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Showing posts from August, 2011

Family Rules...

Our family has three rules. They are as follows: 1. Obey. 2. Respect. 3. Have fun. That's it. Now rule number one is of course the catch all. It is not meant to be restrictive, but as a vital part of any parent-child relationship. Taken together with the other two rules, you see that my wife and I do not rule as tyrants, but as parents who only want what is best for their children, who want them to be happy and safe and strong. We do not rule our house, but our house is a house of order. Obedience is tantamount to that order, so even if you do not respect or understand the subsequent direction, you will obey. This obedience is almost always supported by an explanation. Because rules one and two are intrinsically linked, if a child does not understand a particular mandate, that child is free to ask for clarification and guidance. Thus, the reason: I'm your parent and that's all! does not get used in our house. Compliance is not compulsory, but strongly encouraged

For the beauty of the earth...

I am not a quantum physicist. Thus it is that with proper deference and respect to those who ARE, those who attempt understanding of things that they cannot see and can barely measure, I attempt to share some thoughts... In the early part of the last century, people made some interesting and profound leaps in understanding about the nature of our universe. These observations were made not only on the celestial level, but on the level of things that were so small that a word for them had not been invented yet. It was discovered that very small particles of matter, atoms - made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, behaved in certain predictable yet astonishing ways. It was found that there was a connection between the atom and energy released from the atom, such that when a precise amount of energy was directed at an atom, predictable results would occur. There were all kinds of mathematical equations devised to show this correlation. But the most profound, simple, and beautiful o

He Cried...

I need you Simple words But words which had never been heard By the soul Stoned to death But still living And so he froze where he stood And he looked to the ground And he cried He cried Ride our minds If you must But there's always a line you don't cross Time is short Don't be cruel Oh you don't know the power In what you're saying Oh ... And so he froze where he stood And he looked to the ground And he cried He cried People where I come from They survive without feelings or blood I never could Was stoned to death But I'm still living So he froze where he stood And he looked to the ground And he cried He cried So he froze And he looked, and he looked To the ground And he cried He cried

From the archive (III)...

From S H (I'm not sure who this guy is or why he commented on my Facebook...) July 21, 2010 at 7:15 pm ? YEAH! What part of ILLEGAL do you not understand?!? While we're at it, let's have death penalty for parking violations... Mandatory life sentences for not mowing your lawn (after all, they're ruining my property value, and my home is my biggest investment...) (this part was my sarcastic comment - maybe a status update or comment on someone else's snarky remark) You think this is about minor violations of law? I want you to go volunteer at a Houston area rescue mission while your there in Texas and meet the people who live there. Talk to them, learn about why they are there. See them every day. What Mexico has done is not jaywalking. Go to it now :) Youll be richer for it. Bill Cobabe July 22, 2010 at 8:47 am You presume much, S. Your ignorance is as embarrassing as it is pitiable. You don't know me, what I do, how I spend my time any more tha

From the archive (II)...

Bill Cobabe to E V (another friend on Facebook) December 8, 2008 at 5:38 pm response to message the message I got sent was: It is very offensive and disturbing that someone would promote the methods of communism, even in jest. Please consider how much you're promoting Satan's plan. (I am not telling you who sent it) my response was: Are they the methods of communism? Or are they the methods of the underimpowered? Why does it have to be communist to want people to be empowered? I thought that was the point of democracy - to ensure the rights of the greatest number of people... People being united and having power doesn't frighten me; it invigorates me. I meant no offense. I apologize if offense was given. Satan's plan is simply this: to frustrate the work of God. I can find in the scriptures various references to plans. They seem to fall into three main categories: 1. The plan of salvation. Or alternatively, the plan of happiness. No where in the scri

From the archive...

Bill Cobabe to K S (a friend on Facebook) October 17, 2008 at 9:43 am what is capitalism? I want to get a few things on the table first - just so we understand each other... First, I am not a communist, socialist, or anything else like that. I am a human being, and some of the excesses that I see revolt me. I am not speaking just of the love and pursuit of capital, but the use of credit to buy everything from tattoos to groceries. We live in a culture that demands instant, immediate, and eternal gratification of every one of our whims, whether they meet our actual needs or not. This is the case for almost every aspect of our world, from the way we eat and it's impact on our heath (and the costs associated with that) to the way we buy items (we have become a throw-away, consumption-based society). This has long lasting, far reaching impacts on our entire world. We see it in the "westernization" of cultures, the subjugation of languages and peoples, and the creatio

Now for something completely different...

So.... S&P and Moody's lowered the US valuation. Or bond rating. Or everyone's personal spiritual meaning in the world. Or something like that. My question is - who cares? Apparently a lot of people. Stock markets around the world are down; our own stock market is not doing so well. Bond sales (interestingly) are up, in spite of the downgrade, which is probably due to the notion that in order to keep people buying said bonds the US will have to increase its yield (they'll pay out more in interest). Which means we'll end up paying more for everything. Which also means that small businesses may continue to have a difficult time obtaining loans for purchases from computers to delivery vans to office space. Which will further exacerbate the financial shakiness of this quasi-recovery. What to do? Gold is up - over $1700/ounce. I was thinking about my wedding ring - the one my wife got me when we were married. It's not pure gold, obviously, something like 14

This one is one that I needed...

Sometimes you read something that is just so awesome it feels like it was written expressly for you. This is one of those: Be of Good Cheer: Choosing Happiness BY CAMILLE FRONK OLSON Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University Adapted from a Brigham Young University Women’s Conference address given April 30, 2004. For the full text, visit speeches.byu.edu. Challenges have always been part of mortality and God’s plan for our growth. Through the power of the Atonement, we can still “be of good cheer.” To the paralytic man lying helpless on a bed, Jesus proclaimed, “Be of good cheer” (Matthew 9:2). To the frightened Apostles battling the tempestuous sea, Jesus appeared on the water, declaring, “Be of good cheer” (Matthew 14:27). As Joseph Smith met with 10 elders about to be sent out on missions fraught with trouble and danger, the Lord announced, “Be of good cheer” (D&C 61:36). In each instance the people had every reason to be anxious, fearful, and ho

I'd live there... Anyone with me?

Just read this article: Courtesy of Centrala In Warsaw, Poland in the district of Wola lies a small crack of space between the buildings on 22 Chłodna Street and 74 Żelazna Street. Jakub Szczęsny of Centrala, recognized the potential to create something unique within this narrow area, and derived a design of an art installation entitled Keret House. The house upon completion shall become the narrowest house in Warsaw, measuring an interior that will vary between 122 centimeters and 72 centimeters in its narrowest spot. Architects: Centrala Location: Wola, Poland Designer: Jakub Szczęsny Project Area: 14,5 sqm Project Year: December 2011 Project Curators: Sarmen Beglarian, Sylwia Szymaniak Project Announcement: Wola Art Festival “CityProjectWola“ Organizers: Modern Polish Art Foundation, President Piotr Nowicki, Wola District Office of the Capital City of Warsaw; Coordinator Anna Fiszer-Nowacka; Gmina Wyznaniowa Żydowska w Warszawie, Coordinator Judyta Nekanda-Trepka C

Chapter 28

Woody knew he should not be flying. Pilots are all a superstitious bunch. You didn't stay alive long without listening to the stories of near-misses and escapes that were inevitable when propelling a steel tube through the sky. Those who could glean information and experience from others often found themselves better prepared when the time came to exercise calm and judgement. Unfortunately, much of what was passed was so much snake oil and rabbit's feet. But it was still religiously adhered to, almost as closely as the pre-flight checklist. And some of it made sense. Such as this morning. He was cranky. He knew it. He'd had a real blow out with his wife last night - something trivial and inconsequential, really, but it had seemed so important at the time. It made for a bad night's sleeping, which made for a bad day's flying. He had a hard time focusing on what he was doing. But the sky was clear and the winds were calm when he arrived at the airport, and after

For someone really special

I'd never heard this song but I really like it... Hope you enjoy! Lyrics: you think i'd leave your side baby you know me better than that you think i'd leave you down when you're down on your knees i wouldn't do that i'll tell you you're right when you want ha ah ah ah ah ah and if only you could see into me oh when you're cold i'll be there hold you tight to me when you're on the outside baby and you can`t get in i will show you you're so much better than you know when you're lost and you're alone and you cant get back again i will find you darling and i will bring you home and if you want to cry i am here to dry your eyes and in no time you'll be fine you think i'd leave your side baby you know me better than that you think id leave you down when you're down on your knees i wouldn't do that i'll tell you you're right when you (want)******* ha ah ah ah ah ah and if only you coul