Our Money Is Evaporating.........

This is a very educational video about how money is related to gold.

Brigham Young Journal of Discourses: The Value of Wheat

I've been thinking of BY quote comparing wheat to gold and here it is.(update, Journal of Discourses website changed. This is from Journal of Discourses 1 pg 250, June 5th 1853)

"Were I to ask the question, how much wheat or anything else a man must have to justify him in letting it go to waste, it would be hard to answer;figures are inadequate to give the amount. Never let anything go to waste.Be prudent, save everything, and what you get more than you can take care of yourselves, ask your neighbors to help you. There are scores and hundreds of men in this house, if the question were asked them if they considered their grain a burden and a drudge to them, when they had plenty last year and the year before, that would answer in the affirmative, and were ready to part with it for next to nothing. How do they feel now, when their granaries are empty? If they had a few thousand bushels to spare now, would they not consider it a blessing? They would. Why? Because it would bring the gold and silver. But pause for a moment, and suppose you had millions of bushels to sell, and could sell it for twenty dollars per bushel, or for a million dollars per bushel, no matter what amount, so that you sell all your wheat,and transport it out of the country, and you are left with nothing more than a pile of gold, what good would it do you? You could not eat it, drink it, wear it, or carry it off where you could have something to eat. The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat. Gold is not to be compared with it in value. Why would it be precious to you now? Simply because you could get gold for it? Gold is good for nothing,only as men value it. It is no better than a piece of iron, a piece of limestone,or a piece of sandstone, and it is not half so good as the soil from which we raise our wheat, and other necessaries of life. The children of men love it, they lust after it, are greedy for it, and are ready to destroy themselves,and those around them, over whom they have any influence, to gain it.

When this people are blessed so much that they consider their blessings a burden and a drudge to them, you may always calculate on a cricket war,a grasshopper war, a drought, too much rain, or something else to make the scales preponderate the other way. This people have been blessed too much,so that they have not known what to do with their blessings."

It's a bit different when looked at in context. He is saying that we are fools to make the pursuit of gold (not just money- but specifically gold) our safety net. I'd say that in the years to come, he will prove to be absolutely right. When our money becomes worthless we will wish we had stored some wheat, and learned how to use it!

Modern Day Gadianton Robbers

I found a great website called the Gadianton Times. On it there is a great description of the tactics the Gadianton robbers used. Put into modern language and context (with references) it helps us see just how far down that road we have come. Here's the article. Look around the site. It's a good one.

When God Shows His Cards!

I didn't realize that Biology could be so important. But this summer it turned out to be so. When one of my kids was diagnosed with a basically harmless condition, I was able to understand the doctors explanation of the biology of the syndrome.
More important when a book about hormones fell into my hands at the exactly right time, I understood the reason for the problems I was having, and how to start to correct them. I now have a basic understanding of my DNA and the inheritance I have from my family. I understand my brothers CLL a bit better.
None of this means I suddenly know all I need to know, but I have a foundation now for understanding how to learn more and what diagrams of molecules mean, and how the body works.
I believe that the timing of this class was divinely arranged to coincide with my needs!
I love it when God shows his cards!

Timeless Wisdom

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Politically Lost

Not having a candidate to be enthusiastic about has left me feeling lost. I am scared enough by Obama and his ilk, that I will hold my nose and vote McCain. Hey I can always hope we end up with Sara Palin right? I am lukewarm about my local congressmen who is actually quite conservative, but not real fired up and ambitious. I see that local politics is ripe for my attention. I feel like I can make more difference there anyway. I just can't help feeling like America is just lost in a heavy fog and I am right there with it.

Joe the Plumber- a Real (Harassed) American

Did the media think that we would suddenly turn away from Joe when they found out he owes back taxes? Holy cow- it made him more real to us than before!
The media is so outta touch with "fly over country" that they think we share their belief that being a slave to government is actually a good thing. Joe's difficulties with life like tax bills and licensing only endear us to him more. Here's a guy we can identify with. Between the media and the government exposing their harassment of him he becomes more and more a typical American, and we get mad!
Keep up the good work CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC,MSNBC etc!

The Great (not) Debate

Ok I watched the last presidential debate. I left it a little early to go to a debate by our local candidates for Congress. I didn't miss anything.

The only line I liked was when McCain replied to Obama's tax plan nonsense with "Hey Joe congratulations! You're rich!" He should have kept it up. It was funny. Only because it was dead on. We don't realize how much money it takes to run a small business. If 250,000 in income for a business is rich, we are all screwed! Remember, that profit has to pay a lot of expenses, and most small business are a sole proprietor. That means that the business income is also personal income. I was frankly put to sleep by the debate. Real debate in America is no longer tolerated. Either our eyes glaze over at the complexities of real issues, or we see partisanship and mud slinging. All I know is that American's better wake up a smell the manure soon or we are really in for a rough ride.

Pillage by Obert Skye

Ok, I love this author's name. What a unique and eye catching name! His book Pillage was a hit with my teenage son. This story is about dragons, and if you are a mom like me who is sick of books about dragons, this book really puts them in a minor role. They are a tool to teach a great lesson. The main character, a fifteen and three quarters year old boy, gets himself in trouble a lot. At the risk of a spoiler I will tell you the moral of this story is that kids are easily manipulated by their penchant for rebellion.
Pillage is a quick read and clean. The graphic of the dragon on the cover is beautiful, but again that repelled me more than attracted me. I was sick of my son's dragon obsession. I picked up Pillage because the summary said it was a family history mystery type story. It was, but the family history was a minor element- just typical of fantasy stories where the teenager inherits some power. I am intrigued enough now to try another book by this author with the cool name.
Here are the other books listed in the back cover:
Leven Thumps series
Professor Winsnicker's Book of Proper Etiquette for Well-Mannered Sycophants

Angry American

This bailout just makes me MAD! I am on of the lucky ones whose Congressmen voted against it - twice! But my Senators voted for it! Sorry America. Your just screwed. Our children have just been sold into slavery.

The worst part is that so many Congresspeople were bought off once pork was added to it. They voted against it the first time. But once it was loaded up with sugar and pork it was ok??? Hey party time how eh? And now they are hiding in their holes rather than explain themselves. Was $700 BILLION not BIG enough the first time around? We are in for a rough ride and I think this bailout has only made it worse. Get buckled in folks. Pay off your debt, save your money, stock the pantry for the future, buy clothing for your kids who will outgrow what they have now. It's not too late, but those who don't make tracks now may not make it. I started a year ago and I may not be prepared enough.
Both of these yahoo's running for president are a joke. Their is no difference and I am back to having to hold my nose and look at Sarah Palin just to think about voting for McCain! I can't believe this supposed "maverick" voted for this bill without a word about all the crap in it. I'm disappointed that Sarah Palin has not attacked this bill. I though McCain was open to disagreement.