Movie Weekend

This past saturday, my wife and I took our kids to see the new Disney movie, "Bolt". We enjoyed it very much. It was funny and very entertaining.



Later that evening, I took my wife to see the movie "Twilight". The new movie (#1 on its opening weekend in America) based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer.

I have not read the books, but I LOVED this movie. Can't wait to see the other movies based on this series of novels. I guess I need to read them now!

Edward Cullen: And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.
Isabella Swan: What a stupid lamb.
Edward Cullen: What a sick, masochistic lion.

Time for Lightsaber

I have been pretty stressed with things so I wanted to "lighten" things up with some good lightsaber action (for my son, Jordan)...

Enjoy...



And basically the best I've seen. "RvD2: Ryan vs. Dorkman 2"

Star Trek XII Trailer

OK. I know I'm a nerd, but I'm looking forward to this movie. Here is the latest trailer.

Happy Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day!

Thank you to all who have served this, the greatest country in the world. I salute you all, my brothers and sisters of the United States Armed Forces.

Thomas Pedersen
1101st Signal Brigade
U.S. Army 1986-1990

The Sack Lunches

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail that made me think. I’m calling it my “Thought for the day”.

Thank You to those who have given so much to those of us who have so much!!

Subject: The Sack Lunches (Author: Unknown)

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. "Chicago - to Great Lakes Base. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Iraq"

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to Chicago ' His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country.
I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed like so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Something to Think About

There is much frustration in the world, country these days. The financial crisis, the energy crisis, the war on terror and the looming presidential election in less than a month. It is easy to get caught up in the spirits of contention, but I caution you to resist.

Instead, I suggest you turn inward. Get down on your knees and pray to He who has creates all things. Ask Him for help to withstand the buffing winds. It really does not matter, these worldly problems, as long as you try to keep the proper eternal perspective on these events. With prayer and study of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, you may be guided by the Holy Spirit to a calmer state.

I am a mortal being. My life on this earth is short when compaired to the life left to live when I leave this place. I wish to see all of you there on the other side. Where we WILL have peace.

Joe Cook: Dear Mr. Obama

Some have suggested that the McCain Campaign paid for this ad. Nothing could be further from the truth. Joe Cook did this on his own and is an Iraqi War Veteran.

September 11 - REMEMBER

It has been seven years since the United States was attacked by the cowardice lowlifes of Al Qaeda. I will NEVER forget, and I feel that NO ONE should.

As quoted from the passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, Todd Beamer, said wnen he and others took action to prevent further deaths of innocent American victims on the ground. Todd led the group to action with the rally call now turned battle cry "Let's Roll!"

I dedicate this posting to those who lost their lives on that dreadful day. And I thank those who have stood up for the American people, on that day to the present day.

"Let's Roll!"

9/11: The Day the World Stood Still


Do You Remember by Darryl Worley


9/11

McCain Camp ‘Rescues’ Flags From Obama Rally

Found this on the FOXnews website. It's nice to know "how" the Democrats "care and respect" the symbol of the United States of America and her People...

McCain Camp ‘Rescues’ Flags From Obama Rally
by FOXNews.com
Saturday, September 6, 2008

Democrats are not caring for their Stars and Stripes. At least that’s the message out of John McCain’s campaign.

McCain supporters, claiming they rescued 12,000 miniature American flags from the site of Barack Obama’s nomination acceptance speech last Thursday, redistributed the orphan flags to audience members ahead of a McCain rally in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

The move was an overt swipe at Obama from a campaign whose motto has been “country first.” But Democratic convention organizers claimed the flags were not going to be discarded — but instead were snatched from the site of Obama’s historic address to carry out a “cheap political stunt.”

McCain supporters said the flags were discovered by a vendor at Denver’s Invesco Field after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. The vendor supposedly found trash bags full of flags in and near garbage bins, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.

Boy Scouts were sorting through 84 bags of flags in Colorado on Saturday, before a McCain supporter had veterans distribute them to the audience.

“We want to find good homes for these flags,” radio host Dan Caplis said at the rally, adding that whatever flags remained would be placed at memorials throughout Colorado.

Audience members, who booed when Caplis announced that the flags were left in Denver, waved the flags and chanted “U.S.A” before McCain arrived at the rally with his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Damon Jones, spokesman for the Democratic National Convention Committee, released a statement saying McCain should applaud the fact that thousands of American flags were “proudly waved” at their convention.

“But instead his supporters wrongfully took leftover bundles of our flags from the stadium to play out a cheap political stunt calling into question our patriotism,” he said.

Obama has faced attacks on his patriotism since the beginning of the Democratic primary race and has set up a Web site specifically designed to fight such charges.

The McCain campaign has denied questioning Obama’s patriotism, and even released a statement Friday calling Obama’s most recent comments on the matter “hysterical.”

Obama said Friday that Republicans are trying to make the election a personality contest, and that “what they’re really saying is ‘we’re going to try to scare people about Barack. So we’re going to say that you know, ‘Maybe he’s got Muslim connections or we’re going to say that, you know, he hangs out with radicals or he’s not patriotic.’”

U.S. Code says the proper method for disposing of an American flag is actually burning, provided it is “no longer a fitting emblem for display.”

The United States Flag Store, which sells full-sized and miniature flags, says on its Web site that flags can also be put in the trash, when they are “worn, damaged or tattered beyond repair.”

FOX News’ Carl Cameron and Bonney Kapp contributed to this report.

Additionally from Flag Rules and Regulations

My flag is old and ready to be retired. What should I do?

Section 8k of the Flag Code states, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning." We recommend that you contact your local VFW Chapter and ask them for help properly disposing of your flag. And be sure to consider providing a small donation to them for their assistance. Or you can contact your local Elks Lodge (who created the idea of Flag Day, established officially by President Truman, himself a member of the Elks), the American Legion, or the Knights of Columbus. Some Boy Scout and Girl Scout troups also can provide this service.

See Flag Burning Service and Ceremony.

In earlier times, most American flags were made of cotton or wool. But today's flags are often nylon or other petroleum-based materials. Burning them can release hazardous gases, including formaldehydes, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and traces of hydrogen cyanide into the air. In some states, it is even illegal to burn nylon, so adhering to the Flag Code puts you in direct violation of the law. Burning is preferred for cotton and wool flags. Nylon and flags made from other synthetics can be buried.

Modern flag retirement ceremonies, often held annually on Flag Day, sometimes feature the symbolic burning of a single flag (cotton or wool) and the burial of the others. This is both safe and respectful.

American Flag Recycling: A group advocating recycling nylon flags

Trace Adkins Mood

I'm in a Trace Adkins mood today.
Arlington (Memorial Day)

You're Gonna Miss This

And of course, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk

Trace Adkins TO APPEAR IN AN AMERICAN CAROL

I really enjoy this man's musical talent. Looking forward to seeing this movie!

From: Trace Adkins.com

TRACE ADKINS TO APPEAR IN AN AMERICAN CAROL
09/04/08

New Comedy Film Set For Nationwide Theatrical Release Friday, October

Country star Trace Adkins will soon appear on the big screen in AN AMERICAN CAROL, the new irreverent comedy scheduled for nationwide theatrical release on Friday, October 3.

In An American Carol, Adkins portrays the Angel of Death, one of three spirits visiting an infamous "Hollywood" filmmaker who has made a career out of criticizing America. Each ghost takes him on a hilarious journey in attempt to show the error of his ways and the true meaning of America.

In describing his character, Adkins says, "I'm the guy who performs the same function that the Grim Reaper did in the Charles Dickens' tale - he's showing this guy what the future could possibly look like and is trying to scare him straight."

In casting the role of the "Angel of Death," film director David Zucker (Airplaine!, The Naked Gun, Scary Movie 3 & 4) says, "There were many great ideas that came to mind, (Adkins, Farley - Photo by Sam Emerson/Mpower) but Trace Adkins stood out as someone strong enough to carry it, intimidating with his physical presence and resonating voice."

Adkins, who is also gearing up to release his tenth country album in November comments further, "It was really cool playing a character who holds life and death in his hands."

In addition to Adkins, the movie features Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Neilsen, Dennis Hopper, James Woods, Robert Davi, Geoffrey Arend, Serdar Kalsin and Jon Voight.

Sarah "Barracuda" Palin

The video of her speech last night at the RNCC



Transcript

The following video is the Gov. Sarah Palin Biography Video that was not shown due to time constraints. The narrator is Jon Voight (Father of actress Angelina Jolie).

Senator John McCain to Senator Barack Obama - Classy

Senator John McCain will air an ad to be played during Senator Barack Obama’s speech tonight. This is the ad:

Video: A new McCain spokesman for Obama’s unreadiness

Barack Obama’s Terrorist Ties

I am posting this because it NEEDS to be looked closly at. Obama DOES have ties to a KNOWN TERRORIST.

And . . .

AT&T is the T-1000 of corporations, no matter how many pieces you break it into, it always comes back together.

I work for the local phone company (Qwest Communications) here in Utah. This was the Baby Bell Company U.S. West that used to be Mountain Bell that used to be part of AT&T. I added this because I think it is funny. It is a little old. Hope you like it.

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers

Text (by: Gerard Baker):

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.

And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.

From there he went forth to Mesopotamia where he was received by the great ruler al-Maliki, and al-Maliki spake unto him and blessed his Sixteen Month Troop Withdrawal Plan even as the imperial warrior Petraeus tried to destroy it.

And lo, in Mesopotamia, a miracle occurred. Even though the Great Surge of Armour that the evil Bush had ordered had been a terrible mistake, a waste of vital military resources and doomed to end in disaster, the Child's very presence suddenly brought forth a great victory for the forces of the light.

And the Persians, who saw all this and were greatly fearful, longed to speak with the Child and saw that the Child was the bringer of peace. At the mention of his name they quickly laid aside their intrigues and beat their uranium swords into civil nuclear energy ploughshares.

From there the Child went up to the city of Jerusalem, and entered through the gate seated on an ass. The crowds of network anchors who had followed him from afar cheered “Hosanna” and waved great palm fronds and strewed them at his feet.

In Jerusalem and in surrounding Palestine, the Child spake to the Hebrews and the Arabs, as the Scripture had foretold. And in an instant, the lion lay down with the lamb, and the Israelites and Ishmaelites ended their long enmity and lived for ever after in peace.

As word spread throughout the land about the Child's wondrous works, peoples from all over flocked to hear him; Hittites and Abbasids; Obamacons and McCainiacs; Cameroonians and Blairites.

And they told of strange and wondrous things that greeted the news of the Child's journey. Around the world, global temperatures began to decline, and the ocean levels fell and the great warming was over.

The Great Prophet Algore of Nobel and Oscar, who many had believed was the anointed one, smiled and told his followers that the Child was the one generations had been waiting for.

And there were other wonderful signs. In the city of the Street at the Wall, spreads on interbank interest rates dropped like manna from Heaven and rates on credit default swaps fell to the ground as dead birds from the almond tree, and the people who had lived in foreclosure were able to borrow again.

Black gold gushed from the ground at prices well below $140 per barrel. In hospitals across the land the sick were cured even though they were uninsured. And all because the Child had pronounced it.

And this is the testimony of one who speaks the truth and bears witness to the truth so that you might believe. And he knows it is the truth for he saw it all on CNN and the BBC and in the pages of The New York Times.

Then the Child ventured forth from Israel and Palestine and stepped onto the shores of the Old Continent. In the land of Queen Angela of Merkel, vast multitudes gathered to hear his voice, and he preached to them at length.

But when he had finished speaking his disciples told him the crowd was hungry, for they had had nothing to eat all the hours they had waited for him.

And so the Child told his disciples to fetch some food but all they had was five loaves and a couple of frankfurters. So he took the bread and the frankfurters and blessed them and told his disciples to feed the multitudes. And when all had eaten their fill, the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Thence he travelled west to Mount Sarkozy. Even the beauteous Princess Carla of the tribe of the Bruni was struck by awe and she was great in love with the Child, but he was tempted not.

On the Seventh Day he walked across the Channel of the Angles to the ancient land of the hooligans. There he was welcomed with open arms by the once great prophet Blair and his successor, Gordon the Leper, and his successor, David the Golden One.

And suddenly, with the men appeared the archangel Gabriel and the whole host of the heavenly choir, ranks of cherubim and seraphim, all praising God and singing: “Yes, We Can.”

The "Obama" Prayer

Our Obama, who art from heaven, or Hawaii, or possibly Chicago,

Liberal be thy name,

Thy presidency come,

Thy will be done,

On Earth, as it is in San Francisco.

Give us this day our daily handouts.

And forgive us our individualism,

As we forgive those who don't properly inflate their tires.

And lead us not into the Clintons,

But deliver us from McCain

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for two full terms.

City considers 'green' burials

This, I would classify as, “What the heck?!?!?!”
City considers 'green' burials
Plan offers to reduce person's 'carbon footprint'
Posted: August 12, 20089:58 pm Eastern
WorldNetDaily

Colorado Springs officials are considering "green burials" that would enable the dead to reduce their carbon footprint.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, city officials are reviewing options for management of their city-owned cemeteries, and one of the proposals is to have "green" burials.

Officials say the burials would cost significantly less and "provide a back-to-earth experience" for people who seek to reduce their carbon footprint after their death.

The report said under the proposal bodies would be buried in bags, wicker baskets or egg-carton boxes, lowering customer costs. It also would reduce city expenses, because the plots would require no sprinkler systems or water and little mowing.

The burials would reduce greatly the need for manufactured goods, such as caskets, saving the resources and energy used to make them. They also would allow the biodegrading process to occur beneath native grasses and wildflowers, so little lawn maintenance would be required, officials said.

The idea was considered as part of an overall review of the city's cemeteries, which have adequate burial space for many years to come but need $3.5 million in equipment and improvements, such as vehicles, irrigation systems and fencing, the Gazette report said.

Drive naked, save America

From Glenn Beck from today:

Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also hosts a conservative national radio talk show.

Glenn Beck says conservation won't solve energy crisis, and we need more oil drilling in the U.S.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Call our politicians and tell them to stay on vacation. Call the caribou roaming in Alaska and tell them they're safe. Call the Saudi king and tell him what you really think of his oil.

I, Glenn Beck, a recovering alcoholic rodeo clown, have come up with a solution to America's energy crisis...and you're wearing it.

Look at yourself right now. You've probably got on a shirt, socks, shoes, jewelry, maybe even some pants. Do you have any idea how much all of that weighs?

If people really loved America, they would strip down, leave their clothes at home, and drive around buck naked. That would decrease the weight of our cars, which would increase our gas mileage so dramatically that we probably wouldn't have to drill for any new oil!

Genius, right?

Of course, my idea has about as much of a chance to make a real difference in our energy crisis as the suggestion that Barack Obama recently made.

"Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing," Obama said. "But we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much."

When The Associated Press asked Obama's campaign for the figures they used to make that claim, they couldn't produce any -- but plenty of other people have.

It turns out that about two-thirds of vehicles already have properly inflated tires. That means we'd likely save somewhere around 800,000 barrels of oil a day if everyone else also complied. Meanwhile, the U.S. Minerals Management Service estimates that there are about 86 billion barrels of oil in the areas that we're not allowed to drill. You do the math.

But, facts aside, Obama seemed to be stunned that Republicans would dare ridicule an idea as revolutionary as checking your tire pressure. "They're making fun of a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption," he complained.

No, what they're making fun of is that a guy who, less than two months earlier, was against the gas tax holiday because it was a "gimmick," has suddenly embraced what is essentially a gimmick.

No one, including John McCain, disputes that keeping your tires inflated will help you get better gas mileage. But so will emptying your trunk, buying a hybrid, not using the heat, and driving naked. The point is that none of those things are solutions; they're unsustainable gimmicks that distract people from solving the underlying crisis. They're also exactly the type of things that Obama once claimed he was against.

But, of course, the adoring mainstream media doesn't want to talk about that, they just want to defend Obama's honor.

Michael Grunwald recently wrote an article titled, "The Tire-Gauge Solution: No Joke," that probably would've been harsher on Obama if it was written by Barack himself. It's more love-sonnet than journalism.

"Meanwhile," he wrote, "efficiency experts say that keeping tires inflated can improve gas mileage 3 percent and regular maintenance can add another 4 percent. Many drivers already follow their advice, but if everyone did, we could immediately reduce demand several percentage points. In other words: Obama is right."

Of course he's right; he's Barack Obama, savior of the universe! But one phrase that he used deserves a little more attention: "but if everyone did."

"But if everyone" donated their organs then people wouldn't die waiting for them.

"But if everyone" ate only lettuce then our health care system would be fixed.

"But if everyone" just sent me one dollar then I'd retire with $300 million in the bank.

Of course, the reality is that people still die waiting for organs, obesity is an epidemic, and I'm still writing these columns. That's why saying "but if everyone did" is such a red herring.

Grunwald went on to suggest that perhaps we're just over-thinking this whole "energy crisis" thing. "It's a pretty simple concept," he wrote. "If our use of fossil fuels is increasing our reliance on Middle Eastern dictators while destroying the planet, maybe we ought to use less."

Welcome back to Fantasy Land. Saying "we ought to" is exactly the same as "but if everyone" -- a way to make a ridiculous point sound plausible. It's like saying: We ought to all live in peace and harmony. It's not that easy.

But let's follow his yellow brick road for a second anyway. If we all put on our Jimmy Carter sweaters and used less oil, we'd still need millions of barrels. How about making sure those barrels come from America by starting to drill for it now? We'll never be truly free until we're completely free from Middle Eastern oil.

Not surprisingly, drilling was nowhere to be found in the article, but Grunwald did include plenty of other, "simple" things we can do:

"We can use those twisty carbon fluorescent light bulbs. We can unplug our televisions, computers and phone chargers when we're not using them."

He's living in a dream world! Not only is unplugging a television not going to do a darn thing, it's annoying and almost no one in their right mind will ever, ever, ever, ever do it! Ever!

And finally, just in case you weren't yet sure if Grunwald's article was essentially a commercial for Obama, here's how he ended it:

"It's sad to see (McCain's) campaign adopting the politics of the tire gauge, promoting the fallacy that Americans are powerless to address their own energy problems. Because the truth is: Yes, we can..."

Hmm, let me think, where have I heard "Yes we can" before? Ohhh, that's right, it's what Obama supporters chant at his speeches.

Is Obama's energy policy solely based on tire gauges? No. But can we criticize him for embracing the same kind of gimmicky stall tactics that have gotten us to this place?

Yes. Yes we can.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

"Are Mormons Christians?"

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - the second-highest governing body of the Church - covers topics from "Are you Christian?" to "Does the Church support political candidates?"

"Are you Christian?"


Why do some people say you are a cult?


Does the Church support political candidates?

A Tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley

The World Report - President Gordon B. Hinckley Passing


Radio/Television Talk Show Host Glenn Beck's tribute to the late LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley - January 30, 2008

Trace Adkins - Swing

My favorite country music artist.

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

My wife and I really like Jeff Dunham!!!!