Baking Liberty of Conscience into the Cake

Baking Liberty of Conscience into the Cake



When the shoe is on the other foot, or should I say when the potholder is on the other hand?  The whisk, whatever.

Freedom of Association Is Burned at the Stake in Indiana

Freedom of Association Is Burned at the Stake in Indiana



First Amendment guarantees freedom of association, right?  Read this article and see how that God-given or "natural" right might be compromised by those who are protesting the law that is already in place in 18 states and that Obama voted for in Illinois.

How movies move us...

I recently re-watched a couple of movies that I enjoyed the first time I had seen them.  I wanted to see them again and see if I could squeeze a little more out of them, a little better understanding of the story and more enjoyment.

Movies are not like books.  A physical book that we've purchased or borrowed, is like a deep pool that will wait on us to discover and/or re-discover.  We can stop reading, turn back a few pages and review, if we don't quite see the scope of the story.  If we don't "get it", we can read more carefully or choose to read another book.

With a movie, the story plows on, cutting a trail through you, proceeding merrily along its way and you hope you caught the dialogue.  You can go to the theater and see the movie six times or whatever if you have the money or a copy of the movie.  I choose carefully, what movies I watch, knowing that the images and "FX" are likely to imprint themselves on my mind in ways that a book can't do. 

Keep this thought in mind as you conduct your personal pursuit through the amazing wealth of entertainment offerings: What deserves your attention, time, and commitment?  Will the ride be so remarkable that you will want to read a book twice or watch a movie again?

I'm sure that part of the answer to that query depends on what your are looking for when you reach for external sources of entertainment.  Do you want relaxation, stimulation, political commentary, or just a good, well-written story that is crafted to make you suspend your reality?

I'm not a movie watcher in the sense of seeing a lot of movies; it's difficult for me to sit still unless I have traveled to a dedicated place, such as a movie theater.  Sometimes, there's no one at home and a movie comes on television and I'm ready to dig in for the entire time, with a snack nearby...

Such was the case when I settled down in my recliner and watched those two movies (on different days).  First movie I re-watched was "Julie and Julia". 

I can't believe that the movie came out six years ago!  When I am watching, I often have my computer in my lap (a laptop) and if I have a question, I can zip over to Wikipedia and read that Meryl Streep and Amy Adams had co-starred in two other movies.

The other movie that I recently watched was "Seabiscuit"; it is a story set in the relatively recent period of time and don't let it fool you into thinking it's just another horse story.  Horse lovers will enjoy the movie, I think, but the courage and grace of "Seabiscuit" rubs off on the people, too.

What's a movie you'd like to watch again?  What movie makes you want to go and read the book?  What movie inspires you write in your blog or rethink your dream?  Which character do you admire? 

Are movies always true to the story?  Enrich your life and have some fun.  See a movie soon! 

Movie Issues and Recommendations, Movie Reviews, etc.:

• No rated "R" for me

• The LDS Church and "R" rated movies: another view.

• Fifty Best Movies for Kids

• Mormon Guy Movie Reviews

• Movies That Stand the Test of Time?  You Decide.

Enjoying TV

The Mentalist

The Pursuit of Liberty

People who do violence, who terrorize those that are unable to defend themselves, need to know the following with certainty:

1.  They will be tracked down and found.
2.  They will face the rule of law, or the law of the land.  They will be held ACCOUNTABLE.
3.  The hope that their sentence will be commuted when they get old and sick or that they will have a hope of being set free through a prisoner exchange should be crushed by knowing that those who love peace and value freedom will not ever let it happen.

Insult to the United States?

What a horrible shame it would be if ISIS gains control of Kobani and is allowed to be just 8 miles from Baghdad Airport! This is a slam against the United States, no two ways about it. Did we really send our troops to fight and some of them to die or be seriously injured so that ISIS could rule that part of the world?

I can't believe what is happening. It's not like we don't have interests in that part of the world. It's not like many of our countrymen and women aren't from that part of the world. It's not like we haven't already invested our blood and money in that part of the world.

 Someone knows the answer to this puzzle, but my heart breaks for those who must live under tyranny for our lack of action.

Tell me that all will be well.  Tell me that evil has had its day, that we have reached the red line and protect it from being infringed upon.

• Fox News Today

• Bloomberg

• Voice of America 

• Obama's Feckless Strategy

 "If this falls, the 700, plus perhaps the 12,000 people, apart from the fighters, will be most likely massacred," de Mistura said. The United Nations believes 700 mainly elderly civilians are trapped in the town itself and 12,000 have left the center but not made it across the border into Turkey."  (REUTERS)

We are grateful for the words of a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. #ldsconf pic.twitter.com/x2VguzHfOJ

— Mormon Times (@mormontimes) October 5, 2014

Hundreds of Besieged Yazidis Evacuated in Northern Iraq - WSJ

Hundreds of Besieged Yazidis Evacuated in Northern Iraq - WSJ



I gather that the evacuation and the humanitarian efforts are somewhat complicated by Syrian Kurdis soldiers who are designated by our country as terrorists.  What's the story there?

Genealogy Roots Blog: Online Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries - Latest Additions

Genealogy Roots Blog: Online Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries - Latest Additions



Thanks, Joe Beine!  If you were my teacher I'd bring you an apple.  Attention Beginning Genealogists:  Need a clue where to find records.  Check at this blog and follow "Online Indexes".

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino:

I am on vacation to visit family and enjoy a break from my routine and from the humidity and heat of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  My dau-in-law has a book club meeting coming up soon and she asked if I wanted to read their monthly selection.  That's how I began a journey into the mind of Ishigami, an unassuming individual who just happened to earn a living teaching math.

In the book are some situations and events that stimulated me to review the current moral standards I adhere to as opposed to the standards that Ishigami chose to follow.  A different time, a different clime, and a faraway nation with a culture unlike any other on the planet is the setting.  I can't really say much more than that without revealing the plot and story that is Ishigami's life.  I think you might find it worth reading.

I have to thank my sweet daughter-in-law for directing me to this book.  She is a hardworking person at two libraries, right now.  Libraries are amazing places and the people who work there are, often, the very person who can help you find the reading material you are looking for. 

What to Do with Those Old Family Photos, Letters, and Documents

What to Do with Those Old Family Photos, Letters, and Documents



This news reminds us that having a dedicated time and place to scan our documents will help us carry through with our goals.  Scanning your documents and photos straight to your FamilySearch account makes the chore a one-step process.  

Baker forced to make gay wedding cakes, undergo sensitivity training, after losing lawsuit | Fox News

Baker forced to make gay wedding cakes, undergo sensitivity training, after losing lawsuit | Fox News



I was under the impression that if the product or service was one not essential to life as we know it....



Stand the issue, the specific issue, on its head.  Turn it around.  While wedding cake is possibly considered an essential part of the revelry following the marriage, does it really matter who makes it?  I guess if you want the best possible wedding cake, you go to the top baker, right?  Or maybe the only one in your town who makes wedding cakes?  Would you really want to have the guy bake the cake if he didn't want to?



There are all kinds of ways to look at this.  Personally, I am not sure I would care who was ordering the cake, but then again, I might want to preserve my right to refuse.  I wouldn't be excited to be doing business with an abortionist, for example.

Because of Him

Because of Him



As many of you did, today, I attended church.  Sometimes, people who don't regularly attend every Sunday, come out on Easter.  It is always good to see old friends.  I've been "subbing" for the pianist. only right now we don't have a regular pianist or organist.  It's difficult for me as it has been many years since I had practiced my skill and I don't have a piano, right now.  I get a little nervous (stressed).



However, what a privilege it is to play the Easter anthems or maybe there just plain hymns, but to me they are anthems!  I really look forward to celebrating Christ's triumph over sin and over the grave, and from what I've heard on the news, I'm not alone.  People in the Ukraine greet each other, "He is Risen!" and I hope for them a peaceful resolution to their current challenges.



Because, Easter is all about Hope, isn't it?  Jesus Christ, we believe, gave Himself, a Sacrifice, that we might be triumphant over sin and over the grave.  Hosanna! they shouted when rode through Jerusalem.  Hosanna!  May we hold onto our faith with even greater vigor than in the past!  We are not alone and there still are thousands, and tens of thousands that Believe, all across the world.  Let that be our strength in the unity of the faith.

FGS 2014 Conference Home

FGS 2014 Conference Home

 What a wonderful way to beat the summer doldrums!  Wish I could go; I've been to one FGS National Conference and is was full of wonderful surprises.

In the wake of Kathleen Sebelius’s ouster from her job as secretary of Health and Human Services, there has emerged a debate about what the Los Angeles Times calls “Obamacare and the Sebelius legacy.”From a moral perspective, th...

In the wake of Kathleen Sebelius’s ouster from her job as secretary of Health and Human Services, there has emerged a debate about what the Los Angeles Times calls “Obamacare and the Sebelius legacy.”

From a moral perspective, th...



I find this very interesting.

What is Russia doing to Ukraine?

What is Russia doing to Ukraine?



If you want to know more about the Budapest Memorandum,  click the link.  Russia (Putin) is not abiding by the agreement.  Very subtly, for a number of years, they have been trying to undermine the agreement.  Now, it isn't so subtle anymore.

What is really happening in Ukraine (daily updates) from Nazar Bartosik

Family Before Phone – Behaviorally-Sound New Years Resolutions | Mormon Life Hacker

Family Before Phone – Behaviorally-Sound New Years Resolutions | Mormon Life Hacker



This article is worth reading.  Don't you think so?

How net neutrality fight may change your internet - CNN.com

How net neutrality fight may change your internet - CNN.com



The proposed change means that POSSIBLY, big companies will have the money to pay for big access.  Web based ".org" concerns may not be able to pay the bill, nor would state and county generated sites be able to compete.  This means that some of us who are enjoying the wide range of access currently available on the Internet, might not have the luxury of accessing our favorite, albeit, modest, non-profit sites.



Am I getting the gist here?  I am a genealogist.  The sites I love to access are not limited to Ancestry.com or other large corporations.  I frequently make use of the dot org sites or dot com sites that literally were start-ups at one time, plus other sites like FamilySearch, USGenWeb, Findagrave.com, Cyndislist.com, and so forth.  I depend on access to archival web sites often sponsored by genealogy and history societies and even by individuals.

Okay, I want to be distracted, sometimes.  Jigzone.com is one of my favorite distractions; at the same time, it is an awesome way to keep my brain active.  I don't usually use the timer function, or rather, pay attention to it.  But if you want to compete against yourself or others, go for it.  My aim is all about recreation.