The Distracted Mind of Tanner Phillips

Pathetic or Awesome?

2011-07-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, is it weird that I absolutely love the Food Network? It's not just because I'm a fat guy, and I love food, it's that there are some seriously entertaining shows on Food Network. I am not really into the cooking shows really, but stuff like Food Network Star, which in my opinion is so much more entertaining than any other reality show I've ever seen in my life.

But then you have "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" which is freaken amazing. It goes around to different places and shows their foods, and I gotta say. I've never considered going on a road trip purely with the goal to visit restaurants, but, I can say that I honestly would love to do it now.

Anyway, Shelby and I love the Food Network, and I also like the Travel Channel a lot lately. Especially the show, "Man Vs. Food". Oh my gosh, I have found my new calling. If anyone has any connections with how I could get a job doing what these people do, please let me know in the comments below. Because, I would pretty much do whatever I could to eat amazing food all day.

Another Pathetic thing is: I have gotten more speeding tickets during the last year than I have in my entire life. Seriously, I will have like 4 tickets that will show up on my record, and I just took care traffic school on another one of them today. BTW, if somewhere offers ONLINE Traffic school, trust me when I tell you. Do it. It was easier than taking a dumb after lunch at Tucanos. But still, my insurance is quite a bit higher because I got caught a couple of retarded times speeding. It seriously makes me so unhappy to have to pay for tickets. I've decided that I'm done with speeding. It's not worth it. And like my online traffic school class said today, you don't even really save any time. I mean, we're talking like 10 seconds for a 15 mile drive. I realize now that it's not even worth it.

However, my sanity is in question when trying to go the speed limit, so rules must be broken at certain times unfortunately.

Pathetic thing number 3. This whole Casey Anthony case... Are you kidding me Justice System? Talk about a total justice system brain fart. I give the girl 1 year before she either kills herself, or is killed by some crazy activist or something. No, this is not me saying I want to kill her. I am just saying I won't be surprised when it happens.

Anyway, that's all the stuff I can think about right now as being pathetic. Leave comments for other stuff, and I can choose to comment on some of it if it's pathetic enough to mention.

This post wins for Random post of the century! Hurrah For Israel!!

And ON that note... Enjoy this video:

2011-07-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

The above video is done by our videographer Ryan Hinman, and I gotta say. He did an amazing job! I really like the guy, and I think he captured our day PERFECTLY!!

If you need a vidographer, I totally recommend using him.

Let me know what you think of the video, but more importantly, please make comments on how handsome I looked on my wedding day, and how hot my wife is. Just sayin'.

Enjoy!

If you want a higher quality video go to: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=564118496881&comments&set=t.203001421&type=1

Making a Comeback?

2011-07-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well guys. It's been so long, I know you guys are probably wondering where the crap I've been.

Well, it's been a busy year or two for me. I've bought a house, gotten married to the woman of my dreams, which subsequently means I lost my virginity to her, which is really all that matters right? :)

Anyway, I am thinking of starting up the whole blog thing again. I might take it in a different direction though. I might just start posting things I think are funny, interesting, or simply awesome. I just enabled the Text thing that I can update my blog by sending a text, so I'll be able to do this more often.

I'll try to get back in the habit of updating this thing, so don't give up on me, and lets have some fun!

Thanks for not abandoning me on my little sojourn away from blogworld. I'm back, and my life if finally interesting enough to blog about.

Stay tuned!

2010-11-16T12:10:00.001-08:00

Who else thinks that Apple's EPIC ANNOUNCEMENT that would change our lives forever is really really lame??? Seriously Apple? You're going to make me think that you're going to do something super epicly awesome, and then you tell me that the Beatles are now on ITunes? So, how exactly does this change my life? Ugh... Kinda lame if you ask me. http://amplify.com/u/fcvi

Obama Declares Swine Flu Emergency - Swine Flu is NONSENSE!!!

2009-10-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have said from the very beginning that Swine Flu, or the H1N1 virus is a bunch of rubbish!! Ever since this has been so blown out of proportion, I have been an advocate AGAINST the Swine Flu. I have thought it to be a government scam, thought up by Fear Mongers, and money fiends. It is looking to be Obama's new economic stimulus package, but with actual health risks at stake. I have finally found an article that really states facts, and opinions on the Swine Flu that I have always thought to be the case, but have never really had the proof to back up my opinion. Now I do...

Please PLEASE read this!! Educate yourself so that you can know what you're talking about. Also, so you don't take what the government has to say as being final doctrine. Leave your comments and opinions at the bottom of my blog, I'm interested to see what others are thinking as well.

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Original Article Link: http://articles.mercola.com/swine-flu-article/20091027.htm

The shocking truth about why Obama announced a National Public Health Emergency in the US this weekend.

Dr. Mercola Interviews Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the National Vaccine Information Center

President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency on Friday October 23, empowering the health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed up treatment.

His declaration authorizes Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass normal federal regulations so health officials can respond more quickly to the outbreak, which, allegedly, has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States.

"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," Obama wrote in the declaration, which the White House announced Saturday.

He said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."

Because of vaccine production delays, the government has backed off initial estimates that 120 million doses would be available by mid-October. As of mid-October, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.

The government now estimates to have about 50 million doses of swine flu vaccine out by mid-November and 150 million in December.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It would appear that President Obama has not been apprised of the real facts of the situation, and has declared the swine flu a national public health emergency. To read the declaration in its entirety, please see this Los Angeles Times article.

The intention of this report is to show you with the government's own statistics that there appears to be MASSIVE amounts of misinformation and outright deception going on that appear to be designed to panic American people into believing that H1N1 influenza is more serious and widespread than it is.

We are the ONLY major news source that is warning the public about the true extent of this misinformation regarding the true nature of H1N1 swine flu in America. Most of the mainstream media is continuing to spread misinformation.

I am PLEADING with you to pass this information and our website link to as many people as you know. We simply can't continue to fight the massive media and apparently deceptive government health agencies unless people like you rise up and make your voice known.

Send this link to EVERY person you love or care about. Write them a PERSONAL note that is kind and gentle and ask them to do their homework and seriously evaluate all the evidence before they accept the information being shared by the media, which is potentially being heavily influenced by pharmaceutical interests, as the truth.

Warning!

Once you either listen to the audio or read this article you will most likely be shocked by the extent of how serious this misinformation really is.

So be ready to be surprised.

If a private individual were to spread misinformation like this they would most likely suffer some very serious consequences, perhaps being immediately thrown in prison for conspiracy. But since this is the US government you will not likely see any prosecutions as a result of the distortions we will reveal.

Brilliant CBS Investigation Gets BURIED by Media

I just published a major swine flu update on Saturday about how CBS News investigative journalists exposed how misleading statistics are being used to panic the public into complying with the huge H1N1 swine flu vaccination program.

Last week, CBS News published the results from a three-month long investigation into the swine flu. One would think this would have received MASSIVE media exposure since their findings are in direct conflict with what the government is publicly stating.

Of major interest, as you can see on the video on the Saturday article, CBS investigative journalists went to the CDC to seek their help in clarifying the situation and answering outstanding questions but CDC officials refused. They would not cooperate and CBS had to do their own investigation.

Even worse, after CBS compiled the data, the CDC refused to comment on it.

What's this all about???

It can only make you wonder if the CDC is really interested in authentically serving the public good, or if, perhaps, it has been heavily influenced by outside corporate interests.

This is not good. The only way that we can have an effective response to the reported H1N1 influenza outbreak is if the government is transparent with the data. We have simply not seen ANY evidence that government health agencies are willing to be transparent. In fact, all evidence points to the contrary.

The CBS investigative report included state-by-state test results that revealed some VERY different facts from what the US Centers for Disease Control has been telling the American public.
The CBS report found that H1N1 flu cases are NOT AT ALL as prevalent as feared. A CBS article even states:

"If you've been diagnosed "probable" or "presumed" 2009 H1N1 or "swine flu" in recent months, you may be surprised to know this: odds are you didn't have H1N1 flu.

In fact, you probably didn't have the flu at all.

The results reveal a pattern that surprised a number of health care professionals we consulted. The vast majority of cases were negative for H1N1 as well as seasonal flu, despite the fact that many states were specifically testing patients deemed to be most likely to have H1N1 flu, based on symptoms and risk factors, such as travel to Mexico."

In most states the percentages ranged from 83 to 98 percent NOT BEING H1N1 or influenza.

As you can see from this CBS News graphic, not only are most cases of suspected flu-like illnesses not H1N1 influenza, they're not influenza at all, but rather some type of cold or upper respiratory infection that looks like influenza but is caused by another type of virus or bacteria!

Swine Flu H1N1 Test Results Negative
(Image from CBS News)

Given these facts, there is a HUGE question in my mind as to whether or not the 1,000 deaths attributed to the swine flu were in fact CONFIRMED to be the H1N1 virus.

We Were Winning the Misinformation Battle

If you read the LA Times link in the above reference you will see that their poll showed that 62% of the public were choosing to NOT vaccinate themselves or their family. Other polls showed different numbers but nearly all showed that the MAJORITY of Americans were panicking and accepting the government story.

So President Obama released this "emergency" declaration over the weekend � most likely because he trusted his federal health official advisors � and that declaration has the potential to create massive fear and panic in the population, Because he is the PRESIDENT and people are hearing their PRESIDENT tell them that 1000 Americans have died from swine flu and we are in the middle of a serious public health emergency and many people may be thinking "I probably should play it safe and get the vaccine for myself and my family."

Dr. Mercola on FacebookI have had a number of people post on my Facebook Fan Page of this fear and concern and prior to the announcement they were not making these types of comments.

Most mainstream media has chosen to ignore the impact we are making and attempt to label us as clueless "fear mongers." This weekend the Boston Globe REFUSED to acknowledge this site by name in an article they posted Sunday.

"Some of the same government-haters who spread myths about "death panels'' for the elderly are now spouting misinformation about the swine flu vaccine, and they're getting support from holistic-medicine enthusiasts, some autism activists, and talk show host Bill Maher."

So let's CAREFULY examine the facts from President Obama's weekend announcement.

One Thousand Deaths from Swine Flu?!

Oh really?

Well I am from Chicago and I want to see the evidence. If you read Obama's declaration, you will find a complete absence of documentation to support his assertion that 1000 have died from H1N1 in the US. Nada, nothing no links, no references anywhere in the document to back up his assertion.

In fact, if you go to the definitive collector and holder of the US data, you will find that there is NO evidence to back this claim.

The CDC's own web site readily admits that since August 30, 2009 they are no longer testing for H1N1. They don't even recommend it any more. They are substituting a clinical definition for blood testing that will positively confirm that the "suspected" cases of H1N1 influenza are actually H1N1 influenza.

They've even coined what appears to be a whole new term: "ILI," which stands for "influenza-like illness."

The CDC H1N1 flu site reads:

"... tracking of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths will not be the same after August 30, 2009.

In an effort to add additional structure to the national 2009 H1N1 reporting, new case definitions for influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths were implemented on August 30, 2009.

The new definitions allow states to report to CDC hospitalizations and deaths (either confirmed OR probable) resulting from all types of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 flu.

1. Influenza and pneumonia syndrome hospitalizations and deaths may be an overestimate of actual number of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths, but CDC believes influenza and pneumonia syndromic reports are likely to be a more sensitive measure of flu-associated hospitalizations and deaths than laboratory confirmed reports during this pandemic.

However, the syndromic reports of all hospitalizations and deaths recorded as either influenza or pneumonia will mean that the case counts are less specific than before and will include cases that are not related to influenza infection."

Folks, make no mistake about it. Health officials and media WILL trumpet these numbers as being H1N1 "swine flu deaths" even though, as you can CLEARLY read on the CDC's site, they admit that they will now include hospitalizations and deaths that are not even RELATED to the common influenza infection, let alone H1N1.

Well, no wonder the flu appears to be spreading when they are now including mere "symptoms of flu," which the CBS investigation found were NOT EVEN INFLUENZA RELATED in the overwhelming majority of cases!

Public Health Emergency Declaration This Weekend Was Initiated MONTHS Ago

Most have no idea that the declaration announced over the weekend was not legally initiated then. In fact it was initiated months ago. There was no new legal action that occurred over the weekend, only an announcement about a highly questionable and completely unsubstantiated 1000 deaths in the US from H1N1.

The Secretary has actually renewed that declaration twice, once on July 24, 2009, and more recently on October 1, 2009.

National Emergency Declaration is an IRRATIONAL Response

It seems quite obvious that the US government has full intention of administering as many doses of swine flu vaccine as possible this season, despite what the scientific evidence demonstrates. Declaring a national public health emergency because of an influenza virus strain that is milder than the seasonal influenza strains that have been circulating in the past few decades every year is nothing short of bizarre.

One can only wonder the motivation behind this intention.

Could it be that $7 BILLION dollars will be earned by the drug companies for the vaccines? Quite possibly, but even if that were not the case let's look to Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest individuals in the world and one of the wisest investors the world has ever known.

One of the principles I guide my business by is his investment recommendation of "Opportunity Costs".

Let me explain. Buffett makes it very clear that when you choose to invest in one project by definition you are choosing to not invest in something else that may be far more beneficial to you or your company.

Same principle applies. All these resources are being focused on what appears to be a phony pandemic that does not exist and is no real threat to the public.

What else could we do with $7 billion dollars and all the time, effort and attention that this issue has received? I won't speculate here but you can let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Why Aren't President Obama's Own Children Immunized for Swine Flu?

Despite the urgency and threat of this virus, the President's own daughters have not been rushed to the nearest clinic for a protective swine flu shot. According to a blurb on the Fox News White House blog, President Obama's daughters have not been vaccinated against H1N1. The White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said "the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk."

This seems odd, if you ask me. Surely the First Family would receive any and all protective measures against a deadly epidemic that is spreading like wildfire and claiming the lives of healthy children and young adults?

It also seems odd to declare a national emergency even if there were 1,000 confirmed swine flu deaths. There are so many diseases that claim so many more lives each and every year... The only difference is they don't have a vaccine against them that they can promote that every man, woman, and child should take.

For example, hospital-acquired infections alone kill some 90,000 people annually in the US!

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is one specific type of infection that poses a very serious public health risk. MRSA infections are getting progressively worse and actually exact a greater death toll than "modern plagues" like AIDS.

In fact, a 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found there were close to 100,000 cases of invasive MRSA infections in the United States in 2005 (one of the most recent years for which data is available), which lead to more than 18,600 deaths.

Again, I have to stress the obvious that the response to the swine flu is so outrageously exaggerated it defies all logic.

However, we knew all along it could get to this, and I, along with many others, have warned you about it for months now.

BEWARE: Taking Tylenol with Flu Vaccine May Actually Make You Worse

It feels like we're rushing head-first toward a man-made major public health catastrophe. And unfortunately, recent research shows that common medical practices may aggravate the situation.

According to a two Czechoslovakian studies, published in the journal Lancet on October 17, giving your child an analgesic to prevent fever when getting a vaccine could render them more prone to secondary infections.

Their studies showed that after vaccination, the immune response was lower among babies who were given acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), right after they received the shot.

The vaccines used in the study were for pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and rotavirus.

No flu vaccines were included. However, it's likely the effect would still be the same.

MSN.com quotes infectious disease expert Dr. Marc Siegel as saying that:

"... the conclusion that Tylenol not only suppresses fever, but also decreases immune response is plausible. After all, what is an immune response? It's an inflammatory response."

The researchers also found that although fewer infants developed a fever after getting acetaminophen, they also developed significantly fewer antibodies against the disease they were vaccinated against. They believe the acetaminophen's anti-inflammatory activity might interfere with your body's immune system antibody response, which could explain why the vaccine was rendered less effective.

However, what is not mentioned by either MSN, or foodconsumer.org, which also ran an article on these findings, is that a lowered immune response also means you're more susceptible to develop other infections. And, as we now know, it is secondary infections such as bacterial staph infections that turn out to be deadly -- not the flu virus in and of itself.

The First Reports of H1N1 Vaccine Deaths are Now Here

Many of us knew that this too was more or less inevitable.

Reports have now emerged from Hungarian and Swedish news sources that some people have died shortly after getting vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. The Budapest Times reported the death of a 64-year-old woman who had received the vaccine two days prior to her sudden demise.

The Hungarian H1N1 vaccine is supplied by local vaccine manufacturer Omnivest, whose vaccines are egg grown and adjuvanted with aluminum phosphate.

Meanwhile, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the swine flu vaccine may be "too potent," and that four people with compromised health had died just after receiving the swine flu vaccine. One man suffered a fatal heart attack after his vaccination, and a 65-year-old woman was found dead in her home two days after receiving the H1N1 vaccine.

In addition, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reports:

"So far, the authority has received more than 190 reports from both health care and private individuals. By far the most common are pain in the arm. Then mild flu symptoms like fever, muscle pain, stomach pain, headaches, dizziness and fatigue."

The article goes on to state that GlaxoSmithKline is attributing a higher than normal rate of side effects to the adjuvants in the vaccine:

"According to the vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, maybe one in ten vaccinated will experience trouble, which is slightly more than the usual seasonal influenza vaccine. This is because a substance in the vaccine triggers immune your immune response."

GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix vaccine contains the controversial adjuvant squalene.

Unfortunately, vaccine manufacturers have persuaded countries in Europe and elsewhere to add squalene to seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines, whereas squalene still has not been approved by the FDA for use in the US.

In order to legally allow unlicensed squalene adjuvants to be included in licensed H1N1 vaccines, the US government would have had to issue an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). It is unclear if the EUA President Obama issued on Friday will cover adding novel adjuvants like squalene, or whether a separate EUA has to be issued in order to allow the use of unapproved adjuvants...

But European authorities may have a better clue about its safety than they're willing to admit. A recent article in the English version of the German news source The Local, for example, warns that the German Defense Ministry has ordered a special stock of H1N1 vaccines for their troops that will contain neither mercury nor adjuvants, whereas the general public will be given vaccines containing both.

Vaccinations began throughout Europe a little over a week ago. Sweden was one of the first to begin their program on October 12.

According to the Stockhom-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there have been a total of 230 deaths linked to H1N1 in Europe since April. About half of all cases occurred in the UK.

The question is, are the European CDC's numbers as poor as the US CDC, whose statistics were shown by CBS News to be exaggerated by 80-98 percent?

Unprecedented Media Manipulation is Underway

The US government is sparing no underhanded tactics to indoctrinate the public with the message that vaccination is the way to go if you want to live.

Sid the Science Kid, an animated children's show, is now used to "educate" children about the flu, and going to see the school nurse to get vaccinated.

"Just like Sid, government-wide efforts to prevent flu are all about the science," says the government site Flu.gov. The episode premiered on PBS Kids on Monday, October 26th titled " Getting a Shot: You can do it!"

You Can Make a Difference

Most polls show that we ARE making a difference because more people are becoming educated about influenza and flu vaccines, especially H1N1 swine flu. Recent national polls have revealed that 30 to 50% in many communities are not planning to get a swine flu shot. Those who haven't made up their minds yet have lots of questions. So we have created some posters that you can print and post ALL over your community, your local stores, office and schools.

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince: Epic Disappointment

2009-07-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Pockets loaded with tasty treats, and the company of good friends ensured a perfect 12:01 a.m. showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, right? Well, as much as I’ve struggled in my mind to answer yes, I cannot bring myself to overlook the imperfections of this film. I can’t blame the imperfections on the cinematography, or even the acting, even though it was a bit much at times, but I have to mostly blame this Harry Potter blemish on the screenwriter Steve Kloves; who, in my opinion usually does a fantastic job! He’s written all but the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series.

I have to clarify something. I am a Harry Potter fiend. I love the books with a burning passion, and I have read all of them more than once. Even further, I have read the 6th and 7th books, more like 3 or 4 times. I finished the 6thone within the last month, so it’s very fresh in my mind. So, needless to say, I know them like the back of my hand. I have to state this in order to be fair.

Right from the get go, I could tell that Steve Kloves was going to take certain liberties with the film that would drive me crazy. Dumbledore’s visit to the Dursley’s home was completely ripped out, the visit to the house of Gaunt was totally removed, this being the scene you meet Voldemort’s mother, and his grandfather. This part explains a lot about the story in and of itself; however, I CAN understand why they removed it from the movie, as it would have taken up a large amount of needed time. Other small things such as Kreacher becoming Harry’s property, Sirius’s house being handed over to Harry, etc… I won’t ruin it for everyone else by stating everything.

However, I think the thing that bothered me even more than that which was excluded from the movie, was the stuff that was Included, but inaccurately portrayed. Just a couple examples of this are one: What happened to Tonks (who is a different actress than the original Tonks by the way) being the one who found Harry in the Hogwarts Express when Malfoy left him under the cloak, instead, Luna finds him. Another part that confused me was the scene where the Burrow was attacked and burned to the ground. This scene never happened in the book. Right about this time, I realized they were straining to get some action into this movie packed with scenes reliant upon characters relaying data, and information necessary in hopes to not lose the audience completely. Other small details which in my mind were key to how I pictured the whole story coming together were things like Ginny going WITH Harry into the Room of Requirement to get rid of the Prince’s book. Harry never volunteered to get rid of the book; he needed to hide it somewhere, so Snape didn’t find it. The whole scene was completely different than the book, 100% different. But I digress. Also, when Harry was on the tower, and was told to go below, instead of being stunned under his invisibility cloak (Like in the book) that made me mad. The Harry we know would never have stood by and watched.

My favorite parts of the book weren’t the only things being left out, but it seemed as though Magic itself played a very small role at Hogwarts this year. There was very little magic, virtually no classes held, and only a couple anticlimactic duels. Speaking of small roles, pretty much every previously popular character like Neville, Lupin, the Weasley twins Fred and George, and many more were neglected of screen time more than any of the other installments. It felt like this movie consisted of Harry and Dumbledore, with a little bit of his friends and others mixed in, elbowing each other for some screen time.

I suppose I could go on, but there isn’t much need, I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who aren’t as picky as me, as there are many positive things about the movie as well.

The movie itself was filmed well, however, there were a few parts that I wish would have been filmed much differently. The main being the end, on the tower, the scene where a key character gets killed, (I won’t say for those who haven’t read the books) But I felt like the camera work was HORRIBLE during this part! It didn’t even show him get hit, and fall, it didn’t show anything! It thought it was all wrong! It was totally anti emotion for me. In the books I was sobbing like an injured little school girl, but during the movie, I couldn’t do much more than frown. Maybe I was just ready for it…

Either way, I don’t want everyone to think I’m trying to be only Naysay. I have to say, I want to see this again; this time with less comparison going on in my head. I want to see it for what it is, and not for what the book tells me it SHOULD be. Most people who saw it with me last night liked it a lot! I however was surprised at this, because the whole time I thought to myself, If I hadn’t read the books, and didn’t know what was going on, I would most likely find this movie extremely boring! But I’ll give it another try at some point. After my memory of the 6th book fades, and I am able to look past all the faults I’ve found the first time around.

Expiration Dates are for Squares!

2009-06-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hahaha, a co-worker sent an email to me today which I had sent on February 5, 2008 to the entire company. I had totally forgotten I even sent this email, and I just thought it was kind of funny, and somewhat disgusting. I totally remember this now, but it was kinda a blast from the past. Even my signature is different, cause I am in a new position at this company now.

Anyway, just thought it was funny, and wanted to save it.

----------email-------------

If anyone is looking for their Meadow Gold 2% Reduced Fat Milk in the fridge, they’re not going to find it.

I apologize if someone was conducting an experiment on milk curdles, or maybe someone simply prefers their milk aged a bit.

If that’s the case, come find me, I’ll buy you new milk. Otherwise, milk with an expiration date of 12/07/2007 was begging to be tossed out. If the date wasn’t enough, the buildup of curdling milk towards the top did it.

If you guys can try to pay attention to expiration dates and stuff in the fridge, that would be awesome! It would be a shame if some unsuspecting person decided to steal someone else’s milk, only to find that it’s too thick to swallow; resulting in a terrible death.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

TANNER PHILLIPS
Auxiliary Product Specialist
Digital Gateway, Inc.
Office: 866.347.8776
Fax: 801.492.1704
customercare@digitalgateway.com

www.DigitalGateway.com

-----Email Complete----------

I had lunch with my sister Megan today, and we talked about a lot of important things. I've kind of felt like I'm stuck in a rut lately, and I haven't had a very good way of getting out of it. Megan helped shed some light on some things in my life that will stay with me forever. She was able to help me realize a couple things that I needed to realize. I have to say, I love my sister Megan. She is my best friend. Sometimes she drives me nuts, and I her, but for the most part, we are truly close friends. She understands me in lots of ways that my other sisters don't, and that's special for me. I feel like this is a very positive beginning to me getting out of the rut that I've kind of been stuck in for quite some time.

Anyway, moving on.

So, most of you already know, I went against everything I have ever been taught, told, and chastised for from my parents teachings.

I bought a motorcycle...

And oh man, it was worth the 2 weeks of banishment from my parents abode. They wanted to disown me for life, but, I'm irresistible and lovable for them to stay away for long, so they have welcomed me back into the fold. There is still a little bitterness there, but, with time, all wounds will heal.

Can I just say, I absolutely LOVE having a motorcycle. The freedom, and exhilarating feeling it gives you while riding is incredible. It makes going to work fairly enjoyable, just because I know I get to drive it there.

Here's a picture of the beaut.

You need to CLICK the Picture to SEE my bike:

Yes, it's the one closest to the Camera, the black one, not the one I'm looking at in the picture.

Anyway, Just wanted to show it off a little bit.

Well, things are going well, things are looking up, and I look forward to the coming months. I am going to rock my life in the coming summer. (That's a good thing you old decrepits reading this.)

Catching Up, and Dreaming Dreams

2009-05-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

So I know it's been a long time since I've posted. I know I go through phases where I will post a few times, and then go for a couple months where I don't. I know I know, It's retarded, and I need to do better, and I will. This summer is going to have a lot of adventure attached to it, and I plan on keeping track of it all in blog form for all of you my faithful followers to share.

My last blog I said I'd write a little bit about a lot of different things. Just to make sure I touch on everything, I'll make sure to go through the list of things I mentioned.

- How I want to put a bullet in my face from school.

When I tell people I'm a Web design major at UVU, I'm sure some of them think to themselves, "Hmmm, that must be easy." If you have ever thought that in your life, I digitally throw a glove in your face and challenge you to a duel. This semester kicked my trash. I was totally and completely overwhelmed from week one in this semester. I joined an advanced flex class, which was not a good idea. I may as well have signed up for Trig 3450 taught in Japanese, by a teacher who made you teach yourself off the internet. It killed me, and affected all my other classes, which were classes I could have probably handled under different circumstances. So, for the first time in my life, EVER, I have officially E'd a class. That pretty much means F'd a class. ;) So, I have to retake my web class. I chose to anyway, because I want to actually understand all of the content so I can really learn this stuff... Anyway, moving on.

- How work is starting to take off again.

Now that summer is here, I start working full time again. Thank goodness for me, things have started speeding up a bit. I went through a REAL dry spell for a few months where I was worried I might need to seek another job. However, things have picked up and I had the best two days I've had since I've been in this job. I sold over $38,000 in software in the last two days of April. That month I sold over $53,000 in all. It's not the best month ever, but the best two days, I'll take. My team together sold over $107,000.00 combined. It was awesome.

- How Vegas is a filthy disgusting city

I recently went to Vegas on a business trip to do some filming and trade show stuff as a salesman. I have to say, I can't stand Vegas. The smut, and garbage everywhere makes me sick. The guy tapping their cards at you, and throwing naked woman in your face makes me want to hit someone. I walk by and tell them to get a real job. It makes me sad to do that, but I just can't stand it.

Anyway, enough about that.

- How I purchased an insanely beautiful, amazing guitar.

Yes, I purchased a VERY nice guitar, so that it would give me the motivation to really learn how to play it. Well, play it I have, and I'm getting a lot better! I love playing it! I'm already writing music and stuff on it with the chords I've learned, and I really enjoy it. I think I play it so much though, I'm causing some nerve damage in the tips of my fingers. I can't really feel the 3 fingers on my left hand as I type. I'm starting to get some really thick calluses though, so hopefully it will be less and less as I go along.

- How it is having Megan back (Boooooooring!!!!) ;)

Having Meg back is amazing. I love it. Nuff Said.

- How I'm going to start composing music, recording it, and showing it to my fanseees.

Yes, I plan on doing some more music recording stuff soon. So stay tuned.

- How you can use the word How so many times in a blog.

It's very easy. I just typed, H..O..W... over and over, and then put a bunch of crap in between.

- How I've Lost almost 20 lbs in the last 3 weeks.

True story. I've been doing a high protein low carb diet for the past while, and I've lost about 20 lbs. This weekend I had reason to cheat a few times, so who knows if that number still stands, but I plan on getting back on the diet, and remaining diligent again this week. Here are some pictures I took 1 a week for about 3 and a half weeks to see if I could tell a difference. I think I can.

week 1

week 2

week 3

2 days later

- How a little metal frame with two very thin wheels on it can give me so much joy.

I've been riding my road bike everyday lately, and I can't tell you how much joy it brings me. I love riding, it's my time alone, to think, ponder, be in nature, check out hot girls jogging on the Provo trail, and it gives me an excuse to wear spandex ta' boot. I love it, and feel myself getting stronger everyday.

- How I miss the love of my life, my baby boy Caleb.

My sister BriAnn's son Caleb is the love of my life. He is the most precious boy in the world, and I have bonded with him more than anyone will ever know. I really love this boy more than anything I think I've ever loved. I can't honestly explain it!! I have other nephews and and a niece who I love dearly, but something about Caleb from the second I met him I knew he was special, and we bonded, and I fell so deeply in love with him it hurts every time he leaves to go back to New Mexico. He's such a good boy, and I am so grateful he's part of my family.

- How a protein shake can actually taste extremely good.

Since I wrote this last blog, this has become somewhat untrue. When you eat enough of them, it becomes increasingly more difficult to make them taste very good. They're doable, but, I'd rather have a milkshake.

- and how I've decided I want to travel the world.

This my friends is the real deal. Here's where my blog gets fun, and exciting. I have been thinking a lot lately about what I could do with the money I've saved up. I have had a very good job for about 4 years. I have saved a huge majority of what I make in an ING account, so as to discourage using my money. When I need something, I buy it, and pay it off. This has worked great for me up until now. However, I thought to myself. I'm stuck in a good job, no complaints, however, I never thought I'd be where I am today 6 years ago. I never would have thought I'd be 25, single, at a desk job doing the same thing everyday. It kind of depressed me to the point of being somewhat disappointed with the achievements I've made thus far. I've done some cool things in my life, don't get me wrong. I've served a mission, done lots of cool vacations, done a humanitarian trip to Peru, etc... However, I've always wanted to do more. I've felt for a very long time, that I want to help people. I've always had a very strange draw to 3rd world countries in need. I've always wanted to go to these places to try and make change happen in peoples lives. I REALLY caught the bug when I went to Peru when I was 16 with my sister Ashlee on a humanitarian trip.

Ever since, I've always longed to go back, and do something great. That desire has been re-ignited several times from different experiences, like learning about Micro Finance, my mission, having friends go on humanitarian trips.

So while thinking lately, I've decided, I have plenty of money saved that I could travel the world. But not only to go and see things, go to museums, and tourist sites, but to help people all over the world. Literally, not 2 days after I had made the decision to start finding foundations I could go to various parts of the world with to serve, my life long friend Ben Kjar called me up, and told me about a humanitarian foundation that he and his brother were helping to extend into the world. They are starting in Belize this summer, and wanted me to help out. I was ecstatic, and started reading up on the foundation they were with. This whole project is awesome in my opinion! and it will hopefully gain enough funding to move throughout the world into different places that need it.

The foundation is called Domes for The World (http://www.dftw.org/)

Ben is down in Belize right now making arrangements so that we can go down and start building these domes on 40 Acres of land that were donated to our cause. I am planning on taking at least 2 trips to Belize this summer hopefully, to get things going. If we see the need is great enough, and there is enough money being donated so that we can keep building, I'm considering doing much much more down there. I've even considered taking a semester off in school and work to manage the operation down there if needed. Obviously all of this is totally up in the air. I just want to do something totally crazy, and totally good. I'm tired of thinking only about myself, and I want to help people. This has always been my dream, and I hope this is only the beginning. I've always felt the most draw to Africa, and I will make it there someday, it's just a matter of when, and how, and with what cause.

So, for now, I hope all of you will take a look at the site, and consider giving us a donation. Hold off on doing it through their website though, I'd like to square away a way for us to get specific donations for our cause in Belize. I've already started the website for http://DomesForBelize.com

Stay tuned, and I'll give you more information.

Anyway, I know this wasn't the most entertaining blog I've ever written. I'm very tired, and not in the writing mood. I had to force myself to write this. So, hopefully I'll get some more material to share with you very soon!

Until Next time boys and girls.

Wow, So I know it's Been a LONG Time!

2009-04-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

I know I Know, you guys are dying to know what's going on in my life!

Well, let me tell you this, It is late at night, I am tired, I don't have the time to fill you in, but I also wanted to just drop my fans a line, and tell them, I am planning on writing an update to my blog very soon.

Some of it will include:

- How I want to put a bullet in my face from school.
- How work is starting to take off again.
- How Vegas is a filthy disgusting city
- How I purchased an insanely beautiful, amazing guitar.
- How it is having Megan back (Boooooooring!!!!) ;)
- How I'm going to start composing music, recording it, and showing it to my fanseees.
- How you can use the word How so many times in a blog.
- How I've Lost almost 20 lbs in the last 3 weeks.
- How a little metal frame with two very thin wheels on it can give me so much joy.
- How I miss the love of my life, my baby boy Caleb.
- How a protein shake can actually taste extremely good.
- and how I've decided I want to travel the world.

All this is coming soon! So stay tuned my friends.

I love you all, and hope you won't give up on me. I've taken a short sojourn away from the blogging world; however, I have hungered, and thirsted much, and I have come back to drink, and eat until I am filled.

Peace out.

I'm FAMOUS!!!!

2009-01-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, Okay, so contrary to popular belief, my blog hasn't made me famous yet, I know that's shocking, but, it's okay, I prefer writing these blogs for you. Yeah, that's right, you're the only one who reads my blog. Really, you're worth it!

Those things said, I have to brag a little bit. I have officially been seen by millions of people all at the same time on American Idol... Many of you know I tried out for AI earlier this year, you can read my blog about it if you want, but anyway, tonight was the showing of Salt Lake City, where I tried out. So, back to the millions of viewers... So, maybe not all of them saw me specifically, but they were looking at their televisions while I was on it for about 3 or 4 seconds, which means I was in or around the vicinity of their eyes... So, of course, that makes me famous right?

I took a picture to prove it to all of you:

Isn't that AWESOME! I don't know if you guys could see me or not, so I put an arrow or two to help point myself out... My mom said I overdid it, but I think she's just jealous...

In other news; school is kicking my trash!! No, like really really kicking my trash... This semester is unreal! I truly am looking at this right now and saying to myself, "How the crap am I going to do this?" it's a great feeling, let me tell ya! Anyway, enough about that. Well, I'll write another blog hopefully very soon. May the American Idol god's bless you and keep you theirs.

American Idol - New Changes - And What I Think of Them!

2009-01-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhhhhhh Snap!!! It's that time of year again when my favorite shows start to air!! American Idol starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. My friends and I have always made it a tradition to get together every Tuesday and Wednesday for the next several weeks to enjoy the coming weeks of mayhem! AI gives us hours of entertainment, while giving all 3 of us an excuse to get together despite our heavy workloads at work and school. So, the 3 of us will be throwing a HUGE party tonight for American Idol. If you'd like to increase our numbers to 4 or 5, to make it even more insane, please, feel free to let me know! The more the merrier!

So, I'm especially excited about this season because there are some major changes happening that I have to say, I am very excited about. Some of them are as follows:

Definite Changes

The Details

Fewer Trainwrecks

In an effort to bring some more "credibility" to the show, fewer freaks (Mary Roach), delusional dorks (Michael Sandecki), and hot messes (William Hung) will be featured during the auditions.

MY VERDICT: Hallelujah! I have to admit, the occasional mess, freak, slut, or douche is pretty funny; however, I find that I enjoy the GOOD singers much more than I enjoy the crappy ones. Though the crappy ones can give us something to laugh about, the GOOD ones help us to look forward to seeing more from that person!! I myself am ALL for this, even though many are not.

Character Development:

With Hollywood Week finally becoming Hollywood Weeks, we'll actually get to know the contestants and their stories, unlike in years past when the Top 12 could easily consist of strangers.

MY VERDICT: It's ABOUT TIME! I think in years past, many contestants have been overlooked, and overshadowed by the contestants that recieved more screen time. This will add an element of fairness to all the contestants, plus, it will help us to choose more carefully when you have more people to compare to. I love it!

WILD-CARD ROUND

For the first time since the show's second season, the judges will select the final three contestants that will comprise the Top 12.

MY VERDICT: Debatable. I've seen America make some BIG mistakes, but I have also seen the judges make some interesting choices as well. This could end up being VERY good or VERY bad in the end. But, I think this might help weed out all those retarded contestants who have no business being there. *Cough* Sanjaya *Cough*

TOP 24

With the semi-final round being comprised of 36 contestants -- as opposed to the usual 24 -- and with the judges determining the wild-cards, the makeup of the Top 12 won't necessarily be split evenly among males and females.

MY VERDICT: Finally! If more women (for example) deserve to make the finals, let them in! I think everyone is tired of the 6/6 split. The best singers should be in the finals. Not cute talentless hunks (Ace Young), not grandma-selected safe bets (Kevin Covais), and definitely not Sanjaya.

New Judge

The new kid on the block is songwriter-producer Kara DioGuardi, the mastermind behind Xtina's "Ain't No Other Man," Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl," and Pink's latest hit, "Sober." Will she rely on her professional experience like Randy? Will she battle with Simon? Will she ultimately replace Paula? (All parties deny this rumor). Will she tell it like it is and risk hurting the contestants' feelings?

MY VERDICT: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! The only thing that could make me happier, is if they would just accept the fact that Paula is a drug addict, crazy person, and then get rid of her, preferably by execution. Alright so it's a little harsh, I know, but, c'mon, you know I'm telling the truth!

Shorter Results Show

Wednesday night's results show will be pared down from one hour to 30 minutes.

MY VERDICT: I think this is actually a fantastic Idea! Results shows were always kind of a pain in the butt. You just wanna know who the H377 got kicked off, but they show a frame of Ryan Seacrest saying, "Hello, welcome to American Idol! We have a good show for you today, but before we show you anything, lets take a 15 minute commercial break!" Thank Goodness for DVR!!! But still, it will be nice to just have them cut right to the chase.

An Ugly Attack on Mormons

2008-12-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Did you catch the political ad in which two Jews ring the doorbell of a nice, working-class family? They barge in and rifle through the wife's purse and then the man's wallet for any cash. Cackling, they smash the daughter's piggy bank and pinch every penny. "We need it for the Wall Street bailout!" they exclaim.

No? Maybe you saw the one with the two swarthy Muslims who knock on the door of a nice Jewish family and then blow themselves up?

No? Well, then surely you saw the TV ad in which two smarmy Mormon missionaries knock on the door of an attractive lesbian couple. "Hi, we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!" says the blond one with a toothy smile. "We're here to take away your rights." The Mormon zealots yank the couple's wedding rings from their fingers and then tear up their marriage license.

As the thugs leave, one says to the other, "That was too easy." His smirking comrade replies, "Yeah, what should we ban next?" The voice-over implores viewers: "Say no to a church taking over your government."

Obviously, the first two ads are fictional because no one would dare run such anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim attacks.

The third ad, however, was real. It was broadcast throughout California on election day as part of the effort to rally opposition to Proposition 8, the initiative that successfully repealed the right to same-sex marriage in the state.

What was the reaction to the ad? Widespread condemnation? Scorn? Rebuke? Tepid criticism?

Nope.

This newspaper, a principled opponent of Proposition 8, ran an editorial saying that the "hard-hitting ad" was too little, too late.

The upshot seemed to be that if the pro-gay-marriage forces had just flooded the airwaves with more religious slander, things would have turned out better.

At a pro-gay-marriage rally in Los Angeles after the vote, chants of "Mormon scum!" were reported. Envelopes containing white powder have been sent to Mormon temples in California and Utah; vandals hit other temples. Lists of businesses to boycott -- essentially Mormon blacklists -- have sprung up on the Internet. The artistic director of the California Musical Theatre resigned because of pressure after it was revealed he gave $1,000 to a pro-Proposition 8 group.

It's amazing. Hollywood liberals, who shout "McCarthyism!" as a first resort, see nothing wrong with this. If Jews were attacked in this way for giving too much money to a political cause, Barbra Streisand would already have a French passport.

Never mind that Proposition 8 carried nearly every demographic slice of voters. Put aside the fact that the Catholic Church and scores of other Christian churches supported it too. Discount the inconvenient truth that bans on gay marriage have now passed in 30 states. It's all the Mormons' fault.

The argument is that Mormons used illegitimate power, in this case money, beyond their numerical standing in the population to secure victory for the measure. Golly, wealthy gay liberals would never do anything like that! I bet they're not giving a dime to the legal effort to overturn Proposition 8.

No, it's just that Mormons are the most vulnerable of the culturally conservative religious denominations and therefore the easiest targets for an organized campaign against religious freedom of conscience.

Traditional religion is the enemy anywhere it runs afoul of complete social acceptance of homosexuality. In New Mexico, a wedding photographer was fined nearly $7,000 for refusing to shoot a gay commitment ceremony. The dating site eHarmony, run by evangelicals, was just bullied by gay activists via the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights into starting up a site for gays. The first 10,000 registrants must get six months free.

It's often lost on gay-rights groups that they and their allies are the aggressors in the culture war. Indeed, they admit to being the "forces of change" and the "agents of progress." They proudly want to rewrite tradition and overturn laws. But whenever they're challenged democratically and peaceably, they instantly complain of being victims of entrenched bigots, even as they adopt the very tactics they abhor.

My own view is that gay marriage is likely inevitable, and won't be nearly the disaster many of my fellow conservatives fear it will be. But the scorched-earth campaign to victory pushed by gay-marriage advocates may well be disastrous, and "liberals" should be ashamed for countenancing it.

Jonah Goldberg - December 2, 2008

Temple Protests Go Too Far!!

2008-11-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

In the name of tolerance, great intolerance is shown. The biggest bigots in our society are the ones who routinely accuse others of bigotry.

That troubling trend has never been clearer than it was last week when thousands of supporters of a militant homosexual agenda, upset by an electoral defeat, marched in mass protest on two Mormon temples.

Blaming The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for marshalling voters against them, a thousand activists shouted outside the Mormon temple in Los Angeles, and the next day some three thousand others staged a protest at the Salt Lake temple.

Let me repeat. Unhappy at having lost an election, protesters surrounded and intimidated places of worship. In America.

Here's the background. Last Tuesday, California voters were asked whether or not they wanted gay marriage. The issue was called Proposition 8. Defeat meant gay marriage, passage meant no gay marriage.

Which is what Californians chose the last time they voted on this issue. Eight years ago another statewide vote rejected gay marriage. But activists successfully subverted the will of the people through a series of lawsuits. That effort culminated earlier this year when the California Supreme Court allowed gay marriage.

So the people put it back on the ballot.

And last week they said what they had said before – Californians do not want gay marriage.

That's what ticked off the homosexual activists.

Because they thought eight years of propaganda and normalization had beaten down the opposition. But that wasn't the case.

An organization of opponents to gay marriage quickly formed. Generally, it was comprised of people whose opposition was based in religion. Namely, Roman Catholics, Evangelicals and Mormons. Leaders of all three faiths – as represented by the Catholic bishops, Focus on the Family and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – asked their followers to support the effort to pass Proposition 8.

And they did, with their money and their votes. Though outspent, defenders of real marriage worked hard to convince their neighbors that banning gay marriage was the right thing.

And the effort was successful.

Ironically, that might be because of Barack Obama.

Though he opposed Proposition 8, the very large number of black and Latino Californians who came out to support him did not. They, in fact, were the ban's most reliable supporters. And it turned out that rock-solid black and Latino opposition to gay marriage is what provided the margin of victory for Proposition 8.

And yet the activists got mad at the Mormons.

In the run-up to the election, gay marriage supporters ran television commercials vilifying the Mormon Church. And in the wake of it, though the measure to ban gay marriage received more support from Catholic, Evangelical and traditionally black churches, the gay activists have targeted Mormons.

No protests or public criticism directed at the Roman Catholic Church, Focus on the Family, any traditionally black churches or any Evangelical denominations – just at Mormons.

That is probably because the Mormon Church is smaller than the others and less well understood or accepted publicly. It is also a religion which some people have hard feelings or prejudices against.

Simply put, it makes a better scapegoat.

It makes an easier boogeyman for gay activists to attack. Discomfort other people of faith may have with Mormonism is being used as a wedge to drive those other people of faith away from the movement against gay marriage.

The goal is to make the impression that it is Mormons forcing their views on others, that people off in Salt Lake were evil puppet masters pulling the strings on others.

Which is preposterous.

Yes, Mormons were active. Yes, Mormons did disproportionately donate money to support Proposition 8.

But, no, the Mormon Church itself did not give money to the campaign. No, the Mormon Church did not "order" or "command" its members to do anything but follow their conscience. And, no, the Catholic, Evangelical and traditionally black churches which oppose gay marriage do not do so because they are being manipulated by Mormons.

Rather, this was an issue on which these groups, which may usually disagree on doctrinal matters, were able to agree and work together.

Which brings us to the thousands who have surrounded and jeered the Mormon temples.

Having been rejected by the majority, they seek to persecute a minority. It was not Mormons who rejected gay marriage, it was a majority of California voters. And the anger of militant gay activists is purposefully misdirected in an effort to confuse and intimidate.

And in a display of blatant bigotry.

We do not protest at places of worship in America – unless they are Mormon places of worship.

Those who favor abortion rights do not protest outside the parishes and cathedrals of Catholicism. Those who denounce militant Islam do not march around American mosques. Supporters of Palestinian rights do not shout through loudspeakers outside synagogues.

If they did, we would be offended as a society, and see the impropriety of their deeds.

But thousands can hatefully mill outside the gates of the sacred buildings of Mormonism and do so with impunity, knowing that their actions and motives will go unchallenged, that the evening news will bring them nothing but the publicity they seek.

In the name of tolerance, intolerance is done. In the supposed fight against bigotry, bigotry is both motive and tool.

The homosexual agenda demands acceptance and promotion of its values, but denounces and attacks the values of others. It demands the right to marry, but assaults the right to believe. In demanding that its voice be heard, while forcing silence on all who dissent from its agenda.

And the intolerant left has grown so totalitarian in its demand for orthodoxy that it has staged protests to attack the outcome of an election. That's where America is today.

Or, more correctly, that's where evil is today.

Because traditional marriage is good, and its counterfeit, gay marriage, is evil. It is a simple matter of absolute and eternal truth. You either believe in God and his law or the shouting activists and theirs.

And most Americans feel that way, though few of them will say it out loud. That's because they're afraid – afraid that if they do, they'll be attacked the way Mormons are being attacked now.

Which is why this is taking place. In an act of bigotry against houses of worship, supporters of the homosexual agenda are sending a shot across the bow of every church, mosque, synagogue and temple in the country.

Either keep your mouth shut, or get what the Mormons are getting.

Here's hoping that that warning will be ignored, and that people of conscience will have the courage of their convictions – that people of all faiths will stand their ground. Contention must be avoided, but not at the cost of capitulation.

Americans do not lose their civil rights because they believe in God or worship with their fellow believers. People of faith are as free to vote and speak their mind as anyone else.

What this episode teaches is that people of faith had better stand together in the defense of their rights, or they will be picked off one by one.

Because the Mormons are just the beginning.

- by Bob Lonsberry © 2008

Can You EVEN Imagine!?!?!?!?

2008-11-06T10:58:00.001-08:00

So, I got this email from my dad at work, and it had this video in it.

I don't know about you, but, can you freaking imagine if you were the best man? WHAT do you say to your friend's new wife? How on earth do you just say, "Uh, sorry!" HAHAHA!! There is no coming back from this! I mean, if you just tripped and fell in front of everyone, that's one thing, but the effects of his fall, are what are the best... Just watch the video!! Muahaha!

By the way, if you are offended by the someone using the Lord's name in vain, there are a couple of "Oh my gosh's" without gosh; however, the sound somewhat adds to the whole experience, so consider overlooking this.

Celestial Food, and Complimentary Toilet Paper

2008-10-09T14:01:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in a meeting right now with a bunch of Xerox Copier resale business owners up at the Zermot Spa and Resort. It's one of the few, if not the only 5 star hotel in Utah. It's up near Heber city, and is very nice. I especially like the "costumes" of all the employees here. I'm not quite sure what the owners of the hotel were thinking when they were getting costume consulting, and the president looked at the catalog of uniforms, and said, "We've gotta have THOSE"! I think whoever made that final decision should be fired, and banned from the hospitality industry. After using their valet service, I was expecting the valet to exuberantly yodel for me after receiving his tip. Well, he didn't, I didn't even get a simple "Riiiiiiiiicolllaaaaaaaaaa" and then a sound of a really long horn on a mountaintop. I felt cheated.

However, the service here has been fantastic, aside from the fact that they wanted to charge me $15 to connect my computer to their wireless network... Yeah, $15... Are you seriously kidding me? When I had to take an urgent trip to the bathroom, I was worried how much they would charge me to wipe my butt... I only had a $10 and I didn't want to break it. I hate change. Luckily, however, the sanitary tissue was complimentary. Which is good, because I've already made two urgent trips to the loo. I feel like I should call it that with all these mountain elves from Iceland running about.

So, instead of spending $15 on an internet connection I hacked the network with my uber haxor skillz, and I connected via VPN to our Digital Gateway internet connection. I Roxor your Boxorz, I know.

The meeting has been good, but I have to give an honorable mention to the house Cook. The food was absolutely delicious... When they asked if I wanted Chicken, Salmon, and sensually delicious beef, I simply said, "Yes." And I proceeded to eat my weight in some of the most delicious food I've had in a very long time. Then, I proceeded to consume a most celestially delicious piece of Chocolate cake plastered in 2 inches of decadent Whipped Cream... On a side note, you could plaster an old boot in whipped cream, and I would probably think it was pretty good.

Anyway, the food was SO good, and so plentiful, of course, I ate far too much of it. I am pretty good at telling my stomach to shut up and digest when it's screaming, "Error Error". Have you ever been SO full that you get out of breath by doing something like, raising your arm, or adjusting in your seat? Yeah, I know I'm pathetic... The food was just so good though! This played a key role in forcing me to use a public bathroom more than once in a day. I generally try as hard as I can to avoid public bathrooms as much as possible. If I can cut down my visits to the public loo to 1 or 2 every 5 years, then I am happy. But I digress, back to being full; I really do think that if someone saw me from the side, they would think to themselves, "Well that's odd; that man looks like a pregnant woman." Well, contrary to popular belief, I don't in fact have ovaries or a uterus, so, I am unable to be large with child. I just ate too much, you judgmental person I am using in my story... yeah, that's what I would say to them, I would tell them off!

SOOO, today has been an enjoyable day. It has switched things up a little bit, I got to come up to a nice place to learn quite a bit about a product I will be selling soon, and I got to enjoy an extremely good meal. So, I have no complaints.

I am writing this blog in response to 2 separate requests that I post a blog again, it feels good to know you guys enjoy them, so, don't hesitate to continue making me feel like I'm amazing. I certainly already know that, but, It doesn't hurt to be told every now and again. ;) *If you don't know me, please know that I'm not arrogant, and don't think I am better than everyone else*

... I just know I am...

Laughing @ Others, and Making Lots of SugarDaddy Candy!

2008-09-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

First, let me thank all of you who decided to follow my blog. I have to explain something. Some of you took my pleadings so seriously, you even thought that I was crying, or whining about not having any friends. Though that fact remains true, I rarely cry about it... I was simply bringing attention to the wonderful new feature of following blogs! Now, I officially have 15 people who follow mine. This in-and-of itself gives me more motivation to occasionally grace all of you with the blogs which you are undoubtedly looking forward to the most... Mine!

Moving on -- Oh wow... I'm sitting at work (doing some after hours blogging) and all of the sudden someone just started slamming a hammer on something that is surely concrete... It may as well be under my desk seeing as I can't concentrate for one second with all this noise going on. -- HAHA, Right as I was about to start typing about how it finally stopped, OH, Enrique starts hitting the wall again... This has got to stop!!

Okay, stopped again, lets do this while I still have time...

OH YEAH, HILARIOUS STORY!!

I was riding my awesome Harley Davidson 150 CC Scooter today down on BYU Campus, and I was sitting at a red light, and I look across the street just in time to totally watch this zoobie (name for byu kids who are weirdies)totally eat CRAP on his bike! When he fell, his bike just kind of went into a big crumpled mess, and he kind of did a front flip onto his butt and sat up. Now, the best part is, he ACTUALLY tried to play it off! LOL!! I'm laughing while typing this, but, he sat up, and just pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around it as if to say to the girl who was standing 3 feet away, "I totally meant to do that, I was getting a little fatigued on my bike, so I thought I'd just take a seat on the sidewalk almost halfway into the busy intersection". I kid you not, I laughed so hard, and so loud that the girl who was standing next to him, the 15 landscapers kiddy corner to me, and the zoobie himself all heard me guffaw at his detrimental situation. I was laughing so hard that I involuntarily raised my arm dramatically in the air, way higher than it needed to be, and then quickly slapped my leg in total glee, and enjoyment! They all looked at me like I was the biggest douche bag in the world, but I didn't care, it didn't stop me from laughing my head off. The only bad part is, I totally missed the green light, there was a car behind me, and he even honked at me, right as it turned yellow; well, I just waved at him as if to say, "Sorry buddy, but this is way more important!" And I ungrudgingly waited for the next green light to illuminate.

Anyway, I died, and I'm glad I remembered this to tell all 3 of you who actually read my blogs!

Onto my Sugar Daddy Status --

Many of you know that I work as an "Internal Sales Account Manager" for a software company called Digital Gateway; and if you were wondering, YES, it is very important to me to state my full title, it makes me feel extremely important, and you can't ever take that away from me! -- Anyway, I digress -- So, the past few months have been extremely rough! Sales dropped like crazy, and pretty much nothing was rolling through the door. People didn't want to spend money, and for some reason it was just draining the life out of me! With a lack of motivation, and serious thoughts of even leaving my job, I was saved by my vacation to Lake Powell, which renewed me. When I got back from Powell, I can't tell you what happened, I don't know exactly why the business started just flowing in, but I have officially had my best month (by about double) I have ever had ever since entering this position. I was the number 1, #1, Numero Uno, First Place, Celestial Beast Master, sales guy out of the whole company this month. I reached a personal goal I set for myself a while ago in having a certain amount of money stored in my ING account. I officially surpassed that amount today! I am very excited to be getting 3.0% interest on money I don't need at the moment. (Everyone should have an ING account in my opinion)

$&*@#*&% -- You gotta be kidding me... Now Enrique has a friggen Jack Hammer or something -- I'll try to move on.

So, this month, I was able to make our company $66,830.74. I know right? All that in software sales. Lets just say it was an extremely good month. And yes, I'm boasting, and I do in fact really think I'm the best.

What will I do with all that commission you might ask? Well, I was thinking of blowing it all on Jdawgs Polish dogs... or... Costco's decadent assortment of Churrows, burpotdogs, and smoothies sound nice as well... Okay, no, not really; like I said, I pretty much throw all my money into an ING account to save all I can while my job is still making me good money. You never know what could happen with the economy the way it is right now!

In other news, school is going extremely well, I am for the first time in my life actually genuinely enjoying school, and what I'm doing. I'm learning a TON, and having some fun while doing it. If I haven't mentioned it before, I am a Digital Design major at Utah Valley University. I am kind of doing a few different things in the multimedia field, but I have pretty much decided I am going to focus on Web Design/Development. If I can improve the skills I've already got in web design, (Approximately 10 years experience) I can one day work from home, wake up at 10:00, work for 4 hours, and have the rest of the day to do whatever I want, while making disgustingly large amounts of money. That's the goal anyway, I know it will be while before I get there.

So, on a final, and more serious note.

My friend Rachel texted me this morning (very early, she's lucky I was already up going to workout with my personal trainer) saying:

"So I'm just watching the news as usual this morning. And I think it's very telling that everyone's saying the financial crisis will be solved if people start living financially prudent. And how long has the church been telling us to avoid debt and live within our means? Talk about prophetic wisdom."

I know, long text right? But, she's totally right. I think it's very interesting how the church (LDS Church, Mormon Prophet, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints -- for my non-LDS readers) has been preaching this for years. I am convinced that Gordon B. Hinckley saw this coming. I remember the talk where he specifically talked about financially we are most at risk, not necessarily due to a natural disaster of some kind. And he couldn't have been so right! I am grateful we have a prophet on the earth today to help us know and prepare for the things that are about to come.

Anyway, just a small post within a post.

Hope you enjoyed the blog, it's a longee but a goodee, so, comment away, and let me know how awesome I am!

Until Next time girls and boys, always remember, you don't have to be faster than the bear... You just have to be faster than the slowest guy running from the bear.

I Feel Betrayed, Broken Hearted, and You're all Dead to Me!

2008-09-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Guys, contrary to popular belief, I don't really write these blogs for myself, and myself alone, I write them for you guys to enjoy, so that you can tell me nice things about how awesome and amazing I am in my comments.

When I asked you guys to "Follow" my blog, the response was incredible. 3 people followed my blog, and that is INCLUDING MYSELF!!!! I want to know who even reads my blogs, so PLEASE Just go to the right menu, find the little images that say Followers, and click, "Follow this Blog". If you don't want me to know who you are, simply select that you want to be Anonymous. I just want to know that someone, anyone is reading my blog. I have no motivation whatsoever to keep posting blogs if 2 people are even reading them.

It's not hard people, just push Follow this blog!

If you're lost as to what I'm talking about, click the link below, it will explain everything.

CLICK THIS LINK TO FIND OUT ABOUT FOLLOWING (As if I haven't explained it well enough...)

Please, friends, family, strangers, enemy's, homos, douche bags, and wankers alike, I want you to follow my blog, this is very important for my emotional health and sanity. I have to feel like I have an audience in order to really perform well in these blogs. JUST DO IT! It's not hard. If you don't, I'll find you, and push you down on the playground, and we won't be friends anymore, Pinkie swear I WILL!

Catching Up, Scoot w00t, and Lake Powell

2008-09-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in a particularly "bloggy" mood, and yet, I don't quite know where to start! I have so many things to talk about, yet I don't think it's necessary to tell you guys every single detail of my life. If you want to know what is going on with Janae and me at the moment, the best place for you to read about it in depth, would be her blog. I don't feel it necessary to go into detail here, as she has explained the happenings perfectly.

As for other "fun" topics of my bloggingdom, I have many.

For example, as some of you who know me know, I have converted over to the wonderful world of scooterdom. Once gas prices reached $4.00 I decided it was time to park my Nissan Maxima for a little while, to explore the option of becoming a Scooter owner. I shopped around, priced a few different scoots, test drove a couple, and finally found one I wanted. So, I purchased it, for a very fair price, and I've gotta tell you, I haven't regretted my decision once. My scooter is a Velocity 150 CC. If you're wondering what the number and CC means, it means 150 Completely Celestials. For all those people who aren't all that engine savvy. I've loved it.

Yesterday I was totally accepted into the world of motorcycle(dom) by a fellow motorcyclist who reached out his hand off of his handlebar to wave to me... This wasn't just any wave, it was the wave that says, "I'm not just any wave, I'm a wave invented only for fellow motorcyclists"; it was a stiff armed, wave, where the hand just stuck out, and didn't move at all, it was a wave of acceptance into the community of biker dudes. Isn't that awesome!? I seriously thought it was very amusing how much joy I got out of having a complete stranger wave to me, because we shared a couple of things in common. We are both overweight, we both like saving gas, and we both enjoy a little fresh air while riding a machine between our legs. I'll post pictures of me on my scooter very soon. If you're lucky, maybe I'll even show some skin, or get into somewhat promiscuous positions... But only if you're lucky...

Moving on -- I just got back from Lake Powell this last Tuesday, and I've gotta tell ya, it was probably one of the best trips to Lake Powell I've ever had. There were a few reasons, some of them being; A. all of the little bastage children running around were related to me in some way, which in turn means that I actually like them, 2) Most of the people who were there were of some relation to me, which in turn means that I kind of like them too, and D. We did some pretty freaking awesome stuff!!

Let me illustrate some of the activities by showing some pictures, and then talking about them.

Well, we did things such as making fools of ourselves with our synchronized swimming routine. We only worked on this for about 30 seconds, and then we did some improv at the end, so, give us a break.

Look, that's my fat Head, and that's the beautiful Lake Powell.

This one has a funny story. We all dressed up like this to swim about 200 yards to another houseboat, where we surrounded the boat and made inhuman noises with a goal to scare the crap out of the sailors on board the boat. It was a blast, and we had a lot of fun terrorizing the drunk people.

This one simply shows how superior my ninja skills are. We made it a habit to occasionally jump out of the moving boat onto the unsuspecting victim. Well, I was ready for these surly characters, so I took care of them quickly, and efficiently with my karate chops to the face and chests.

Anyway, the trip was awesome, and this blog is awesome, and I'm pretty awesome, so I think I've said enough. I am off to bed my friends, please become a follower to my blog. I know who looks at my blog anyway by my stats counter, so you may as well become an official follower to my blog. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's a new tool added by google, check it out, it's cool.

Anyway, I'll try to post again soon about something obscure and most certainly funny, dry, or pointless...

Don't Give Up On Me!! FOLLOW MY BLOG!

2008-09-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Okay guys, I don't want you to give up on me as a blogger. I'm trying to get my thoughts together so that I can come and write a very thoughtful, and informational blog that will catch you up on the many goings on in my life right now. There is MUCH to tell, so I will try to write a blog, hopefully tonight if I can get my thoughts together.

So, Stay tuned!!

P.S. There's a new link on the side bar of my blog, it is there so that you can now FOLLOW people's blogs. It's like becoming a loyal reader. If you read my blog, EVER, even if you think you're a stalker, and don't want me to know you read my blog, PLEASE Follow my Blog. I am in desperate need to feel like people actually read the blog. It will give me much more motivation to actually write blogs, so, the more followers I get to this blog, the more likely I'll be to actually update the blog regularly.

I'll Follow yours if you follow mine! ;)

New Blog - Movie Reviews!!

2008-08-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I love movies, I love movies a lot!! And I love writing movie reviews too! So, I've decided I would create another blog dedicated solely to movie reviews.

It's called Movie Fiends Anonymous. I would LOVE it if some of you guys wanted to become "Movie Critics" for the blog! I want to market it, and do some advertising and stuff for it so that we can make it really popular!

If you guys could add a link to it from all of your blogs, myspaces, Facebooks, etc... That would be so awesome!! If you want to write reviews for the blog, please email me, and I'll give you the low-down on how to go about it!

So, go check it out everyone, and make sure to check it often!

Link to us at:
http://moviefiendsanonymous.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Mostly a Belated Blog on California, and Butt Chaffage!

2008-08-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while again since I last wrote a blog.

The reason I usually don't write one is because Janae always beats me to it! She writes about the things we do together in so much detail, I feel like I have nothing left to talk about in my blogs. So, I guess I'll just tell you some of the fun, interesting, funny things that have happened to me within the last little while that I haven't updated my blog. (Wow, I didn't realize it was so freaking long ago that I updated this! I gotta get back on top of this!)

Okay, so this probably won't be in any particular order seeing as my mind doesn't like keeping things in order. My brain is kind of like a 3 year old kid who sniffed too much Nestle Quick before getting put in a padded room. So, forgive my thought process.

First, I'll start somewhere easy.

Ever since my last blog post, I've been involved in a Provo River rafting disaster, my 1 year anniversary with my fiancée, a vacation to California, getting a wallet stolen at Taco bell, seeing some awesome movies lately, went to Disneyland for the first time, went to an Angel’s game, and tried out for American Idol in Salt Lake City. I will touch on just a couple of these things as Janae has covered most of them in a TON of depth, so if you wish to read about them, refer to her blog!!

The first story that comes to mind that I want to talk about happened on my vacation to California. Janae and I drove to Cali to be with her family, and to do a bunch of different activities while we were there. Our first sojourn was to the beach. While we were there we went swimming, and had a fire, cooked hotdogs and marshmallows and stuff like that. Well, while we were there, I started feeling really queasy, like I had eaten something bad, and my stomach was not happy. Anyway, forgive me for being somewhat graphic, or even a little disgusting, but, let’s just say while I was laying there on a towel, I let out what was supposed to be a fart full of nothing but air and relief for my nauseated stomach; however, instead I was greeted by something a little more messy, and less convenient. So, I turned to Janae with a look of terror on my face and told her what just happened. Of course she couldn’t let me off the hook without laughing, and of course, I was laughing at myself a little too.

Anyway, to make a long story short, let me just say God bless the man who had the idea to put showers at the beach. And, also, God bless the company that so dutifully manufacturers Wet Ones. I was quite fortunate to have access to both said advantages. After I was able to evacuate all the sickness in my tummy in the also very conveniently located bathrooms (not conveniently sanitary however) I felt great. The rest of the night was awesome! I had SO MUCH FUN with Janae. Just talking and sitting next to our fire pit. It was a really magical night for me actually. Well, aside from the earlier difficulties at least. ;)

So, later in the week I managed to drop my wallet at a Taco bell when I went in to get sauce which the motard at the drive-thru failed to do the first time around. I spent hours the next morning looking for my wallet, and only remembered that I had gotten out at Taco Bell after it was too late. Someone had most likely picked up the wallet, saw that it had a few hundred dollars worth of cash in it, a few hundred dollars worth in Gift Cards, and a couple credit cards, licenses, social Security card, etc etc... They decided that honesty was out, and gas prices were up, so they jacked my wallet. Can I just say that this is probably one of my biggest pet peeves? This isn't the first time this has happened, it's not even the second time, it's like the 4th time that I have had a wallet stolen. The ironic thing is, I never carry cash, unless I'm on vacation. The last 2 times I've gotten a wallet stolen, I had several hundred dollars of cash in it each time, because each time, I've been on vacation. It's a real pain the arse. The other ironic thing about it is that the last 2 times It's happened, I had just purchased a very nice wallet days or weeks before. So, it's just ironic, and It makes me quite upset. I hope the universe isn't listening right now. Anyway, enough sobbing about that, even though I still get sick to my stomach everytime I think about it. ugh.

Well, after all of this, we got to go and see The Dark Knight. Which by the way was absolutely incredible.

I forgot to mention we also went to Disneyland somewhere in all of this, as well as an Angel's game. Disneyland was amazing! I thought Pirates of the Carribean was so rad! We all had a really good time!

Well, you probably are noticing that I'm shortening this. I have decided that this is far too long and I'll read my oh so dedicated 4 readers if I go over too much. So, anyway. I was going to include my American Idol audition experience here, however, I think I'll blog about that separately.

All in all, the California trip was amazing. It was a very much needed renewal of energy, relationship with my fiancee, and break from work. So, I loved it!

I'll blog about American Idol a little bit later!

Bitter Sweet Days - Not My Favorite

2008-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

The horrible day I speak of was actually yesterday.

First of all, I'm totally getting burned out at work right now for some reason. Things are going slow then fast, then slow, then fast with sales, so it's hard to keep the motivation up, and the work ethic high. Things will get better here pretty soon. I have lots of really good leads and potential buys that should roll in here pretty soon. So far, I've sold over $70,000 in add-on products for our company, so I'm doing pretty well thus far. It just gets hard sometimes to stick with it. It's pretty tedious work, in trying to get in contact with customers, and trying to get them to just send you the dang invoice back so you can process their order. But, it's been a great experience, and I look forward to improving all the time.

Anyway, after that little tangent, the reason yesterday blew was first off, it just started off pretty bad. I was at work, and nothing really was happening, but I had something to look forward to, my new bedset I had just purchased from RCWilley last Saturday. I have been seriously SO excited about redecorating our whole basement so that I can move in there one day with my future wife. (I'm also moving in there very soon alone, just to hold down the fort until I get married.) I've been tearing off all the wallpaper, fixing all the burnt out lightbulbs, installing a new fridge, etc etc... So, I was very excited to finally get the furniture I had been looking forward to! So it arrived, everything looks great, then the guys say, "We can't put it together for you, sorry." This wasn't a big deal to me, I don't mind doing that kind of thing. So when my mom and I start putting everything together, some of the peices look quite small. I got a King size bed, but the side rails and base board things looked too short. Sure enough, they had sold us the Queen side boards and stuff, so I couldn't completely put together the bed I had so been looking forward to seeing finished.

So, after that, I went to pick up my car from Clegg's Automotive. I needed to get some work done on my car. Well, when they gave me my keys, and I went out to my car, I found that my car hadn't been locked that night, and it had been broken into.

I had gotten a bunch of stuff stolen out of my car. Some of the things that I know about, I'm sure there was more, but I just don't recall what was back there, include:

Longboard
Paintball Gun / Mask / Tank
Pistol
A new Dickies Coat
Radar Detector, which they left behind two key parts, (bunch of idiots)
My Stereo FACE. Yes, ONLY the face! Dubbayou Tee Eff would you want JUST the face of a stereo for? Seriously?
Over 60 CD's
a bottle of "Goo Gone" probably to sniff it.
and a bunch of other random stuff I'm sure.

So, needless to say, I wasn't happy. I had a cop come to do a police report, but the chances of getting my stuff back is very slim. But I wanted a police report so I could try to make Cleggs pay for it.

Turns out, they said they will only meet me "half way" with any costs that I have. I think that's a bunch of bullcrap, seeing as they are the ones that didn't lock my door, and my car was on their property. So, I'm gonna fight that for sure.

Anyway, luckily, my cute girlfriend took me to dinner to cheer me up, and then we watched an episode of Dexter, which by the way is probably the best show ever invented. Then we went and watched So You Think You Can Dance, and then we went home. So, the day was not ALL bad, but it did suck in the earlier parts of the day.

Anyway, hopefully today will be better. Honestly, this whole week has been somewhat difficult for me. Just feeling really stressed about a few different things. So, if you can keep me in your prayers, that would be great!

Thanks!

Today is a Very Special Day!!

2008-06-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Most people throughout the world woke up this morning thinking it was a normal day; nothing to celebrate, nothing to commemorate, nothing to get excited about, just another day. No one thinks anything is different today than it was yesterday or the day before. They don’t realize the importance of what June 9^th really means. No one is aware of the great celebration that should be taking place in honor of one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known, and ever will know in this life time, and the next. If only the world could know about the events that took place 50 something years ago, they too would have something to celebrate today.

Are you wondering what the devil I’m talking about? Well, today is the day that one of the most influential people in my life was born. The person I am talking about is my amazing beautiful mother.

Throughout my life, my mom has been my anchor, my mentor, my friend. She’s been there for me along with my dad through everything! The best things my mom has given me consist of a supportive loving parent who never missed a football game, wrestling match, or choir concert; a mom who was always willing to stand up for me when a teacher would say mean things about me for “making too much noise,” or being too disruptive in class. She never made me feel like I was different because I had ADHD, and was practically retarded in reading and math as a child. She was always a builder, not only to me, but other people; my siblings, my father, our friends, and even to strangers.

My mom would do anything for any one of her kids, including giving her life for us, and we all knew it. She is a woman whose faith has never wavered, whose commitment has never weakened, and whose love has never subsided.

My adorable mom. She’s my biggest fan, and she’s not afraid to admit it. She’s quick to give a compliment, and so easy to please. I don’t think I gain more satisfaction out of making people laugh more than I do getting my mom to laugh with me. My mom is really simply just one of the most adorable women on the face of the earth! I am truly eternally grateful for this woman. She has made me the man I have become, and she continues to influence the grown-up I am still creating.

Mom, I love you with all my heart! I know I don’t show it all the time. I know I’m a pain in the butt almost everyday of the year, but today is the one day that I am willing to swallow my pride, put all my manly expectations aside, only to celebrate a very special day indeed; the day you were brought into the world. You’ve truly made this world a better place, and without you, I really believe that thousands of people’s lives wouldn’t be quite the same. I believe you have influence over people wherever you go, whichever situation you’re in, whomever you happen to be with, etc… Whether it is for good or for bad, you are an influence in the world; and I personally think it’s mostly for the good.

So mom, even though the rest of the world doesn’t recognize how important this day is in their history, I want you to know that I do.

I love you mom, I hope you have an incredible birthday.

Eternally your son, Tanner

100 Simple Ways to Change Your Life for the Better

2008-05-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

I found an article online that I really liked a lot. I think we can all use many of these to make our lives easier.

Enjoy!

By Jessica Hupp

No matter how perfect you may think you are, the fact this there’s always some small way you can improve upon yourself. Whether it’s broadening your knowledge or reducing your impact on the earth, there are seemingly endless little things you can do to make a change for the better. Here, we’ll discuss 100 of these steps, and how you can go about doing them.

Health

Good health is the foundation of a good life, so make these improvements, and they’ll resonate out to the rest of your life.

Eat breakfast every morning: Eating breakfast is important for your health and mental power, supplying essential vitamins, minerals, and energy for your day.
Get a good night’s rest: You just can’t have a happy and productive life if you’re tired all of the time, so get some quality shut eye.
Drink water: Step up your water intake to lose weight, feel better, and improve your skin.
Eat slowly: Slow down when you eat, and you’ll find that you consume less while still feeling satisfied.
Cut down on junk food: Junk food has a nasty way of bringing your health down, so avoid it whenever possible, opting instead for healthy food like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Practice good dental hygiene: Researchers have found that dental hygiene is important for more than cosmetic reasons-it can help you chew food and even avoid heart disease.
Drink tea: Be sure to check out the powerhouse of benefits that tea can deliver, which includes improved memory and prevention of ills such as cavities, cancer, and heart disease.
Get some exercise: Whether you need to lose weight or not, exercise will have a positive effect on your overall health and quality of life.
Improve your energy: If you’re feeling sluggish all day, chances are you’re just not going to feel good about yourself. So take a few steps to boost your energy, and you’ll be better in your daily life.
Intensify your workouts: Researchers have found that by doing more intense workouts, you can enjoy similar benefits that you would with a more relaxed workout for a longer period of time.
Enjoy fish a few times a week: Eat fish, and you’ll get a serving of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce heart disease.
Wear better shoes: Don’t torture your toes with restrictive shoes all the time-limit the amount of time you spend in uncomfortable shoes.
Protect your skin: Stay out of the sun to avoid skin damage, or use sunblock to help.
Eat at home: It’s easier and cheaper to prepare healthy foods on your own at home, and skillfully cooking a meal is sure to impress just about anyone.
Get tested for prediabetes: Diabetes is a disease that many Americans are susceptible to, and by discovering it early on you can prevent it or lessen its impact.
Take a daily walk: Get a little bit of movement and clear your mind with a walk every day.
Lose weight: One of the best things you can do for your health and overall quality of life is to shed a few pounds.

Social

Take these steps to change your social life for the better.

Join a book club: Get some social interaction while improving your knowledge with a book club.
Get out of the house: Believe it or not, the world just isn’t going to come to you. You’ve got to get out of your “zone” for social interaction.
Volunteer: For a rewarding social experience, look into volunteer opportunities.
Ignore minor irritations: Whether it’s some jerk in traffic, or incessant Facebook application requests, some things just aren’t worth dealing with.
Start a blog: Spark an online discussion and network with new people through a blog.
Talk to strangers: Don’t hesitate to spark a conversation with someone you don’t know-you just might enjoy yourself, or even make a new friend.
Don’t stereotype or label people: Avoid dismissing people based on factors you don’t fully understand, and you may find that they have something to offer you.
Call old friends: You’d be surprised how many people would be overjoyed to hear from you, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve seen them.
Go to church: Make new friends and get in touch with your spiritual side at church or temple.
Host a party: Spend some time with good friends and enjoy yourself at home by inviting others over for a party.
Enjoy a hobby: Having a regular, relaxing activity will bring you joy.
Join a club: Whether you’re into board games or photography, there’s a group out there for you.

Emotional

Improve your emotional life with these simple strategies.

Make an effort to be happy: Whether you actually feel happy or not, make it a point to attempt happiness. It will help you feel better, as well as others around you.
Consider religion: If you’re not a spiritual person, consider becoming more involved with religion to improve your emotional well-being.
Stop taking things personally: Although it may seem to the contrary, know that not everyone is out to make your life harder.
Be optimistic: Put a positive spin on things and feel better about the future.
Know when to lose sleep: Sometimes, you have more important things to do than sleep, but they key is knowing when that should happen.
Step out of your comfort zone: Make it a point to step out of your comfort zone once in awhile. It’s a great way to advance yourself.
Get rid of ill-fitting clothing: Clothes that don’t fit right will just make you look bad and feel worse about yourself. If you love a piece, but it just doesn’t look good, consider getting it tailored.
Spend time with a child: Look at the world through a child’s eyes and get inspired. You’ll learn to appreciate simple things and see life with excitement.
Pamper yourself: Take care of yourself, whether that means getting a pint of ice cream now and then, or just getting a spa treatment.
Celebrate your successes: When you’ve accomplished something great, take a moment to feel good about it!
Quit your technology addiction: Although you may love your BlackBerry, you’ll feel a whole lot better if you just step away from the screen for a while.
Set goals: By setting goals, you’ll give yourself something to strive for and look forward to.
Feel good about yourself: Make a decision to improve your self-confidence, and you’ll feel better. Others will notice it, too.
Be thankful: Every now and then, take some time to acknowledge all of the good things you have in your life, big and small.
Cut yourself some slack: Avoid inventing your own impossible, stringent rules that you have to stick to-they’ll only make you feel nervous and guilty.
Let go of the past: Don’t hold grudges-let go, and you’ll free up emotional space.
Don’t be dramatic: Stop inflating small problems, or you’ll make yourself more anxious than you need to be.
Express yourself: Let your emotions come out through art, writing, or other forms of expression.
Meditate: Take some time out every day to have an inner dialogue with yourself.

Financial

Make these changes to improve your life’s financial outlook.

Pay off debt: Nothing will improve your finances better than simply getting rid of debt.
Build an emergency fund: Keep an emergency fund to save yourself from plummeting into the red when something pops up, and you’ll be much more secure.
Track your spending: At some point in their lives, nearly everyone has wondered where all their money goes. Try this exercise to finally get to the bottom of it, and identify spots where your money could be better spent.
Be frugal: Embrace frugality in your life, and you’ll save money while living more simply.
Make extra payments: Pay off mortgage and other large debts early, and you’ll take a load off.
Diversify your income: Provide yourself with some financial security by finding multiple sources of income.
Save: The concept is simple-save money, and you’ll have more financial power to do the things you’d like to do.
Eat at home more often: Eating out all the time may be fun, but preparing meals at home is a better financial strategy.
Invest: Investing is not only fun, it’s an excellent way to make your money grow.
Set a goal: Give yourself a financial goal to achieve, whether it’s saving for a particular item, or doubling your investments.
Save for retirement: Don’t give your future self a huge mess to take care of-save now, and you’ll enjoy it later.

Mental

Improve your mind by taking these simple steps.

Go back to school: Continuing your education does not have to be a complicated endeavor. Take an online class, or just a weekend seminar.
Read classic books: Improve your mind by finally picking up all those books you were supposed to read in school.
Plan: Always have a plan for your life, so you’ll know what you’re working toward.
Quit procrastinating: Resolve to get moving, and you’ll find that you have much more time than you originally realized.
Get inspired by a book: Read a book that will help you spark positive changes in your life.
Learn from your mistakes: Don’t let mistakes get you down. Instead, consider what you did wrong, and how you can avoid doing so again in the future.
Stop worrying: Let go of worry, and know that the future will come no matter what you do about it.
Learn to play a musical instrument: Pick up a guitar, or even a harp, to improve your mental capacity and have something fun to do.
Work to your own advantage: Improve upon what you can, and let the rest fall away.
Think slowly: Instead of jumping to conclusions, carefully calculate what a situation means. Doing so can help you save relationships that might be damaged by rash thinking
Participate in a debate: Have a rational discussion with someone of similar intellect to improve your knowledge.
Learn a new language: Broaden your horizons by learning how to speak a new language.
Visit Wikipedia: Spend some time on Wikipedia learning lots of interesting facts you’ve never realized before.

Habits

Make these changes in your daily life to improve upon yourself.

Quit smoking: It’s the single most important thing you can do for your health, appearance, and energy. You’ll smell better, too.
Wake up early: Be an early riser, and you’ll find that you have more time to get things done.
Spend more time outside: Head outside to become more active and enjoy the world around you.
Be organized: Make things easier on yourself by living a more organized life.

At Work

You spend so much time at work, but probably don’t often consider how you can improve upon this important facet of your life. Take these steps to make things just a little bit better.

Make friends with your coworkers: One of the easiest and most important things you can do to improve your career is to practice inner networking. Socialize with your coworkers, and they’ll be more willing to help you when you need it.
Improve your writing skills: If you improve upon your writing skills, you’ll instantly sound more intelligent and persuasive.
Collaborate: Don’t go it alone-ask for help, and give help in return.
Keep your inbox empty: Reduce anxiety and simplify by clearing out your inbox as much as you can.
Leave work at the door: Don’t bring work home with you, or you’ll stress yourself out at home.
Join a professional association: Network with others in your field for fun and career advancement.
Ask for a raise: Simply asking for a raise you deserve is a no-brainer way to feel better about work and your paycheck.
Improve your resume: If you’re not happy with your job, give your resume a facelift and consider seeking a new position.
Improve your system: If you’ve got a messy desk, or generally lead a disorganized work life, take charge by reorganizing.
Start your own business: One of the best ways to improve your career is to go into business for yourself.

In Your Community

Getting involved in your community is a great way to improve upon your life. Try these methods for getting out there.

Vote: Impact your community’s future by participating in the election of officials.
Donate unused items: Instead of holding a garage sale, pass your old items on to people who need them-like books to schools, and clothing to shelters.
Support charitable endeavors: Whether it’s with money or time, do what you can to help out charities in your community.
Be a coach: Offer to coach a youth sport, and you’ll shape young lives while having fun.
Visit your local library: Take advantage of your community’s library to both save money and broaden your mind.

In the Environment

An excellent way to improve upon yourself is to reduce the negative impact you have on the world. Take these steps to get greener and change your life for the better.

Work to reduce your carbon emissions: Find out about the many things you can do to help cut your carbon emissions, and then take action on them.
Improve your gas mileage: Drive more slowly and coast as much as you can to improve your gas mileage.
Turn off the lights: Cut your waste and energy bill by turning off your lights whenever you don’t need them.
Get a reusable water bottle: Keep plastic water bottles out of our landfills by getting a container you can use over and over again.
Reduce your trash: Take steps to cut down on the waste you put in landfills.
Buy local and organic food: Support your health and local farmer by purchasing local, organic produce.
Adjust your thermostat: Let your heater and AC take a small break by adjusting your thermostat to reduce waste.
Stop using plastic bags: Quit using plastic bags, and you’ll both reduce your impact and save animals.
Take shorter showers: Save a precious resource by reducing the amount of water you use in your daily shower.

Dear Diary! It's Been a Long Time But a lot Has Happened!

2008-05-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

So I sit here listening to the amazing vocal arrangements of The Weepies and I think to myself, "Where the crap do I begin?" I've been bad, I know! I can't believe I've allowed myself so much time to pass by since I last graced all of you with my wonderful wordage. Honestly, so much has happened that I have been dreading getting on here to catch you all up on what's going on. So, I've decided to only give you a brief overview of many of the things that have happened as of late.

If you haven't already heard, I've been "moved" at work, which means, I have taken on a whole new set up responsibilities at work. I'm now doing sales. Let me just tell you. It is an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow in something I haven't had a ton of experience with, but, I've found that I do have a natural talent for it. (Thanks Dad!) The money is quite a large upgrade as well, which I am not complaining about!!

Also, if you haven't already heard, I'm engaged. You can see the video of the engagement below. I did it at Medieval Times in California. Janae and I were visiting down there so that I could ask her dad for her hand in marriage. We're thinking we will do the deed in the Fall sometime. Let me just fill you guys in on my Fiancée' Janae. She rocks my world. She is the cheese to my macaroni. You guys, I have to say that I am a very lucky man! Janae puts up with SO MUCH, and I am so lucky that she hasn't given up on me yet! I seriously don't know how she does it sometimes! I am trying really hard to be better about all my little quirks and oddities that I have, but I am still just an ADHD, procrastinating, all fun no work kind of guy lots of the time. If you know Janae, you know she's 135% opposite of that. We definitely equal each other out a lot in those areas, and I think that's how we get along so well. But, either way, I just feel kind of bad that I'm getting so lucky! I often ask myself, "Geez, well what's in this for HER?" I guess she sees more in me than I often see in myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyway, I am so excited to be married to this girl! She makes my life so much better! She makes me so much of a better person than I knew possible!

You know that person that all of us have in mind, the person we want to become, but it always just seems so out of reach, untouchable, unachievable. Janae makes me feel like I can really become that person and more! I finally for the first time realize that it's possible for me to break the mold I've built around myself, to become something I have always wanted to become, but never had the guts, or motivation to do it. I am so glad to know that I have someone that will support me in ANYTHING I decide to do. She will support me in a way that will only make my desires and goals all the more amazing, and achievable. So, I am publicly expressing how much this girl means to me. She is my life, my breath, my being. I am in awe at how much I fall more deeply in love with her every day. She is really the best girlfriend ever. Not because we never fight, or disagree, or get annoyed at each other, or anything like that. We're not this perfect couple that always gets along. Are you kidding? She's marrying TANNER PHILLIPS remember? But what we have is the ability to really communicate. We make it a point to communicate what we're feeling, why, what we can do differently as a couple to make things more comfortable, etc... We both have sincere desires to do what is right. We both have the same goals to live righteously, to raise our kids righteously, and to better ourselves everyday. Of course, my list of "Things to Fix" is much longer than hers, since she's so close to perfect in my eyes, but I have been really doing my very best to make the concerted effort to work on the things she asks of me. And for that, our relationship works. We always have a desire for progression and to me that is all we need to succeed in the great Plan of Salvation.

I could literally talk about Janae all day long, but, since I only have like 1,000,000 gigs of space or whatever Gmail gives you now a days, I'd better save some room for future posts.

On another note, I don't know if I've mentioned this to very many of you guys who aren't within my little circle of friends, but, we are doing a Non-Profit concert in September that will raise hopefully up to $30,000 for the Save The Children organization. I am working on the website right now, go check it out and tell me what you think! www.MusicSavesBenefitConcert.com

Also, I've started doing the Nutrisystems Diet thing about a month ago. It was really difficult for me at first, because I felt like I was eating 3 ounces of nourishment a day, but my body has finally adjusted, it is fairly easy now. I've lost about 13 lbs I'd say so far. I'm moving into the 2nd month of it, so we'll see how much more weight I can lose on this puppy!

The way I've been exercising is by riding my bike again. Can I just tell you how much I love riding my bike? It really is such a calming experience for me! I LOVE riding in the beautiful Provo Canyon everyday. Utah is such a fantastic place to live in my opinion. Anyway, I love that, and I'm feeling stronger and stronger as time goes on. I'm glad I did the spin classes for a couple months before I started riding though. It made my getting in shape period a lot shorter. Even though, now I just have to work twice as hard as everyone else to get my fat and increasingly less fat butt up the hill everyday.

Well, I'm sure there's plenty of stuff I left out of this, but for the sake of not having any of you read past like 5 paragraphs ago, I'll make this shorter. I just wanted to catch you guys up on the things going on right now. I am doing great! I feel like things improve all the time and I feel like I'm finally moving in a sure direction in my life. I am so grateful to the Lord for everything I have. I am so beyond blessed! I am so grateful to have opportunities to do the things I do. It really makes me so aware that the Lord has big plans for us later on in life. I'm striving to get to the place where the Lord can really use me as a tool in his hands. I want him to mold me into the person HE wants me to be. I'm working on that all the time and I hope that with your continued prayers and support it can continue to improve everyday!

I really will make an effort to write in my blog often again. So, re-establish the habit of checking it every hour to make sure I haven't updated it yet.

Sorry this is such a grammatical mess; but I just don’t care enough, nor do I have the attention span to go through this and fix all the grammar; like excessive use of commas and semicolons etc…

Look What Came Out of My Feet!!!

2008-05-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

So, last night Martha brought over a device called the EB-305, which is used to cleanse your body of toxins, and other junk. All you have to do is dip your feet in this bucket of water, and through a process I'll explain below, it sucks out all of the bad things that have collected in your body.

Hard to believe? Well, let me show you the results video of our little experiment. Watch the video below, and then read on to have an explanation of how it works.

The Erchonia EB-305 was designed to create ION fields in order to detoxify and balance the overall energy in the body.

An Ion is a charged atom or molecule. This charge can be either positive or negative. These ions want to naturally negate their charge back neither to positive or negative but rather a stable position. Ions then seek out things of opposite polarity to negate that charge

The EB-305 device takes advantage of that natural occurrence to remove the unwanted toxins and other harmful free radicals from within the body, that are stored within the body. By using the foot bath and water as a vessel to transmit this Ionic charge, the body will naturally absorb this energy force through the meridian points within the feet.

This energy force will then attract the opposite polarized items in order to negate their charge and return to a stable position. This polarizing process has a similar effect as a television picture tube (this is why your television set always gets so dusty).

March For Babies -- I need the exercise

2008-04-30T09:40:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

I am participating in March for Babies because I believe in the March of Dimes mission to save babies. Please support my fundraising efforts by sponsoring me in March for Babies.

You don't have to feel any pressure to donate; I just wanted to give everyone the opportunity to support the cause. I'll be walking this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Pioneer Park in Provo, if any of you would like to join my team, please, by all means; feel free to do so, all of you are more than welcome! You can sign up to join my team right on the website.

If you would rather just donate a few dollars to the cause, that is just as welcome! You can donate directly from my personal webpage with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my webpage. If you want to donate $1, $5, $10, or more, it all counts!! I set my goal at $30 to donate, if the response is good, I will increase my goal. Even just a few bucks are really appreciated!

The money we raise helps save premature and sick babies. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn death and the biggest threat to babies' health today, and through March for Babies, the March of Dimes is funding important research to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it.

You can donate from the following link:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/utskifiend

With your support, there's hope.

Thank you all for any help you can give! I really appreciate it!

It's Been a While...

2008-04-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Holy crap man! I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted a bloody blog! There is so much stuff that has happened, and I haven't been reporting on any of it!

Well, first off, if any of you haven't heard, I am officially engaged to the love of my life, Janae Balibrea. We went and got pictures taken yesterday at Corona Del Mar in California. The beach was beautiful and we got some great pictures... See below... You can see the pictures on my Myspace if you want.

Also, if you want to see the engagement you can watch this video.

Medieval Times Engagement

Well, Jake needs to go to bed, and this is the only connection in the room, so, I'll finish updating you guys on this stuff soon.

Getting Back into The Groove

2008-03-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

So Janae and I have decided to make some changes in our lives that would help us to be more healthy, happy, and fit.

Most of you know I love cycling, so I have naturally done spin classes at the gym before. But it's been a long time since I've really done them. However, my amazing girlfriend agreed to do them with me 3 times a week, and then to lift 2 times a week. It's all very exciting.

We woke up this morning for the 5:45 a.m. class at 24Hour Fitness. It was a lot of fun. The teacher was not that hard, I have had much harder classes. She just kind of did the same thing over and over again, and didn't really switch it up much. But I still feel like I got a good introduction workout. It will break me in for the next class on Wednesday. We plan on going to lift tomorrow morning. I'm excited to start lifting again, I'm the weakest I've ever been in my life right now, and I can't wait to gain a lot of my muscle back. I'm going to be a svelte sexy man by summers end.

I guess since my sisters and my girlfriend do the 3 best things of the day, I am going to start doing it. So, here it goes.

1. My girlfriend Janae - She is so amazing... I love her with all my heart, and I am so grateful to have her! She makes me a better man, and is so patient with my weaknesses and shortcomings. I feel very lucky to have her!

2. A Healthy body - Yeah, I'm out of shape, overweight, weak, and dumpy at the moment, but even at my fattest, I feel so grateful that I have a working, healthy body that I can enjoy life with. I'm grateful for my talents and abilities physically.

3. Family - Ashlee and her husband Jake and their kids were up here from Vegas this weekend, it was really fun having them! I always love it when we can get our family together for playing wiffle ball or basketball, or whatever. My family is awesome, and I really love being with them. I'm a lucky guy!

4th - Yeah, I'm doing 4 today. I'm grateful for a mom who cuts hair. My hair is knappy right now, and really needs to be cut. I'm so glad I don't have to pay to get my hair cut. My mom has cut my hair forever, and It saves me a fortune. Thanks Mom!

Another Response to an Anti-Mormon

2008-03-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post another response I had for some douche' bag anti Mormon on some Mormon forums. Let me know what you think.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Brian wrote:
"Your right, I’m pretty much just bored. I don’t want to mess anyones faith up like that.

I just came to the realization that the Book of Mormon isn’t true, and Joseph Smith was actually not a prophet. If he’s not a true prophet than he’s a false prophet. If he is a false prophet that is dangerous. Maybe satan inspired Joseph Smith to do what he did so that a large group(mormon church) would alienate themselves from the BIBLE. The Bible is second to NO book in history, especially joseph smiths 16 century copy of the new testament called the Book of Mormon.

How many times has the Book of Mormon been changed since it’s its first publishing? If this is such a prestine translation of so called "gold plates" why has it been changed?

I’m ready to hear an answer. Actually I’m ready to hear another justification. Justification 324

Whos fault was it this time?"

This whole post completely negates anything even remotely intelligent that you’ve said throughout this whole topic. Don’t worry though, there wasn’t much intelligence in the first place, so don’t worry.

If Joseph Smith was a false prophet, why does he have so many good "fruits”? If you would like to use the Bible, which by the way we do not place "2nd to the Book of Mormon" lets go and read where it talks about fruits:

Matt. 7: 17-19
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Let’s compare this to the Book of Mormon, which is as you claim "from Satan":

"For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil." That’s in Moroni.

Very similar in the points they’re trying to convey wouldn’t you agree? If Joseph Smith were making this stuff up, don’t you think he would have written the book of Mormon in such a way that it wouldn’t be telling those who read it to question its author, and its pages? He wouldn’t be willing to indict himself within his own false masterpiece!

In Moroni 10:8-9 it is a promise that if you read and pray about what you’ve read, you can receive an answer from the Holy Ghost that it is true. This seems to be yet another thing unlikely to be written by a man who was knowingly writing a book of fiction.

If JS was indeed lead by Satan, that means our prophets and apostles today are being led by Satan. If that’s the case, why on earth would Satan tell us to abstain from use of Tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, premarital sex, foul language, pornography, bad thoughts, or anything that would distance you from the Son Jesus Christ? Does that really sound like Satan to you? I don’t care WHAT faith you are, that is NOT Satan! Your own bible says so! No corrupt tree can produce good fruit!! Neither can a bad fountain produce good water, and vice versa. Do you see my point? If not, read the Bible which you so wholeheartedly believe in.

I can deal with you saying that you don’t believe the LDS church is true. I frankly feel bad for you, but it’s still no skin off my back. However, I will not tolerate you coming in here, and saying that Joseph Smith was lead by Satan to bring forth the Book of Mormon and other works which he brought forth.

The Book of Mormon was translated by a prophet of God. I know it to be true for myself. I can sit here and tell you that all day long, but your mind has been made up otherwise, so I won’t beat a dead horse. However, I don’t care what your background is, what you believe, where you come from, etc etc… You CANNOT say that Joseph Smith was lead by Satan. It’s impossible; it’s doctrinally unsound if you want to go by the Bible’s definition. He brought forth too many worthy fruits to be called a man of Satan. Feel free to believe otherwise as far as the Mormon Church as a whole, but you can’t say that regardless of whether or not you believe what Joseph Smith did was true, that it wasn’t remarkable.

Millions of members throughout the world are living better lives that are more Christian based, focusing on the family, service, charity, love, keeping the commandments, etc… That is of God, no matter what you believe. So please refrain from ever talking about Joseph Smith with such disrespect. I don’t care WHAT you believe. You cannot argue the points I’ve made here. He did many great things, and I personally think you should focus on those, rather than all the unimportant pish posh you’re focusing on.

You act like you are seeking answers; however, all you seek are ways of justifying your choices, and making your life a little easier by trying to say that you are doing no wrong.

It's Official!

2008-03-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's official. I got my grade back in my math class. I don't think any of you really can understand what this means for me! I am so freaking relieved!! If I never do another math problem again in my life, I will die happy!!!

So, anyway, I am so stoked! Just wanted to let ya'll know! Yeah, it's only a C, but a C is just as good as anything, seeing as it's the minimum grade I needed to be able to transfer the credit to UVU. So, I'm officially done with mathematics, unless Multimedia has changed it's requirements on me, but I don't think that's the case.

May All Mathmaticians Be Cursed With a Sore Curse!

2008-03-07T01:10:00.000-08:00

Alright, so I know I already posted one entry today, but, that one was only for blogging pleasure, it consisted of a topic in which I could poke fun at, this post is mostly for catching you up on the happenings in my life, and the progress I'm making with the new goals I've set.

First of all, let me just tell you something about myself. I believe it would be fair to call myself a fairly creative person. I have lots of talents, skiing, sky skiing, hiking, road biking, scrap booking, sleeping, kissing, eating food, being irresistible to women, you know, lots of talents. I guess it's just my cross to bear.

However, you'll be amazed to know that there is one thing that I am not good at. As I look at that statement, I have to snigger a little to myself. It's somewhat of an understatement. Let me put it this way, your 1st grader is probably better than I am at this particular subject.

I know you must be breathing heavily with anticipation. It's just so hard to believe I have a mental weakness right? Well, I hereby submit I am the worst math student who has ever lived. If I were born in China, they probably would have killed me for being so bad at math, totally disregarding the fact I did indeed have a penis.

That said, let me just tell you. I've been taking a Math 1030 class at this thing called, "Easiest Math Ever". It's for the veritable retards, such as I. Well, don't let the name trick you into thinking that this class was easy. I actually struggled a lot through this class, but I worked my butt off!! I studied literally over 10 - 15 hours a week for this class probably, and I still managed to get D's on 3 of the tests.

Yesterday was different however. Only by a pure miracle from God was I able to get an 82% on my math test yesterday. 82% may not be that great for some of you nerdos who know how to use your alleged brains, but for me, I may as well have gotten an A+ with a gold star and a big slap on the buttocks from coach carter assuring me I had a "good game". I was extremely happy about my score!

Try not to pay attention to the fact that I got a 62% on the final which I took today. That is not important, we're talking about my triumphs, not my failures.

Anyway, just wanted you all to know that I was smart in math for exactly 2 hours and 27 minutes of my life. This means that I will pass the class with a C, which may as well be an A in my book. I was going for a C anyway, so I'm happy.

On a serious note though, I really do feel like God played a huge part in helping me to study effectively for this test. I was literally praying the whole test that I would have a quickened mind, and that I would be able to recall the principles I had spent so much time studying. I was blessed for sure.

I am still going strong on my "no games" commitment. It has been a challenge to constantly stay self aware all the time. It has been a positive challenge, which I have really liked most of the time. But there are always those times where you recognize your weaknesses, and just wish they would all go away NOW instead of later with time and effort. But things are still going really well for me. I feel like every aspect of my life has improved. Heck, I went into work for 1 hour and 4o minutes today, and ended up closing 10 calls. That is daily GOAL for all our techs for an 8 hour work day. What can I say, "All your base are belong to us." That's what! So, things are going really well.

I have a lot to say, but this is quite long, and it's like 2:34 in the morning right now, so I think I'm going to call it a night. Don't forget to enjoy my other blog I wrote earlier about parking lots! You'll love it, I promise!

Give Thanks That You Can Walk

2008-03-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

Today as I rolled along in the UVSC parking lot looking for a spot to park, I realized something. People will do virtually anything to get a parking spot that is 4 spaces closer than 3 empty parking spots a little further down the row. I find it interesting... No, let me rephrase, I find it pathetic that our society is so lazy that they are willing to cut someone off while giving them the bird at the same time, dent someone's door, and almost kill an innocent pedestrian to pull into a space that is literally only a few hundred feet closer than a much more accessible space farther from their destination.

Furthermore, the time it takes these people to drive around frantically looking for someone to leave is far longer than if they'd just drive to the back of the parking lot to choose from a wide array of spaces. All shapes and sizes included. My favorite though is when you get the "Stalker" space predator. The ones that lie in wait for you to come outside into the parking lot so they can slowly creep behind you as you walk to your car, all the while they're trying to figure out where your car is by watching your movements, and studying walking patterns, so they can plan their next move. I've always wanted to act really nervous while they're following me, looking over my shoulder with a frantic look, walking somewhat erratically, and then, break into a full sprint, dropping my back pack, kicking off my shoes, tearing off my shirt and pants and running for dear life... "Why would you take off all your clothes?" you may be wondering, why NOT is the real question!

The best prank for a stalker driver is when you walk really slowly, making sure to kind walk back and forth across the parking lot so they have no earthly idea where you’re planning on going. Then they have to follow you all the way to your car, only to have you open your door, to get something like a stick of gum, this leaves them frustrated and fuming usually. I always get a good chuckle out of it though. Sure, I could tell them I'm not leaving, but then what fun would that be for me?

Here's my take. I have always been one to say, "Give thanks that you can walk." I almost prefer getting a space that is farther away. Not only is my car less likely to get t-boned by the kamikaze parking space driver, but frankly, I need the exercise. I think we should all be a little more grateful that we have legs to walk. Especially give thanks when your legs are as muscular and chiseled as mine!

Life Changes -- [Personal Confessions]

2008-03-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

I am listening to the secret [again]. And I gotta tell you, regardless of whether or not the "Law of Attraction" is a bunch of crap; I think it's a pretty darn good way to live your life.

I’ve got to admit I went through a really negative phase recently. I was doing horrible in school, horrible at work, not good in my own social life, etc... It's mostly because after a while of living the secret, I sort of gave up on it. I turned my back on the law of attraction, and sort of went the other direction. I'm not really sure why, but I just did.

My whole life has been kind of a roller coaster lately. I'm not gonna lie. I've gone through a lot of crap for the past while, and it all just kind of caught up with me recently. I lost all hope in my abilities, talents, future, attitude, etc... My negative attitude affected every aspect of my life, and it caused a lot of pain in my life. I started reverting to my old habits of negativity, my old irresponsible ways of procrastination and neglect of the things I knew I should be doing, and the total neglect of the spiritual needs in my life as well. On top of that, I began reverting to addictive behaviors, namely playing video games. Games were my way of forgetting the pain, and placing my focus on something that had NOTHING to do with my "screwed up" life. I had allowed myself to become lazy, irresponsible, and most destructive, virtually spiritually dead.

I began neglecting my scripture study, and even my prayers. My relationship with God began to falter, and I felt horrible about it. I was always telling myself I needed to straighten my life out again, but I never found the motivation to do so.

I will publicly admit I am an addict. I usually can play video games, and have no addictive effects, I used to be able to have a "take em' or leave em'" type attitude, but ever since I felt like my life was not going the way I wanted it to, I had resorted to video games as my pain reliever. They became really addictive, even to the point where I was neglecting school, work, friends, my girlfriend, church, and my family. It was starting to get out of control.

I knew very well that I had sunken to a level I had never been at before. I was at the lowest point of my life, and I had no one to blame but myself. I have always loved playing video games; I have never been willing to admit that they are harmful. Though I don't think they're harmful, I absolutely believe that they are addictive, and when they become addictive, THEN, they ARE harmful.

The problem wasn't totally the video games though. I had just become lax in all the areas of my life. I didn't like how I felt about my life, about myself, about God, about my testimony, etc... I just didn't like how I felt.

All of these feelings were over-running my life, up until my wonderful girlfriend Janae, (who has stuck with me through all of this, which in-and-of-itself is unbelievable to me) had the courage, and inspiration to take action.

My relationship with Janae had been struggling for a few weeks. My attitude, and motivation was at its low point, and she had had enough. After a big fight, we almost ended up breaking up with each other on a Sunday night. We ended up deciding we would work through this for a little while, to see what happened. At this point, I had the desire to change, but I hadn't really been struck with the humility and motivation to truly make the sacrifices that were required for me to make a true change in my life.

That was until Janae decided to write me a letter about the reasons she was frustrated with our relationship right now. The letter was blunt, to the point, and extremely hard for me to hear. The first time I read it, I immediately became defensive, even angry that she would say some of the things she did. I felt like she was attacking me, and trying to make me feel like less of a person for my weaknesses. Gosh, I look back at the way I reacted, and it makes me want to throw up. It only took me about 3 hours of pondering over the things she said for me to recognize that not only was the letter 100% true, but that the only reason I was being defensive was because I had allowed Satan to take complete control over my reaction. I felt so much darkness in my mind when I read it the first time. I realized how foolish I had been, and how blind I had become. Satan was fighting so hard for me to misunderstand the letter because he knew what it would mean to me after I made the realizations I finally came to. The letter was awesome, but even more than the letter, was the recognition that I had become something I am not.

I realized that my life is NOT going the way I want it to go. I realized that I am not acting the way I believe I should be, and I realized that I'm not being a good son, brother, boyfriend, friend, or even citizen. I recognized that I had been completely unwilling to make any real sacrifice for God in order to change my life.

I am not exaggerating when I say, the very moment I made this realization, my mind was clear. The darkness was gone, and it was filled only with light. The spirit was testifying to me that NOW is the time for me to change. For the first time in my life, I was willing to put all my own selfish desires aside. I no longer cared that I really enjoyed playing video games, I no longer cared that school is hard, I no longer cared, that it would require some work to get back to where I want to be, all of it was of no consequence. I felt for the first time since my mission that I was willing to do ANYTHING to be forgiven for the way I've acted for the past year or so. Without even thinking twice, I cancelled my World of Warcraft account so I couldn't play it anymore, and I decided I was going to box up my Xbox. This might seem like something that isn't really that big of a deal to most of you. In fact, you're probably telling yourself, "So what? That's not really a sacrifice." You will not understand until you have really been addicted to something in your lifetime. Especially seeing as the only time I've ever given up playing video games was during my mission for 2 years. This ONE thing was the sacrifice God has been asking me to make all along. I had justified for years that it's not that big of a deal, I'm not addicted, blah blah blah, etc... I had never been humble enough to accept his will instead of mine. But this change of heart was instant. I had made a promise to God that I would not play another video game until I felt like my life was in order, and I was back on track to living the way I know I need to.

I have been clean since the 26th. ;) I have had my times of temptation. I've had the times where I'm not really doing anything, and I get a really big urge to play video games, but for the most part, it hasn't been hard. I've been trying to fill my time with wholesome and constructive activities. I've tried spending more times with those I love; I've been trying to read good books, and to learn things I didn't know.

I know it's only been like a week. But hey, it's a start. I can honestly say that the spirit has been stronger in my life than it has been since my mission. I have made the necessary sacrifice in order for me to receive the necessary blessings to turn my life around.

Will I ever play a video game again? Definitely; I don't feel that this is a long term requirement from the Lord. I feel that it is most definitely necessary right now however. Until I can feel like my life is back on track, where I can feel worthy to go to the temple often, read my scriptures daily, etc etc... I will not indulge. Regardless of how good I feel, this will be at least a few months. I’m not just going to do this for a couple weeks. I’m talking months here, so don’t worry, I’m committed. I’m not making an excuse to just revert back to my old behavior.

I have a much better understanding about the importance of "moderation in all things".

I am very excited about the changes I'm making in my life, and I'm very excited about the feelings I'm having about my life. I feel like I'm progressing for the first time in a long time. I am moving forward, and it feels really good.

I love the Lord with all my heart, I'm so grateful for the lessons he teaches us, even when it takes us a long time to be willing to learn them. I'm just really grateful to have the knowledge I have about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm really grateful that I have family and friends, and a girlfriend who support me as much as they do! They have been such a strong support for me, and I am so indebted to them. I got the first father's blessing I've had for a very long time yesterday on fast Sunday. It was a great help, and will continue to be a huge strength to me.

I wanted to just tell you guys about the things that are going on in my life right now. I feel like the more people that know about it, the more people I'm accountable to. This is good. Accountability is really the key to success.

This time is for real. This time I am determined to change, and even though I might slip up every now and again, I truly FEEL the change in my heart this time, and I know it's for real.

So, if you guys want to receive blessings beyond measure in your life. I am bearing testimony to you now, that you should think about the thing you do that wastes a huge amount of your time, that isn’t constructive, and then sacrifice it. Just determine to give it up for a month. If you do this, I guarantee you will see a change in your life you’ve never thought possible. God recognizes sacrifice, and he is willing to pour out blessings for any of this children that give something up for him.

Best of luck! If you choose to do this, I’d sure LOVE to hear your stories and successes with this!

Response to an Anti-Tithing Forum

2008-03-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

I was in a Mormon forum on Myspace, and there was a guy who was bashing on the law of tithing, I thought I would just throw my two cents into the conversation, and below is the guys post, and my reply to his post. I thought some of you might enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

----------------------------His Post-----------------------------------

"The Church doesn't donate that much money to charities, humanitarian aide. etc. as you'd like to think.

From 1984 to 2006, the LDS Church donated $750 million to various people in need across the world. Hurray right? So that's $750 million in 22 years (34 million/yr). The Church is spending $2 billion on a downtown SLC building project over four years (500 million/yr).

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is required to donate at least $1.5 billion/yr at minimum (using 2006 data). That means Bill Gates donates at least twice as much money each year than the LDS Church donated in 22 years. Good job LDS Church."

---------------------My Response---------------------------------------------

If you would do your homework, you would know that this project isn't being funded by ANY tithing money WHATSOEVER! The church has MANY more investments, and other means of making money than just tithes.

The fact of the matter is, the church wouldn't be able to function the way it does if it didn't have any money. That's just a fact. If you don't have money, you have nothing to stand on. Not only that, but look at the temples that are being built, the church buildings that are erected, the humanitarian aid that is given, the travel costs of the General Authorities, the costs of over 50 thousand missionaries throughout the world, the cost of those missionaries being stupid, (car accidents, medical bills, etc...) cost of publications, cost of church employees, cost to manage and keep the temple grounds of over 120 temples, media costs, shipping costs, computer costs, etc etc...

I think you get the point.

The world requires money, and the church has that, because it has faithful members of the church.

The other fact of the matter is the fact that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Gordon B. Hinckley, etc etc weren't the ones who gave this commandment, it was God. Go read Malachi 3:8-11.

Not only is God giving the commandment to pay back to him just a little so he can continue progressing his work throughout the world, but he is giving you another opportunity to receive blessings for doing it!! He even promises to "...open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." He also promises to "...rebuke the devourer for your sakes..."

If I gave you a $1 bill; would you be willing to give me 10 cents back? That gives you 90 cents to do whatever you like with. It's MY $1 bill, but I am willing to give it to you, for only a dime.

God doesn't ask us to give a lot. He just asks that you give enough to help his work move forward.

And frankly, the question is, can you afford NOT to pay tithing?

Think about it.

Good Friends, Good Music, and a Good Bump on the Head

2008-02-29T14:08:00.001-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to get away from the drib-drab world of studying and work, to enjoy a night with good friends, and very good music. Janae, Raytch, Cara, and I all drove to Salt Lake last night to go and see Joshua Radin. Cara made the observation that we made really good time up to Salt Lake. I had to remind her that when you are traveling at 95 miles per hour it tends to make you arrive at your destination a lot faster than when you're driving 55 in the fast lane. Well, we stood in line, and were able to make fun of some girls taking pictures near a bunch of construction machinery. They were being ridiculous, so our group and the small group behind us kept poking fun at them together, it was a good time. So finally we get into the venue, but not before I had to get felt up by some dude with Tats and a cigarettes in his mouth. I didn't appreciate the smoking while he was 6 inches from me feeling my crotch and other extremities. I thought it was pretty inconsiderate, but I was seeing Josh Radin, so I just allowed him to molest me, and moved on.

Janae and I had been planning on going up to the bar ever since we found out the concert was at club sound, so we ran up there, and had missed the chance to get chairs, so we had to sit on platform type thing that was high above the ground on the balcony. It was pretty high I tell you, like at least 8 feet off the ground, but lots of people were sitting on it, so we began the climb. I got up first, and then tried helping my 5 foot tall girlfriend to get up, the first attempt failed in me dropping her. I could only picture the scene in "Cliffhanger" where Sylvester Stalone drops his girlfriend to her terrible death. Luckily, this was just a couple feet, so Janae was okay. The second time, she was not having my help, she wanted to be a stubborn poop, so she climbed up herself, when she got to the top, she did this thing where she pulled herself up very quickly to get onto the bench, what she didn't realize is that there was a big steel beam where her face was to end up. She hit it SO hard! I usually can get a laugh out of that kind of thing, but this was NOT funny. I wanted to throw up! There are 2 people in the world that I cannot stand seeing get hurt, the first is my Mom, I want to cry when I see my mom get hurt, it doesn't happen often, but when it has, It kills me, and my second is my girlfriend. I don't like it at all. So, of course I felt awful, because I knew how bad it must have hurt. After I got her some ice and some water she was okay after a while.

Okay, to the music. It all started with a girl named Alexa Wilkinson for the opening act. She was incredible! I really liked her a lot! She was funny, and very talented! She even made up a song on the spot when the fire alarm went off in the venue. Then, we heard from the wonderfully amazing Ingrid Michaelson. I can't even describe how much I enjoyed her performance! She was incredible! So absolutely talented it was amazing!! Plus, she was hysterical!! I found her very funny, and fun to watch!

Finally the amazing Joshua Radin came out, and blew us all away. He was incredible. The fact there is so much talent in the world is so awesome to me! I love that there are people that are just exuding talent! I often wish I was as talented as some of these people. But then I have to think that I have so many other talents in so many other ways that I can't complain at all.

After the show, I managed to talk Janae into tricking Rachel and Cara into thinking we had to leave early and miss Josh and most of Ingrid because of Janae's head. My plan went perfectly and they felt horrible. I couldn't stand having them so sad for more than 2 or 3 hours, okay just kidding; it was only about 3 or 4 minutes. But we got them pretty good.

We then topped the end of the night off with a trip to Denny's. We compared Denny's to being the McDonalds of sit down restaurants. We all agreed, but it didn't stop us from eating all the delicious food they brought out to us!

All in all, it was a really good night! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Not only did I enjoy the good friends, the good music, and the really good make out I had with Janae during a couple of the songs, but I also enjoyed just getting away for a little while.

I look forward to tonight!! We are going to Tucanos, it's a really delicious Brazilian restaurant here in Provo, and we're going with a lot of really close friends. It's going to be awesome! I love being with close friends. It's one of my favorite things!

So I purchased a Planner -- [Rant]

2008-02-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's got a clever little photo of 3 students sitting on and around our constipated wolverine statue in front of the AC building. Then, on the back, it has [almost] the same picture but wait, NOW they're wearing UVU merch! "Now that's a clever little number..." I thought to myself queerly. Then I started judgmentally evaluating how it was CLEARLY two different pictures! The girl was looking at the camera in one, and not looking in the other, the guy looks a little gayer int he UVU one than the UVSC one... See, I was much smarter than the UVU propaganda council. I'm very clever... Clever indeed. And they can't trick a trickster!

Well, I think I purchased it in hopes that I would become more organized. Isn't that a novel idea? Buying a planner to be more organized... hmmm... I'll need to think on that for a moment.

Anyway, I wrote down the things that are due this week, and the things I need to [study] so I can justify away my poor test scores with, well I studied, WTF! Mostly however, I feel really official. I feel like I am the organization king of the world.

My problem tends to be an eventual lack of motivation, which leads to a severely neglected day planner. It will eventually sit lonely at the bottom of my back back, being crushed, and choked by the also severely neglected textbooks.

What is it about a person that never does homework? What about carrying around an 87.9 lb backpack full of unused, unstudied textbooks makes us feel better about our school performance? I have textbooks that I haven't even unwrapped from their neat little heat sealed plastic wrap covering. I just hate to ruin something so beautiful as a textbook that I am unable to read.

Well, these USED to be the days of my rule and ultimate power... When I could get away with the above stated attitude. However, this semester is by far the hardest semester of classes I've ever had. Let me give you a small outline of how I feel about each of my classes.

Math: If I could re-kill the guys who invented Math, it would be worth my ticket to heaven to do it. However, much to my dismay they're already dead..

Astronomy: This is actually the only class that I really really like! In fact I love it! I find it all fascinating, and I remember everything because of the fact I pay attention. Another novel idea... That doesn't usually happen twice in my rants.

Business Communications: If I had to sum up my feelings towards this class in just what my teacher would call a "Simple Sentence," It would be: "Fecal Spatter" How do you like that simple sentence TWYMAN!

ADDENDUM: So Janae happened to point out to me that this is in fact NOT a simple sentence. Well, isn't that ironic... This is the first thing I've actually learned in this class, and it wasn't even while in class... Well, none-the-less, I am maintaining my statement above. It SHOULD be a simple sentence.

Biology: I'm still just trying to figure out how these cells are able to have sex with themselves... It boggles my mind... I'm also trying to figure out a way to fail this class with style. I'm considering streaking butt naked through the class just wearing an ATOM model on my head. This would most certainly be going out with style.

This my friends is my summary of my life right now. The only part missing is work, and girls. Both of those topics will be touched upon on another day, and another time.

I'm considering blogging as a new career. So stand by.

My Difficult Advantage

2008-02-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

I had to write a paper on an event, or events that have taken place in my life that have changed me, and molded me into who I am today. This is a true story about my life and struggle with ADHD. (Now the title of my blog probably makes more sense to you!) This is pretty personal stuff. I'm surprised I'm even posting it. But, for the sake of receiving other writer's feedback and for readers' enjoyment, I'm making it available. Enjoy!

“My Difficult Advantage”

Based on the Life of: Tanner Phillips

“I get to go to school tomorrow Mom!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I can only imagine the great anxiety this may have caused. Most mothers would be hesitant to send their children off to school because they were afraid they would develop a separation complex. Not my mother! That was never her concern. She was afraid for my new teacher’s emotional health and sanity. You see I have grown up my entire life with A.D. H. D., which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I never really knew what the last “D” stood for. I had always been loved and accepted in my home. There was always open arms waiting and available from a mother who understood and loved me. I never felt like I had a disadvantage, just a different advantage than all the other kids. Starting school would be a new adventure I had longed for a very long time. What I didn’t know was the world would turn out to be a very different place than the loving home I’d grown up in. I had no idea that not everyone would be accepting and understanding of my ADHD. For the first time I would experience people telling me “You can’t” instead of “You can do anything!” I had never experienced rejection because of the way I talked or acted. However, my whole word would change after my first day of school.
The kids laughed and hollered as if the boy had said the cleverest of things. They walked off laughing, positive that they had surely told me off. I was stunned. I couldn’t imagine that everyone wouldn’t like me. I had no idea that I was so different from other children. To be totally honest I still don’t quite understand why I was picked on as much as I was. I know I was loud and hyper as all get out but I wasn’t ever mean or rude to anyone. I tried making friends wherever I went but there were always the people who were suspect to anyone who didn’t act as they did.

An event happened that changed me forever. I remember very clearly one day walking home from school. A group of older boys, who had taken it upon themselves to pick on me, waited for my cousin and I to walk by a sand pile they were sitting on. One of them called out to me. The next thing I knew I received a huge wet sand ball in my face. It all happened so fast I didn’t have time to react and close my eyes. To this day I have never felt anything so painful as my eyes filled with sand. I couldn’t even finish walking the rest of the way home. My cousin had to lead me by the hand while I blubbered like a baby. When I walked into my house my loving mother attended to me, taking over a half hour to rinse my eyes out until they were free of the stinging sand. Those tears I cried that day weren’t only from the stinging in my eyes. They were the realization that I was, in fact, different.

That event sounds extremely depressing, I know. However, I look back on it and am grateful. You are probably asking “Why?” It was that day I made an important decision to develop a trait I wanted to possess. I decided I would never treat people unkindly. I had enough experience to know what it was like to be made fun of, to be rejected by my peers. I knew how much it hurt to be disliked, as far as I could understand, for no reason. I made the decision to always be kind and accepting of other people. Later in high school I had a large group of friends, popular friends. But I always tried to include those people who weren’t often included. I would always make an effort to dance with the girl who never got asked, talk to the boy who sat alone, or laugh with the comedian that no one knew even existed. I’ve always tried to simply be kind. I attribute that to my own struggles and rejections as a lonely child.

What a shock school had been. I didn’t know there would be all this sitting and thinking. It was official. My favorite subject was most definitely recess. I really struggled with reading. In fact, I had to be in resource classes, which was a source of much embarrassment to me. It was just one more thing that gave kids ammunition to make fun of me. One of the greatest days of elementary school was the day I was “kicked” out of Resource class in 4^th grade because my reading finally clicked.

I struggled in school for a long time. I never knew until a few years ago that for those first years my mom would hide my report cards from me. It wasn’t because of my grades but because of my teacher’s comments. “Has a hard time sitting still.” “Talks out of turn.” “Needs to learn to control himself.” “Is always making noise.” All that changed in 5^th grade. It was the year I finally realized I had the potential to learn. Before this I had struggled with almost every teacher I had. I was infamous throughout my elementary schools as being a troublemaker and an uncontrollable child. However, Mr. Crandall would change all that! For the first time in my life I had a teacher telling me “You can!” I had a teacher who consistently told me how great I was doing. He even, in his patient love, rearranged the bookcases in the back of the room so that I could have my own little cubicle of sorts to go when I was struggling with distraction or just needed a break. He was the most influential teacher I ever had. He changed my outlook on school and what I was capable of. He made me realize that I could do it and actually do it very well. I learned that just because it was harder for me it didn’t make it impossible. I learned endurance and commitment. I learned I could take on the world. I have been eternally grateful for that humble quiet man at Hillcrest Elementary School. I even went back to him for years with my report cards, showing him the success I had in school. He always showed the excitement of a proud parent.

School still held its challenges for me. I still had run-ins with teachers and my moments of anxiety when I couldn’t concentrate on things. However, I’ve made it thus far. I have come to learn that my ADHD, if properly channeled, can be a huge advantage. It was extremely difficult when I was a child but I have learned to control it and use it in positive ways that will be a benefit for my whole life. I’ve had the advantage of having a father with ADHD. Seeing him as a very successful businessman and a great human being has always been a huge source of hope and motivation for me. I have advantage over many because of the energy I possess. It helped me in soccer, football and other sports. It has also helped me to be more energetic and upbeat than other people. I wake up in the morning after four hours of sleep and can be bright and beaming as a light bulb. People always ask with annoyance, “How can you be so happy this early and with no sleep?” It’s one of the benefits of ADHD.

There are so many life lessons I’ve learned from having ADHD. It has taught me so much about myself and about others. It has taught me to see the good in others. It has also taught me to be slow to judge. It’s given me an ability to relate to people, especially parents who think their children are doomed because they have ADD or ADHD, to not look at it as a disadvantage but see it’s potential. It’s not to say there aren’t times when I wish I was “normal” and didn’t have to deal with it. However, it’s then I think to myself how much I love being different and having the advantages that come with ADHD. The advantage isn’t necessarily the ADHD but the lessons I have learned from having it.

The Skier Named Buffoon:

2008-02-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of sterotypes that I wrote a couple years ago about the different types of skiers you have on the mountain. If you are a skier, you'll probably find some of these amusing, if not, you'll probably still find some of these amusing. So, Just thought I'd post it for history's sake.

1. Mr. Wanker Head - The middle aged guy who is going through a mid life crisis, and he thinks that if he kicks his own arse skiing he will feel better about himself. So he "hits the gnarly bumps!" And therefore destroys any decent line while managing to cut you off 3 or 4 times as well.

2. Douche Nozzle - It's all too common to see these little bastages on a snowboard trying to "Tear it up." down the mogul runs. I hate when snowboarders think it’s okay to go down a mogul run. I stay off their runs, so stay off mine! Contrary to popular belief a mogul does not make a good jump. Nor is a mogul field a "terrain park." Furthermore, if you are going to go down a mogul field on a Snowboard which should only ever, be on accident. Have the state of mind to either go on the side where you won't destroy our line. and please refrain from staying on your back heel the entire ride down. You don’t want to be classified as a “One Turn Schmuck” (see #10) as well do you? It destroys the run. Morons.

3. The Untouchable - These guys and gals are the joyously brain-dead folks who don't realize that they can in fact break their neck while skiing. Though I tip my hat to them for being ballsy, the fact that they are total morons negates any positive aspects of their insanity. These people usually ski very fast… yet they rarely ski well. Generally, they prefer running into small children to stop themselves.

4. The Mtn. Ogre – These men usually wear blue jeans and gardening gloves. They are often extremely overweight and usually quite old. Whenever they take a spill, they generally leave a Grand Canyon sized hole in the snow that you will surely fall into at one point or another. It is a requirement that they fall off the lift every single time they unload. But never before they drop every loose item they have on their body causing the next group to run over goggles, gloves, poles, etc… You can usually get a good laugh as you watch the poor lift operator who stopped the lift try and help the mammoth of a man get up off the icy surface without blowing a gasket & giving himself a hernia.

5. The New Hotness! – This group usually consists of women. They usually have extremely wealthy husbands who buy them top of the line skis and boots that have little heaters on the backs. All so that she can pay $80 for her lift ticket to ski one run, and then read a romance novel in the lodge for the remainder of the day while sporting her perfectly applied makeup, and overly treated hair. Tight pants are a must and fur is usually present on at least one part of her outfit. Puffy turtlenecks are frequently seen as well.

6. Crazy Terry – This guy lives in a large van near a river and somehow manages to ski everyday without fail. He will often sport a long beard, blue jeans and one of those really long elf looking hats that violently flap behind him as he skis. He is always certain to make frequent booze stops at his large ninja turtle backpack at the bottom of the lift. He doesn’t ever forget his roots however. He makes sure to stand at the bottom of the lift while screaming out his chants and prayers while dancing in circles and guzzling his bud.

7. The Ski Bunny – These ladies are generally no bother to anyone. They keep to themselves and stay to the lesser-ranked runs. They are usually fairly good beginner skiers, but not great. They can manage on easy runs, but would poop their pants on anything steeper than a double blue diamond. Then they would poop themselves again for good measure. They usually have families that are skiing on the hard runs, while they go on the easy runs to go and cheer for their kids at the bottom of the hard ones.

8. Rico Suave’ – This guy usually spends way too much time getting ready to go skiing. He makes sure he’s looking good so he can try and pimp the New Hotness Momma’s (see #5) though he is usually a pretty good skier, he is often there for the wrong reason. If he falls, he checks his hair in the reflection of his goggles. It’s always the best when you see these guys with a big huge frozen booger on their chins or noses. It’s a rule that you never tell them. You allow anyone and everyone to see it.

9. Mr. Turtle – It’s a rule that when you ski with a large group of people at least one of them takes on the role of Mr. Turtle. He or she must at all costs cause the entire group to wait for them for at least 2 minutes at a time. Mr. Turtle usually ends up getting ditched. But don’t worry your little head. You can always yell cutting remarks as you loom above him on the lift every time you pass by. It’s just as if you skied with him all day right?

10. One Turn Schmuck – These are the greatly hated buffoons who make one turn at the top of the run, and then slide down sideways the entire run. Scraping off any sign of new snow that could have existed before they brutally raped and plundered the mountain.

11. I.C. Rump. – This very common breed of snowboarder never sits alone. It is also a rule that they never sit in convenient places. It is either in the middle of the run, or right in front of a jump that you want to hit. Either way, they make it very clear that there is nothing wrong with the fact that when they fall they have a right to sit there for 5 or 10 minutes while they “recuperate.” They firmly believe that if they consume a large enough amount of snow they will no longer be thirsty. They also believe it can heal most physical ailments. This breed also tends to be a “one turn schmuck.” (See # 10)

12. Big Foot – These are the little idiots with those freaking short ski’s called “Big Foots.” Whoever designed these skis made sure it would be virtually impossible to stop at excessive speeds. Big Footers often believe it to be a good idea to go on runs that are virtually impossible for such equipment. This breed is often short lived however. Either finding out that it is in fact not cool at all, or perhaps just giving them to their little brothers after last years major concussion.

13. The Renter - These are the poor saps who are forced to rent their ski's from a rental shop. For some reason I think it's a rule at rental shops that they make skis far too tight, or far too loose. So when these people fall, they either break their legs because their ski's won't come off, or they yard sale so big that their ski's are laying 200 yards above them after they come to a stop. It always seems like there's those who will be standing in the lift line, and they manage to step the wrong way, and pop out of their binding. Then they fall over and can't get back in, and it's just a big mess. It's really a marvelous thing for us to watch.

2008-02-22T16:45:00.001-08:00

Okay, well, since my whole family pretty much has entered the new and exciting realm of "blogging" I figured I mustn't be the only one left behind!

So, I gave in and have started an online blog. Who KNOWS what I'll put in it, but I do love writing, and now I have somewhere that I can put it all. I don't expect all, or most of you for that matter to care really, I just wanted to let you know just in case you wanted to enjoy a small slice of what the Celestial Kingdom might be like. ;)

Anyway, hopefully something fun will happen in my life other than the everyday -- go to school, go to work, go steal food from parents, go to sleep, jibber jabber. That way, I could have something exciting to write about!

I hope all of you enjoy it. Subscribe to it, or whatever you do to these things to make sure you're able to be alerted by phone, email, radio, television, those really lame blue tooth ear things that make you look like spach, or whatever, that I have posted a new blog, and you HAVE to go read it!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Oh yeah, almost forgot the link to my new blog!

http://utskifiend.blogspot.com/

If you're not into the whole "blogging" scene, but you prefer the whole Myspace business, then you can check out my myspace page instead by going to: MY MYSPACE LINK RIGHT HERE! <-- Yeah, The BLUE text! That is a link, it takes you through portals to cool places!

Thanks Al Gore!!!

I Think I Want To Start Doing This!

2008-02-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

My sister BriAnn and her husband Dan have started a blog to keep everyone informed on the goings on in their lives. I think that it's a pretty good idea, so I have decided to start a blog of my own.

I LOVE writing, so I figure, this will be a good place for me to write things down that are happening in my life, as well as help to keep my loved ones updated on what's going on with me.

This first blog is just an intro. I'll have to add some more stuff very soon! Hopefully I stay committed to this, and don't neglect it like I always have neglected any journal of sorts over the years.

Anyway, be excited. Be very excited, because you're in for a treat!

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