I just read this interesting article by a gentleman named Dan Bloom. He's been living in Japan for 20 years and offers an eye-opening perspective in this piece about how children in overseas countries regularly greet western visitors with the F-word and "the finger" because Hollywood movies have, perhaps inadvertently, taught them this things are "cool!"
Such a disgrace.
For me, it gave me additional perspective to the influence that America has on the world. That influence can be good--such as helping other nations in need with humanitarian efforts. That influence can be bad--like teaching the world that gluttony is not only okay but should be aspired to. And apparently that influence can also be downright ugly--as in the case made by Bloom.
8.26.2011
8.23.2011
Virginia Earthquake - August 23, 2011
Some very unique shaking, rattling and rolling hit us today! It was not the first earthquake I've ever felt, but at 5.9 on the richter scale is was very much so the strongest. Thought this was an interesting piece post by USA TODAY's Dan Vergano:
"Central Virginia does get its share of minor earthquakes, but an earthquake of this size on the East Coast is certainly very unusual," says seismologist Karen Fischer of Brown University.
Virginia is not on an active earthquake fault and is roughly in the middle of the North American continental crustal plate, she says. But it has residual fault scars left over from 200 to 300 million years ago, when it was an earthquake zone, at the time when the Atlantic Ocean rifted apart from Europe. "We are just seeing pressure build up and release on those scars," Fischer says. "There is a lot of debate on exactly what is going on down there and exactly how quakes this big happen in this kind of crustal zone."
Because the crust under the East Coast is colder and firmer than the West Coast, shocks travel more efficiently through it, accounting for the widely felt shaking.
"One lesson of this quake is that building codes will likely need to be revisited on the East Coast," Fischer says. "Because we are not as conscious of earthquakes here as the West Coast and we will have to see about structural damage to buildings, although I have not heard any damage reports so far."
"Central Virginia does get its share of minor earthquakes, but an earthquake of this size on the East Coast is certainly very unusual," says seismologist Karen Fischer of Brown University.
Virginia is not on an active earthquake fault and is roughly in the middle of the North American continental crustal plate, she says. But it has residual fault scars left over from 200 to 300 million years ago, when it was an earthquake zone, at the time when the Atlantic Ocean rifted apart from Europe. "We are just seeing pressure build up and release on those scars," Fischer says. "There is a lot of debate on exactly what is going on down there and exactly how quakes this big happen in this kind of crustal zone."
Because the crust under the East Coast is colder and firmer than the West Coast, shocks travel more efficiently through it, accounting for the widely felt shaking.
"One lesson of this quake is that building codes will likely need to be revisited on the East Coast," Fischer says. "Because we are not as conscious of earthquakes here as the West Coast and we will have to see about structural damage to buildings, although I have not heard any damage reports so far."
8.09.2011
Stars by Sara Teasdale
Alone in the night
On a dark hill
With pines around me
Spicy and still,
And a heaven full of stars
Over my head,
White and topaz
And misty red;
Myriads with beating
Hearts of fire
That aeons
Cannot vex or tire;
Up the dome of heaven
Like a great hill,
I watch them marching
Stately and still,
And I know that I
Am honored to be
Witness
Of so much majesty.
On a dark hill
With pines around me
Spicy and still,
And a heaven full of stars
Over my head,
White and topaz
And misty red;
Myriads with beating
Hearts of fire
That aeons
Cannot vex or tire;
Up the dome of heaven
Like a great hill,
I watch them marching
Stately and still,
And I know that I
Am honored to be
Witness
Of so much majesty.
6.22.2011
Amazing quote on the Holy Ghost
I was amazed by this quote that I shared with the Teachers Quorum as part of last week’s lesson. The stage was first set by a small quote from the Prophet Joseph Smith about how the Holy Ghost is essentially “pure intelligence.”
Elder Parley P. Pratt described the effects of the Holy Ghost:
“[His influence] quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Key to the Science of Theology, 9th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1965], p. 101).
WHOA! Yeah. Wow. Hello… In other words, there really is nothing that is done in our mortal lives right now by our Father in Heaven or our Savior, Jesus Christ, without going through the Holy Ghost. I always knew he played an important role in the gospel and in my own life, but I realized after reading this that my understanding was very shallow as this subject has some serious depth I had not considered.
The lesson continues:
We should seek to receive the influence of the Holy Ghost as described by Elder Pratt. Many times the Holy Ghost will act as a comforter, speaking peace to our minds and hearts. Other times the influence of the Holy Ghost will give us sudden bursts of thought or inspiration, as if a light were turned on in our minds and hearts, and in the light we discern some new truth. This is the pure intelligence spoken of by Joseph Smith. It is the still small voice speaking “in your mind and in your heart” (D&C 8:2), the burning in your bosom (see D&C 9:8).
6.14.2011
Karaoke Fail -- Jesus Take The Wii
A friend posted this on Facebook. I saw it on my lunch break yesterday and laughed myself to tears... so needed it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWT9tLa15vU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWT9tLa15vU
5.24.2011
On rapture
It has been interesting to follow the story of Harold Camping, the 89 year-old "radio preacher" who was calling for the end of the world and Christ's second coming or "rapture" this past Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 6 pm Eastern Time. It came, it went, we're all still here, and now Mr. Camping finds himself as the butt of endless jokes around the world.
Very few people took Camping seriously. Still, others cashed in their life savings to a collective tune of $100 million to help him spread the word and warn the world of the coming judgement day. Now they feel deceived. Yet, the self-proclaimed prophet now tells the world he was just 5 months off, and that the event is truly to happen now on October 21, 2011.
When I saw this updated prophecy on the news this morning, I shook my head in disbelief. Who is going to believe him this time? The 5/21/11 event was fodder for jokes for most already. But now he's really hanging himself out there.
Still, amidst the nonsense, a few things about this event impressed me.
First, this man's bold declaration caught the attention of many people. Crazy as he may be labeled, the world is listening and, I believe, expecting to hear big news.
Second, my observation is that there are more "believers" that Christ will come again surrounding me that I may have realized. At my workplace last week, for instance, Christians of all denominations casually discussed Camping's warning. I heard many of them citing the New Testament in which 3 of the gospels plainly claim that neither the day nor the hour of Christ's return are known by any man--see Matthew, Mark and John.
Third and lastly, I reaffirmed my belief in the gospel as it has been taught to me since my youth. I believe that there is a true, living Prophet on the Earth today. I'm grateful that the words of latter-day prophets, while often bold, make plain sense. To me, this is a testament of their truth. The Spirit witnesses to those who hear that messages are either true or false--the listener simply needs to know how to discern and be sensitive enough to do so.
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24
Very few people took Camping seriously. Still, others cashed in their life savings to a collective tune of $100 million to help him spread the word and warn the world of the coming judgement day. Now they feel deceived. Yet, the self-proclaimed prophet now tells the world he was just 5 months off, and that the event is truly to happen now on October 21, 2011.
When I saw this updated prophecy on the news this morning, I shook my head in disbelief. Who is going to believe him this time? The 5/21/11 event was fodder for jokes for most already. But now he's really hanging himself out there.
Still, amidst the nonsense, a few things about this event impressed me.
First, this man's bold declaration caught the attention of many people. Crazy as he may be labeled, the world is listening and, I believe, expecting to hear big news.
Second, my observation is that there are more "believers" that Christ will come again surrounding me that I may have realized. At my workplace last week, for instance, Christians of all denominations casually discussed Camping's warning. I heard many of them citing the New Testament in which 3 of the gospels plainly claim that neither the day nor the hour of Christ's return are known by any man--see Matthew, Mark and John.
Third and lastly, I reaffirmed my belief in the gospel as it has been taught to me since my youth. I believe that there is a true, living Prophet on the Earth today. I'm grateful that the words of latter-day prophets, while often bold, make plain sense. To me, this is a testament of their truth. The Spirit witnesses to those who hear that messages are either true or false--the listener simply needs to know how to discern and be sensitive enough to do so.
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:24
3.10.2011
Pandora--has Pandora's Box been opened?
So, we stepped up and joined the "smartphone" generation and got Blackberry phones this past December. By far, one of my favorite things about it has been having Pandora Radio, which is "internet radio." It's cool because it's like having an iPod on shuffle but without the limitation of your own music library. Cool, right?! Yes, but...
I have quickly learned a thing or two about the music industry:
1. More artists than I realized actually produce "explicit" versions of their songs, and Pandora has chosen to play them--uncensored. So picture me listening along to a song I've heard many times on the radio but then I'm suddenly shocked by an unedited f-bomb or the like. Have you had this experience yet? Fortunately, Pandora provides a skip key, so the user can skip to the next song. But I'm of the mindset that it would be nice if the user could select "play clean versions only" as a permanent choice.
2. Today's most popular artists lead me to firmly believe that the world truly is going to Hell in a handbasket. What prompted me to write this post was a song that came on titled, I kid you not, "I just had sex..." I second guessed my ears at first as the artist sang that line, and then when I heard another reference that "she let me put my p----s in her," I was quite honestly dumbfounded. Seriously?!? "Artists" can make money on this crap? In today's world, they obviously can. An article I read yesterday spoke of how nobody knew the name "Kardashian" until one of the Kardashian sisters made and released a sex tape that "launched her career," and how this past year their "empire" made $65 million. Sad day when "normal" people are working hard just to get by and this "other side" do awful things to obtain celebrity status and a financial fortune.
Should I be surprised by this? If you remind yourself of the definition of Pandora's Box as I had to, I guess there should be little surprise. Wiki says it well: "Today, opening Pandora's box means to create evil that cannot be undone." Scary. I guess if I don't like Pandora I can always switch to another internet radio app---like Slacker Radio, right?
So, here's a question for you: Do you think there's a market left out there for an internet radio app that connotes something POSITIVE and plays only clean versions of songs?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I have quickly learned a thing or two about the music industry:
1. More artists than I realized actually produce "explicit" versions of their songs, and Pandora has chosen to play them--uncensored. So picture me listening along to a song I've heard many times on the radio but then I'm suddenly shocked by an unedited f-bomb or the like. Have you had this experience yet? Fortunately, Pandora provides a skip key, so the user can skip to the next song. But I'm of the mindset that it would be nice if the user could select "play clean versions only" as a permanent choice.
2. Today's most popular artists lead me to firmly believe that the world truly is going to Hell in a handbasket. What prompted me to write this post was a song that came on titled, I kid you not, "I just had sex..." I second guessed my ears at first as the artist sang that line, and then when I heard another reference that "she let me put my p----s in her," I was quite honestly dumbfounded. Seriously?!? "Artists" can make money on this crap? In today's world, they obviously can. An article I read yesterday spoke of how nobody knew the name "Kardashian" until one of the Kardashian sisters made and released a sex tape that "launched her career," and how this past year their "empire" made $65 million. Sad day when "normal" people are working hard just to get by and this "other side" do awful things to obtain celebrity status and a financial fortune.
Should I be surprised by this? If you remind yourself of the definition of Pandora's Box as I had to, I guess there should be little surprise. Wiki says it well: "Today, opening Pandora's box means to create evil that cannot be undone." Scary. I guess if I don't like Pandora I can always switch to another internet radio app---like Slacker Radio, right?
So, here's a question for you: Do you think there's a market left out there for an internet radio app that connotes something POSITIVE and plays only clean versions of songs?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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