Viewpoint

This is well summed up, this was some forward thinking. Unfortunately, I believe we are too far down the path of “our democracy” where it should be, our republic.

I’m a bit of a romantic at heart. When I read books as a child I considered it inevitable that if I looked hard enough, I would find the love of my life. However, I’ve come to realize that The Princess Bride was not too far off when it speaks of how rare true love is – where two truly love each other. Life isn’t simple and love is even more difficult still. I’ve already written about what I believe are key factors that can be used when evaluating a partner. This isn’t an addendum as much as a warning.

I think the actual word love is probably overused. When I look back on the girls I dated, love can and has been used facetiously to describe all different levels of attraction. These levels of attraction where I’ve used the word love fall in the following range: general attraction (no contact) – acquaintance – friends – good friends – dated – friends with benefits- infatuated – “true” Love. And just to distinguish between the last 3, “true” Love is essentially those 3 combined along with two key factors: The person is your muse (inspires you, makes you want to be the best version of yourself), and the other key factor is selflessness. Selflessness isn’t just, I would die for you (which is likely to never be tested), it’s about your time, your money, your happiness. This “selflessness” has its own reward that you are happy knowing they are happy, regardless of what happens to you. But, this selflessness is also what makes one so vulnerable.

While I’ve had many infatuations, I’ve only had two loves and neither one worked out. The older I’ve gotten, I’ve been able to see more and more examples of what likely would have happened had I “won” over these girls when they didn’t truly love me in return.

I took the kids out yesterday evening to get some parts for a project we were working on and didn’t realize that the BYU / Utah football game was close to kickoff. This red car with four Ute flags came speeding up behind us honking, and the occupants were yelling obscenities at all the cars they passed.

I kind of smiled and laughed at, who I thought were, some kids from Utah.

But when this car pulled up alongside us, it was a grown man smoking who was maybe 45-50. He flipped us off and screamed F%*$ BYU and F%*$ you! then sped off to the next car…

I was a little confused and just kept thinking, what? I mean…. he’s old… I’m not playing naive and have seen it plenty before, but seriously? I just felt sorry and a little embarrassed for him. It’s just a kid’s school game. I get as an alumnus of a school, you may want to donate and support kids going to your former school. I get that. I also get that people still take pride in how kids do that play at their former school. Or taking pride in any school your kids go to. But that? I will never get that.

So for several years now, guys keep telling my son, you’re doing awesome in your sport and have a lot of potential, now just make sure you stay away from girls and you could be great. Many have taken it farther and have given him personal examples of how they feel a girl derailed their dreams in high school, or college, and subsequently “ruined” their life – so the moral of their story is again, stay away from girls!

For the longest time, I’ll admit, when he’d retell the stories, I’d just kind of nod my head and unthinkingly agree, yep, stay away from girls… sounds about right. But when he recently brought it up again, I was like, woah, hold on! Do I really want this ingrained in his head?

This is so strange. Another fine example progress simply for the sake of progress. (We’ll just lump Timpview, a provo school, in with all the salt lake schools that are 30 miles away. Perfect!)

Look at the new 6a regions, some have a grand total of 5 schools in the region! We finished third in our region! Coincidentally, only two spots out of last place too. What an accomplishment.

What were they thinking?

Watching the election this year and everyone’s reaction has been interesting to say the least, reminds me of Bush/Gore. Maybe I’m too much of a cynic, but our elections are a lot like watching two rival sports teams go at it. Take a football rivalry for example, the fans throw all sorts of insults at the other team’s fans and then argue endlessly over how the other team’s players are so dirty, while they believe the dirty hits from their own team’s players were actually technically legal hits -totally acceptable (and awesome!). On game days, fans who are parents create so much drama that their little kids get all worked up thinking that this one game is the most important thing of their life and after their team loses, those kids lose it too. (Then we all get the joy of watching those little kids crying hysterically on Youtube while mom or dad films them – which, let’s be honest, is universally funny because we know the child really has no comprehension of what they’re doing and what they’ve been put though). Meanwhile the winning side’s fans are jubilant beyond reason for an accomplishment they really played no part in.

That’s the crux of being a sports fan – you, as a fan, don’t really matter. No amount of armchair quarterbacking is going to help your team win. No amount of sports radio listening is going to help the team develop better play calling or roster selections. The coaches or players will never really care about your name, who you are, how long you’ve “supported” your team or really anything about you. to them, it really just comes down to, are you getting me paid? Did you buy our official jerseys? did you buy our tickets? Our mugs, sweatshirts, car flags, lawn flags, bobbleheads etc etc. But, you are not a part of the team, as a fan you will never receive a dividend check like an owner. In 20 years, if you run into your favorite player and enthuse over him, he may chuckle and say that’s nice, but will walk away and almost instantly forget about you.

I said I was cynical, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the spectacle for just pure entertainment’s sake, but still, in the end, you don’t matter as a fan.

Sadly, that’s true about both candidate’s fans. The fans both put on those same rose colored glasses for their own candidate. they both get worked up about how horrid the other is, while the reality is probably somewhere in the middle. Then in the end, the candidates only truly care for you so far as you get them elected… and buy their ribbons… and banners… and stickers… and donate, donate, donate. but as much as you think they care about you or that you have some sort of personal connection with them – they don’t.

I remember vividly the change in parties with each presidency going back to wjc and the accompanying apocalyptic / jubilant feeling of each handover. if you look over the years, yes each presidency has created policies that have effected me personally so I should

care… but each has created policies that have both hurt me and helped me. For the most part though, they’ve all principally maintained the status quo for themselves in their little political games. Things go up and down, that’s life. But no matter who you elect, there’s zero chance everything your candidate does will be positive for you. That’s mostly because our country is full of different people and you just can’t please everybody all the time regardless of your political beliefs.

This time around I can tell you this. Hillary Clinton is not as saintly as her fans would like you to believe, nor is she likely as evil as Trump’s fans would like you to believe. Same goes for Trump that he is neither as good nor evil as many think. That said, everyone should know that neither is that good of a person because good people are simply chewed up and spat out by the machine called U.S. politics and quite frankly, we are the reason that happens.

Are we not entertained?

Here’s some conciliation. A lot of people think all the power lies with the president and they only pay attention to presidential elections, when the reality is that the president is really not THAT responsible for either the good or the bad that happens during the years of their administration. Take for instance “obamacare”, I’d bet that not a single line was actually written by Obama, he probably hasn’t even read it, but it’s OBAMAcare. Or look at the economy – obama saved it right? – But the other party has controlled the houses for most of his time in office (like Clinton or Bush respectively). Or take a look at any of these “great” speeches people keep quoting. Odds are, your candidate didn’t even write it.

In the end, either candidate is much like you or I, they can only do so much in a day and it’s a lot more fun to go to functions and do photo-ops than to work. Then on top of that, you throw in checks and balances, the president’s role gets marginalized even more. To further calm any histeria left over about the power shift, look at the last few times one party has ruled all three (House, Senate, Presidency), there’s only so much time in a day, session, year and it’s really been surprising how little actually gets ramrodded through during those years that the single party has full control. but, all that said, I personally believe our country is greatest and most prosperous when there is true checks and balances with neither party getting all three. during those times, they are forced to compromise and do something in the middle if they do anything at all and that is really where most of us truly are.

But, all that said, you really shouldnt worry so much about the games they’re playing in washington so much that you lose focus on your own game, your own sphere of things you can actually control and effect. In the end, no matter how ardent of a fan you were, if you’re not actually in the game – you’re not actually in the game. Stop taking everything in their game so serious – it’s their game and honestly, you’re worth way less than a pawn to them. You should make the people directly around you much more important than some person you’ll never know.

In all reality, not much will change over the next four years because our country is like a huge ocean liner that’s using a tiny sail boat rudder to steer (and we’ve been going this direction for a long while). Any changes made most likely won’t even really effect you unless you let it and besides, everything will most likely work out just fine.

So, you voted, good job. Now move on.

(But keep your guns handy, you know, just in case. Or don’t, whatever, your call.)

I always say, be smart when doing anything to your body and get at least a second opinion or third.

This girl who died during a procedure for cavities didn’t even have cavities!

I talked with a dentist years ago who said that there is a dirty little secret among dentists. That drilling for cavities/crowns is a quick buck with no real harm -especially with kids where the teeth will fall out anyway. He told me this after I told him about some bad experiences I had with local dentists – shock!

I cleaned up Annalisa‘s photography closet and gathered all the old lenses and camera bodies she doesn’t use anymore. I then pulled out my cell phone to answer a phone call and started wondering – just how good have smart phone cameras gotten? How does a new phone’s camera compare to old SLRs?

I know on the last phone I had, it wouldn’t be close. But this new phone takes REALLY good pics.

So for kicks and giggles, I chose two locations and I took all pics using a wide angle lens on the camera bodies to try to match the fixed wide angle lens on the Samsung phone.