In one of my previous blogs I made reference to one of my favorite reality TV shows, “American Pickers”.

Another one of my favorite TV shows is, “Shark Tank”. The series features a panel of wealthy investors called “Sharks” who consider offers from entrepreneurs seeking investors for their business or product. ~from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So I want to make a proposal. It has been estimated that both Romney and Obama will raise/spend about 1 Billion dollars each in their bids to become President of the United States of America.

Now we have all been told that the number one issue is, “Jobs”. So instead of spending this money on useless/pointless ads why not create a new reality TV show, “Job Creator in Chief”.

In this reality TV Show, Obama and Romney would seek out small business investors and loan them money. They could not loan more than $200,000 per business and the show would publish weekly the results of how the investments are preforming. Then the voters would be able to see who really knows how to help improve our economy.

So I need your help…

What other rules should we have for our reality TV show?

I am willing to be taught. So please help me out here.

Is saying that we need to have a government social net for our citizens, the same as saying we cannot trust the people of our nation to help each other out?

How can government force people to help one another, if its citizens are not willing to do so on their own?

Do we really believe that giving a dollar to the government to spend increases the effectiveness of the aide which will be given?

Why shouldn’t government charity have to compete in the market like every other charity?

Why does Warren Buffett advocate for more of US to give our dollars the federal government, when he himself decided to give is money to a private charity (Bill & Melinda Gates)?

I listen to the radio in my car on the way to work.

When I listen to a particular conservative talk show host, he sometimes comes down fairly hard on social issues and it may seem like he is a hard uncaring man.

When I listen to public radio, I always get the sense that they care so much for those who are less-fortunate.

AND

Both of these shows have commercials and sometimes I believe public radio has even more commercials now days then even talk radio.

ALSO

Both ask for my money at times throughout the year.

BUT

While whenever a local talk radio host asks for money it is to support a worthwhile charitable cause…

Public radio only asks for money to support their own programing needs.

SIDE STORY

I was watching a documentary about Ronald Reagan on PBS (I do like a lot of the shows on PBS). And they brought up a story about a single-mother struggling who came into Reagan’s office. After their visit he wrote here a personal check. The person telling the story was a biographer of Reagan. And he pointed out that Reagan did just not get it. He shouldn’t be writing personal checks, he should be changing the policies of our government to help her.

Well…

There they go again. Liberals just do not understand that people change this world, not governments. You and I helping each other out, is what makes this world a better place. Paying forward the blessing we have received.

MY POINT

Conservatives may get a bad rap for telling the truth on how government trying to share the wealth of the rich is a bad idea, But true conservatives are the ones lending a hand to those in need.

The Confraternity Version, a major Catholic translation prepared under the guidance of the Catholic Bishops of the United States:

1 CORINTHIANS 15:29 (The Bible) — Else what shall they do who receive baptism for the dead? If the dead do not rise at all, why then do people receive baptism for them?

—–

The Atonement of Jesus Christ assures each of us that we will be resurrecte­d and live forever. But if we are to live forever with our families in Heavenly Father’s presence, we must do all that the Savior asks us to do.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have each been baptized. But many of God’s children have not had these same opportunit­ies. They lived at a time or place when the gospel was not available to them.

Heavenly Father wants all of His children to return and live with Him. For those who died without the gospel, He has provided a way for this to happen and He has asked us to perform ordinances for all our ancestors in the temples.

—–

Proxy baptism no more makes someone Christian, than

Offering a friend some food makes him full.

In both cases the person is free to accept & enjoy the gift.

—–

Many of us have heard the stories about banks not making wise decisions in making loans and because they were, “too big to fail”. We had to bail them out.

A lot of this comes from people loaning money that is not really theirs.

But what if we allowed ordinary Americans like you and me to loan money to the cash strapped small business men of America.

You might ask where we would get the money to make such loans.

What if the government allowed us to take the money from our 401k plans to fund these loans.

I am betting that you and I would make better decisions on whom to loan our money to.

And then the profits from these efforts could be fed back into our 401k plans (again this should be done tax free).

We might need/want help from lending organizations to help with the paper work and a small fee could be paid for this help.

And who knows, maybe a number of us might choose to start our own small business (which might become a family legacy).

Of course you and I are not too big to fail. And that is a good thing. We should not expect government to bail us out if we make a poor choice on who we lend our money to. But I am betting that average American citizens will do a better job on deciding who to loan money too.

P.S.

The natural law of all business/organizations is as they get bigger, they become fat and lazy. Small businesses have to make good decisions in order to survive, because they are lean and hunger to stay alive.

I recently made the plunge into buying my first touch screen
mobile device. I am very happy with my new purchase and have enjoyed using my
Kindle Fire (esp. listening to music and watching movies).

One of the great things about this country is competition.
We all benefit so much from companies that have to compete.

So why can we not extend this model to our government? What
makes it a great idea that the government does not have to compete to receive our
tax dollars?

If I were President of this great country my priority would
NOT be to eliminate waste in our Federal Government. It would be to eliminate
funds flowing into the Federal Government. We need the States of this country
to have priority in governing its citizens, NOT the Federal Government.

With my recent purchase of a Kindle, I bought a product that
if I try to produce on my own, I could never hope to create for such a small
price. And that is how a market works. We pay for services / products that add
value to our lives. But with the Federal Government, we citizens (and States)
pay for the privilege of wasting our money on programs (that for the most part)
we have no need of, or receive very little value from.

If an individual State wants to create social programs.
Great. But they should have to compete against the other states and if they
succeed. Great. Other states may choose to follow. But, it goes against the
great principle of competition to have the Federal Government (as a monopoly) mandate
how dollars are spent.

It is very hard for a company to create a product / service
that people will want to pay money for. And so it is only fair and just that they
should be rewarded (by the consumer) when they get it right. Why cannot this
same principle of competition work for the government? I know this can be scary
at first, but freedom is actually the best system for everyone. If government
had to actually compete, there would be less waste and greater value for all.

I do not want to force anyone to buy a Kindle
Fire. I like my purchase. But I am glad that Amazon has to compete to get my
hard earned dollar.

P.S.

What are the top 10 (or less) things the Federal Government needs to do?

Good. Now let us eliminate them doing anything else.

The main focus of this blog entry is to discuss the subject of tolerance, but I shall not begin there. Instead I begin with the topic of bravery, which may help us to better understand tolerance.

What does it mean to be brave? Does it mean to have no fear, to have no anxiety? No, in truth, those who are brave act in the face of fear. And a sacrifice is always made in order to act with moral purpose; without which there would be no bravery.

Why is it important to have fear and pain? Would it not be better to live in a world where neither exists? How would our ability to make choices change? Could joy, faith, hope, and love exist without fear and pain? Could women (and men) of bravery grow in a garden where all the weeds of adversity have been removed? What gives us hope, along life’s journey, that we might act in faith to push against the pain and climb higher in defiance of fear? These are questions left for you to ponder.

In a world of no fear or pain, where would bravery exist? Similarly, where would tolerance be in a world void of morals (i.e. how can we speak of tolerance without morals)? Tolerance is seeking to understand (i.e. not easily offended). Tolerance also means the ability to endure; to be patient (i.e. not easily provoked). The most efficient way to develop tolerance is to have children. Picture the following situations and try to imagine how each will require tolerance:

- A baby crying who cannot explain to you what they need for relief
- A child who loves to write on the walls with markers
- A child who wanders off in a Mall and cannot be found
- A child who is asked to do something she does not want to and tells you that she hates you
- Children who are fighting with each other

- And there are endless other examples

Have you heard the saying “Never trust a skinny cook”? Well, that goes double for someone that thinks they are tolerant and has not raised children (including us parents who get to leave home for most of the day while others raise our children). And those of you with special needs children are some of the greatest heroes of our society.

Does tolerance require me to sit idly by when my children have gone astray? Is spanking a child worse than ignoring their bad behavior? If my child has written on my walls (or my neighbor’s walls), what should I do? Should I first take away the markers and talk to them about what they are doing? Should I help them clean up their mess? Does it build confidence in a child when the child helps correct a wrong he has created? How can I (a parent) reinforce the love and acceptance of a child? More questions to ponder.

Note: The quotes in the following paragraph are taken from: All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, Neal A. Maxwell, 1979, page 84.

Tolerance will lead us to, “make more time for people to explain why they have done something, or why they see something a certain way”. Thus tolerance will lead to improved communication. After all, our friends are more apt to, “hold a view all the more until [they have had] a chance to explain it”. “Further, we should not mistake our reticence for principle and our stubbornness for integrity as we deal with the ideas and insights of others”. Too often our battles are a war of personal preference, not of moral principle.

However, as society discusses how to increase tolerance in debates, to be accepting of others’ point of view, some would go as far as to say that we cannot state our own views on a subject because that would offend and cause bad feelings. Where tolerance is demanded, but not returned in kind (i.e. when a vocal minority holds to a view) there exists a form of tyranny. And, if those views expressed by others state that our morals are oppressive, what then? Can any society exist without moral standards? And can any great society exist without high moral standards? “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” ~ John Adams

Is there any better way to teach tolerance than to have parents who model its behavior in their homes?

Now imagine:

- A baby crying who cannot explain to you what they need for relief, then you find what is needed and there is peace
- A child who loves to write on the walls with markers, is corrected, and the next day cleans their room without prompting
- A child who wanders off in a Mall and cannot be found, and then is found
- A child who is asked to do something she does not want to and tells you that she hates you, and later draws a card to show how much she loves you
- Children who are fighting with each other, and later playing with laughter

- And there are endless other examples

I hope this has been helpful

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States

We meet many people in our associations along life’s journey. And our heart seems to leap with joy when we find others who share values that we hold in high regard. Often these individuals are referred to as being kindred spirits. And even if we do not agree with these friends on every topic, we are tied together by moral threads (heart to heart).

One of the values that I hold dear is the desire to improve my environment through the principle of work.

Calvin taught that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was the will of God. It was the duty of men to serve as God’s instruments here on earth, to reshape the world in the fashion of the Kingdom of God, and to become a part of the continuing process of His creation (Lee Braude, 1975, Work and Workers, New York: Praeger).

I have reflected upon this value again recently as I have watched the television series, “American Pickers.” The show follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, as they travel around the … [United States] buying antiques and collectibles.

Every show opens with the following lines narrated by Mike & Frank:

We travel the back roads of America looking for rusty gold. We’re looking for amazing things buried in people’s garages and barns. What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We’ll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own and the people we meet are a breed all their own. We make a living telling the history of America…one piece at a time.

I think that is a pretty good summary of what the show is about. Especially if we emphasize the last part of their show’s intro. They are on a mission to uncover hidden treasure; to bring that story to America. And to me that is what is great about America. I love people working at their chosen profession, improving their own life, and the lives of so many others.

These two modern day treasure hunters (boys who have never grown up) are American stars in my mind. They love what they do and allow others the joy of sharing what they have accumulated and loved with a new generation (rescuing both treasures and collectors).

I am glad that they are able to make a profit at doing this. And I am glad that they are (as far as I know) not subsidized by tax payers.

Do not get me wrong. I have nothing wrong with private citizens donating to a cause of their choosing. And if some individual(s) chose to setup an organization to help fund the type of work Mike & Frank do, so be it. However, I have major concerns over those who would force you and me to donate to a cause of their choosing. On the other hand, like Mike & Frank, I do believe in Karma (that the goodwill we give to others will return to us – in this life).

In summary, I do believe that a capitalistic self-interested system is in harmony with a moral life, but only if one tempers this view with a love for one’s fellow man, with a belief in mercy and benevolence. Greed is not good, but making a profit is not bad (esp. if one pays forward the blessings of life’s abundance).

Are Mormons Christian?

Facts & Opinions

First, I am not trying to convince you what Christianity is or that Mormons are Christian.

Second, I am trying to share some facts that you may have not already know AND I am also interested in seeing how people respond to the survey below.

FACTS:

1… There is no Mormon church. There is a Church called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) that others outside (and even inside) the LDS church refer to as “the Mormons”.

2… This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. Ronald Regan revered the KJV Bible and lamented how our contemporary translations of the Bible missed the power of the word which exists in the KJV translation of the Bible.

The members of the LDS church use the KJV of the Bible and The Book of Mormon in their daily walk with Jesus.

Note: Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, after touring the LDS welfare facilities in Utah, commented to his aids, “You know, there is a program that comes very close to being the most ideal way dealing with those who are poor and unfortunate; and that is the Mormon Welfare Program,”

3… How many times does The Book of Mormon mention Jesus?

4… How many times does The Book of Mormon mention Joseph Smith?

Only one chapter in The Book of Mormon refers to Joseph Smith (2 Nephi, Chapter 3).

5… Where are the following scriptures found?

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

And now, my son, I have told you this that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn of me that there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.

Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness.

(Answer: The Book of Mormon)

6… Where are these following scriptures found?

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

(Answer: The Bible)

Note: The Nicene Creed (381 A.D.) not the Bible, is what put forth the idea of the Trinity, which, “itself is considered to be a mystery of Christian faith”.

7… Early members of Christ’s church were martyred as were early members of His re-established church (e.g. Joseph & Hyrum Smith).

8… Of hate and persecution:

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for His apostles:

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

And after His resurrection His apostles counted themselves worthy to suffer for Christ (Acts chapter 5).

Note: Can we truly be considered Christian if the world does not persecute us because of our faith?

OPINIONS (musings):

Although the world may want to close the door (figuratively and literally) on LDS “Mormons”, they will continue to hold out open arms (Isaiah 5:25).

I will not accept Mitt Romney as our country’s first Mormon President. I consider George Washington our first Mormon president (Ronald Reagan was our last Mormon President). Hopefully our next Mormon President will be as good as our Last.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/moral-uprising/2011/07/03/no-religious-test-but%E2%80%A6/

Article VI of the Constitution of the United States, makes the following statement:

… All executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

I’m sure you notice the statement that no religious test shall be required by our public officials, BUT did you notice the part about requiring them to support our Constitution? Then why should we focus so much attention on the religious tenets of those who might seek for public service?

Wasn’t our Constitution created to, “secure the Blessings of Liberty”, for us and our children? Why do we not demand more from our officials to explain how they would defend the liberties of this country’s citizens?

Should they not at least pledge (at the risk of being charged for treason) to:

• Avoid bribes
• Pay all their taxes

Our country became great by people helping people.

I believe we should all give more to those who are in need, BUT do people feel the need to do better (and to pass along the help they received) when they are the recipients of nationalized good-will? I know that when I receive the help of others (not from the government) I am energized to repay the help to others who I find in need.

We can also form organized charities, BUT should any of these charities be nationalized and supported by tax dollars? Is your cause really worthwhile if others must be forced to give to its support? The giving to these organizations should not be tax deductible, AND these organizations should have to pay taxes for services (just like everyone else in this country).

The tax system needs to be reformed and greatly simplified. This would fix so many of the root causes of problems in this country. Perhaps we should start with only having a federal tax on the following (with no loopholes / exceptions):

• Gas, Electricity, Water, and
• Imports

This has been longer than usual, but I believe these topics are all related and needed to be addressed at once.