Thursday, January 12, 2012

It was very emotional yesterday watching the funeral of slain Ogden Police Department officer Jared Francom. I was amazed at the outpouring of community spirit and law enforcement camaraderie, which touched my heart. It was wonderful to see both so evident. My thoughts are with his widow and their young children for their tremendous loss. I wish them peace as they fight through this very difficult and heart-wrenching time. I also feel for my friends in the Ogden PD. The funeral also made me remember more vividly the service of my friend Myles Prebble who died while involved in a marijuana recovery operation when he fell from a helicopter and was killed from the fall. Law Enforcement is a difficult and sometimes unappreciated job, but so necessary in this nasty world we live in. So Jared, rest in peace, and in the knowledge your colleagues will not forget you, or any of our other fallen.

Go Mitt, Go!


I like Mitt Romney and hope he does well, but this cartoon is dang funny and deserves another look.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Ted Turner's 11 Voluntary Initiatives

Here are CNN CEO Ted Turner's 11 Voluntary Initiatives... more good food for thought. These were recorded by Sir Richard Branson, who further asks, "How would you change or add to these?"
  1. I promise to care for planet earth and all living things thereon, especially my fellow human beings
  2. I promise to treat all persons everywhere with dignity, respect and friendliness
  3. I promise to have no more than one or two children
  4. I promise to use my best efforts to help save what is left of our natural world in its undisturbed state and to restore degraded areas
  5. I promise to use as little of our non-renewable resources as possible
  6. I promise to minimize my use of toxic chemicals, pesticides and other poisons and to encourage others to do the same
  7. I promise to contribute to those less fortunate, to help them become self-sufficient and enjoy the benefits of a decent life including clean air, and water, adequate food, health care, housing, education and individual rights
  8. I reject the use of force, in particular military force, and I support United Nations arbitration of international disputes
  9. I support doing everything we can to reduce the dangers from nuclear biological or chemical weapons and ultimately the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction
  10. I support the United Nations and its efforts to improve the conditions of the planet
  11. I support clean renewable energy and a rapid move to eliminate carbon emissions


Sunday, January 8, 2012

I WOULD ...


I just wanted to share some expressions of humanity and kindness from a very wise man, George Albert Smith:
  • I would be a friend to the friendless and find joy in ministering to the needs of the poor.
  • I would visit the sick and the afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed.
  • I would teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind.
  • I would seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and happy life.
  • I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals, but rather loive them into doing the thing that is right.
  • I would live with the masses and help to solve their problems that their earth life may be happy.
  • I would avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends.
  • I wound not knowlingly wound the feeling of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do him good and make him my friend.
  • I would overcome the tendency to selfishness and jealousy and rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly father.
  • I would not be an enemy to a living soul.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Weirdness!

Investigators are trying to determine why a woman caused $10,000 worth of damage to a large expressionist painting at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado by punching and scratching it, then removing her pants and sliding down the artwork. Carmen Tisch, 36, faces charges of criminal mischief in the December 29 attack on the painting, said district attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough. The painting, referred to as 1957-J-No. 2, is valued at more than $30 million. The large montage of black, white and burnt orange swaths with a sliver of yellow is from Still's middle period. Yikes.

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Years Resolution I Aim to Obtain

I will told old this year! Like 56 years old. I know there is something I have to do if I want to stick around with my beautiful wife for many years. I have to get more healthy within the limitations of what has already happened to me with my diabetes and already beating cancer. So I need to eat healthier, lose weight and get fit (well, at least fitter) because I am simply not. My Dad died of a heart attack when he was 57 and his dad died of a heart attack when he was 61. It ain't gonna happen to me because I have too much to lose  and have to many things left to accomplish. I need more time to grind off many of my rough edges for a start. So 25 pounds or 11 kilos off this year, and it will stay off. Smarter in what I eat and when I eat it, and I need to use this altitude to become more aerobically capable. So here's to a new year and a newer me.