



I spent this past weekend in Western New York visiting one of my best friends and attending the Hill Cumorah Pageant. This week my blog will focus on my trip and adventures with the Steele family. I left on Friday at around 12:30 and hit traffic in Harrisburg and Northern PA. The traffic did give me an opportunity to admire the capitol.



It was a really nice drive. Pennsylvania really is a beautiful state. I was constantly amazed by the beauty of the scenery. Because of traffic the trip took seven hours instead of five. Anyway I got to “the Hill” as the locals call it and got something to eat at the concession stand. Nothing like an Italian Sausage with peppers and onions. Then I met up with Savannah and her friend who were already in costume.



It was pretty impressive. She also got me the best seat in the house: front and center. I was grateful for that because it was pretty crowded. The show was really impressive. I thought that it was going to be not so great, but like most things the Church does it was done really well. I really liked the tree of life scene. It was cool with the water mists and everything.



Then after the show I borrowed Hunter’s cast tags and snuck backstage and attended their nightly devotional. I got to meet some of Savannah’s siblings and her dad, who gave me a big hug. I felt really welcome to say the least. Then we headed over to Zion’s Camp and attended munch and mingle. It was kind of awkward when someone came and asked me my name since I technically wasn’t supposed to be there. The Steele’s straightened it out though and I didn’t get kicked out. After munching on some good snacks, we headed to Bloomfield where the Steele family lives. Remington rode home with Savannah and me. I think that he has the coolest name in the world. “Remington Steele.” We basically just went home and went to bed. I got to sleep on a really comfortable couch. I was pleasantly surprised.



I also learned a lesson that night from the example of a sixteen year old. I went to brush my teeth and I saw Remington reading his scriptures. That really had an impression on me. Even though it was super late he was still taking time for the important things in life. That made me realize that I needed to work on my daily scripture study and prayer. I need to put forth the effort to make it a part of my daily routine. Thanks a lot Rem.

July 4, 2009

Let Freedom Ring


Today America is celebrating its 233rd birthday. It is the longest lasting democracy in the World and the model for almost every other free nation in the world. I consider it a blessing to live in the greatest country on the earth. The only reason we are free however is because of the men and women who have fought to protect the rights that we now have. It is because of their sacrifice that we enjoy the life that we have here in the United States. John Adams said "Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood." Ultimately though, we need to remember that America is the country that it is because of its divine destiny.


One of the least known stories in American history concerns the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many people think that all of the founding fathers were willing to sign the declaration. This was not the case. They were worried about the repercussions of their actions. They were worried that the revolution would fail. They were worried about being captured and killed by the British. This led to a heated debate in Independence Hall. In the midst of this debate a voice rang out by a man who had walked through locked doors to enter the hall. Thomas Jefferson recorded in his journal what he said:

They may stretch our necks on all the gibbets in the land. They may turn every tree into a gallows, every home into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. They may pour our blood on a thousand scaffolds and yet from every drop that dyes the axe a new champion of freedom will spring into birth. The words of this declaration will live long after our bones are dust. ** To the mechanic in his workshop they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom; but to the coward rulers, these words will speak in tones of warning they cannot help but hear. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck. Sign if the next minute this hall rings with the clash of falling axes! Sign by all your hopes in life or death, not only for yourselves but for all ages, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever. ** Were my soul trembling on the verge of eternity, my hand freezing in death, I would still implore you to remember this truth God has given America to be free.


God indeed has given America to be free. Now it is up to us to keep America free. This is something the founding fathers worried about. They doubted whether or not the common citizen would be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to protect the freedoms the people were fighting for. Jefferson warned in his Notes on the State of Virginia that “it can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.” Jefferson warned that the intentions of men would change, becoming solely concerned with money and nothing else. This is his warning to not only the revolutionary generation, but it is also directed to our generation of Americans as well. The responsibility that comes with freedom is to keep the “spirit” vigilance so the government does not deny the people of their natural rights. This is especially relevant since in recent months we’ve seen the government take unprecedented control over the lives of its citizens. Most Americans have been silent on this issue. It is time for us to speak up. Even though the times have changed and man’s intentions have changed, the power still rests with us, the people, to control our own destiny. Ultimately, it will be up to us to decide whether or not, as Jefferson states, our “rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion."

June 29, 2009

The King Of Pop Who Paved The Way

In the past couple of days there has been a lot of news coverage about the death of Michael Jackson. Personally, I think that it is a little much. His body wasn't even cold before they had specials on TV about his life. The only music on the radio is Michael Jackson. He was a good singer, but he also was a creeper. The only memory that comes to my mind is my ninth grade Algebra 2 teacher Mrs. Ricks. She wasn’t the best teacher (I got a bad feeling in my stomach everyday I went into her class I disliked the class so much), but she was fun to be around in a crazy sort of way. She also had an obsession with Michael Jackson. She would always tell us how much she liked him and how he was “The King of Pop Who Paved the Way.” I definitely remember a day before a holiday where we did nothing but watch Michael Jackson’s comeback concert that was just on TV (How many comebacks can one person have?). Oh the fun times of wasting time in High School.

So, in memory of Michael Jackson one of my best friend’s brother decided that people should wear white socks to honor him and his legacy. So I did, which was a real sacrifice considering I wear flip flops all year long. You’ll be missed MJ. Thanks for “paving the way.”

June 21, 2009

Pennsylvania and Some Homemade Pumpkin Pie



This week found me finishing classes, taking finals, selling books back, visiting the new Temple in South Jordan and flying to Pennsylvania instead of California. Hopefully we’ll get to go at the end of the summer. It has been a very relaxing time so far. I haven’t really done that much actually. It has been nice not having to do anything. It should be an exciting summer though. Hopefully I will make it to Philadelphia and Palmyra, but we will see. The only really exciting thing since I got home is the nest that a bird built in our grill. It was huge!

June 15, 2009

A Week Long Marathon

Well this week has been a blur really. After having tons of pages of reading, two papers due and working at the Cannon Center, I hardly made it to the weekend. It kicked off with going to a barbeque, which was actually scheduled for next Friday. So Owen and I made some Italian sausage in a spaghetti sauce that was halfway decent actually. Then we went and got Quantum of Solace for free from Redbox. It was really good. We’re still trying to figure out how the title fit into everything. After chatting with the honeys for awhile, I came home and went to bed, only to be awakened at 5:15 by the alarm clock.

At six we left to volunteer at the Utah Valley Marathon. We were at station number sixteen which is apparently the halfway point. It was fun. We got to cheer the runners on. Keep Going. Good Job. My hands hurt afterwards though. A friend from the mission was running. Bryan Brockbank surprised me when he came running by. His parents showed up five minutes after he came by and I recognized them from the photos he had shown me on the mission. Steven King, former Ward Prayer coordinator also ran in the race. He had a big contingent following him. There were people filming the race and people with signs. They even recruited us the “non-partial” judges to wear Burger “Steven” King crowns on his behalf. It was a lot of fun. Then I came back and did laundry and went to work, which consisted of me reading because nobody comes to the Cannon Center on Saturday. Then more reading when I came home. Good news: I finished the last of my readings for the Semester. Yay!



Sunday came early as well. Church at nine in the morning…well actually 9:15 because somebody forgot about the Sacrament. A Russian spoke through a translator. That was pretty cool. Quote of the Day by Owen----“Wouldn’t be cool if Emily Ahn had a sister named Carrie?” (Our closing hymn was entitled “Carry On”) Then we came home and made stuffing meatloaf. It was surprisingly good.




Then some conversation and a phone call with the parents. They’re excited for me to come home. Then dinner. Sam made spaghetti. It was way good. Just way too much pasta, and not enough sauce. Ward prayer followed. No candy basket from the Bishop’s Wife again. Then I decided to update my blog. So I guess the point of this post is that the week has been a busy one. It all caught up with me in Sunday School as you can see from the picture below.



P.S. I am now addicted to this song. It's really great.

May 31, 2009

California----Here We Come



California is widely known as the land of fruits and nuts, but over the past two weeks California has been standing up for what is right. So props to you California.



First of all Californians overwhelmingly voted against the government’s propositions that included increasing the state’s rainy day fund, which would have at the same time increased taxes across the board. They also vote against taking money from mental health programs to pay down the debt. The lottery modernization project was also voted down. Californians decided they didn’t want to take a gamble with the future success of their state. They did however approve a measure which prohibits legislators and the governor from giving themselves raises when there is a deficit. Essentially the citizens of California spoke up and said enough is enough. They are fed up of people who spend too much and just look to tax hikes to solve the problem. They were tired of being taken advantage of and decided to speak up. I hope they continue to voice their opposition and I also hope that other citizens in other states will follow their example.

Then this week the California Supreme upheld the results of Proposition 8, which prohibits same-sex marriage. The court ruled in a 6-1 decision that the people were sovereign and the proposition “carves out a narrow and limited exception to these state constitutional rights, reserving the official designation of the term ‘marriage’ for the union of opposite-sex couples as a matter of state constitutional law.” Instead ignoring the people and the laws that they created, the justices accepted the voice of the people, as it should be in every case. This probably isn’t the end of the same-sex marriage debate, but for now it is a victory.

Anyway, that brings me to the best news of the week concerning California. My family and I were planning to vacation in California this June. My mom had some back problems and the trip was in Jeopardy depending on when here surgery would be. Good news. My childhood dream is going to come true. My mom’s surgery is not going to affect our trip so…California, Here We Come!

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April 29, 2009

So Long, Farwell, Aufwiedersehen, Goodbye



Today marks the end of Obama’s first one hundred days in office. Thank goodness they are over. I honestly never thought that one person could screw up the country as much as he and the democratically controlled Congress have. Where to begin. Many of his cabinet posts are apparently unpatriotic because they don’t pay their taxes. Funny how they will gladly spend our money, but not their own money. The White House, under President Obama’s order decided that they would oversee the census rather then the commerce department, Gee, I wonder which states will have gains in congressional representation? He has signed an order to shut down Guantanamo Bay where terrorists are being held. I hope he releases all of the injured ones that we have nursed back to health so they can go back on the front lines and fight our troops even better than they did before. The "War on Terror" and "enemy combatants" are now nonexistent. The current budget (with the new health care proposal set to be passed tomorrow) will increase the deficit under President Obama to be greater than the deficit of the last 43 Presidents combined. Borrowed money is not free. The stimulus package has failed to work. Maybe that’s because it wasn’t a stimulus package, instead it funded the left-wing agenda including contraception programs and ultimate frisbee parks.




Obama has also become dependent on the teleprompter. Without that, he is nothing.

We have seen flip flopping on the issue of prosecuting former government officials for their role in the torturing of prisoners. First he wasn’t, then he was and now who know where he stands.






He also bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia and had a powwow with Hugo Chavez.




He also has made fun of handicapped people and their bowling abilities. I think the Special Olympian was right. He could beat the President any day of the week.

We have also seen the breaking of campaign promises. He has appointed lobbyists to positions in his administration. He continued to allow out of control pork in the budget. He has thrown bipartisanship out of the window. He offered hope, but has used fear tactics to get the things he feels are important passed. I can only imagine what the next one-hundred years will bring. Socialized Health Care? Patriotic Tax Increases? Kissing up to Osama bin Laden?




In other news, Obama received a gift from Arlen Specter on Tuesday when he announced he would become a Democrat. Most Republicans were disappointed and rightly so considering it was the Republicans that put him in office. We put him in to represent our values and ideals. He has sold us out for his own ambitions. He is such a sissy. He is so afraid of losing, that he switched parties. I personally am happy. Whenever we have truly needed him (Stimulus Package, Judicial Nominees, etc.) he has always sold us out. To him I say “Good Riddance You Liberal Twit.” I hope Patrick Toomey kicks his butt come 2010. At least now we actually know he really was a Democrat and a Republican in name only.



So "The Chosen One" has failed us. This only goes to show what happens when people put their trust in the arm of flesh.The good news is that the Republicans don’t have to put up with Senator Specter anymore and there are only 1362 days left in President Obama’s presidency. Until then, to quote Usher "We got it, we got it bad."

April 23, 2009

Out With The Old and In With The New



The semester ended with bang today as I got to party with all of my Magyar friends and I also took my last final which consisted of me writing nonstop for two hours and still not being able to complete the length requirements. Here is to hoping that my teacher will be lenient in grading.

The reason for this post is two fold. First it is to say goodbye to the old. Previously this blog dealt exclusively with religious themes. This blog started as an assignment in my New Testament class. The class has ended and I've decided to stop the religious themes for awhile and go to more "non-spiritual" posts. I hope that you will continue to find the posts entertaining. It will be harder to think of something to write, but I will try my best.


The second reason for this post is to say goodbye to my roommates. They are all leaving me for the semester. Owen is off to Spain and then who knows where. Mike is going back to "where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain." Adam is going back to Washington to work it up over the summer. I will be getting all new roommates for the spring. That is going to be an experience for sure. My mind is being flooded with all sorts of memories that we have had this year. Trips to YoZone and Babis 'R Us. The thumping from RockBand at all hours of the night. LOST. Our very own Thanksgiving. Seeing Bun Foo in his musical debut. The Passover. Going to Conference.Pumpkin Carving. Oreo Truffles. It has been one fun-filled year that is coming to an end. I guess the point of this all is to say that I am going to miss them.

So as we say goodbye to the old, here is to the new. The new semester. The new roommates. The new experiences. Here is to a great summer everyone!