The Blog of Billy Hesterman

Tradition

2011-12-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

A lot of buzz has been made this week about speculations that the University of Utah's athletic department is looking to end the pre 4th quarter dance by the woman simply known as the "crazy lady."

If you have attended a Utah football in the last, I don't know, probably thirty years you know what I am talking about. It started with a woman nicknamed bubbles. In between the 3rd and 4th quarters of the game, Utah's marching band plays the blues brothers theme song. Bubbles was known for getting up and dancing with the band during that song. That tradition has been carried on by the woman now known as the Crazy Lady. It is fun, it is harmless, it makes me smile. I wonder why get rid of it?

I have been going to Utah football games since 1992, there aren't many traditions to the games. Why would the department want to get rid of a fun one? When I think of my almost twenty years of attending the games, I think of two traditions. First, the dancing lady between the 3rd and 4th quarters, and second, the band used to always play Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby". I enjoyed both traditions, the first still continues (well maybe) the second for some reason has gone the way of the dodo. I miss the second tradition. The band would start to play the familiar tune and then I knew, I was at a Utah sporting event. Again I don't understand why you would get rid of it.

Some have criticized the crazy lady, saying it isn't a classy tradition and that it can be seen as obnoxious. I disagree. College football is about traditions, it is what makes it fun. It is what makes it different from any other sporting event. It is a fun song and when a portion of the student section is doing the dance with her, I would argue the dance really isn't about her but about Utah fans having a good time at a football game.

Some have argued that they would like to see Utah adopt more stately traditions. I've heard multiple references to USC's end of 3rd quarter tradition where they light the Olympic cauldron at Memorial Coliseum and honor their 11 national championships in football. That's great, but lets be honest, Utah doesn't have 11 national championships. The 2004 and 2008 undefeated teams were great, but lets not try to compare those teams to winning national championships, a tradition like this at Utah would be a bigger embarrassment to the program than the crazy lady is.

Other ideas have been floated that they would like to start a tradition where fans sing "Sweet Caroline" in between quarters. That's nice and all, but it is already done. This is not a Utah tradition, this is a Boston Redsox tradition done during the seventh inning stretch at Fenway. Let's keep a Utah tradition of the Crazy Lady over stealing another team's tradition.

I understand times change and that sometimes it is time to move. I personally would like to see the cheerleaders yelling in the microphone in the 4th quarter trying to get fans to chant "Go Utah!" go away. I'm also glad to see we didn't make the sad attempt of having the red tailed hawk fly around the stadium this year.

What I would like to see is a more uniform way of Utah fans cheering for a first down. I'd love to see a bigger effort to get people to stand up, clap, and sing to the fight song. It'd be great to see everyone stand and sing the fight song right before the opening kick-off. Those are just some of my ideas, I say lets add to the traditions, not eliminate them.

Go Utes!

Maybe the 1940's had it right?

2011-11-28T16:11:00.001-07:00

As we arrived to UTA's intermodal hub Saturday morning, my Dad and I realized we were taking a trip in a time machine.

That very morning the hub was a mix of the past and the future. One line of railroad tracks had a UTA trax train resting on them before a busy Saturday of moving local shoppers and Christmas light peepers around the Salt Lake Valley. Another line housed the engine and cars of UTA's Front Runner train, a commuter rail train that runs from Ogden to Salt Lake City. Seated upon another line of track was something majestic, something old, and something that looked like it was out of a story or a Christmas movie.

On that back line of rails was seated a large metal beast that belched out huge amounts of steam into the deep blue morning sky. That beast, or what everyone else may call a steam locomotive, took us on our journey back into the 1940's. The engine slowly puffed off steam as it warmed up to take us on our short excursion to Ogden. We took the first few minutes to wander around the engine and "inspect" it to make sure it was ready to take us on our journey northward.

After our inspection our hosts walked us around to the end of the train to meet the conductors. They then loaded us into the classic yellow 1940's era Union Pacific passenger cars. With the push of a button our door slid open to the roomy inside of the car. There were rows of green seats spaciously placed throughout the car that would make 1st class airline riders jealous. The inside of the car did feel somewhat dated, but the dated feel was made up for in character.

If you examined the stitching on the green fabric covered seats you notice the letters U.P. repeated in the fabric design over and over again. Each seat had its own leg rest that you could pull out and the seats reclined easily. The ride it self was smooth. You didn't feel a sway as we ran down the tracks and there was plenty of head room for this 6 foot 4 inch passenger. I enjoy traveling by plane because of how quickly you get to your destination, but this comfortable train car was making me reconsider my need to get somewhere fast.

As we chugged northward it was nice to just stare out the windows and enjoy the mountains. It was relaxing to sip on my water and realize someone else is in charge of getting me where I am going. It was nice to slow done and enjoy the ride.

As I have previously mentioned, I like getting places quickly. I want to get to my vacation destination quick so I have more time to sight-see and play. I want to get to work fast so I can do my job and then return home quickly to be with my family. It means I am accomplishing more and using my time efficiently, but sometimes maybe we need to slow down a little bit and enjoy the scenery.

The train ride was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I'm not sure if I will ever get to ride on the rails behind a steam locomotive ever again, besides at Disneyland. The thought of taking a cross country train ride sounds exciting and relaxing to me now after my experience last weekend. While it will take me longer to get where I'm going, I would more than likely be able to enjoy the ride a little bit more, and maybe that is what life is about sometimes, learning to enjoy the ride.

Why not a list?

2011-11-13T18:29:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law is a pro at doing lists for her blog. Her lists have inspired me, so this will be my attempt at making an interesting list. (I'm sure some of it will be boring, but maybe some of it will make you smile.)

Our little man is just over 8 weeks old now. Melissa and I have both commented on how fast the time has flown by, well Melissa says the first two weeks were really slow - she may have a point, but time has really picked up. I can't believe how fast time goes and really how much you can get done on not very much sleep. Although I get lots of sleep now compared to Melissa.


Not my style anymore

I've finally become old. Yesterday I opted to stay at home instead of fighting through the bad weather to go to the Utah football game. There was a time in my life when it wouldn't have been a question, I'd be going. But yesterday, I became old. My rationale took over my fanaticism and told me that being warm on your couch is better than freezing in a small snow storm. Needless to say, I'm proud of the Utes and how the season has turned out. Go UTES!

Thanks Coach Mac!

I have been really puzzled by people's reaction to the Joe Paterno situation at Penn State. I am quite surprised by the number of people who are worried about Joe and his legacy. They want to thank him for all the memories he has put into their lives. I appreciate that. This week a local college football coach announced his retirement, Ron McBride, and I feel a need to say thanks for all the memories his teams brought to me. But in Paterno's case, the only people that should be talked about, in my opinion, are the victims of this terrible crime allegedly committed by Joe Pa's subordinates. This week should have been a discussion on how can we teach kids to protect themselves from those who try to prey on the innocent and unsuspecting, not on some old football coach. My heart goes out to the victims of this abuse, I hope some of the events of this week can bring closure to their pain.


One very cool steam locomotvie

The train is coming! (NERD ALERT!) During Thanksgiving weekend a live steam engine will be coming to town and I'll get the chance to ride in one of the cars it pulls. This has been something my dad and I have wanted to do together since I was probably 7-years-old. I'm looking forward to our small excursion from SLC to Ogden aboard the Union Pacific 844.


Here's the globe

I have a Disney snow globe that sits on my desk here at work. It is a Roger Rabbit snow globe. Most people are puzzled by it as it features Jessica Rabbit kissing Roger. (It doesn't look very manly next to my U of U football helmet) People ask about it, I don't know really what to tell them other than, I'm a Roger Rabbit fan and my mom gave me the globe as a Christmas present one year. I guess it is just something that is silly and makes me smile, but if any of you have wacky story ideas that I should tell about the globe, I'll take 'em.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for tuning in! See you next time!

Lack of sleep, changing diapers, and a Counting Crows song

2011-10-10T16:45:00.002-06:00

Just over three weeks ago we welcomed our first child into the world. I was sitting at work on a Thursday night when Melissa sent me an instant message saying her water had broken. I was numb. The reality of what was going to happen in the next 24 hours wasn't setting in on me. Somewhere in my head I was still thinking this was not supposed to happen for another week. I left work and rushed home still not quite sure what was going to happen next.

We arrived at the hospital and even though Melissa and I were pretty sure that we were going to be holding our son in the coming hours, a part of me still thought we would be sent home and have to wait for another week.

Well the medical staff assured us he was coming. I didn't quite know what to think. Yes I was excited, but not long from then a new person who nobody has ever met would enter the world. At that moment no one could tell me what he looked like. They couldn't tell me if he had 10 fingers and 10 toes, or if he would know who I was when he saw me. It was a surreal feeling.

After hours of Mom doing all she could to help our boy come into the world it was decided that an emergency C-Section would be performed. I was scared. I was fairly confident that in the end mom and son would be safe, but surgery on people I love always makes me uncomfortable.

We were rolled into an operating room and Melissa was prepped for surgery. She was so brave. She had worked her body to the limits for the last 18 hours and now was needing a little extra help to get our son into the world. I am so proud of her and all that she did for the last nine months to keep our baby healthy and strong. She also worked unbelievably hard to keep her body healthy through the process. Again, I'm so proud of her and look up to her in so many ways.

Once the doctors had declared to us that we had a living baby boy, I kept waiting to hear him cry. I don't know what the appropriate thing to wait for would be, I just figured he should cry. I kept saying in my head, I need to hear him cry. Finally we heard a little squeal and our world has never been the same since then.

I didn't get the chance to immediately hold our baby. I walked over and saw the doctors cleaning him up and finding out his stats, but they never said I could take him and hold him. Soon after he was taken to the NICU for observations and I wanted to make sure Melissa was doing well. I also made a trip home to gather a few odds and ends that we wanted to have at the hospital for the duration of our stay there. It wasn't until 11 o'clock that night that I finally walked down to the NICU and asked if I could hold our baby.

I don't know why I didn't get to hold him sooner. No one told me I couldn't, but I just assumed under the circumstances that someone would give me a green light on when I could. When I finally got the chance it was an amazing moment. I'm sure every parent can remember that moment. Melissa was two floors up trying to rest and recover and I was all alone with him sitting in a dark hospital room. The nurse left me alone with him knowing that this was the first time we had been together.

I felt like I needed to introduce myself. I whispered a quiet "Hi" to him and said, "I'm Dad." Of course I don't think he really gave a reaction to me other than just cuddling himself into my arms and assuring me that he was at least comfortable with me holding him. All I could do for the next 10 minutes was stare at him and let it set in, that a new person had entered the world, and that I played a part in that process.

A few days later we were released from the hospital. The stay in the hospital wasn't exactly a Hawaiian vacation. The day we were released, Melissa and I were emotionally spent. We had some issues with our insurance company that were proving to be annoying and a doctor had made a mistake on a prescription for Melissa. I needed to be home home helping Melissa heal and helping our boy learn his surroundings in his new home. Instead I was having to deal with frustrating situations.

Finally I called in for backup. I'm grateful for my mom. She freed up some of the day for me so I could help Melissa and watched Melissa while I ran to the store to once again try to get Melissa's prescriptions.

When Melissa and I were dating Melissa had a Counting Crows song as her ringtone for me when I called her. It was called "Accidentally in Love". I guess you could say Melissa never thought she'd fall for me, but someway somehow we fell in love. That song came on the radio as I was driving home. This time it meant something different to me.

It reminded me of holding our boy that first night in the NICU. I had no idea that I could love someone so much. Before that night, I knew I would love our child, but I didn't know what it would feel like. I like kids, but I usually only like them in small chunks, 24/7 seemed very overwhelming to me. As our held him on that first night of his life though, I knew this was different. I knew I had a love for him that I never knew was possible. It was in a sense, an accidental love. It just happened and I immediately had a care and hope for him and his future.

We're doing good now. We still have plenty of adventures that we are getting through together. Last night alone was a sleep challenged night, but we're doing good. I'm still trying to get the diaper thing down, but its going okay. Melissa is amazing. I love watching her and him interact. I see the future of our family and everything looks so bright now. I'm excited to see it all unfold.

Do you like green eggs and ham?

2011-08-25T19:35:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about Dr. Seuss and his book Green Eggs & Ham. When I was little I loved that book. Mostly I think I loved it when Sam would ask the unnamed main character if he would eat them (the green eggs and ham) on a train because I wanted to get to the train picture, but I also loved it because it was something to do with my dad.

Dad and I could recite the whole story back and forth to each other. We didn't need the book, we could act it out, add our own silly voices, or just look at the pictures in the book and say the lines without even reading them. It is a great memory that I share with my dad.

I've been asked a lot lately if I am getting nervous to be a dad. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I wasn't a little nervous about it, but my nervousness is more a fear of the unknown than it is a fear of being a dad. I'm scared about the fact that I think I've changed about two diapers in my life and I'm not sure I did those right. I'm scared that I won't always know what to do when he cries and I'm scared that I'll be grouchy when I don't get enough sleep. But I'm not scared of being a dad.

I look forward to the adventure. I look forward to meeting him and learning about his personality. I look forward to seeing him figure things out. I'm excited to go to his sporting events or piano concerts, or both, or whatever else he may choose to do.

Mostly I look forward to doing things with him that me and my dad used to do. I can't wait to spend a Christmas morning playing with the trains. I can't wait to show him the amazing wonders of the world. I can't wait till I get to read him some Dr. Seuss. I can't wait to learn from him.

So am I nervous? Yes I am. But I am also very excited.

Emptyin' the Noggin

2011-04-28T18:08:00.002-06:00

I took a look at the blog tonight and realized I haven't put much up here in the past while. I guess in truth I haven't felt opinionated enough about any particular subject in the past month or so to sit and rant about it on the blog. So tonight I thought I'd follow the lead of my sister-in-law who from time to time puts out a bullet point list of things going on with her... her's are a lot more entertaining than mine, but hey, this will mean a new post for all the millions of readers (I like to dream big) of this blog.

We're having a baby! Probably anyone that reads this blog already knows the news, but the teacher is pregnant and we are quite excited for our new future. We've had a lot of fun just being the two of us for the last 3 years, but I'm pretty sure adding another to the crew will just mean more fun!
The new job is going well! I'll be honest, I have some days when I feel like I know what I'm doing and others when I feel a little lost still, but I guess that is normal for the first few months on the job. My editors haven't thrown me out for being a horrible writer yet, so hopefully things will continue to go well.
We just got back from a short adventure to San Diego! A few months ago we decided it was time for a short short get-away, so we planned a trip to one of our favorite places, San Diego. We went to Sea World and a Padres game. We also spent some time in beautiful La Jolla. We had a great time but unfortunately our camera came to its death during the trip. A waiter at one of the restaurants we ate at spilled water on it and it doesn't work anymore. So we went old school and bought a throw away camera, now we need to find a place that still develops film. Suggestions????
Today I attended my second Governor's press conference and I actually got a question in. They are filmed for TV and you'd think with my radio background I wouldn't get nervous, but for some reason bright lights can knock your thinking for a minute. I did get a question in today, which is one more than last month's conference, maybe I'll get a little more comfortable with the bright lights in the months to come...we'll see.

Well that's all I have for now. Other than the big addition to our family, nothing to exciting. I'll work on that for you. I'm sure more grand adventures await us! We are moving into my favorite times of the year. I love Summer (I try to convince myself summer starts in May). I love the sun light till 9 at night and I enjoy not being cold when I go outside. I like to golf and I like picnics. I like pools and amusement parks.I get to do all these great things every summer! This summer certainly will be an adjustment since I'm working full-time during summer for the first time, and have a pregnant wife, but we'll still find a way to have some fun I'm sure.

Compassion & Respecting the Law

2011-03-02T07:28:00.002-07:00

There's been an interesting debate going back and forth at the State Legislature this session. The context of the argument comes in the discussion of illegal immigration. It has been said multiple times throughout the session that there are over 100,000 undocumented immigrants in the state of Utah. Lawmakers are trying to find a way to best manage the undocumented immigrants in various ideas.

Some are proposing laws that create tough law enforcement measures that are aimed at encouraging the undocumented immigrants to self deport from the state. Others are pushing laws that would create a guest worker program that immigrants can apply for and gain a guest worker status in the state. The latter proposal is technically unconstitutional since the federal government has the responsibility of dealing with immigration in the country, but since the feds aren't doing anything about it, Utah lawmakers are taking matters into their own hands.

It has been an interesting process to observe, and I should say I am only observing. I really have no horse in this race. I don't know any illegal immigrants and I don't really know what the right solution is. I hear both sides and it does push me to think you need both laws to make it all work, but that is just my uneducated opinion on the situation. I haven't spoken with law enforcement about what is reality and I haven't spoken with the immigration population to see what challenges they face, I'm strictly pontificating on what I have watched taking place at the capitol for the last month.

The first group at the capitol is pushing a law enforcement only style immigration bill. The bill would give law enforcement officials the option to check the immigration status of someone being charged with a crime. Many in this group do not want to see a guest worker bill. They demand that the rule of law be honored. People have come into the country illegally and a guest worker program is only rewarding bad behavior. They also worry that Utah creating a guest worker program is only putting an "illegal immigrants welcome here" sign on the state.

The second group isn't opposed to a tough law enforcement bill, but they also want a guest worker program. There are different versions of the guest worker program being proposed but the general idea is that the undocumented worker pay a fine for being illegal. Then they can apply for a guest worker permit that allows them and their immediate family to stay in the state legally, as long as the guest worker has a job. Again, the idea is currently unconstitutional, but it is an idea on how to deal with those that already here. The first group call this idea "amnesty" and strongly oppose any idea like this.

The question in this debate seems to be, do you believe in the rule of law or do you believe in the idea of having compassion? Yes, everyone should follow the law and we should penalize those who break the law. And, yes we should show compassion on those who have come here, even if it is illegally.

The best way I can think to describe the odd predicament our state is facing is this way: Say a person came into your store and stole a candy bar, but after catching the person you find out the only reason they stole the candy bar was because they had nothing to eat and no way to pay for it. They should be punished for stealing that candy bar, but doesn't the christian in you say that maybe you should help them get some food on their table?

If you say no, they did me wrong and I don't need to help them, I respect that. You're right, they should be punished.

But what do you do if there were 100 people that came and stole the candy bar that were in the same situation? Our jails are full. To put these people in jail we would need to release criminals that have committed more serious crimes than stealing the candy bar. Some say put the illegal immigrants on a bus and take them back to where they came from. I just don't think that is a realistic option, I certainly don't want to see my tax dollars spent on doing something like that.

So this is where the legislature stands at the moment. It looks as if the lawmakers will pass a tough law enforcement bill. But it also looks like they will pass some kind of guest worker program. I don't know what will happen with the guest worker program. It is unconstitutional, but don't many good ideas come from looking at the status quo and then saying "we can do better"?

It's been a tough process to watch and I don't envy the lawmakers who will have to make this tough decision on what is the right thing to do. There should be respect for the law and we should not reward bad behavior. But aren't we told to be as the good Samaritan and have compassion on our neighbors? This is one of those areas where there probably isn't a completely right or a completely wrong answer, we'll see what happens.

Reflections

2011-02-20T20:49:00.002-07:00

Sometimes it is fun to look back and see what has changed over time and see how you have grown and see what things you may have forgotten about. I will admit, I like getting my nostalgia on. I enjoy year books and old journals (I have a journal that I wrote in almost every week of high school, it is one my cherished possessions). I like photo albums and old stories. They all give me chance to smile and laugh and remember some funny moments in life.

I don't know if this is a good thing or not. We are told to live in the moment and plan for the future. We're also told to learn from the past, but not let the past define where you are headed. Sometimes it is hard to imagine not letting your past define where you are going. I wouldn't be who I was today, if it weren't for my past.

Growing up I liked to play the jobs that I wanted to have someday. For the longest time, I wanted to be a train driver. It was a great game to pretend to drive the train around the country and stop in the many different parts of the land and experience their towns in my make-believe world.

Later on, I wanted to be a sports reporter. I would pretend to have my own sports talk show, called the Sports Closet (because I had made a studio in my closet), and give my thoughts and insights to the pretend world listening to my own pretend radio station. I also enjoyed writing. I liked to write emails to people and I liked the idea of writing a book (that task seems more daunting the older I have gotten though).

Somehow, I've actually tried to make money doing some of these crazy dreams I had as a kid. I have had the chance to be a sports reporter. It was fun and gave me a lot of great experiences. I haven't gotten the chance to drive a train yet, but the train drivers at Disneyland once let me ring the train's bell when the train was pulling into the station (I'd say that is close enough). I did get the chance to have my own radio show when I was a DJ, and now I am writing articles for a newspaper. I did have a dream to be a professional basketball player for about six months, but I don't foresee me being able to pull off that adventure, and I'm okay with that.

The last month has been a great experience for me. I was quite nervous on my first day of work at the newspaper, but every day after after has been a great experience for me. I've been blessed with the chance to meet some very interesting people and a chance to write on some topics I find fascinating. I'm grateful for the opportunity this is turning out to be.

The funny part about it all is when I think of where I've been, and where I am now going, most of what I've wanted to do when I was a kid, I've somehow turned into a job as an adult. I wouldn't say I set the bar all that high, I never pretended to be the President of the United States, or anything like that. Most of the time, I dreamed of working in a job that dealt with being in the media in someway and that would provide enough for me to have time to be with my family.

I think and I hope, that I am now finding my way into that position of my life.

I know some of the other pretend games included being a rock star and running a hotel. I don't know if those will ever manifest themselves in my life, but if they do, I'll try to remember to enjoy the adventure.

Capitol Beat: January 29

2011-01-29T17:33:00.002-07:00

Well one week is done in the legislative session. It's been a good first week. The week started off with the swearing in of Utah's first female Speaker of the House. Also, on opening day on the hill, lawmakers and gun activists celebrated John M. Browning day. A day the legislature created last session to celebrate Utah's own John Browning and his work in the gun industry. Lawmakers think he is so amazing, that his gun should be the official state firearm.

Next, representatives decided it was time to take matters of 'Spice" into their own hands and ban the synthetic drug statewide. Then, the good old folks at the domed building decided it was time to extend the time people are allowed to shoot off fireworks (you get a full month now) and that there should be more exciting fireworks sold here in the beehive state.

Officials from Jordan School District came to a committee meeting to let legislators know that they want to make more money by selling advertising space on their school buses. While charter schools came to the hill to let lawmakers know, they're doing just fine.

Finally, a judge made a ruling which resulted in Craig Frank not returning to the legislature this year. Sen. Valentine wants to pass a bill dealing with liquor licenses that makes sense. And the state superintendent wants to hold a bake sale with Sen. Buttars.

That's a look at the first week. Here's hoping for a great second week of the session! And here's a little reminder on what happens up here on the hill.

Signing Off

2011-01-14T09:19:00.002-07:00

Last night was my final night to produce a show and most likely do any on-air work for 1320 KFAN. I have accepted a new job to be a reporter for the Daily Herald and working for both wouldn't have left me anytime to sleep, so something had to give.

I wasn't sure how I would handle the night. When I left 97.1 ZHT I had some tears in my eyes. Leaving KFAN was a different experience. The night went as planned. No big goodbyes or any stressful final tasks to complete. Just a normal evening. When I turned out the lights and said some goodbyes to the people there, it felt right. It felt normal. It felt like it was time to roll the credits and think of some cheesey saying about how the end of one thing only means the beginning of another.

My radio career started back in the fall of 2ooo. I wanted nothing more than to work for a sports radio station. I called the boss of 1320 KFAN back then and he said to email him my contact information and he would get back to me. I emailed him but never got a response. I drove around the city filling out applications and dropping off resumes to other stations, but my experience included working at a shoe store for two years and hosting our high school TV news broadcasts. Not really the qualifications radio bosses are looking for in new hires.

Well in my first semester in college I ended up having a class with a DJ who worked for the hip-hop radio station here in Salt Lake. He gave me the number of a guy who was looking for interns at his station and said just keep calling till he calls you back. After four weeks of calling every other day trying to get this guy to call me back, I finally got an appointment set up for an interview.

I got the job and started what was an interesting experience as I prepared to serve a mission for the LDS Church. One wouldn't think that working at a hip-hop radio station would be the best environment to be in as you are preparing to serve a mission for your church, and they are probably right, but the people I met there taught me some great lessons. They taught me about working hard and having fun while you do so. They taught me about accepting others even when you disagree with their opinions. They taught me that it was okay to stand up for myself. I'm grateful for the good people I got to know there and will never forget my experiences at U92.

After I completed my mission I was offered a job to be a promotions assistant for an alternative rock station called Channel 105.7. It wasn't an "on the air" job, but it was a foot in the door and a chance to earn some money to pay for school. This lead to an interesting friendship that actually started two days before I left on my mission.

On one of my final days at U92, one of the other radio stations in our building had hired a new DJ whose radio name was Jagger. Our first meeting went like this, "Hey Jagger this is Billy, this is his last day because he is going on a mission." Jagger misheard the word "mission" and thought they said "Michigan." He looked at me excitedly and said, "You're going to Michigan! I'm from Ohio!" I looked at him oddly and said, "No, I'm leaving to go be a missionary for my church and I'm going to California." He then was a little confused by the whole situation but was nice and wished me luck for my future.

I didn't think I would ever see Jagger again. I even forgot about that event till one day one of my old friends from U92 told me I should go over to the ZHT studios (the 105.7 studios and the ZHT studio were in the same building) and say hi to Jagger. I wandered over and introduced myself and Jagger immediately started to laugh and went, "You're back from Michigan!" We had a good laugh and then Jagger took me under is wing to teach me about how to be a radio DJ.

After a few months of training with Jagger, I got my first chance to be an on-air DJ. My first night being on the air was Valentine's evening in 2004. I don't remember much from that first night, but I do remember that I said since I don't have a Valentine, I'll send out a happy Valentine's Day message to my number one fan, my mom. My mom really was my number one fan, like most of our moms are. She would stay up till 2 in the morning to hear me on the air. And even though she didn't like that hip-hop music, she would listen just hear one of the DJ's say my name when I would be interning with them. Thank you Mom!

Well this lead to the "Billy the Kid" years at 97.1 ZHT. There are so many crazy stories I could tell from here. Ones like when I drove Rhianna around town and took my shirt off for her. Or the time I hosted a fashion show and a battle of the bands contest. And there was the night I was on the air when the Trolley Square shootings took place. We also did a lot of collecting food for the food bank, and played silly games like Spanish 101 and junk in the trunk jeopardy. And, the day a bee flew into the ZHT VW Beetle, Monroe, Boy Loco and I will probably never forget that crazy experience. I tell people I probably won't have a midlife crisis because I think I took care of all the crazy things I've wanted to do while I worked at ZHT.

After all these years of working in radio, the opportunity I had hopped for when I started this journey finally came. In the summer 0f 2007 I got a call from a friend of mine who had just accepted a job to work for 1320 KFAN. He needed help in the promotions department but he was sure he could get me into the studio doing work on-air. I felt right about this chance and was able to achieve my goal of working in sports radio.

What a blessing it has been. I have had some days that I miss the fun adventures that the FM radio stations brought me, but this was a dream come true. When I was little, I would make my friends play radio with me. We would have to sit and talk into our pretend microphones about the latest news in sports. This has been a chance to fulfill a childhood dream.

And now, it ends. But really it is the ending of one thing and the beginning of another. In college I decided that I wanted to get a journalism degree and write about the government. I didn't know how I would accomplish this. I never wrote for a school newspaper. I know some about the government but not enough that I would consider myself an expert. I then took a class taught by the political editor from the Salt Lake Tribune. I loved his class. I loved the fascinating people he brought in for us to interview and the interesting stories we got to tell. My teacher ended up offering me an internship at his paper and in a roundabout way he has lead me to this new job.

I am excited for this chance. It feels like I won the lottery. I get to do something I have dreamed about doing and hope I will do well at it. My thanks goes out to the many good friends, bosses, and teachers that I have had during this journey. I am so grateful for the lessons you have taught me and the part of your lives that you have shared with me. I am also so grateful for Melissa. She has stood by me during this journey and believed in me every step of the way. I am so lucky to have her. Here's to the new journey and thank you to radio for all the great memories. This is Billy Hesterman signing off.

The Men of Christmas

2010-12-14T08:19:00.006-07:00

When I read the Christmas story I start to wonder, what part of the story would I want to play? The characters all have such interesting perspectives. I realize my Biblical knowledge is limited and I may not understand the customs and traditions of the time, but I am always fascinated by the many individuals that are in the story of the birth of our Savior.

Growing up I always thought it would be exciting to be one of the wise men. I love their story. Something seems magical about a new star appearing in the sky that guides these men to the home of their Lord and King. They didn't come to Mary and Joseph's home seeking blessings or confirmation of their hopes, they came with gifts. They came to worship and praise this child that would one day save them from their sins.

It seems like all of us have at one point in time have worn a bathrobe and acted out the part of the shepherd. It must have been quite an amazing sight for the shepherds to have an angel appear to them and declare the amazing news that Christ was born. Even more stunning would have been seeing the multitude of heavenly host saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The most spectacular experience for the shepherds must have been their short journey to visit Mary and Joseph and the new born babe that they found wrapped in swaddling clothes. We all can relate to the special feeling there is when you hold a new born. It probably is indescribable the feeling they had as they were in the presence of the new born king.

I always wonder what Joseph must have felt like on that spectacular night. Was he scared? He had been trusted with the responsibility to provide and care for this newborn who would someday be the king of kings. My guess is that he wasn't scared. I expect Joseph stood with confidence that night. He had witnessed a miracle of this birth and had to know that this was a special calling from God to provide a home for this child. I would assume he was humbled but not scared. I look up to this carpenter.

Finally, the multitude of heavenly host or as we call them, the angels. It must have been quite the rush in Heaven that night to get to sing in the choir. I don't sing in choirs. I enjoy listening to them but I just don't have the singing talent. My guess is if I were to be in this choir, I would have been a stagehand of some kind. Maybe I would have helped place the stars in the right order so as to illuminate the heavenly host for the shepherds to see. Or maybe I would have helped amplify their sound through some heavenly power so the world could hear them sing.

I don't know how many times or ways I can say it must of have been some night over there in Bethlehem. I've been trying to think of days when I truly was amazed by something. Something that might have put me in awe like the birth of the Savior does. My wedding day, the days that my nephews were born and I got to hold them for the first time, and the day I arrived in San Jose, California to serve my LDS mission all come to mind. Somehow the day Christ was born seems so much bigger. How grateful I am for our Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful for his life and for his atonement on our behalf. What a wonderful celebration this is.

Merry Christmas to you! May you and your family be blessed with joy and happiness this holiday season and may we all remember to take time to remember that special night of our Savior's birth.

A Great Season

2010-12-06T09:24:00.006-07:00

I really do enjoy the Christmas season. Summer is my favorite time of the year, but I love Christmas. I love the spiritual meanings and traditions of Christmas, I love the silliness of Christmas. I love Santa. I love being at the mall and being in the hustle and bustle. I love giving gifts and I love the time with family and friends.

I'll be the first to admit, I let myself get stressed during this time of year, even though I know I shouldn't. I can get overwhelmed with all the parties and the sometimes questionable weather. But once December 25th comes around, it was all worth it. I wouldn't trade the time with loved ones for anything.

If I can, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite traditions during this time of year. Most of them are silly and really have no relation to the birth of our Savior, but they do put me in a Christmas mood, which does make me think more of my Savior and how I need to work harder on being more like Him. So in no particular order of importance here's some of my favorite things of Christmas:

Trains:
Putting a train around the Christmas tree has been a tradition in my family since I was 5 years old. My mom had a lot of patience in allowing the Hesterman Railroad overtake her whole front room during the Holidays. The trains had a small village to drive through and additions were always being made every year. I've carried the tradition on in our own home, but to a much smaller scale.

Organ Recital:

This tradition also started when I was around 5 years old. My dad is an organ man. He tunes, builds, fixes, plays and sells organs. Pipe organs that is. Every year on Christmas Eve my dad does an Organ Recital of Christmas carols. He has a few songs he plays every year and also has the audience sing along to Christmas hymns while he plays. It is a great way to finish Christmas eve, the show doesn't start until 10 p.m. (used to be 11, but he's moved it up in recent years), people from my parents ward/stake come and it is a nice way to unwind after all the busyness of Christmas eve.

Twelve Days of Christmas:
No Hesterman Christmas party is complete unless the Twelve Days of Christmas song is sung. This is quite the production. If I understand the story correctly, my uncles had to learn some actions to this song back in Jr. High or High School, but they put their own special twist on the actions. This is quite a ridiculous and silly performance to watch. Every year my Grandma worries that the family will destroy her house while singing this song, but it the old place seems to hold up.

Christmas Ornaments:
Finally, I love Christmas Ornaments. They always seem to have a story to tell. Some don't. Some are just balls or are shinny, but it seems like most people have a few ornaments that have a special meaning to them. I like to hear those stories. Melissa has a few "story" ornaments that friends or past students have given her. I love to have her tell me about them.

So those are some of the things I look forward to every year at this time. Out of all these things though, I look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior with our family. I'm so blessed to have an amazing family (Melissa's family is included when I say amazing family). I'm grateful for their love, support and examples. They teach me so much. May all of you have a very wonderful Christmas season. Merry Christmas!

Thank You

2010-11-18T09:46:00.002-07:00

In October President Thomas S. Monson reminded us that we should seek out the divine gift of gratitude:

"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love."

Upon hearing this talk I was reminded of the many great gifts and blessings that Melissa and I have received. We realize that things in life haven't gone as planned but we have everything that we need. We have a wonderful home, jobs that we enjoy, and we have each other. We have been so blessed.

We also have been blessed to have amazing friends, co-workers, and families. All of you have meant so much to us. We are constantly amazed at your generosity, courage, faith, and love. We are grateful for your testimonies. You help us grow. You help us heal. Some of you have cried with us. Some of you always make us laugh and we are so grateful for you. Some of you are the person that sat on the phone with us when we needed someone to talk to, and some of you we don't even know, but we saw your act of kindness and that made us want to be better.

Thank you for being you! May your Thanksgiving Day be full of love, joy and wonderful time with family. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you again for all that you do!

Nothing to see here...

2010-10-28T16:01:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking for the last two weeks that I needed to blog but have been dumbfounded on what to blog about. The past month has been full of ups and downs and everything in between. Yet, none of the events feel very blog appropriate.

The conversations of the last month that have made me pause and think have included subjects like: is it okay to question authority in the church? What are my feelings on gay marriage? What things can I be doing to show more gratitude in my life? Are your struggles harder than mine, or do we all have different struggles?

Like I said before, I'm not sure the stories about these questions are the most appropriate to share on a public blog, but I think it is good to let you know what has been on my mind for the last while. I should say my religious belief is not wavering. I just like to think, learn and grow from discussions with those who may have a different perspective than me.

So what can I tell you? I want to tell you about someone I heard speak last month at the Senate.

I got the chance to come up and do some part-time work for the state senate during the interim day in September. During the interim day, the senate convened to confirm some of the Governor's latest judge appointments. One judge stood out to me. I don't remember his name or what court he was assigned, but I remember him saying something about the youth. He said, "I do a great deal of work with the young people in our state and I can tell you, I have great hope for our future."

If appropriate I would've raised my hand and asked him to say that sentence one more time and then asked, "are you telling me that the rising generation gives you hope?" I believe his answer would've been yes. I was impressed by his comment and now have tried to take that same feeling of hope in my life.

In our previous ward I got the special chance to work with some of the young men. At first, I really was indifferent to this calling. I enjoyed it but I didn't feel like I had much to teach the boys, I was only 10 years older than them, did I really know that much more than them? As time passed though, I grew to love those boys. I saw their potential and became excited for the great lives ahead of them. I was reminded of them when I heard this judge say he has hope for the future. The judge is right, there are great things still to come in this world.

It's easy to be cynical and sarcastic about what may come, and maybe being a cynic is even the more realistic way to be, but I prefer to have hope. I have hope because of those boys I got to serve with. I have hope because of the great woman I am married to. I have hope because of my religious beliefs. I have hope because sometimes I don't know what else I can do.

I'm sure there will still be times when life goes in a direction less than desirable, but I'd rather have hope for great things to come.

One look at the Media

2010-09-10T10:51:00.003-06:00

Here's one criticism on mass media (TV/Internet/Social Media) from one of Michael Crichton's characters Dr. Ian Malcom:

"This idea that the whole world is wired together is mass death. Every biologist knows that small groups in isolation evolve fastest. You put a thousand birds on an ocean island and they'll evolve very fast. You put ten thousand on a big continent, and their evolution slow down. Now, for our own species, evolution occurs mostly through our behavior. We innovate new behavior to adapt. And everybody on earth knows that innovation only occurs in small groups. Put three people on a committee and they may get something done. Ten people, and it gets harder. Thirty people, and nothing happens. Thirty million, it becomes impossible. That's the effect of mass media--it keeps anything from happening. Mass media swamps diversity. It makes every place the same. Bangkok or Tokyo or London: there's a McDonald's on one corner, a Benetton on another, a Gap across the street. Regional differences vanish. All differences vanish. In a mass-media world, there's less of everything except the top ten books, records, movies, ideas. People worry about losing species diversity in the rain forest. But what about intellectual diversity--our most necessary resource? That's disappearing faster than trees. But we haven't figured that out, so now we're planning to put five billion people together in cyberspace. And it'll freeze the entire species. Everything will stop dead in its tracks. Everyone will think the same thing at the same time. Global uniformity."

I find this observation very interesting. One person pointed out this week that the media is mostly to blame for the big uproar about the pastor who wants to burn copies of the Qur'an this weekend at his church. The person argued that if the media would not have given the story legs, the story would've have just gone away. Maybe he is right or maybe he his wrong. But it did prove how quickly we can be swayed in one direction or another by the mass media. Maybe the world is getting smaller thanks to the internet. And that is a great thing, but maybe we are losing some of the intellectual diversity because of it. I suppose everything has a price to pay, but is it really worth the price? What are your thoughts?

***Update: for an additional look into the issue read this NY Times article here.***

Playing with Pigs

2010-08-30T15:10:00.002-06:00

There are so many cliche sayings about what you're supposed to do when dealing with the public. My version of it is: "don't engage with the pigs and think you won't get dirty." It just isn't possible.

We see this happen all the time, especially in politics, a member in the audience will say something that gets the presenter fired up and then they engage in a debate. Even if the presenter is right, they will end up looking like a cruel, harsh, cold elitist and the instigator in the audience is the champion (even if he is wrong). The best thing the presenter can do is thank the person for coming and sharing their view and promise that he will evaluate those thoughts as he thinks more about the topic in the future.

Today I had my own small blunder with a person that follows me on Twitter. I usually keep my Twitter account strictly business. I send twitter messages about how my followers can find out more information on BYU, The University of Utah, and the Utah Jazz. And during high political seasons (elections, state legislative sessions) I'll speak my mind about those issues in 140 characters or less. (Shameless plug, you can follow me on twitter: @billyhesterman)

A certain person called me a spin-doctor for a tweet I sent about BYU (he said I was being to easy on BYU). I found this funny. For one, I'm a Utah fan. I'm a graduate of the University of Utah, and I'm a season ticket holder for Utah football for over 15 years. But I try very hard, when at work, to be fair to both BYU and Utah and not to look at things as a fan. I try to observe what each school does as a journalist and then disseminate that information to our listeners.

We engaged back and forth about my statement and I kept pointing out to him why what I had said was right and that he was mistaken. After a few messages back and forth I realized I was breaking the rule about playing with the pigs. I was coming off as a know it all and he could claim that "we the media, are just so biased."

I can't speak for all the media outlets in the market but I can say this for KFAN. We want all the teams to do well. It makes for better sports talk. It makes for more interesting conversations. It means more exciting events to cover. We don't cheer at work but we're always excited when our local teams do well. Next time, I'll try to remember to not jump in the mud with the pigs.

What I want from my elected officials

2010-07-22T19:16:00.004-06:00

Dear Elected Officials and Candidates for office,

As we are getting closer to the campaigning season again, I wanted to take a minute to let you know some of my concerns. I am a republican. I don't try to mask that by saying I'm a conservative, I'm not a libertarian or a member of the tea party. I don't always think about politics and most of the time you're right in thinking I don't exactly know what it is you do all day at your job. I hope I can offer you my view on some of the issues and thoughts that are important to me and that you'll see the kind of candidate I'm looking for. I realize my ideas don't resonate with everyone but that is why America is so great.

1. To our local Utah government leaders, thank you for running a state with a balanced budget. I realize we depend on many federal programs for this to be possible but I do appreciate that we try to be fiscally responsible with the hard earned money that taxpayers pay. To our Federal leaders, please find a way to balance the budget. I have been taught all my life not to go into debt and to pay back those I owe money to as soon as possible. I've always been told that is the best way to remain honest and that it just makes good business sense. I realize this might mean that the government might need to stop funding some of the projects we depend on in this country, but possibly there are some programs that need to go, or that the state's should carry the burden on. I understand that may change the way I enjoy my life, but at least I'll know my part of the national debt ($42,000ish) isn't going to get any bigger.

2. Let me worry about being a parent to my kids. I don't need laws that would fine a store for selling a video game that has a "Mature" rating to an underage child. It is my responsibility to handle what comes into my home not yours.

3. I don't own a gun. I probably never will. It's not that I fear them or think they are wrong for others to own, they just aren't something I'm interested in. I am fine with waiting periods and background checks, but let's do more to stop criminals from buying guns on the black market than wasting time doing background checks on a gun hobbyist.

4. I'm for good government. I would like to see the State and Federal Governments do an audit of all their programs. I'm a fan of small and local governments but I do understand the need for a national government. But let's do an audit and eliminate the programs that aren't effective anymore. Let's not just hang on to something because it's the way we've done things for the last 40 years.

5. Please don't be a career politician. I understand wanting to do public service and wanting to make a difference in your community. Plus I understand the pay and benefits aren't bad either, but we need your mind and your ambition back in the workforce. We don't need you always passing bills just so you can get re-elected. We need you working on legislation that is in the best interest of the future of our state and country. Even if it means you will be kicked out of office for doing it, I'd rather you do what's right instead of what protects your tail in an election. I'll then see you as a true hero.

6. Let's get back to passing legislation that will help all businesses succeed. Let's create an environment where we are creating jobs and strong markets. Let's put the power (a.k.a. money) back in the people's hands. Let us as a community worry about the social issues and agenda's, we'll figure it out better than the 535 of you back in D.C.

7. Let's finally do something about education. Not just talk about it, but let's look at all ideas and really make changes (Maybe Sen. Buttars was on to something when he said let's get rid of 12th grade? Let's at least talk about it). The system isn't broken now (I know, I'm married to a teacher), but it can use an major overhaul. I'm not a fan of charter schools or private school vouchers. I understand why we have them and see the good they do, but they only seem like a band-aid to the real problem out there. Don't we owe it to our kids and the kids after them and so forth to try to create a system that can create the next Einstein or Newton?

Finally, I want you to be sincere. I don't want you to say things that polls say you should say to me. I want to hear your ideas. I'll probably disagree with you, that's fine. Just put forward an argument that can show me that you can think. That is what I'm most looking for in a candidate. One that can think, one that will be honest and one that has an honest desire to do the right thing. That would be a refreshing candidate to see. Hopefully, someday, I'll get to meet you.

Sincerely,

Billy Hesterman

Oh the People You'll Meet

2010-07-13T09:54:00.002-06:00

From time to time I get asked certain questions when people find out about my job. The first is always, do you get free tickets to Jazz games and concerts? The second is usually a question about a co-worker and what it is like to work with them (Frankie and DB are quite funny and David Locke is actually a pretty nice guy, just so you know). The third then comes to, so have you met anyone famous? That's always a hard question to answer.

Fame is funny. Sometimes you meet someone early on in their career and they go on to become something big, or they fade away into the world and you never hear from them again. Other times you meet someone who at the time is pretty famous but in 2 or 3 years it is a name that no one has ever heard of. It's funny how fame slips so quickly from some but there are those who become legendary.

The other thing to remember is that fame is not a measure of a person's character. Some famous people are complete jerks, and there are many "non-famous" people who do quite amazing things to help and serve the community who should be famous. And, there are some famous people who are quite giving and nice. It just depends on each person you meet.

So in answer to the question, here's a list of a few famous people I've met/interviewed:

The Beach Boys - probably the most famous people I've ever met. Oddly enough the connection with them is family and not through my radio career
Rihanna - This super pop star had the burden of having me driver her to the radio station and during the drive I had to pull over, take my shirt off and then drive her the rest of the way to the station with me topless (Our morning show made me do it). Six months later she saw me again and called me the naked guy (this isn't one of my more proud moments)
Blink 182 - Nicest guys I've ever met in a concert Meet and Greet session. They wanted to actually sit and talk with us and when one of the people in the group asked for a floor seat, they looked at their manager and said, "get this kid a wristband so he can be on the floor."
Lifehouse - One day while sitting in a production studio my boss walked in a with a group of guys and said, "Billy, meet lifehouse. I'll be right back." He left to go grab some scripts for them to read for our station and I got the chance to meet these very down to earth nice guys.
Carmelo Anthony - This wasn't really a formal introduction, just a media availability during the playoffs. He was nice to the reporters and all I really could think while listening to his answers was, he makes a lot of money to play basketball.
Ludacris - Luda is a former radio DJ, needless to say he understands how to make a group of other radio DJ's feel cool. Somewhere I have a signed picture from him that says "To my dog Billy" on it.
Master P - a.k.a. Percy Miller. Master P was having his son "Lil-Romeo" play concerts at the Classic Skating rinks and was a breeze to work with.

So that's some of the list. Others that I remember meeting also include: Nick Lachey, The Game, Natasha Bedingfield, Governor Herbert, Congressman Matheson, Senator Bennett, various Jazz players, and BYU/Utah coaches and players.

Repost from 2 years ago: Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-03T06:20:00.001-06:00

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

We may be a few days off from what John Adams had in mind but I think we caught the spirit of the day. I told Melissa last night that I think this is my favorite holiday. Part of it is because I am somewhat patriotic and I love following the movement of our government. But I love this holiday because it's a day of celebration.

On the Fourth of July we gather as communities, families and neighbors and execute the ideas John Adams had for us. We do celebrate our Independence with parades, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations. We also get the great chance to be united. We gather together as a country expressing our gratitude to our maker for the freedoms we enjoy.

I'm grateful for the freedom of expression (it gives me a job), I'm grateful to worship as I choose, I'm grateful that those who choose can protect themselves if they so desire by buying a gun, I'm grateful that I'm guaranteed the right to due process. We have so many rights that other citizens of the world can only dream of.

To honor John Adams today I will see a show, I've helped broadcast a sports game, and tonight I will see our sky illuminated. Thank you John for paving the way for us to have a great party, but also for the hard work you gave to help give us the freedoms we enjoy today. On a side note, many believe the Declaration of Independence was signed on this day, July 4. The real story goes that the signatures we not actually on the document till August 2, 1776. I say lets have another celebration that day too!

Back to work...

2010-06-16T08:15:00.003-06:00

Last summer Melissa and I decided we wanted to plan a fun vacation. It was a fun exercise for us to think of the many different options that were out there for us. We first planned a trip to Niagara Falls, New York City, and Philadelphia, we then planned a trip to spend a week in Washington D.C., and also looked at many different cruises. We enjoyed the process of discovering the many activities we could do on each trip. It got us excited for all the amazing things out there in the world that someday we hope to see. Finally in the winter Melissa learned that she would be going to a conference in Orlando in the summer for work. This seemed like a no brainer. I love Orlando and there's so much to do in Central Florida, why not head that way? The trip was finally planned.

Well the trip turned out to be great. From the moment we arrived to the moment we returned back at the Orlando airport life was great. We did spend quite a bit of time at the Disney Parks (Melissa was nice and handled my love for Disney well) but also spent time at SeaWorld and enjoyed some time back at our Condo.

***side note here*** We also celebrated our two year wedding anniversary while in Florida. I'm so lucky to be married to such an amazing woman like Melissa. I look up to her and learn so much from her everyday. I never knew life could be so amazing, but she makes it that way each and every day. I'm still falling in love with her. Thank you for being so great Melissa! ***end side note***

And now it is back to work time. I feel great, refreshed and optimistic about the future. I'm sure we'll have some bumps in the road along our next stretch here, but I'm excited about the many things that await us in the coming weeks/months/years.

Here's a few quick one-liners about our trip:

The Summer Heat and humidity wasn't bad, but you did feel like you needed to shower 3 times a day
Melissa volunteered me to dance the "I'm a little Tea Pot" dance in front of a crowd at SeaWorld
Disney could install some misters/air conditioners in their line waiting areas at the Wild Animal Park
Space Mountain, The Aerosmith Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, Expedition Everest, and the Hollywood Hotel Tower of Terror are all great rides, but they remind me that I'm not young anymore and that now I feel a little sick after I ride those rides.
Melissa and I gained a new love for rays at Seaworld
If you want a photo adventure of the trip click here.

Silent Treatment

2010-05-25T07:46:00.005-06:00

I've been getting the silent treatment the last little bit from my wife. She's not mad at me, she just can't speak. About a week ago Melissa went to the doctor's office to see him about a pain in her side. He gave her some medicine and it has had quite the side effect on her. Starting about last Friday Melissa started to complain that her tongue hurt and that it hurt to eat. She still could speak clearly but you could tell she was in pain. As the weekend moved on the pain in her mouth got worse and worse and now has gotten to the point where she can't speak without the pain taking over her mouth. So needless to say, it's gotten a little quiet around our house.

I love talking with Melissa. It's one of the things the endeared me to her when we were dating. We could just go to dinner and sit and talk for hours about anything. We would talk about our jobs and our families. We would debate with one another about a topic in politics or maybe a teaching philosophy, sometimes just taking the other side of the argument for fun, not because we really believed it, but I love talking with her.

Needless to say, I'd like this issue with her mouth to go away. It's funny how you take for granted the gift of the voice. There's so much more to human communication, but so many times you just listen to the voice. This little challenge of ours has forced me to look for other ways that Melissa can communicate to me. You forget how much eyes can communicate someone's feelings and that playing charades can be fun, but a little hard when your wife is trying to tell you about her feelings/thoughts on the day.

Well, here's hoping that she will get better soon. I'd like to have a nice voice using chat with my wife in the near future. =)

Live from the Salt Palace

2010-05-10T06:58:00.003-06:00

On Saturday I got the opportunity to attend the Republican State Convention at the Salt Palace. I was asked to come do podcast reports from the convention for the party website, Convention2010.com.

It was a great learning experience to hear from the many different delegates and candidates. I enjoyed hearing their views on the direction of our state and country.

There certainly was your extreme/crazy/just different people at the convention, but mostly the attendees were your everyday people who were taking a few hours out of their Saturday to try and help mold the future leaders of our government.

I put together a 4 part series from the convention on the attendees. The first was on the delegates, the second on the volunteers, the third on the candidates, and finally what it was like to be a candidate's spouse during a campaign. Listen to the reports below.

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Tulip Festival

2010-04-23T14:53:00.006-06:00

Last Monday, amongst all the craziness that is going on in our lives right now, Melissa and I took a few hours to check out the Tulip Festival out at Thanksgiving Point. Here's some of the photos from the day. More exciting news on the way from us in the coming days/weeks. Stay tuned.

Joy in the Journey

2010-03-28T15:22:00.003-06:00

Often times people that are talking to Melissa and I mention that they are so sorry for us and are frustrated for the situation we have found ourselves in. We always appreciate the concern that so many loving people have for us, but at the same time, we want everyone to know that we are happy. We are enjoying life and are finding joy in the journey.

I should probably rewind to explain our situation. When we got married, almost two years ago, I had one semester left of school. The plan was for us to move into Melissa's Aunt and Uncle's basement for my final semester of school, then once I graduated, I would get a job and we would find a new place to live and move forward with life. Well the graduating from school part happened but the rest of the plans have never materialized.

I should say that I do have a job that I am very grateful for and enjoy. It's only a part-time job but I work with good people and I'm grateful during these economic times to have even just a part-time job. We're still living in the basement apartment, but we love it there. We love our ward and we are most appreciative of Melissa's Aunt and Uncle for letting us stay there (we do pay rent but we get the better end of the deal).

I heard a story today that reminded me of our situation and how we feel about life right now. It is a story about a farmer and his old mule.

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying'--or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.
After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.
Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him.
It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself.
No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!
You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!
What seemed like would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US!

I feel a little bit like the old mule. With every job we get passed over for we just need to shake it off and step up. Eventually it way turn out the way things are supposed to.

We are both grateful for the many ways Heavenly Father has blessed us in the last two years. Things may not have gone the way we planned but things aren't bad at all. In fact, life is great! We have been blessed to have the money we have needed to pay the bills we have had. We have been blessed to live with great people and in a great ward. We also have many great plans in our future that are in our control and I'm excited for our future.

Yes, I'd like a full-time job and if you know anyone in need of a person that has over six years on-air radio experience, two years experience as a sports reporter, has had multiple articles published in the Salt Lake Tribune, served as a communications assistant for a U.S. congressional campaign and for the State of Utah Senate, and just all around good guy, then please let me know. I'd like to get to work...but until then, we're shaking it off and keep stepping up to the next step.

Final Capitol Beat: March 13

2010-03-13T06:27:00.003-07:00

Well the 45-day sprint has come to an end. Thursday wasn't as crazy as many may have guessed but it was a fast-paced day. At the end of the session, the Senate President thanked me in his closing remarks to the Senate body. He thanked me for my work and he even acknowledged the Hesterman Report, my sort of bi-weekly podcasts that are posted on the Senate Site, and said, "it has been fun to watch you do your work." I was honored and felt undeserving of such recognition, I'm grateful for the President and his wife. They both made me feel welcome and were so kind to me throughout the entire session.

If there is anything I have taken away from this experience, it is that you really do have a voice if you choose to use it. When I tell people that I am involved with politics, I often hear a groan and a response of how the government is broken and none of us can do anything about it. This response always makes me sad. I understand that to some the process can be boring or frustrating, but you can do something about it. There may be times when you get involved and you lose, but there will also be times you win. The important part is that you make your voice heard.

There is one group, that is consisted of all volunteers, that is up on Capitol Hill everyday. They have a corner in the lunch room that you know is their spot and that you shouldn't sit there. This group is a very conservative (almost to the point of a little crazy to me), but they go to every committee meeting. They take the time to meet with lawmakers and share their views. And they get things done. One time we thought a bill was set to pass on Friday, but we came back on Monday and this group had killed the bill. They saw something on it they didn't like and then called their lawmakers and succeeded in their goal.

Some may say it is unfair that this group has such power, I disagree. I think it's great. I wish there were more groups like this group. I wish there were more people up on the hill that are letting the people's voice be heard. It's true that we elect representatives to represent us, but they don't know what we want to have happen if we never speak to them. The power can be in your hands if you're willing to engage and get involved.

Finally, I need to thank my wonderful wife for putting up with me for the last two months. The days have been long and our time together has been very limited. I'm so lucky to be married to such a supportive, talented, and beautiful woman. She's always ready to go on the crazy adventures I want to take us on and has a never ending supply of patience and love. I'm so lucky!

Here's a list of some good reading and viewing:

Final Recap of the Session
Life before the 17th Amendment, maybe not a bad idea?
Another reminder that the legislature was trying to pass ethics policy bills
President W. Plays catch with Cy Young winner Vern Law
Some Photos of me and the stuff that I did

Capitol Beat - I'm just a bill edition

2010-02-28T09:22:00.004-07:00

The past week on Capitol Hill has gone by fast. I had a day off from the hectic work on Thursday to travel to St. George for a job interview, but the whole time I was wishing I was back on the hill. During the week the Senate passed out Ethics legislation that will create in independent ethics commission that will investigate suspicious acts by legislators, the leader of the ethics reform explained it all to me here. The Senate also celebrated the retirement reform that the house passed on Friday. The Senator that sponsored the legislation couldn't have been more excited about the bills on Friday afternoon and they should probably be on the governor's desk sometime next week waiting for his signature. Another Senator is sponsoring legislation that will make it easier for you to remove your name from a petition for initiatives and referendums. He explains more here. The Senate also celebrated the governor signing SB11. This bill says that guns and ammunition manufactured in Utah is not subject to federal regulations. The supporters of the bill aren't saying this is a gun bill, but rather a state's rights bill. This is about saying to the Federal Government that we can take care of ourselves better than you can. It will be interesting to see what happens next with this law. I also got a chance to meet the governor as you can see from the picture above. And here's a reminder that I'm just a bill sitting on Capitol Hill. If you look closely in the line bills waiting to be signed by the president, you'll find Billy! Enjoy!

An Unexpected Visit

2010-02-20T10:15:00.004-07:00

The march continued this week on Capitol Hill. More talk on the the state worker's retirement system, the latest numbers on the budget, and more on federalism all took place this past week. The week though was finished off on a high note with a visit from Dad. After morning floor time we have an informal media session with the local media and Senate leaders. My duty for this is to make sure the webstream for the session is working. During the session, my phone rang and I saw it was my dad. This isn't unusual. Dad calls often to chat and find out how I am doing, but this just wasn't the perfect moment to talk on my phone, so I let the call go to voice mail. He then called again. Again, I couldn't answer. He called a third time. My mind started to worry that something could be wrong and he needed to get a hold of me, so it finally crossed my mind to send him a text message. Sure enough, he was out int he parking lot and wanted to take me to lunch. Well, I needed to finish my job, so I invited him up for the grand tour of the Senate offices. We got a chance to take a picture with Utah's Senate President, President Waddoups and his wife are two of the kindest people that I get to interact with on the hill. They make the job that I already enjoy that much more enjoyable. After our quick photo session, I gave Dad the tour and we enjoyed a nice lunch. It was nice to have an unexpected visitor. Here's some links to other stuff that went on this week.

Here's a report on the budget
The Senate had a great debate on State Sovereignty (Hear/Watch it here)
The Fight for Federalism Continues

Capitol Beat: Feb. 13

2010-02-13T09:03:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day all! I love this holiday. I think it is fun. What a great day to remember to tell everyone around you that you love and appreciate them. Even if you cynically call this holiday "Single Awareness Day," take a moment to let your family and friends know how much you care for them. ***Side note: Two of my best Valentine Boxes I made it elementary school, 1. A heart shaped basketball court where the hole cut in the box was where you made a basket, it was dedicated to the U of U Basketball team 2. The Olympic themed Valentine's box. It was a box with the Olympic rings on it that you would slide your valentine into and with it was an Olympic torch, a mail tube wrapped in tinfoil with a hand drawn flame taped to the top of the tube. Totally awesome Valentine's boxers. End of Side Note***

The week at the Capitol has been another busy but fun week. We have seen extensive celebrations of the Boy Scouts turning 100 this week, heard reports from Congressman Chaffetz and Congressman Matheson, honored Real Salt Lake for winning the MLS Cup, and heard the amazing Tabernacle Choir soloist, Alex Boye, perform. The Senators are continuing to work on this year's and next year's budget (should know more on Tuesday). They also are looking to reform the state retirement system (despite a heated debate from the public), and Federalism is in fashion this session, so there have been many bills on getting the Feds out of our hair.

We survived our first snow storm of the session, only two inches or so. And my effort to only take the stairs at the Capitol and never use the elevator, continues to make me winded when I reach the top. There are only 18 more working days left in the session. It should be a fun sprint to the finish. Here are some links for this week:

Changing the way the Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice is Appointed
A little Video on The Drug Offenders Reform Act (Great Program)
The Senate honors #1's around the state
No more Cybersquatting

Capitol Beat: Feb. 6

2010-02-06T06:29:00.002-07:00

Another week up on the hill has flown by. As I look back at the week it all feels like a blur. A lot of the issues that were first talked about during week one were debated and voted on during week two. Bills passed that pit Utah against wolves in the western U.S., made it possible for gun regulations to be a states right not a federal right, and Congressman Bishop, Sen. Bennett and The Rev. France Davis all gave interesting talks to the Senate members. Here are some random bullet points on all the action this week:

Congressman Bishop spoke to the Senate about federalism this week. He proclaimed that the only way Washington can fix all the problems that we see in government is to give the power back to the states. I agree with this thought, but do we have to be careful? Utah does benefit from federal money to help build roads, fund schools, etc. I'm all for local governments keeping power but we do have to remember that the Federal government does help...sometimes.
One senator introduced a bill that would make it so guns and ammunition manufactured in Utah would not be subject to federal gun regulations. The senator who introduced the bill proclaimed this wasn't really about gun rights, but about giving power back to the states and getting the federal government out of our lives. One interesting lesson was learned in prepping for this bill, one of the constitutional experts on the hill stated to us that it is the job of the legislature to test the boundaries of the law. It was a reminder that we the people should question and test laws to make sure they are in the best interest of our citizens. And if we find there needs to be change, we should fight for that change.
The tunnels at Capitol Hill aren't all that exciting. There are underground walkways that can get you from the Capitol Building to the East and West buildings. When you first hear about this, you think it may be cool, but really it just takes the joy out of walking outside and enjoying the beautiful view you get of the valley from the Hill.
Who knew a Roaming Gnome could make my day? Fridays are always a fun day, because the weekend is just a few hours away, but the Roaming Gnome visited the Capitol yesterday. The Gnome belongs to travel company Travelocity. Travelocity held an online contest this week about where the Gnome should go skiing this week, Utah or Lake Tahoe. Utah won the online vote by 64 votes and the Gnome came to the Capitol to celebrate our victory. He was a two foot tall statue but it made for a random fun morning.

So those are some random things from this week. Four weeks and some change to go! I did have a job interview for a job that would send us to St. George. It sounds interesting, but it's very early in the process. We'll keep you posted if anything exciting happens. Below are some links to more senate stuff if you need something to read. Have a great week!

Congressman Bishop speaks to the Senate
Wonder what the first week was like for interns/staffers & new Senators?
The Rev. France Davis reminds us to keep MLK's dream alive (great speech)
Insight from the Majority Leader on the process of passing a law
The Roaming Gnome is in the Upper House

Capitol Beat: Jan 30

2010-01-30T07:25:00.002-07:00

The first week of the 2010 legislative session has finally come to an end. I don't want to say the week has reminded me of my mission, it has been nothing like my mission, but the days on my mission felt long but the weeks flew by fast; that's how this week felt. The days have been long but the week went by fast.

On Monday the session began with a special presentation. The Taylorsville High School Madrigals performed a few musical numbers and Elder Neal L. Anderson give the opening prayer for the day. Then the Senate President gave his opening remarks where he encouraged the members of the Senate to work together and to remember to serve the voters.

The rest of the week has been a mix of times of hurry up and wait, and times where I wished I had another hour or two to research and write on a certain topic I was asked to write about. I enjoy the press conferences. I feel at home in these meetings. I have been going to conferences for quite a while now with my various jobs so I feel comfortable in this setting. Times when I'm one on one with the Senators and trying to give them advice on press matters or trying to learn from them about the bills they are sponsoring can be a bit daunting but I'm enjoying the work.

The thing that has stood out to me the most, so far, is the senators are exactly how they appear in the news and then at the same time are nothing like how they are on the news. One senator, who we all know here in Utah, made a suggestion that getting rid of the 12th grade in public schools would save Utah somewhere around $260 million. He said it and he thinks it is a good idea, and is being criticized by everyone for saying it. What is being missed from the story though is the context of the whole situation. The statement was made at a summit on government spending reform. At this summit everyone was encouraged to look at the state budget and look for creative, outside the box ideas that would save Utah money. Utah has a budget shortfall of $700 million dollars. To balance Utah's budget, cuts and creative ideas are the only way to make the budget work.

This senator was using the idea of cutting 12th grade as a way to show those in the audience at the summit the kinds of ideas that will be needed to really change Utah's budget for the future and not just put a band-aid on it. Now like I said, he did say he thinks it is a good idea, and he should be held accountable for that. But, I think he should be applauded for trying to actually bring change and reform to the government instead of just swaying to the latest public opinion polls.

Finally, it's been a good week. I have learned a lot and have enjoyed every minute of the work. I enjoy my co-workers. They are unique and talented. I have plenty I can learn from them. The only downside to this current experience of working two jobs at once, is the time I'm missing out on being with Melissa. But like all things, this too shall pass. Have a great week! Below are some links on what happened this week in the state senate.

A look at SJR3 - Ethics
Harvesting Rain Water
Keeping Wolves out of Utah?

Capitol Beat: Jan. 21

2010-01-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

All the storms have finally cleaned the air up and we have some of the best views of the valley and the mountains this week. Here's some of the pictures I took from up here.

Capitol Beat: Jan 15

2010-01-16T07:58:00.002-07:00

Friday was a tough day for the staffers at the senate offices. The morning began with news quietly being released that one of the senators had been arrested on suspicions of driving under the influence of alcohol. I don't know the senator, I met him once and he seems like a good man to me, I was impressed with how those who did know him reacted.

It's so easy in the skeptical/cynical times in which we live for people to immediately pass judgment and to feel betrayed by those who they trusted. But the people I worked with yesterday were neither of those things. They were saddened for his family and wanted to know how they could help. They didn't judge him, they didn't try to find out every detail and sensationalize the situation. The only direction that was given yesterday was that we should pray for him and his family.

That impressed me. While many others would be quick to say he needs to lose his job, or would spend their time trying to craft an argument of what type of hypocrite this person could be, we were just asked to pray. It was a sobering reminder to me that we are talking about a person and his family. Not a TV show. Not a fictional character in a book that we may not like, but a person. Someone who made a mistake.

The mass public often loves a scandal and drama. They want accountability and justice. They want a juicy story. I don't blame them. I like a good story. I like justice and enforcement of rules and laws. I like seeing those that I'm in opposition with lose. But maybe this is wrong. Maybe sometimes we need to make a paradigm shift and not seek out the tantalizing details but wonder what would this be like if I were in their shoes? How is their family? How will this affect their ability to provide? Will their neighbors still be nice to them?

I'm not saying the story shouldn't have been reported, it should have. Accountability is important and the proper actions should and will be taken on this man. I just hope that we as a people can be more like those that I work with and follow their example to just pray. We should pray for him and his family and learn the lesson that any of us can make a mistake.

Capitol Beat: Jan 12

2010-01-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Poking your head in and out of different appropriation committee meetings this morning, you could feel the headache that is about to hit the Utah legislature called the state budget. Many of the lawmakers spent the morning scratching their heads as they endeavored to find ways to balance the budgets for the state. One lawmaker expressed his sympathy for those whose budgets are being cut by simply stating with a frown, “I can only spend the money I got.”

That summed up the general feeling of the morning as the committees discussed all avenues to cut the current budgets and planned how to budget for the years to come. “All items are on the table,” was mentioned in one committee, while others were going through their budgets meticulously finding ways to keep as many state programs afloat as possible.

On a lighter note, there was a celebration today in the senate as the senators gathered for their seventh extraordinary session of the fifty eighth legislature. The senate convened to consider two new judicial appointments and to swear in Utah’s newest senator. Judge Keith A. Kelly was confirmed by the senate to serve in the Third District Court, and Thomas L. Low was confirmed to the Fourth District. Both were given the opportunity to address the Senate and expressed gratefulness for their families and vowed to serve to the best of their abilities.

The Senate welcomed Ben M. McAdams to their ranks today. Sen. McAdams, D-Salt Lake City, will fill the vacant seat left by Sen. McCoy in the 2^nd district. McAdams quickly addressed the Senate recognizing and thanking his family for their support and stated he’s “looking forward to working with all of you [the Senate] in this capacity.”

Me and the Beatles

2010-01-04T14:13:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago we were watching NBC's sing off show and one group did a montage of Beatles songs. I mentioned that I don't really like the Beatles and was reminded of the last time I uttered those words out loud.

Our family gave the usual reaction of "what is wrong with you?" (A standard response when I give my opinion) And then (like always) they started naming songs that surely I must enjoy. After they exhaust the list of Beatles songs they love, they then just pass me off as a ninny who wouldn't know good music if it hit me in the ears. It's probably a fair assessment, I don't claim to be a music genius or anything, I just know what I like to hear and I never have heard a Beatles song that I just loved. It's not that I hate any of their songs or don't think they were amazing musicians, I just haven't heard a song of theirs that made me go, "wow, that song speaks to me."

I love listening to music. I was a radio DJ at a top-40 radio station for 4 years and loved every minute of it. I loved hearing new music (even if it was "pop" music) and I loved seeing live performances. If I learned anything about the songs that we played it was people loved to hear songs that resonated with them.

They liked hearing songs about relationships, going out and having a good time, getting revenge (women seem to love the girls get revenge on their past man songs), inspirational songs, and the ever popular (in the more hip-hop category) ego boasting songs. People want to hear something that they can go, "Yes I feel that way!" or "Wow that song was fun to listen to!"

Getting back to the point that is why I'm not a big Beatles fan. I haven't heard a Beatles song that made me think those phrases. I don't listen to them and think it was terrible but I haven't had one that made me say, "You're right guys! I know what you're singing about!" Most of the time, I'm just confused by them.

The most fun thing about music is we all like different music and the even more fun part about music is our guilty pleasure music. No one should be ashamed that they know the lyrics to an LFO song, although they probably shouldn't admit it. But if a song speaks to you and it makes you feel better about a situation or inspires you to work harder at a goal or dream, then crank it up and sing as loud as you can as you fly down the road (yes, I've been busted singing to the radio when stopped at red lights, the cars next to me always get a good show). From rap to rock, to country to Broadway show tunes, from Elvis to Eminem, if you like it, turn it up! But if you're close to my car maybe turn it down if you are playing the Beatles.

Random thoughts while listening to an Aggie game...

2009-12-16T21:26:00.003-07:00

Tonight I am running the board for a Utah State Aggie game. The Aggies are up by 20 or so, needless to say the game isn't very exciting anymore. So how about some random notes and thoughts from life...

I'm excited that it is Christmas time. I'm not one that wants Christmas year round, but I do enjoy this wonderful time of year. I love the decorations (I love putting my train around the tree), I like the music (although FM100 and 106.5 could expand their libraries), I like the lights (we have a neighbor who does lights to music, it's way cool!), and of course I love this special time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior and remember what he has done for us.
I will probably always go by Billy. I was talking with someone today who was having a hard time wrapping their head around the idea of calling me Billy, I promise, once you get to know me, you'll know that I'm a Billy.
Melissa and I celebrated out 2 year anniversary of when we got engaged earlier this month. Time has flown by so fast. I can't believe it's been two years. I love you Melissa! Thanks for putting up with me for so long!
I'm still searching for some full-time employment. I've had a few interviews lately but haven't had success quite yet, but we keep hoping and praying, something will come soon!
Melissa and I traveled down to Provo, UT for the BYU/Utah football game last month. It was a boring game with a great finish. I'm sad the Utes lost but I'll take a 9-3 season coming of a 13-0 year. While at the game we decided that the fans take themselves and the rivalry way to serious. I don't feel the need to give a BYU fan a hug and say good game, but I wouldn't do anything to disrespect them or say I hate them. My life doesn't really revolve that much around football.
We now have two very cool and very crazy nephews. My oldest sis gave birth to her 2nd son in October and he is so special. He is the only baby I've ever met that whenever you hold him he snuggles in and falls asleep. Our oldest nephew continues to wow us with his imagination and energy. The world is his playground and we're just living in it, but it's a pretty cool place to be.
I'm okay with winter so far. I'm not a snow person. But the little bit that we have had has been okay with me. Just give us a break and don't snow much around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and I'll be happy with you snow

Well that's all for now. I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas! I feel very blessed right now. Life isn't quite how I thought it may be (not having a full-time job etc.), but we have been blessed so much! I'm grateful for my supportive wife, her faith and patience never seem to run out. And I'm grateful for my amazing family and my amazing in-law family. You all teach me so much!

What a wonderful time of the year! I hope all of you are doing well and embracing the many great things that are going on in your life! Again, Merry Christmas!

Is Utah cheap?

2009-10-28T13:38:00.002-06:00

I had an interesting experience last week. My boss sent me to the now empty KJZZ-TV studios to get some sound from the current Utah Jazz basketball players. I would record the players saying: "Hi this is player so and so and you're listening to the Jazz basketball on 1320 KFAN," I know very exciting. Seriously though, it was a fun afternoon. While waiting for each player to arrive, I hung out in an old studio room with a photographer from the Deseret News and we got into an interesting conversation about living in different cities.

I had mentioned to the photographer that I was looking for a full-time job and that I had been looking at jobs outside of Utah (note: I am mostly looking for ones in Utah, but I'm open to warmer climates if possible). I asked him about raising a family outside of Utah and what cities he had liked living in the most. He was well traveled. He was a photographer for a sports magazine with a circulation of over one million but had left his position at that magazine to work for the D-News to be closer to family. I found he had an interesting perspective.

He mentioned that you can't beat being close to family. You'll make friends in the other cities you live in and you'll be happy, but you never can beat being with your family. He also mentioned he loved the mountains. His last city was flat and he couldn't drive anywhere close to get away from it all. He loves to fish and loved it mostly here in Utah. He then made a few mentions though that got me thinking about our fair state. He said one downside to Utah though is Utah is cheap. Not the cost of living, the people.

Being a photographer he also does side jobs to supplement his income. He does family portraits, weddings, and pretty much anything else that people want a picture of. He said the problem is that he can only charge half of what he could charge in other states because Utah is cheap. He said he felt that people in our state feel that they should always get a deal or a discount, and that we aren't willing to spend money. He wasn't implying that this was a negative trait of the state but that it was just the truth. We like to hang on to our money here. Which is probably true.

I suppose we can credit this fruggleness mostly to the dominant religion of the state. The church teaches us to live within our means and to stay out of debt. I believe in this teaching. Not owing others money is a great feeling. But do we maybe ask too much of others just to save a buck or two? Do we expect to much from other to always give us a deal? Shouldn't we go to a friend's business and pay full price to show them that we are wanting to support them, not just to get a perk?

I'm not sure I know what the right answer is. In a capitalist society it probably is a good principle that if you can get a deal to take it, but maybe there has to be a human element involved as well. Sometimes maybe we need to look outward and feel okay about rewarding someone for the time and education they put in to acquire the skill we are benefiting from, and pay them full price.

Let the games begin...

2009-09-01T08:05:00.003-06:00

My dad took me to my very first football game when I was 10 years old. It was a Utah vs. BYU game at the old Rice Stadium. We were late to the game, we had to go tune an organ in someone's house first, then we headed up to the stadium. There had been a snow storm a few days before the game and the stands hadn't been shoveled out. I remember my toes were the coldest part of my body at the game because my feet were sitting in snow the whole time. The only other thing I remember from the game is that the Ute fans got a little out of control with snowballs. The ref at one point in time stopped the game and told everyone to stop throwing snowballs. Unfortunately Utah lost that game but that started a great set of memories I have of attending Utah football games in the fall.

When Ron McBride was the head coach of Utes there was a section called "Mac Kids." The seats for the Mac Kids weren't really seats at all. In the North end zone of the stadium there was an asphalted area just below the seats that kids could bring a blanked to and sit on the asphalt and have a nice front row seat of the game. It was great! I can't remember how many players we got to high-five after they scored a touchdown, or how many times we got to catch the balls from a field goal attempt.

When the games got a little boring for us we would leave our precious front lawn seats and head out behind the Southern part of the stands where there was a large grassy area. We then became the football players and had much more exciting games (We thought at least). We got to know a lot of other kids and kept the dominos pizza guy in business as we could all eat our own $5 pizza.

Time kept moving forward and news that Utah received the 2002 Olympic bid and that meant the end of Rice Stadium as we knew it. We weren't sad to see it go. We enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of the stadium, but it was in need of updates and cleaner bathrooms. Utah beat Rice in the final game in the stadium and after the game we got a chance to run on the field one last time and remember our great memories in the stadium. After our runs up and down the turf we returned back to our bench and decided we should take a piece of it home with us. Now somewhere at my parents house there's a rotting piece of wood that held up my friends and I's rumps for quite a few years at the old stadium.

Well Rice Eccles Stadium was built and is as beautiful as a big steal structure can get. We do miss the grass in Southern end, it means no more mid-game football games, but the bathrooms are a lot cleaner. My memories in this new stadium include many fun nights with the boys, some really fun dates, and well some nights that I'd rather no remember. One funny memory is the 2004 Utah vs. BYU game. I had broken my ankle two weeks before and had a plaster cast on my leg from my knee to my toes. The forecast was for 30 something degrees and I tried to buy the biggest socks I could to cover my toes during the game. My tickets were in the MUSS which meant I got to stand on that broken ankle all game. Luckily the Utes won the game and my toes did not freeze completely off in the game.

This Thursday the U kicks off another season of Football. I'm ready for it. I think we're finally prepped for any situation. We have hand warmers for the cold nights, and hats and t-shirts for the hot sunny days. We keep hoping we can plan a fun tailgate party for family and friends this year, we'll see if my work schedule works out such that we can make that happen. Needless to say we're ready for another fall of football fun. Go Utes!

Summer Adventures

2009-07-28T11:10:00.002-06:00

Our summer is officially in full swing! Melissa has been teaching a Summer geometry class for the last six weeks, I know I think people that would take a summer geometry class are crazy too, and the class has finally come to an end, I get my best friend back! Yay!!!!

But despite her teaching the class, we have had some fun adventures so far this summer. We began our Summer celebrating our one year anniversary in the beautiful mountains up in Park City. The place we stayed was less than desirable, our bed could have played a double of a granite counter in any T.V. show (even with the foam pad that the hotel placed over the mattress), but we had a wonderful time up in the mountains. We played at one of my favorite golf courses, Wasatch Golf Course, and enjoyed a good lunch at the Dairy Keen (I know, big spender on the anniversary). It was a great day!

Other adventures we have had this summer is celebrating the 4th of July. In the morning we almost slept through our ward breakfast, which we were supposed to bring the sausage to, and had a barbecue here at our home. I'm a little apprehensive about my BBQ skills, but I haven't killed anyone yet so there's at least that going for me. We then went to Sugar House park to watch what may be the last year of Fireworks at Sugar House. We walked a long walk that night to get to and from the park but the show was pretty cool!

Remember what fun is? Yep it's Lagoon! Lagoon made it's way into our summer adventures this year too! We planned for days all the rides we would ride and anticipated staying the whole day. We got there right around 11 and started with the best ride there, the white roller coaster. I've heard many say it's the scariest of the coasters because it's so old, but I love it! Melissa then introduced me to some of the other rides that Lagoon has (I haven't been to Lagoon in 13 years). After 4 hours of getting soaking wet, spinning around, and hanging upside down...we had our fill. Yes it may sound sad but we after planning on being at Lagoon all day, we left around 3:30. I remember going to Lagoon and running off the Colossus and getting right back in line to ride it again. This time around, we rode it once and I needed to sit down for a few minutes to feel like I could walk again. We had a lot of fun, but it was a subtle reminder that I am a little less of a kid than I used to be, but still a pretty big kid.

Melissa and I both have been trying to work out and keep in shape this summer so we decided that we have a new favorite kind of work out...swimming! The days have been really hot but thank goodness for my grandma's pool. We have had different races and tried to do some playing and Melissa has conquered me in our treading water contests. I must admit it kicks my butt to do these swimming outings but I enjoy the workout and time with Melissa!

So those are our adventures so far. It's been a fun summer. Also throughout the summer we've continued looking for a job for me. We've had some success and a few interviews but nothing has been offered yet. We're doing great and are hopeful for more excitement adventures to come.

The Writings on the Wall

2009-07-15T18:29:00.005-06:00

A recent controversy has taken over our work at 1320 KFAN. The situation is dealing with Carlos Boozer and our very own David Locke. The controversy starts with the polarizing Carlos Boozer. Boozer recently opted-in on his contract with the Utah Jazz, which means Boozer is under contract to play for the Jazz for one more season. The rest of the story is best described by Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune:

"...accounts surfaced Saturday of a conversation last week between Carlos Boozer and chief executive Greg Miller that could pave the way for Boozer to be traded.
According to sources, Boozer was told by Miller that the franchise was going in a different direction, with Boozer saying he could respect the decision but hoped the Jazz would accommodate him with a trade, a request Miller agreed the team would try to honor."

David Locke on Monday reported that he had sources that claim that the above conversation never took place between Carlos Boozer and Greg Miller. That claim is now what has caused some questions in the sports world this week. Let me put this disclaimer out, I respect David Locke and Ross Siler very much. I enjoy the coverage that both do on the Utah Jazz and I think we should feel lucky that we have two very talented journalists covering the Jazz. Somewhere here though something has gone wrong. To me the writings on wall are pretty obvious of what is going.

The following has no reliability, I have not checked out my theory with anyone close to the situation. I am merely just saying what I see as the writing on the wall as to what is taking place between Carlos Boozer and the Utah Jazz.

Carlos Boozer had the option to opt-out of his current contract in June. Boozer and his agent had talks with interested team and found that he could make more money by opting-in to his current contract. So Boozer decided to opt-in and take the money. That's a no brainer. It seems that the next goal was to ask the Jazz for an extension on his current deal. My assumption would be that the Jazz said we have you under contract right now and would love to discuss a new contract at the end of next season. From what it seems, that may be where things fell apart for the Jazz and Carlos Boozer (again, assuming that this is what really happened). Boozer spoke to ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Tuesday and made one comment that stood out to me.

"I'd definitely be open to signing an extension and being locked into a team. Obviously, one that wanted me to be there in the future, and two, one that I thought we had a chance to succeed. That'd be something that me and my agent would explore right away."

To me that quote can be taken that Boozer is looking for a long term deal and the Jazz aren't buying so he's going to shop himself out to other teams. By saying "...one that wanted me to be there," Boozer is trying to make himself the victim and make you think that the Jazz don't want him anymore. When the real truth might be they said let's see how you do this year and we'll go from there.

What happened between the Jazz and Carlos will probably only be known between the Jazz and Carlos. I can say I know David Locke has a very reliable source, and when David reports that Miller never talked with Boozer about not being the in the Jazz's long term plans, I believe David.

Like I've said before. It sounds like Boozer and his agent trying to force the Jazz's hand in a cheap P.R. game in the media and he will win this battle. Boozer said in December he wants to get a raise and now he's doing whatever he can to get it. Watch for Boozer to get traded and sign a long-term deal and get his raise.

Another Sports Blog

2009-07-08T21:24:00.002-06:00

On January 2nd my wife and I drove home in a small snow storm after watching this year's Allstate Sugar Bowl at a friend's house. Despite the snow storm that made for an interesting ride home we were in a great mood. We had just watched the University of Utah have an once in a lifetime game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Utes won the game 31-17 and all I could do was smile with joy that my team had won the Sugar Bowl! It doesn't get any better than that in college football. The Sugar Bowl is right up there with the Rose Bowl as one of the Granddaddy bowl games and my team had just won. Why not celebrate till kickoff in September? Unfortunately I have been robbed of my celebration.

Since the moment the clock read 0:00, University of Utah fans have been clamoring about the Utes and that they were robbed of the chance to play for a national championship. I am not one of those fans. College football is a funny world. People vote on teams to rank them without ever actually seeing them play, then teams can play schedules that are easy and get rewarded or play a schedule that is challenging and be penalized. It's a world of the haves and have nots and fairness is all in the eyes of the beholder. With that said the Utes should be elated that they were the Sugar Bowl Champs of 2009. No one can take that away from them. They won the game and proved themselves on the field. That's reason enough for me to celebrate! What's wrong with everyone else?

Yesterday Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah), held a hearing to fight for the injustice that is the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Sen. Hatch was the only senator who attended the hearing. Yes, it got some news coverage and yes it continues the discussion, but in a world of a hurting economy, multpile wars, and a President trying to pass a scary healthcare plan, please Sen. Hatch get back to working for the country and not worrying about the BCS. I also blame the University for being so irresponsible to waste the government's time and money to endorse such a hearing. Again we have the above problems. Lets fix those first, then we can worry about football. I appreciate the work Sen. Hatch does, but please...this is a pandering stunt to voters.

What it all really gets down to is the one flaw I find with my fellow Ute fans. BYU has a national championship, Utah doesn't. I find there are about 25,000 actual University of Utah fans and about 20,000 BYU-haters that come to Utah football games. I like the first group, I can't stand the second one. I believe it is this second group that is making all the noise about the unfair BCS. What they don't understand is that without the BCS the Utes would never have gone to the Fiesta Bowl in 2004 or the Sugar Bowl in 2008. The Utes wouldn't be looked at as a strong program if it wasn't for the BCS. The BCS has made Utah a player in the college football world. Embrace it, enjoy it, stop worrying about what your brother down south has done and realize you are at the table with some of the biggest schools in the country for football now because of the BCS.

Happy 4th of July!!!

2009-07-03T12:36:00.002-06:00

The 4th is truly one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, I love fireworks, and I appreciate a day to celebrate our wonderful country. I'm grateful to those who have fought for our freedom and for our founding fathers who had such an amazing vision when they started this great country. Below is an interesting story about John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and their passing away on the 4th of July. (Below was taken from the Home for Heroes website)

The celebration of our Nation's 50th birthday was saddened this day in history by the death of our second president, John Adams. It was the eloquent Adams who had so persuasively defended Thomas Jefferson's DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE before the Continental Congress in 1776, ultimately leading to the birth of this new Nation. It may have been the last time Adams and Jefferson agreed on anything.

Jefferson's Declaration was born on June 7, 1776 when Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee laid before the Congress a resolution calling for the 13 colonies to be "free and independent states, absolved of all allegiance to the British crown." Moderates argued against the historic resolution, pointing out that the middle colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware were undecided about complete separation of the colonies from crown rule. By day's end there was little consensus, but members of the delegation appointed a five-man committee to draft a declaration of independence for consideration at the July 1st meeting.

The task of drafting the declaration should have fallen to elder statesman Benjamin Franklin, but his illness precluded a timely completion of the task. The task then should have fallen to Adams, who argued instead that Jefferson should write it. Jefferson at first attempted to defer to Adams until, in frustration, the Massachusetts delegate grudgingly stated, "You are 10 times the writer I am." Thus Jefferson prepared the draft with suggestions for revisions coming from both Franklin and Adams. The finished document was presented to the Second Continental Congress on June 28th. A poor speaker, Jefferson's written work impressed the Assembly, despite some reservations. The more eloquent Adams vigorously defended the work, which was adopted on July 2nd. That evening Adams wrote his thoughts on the new declaration to his wife, stating in part: "The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival."

Actually Adams was two days off. Editing of the document continued until it was formally approved by 12 of the 13 colonies on July 4th. (The New York delegation abstained from the vote, but approved the Declaration five days later.) On August 2nd the 53 delegates present signed the document, and the 3 absent members subsequently added their names. Among the 56 signers were both of the men most responsible for the Declaration's existence, Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

From that point forward the clashes between Adams and Jefferson were widely known. During Adam's two terms as vice president under George Washington, more than one conflict arose between him and Secretary of State Jefferson. As a Federalist, Adams found his political views quite at odds with the man who would become the leader of the rival Democratic-Republicans. When Washington left the Presidency the battle for a successor was bitterly fought between Vice President Adams and Secretary Jefferson. Adams defeated Jefferson by a 3 vote margin (71-68 electoral votes), becoming our second president. That bitter campaign was renewed in 1800 when Jefferson defeated Adams to become our third President. So intense was their rivalry that, on the day of Jefferson's inauguration Adams was carriage-bound out of the new Capitol City when the new president assumed office. (The recent death of his son in New York provided a convenient excuse not to attend the inauguration of the incoming president.)

Jefferson served two terms as President after defeating the incumbent Adams, then retired to his home in Monticello. Meanwhile from his retirement farm in Quincy, Massachusetts Adams began to write long and elaborate letters to his old adversary. A grudging admiration for each other may have developed in their later years. Nonetheless, Adams always proclaimed that, though Jefferson was 7 years younger than himself...

"I will out live Jefferson."

On his death bed on Independence Day, 1826 John Adams uttered his last words. They were

"Thomas Jefferson survives."

It is rumored that upon Adam's death the messenger dispatched to carry the news to Jefferson's Virginia home actually passed a messenger dispatched from THAT site to Adam's home, also bearing sad tidings.

Just a few hours earlier Thomas Jefferson had passed away….both architects of the document that gave birth to this new Nation dead, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.

One year later...

2009-06-17T09:58:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday Melissa and I celebrated our one year anniversary. While the year came so fast, we have done so many fun things together already. This first year has bee so much fun. We started with an amazing honeymoon adventure in California, moved into our wonderful basement apartment (thank you so much to the Broughs for letting us live down here), survived freezing cold but completely awesome U of U football games, celebrated my graduation from the University of Utah, had our first Christmas together, journeyed to Las Vegas for a midwinter Valentine's celebration, fine tuned our very beginner golf games, have thought about living in Texas, Washington D.C., and California, and ended our first year in the beautiful mountains near Midway, Utah.

I feel so blessed. Melissa and I have been able to do so many fun things together but more importantly I still know I'm married to my best friend. Whenever I want to celebrate, or am sad, there's one person who has been right next to me to share in my feelings of joy and happiness and give me advice and comfort, that's my amazing wife.

I look up to her, I learn from her and I'm so in love with her. I'm grateful for her support and grateful for the fun and happiness she brings to our home. What an amazing year it has been. Thank you Melissa for all that you do and for your example! Happy Anniversary!

**On a side note you can follow me on twitter now by clicking here. **

Thoughts on a topic none of you really care about...

2009-05-27T07:54:00.002-06:00

Yesterday on my way to work I was listening to the competitor (our station was in commercials). The Competitor was having an interesting conversation about a college football team that to most Ute fans is known as "The Team Down South" or to you non-sports fans, The BYU Cougars.

I should take a time out to mention this now, I am a University of Utah fan. I have been going to their games since I was in third grade. I received my degree from this University and I loved my experience up at the U. I am not a BYU hater. I really do not care what BYU does. I don't watch their games and hope for their loss. I don't sneer people when they where a BYU shirt. Other than the two times a year the two schools play in basketball and the yearly November football game, I never really know much about what is going on with BYU's sports program. I think that BYU is a fine educational institution and those who go there, I say good on you!

With that said the topic yesterday on the competitor was about BYU's honor code. When a student agrees to attend BYU they sign a paper saying they will follow the honor code of the school. One of the comentators on the competitor yesterday said that BYU needs to find a way to turn an eye to the honor code for their football players. As a member of the church that owns and runs BYU I have a problem with this.

We are asked to do many things as members of the church. We are asked to follow eating standards, follow a law of chastity, attend church every Sunday, and to be honest in our dealings with our fellow men. I felt the person who was talking on the radio yesterday, a former BYU football player, was saying that the church needed to let go of these standards for the sake of winning football games and bringing BYU back to it's "National Power" presence it once was in the college football world.

Really? Is winning football games that important? I love sports (I know it should be obvious since I work at a sports radio station), but I don't think you should comprimise your standards to win a game. What are we teaching and saying to people that we turn a blind eye to our standards for the sake of a football program? Doesn't that say we have our priorities in the wrong place?

In fairness I do believe that current head coach Bronco Mendenhall gets it. Last year I applauded something that everyone else critized him for saying. Bronco said that football should be fifth on their priority list for life behind, in order, faith, family, knowledge and friends. I couldn't agree more. About 93 percent of those playing on the football field on Saturday won't ever play the game again after they leave college. I would say football then probably shouldn't be that important to you. It's great you have a talent that can get you a scholarship and you should take it serious, but there are more important things than winning a game on Saturday.

To the BYU fans who want to forgo the honor code in order to win more football games, please listen to your head coach. You need to put football fifth on your priority list, I would argue probably sixth since your job should be more important too. Winning football games does not help the church in missionary efforts when you hear the guys that go to the school aren't even following the rules the church expects of it's members. It makes us sound like hypocrytes.

The Great Train Adventure

2009-05-11T11:59:00.003-06:00

Last Friday I took the morning to head up to Ogden and take a few pictures of one of the last Steam Locomotives that is in operation. This one in particular is operated by the Union Pacific. They have one other steam locomotive that they operate. Mainly they use these to do excursion runs and promotional trips, I think they are way cool! Here's a few of the pics from my adventure.

A Wonderful Mother

2009-05-07T10:00:00.002-06:00

27 years ago on Mother's Day, my mom was not at church hearing talks given by the primary children about their mom's. She was not receiving a special plant for being a mom or opening presents from her kids and loving husband. She was in the hospital, giving birth to me. I can only imagine what kind of Mother's Day it must have been for her. I had given her some health trials through her pregnancy and I can only assume she must of been relieved to know that we both made it and were both alive. I've wondered sometimes if she held me on that Mother's Day, looked down at me (and the black eye I was given by the doctor when I was born) and wondered, couldn't you have picked a different day to come, today is my day, it's Mother's Day!

I know that those thoughts never crossed my mom's mind, but she would be justified in thinking it. When I think of true love, I think of three things. I first think of the love of our Savior. Throughout his life he served everyone. He healed the sick, he made the lame walk, the blind see, and dead come back to life. He then performed the ultimate act of of love, by laying down his life so that his friends may live. He now speaks to us through a living prophet, not leaving us alone but giving us guidance and comfort. He gave all, so that one day we can return to be with him and our Father in Heaven.

Next I think of a husband and wife. Two people that love one another so much, they're willing to share their lives together. They have storms and twists that are unexpected, but they remain faithful and supportive to one another and overcome obstacles together. They trust and they give and bring smiles to each others faces. They show the excitement that love can bring.

Finally when I think of love, I can't not think about Mothers. They give all for the happiness of their children. They teach, they guide, they give. There are times when they are the ruler and not your friend, but in the end you realize they did that because they love you. They put away their wants and needs to make sure you have what you need to be safe and loved. Truly they are the examples of Christ that are here on the Earth today.

I am so grateful for the Mother that I have. I can truly say I have never met anyone that loves as much as she does. She has taught me so much and been so supportive to me in my life, I'm grateful for the example she is to me. Happy Mother's Day Mom! Thank you for all that you do!

--Click here for a wonderful talk by President Monson on Mothers.

Sunday Morning Conference

2009-04-05T09:55:00.003-06:00

For those of you wondering, No I did not sneak a computer into the Priesthood session of conference. Priesthood last night was a great session. We heard much of the same council that was given yesterday in the earlier sessions, to be hopeful and work hard. Also to learn our duty and use our priesthood to the best of our abilities. President Uchtdorf told a story about an airplane that crashed because the pilots lost sight of what was important. He related to us that many times we can get caught up worrying about things that may not matter that much and when we do so, that is when we lose sight of where we are going and can crash. It was a good reminder to use our time effectively and to remember the reason we do things. Overall it is to help us all come unto Christ, sometimes we may forget that. I really enjoyed that talk, I hope all of you get a chance read it and learn from his message.

Now to the Sunday morning session...I always feel this session is the "prime" session of conference. The chior sings more songs and we get to hear from our amazing Prophet. I look forward to the messages given this morning.

One note on the chior: I love the if there's sunshine in your heart song! I can't sing it without laughing, but they made it sound beautiful.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

- The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a secret but open to all.
- I think I can relate some to President Uchtdorf's friend that asked him (Pres. Uchtdorf) for advice on how to grow in his testimony. President Uchtdorf gave him some advice and then a week later heard back from the man who said, "I tried that, now what?" We can sometimes forget that it takes time and effort to grow. We sometimes desire to add yeast to our bread and make it grow really fast, not much in life really goes that way for us. Things that are worth it always take time, dedication and hard work.
- Life is not a spectator sport. (I heard someone say that about math one time :-) )

Elder Neil L. Andersen:

- Elder Andersen was called to be the newest Apostle yesterday. He has given a very humble testimony. He told a story of how he and President Packer were at a Stake Conference and from the podium President Packer declared "I'm a nobody," then paused and pointed over to Elder Andersen and said "He's a nobody too." I appreciate Elder Andersen's humbleness and sincere desire to serve in his new calling.
- "It is not by chance that we are who are." My dad in a sacrement meeting a few weeks back made mention that "it is not a sick joke that we are here on the earth at the time we are here." We laughed at his comment, but realize that it is a very true statement. We have been placed here to do a calling and to succeed in our lives.

Elder Steven E. Snow:

- Change is the only thing that really is constant in our lives. We should try to be ready for change and welcome the new challenges it will bring.
- Ways to better deal with change:
- Follow the prophets. When change comes we can be comforted that if we follow the prophets we will be guided to happiness and success.
- Keep an eternal perspective.
- Have Faith.

- Be of good cheer. The next time your tempted to groan, look to laugh.

Sister Barbara Thompson:

- 3 things we have a charge to do: Increase in faith and personal righteousness, strengthen our family and homes, and serve the Lord and his children.
- Take every opportunity to strengthen families and support one another along our path
- "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs." Spencer W. Kimball. Growing up my family had amazing home teachers. I feel they were a blessing in our home are examples of this quote of how our Heavenly Father watches over us.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland:

- Who else better understands loneliness than our Savior? Even one of his special witnesses who sat at his feet, heard him pray, and saw him heal betrayed him.
- In our Savior's time of need for support his own Apostles fell asleep while he suffered and one of his most trusted Apostles, Peter, denied knowing him. Our Savior has a great and deep understanding of being alone and losing the support of trusted friends.
- Jesus knew though he was not alone. He proclaimed, "yet I'm am not alone, the Father is with me." (John 16:32)
- I will not leave you comfortless, my Father and I will come to you and abide with you. (John 14:18)
- Anyone who has sat through a Fast and Testimony meeting at a singles ward knows you can hear the cries of those who are lonely. So many can stand and declare that life can be so hard, but I think most of the time they are declaring life can be so lonely. I know that they are mostly happy with life, they just are seeking after the friendship and companionship of a loved one. I know I could have done better in that time of my life to seek the companionship and comfort of my Savior.

President Thomas S. Monson:

- In these cynical and troublesome times we live it would be easy to get down on life, but we should recognize the blessings we have and rejoice for these great blessings.
- "Fear not, be of good cheer, the future is as bright as your faith."
- President Monson told of those who have had struggles but found blessings and happiness when they relied on the Lord. Certainly that is they key for us throughout our lives. It almost sounds too easy because we know the struggles can be so hard. I suppose that is why they say the gospel is so great. It is so easy to believe and hope for great things in the future, sometimes it is hard to really believe though. That's what I'm going to work on. Not just believe the gospel can help everyone else but that it can help me.

That's all for now folks. Please leave your comments and thougths about the conference so we can all learn together.

Saturday Afternoon Session

2009-04-04T14:03:00.002-06:00

Every time the LDS General Conference comes around I try to watch as many sessions as possible but find after I watch them I don't remember much from them. To help me pay better attention this time around I'm going to blog on the sessions I watch and share what stands out to me.

Elder M. Russell Ballard:

-Learn from others experience. Elder Ballard began telling a story of how he and his father were courted by officials from the Ford Motor Company to sell a new line of cars that Ford was making. Elder Ballard's father, who had years of experience in the business, was apprehensive about the new line of cars but Elder Ballard bought in. Elder Ballard then said he was the owner of the first dealership for this line of cars that failed. He admonished us to learn from those who have experience and gone before us.
- Elder Ballard made a reference to the way the world has become, morals are loosely valued, and we are criticized for warning our brothers and sisters of the sins that are being committed. He reminded us that throughout the scriptures the saints have been persecuted for their beliefs.
- "We cannot Google to gain a testimony." I appreciated this thought. We need to more than just read and understand, we need to live and experience the gospel. We should look for opportunities to serve and give love to those who are around us.

Elder Quentin L. Cook:

- Revelation. The 9th Article of Faith states: We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
- Elder Cook discussed that some struggle with the thought of continuing revelation in our day. Many have been taught that the heavens are closed and that we have the Bible to teach us the will of God. Elder Cook shared how modern revelation has given us a greater understanding of where we go after this life and the joy and comfort that this has brought people.
- "I rejoice in the great plan of redemption that is big enough for all of Heavenly Father's children." What a great reminder that the atonement is for all of us.

Elder Kevin W. Pearson:

- Faith. It is a principle of action and power...true faith requires and understanding of the role and mission of Jesus Christ, his gospel, and his priesthood. Faith is truly a spiritual gift worthy of our utmost effort.
- Do your children know that you know? Do they see and feel your conviction to Christ?
- Fear and faith cannot co-exist. One gives way to another. Elder Pearson recalled the father who came to Christ asking him to heal his son. Jesus responded to the man if thou wilt believe anything is possible. The man answered back to the Lord, "Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief." I sometimes feel like the father. I believe in Christ and how his power is real, but do I believe it can work for me? I think I"ll always be working on this. I think we can all say "help thou mine unbelief."
- Moroni 7:33 : "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."
- Choose to have faith and not fear. I like that he reminds us that it is our choice to choose faith.

Elder Rafeal E. Pino:

- Elder Pino spoke on the challenges that life can give us. He spoke on the Savior and his sufferings and then reminded us that Joseph Smith suffered much tribulation in his life as well. Joseph was reminded by the Lord though that his sufferings will be but a small moment and that he will be blessed with the blessings of the Kingdom of God. He was promised this because his life was centered in Christ.
- In our lives we may suffer trials and tribulations but if our lives are centered around Christ we can receive the blessings of God.

Elder Richard G. Scott:

- Understand the doctrine related to temple ordinances particularly that of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

- Try not to rush your time in the temple. "Remove you watch" when attending the House of the Lord.
- When the unpleasant things of our life happen, ask what can I learn from this?
- Elder Scott shared a powerful testimony of the Temple and the special power that is there. He taught that if we keep our covenants that are made in the temple, then we can have an attitude of "come what may." Life may not always be free of trials, but we will be watched over by our Heavenly Father and in the end we will be blessed with true happiness in our lives.

Elder Russell M. Nelson:

- Lessons from the Lord's prayer. The Lord taught that this prayer is a pattern or method to follow but also taught to avoid vain repetitions, thus we are not to memorize The Lord's Prayer and recite it as our own but pray after the pattern he set forth with that prayer.
- If we really care for others, we should pray for them
- The Lord prayed multiple times that the Holy Ghost be shared with those who believe, so we should pray for the Holy Ghost to be with us in our lives and with all those who desire to have it in theirs.
- Closing prayers should not be prayers restating the talks given or additional sermons given in the meeting
- Plead thy will be done in our prayers.

Goodbye Old Friend

2009-03-29T14:06:00.003-06:00

Melissa and I stopped by an old friend last night to say goodbye. To be honest I felt silly, but I was glad to get to stop by and in a way, say goodbye and thank you. The T.G.I. Fridays at the Cottonwood Mall has been an staple of my life. Last night they seated their last guest, cooked their last order of chicken fingers, and then turned out the lights one final time. I know there's a million of Fridays restaurants and I'll be able to get their food whenever I want but that building, even after it is torn down will have a special place in my heart.

Being that we lived practically across the street from the Fridays, my family visited the eating establishment often. Mostly to celebrate birthdays or an end of sports season for me or a some kind of concert/recital for my sisters. It was a place of celebration. Besides those family memories though, many of my memories come from my many weekend nights spent there with my friends.

We started going to Fridays to watch the Jazz games. We wanted to have dinner and still catch the playoff action so Fridays was the perfect place. On one of our first visits there we had a waiter named Troy serving us. We tried to be a respectable group but undoubtedly, as always with teenagers, we had a few over excited moments and spilled a few drinks. Troy, being the good soldier that he is, took this as an opportunity to teach us a lesson. He brought out a plastic kids cup with a lid on it and said, "If you're going to act like children you get to be treated that way." We laughed and thought it was great and razzed our friend that had to use a child's cup the rest of the game. That night led to many nights of us cheering on the Jazz and started our relationship with Fridays.

During our Junior and Senior years of High School if it was Friday or Saturday night there was a good chance that at some point during the night you'd catch our group at Fridays. We got to know the staff. Troy and Eric were our regular waiters. They could handle our antics and even would slide us free bread sticks and drinks, just as long as they got a good tip at the end of the night. Many of our school dances involved visiting Fridays. And if there was Cottonwood Sports on the weekends, always after the games you'd find us there. Even on their busiest of nights if we could find Dawn, our favorite hostess, she would bump us to the top of the list and make sure we were taken care of.

I could go on for days about our Fridays adventures. There's so many silly stories. From the Clown in the bathroom, to one friends garbage bag full of starlight mints, to Eric's special drinks, A Friday's reward card with so many points we could get a free hotel stay as one of our prizes, balloon helium fun, the night my friend ran around the mall (My wife almost didn't go out with me again after that date), to Chicken Fingers and Cherry Coke, I'm grateful to have had such a fun place to hang out.

Last night as we stopped by I noticed the manager peeling the decal of the Friday's logo off a door. I quickly glanced away for fear of tearing up about an inanimate object closing down. It was then that I realized I'll always have these many great memories to carry with me. To Eric, Troy, Dawn, and the many other great workers that took care of us there, Thank you! It was so much fun to share our lives with you! And to you Friday's building that will soon be another restaurant or a big pile of bricks, Thank you! I'm so glad to have great memories there with my wife, my family, and the BBH. Someday maybe we'll all run into one another again.

The Temple

2009-03-12T09:52:00.002-06:00

I grew up going to many different churches. Not because we were searching for a faith, but because my Father is an organ tuner. He would take us around Utah, Idaho, and Nevada going to different churches and teaching us about the different faiths while fixing their organs. One of the best lessons I learned from my dad on those trips was to be respectful to all churches. Even though we may not have the same beliefs we share our faith in Jesus Christ and a desire to make the world a better place. For those reasons alone we should respect their holy place. It's a lesson that sticks with me today.

This weekend a TV show will be airing their version of what is a sacred ritual in our faith. I certainly respect the show maker's first amendment right to freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean I have to like what they do. It is their prerogative to express their speech and I respect that, but I do wish they wouldn't express their speech on this particular subject. I have no good legal argument as to why. I even understand them wanting to develop their story and understand how this scene will help them in this. But I would rather they look for an alternative way to advance their plot. What I'm trying to say is I wish they wouldn't do this, but I respect their first amendment rights to do so. I wish they'd learn the lesson to respect all faiths that I learned from my dad.

For those who would like to learn more about the Temples please check out the video below:

If you'd like to learn more about the church please visit: www.mormon.org

A Crazy Last Couple of Weeks

2009-03-10T18:47:00.003-06:00

The last month has been full of the waiting game, visiting some legislative sessions at the Utah State Capitol and filling out lots and lots of applications for jobs. It hasn't been as frustrating as I anticipated this time being. I was prepared in my head that finding a job may take more time than Melissa or I would like but we're coping and keeping a positive attitude. This past month also included a grand adventure to visit our good friends down in Las Vegas.

We made the short journey to Las Vegas to visit our friends and to commemorate our first trip to Vegas, which was the beginning of our relationship. Two years ago we had been on a couple of dates but Melissa was still unsure about this questionable character (me) that was courting her. For some crazy reason though she invited me to take a trip with her and some of her friends down to Vegas. They said they needed a boy for protection. Who am I to turn down a chance to spend a weekend with three girls? So I gladly accepted her invitation and during our trip we found out that we liked to hold eachothers hands. Once we started we didn't let go. All night Saturday night, all day Sunday, then the whole ride home on Monday we held hands. I remember my fingers being a little sore when we got home from all the hand holding. It was silly, but it was a great begining for us. This time around there may not as been as much hand holding but we did have a wonderful time and a very wonderful Valentine's Day.

The rest of the month has had it's ups and downs. We thought we could have a small chance of moving to Austin, Texas (but at the moment aren't). And we have continued to learn from one another and put some trust in our Heavenly Father. It's been a great month but I'm ready for Spring and the new opportunities that are before us.

Morning Report from the Capitol 2.3.09

2009-02-03T13:05:00.002-07:00

Abortion took main stage this morning in the Utah House of Representatives. Two bills that discussed issues dealing with abortion kept the representatives off track as they argued about the right to life or the right to choose.

Neither bill argued would change Utah’s current law on abortion, rather HB90 increased the penalty to a 2nd degree felony for those who performed abortions, and HB222 stated that mothers would be told they could have the option to provide pain killers to a fetus while it is being aborted, so as to lessen the pain for the fetus. But the debate of pro-life and pro-choice took the lawmakers time this morning.

“It is not our obligation or our right to tell women and their doctors what to do with their [women] reproductive organs,” said Rep. Riesen, D-Holladay, who gave a passionate five minutes speech against HB90.

Riesen continued: “I’m not arguing for abortion, only for consideration for women to choose for themselves.”

Riesen’s speech then led to retaliation from those who were against abortion. Rep. Sandstrom, R-Orem, spoke in favor to the bill and declared that any life is valuable and should not be lost.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ray, R-Clearfield, claimed he was giving a voice to the unborn children.

In the debate for HB222 more passionate rhetoric was spoken for legalizing abortion by Rep. Johnson, D-Salt Lake City. Johnson argued for that the stress of deciding to medicate an unborn baby or not would be to much for a parent to handle and that the procedure would only increase the price on woman’s health care.

Rep. Wimmer argued this was a bill of compassion and that the legislature owes it to the unborn babies to error on that side of compassion.

Both bills will now be sent to the Senate for its consideration.

In the presence of Angels...

2009-01-22T19:34:00.002-07:00

My wife's uncle Mike passed away on Sunday night. The news came as a shock to both of us. We had just returned home from dinner at her parent's house, then Melissa's mom called with the unbelievable news that he had passed away. We were not prepared for it. We kept waiting for the second phone call to come that would tell us that it was a false alarm. That second phone call never came.

I didn't know Mike very well. I liked him, but I didn't get to know him very well. The first time I met him was on Thanksgiving Day of 2007. Dinner was at his house and all I ever had really heard about him was that he was the Uncle that owned the other side of the family cabin. Well like anytime when you meet the family of the person you're going to marry, you are a little anxious to make a good impression. When we walked into Mike's house that Thanksgiving Day, Mike went out of his way to make sure my nervousness was stifled.

Mike immediately came up to me and introduced himself to me. After talking for a few minutes we found we had a common friend. He then left behind his family to take me on a tour of his house and took more time to get to know me. He wanted to learn about me and make me feel at home. I appreciated his warm welcoming feeling. He took me to his garage to see his cars and downstairs to show me his pinball room. He kept trying to show me more things for me to enjoy while I was a guest at his house. He wouldn't leave Melissa and I till we had found a way to entertain ourselves with his toys. It was sweet and touching. He was by no means showing off or boasting his possessions, rather he was saying, "please, this is for you, enjoy!" It made me feel welcome in a house of people that I had never met. I greatly appreciated Mike that day.

Mike's warmness continued. Anytime we saw him at a family party he would come over and talk to me and ask me about my life. He was that kind of guy, the kind of guy that wanted to know about you. Someone you'd love to talk to.

Today at his funeral we learned that there are so many stories like mine out there about Mike. He was kind to everyone he met and had a genuine smile and love for people. From what I learned today he lived life every moment he had it. He didn't wait for the next big thing, rather he went out and made it happen.

I couldn't help but notice the touching spirit that was there in his service today. We were in the presence of angels today. A part of me could picture Mike walking up and down the rows of the pews at the church and hugging each person there and expressing his love for them. I'm sure in his own way, he was.

His wife, his kids, and the rest of his family taught me so much. I look up to them for their faith and bravery. Thank you to them for sharing a great man with all of us. As I stated before, I didn't know Mike very well, but I know I'll never forget him.

Legislate you to Heaven

2009-01-08T18:55:00.002-07:00

It's back! The Utah State Legislature is back to their crazy ways as they lead up to their 2009 session. The Salt Lake Tribune reported today that the new Senate President, Michael Waddoups (R-Taylorsville), would like to understand why restaurants like Chilis, Applebees, and T.G.I. Fridays can make drinks in places that are visable to the public (chidlren). The article describes how when Waddoups walks into the Chili's on 4th South that he feels like he is in a tavern. He sees people making drinks and drinking drinks and that just isn't right. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but he states that this may be a violation of Utah law.

With that said, my view is this. I've been going to these restaurants since I was 10 (I'm an active LDS member, been on a mission and am dedicated to the gospel) and I don't recall ever thinking "Wow, I want one of those drinks." Rather my parents took that as an opportunity to teach me about the word of wisdom (Doctrine of the Church that states that wine/strong drinks are not meant for the belly). They wouldn't say "look at those sinners" or anything like that. Rather it was: "We've learned that alcohol isn't good for your body and the Lord has asked us members of the church to not partake of it." It didn't bother me that others drank, I just knew that those of us who are members shouldn't. I didn't need a law to put up a curtain to protect me, rather I just needed my parents to talk to me.

I fear that sometimes the legislature here in Utah is trying to make sure we are all keeping the commandments. I don't think that is what the founding fathers had in mind when they created the constitution. Nor do I think that is what we as a church teach.

We talk of a Plan of Salvation and that before we were born we were given a choice between having free agency or a plan forcing people to do what is right so that everyone would keep the commandments. The church doctrine is that we all chose to have free agency, but now it seems like we're trying to force people to live gospel. I don't think that is right. People are here to learn and to take responsibility.

Conservatives say that we shouldn't talk about sex in schools because it's the parent's job to teach their kids. With that same logic then wouldn't conservatives be against this law as well? Isn't this a case where the parents should teach their kids too? This is where we need to take responsibility. We need to realize it's our job to teach our kids what is right and wrong. And it is our job to teach our kids that other's have their free agency and that some will chose different than us. But we shouldn't judge them. Rather love them and learn from them.

Let those who want to have a drink, have a drink. If they make it at the bar and you don't want to have your kids see that, ask to not sit by the bar. Take the time to teach your kids about the Word of Wisdom. Don't make laws that take away others free agency. That isn't the plan we wanted at all.

My Legs don't Hurt Anymore

2008-12-18T13:24:00.002-07:00

Back in 2003 when I returned home from my mission I started taking institute classes with my buddy Adam and my sister Jana. I wasn't ready to return to regular class life yet so I took these two classes. I would go up to the University of Utah campus in the morning go and read in the institute while Adam and Jana were in classes. Once I knew their classes were coming to an end I would walk over to meet Adam so we could wander around campus together before our institute class began. I would walk around the campus with him and get the worst pains in my shins while we would walk. For those who don't know the campus is on a hill and it doesn't matter which way you go, you end up on going uphill at some point in time during your stay on campus. Adam was used to the hills so he would truck along leaving me in the dust with pain in my shins. Sometimes we would walk down to the bagel shop just off the U campus and afterwords I would make him walk over to the Trax station at the Stadium and ride it back up to the institute so my shins wouldn't hurt anymore. It wasn't an joyful experience for me.

5 years later, I was wondering around on campus and reminded of those shin pains I would get when walking around with Adam. My shins didn't hurt anymore. I can walk around the campus like the best of them and not get winded and enjoy the beauty of the campus. I reflected on the many adventures I've had during my college career and kept thinking about how amazing it was that my shins didn't hurt anymore.

The point of all this is today I took my last test and will be done with my undergraduate work at the University of Utah. I'm grateful for the experiences I have had and grateful to my parents for their support they gave to me while going to school and grateful for my amazing wife who has supported me while I finished my schooling. I appreciate all of my teachers and the thankless hours they put into preparing their lessons and the ways they have taught me to look at the world in a different way.

Now back to the job search and who knows what other schooling I may find myself going into as the years go by. But I'm glad that I've had the chance to enjoy this ride.

Fill out this form here...

2008-11-24T21:06:00.002-07:00

With less than a month left in my undergrad career, the joy of filling out job applications has come around for me. I use the term joy loosely. I've had a couple of jobs that I was hoping for but they were certainly a long shot for me to get, I wasn't disappointed, just now am trying to enjoy the endless search for jobs that I'm willing to do. I'm trying to not be to picky but want to make sure I'm being effective in my search that I'm looking at jobs that are realistic and something I would enjoy doing. I can't tell you how many applications I've filled out, I lost count a couple of weeks ago, but needless to say it's been a lot.

A few months ago I heard about a job being a assistant press secretary for a senator here in Utah. It sounded like a great job. But they filled the position, most likely with someone who has some Washington D.C. experience, but I have kept searching for jobs that were more in this direction.

At any rate, I'm filling out anything that has to do with communications, public relations, and journalism. If you know of any opportunities that are available right now that fit any of those fields, please let me know, I'm starting to get really good at filling out the applications.

California's Problem

2008-11-10T13:56:00.002-07:00

Much has been discussed about Prop. 8 in California. The Law passed 52%-48%. The proposition text reads like this: Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California. The LDS church has been a supporter of the proposition and now is being called out for hatred and in turn Utah is now being called the "Hate State" by those who were opposed to the change to the California Law.

I support the proposition. I've thought long and hard on this issue and have been torn on it. I'm friends with those who are gay and I know they are good people. I'm embarrassed and uncomfortable saying "those who are gay" because to me they are just people. They work hard, they've been always kind and respectful to me and I know they deserve everything that they are entitled to. That is where we may find disagreement with one another.

Marriage to me is a privilege between a man and a woman to be sealed together for time and eternity, and only those men and women who are living worthy are entitled to those blessings. We of the LDS church believe in a Prophet who receives God's word in these present days. He receives revelation from God and stands as God's spokesperson, just as the prophets of old in the Old Testament. The Prophet has said that acts of homosexuality are a sin and should not be performed. Those who do are not worthy of the blessing of marriage. I support this statement but again join with a former Prophet, Presidnet Gordon B. Hinckley when he said:

"I wish to say that our opposition to attempts to legalize same-sex marriage should never be interpreted as justification for hatred, intolerance, or abuse of those who profess homosexual tendencies, either individually or as a group. As I said from this pulpit one year ago, our hearts reach out to those who refer to themselves as gays and lesbians. We love and honor them as sons and daughters of God. They are welcome in the Church. It is expected, however, that they follow the same God-given rules of conduct that apply to everyone else, whether single or married."(October General Conference 1999)

These are not statements of hate or intolerance. This is a statment of right and wrong. We've learned from God that these desires are wrong. Now I certainly cannot judge my brother and say "You're gay and you're a sinner," I know I have my own faults. But as for marriage, it's a union between a man and woman, and nothing more. Those who wish to marry should follow those God-given laws.

To those who blame Utah for the way California voted. I don't understand you. As far as I know, no Utahn filled out a California ballot and voted for this measure. Just because a Utahn made a phone call, knocked on a door, or marched in a protest, it is not Utah's fault that the people of California voted to pass the proposition. It's the people of California's fault! They voted! Utah passed this as a law 4 years ago. Where were you then? I think you're a little late to be getting mad at the citizens of the state now.

Finally, I again wish to say I know I am in no position to judge another. I know I have my faults but I also know my decisions have consequences. If I choose to live my life a certain way, I understand that means certain things will or will not be available to me because of my choices. That's not unfair, that's called being just and having order. I join with the church as they have stated that I do not object to rights for same-sex couples regarding hospitalization and medical care, fair housing and employment rights, or probate rights, so long as these do not infringe on the integrity of the traditional family or the constitutional rights of churches.

Disappointed in the Republicans

2008-10-23T20:55:00.004-06:00

With early voting already taking place and general Election Day less than two weeks away, I can't help but sit here and wonder about the "what ifs" that the 2008 Presidential campaign has given me. NBC announced yesterday that they are giving Obama a 10% lead in the polls, almost every news site shows that he has more than enough to win the electoral college. I'm not saying that I think Obama is evil or that I don't think he'd be an interesting man to have dinner with. I think it is great that America has come so far that they can consider a African American to be their leader. That says how far we've come in just the last half century. But I can't just sit here and think, wouldn't have this been a real race if Mitt Romney would've been in the republican candidate?

I'm disappointed that the Republican party that claims to be the party of Abraham Lincoln, which is debatable, now is showing how unaccepting they are of the American people. Therefore, I'm sorry republicans, you deserve to lose and you deserve to lose bad. You choose an incompetent man to be your presidential candidate when you could have had a man who has the midas touch be your candidate and probably be the next President of the United States. You did this because you couldn't handle having a "Mormon" run your party.

You let the "Christian Right" take over your party. People that claim to be Christlike figures but who preach un-accepting doctrines and no tolerance for people who think different than them. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints (Mormon Church) are traditionally against abortion, for lowering taxes, in favor of the death penalty, supporters of the war in Iraq, and are against gay marriage. I don't understand, what are you afraid of Christian right? What else do you want from a man to be your President?

When Barack Obama wins on Nov. 4th and takes his victory lap, I won't say disgraceful things like "he's not my President." But I will continue to say, I am disappointed in the republican party. You dropped the ball. You didn't learn from Christ. You didn't learn from him when he said "Thou Shalt Love thy Neighbor as Thyself." I know I'm not perfect but I've supported many men of different religions to lead me and I gladly will in the future. Why can't you open up and accept that Mitt Romney was a good man and would've been a candidate we can be proud of?

I hope we can learn from this election. I hope we can see that there needs to be some changes in the Republican Party. We need to not let the "Christian Right" ruin this party anymore. We need to return to the Party's roots if it is ever to be successful again. Return to the days of fighting big government, continue to the fight for free enterprise, lower taxes, teach people to be self-reliant and not to depend on the government to support them. That will be a party we all can be proud of.

A Brave Warrior

2008-10-20T22:06:00.003-06:00

Everyone should take a chance multiple times in their life to speak kind words about their parents. They give a lot to take care of us and to show their love for us. This past weekend I was reminded of how brave my parents are. I was impressed with the bravery I saw from my mother as she was preparing to have a surgery on her heart.

My father took my mom to the Emergency Room around midnight Saturday night with complaints of her having chest pains. She said she felt pressure in her chest then felt a sensation in her arms. My dad rushed her to the hospital and the preliminary tests showed that everything was normal with her heart but they kept her for the night to make sure she would be okay. Early Sunday morning the next tests came back with less than favorable results and they decided it was time to take a closer look at my mom's condition.

After tests and diagnosing by a doctor it was determined that my mom had suffered from a small heart attack. The doctor in the room was very clear to explain to her what that meant and what the procedure would be. She looked calm and somber as she took the news about her future. Things were fairly certain that she would recover fully but there were still risks. She held strong. This morning my Mom had the procedure done and they found that an one of the arteries in her heart was 99% blocked. The doctor then made the proper steps to open up that vain and said if she was going to have a heart attack, she had the best kind.

I'm grateful for the health my mom has been blessed with. I'm glad that she'll be able to recover fully and move on from this scary time in our lives. I'm impressed with her bravery. She held strong. You knew she was scared but in her eyes she had a look of bravery. She knew this too would pass.

I'm grateful for my mom's bravery. It brought comfort to me. I know she's a fighter and won't let a small clog in her heart bring her down. I don't think we'll ever really understand how brave parents are till we are one, but I know have two very brave parents and I am grateful for them and for their faith. Thank you to all of you who have shown such love and support to my mom. I look up to her and I'm so glad that she is going to be okay.

Finding my walking shoes...

2008-09-22T19:41:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me know how smitten I am about my wife. I have no shame telling her how much I love her in front of "the guys." I look up to her in so many ways (which is amazing considering I'm 6'4 and that she's 5'3). One of the things I look up to is how brave she is. Melissa was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was only 11 years old. She had to spend a few days at the hospital and would not be allowed to leave until she learned how to giver herself a shot. I'm sure when you're 11 you don't realize the seriousness of some situations, but I can only imagine all the different feelings she had during those days. Melissa is fine and healthy today and even has a pump now, so she doesn't have to give herself shots, but everyday there are a few adventures of her levels being high or low. But she handles it like the brave woman she is.

This weekend Melissa and I are going to walk for the cure to diabetes. The walk will take place at This is the place park and the Hogle Zoo. We just wanted to do our part to help find a cure and if you would like to contribute to our fund or walk with us, well just click here:

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=5290&px=4298179

Thank you to those who have donated. We appreciate it so much!

Random thoughts...

2008-09-09T19:25:00.002-06:00

I'm waiting for a player from the UCLA football team to call in and do an interview with our own Scott Garrard. While I wait for the call here's a few random thoughts from me! (I know you can't wait to read this...okay thanks for just being nice)

Note 1: Presidential Elections - I was impressed with both conventions. Barack Obama put on a rock concert. What else can you say about it? He filled a stadium full of 75,000 people on a stage that looked like he was trying to speak to us from the top of Olympus. He excited his base, rallied for change and came across very presidential. He is a dynamic speaker and comes across as a person you really would enjoy having dinner with. But at the same time standing on this stage made it feel more like a movie about running for president instead of a person actually running for President. On a side note on the democratic convention, I don't enjoy hearing the Clinton's speak. They sound arragant and smug to me. That may be my Utah upbringing, but Hillary really just bothers me.

To the republicans, Sarah Palin has stolen the show. When my wife and I watched her speak she seemed a little nervous and maybe having a heard time following the teleprompter, but she certainly has everyone excited about the republican ticket. I was impressed with John McCain's speach. He has come across to me as an old crotchedy man who just wanted more power in Washington. But as he spoke he impressed me with his promises to not follow the republican line always. His pledge to have democrats in his cabinet made me go, this is what I'm looking for in a president. Someone who does not represent a party and it's agenda but a person who can lead the American people. I'm not sure Mr. McCain is fully that person, but his speech did impress me.

That's what I'm looking for in a President. I don't care to associate myself with one party and say everyone else is wrong, don't do it there way. I want a President that will entertain all ideas and compromise and bring brilliant minds together to debate and solve problems. Not just to represent one party, but a President that can represent the American People.

Note 2: TV watching for homework - I'm in my last semester of college and had only one required class left to take. So I filled my schedule up with a couple of other classes that I thought sounded fun. One class was my english "pop culture" class. Or as our teacher calls it "Intro to Cult TV." This class is strange. We watch TV shows and them break them down and discuss them like a book club. So far the shows we've had to watch are: "The Prisoner", "Star Trek", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Twin Peaks", and coming soon to a TV near you we will watch: "Firefly", "X-Files", "Monty Python", and "Big Love". The class discusses what social movements are the shows trying to move forward and whether Kirk and Spock really maybe had a secret love for one another. I find this class odd, but it is enjoyable and hey, can you ever top having to watch TV for homework? I think not.

Note 3: Finally, the big talk over the weekend has been over the BYU game. At the end of the BYU game Washington's Quarterback scored a touchdown and threw the ball up in the air. He did not throw it at anyone or taunt anyone, he just tossed it up in the air to celebrate. He was called for a 15 yard penelty for doing so. The penelty was assesed to the point after kick and that kick ended up being blocked. BYU wins the game by one point. A lot of people feel the call should not have been called but rules are the rules. If it is the 2nd quarter or the end of the game you have to call the call. I do think the rule is a stupid rule, but it is a rule so you have to have it. BYU didn't get away with something or cheat. They just played the game right and won. That's the opinion of a Ute fan.

That's my random thoughts for now. Life is grand and wonderful. Melissa is so great! She brings smiles to my face everyday. I'm grateful for her and her love. Hope all is well with everyone else.

A 200 Year Old Piece of Paper

2008-08-21T09:14:00.005-06:00

Last weekend Melissa and I took a few hours and drove up to the State Capitol to see an original copy of The Declaration of Independence. Apparently they made extra copies of the Declaration to post around the country for the citizens of the colonies to view the Declaration. This was one of those copies.

We arrived at the capitol and first viewed a video that explained the document and talked about the many different changes that the declaration inspired. They then read the actual document at the end of the video. I was curious as to how many of us have never really read the Declaration of Independence. I know I never really had before. It was a moving moment for me. It inspired me to think of ways I can change to be better:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

I love that the document puts the responsibility of change on the people themselves. "It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it," many times we blame things on the politicians. We forget that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it. We are the ones to make change.

As we begin an election season I don't encourage you to vote for a certain candidate. But I encourage to take an hour and research the candidates and their platforms. Discover for yourself if a candidate fits your opinions and ideas. If they do, please vote for them. If not, then find someone to vote for who does fit what you believe and do your part to alter the government.

Those lazy crazy days of Summer...

2008-07-22T20:36:00.003-06:00

Today the Mrs. asked me one of her favorite questions. "What did you do today?" My usual response, "Nothing really." Her response back, "What's nothing really?" My response while I scramble in my head to make it sound like I have had a productive morning, "I've got nothing, I've wasted more time on Facebook.com than I probably should have."

This may very well be my favorite time of year. The days are long, there's BBQ's and fireworks and always plenty of time to go golf. I really can't think of how life could be better, except I suppose maybe I'd have something to do in the daytime.

I don't idle very well. It gets me to think way to much. If people ask me what is my biggest fault? I'll always tell them I over think everything. I start to think about the future, I think about my job, about school, about our family, it's all very exciting but it can get me a little bogged down. Mostly because I want to be doing it all now. I don't want to wait. I'm getting a little anxious to be on the move and not doing school stuff anymore.

But alas, one semester to go. Then off to the cold hard world. I'm told I'll miss college, I'm sure part of that is true, I won't ever have my summers off again. But the rest of it, the teachers, the fellow classmates, the homework and the parking, I won't miss those.

For now, I'll enjoy my lazy summer. I'll get to sleep in some more. Enjoy the beautiful new home Melissa and I are in, and probably eat some more home made OREO's.

The Sunday Talk

2008-07-13T20:38:00.002-06:00

Elder Marion D. Hanks told a story of one family during his address in the 1968 April General Conference:

“It was a gorgeous October day. My Husband Art and I were down at the boat landing helping our friend Don drag his skiff up on the beach. Art remarked wistfully that it would be a long time before next summer, when we could all start sailing again. ‘You folks ought to take up skiing like our family and have fun the year round,’ Don said.

‘Doesn’t that get pretty expensive?” I asked.

“Don straightened up and smiled. “It’s funny,” he said. “We live in an old-fashioned house—legs on the tub, that sort of thing. For years we’ve been saving up to have the bathroom done over. But every winter we take the money out of the bank and go on a couple of family skiing trips. Our oldest boy is in the army now, and he often mentions in his letters what a great time we had on those trips. You know, I can’t imagine his writing home, ‘Boy, we really have a swell bathroom, haven’t we?””

Brothers and Sisters my talk today isn’t on spending the family savings to go on trips around the world so our families will remember great trips we had. My talk today is on the tradition that families can make of spending time together.

My family had a tradition of having Family Home Evening almost every Sunday night. After Sunday dinner was completed my father would get up from the table and go to the piano and start playing hymns while my mom would try to convince me to help my sisters clean up the dishes. Once everything would be put away we would then head to the front room where the piano was. My oldest sister would be diligent and ready for the evening with her scriptures in hand. My other older sister and I would be off to find our blankets and pillows, FHE meant nap-time to us.

After singing and opening hymn and having a opening prayer we would then have a lesson. My Father would usually assign out the lesson. It generally rotated through the five members of our family. Some lessons would be reading an article we liked from the New Era or The Friend, reading from the scriptures or someone would share with us their lesson they learned from church that day. They were never really long, but they were simple and sincere. Following the lesson we would sing another hymn and then close with prayer. This was now my favorite time of family home evening.

It was time for Family Business. Generally in the “Family Business” we were to go over everyone’s schedules and plan out our week. I didn’t care much for any of that. As soon as “Amen” was said from the closer prayer I would shoot my hand up in the air and hope to get called on first by my Dad so that I could find out what fun activity we had planned for Monday night.

It was tradition in our home that we had family home evening together on Sunday night for a spiritual lesson and family planning. While on Monday night, that was our family play night.
The play night was never anything expensive, we did things like family game night, have pizza and a movie, take the dog for a longer walk, go to a play at a school, cook tinfoil dinners up in Millcreek Canyon, homework nights, or my mom’s favorite activity, have the family do yard work together.

These two nights brought our family together. We learned the gospel together and we learned to play and work together.

In the proclamation to the world on the family it states: Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. Each of these principles can be established and taught through Family Home Evening.

First Faith: In family home evening, I witnessed the faith of my family members. I saw how my sisters would ask my father for a blessing. They had full faith that their Heavenly Father had given the priesthood to our Dad and that he could exercise that power to bring us inspiration and health. As my father laid his hands upon their heads I knew the priesthood was real, and that I should live worthy of that power.

The Second principle of prayer was taught to me by the prayers my mother. My mother claims to have little knowledge of the gospel. What she doesn’t realize is that she shows what a spiritual giant she is by her prayers. As she prayed for us and the things that were concerning our lives, I knew that my mom fully expected answers to her prayers.

Repentance, Forgiveness and Respect: My parents taught us a phrase that hung on our fridge from when I was 8 years old till I went on my mission. The phrase was: Is it Edifying? They taught us that our home was a safe haven from the world. In our home we supported one another and were to say edifying and up lifting things to one another. Our home was a place where you found support and respect. My sisters and I were like any siblings we had our quarrels with one another but our parents taught us to repent, ask for forgiveness, and then respect each other. Today my Sisters are two of my best friends. I know they would support me and help me through any situation I would have.

The next principles of love and compassion were taught to us through Family Home Evening by my oldest sister Julie. Every year right after Thanksgiving during our family business portion, Julie would ask, “What is our Family service project going to be this year?” Julie always made sure that we were looking to help and serve others. One year after Julie asked this question, my Mom realized she was visit teaching a family that could use a little help for Christmas. A company my Dad did work with gave us a Tree from the Festival of Trees that year and we took that tree and a few gifts to this family a few days before Christmas so they could have a tree and some presents on Christmas morning. I remember the warm feeling that came as we did our small part to help out our friends in the ward.

The next to last principle of work was taught to us at a very young age in our house. As I mentioned before my mom loved having us help her do yard work as a family activity. We also had the experience of having my Dad’s business in our home. This gave us many chances to learn to work. My Dad, tunes and fixes organs in churches. During the summers I would work for my Dad and learn from him that the smallest details matter and that you do a job the right way and not cut corners. Because of him I learned that if you want to work hard, you’re the first one there and you’re the last one to leave and you do your best throughout the whole process.

The last principle of having a successful family according to the proclamation to the world on the family is to have wholesome recreational activities. I’ve probably covered this enough by explaining our Monday night activities. The best thing I could say is do this. Our family didn’t have much money to spend on activities, but they gave their time. President Monson put it best:

“So frequently we mistakenly believe that our children need more things, when in reality their silent pleadings are simply for more of our time. The accumulation of wealth or the multiplication of assets bellies the Master’s teaching:

Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal:

For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”

President Ezra Taft Benson stated it this way: “Families must spend more time together in work and recreation. Family Home Evenings should be scheduled once a week as a time for discussions of gospel principles, recreation, work projects, skits, songs around the piano, games, special refreshments, and family prayers. Like iron links in a chain, this practice will bind a family together, in love, pride, tradition, strength, and loyalty.”

This tradition has made it so my family is as Alma described God’s people. A people that are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light. Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as a witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.

One final warning about our families was left to us from President Hugh B. Brown. He said we should work hard and do our best in the world. We should want to succeed at our jobs, but reminds us that worldly success can be a failure. President Brown wrote the following and titled it When Success is Failure.

“When you are doing the lower while the higher is possible, when you are not a cleaner, finer, larger man on account of your work, when you live only to eat and drink, and have a good time, and accumulate money, then success is a failure.

When you do not carry a higher wealth in your character than in your pocketbook, When the attainment of your ambition has blighted the aspirations and crushed the hopes of others, When hunger for more money, more land, more houses and more bonds has grown to be your dominant passion, When your profession has made you a physical wreck—a victim of ‘nerves’ and moods, When your absorption in your work has made you practically a stranger to your family, When your greed for money has darkened and cramped your wife’s life, and deprived her of self-expression, of needed rest and recreation, of amusement of any kind, When all sympathy and fellowship have been crushed out of your life by selfish devotion to your vocation, When you do not overtop your vocation, when you are not greater as a man than as a lawyer, a merchant, a physician or a scientist, When you plead that you have never had time to cultivate your friendships, your politeness, or your good manners, When you have lost your way your self-respect, your courage, your self-control, or any other quality of manhood, then success has been a failure.”

Brother and Sisters I pray that we find time to spend with our families. I hope that every family gets the joy of having regular family home evenings. My family didn’t do many traditions but this routine was one they did do and that means so much to me. Like I stated at the beginning, many times I grabbed my blanket and pillow because I thought FHE meant time for me to take my Sunday nap. But as I look back now, I’m grateful for the lessons I learned from spending time with my family. Who else was going to teach me about my Savior, if not my family?

I bear you my testimony that this is Jesus Christ’s church restored to the earth. I know our Savior leads and directs this church today. I know Jesus Christ’s atonement is real and can change a person into something more than they ever thought they could become. I know prayers are heard and answered and I know God’s power is here on the earth through his holy priesthood. This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The 4th, the 2nd and the other 2nd

2008-07-04T12:19:00.002-06:00

Two hundred and thirty two years ago the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Two days earlier on July 2 the legislative body voted to approve the Resolution of Independence, a measure proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. On July 3, 1776 John Adams wrote his wife Abigail about how he felt the second of July should go down as a historic day.

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

We may be a few days off from what John Adams had in mind but I think we caught the spirit of the day. I told Melissa last night that I think this is my favorite holiday. Part of it is because I am somewhat patriotic and I love following the movement of our government. But I love this holiday because it's a day of celebration.

On the Fourth of July we gather as communities, families and neighbors and execute the ideas John Adams had for us. We do celebrate our Independence with parades, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations. We also get the great chance to be united. We gather together as a country expressing our gratitude to our maker for the freedoms we enjoy.

I'm grateful for the freedom of expression (it gives me a job), I'm grateful to worship as I choose, I'm grateful that those who choose can protect themselves if they so desire by buying a gun, I'm grateful that I'm guaranteed the right to due process. We have so many rights that other citizens of the world can only dream of.

To honor John Adams today I will see a show, I've helped broadcast a sports game, and tonight I will see our sky illuminated. Thank you John for paving the way for us to have a great party, but also for the hard work you gave to help give us the freedoms we enjoy today. On a side note, many believe the Declaration of Independence was signed on this day, July 4. The real story goes that the signatures we not actually on the document till August 2, 1776. I say lets have another celebration that day too!

A Whole New World...

2008-06-24T19:29:00.003-06:00

On June 11th Ms. M took a big chance on me and was married to me in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a perfect day. The night before we had a chance to have a nice dinner with family and friends and then on that wonderful Wednesday morning we were married. I never felt the "cold-feet" that men are supposed to have before a wedding. I was nervous about the unknown future that we have but I knew that the wonderful woman that I had decided to marry was the perfect woman for me. I slept a full night of sleep the night before and enjoyed the wonderful spirit that was there when we were married.

The reception was beautiful. It was fun to see so many good friends and to meet so many people that were friends of our families. I'm touched by those who traveled a far distance to come wish us well. We had friends from Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and family from Arizona come to the wedding. Thank you to all of them for making the sacrifice to be there. We both felt so touched and very loved. Thank you for you being there.

Our honeymoon was wonderful! We got to spend a little over a week in beautiful San Diego. Highlights included feeding giraffes and rhinos at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, playing with Dolphins at Sea World, a beautiful sunrise beach walk in Coronado and learning how to defy gravity while watching "Wicked" in Los Angeles. It was a great trip!

Now that we're home we've had a few days to get things settled and start our new world together. On one hand it feels very much the same. We cook together, we go to work, we watch the same movies and T.V. shows, but it also feels like a whole new world. I don't go home at the end of the night. I am home. I get to stay with the person I love the most! It's great. So while I'm doing many of the same things, I truly feel like I'm in a whole new wonderful world.

Take Ownership of Your Country

2008-05-22T20:06:00.004-06:00

Today at work I walked in on a conversation. 5 men and 1 woman were huddled around the TV watching "Ellen". The clip of the show was when John McCain was being interviewed by Ellen and she asked him about gay marriage. (Note: I don't know how to handle gay marriage, I see both sides but I just don't know what to do about it) One person in the group said "There's your next President of the United States." Someone else responds, "My President is Obama!" And another finishes the conversation with "John McCain is like Bush, he's not my President." This person says with arrogance as if they are better than everyone else in the room because they've decided that the President is not their President.

I was disgusted by this person. I looked right at them and said "Well that's all we need, someone who doesn't want to take ownership of our country."

This seems to be an ever increasing trend of people. They claim the United States but they don't claim the government. What they fail to realize is the government is the United States. You should take ownership of the government.

I don't care if you like the current President or if you completely despise him, he's your President. The people voted him into office. If you don't like him, that's fine. But create an educated reason why you don't like and have an idea of what you would like to be done different. Conversely if you do like the President let us know why. What has he done that you really feel good about.

The problem that this person who says "He's not my President!" has is that they are closing themselves to dialog. That is the thing that makes The United States of America amazing. We get a chance to have open dialog about the issues in our country. No one is going to storm down the doors and arrest us for talking about how we can make our country better. But if you just say I hate it and walk off then no ideas can be heard.

I would've loved to hear a good educated debate about why this person didn't feel John McCain wouldn't be a good president and why she thought someone else would be better. I would've found it informative and thought provoking. But they fell into a trend of just closing themselves from talking.

A word of caution to all though. When you do get a chance to have a good educational debate about the politics of America, you need to listen to the other side. It does no good to have a debate if you cannot learn from one another. It's just a lot of hot air. Listen to the other side, consider their issues and perspective. You may be surprised that you both are really saying the same thing. Then compromise, come to the middle find something that you both can live with. That really is where our country stands.

I don't think anyone is really 100% conservative or 100% liberal. We most fall somewhere in the middle. We all want lower taxes and want to help feed the homeless and there has to be a way to get both done. We just need to listen and come together. Not say polarizing comments like "He's not my President." You're closing the door on finding solutions.

The point? Take ownership of the country. Call your local lawmakers, call your U.S. lawmakers and let them know how you feel. E-mail them about issues you're concerned about. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Don't tell them they're stupid when you talk but listen and learn and understand. If you disagree, that's ok. The other person really is a good person, they just feel different than you do, that's ok, I promise. But don't just stamp your foot and say "That's not my government!" Take ownership and get involved. Our country will be a much better place if you do.

More on SB2

2008-05-16T08:47:00.002-06:00

The omnibus SB2 is now creating more problems for the Utah legislature.

The bill contains multiple bills all sewn together into one bill including a bill that gives a $4100 raise to math and science teachers in Utah. The only requirement was that the teachers had a degree in those fields to receive the raise. Now the legislature is saying some of those degrees will not qualify. Lawmakers are saying the bill is about recruiting new teachers and not paying those already in the system.

"Sen. Stephenson sponsored this bill and distinguished between ACADEMIC Math degrees and Education Math degrees, thinking that academic degrees are more competitive with other math jobs in the market, (it) makes no sense to me," said Sen. Pat Jones (D-SLC).

What it looks like is that Sen. Stephenson wanted to pass a bill that made it look like the legislature cared about Math and Science teachers during an election year but made it so it won't really give a raise to many if any teachers.

Here's one example of what the bill does. The bill states that a teacher with a mathematics degree would get the raise. But a teacher that got a mathematics education degree would not (both are issued by the college of science at the University of Utah). A person that got a mathematics degree may not have wanted to become a math teacher but a person who got a math education degree did want to become a teacher.

So the legislature is not rewarding those who really wanted to teach math rather they are trying to recruit new teachers to teach math. It seems like the legislators are missing the boat. Shouldn't they want to pay more to those who want to be teachers of these subjects? I would rather take a class from a person who wanted to be a math teacher because than from a person who just saw they could make some extra money by teaching math. But that's just me.

Ducks

2008-05-06T10:13:00.002-06:00

Saturday evening Ms. M. (my fiancee) and I took a stroll around Murray Park to kill some time before a play. It was a beautiful evening. It wasn't cold, the sunset was beautiful and the best part of the park adventure, the ducks were out to play.

Ms. M. loves ducks. She learned somewhere that ducks generally stay with their mate for life. I don't know if that is true but I like the thought of it. We started our stroll up a path that was next to the creek that runs through the park. We came upon a young girl who was feeding a Mommy duck and her chicks some bread. The girl was probably in her 2's and kept throwing the bread at the ducks instead of just tossing it in their general direction. It was cute but soon the mom duck gathered her chicks and ran for cover. One ambitious chick turned around and grabbed a final piece of bread before they ran away into the creek. It was an adorable sight to see.

We continued our adventure down the path as we noticed many other male ducks floating proudly down the creek. They'd quack and swim away from us, and Ms. M. took a moment to chase a few ducks around the park. That may have been my favorite part of the night.

The most interesting part of the walk was when we noticed a female duck shuffling her way across the sidewalk and onto the grass. She was being followed by a male duck and what looked like to be his wing-man. The first male duck seemed as though he was pursuing the female duck and getting advice of what to say from his wing-man behind him. The went around in circles, faster, slower, stop and go. They just kept following her. Then more male ducks made their pursuit of the female ducks they all flew in and started to pursue the girl. Finally they all stopped. The males circled the female and shook their tail-feathers for her. She picked the male with the best tail-feathers and he and her went off while the others flew away.

It was hilarious! I've never seen how ducks ask out a female duck before. I'm assuming that's what they did. But it reminded me so much of how that's how life for us humans is. We ask our friends for advice then we get our gall up to ask a girl out and then the competition comes in to challenge us. And if we're lucky, the girl still chooses us. It was a pure form of dating happening right before my eyes. It was a special silly moment.

In almost a month the girl that I had to stand and shake my tail-feathers for will marry me. I'm grateful for her. She makes me want to be a better person and is so kind and caring to those around her. I hope you're able to take a look at the one you love and remember the ducks. Remember you need to do a little tail-feather shaking now and again to remind them of your care for them and remember why you both are together.

Utah Lawmakers regret omnibus bill

2008-04-22T12:50:00.004-06:00

Lawmakers announced their concern for passing S.B. 2 at the Education Interim Committee meeting on Capitol Hill last Wednesday.

Sen. Pat Jones (D-Salt Lake City) was concerned that the bill made the Utah legislature look like the federal government by putting what she called "Christmas tree ornaments" on the bill.

"We talk about Christmas Tree ornaments on their bills, there were also some ornaments on this bill," said Jones.

S.B. 2 is an omnibus education bill that brought together multiple education funding bills into one bill, some of those bills had already been defeated on their own in the legislature. Sen. Howard Stephenson (R-Draper) the bill's sponsor said he regrets how the bill was handled.

"In hindsight, I hope we don't do omnibus bills in the futures," said Stephenson. "I would like to avoid them."

Gov. Huntsman signed the bill on March 20 and most of the bill's funding will take effect on July 1.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the bill may face a legal battle in the coming weeks.

S.B. 2 Highlights:
- Establishes Weighted Pupil Unit at $2,577
- Modifies funding to charter schools
- Gives Utah's teacher's a raise (aprox. $1700)
- Raises Math and Science Teachers pay by $4100

Want to be President? Better go to Harvard or Yale

2008-04-15T22:25:00.002-06:00

Found this article to be interesting from CNN.com. We all feel that the President is supposed to be one of us, defending our rights. Well here's a commentary on how the President really just isn't one of us...read here.

9 Corporations fail to report

2008-04-04T13:26:00.001-06:00

Nine corporations, including some of Utah's most politically active, failed to report campaign contributions early this year in violation of state law.

Among the missing reports were those required of ATK, Maverik and the Utah Tire Recyclers. Together the nine companies contributed more than $13,000 to candidates and office-holders last year, with much of the money going to legislative leaders.

The corporate track record for compliance with campaign contribution disclosure appears to be getting better. When The Tribune first investigated the issue in 1992, it found more than 200 corporations in violation.

The companies for which no reports were on file with Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's Office said they simply weren't aware of the requirement.

"I didn't know we were supposed to. We've given for 15 years and never done it," said Robert Jahries, of Utah Tire Recyclers Inc., which has donated over $2,750 to Rep. Neal Hendrickson, D-West Valley, since 2000 and never filed a report.

"I'm sure it was a technical oversight," said Frank Pignanelli, a registered lobbyist for the Woodbury Group, a real estate development and management company based in Salt Lake City. "This was their first year of doing anything political."

The Woodbury Group made an unreported $1,000 donation to Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.

While Utah is hard on candidates who fail to file pre-election financial disclosures - a candidate who doesn't report is removed from the ballot - enforcement for corporations is a different matter.

No company ever has been charged for a disclosure violation. The lieutenant governor's office says that's because no one has ever filed a complaint.

"The only way we would know that, is if someone reported to us that they felt like the corporation was doing something wrong," said Joseph Demma, the lieutenant governor's chief of staff.

Instead of filing charges, the office's practice has been to contact companies and ask them to file. If the noncompliance continues, the matter is turned over to the Attorney General's Office.

Under Utah's campaign donation laws, corporations are required to report campaign contributions once overall donations exceed $750 in a year. The Tribune cross-checked corporate disclosures with reports filed by candidates.

The law is designed to help bring transparency to the election process. When both sides report - the donors and the receivers of the donation - it acts as a check on accuracy.

Michael Hutchings, of Anderson Geneva Development, a politically active company that has reported $14,000 in donations since 2006, thinks the lieutenant governor's office should do a better job on informing corporations that they need to file.

"I think there's a lot of companies that make contributions, but those companies just don't know about it," said Hutchings about having to file the reports.

Demma says these companies should know to file.

"Frankly it's everyone's responsibility to know what it is you're doing," said Demma. "It's incumbent on everybody to know what is going on in this industry. If they have any question about what is going on, they should give us a call."

The Church is True

2008-03-30T11:42:00.003-06:00

At lunch one time a friend of mine who had no religious affiliation was telling me about his experience of when he attended an LDS baptism. LDS baptism's usually pretty basic. There's a large font in a church building that is filled with hopefully warm water. Then the person desiring to join the church goes into the font with a male who holds the priesthood. The priesthood holder then states a prayer and immerses the person in the water. While the person who was baptized changes their clothes it can be customary for there to be a testimony meeting.

During the testimony baring portion of the baptism service, members of the church are asked to share their testimony of the church, more importantly their belief in Jesus Christ. My friend found this portion the most interesting. What was interesting was what he took from the testimonies being stated. He looked at me and with all seriousness said: "Billy, did you know the church is true?" My friend explained that he didn't understand why the church wouldn't be true. It was a confusing phrase to him.

It is very customary for us to state "I know the church is true" in our church. It's always sounded very normal to me because I've grown up hearing it. It never dawned on me what that phrase would sound like to someone who didn't grow up in our culture. My friend worried that we had a inferior complex. He thought maybe we needed to reassure ourselves that what we were doing is true. I could see why he thought this. That is a funny statement to make.

Don't misunderstand me, I do have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith, but I may think twice now about the phrase, I know the church is true. My friend left that testimony meeting not knowing what we really believe, just that we think what we are doing is true.

On this fast Sunday when we bare our testimonies take a moment to think about what it is you are so grateful for. Bare record of our Savior and his hand in your life. Bare record of the insights you have gained from reading the scriptures. Let everyone know how the priesthood has blessed your life. In time those who hear these testimonies will know what you mean by "I know the church is true," but they'll kn0w because you showed them not just told them.

Utah's Lawmakers already hitting the big issues?

2008-03-27T17:06:00.003-06:00

The Tribune's Robert Gehrke shares this golden nugget with us from the Tribune Political blog:

Closed Door Caucus

Someone get Attorney General Mark Shurtleff on the phone! Utah legislators are trying to avoid a push to open doors yet again.

This time it's not about the closed-door caucuses the Senate Republicans held during the session. It's about their refusal -- scoffing disdain, even -- at a proposal to look at requiring new, high-tech doors on bathroom stalls.

It was brought up Wednsday as a request from Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, who asked that it be added to the list of issues the Legislature could study over the next several months leading up to the 2009 session."A constituent asks to see if they could study their proposal on restroom door designs to improve health and hygiene by changing requirements for design of the public restroom doors so users do not have to touch door parts with their hands," said Legislative General Counsel Gay Taylor, explaining Hillyard's request to legislative leaders. "It grows out of personal experience from a daughter's science project."

Senate President John Valentine looked over at House Speaker Greg Curtis, whose mouth was agape, like they were being Punk'd. Really? they asked."Yes, seriously," Taylor said. "Senator Hillyard asked us if we would add that to the master interim study."

Valentine tactfully said that maybe they could address the issue at a later meeting, after he's had a chance to talk to Hillyard and find out more about the proposal."Technology is a wonderful thing," muttered Curtis. "And with that we'll move on to the next item on the agenda."-- Robert Gehrke

Random thoughts and notes...

2008-03-26T14:31:00.005-06:00

For starters Happy Easter! What a special time to remember the resurrection of our Savior. I got to spend a very relaxing Easter Sunday with my beautiful fiance and her very loving family. I feel very blessed and look forward to many great Easter's with her. For fun the White House, since 1994, displays eggs that are decorated to represent each state and the District of Columbia. I'm a fan of the Utah Egg. Check them all out here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/easter/2008/eggsbystate/

I'm currently working on a story about corporations that have donated to candidates in the state of Utah and not reported those donations to the Lt. Governor's office. It's been a challenge to figure out who has donated and why they didn't report. Many companies have opted to not return my phone calls. Hopefully you'll see the article coming up soon in the Salt Lake Tribune and of course you'll be able to read it here on the blog. Give credit to the Lt. Gov's office, in 1993 over 200 corporations failed to report their donations, the list this year is looking more like 10. You can credit the internet making reporting a lot easier for this improvement but also you can thank the Lt. Gov's office for being proactive in keeping elections transparent.

One last note: Jazz games. I've been a Jazz fan since I was 5. I would play ball on my driveway for hours pretending to be John Stockton. I loved watching them and I would be one of the crazy people to wake up at 4 a.m. to go stand in line to buy playoff tickets. As I've grown up my obsession has gone down some but I still enjoy going to a game. The problem is they lose when I have a good seat. I've only had tickets in the lower bowl twice for a Jazz game, both from work, I can't afford $100 and up prices. The first the Jazz were playing the worst team in the NBA. They had only won 9 games that year and I thought this was a no brainer. They've got to win. The Jazz ended up losing the game by 10. Last Thursday I was offered tickets again to see the Jazz take on the Lakers. I couldn't turn them down. A chance to see one of the best players in the world, Kobe Bryant, and see the Jazz in the lower bowl, I had to go. Well the game didn't tip off till almost 9 p.m. (Thanks TNT for messing up our regular schedules) and again the Jazz blown out and never competed in the game. I've sat in the suites and upper bowl of Energy Solutions Arena many times and seen the Jazz win great games, they just seem to know when I'm downstairs, apparently in a place where I don't belong, and lose. So I pledge to all Jazz fans now, I will never sit in the lower bowl ever again, unless you give them to me for free. I can't turn away something that is free.

Lesislative Wrap-up

2008-03-06T20:51:00.005-07:00

The senate rushed to pass as many bills as possible in the final 15 minutes of the Utah State Legislative session last night. President Valentine pushed the bills through encouraging the reading clerk to read the bills faster and trying to get the senators to call out their votes faster.

"Aye, aye, aye, aye," yelled out the Senators.

Pages and interns rushed across the floor to get senators copies of bills being voted on, phones were ringing, a baby was crying, we up from press row were leaning over the ledge to watch the chaos taking place on the floor. Finally at 12:00 President Valentine banged the gavel one final time. A deep breath and then an applause. Lawmakers congratulated each other and the final negotiations that were made to get bills passed through, they cheered one another for not strangling one another despite the fact that they clearly had issues with one another. It was a sight to see. The energy was electric.

Governor Huntsman, Mrs. Huntsman and Lt. Governor Herbert came shortly after the close to congratulate the senators on their hard work and thank them for working so hard. It was a tender moment a little bittersweet. You were glad to see the session come to an end and curious to see what kinds of impact the laws passed would have. You were also sad that you wouldn't be around the energy of people making a difference.

But really did they make a difference?

I'm grateful for the raise they passed for teachers, I'm biased on that though, they did pass a law making cars safer for children. HB140, will require children 7 and younger to now ride in a booster seat unless they grow taller than 57 inches while driving in the state of Utah. SB81 received a bulk of the attention. The bill handled the immigration issues our nation is facing. The bill passed out of the session favorably but will not go into effect until July 1, 2009. The bill will make local law enforcement immigration officers. If the police didn't have enough to do, now we want them to determine if the person they just pulled over is a legally in our country. Let's just be honest about this bill. It's a race issue.

People aren't worried about Europeans coming into our country and starting a business or working at a local grocery store. They don't mind that those from Asia choose to come to our country and attend our Universities. They welcome Canadians. But if you are of Latin descent, I'm sorry, the older generation doesn't want you here. They want to sit on the boarder with their guns and make sure you stay in Mexico (http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/borderops.php).

It's wrong. Don't misunderstand me, I do think if someone wants to come into America, they should follow the rules and do what the law says. But these new laws being passed are targeted at one race. They don't even really give a solution to the problem.

Enough of my ranting, overall the lawmakers did their best to serve the residents of Utah. Yes, some questionable things were said. Yes, there were some actions taken that I wonder if they were ethical. Yes, it is terrible to drive up to the capitol building when it is snowing. But the session achieved what it is supposed to do. Help Utah's residents be happy and successful.

The Globe Theater and more approved for funding

2008-03-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Two new state liquor stores in Utah County, a new Shakespearian theater at Southern Utah and other higher education expansions passed the Senate on Wednesday.

"Booze is up in Utah County I guess," said Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Ogden.

HB5 authorizes state agencies and state universities to issue bonds to build buildings or supplement programs, acquire or exchange property and build capital using agency or institutional funds.

Highlights of the bill include the University of Utah to expand its medical center, build a parking structure and expand the business school. Utah State to build a new business building and an early childhood education research center and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be able to build new state liquor stores in Utah, Washington and Summit counties.

Speed Limit bill goes to the Gov.

2008-03-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

UDOT has received the green light to increase the speed limit on Interstate 15 to 80 mph between Nephi and Parowan.

The Senate passed HB406 Wednesday. The bill states that a vehicle cannot pass another vehicle if it cannot maintain the minimum speed limit, targeting semi trucks that pass slowly while going uphill on the interstate. The bill also will allow UDOT to increase the speed limit in less populated areas of the road. Some lawmakers were opposed to the speed increase though.

"I can take and show you 250 deaths," said Sen. Jon Greiner, R- Ogden."50 percent were the results of excessive speed."

Senator John Hickman, R-Washington, who makes the drive from southern Utah for the session, doesn't think that changing the speed limit will have an effect on safety.

"Pure speed doesn't kill anybody," said Hickman. "It's the stupidity of the driver that causes accidents."

According to Sen. Greiner the new limit will increase drivers travel time by a little more than seven minutes per hour. The bill now moves to the Governor's desk for his signature.

Texas Hold 'Em at School?

2008-03-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Texas Hold 'em tournaments at your public school? Maybe. 1SHB322 passed out of the Senate Monday stating that public schools may be used as civic centers under the direction of the school administration. The intent of the bill is to free up public schools to be used for recreation activities in the community. One senator asked if we will see Texas Hold 'em tournaments in public schools in the future.
"It is not the intent of this bill to let schools be used for Texas Hold 'em." Said Sen. Howard Stephenson, R- Salt Lake City.
Some lawmakers were concerned that the bill does not include charter schools.
"We have been told that charter schools are public schools, they ought to be treated as such," said Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Salt Lake. "I don't know why these charter schools would have any different kinds of rules than our public schools."
Stephenson said that charter schools would not be included because they are on privately owned land and that it would be unfair to force private owners to be responsible for public events.

I just wanted a 3 musketeers bar...

2008-03-03T14:22:00.002-07:00

Life on the hill has been great. The last 6 weeks have been informative and enlightening. I really have enjoyed watching the drama of the government and seeing that you can make a difference. It will take a lot of work and knowing the right people, but you can make things happen up here. That said, why can't I find my favorite candy bar? They have junk food up here. Practically everyone around is eating it. There's candy bar machines, there's a cafeteria that serves up all kinds of unhealthy food up here. I've looked high and low, asked workers and thought of leaving to go find a 7-11 to just buy one. I understand in a world of decisions about teachers pay, immigration enforcement, and protections of animals are being discussed that my want for a candy bar is very minuscule, but I really want my candy bar.

A win for antiques!

2008-02-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Antique shop owners claimed victory at the Utah State Capitol on Friday.

HB192 was substituted to exempt antique shops from having to be subject to the same procedures that pawnshops have when purchasing merchandise from the public. Under the bill the Antique shops would have to have the person they are purchasing items from be fingerprinted and keep their physical descriptions on record.

“We were concerned that our businesses would be harmed,” said Monica Zoltanski, a local antique shop owner. “We’re very satisfied with the outcome today.”

Zoltanski joined many other antique shop owners at the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee meeting to show they were against the legislation.

Zoltanski questioned why the committee would want to make the process harder for local businesses to succeed. She feared that the new procedures would scare sellers away from antique shops and push more of them to sell their items on the Internet.

“I think the legislature should be supporting small businesses,” said Zoltanski.

Shop owners were relieved to see the last minute change to the bill and hope to get back to business.

“We’re happy to see the legislative process work,” said Scott Evans, who closed his store to come speak out against the bill.

Vegas in 4 Hours?

2008-02-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Utah's House of Representatives wants to make the drive to southern Utah a little faster, passing HB406 today and sending it to the Senate.

The bill would allow the state Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit to 80 mph in certain areas between Nephi and Cedar City on Interstate 15. The bill also contains wording to encourage slower moving traffic, mainly semi-trucks passing other semi-trucks, to do so in a prompt manner. One lawmaker was concerned that upping the speed limit would be unsafe.

"It has been my observation in Utah, not only do drivers drive 5 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, I hear drivers ed teachers teach that," said Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley City.
"Are vehicles really safe at that speed, meaning 90 to 95 miles per hour?"

Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, spoke in favor of the bill, arguing the higher speed limit would make roads safer. "There's going to be less accidents," predicted Noel.

Booster Seats till your 8 now

2008-02-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

Physicians and Law Enforcement officials spoke positively to HB140 on Friday in the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. The bill would increase the age of children required to ride in booster seats from age 5 to age 8.

Representatives from Primary Children’s Medical Center and the Utah Highway Patrol spoke about how the public follows what the law is and not what might be safer, that is why they think the bill to change the age limit is a good thing.

“If that what the law is, that’s what I’m gonna do,” said Lt. Lee Parry of the UHP, speaking about parents responses when he encourages them to use a booster seat for their older kids.

One parent in the crowd felt the bill was getting involved too much into parent’s rights.
“It’s about parent’s rights, we don’t’ need the government telling us what to do,” said Dalane England, a concerned mother.” Let’s not have the legislature making decisions on how to raise our families.”

Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, agreed with England that the government doesn’t need to be telling parents what to do, but did offer to purchase booster seats for residents in his district.

“I reject the motion that government has to parent the parent,” said Wimmer. “I’ll put $1,000, to buy anyone in my district a booster seat.”

The bill, which has been in the works since last year's legislative session, passed the committee and now will move to the floor for debate.

Get Grandma Off the Road

2008-02-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

A bill aimed at taking bad drivers off the road passed the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday.

The bill is designed that a person would report a questionable driver to the Drivers License Division anonymously. The person in question would then be contacted to come down to the DMV for a driving test. If they do not pass the test they then would lose their drivers license.

“By far this is going to impact seniors more than any other group,” said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden.

Lawmakers recognized that there are other circumstances that groups other than Senior Citizens would be impacted and hope the bill will make Utah’s roads safer.

"This is just a little aid to the Divers License Division to help get some of those people off the road,” said Christensen.

Teens against Alcopops

2008-02-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

The Capitol Plaza was full during lunch hour on Wednesday with teenagers marching and chanting their support of S.B. 211. A bill that would change the definition of flavored malted beverages to a liquor and remove the drinks from grocery stores.

“Alcopops out of stores!” Chanted the students as they rounded the fountain on the plaza for more than 40 minutes.

The sweet, fruit flavored drinks look and taste like soda pop, lemonade, punch or tea. State Law classifies these drinks as alcohol and that makes them available to be sold in grocery stores. These students would like to see them moved to the liquor store.

“Alcopops are distilled spirits, they should be treated as such,” said Dax Levine, one of the student protesters.

Jr. High and High School students, mostly from the Governor’s Youth Council, were telling lawmakers that the drinks are too easy for kids to get and could lead kids to harder more serious substances.

“Who knows they could lead to something worse,” said Jamie Groesbeck another student protester.

The bill now is waiting to be debated on the senate floor.

The Immigration Debate Begins

2008-02-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

I try to arrive to committee meetings at the Capitol about 10 minutes early. I like to pick my seat, usually where there's a plug for my computer, I like watching people walk in and take their seats. It's fun to observe who is talking to who and how they react to one another and I appreciate the lawmakers that arrive on time for the meeting. With the exception of one meeting the Chair is never on time. Friday's meeting was a little different.

As I walked into the larger meeting room in the West Office Building at the Capitol Campus the tension grew. A friend of mine ran up to me and asked if I was there to watch the fireworks. I was there to cover a campaign finance bill, but what happened before my assignment was a great government meeting. The bill to be talked about was SB0081. The bill would give local police agencies the authority to act as immigration officers. It's the local government's way of taking the problem of undocumented workers in their own hands.

Many from both sides of the issue came out to speak and give their insights on what should be done. Mr. Ronald Mortenson, Utah collation on illegal immigration, "The time has come for action, I repeat action. This bill is needed now we can’t wait another year."

Robin Riggs, V.P. General Council of Salt lake chamber, "I’m here to oppose this bill, not because we don’t think this needs to be done, it just needs to be done at the right level." Riggs argued this was a Federal Government Issue not local.

Norman Davis, Utah Minuteman project, "Will this be a country of laws or country of ideas." Davis felt that we have laws and we need to enforce them as he spoke in favor of immigration laws.

The committee moved to move the bill to be debated on the Senate floor. Look for the bill to cause more controversy and probably be put on hold. I can't imagine this getting to Gov. Huntsman's desk, it's just too loaded.

What should be done? I don't know. I've thought about this some. I understand it's not fair that I'm paying taxes to provide services to someone who isn't paying taxes, but they are here. It isn't logical to pull up the buses and ship everyone back to Mexico, there needs to be change. I would like to see a law passed that provides a way for those already here to gain citizenship status, and then provides a way for those who want to come in and work a way to do so legally. That's my hope. Building 30 foot tall walls through Texas, Arizona and California is not an answer.

A New Home for the Rodeo?

2008-02-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Utah State Fairpark may finally get an indoor arena.

Rep. James Gowans, D-Tooele, said when the state condemned the old Coliseum arena in the 1990s, a promise was made to rebuild a new indoor arena at the fairpark.

Gowans now is trying to make good on that promise, requesting $10 million for the project.

The request made Monday to the Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee also has the support of the Days of '47 committee. Days of '47 is looking for a home for its annual rodeo in 2009 due to a scheduling conflict at EnergySolutions Arena with the Outdoor Retailer Summer convention. The rodeo could possibly make the Fairpark it's new home.

"I remember going to the fairgrounds with my dad to see the rodeo, this is bringing it home," said Rep. Neal Hendrickson, D-West Valley City, a Days of '47 committee member.

Lawmakers have taken no action yet on this and other funding requests.

ATV to the Grocery Store? Maybe...

2008-02-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Going to the grocery store on your ATV could happen in the future.

SB0181 would allow persons with a divers license and proper insurance to drive their off-road vehicles on state roads outside of Salt Lake County that are in cities of less than 30,000 residents. Also they can only travel on roads that have a speed limit of less than 50 mph.

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is a little concerned with the bill though.

“We don’t’ have a high comfort level with this bill,” said Linda Hull of UDOT. “We are a little bit concerned for some of the safety provisions.”

Hull worries that there could be a high disregard for traffic laws by those operating these vehicles

The bill passed the Senate Transportation Committee favorably and now continues on to the Senate floor for debate.

The End of License Plates on the Front of Your Car?

2008-02-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

One Utah legislators feel it’s time to stop penalizing automobile drivers for not having a license plate on the front of their car.

“There are those who would like to see the front plate go away entirely and I’m one of them,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.

The bill won’t get rid of front license plates entirely. The offense now becomes a secondary offense, meaning you already have to be pulled over for another infraction before you can be ticketed for not having a front license plate.

“I think this is a good compromise putting this in as a secondary offense,” said Killpack.

The bill passed committee with a favorable recommendation and now moves to be debated on the Senate floor.

Goodbye to a friend I never knew

2008-01-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

I never met President Gordon B. Hinckley. The closest I ever got to him was at the groundbreaking ceremony of The Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake in 1997. President Hinckley was so excited for the work to begin on the massive building. He gave a short talk then said: "Now, lets get to work."

He then grabbed the special golden shovel to make the first turn of dirt and then was so ready to get the project going he got members from the audience to come up and start digging with him. He didn't have any special guests help him start digging he got anyone who wanted from the audience to come up and take their turn at doing some digging. It was a memorable moment. Truly that shows what President Hinckley has meant to me in my life. He taught me that if you want to get something done you've got to get to work. He was done with all the talk, he wanted to get the building going.

Another famous lesson about work that includes him was the story of President Hinckley while on his mission. He had a hard day trying to preach the gospel and wrote home to his father saying that he felt like he wasn't accomplishing anything and that he was ready to come home. The story goes that he received a letter from his father that said he had received Gordon's letter and that he was to "Forget yourself and go to work."

I know that was in the context of doing church work but it can also be taken as sound advice for anything you do in life. The workplace is full of people trying to take credit for work they didn't do or people trying to do least amount of work possible. I don't think that is how a job is supposed to be. You should forget yourself and enjoy the work you do and take pride in doing your best and giving credit to those who helped make things a great success.

I'll miss President Hinckley's sense of humor the most of all, as I'm sure most of us will. I struggle with church songs that are played on the radio every Sunday that are so dramatic and slow. It makes me think that I can't smile when I'm at church. Or that I can't smile at the fact that I'm learning more about my Savior. Luckily we've had a leader that does smile. He has helped us laugh at ourselves and realize that the gospel is here to bring us joy.

To his family I say thank you. Thank you for sharing this remarkable man with us all of these years. We are all a better people because of his presence in our lives. We all feel like we have lost a close friend this week and are ever grateful for the smiles he has brought to our life and the testimony of the Savior that he has given.

A common man with common sense

2008-01-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

He is a car guy, a swim teacher, played high school football, drives a school bus and is a legislator in the Utah House of Representatives.

He is Rep. Neal Hendrickson, D-West Valley City. He stands out in a pool of real-estate developers, lawyers, and small business owners that make up the Utah legislative body. He begins his days driving his usual school bus routes then heads to Capitol Hill to pass laws that improve the environment, make affordable housing more available, and bills that help car collectors and amateur radio hobbyists. Things that make sense he says:

“My theme on my campaign is ‘a common touch,’ take a common sense approach on most things.”

Some may raise their eyebrows to his common sense approach when they see he introduced a bill this session that would create another state within the state of Utah.

“It’s kind of a message thing to the leadership,” said Hendrickson. “It’s tongue and cheek.”

Rep. Hendrickson’s idea for the bill came from one of his constituents who was upset about the creation of the new east-side school district, splitting Jordan School District. The bill would only allow those in the new state vote on whether to create a new state. Everyone else in the state of Utah would be left out of the vote. It is his constituent’s way of saying that the school district vote wasn’t fair.

“We’ll see if the speaker kicks it out,” said Hendrickson about the bill’s future.

Rep. Hendrickson has concerns for Utah in the future. He says he likes the growth that is taking place but sees a need for laws that help improve our air quality.

“I’m not a real tree huger but I’m concerned about the air and whether or not we can maintain it with the growth we are experiencing,” Hendrickson said.

The representative also feels that for Utah to succeed and have more jobs, the state needs to take care of those businesses that are already established in Utah.

“Something that we could do is give incentives to businesses that are here to stay and grow,” said Hendrickson. “We need to do that because a lot of the kids that are educated here, can’t find jobs that are good paying here.”

Hendrickson, a father of four and a grandpa of five, has full support from his family in his service in the legislature.

“Everybody is really supportive to him,” said Karla Hendrickson, his wife. “We are all just proud of him.”

You'll get to know before they tow

2008-01-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Proper signage will soon be required before a car may be towed.

The House Transportation Committee passed HB275 on Friday requiring apartment complexes and trailer parks post signs warning that a violator will be towed if they park in a no parking area. The signs will also include the tow truck company’s name and phone number and a website address to a towing database.

“This bill does one thing and one thing only. If you live in a trailer park or an apartment complex, you have to have a sign to tow someone’s car,” said the Bill’s sponsor Rep. Bradley M. Daw, R-Orem.

Daw hopes the new signs will help inform drivers where not to park and help keep a car from being towed.

The Democrats are Coming!

2008-01-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Utah will be getting more attention from the Democratic Presidential hopefuls than ever before.

The reddest state in the union is gaining attention from candidates from both major parties thanks to an initiative to move the primary election date to the first Tuesday in February.

“The initiative to have a Western Presidential Primary, that started with the Western Caucus of the DNC in 1986, is paying off,” said Todd Taylor, Executive Director of the Utah Democratic Party. “Utah’s timing is as good as possible. The February 5, 2008 presidential primary election is before any candidate is realistically expected to secure the nomination unless someone claims huge momentum coming out of the very early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.”

Utah’s timing is paying off with visits from the major candidates early in the race. Mitt Romney has been to Utah multiple times, Sen. Clinton sent her husband to raise money and gain support for her campaign, John McCain has done some fundraising in Utah, and Barack Obama looks to be the most active democrat in the state by opening a field office with a full-time staffer working here.

"We have a huge grassroots group here in Utah," said Raul Alvillar, Obama's state director for Arizona to The Salt Lake Tribune. "Just because the state is red, doesn't mean there aren't Democrats there."

According to the National Atlas of the United States a democratic president has not won in Utah’s general election since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. That trend looks to continue in 2008. But with the primary election date being moved up before the nomination is in anyone’s grasp the democrats see Utah as a state that needs some attention. Democrat hopefuls hope to gain some of Utah’s democrat delegates as they move closer to trying to gain the nomination at the Democratic Convention.

“Because the Utah Democrats have a proportional system for allocating delegates, as opposed to the GOP winner take all, I actually expect the fight on the Democrats side to be waged with more vigor than the Republicans will show us. That is good news for Utah Democrats. More Utahns will hear directly from Democratic presidential candidates than from Republicans,” said Taylor.

Utah Republicans aren’t seeing this as a major problem to their dominance in the state though. According to Dave Leip’s Atlas of Presidential Elections, in 1992 Bill Clinton actually finished third in Utah with only 24.65 percent of the vote. Republican Party Chair Stan Lockhart sees this as proof that the democrats still won’t have much to gain from being in Utah for the general election.

“It’s not much of an issue to republicans. It's just interesting to watch the political process in action,” said Lockhart.

What everyone is banking on is that Utahns will care about having the candidates here in Utah, but that even remains to be seen. Some residents don’t want to get to invested with one candidate just to see him or her be defeated in other primary elections.

“I guess I've always looked at elections the same way I look at basketball games: the last half is the part that's really worth watching,” said Jeff Fail, a University of Utah Student. “To vote for somebody who doesn't make it past the primaries is to be disappointed prematurely.”

Taylor, of the Democratic Party, disagrees.

“The day is finally here when Utah Democrats will have a real voice in presidential politics. It is time for us to speak up. This chance may not come again soon,” said Taylor.

Utah’s Presidential Primary Election will take place on February 5. Those wishing to participate must be registered with either major party to vote in that party’s primary or registered as unaffiliated to vote in the Democratic Primary. Utahns should enjoy getting to see the candidates pay more attention to our state than they ever have before.

“We have already seen our positioning pay off with visits from most of the frontrunners from both major political parties. While, to date, those visits have focused primarily on fundraising, I fully expect the leading candidates to start campaigning here,” said Taylor.

January could be an interesting and informative month for Utah Voters.