Doubt and Decisions

My desk is cluttered. My bed is cluttered. My virtual desktop is cluttered. It spills into the caverns of my mind. Unfortunately I don't have my mother to organize my thoughts like clothing in drawers as did the Darlings.


My roomates finish the third installment of Lord of the Rings which they started earlier today. A long anticipated conclusion to our three week viewing of the extended version of the trilogy. I wasn't present for the first disc, but I am present for the second. I was learning how to ski. I was playing. The Band was here for the first. My friend was here for the first but is gone for the second. To Provo. I told him not to go. 


I attended the thursday showing of Doubt: A Parable earlier this week.  A beautiful symbol of resilience and decision making. A man is ship wrecked and lost at sea. He builds a raft out of the remains, and, noting the stars, sets course accordingly. Clouds soon set in and cover the sky for twenty days. The man is worried and questions if he had read the signs properly in the beginning, if he was still on course. He looks up at the cloudy skies and begins to doubt. 


Mike Leavitt came to speak at Forum some time ago. I missed the speech but stayed for some of the Q&A. I got up to ask a question, but hesitated and some one jumped in front of me. My time had come and I had to go class. It started in just a few minutes and my bike had a flat. He responded to somebody's question before I left; he spoke on decisions: when options contract, and information ceases, the time to make the decision has come. 


We won't all make right decisions all the time. But we can often times correct the decision after it has been made. 


but was it Gollum or Sméagol that fell into that pit of boiling hot lava? 


In Rexburg. My roomates watch LOR. My friend goes down to Provo. I sit at my cluttered desk. So many pleasant distractions may be received welcomely here, as well as so many edifying activities. The Gospel is that point between the teeter and totter. The straight path that we so often cross on the diagonal. Idleness welcomes temptation but meditation welcomes revelation. Be bold but not over bearing. Be pious but not fanatic. Be proud but not . . . proud.   


More than five summer sales jobs opportunities pull on me. Work, but don't forget to play. Work, but don't forget to pray. Church is in the morning. 


May we all make the right decisions, and run with them, until we see the light. It will be there. 

For those who didn't know, and those who did.

You could forgive the american people for being a little confused.

The health care reform passed in March, 2009, and continues to instigate controversy, just as it did before its legislation. 

The plan calls for the government regulation of private health insurers and standing public health care. Some say it is the best thing Congress accomplished in fifty years, others say it is a filthy government take-over and implementation of Obama-care.

The reform consists of two bills, 1) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and 2) the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. 

The PACA passed the House of Representatives in a 219-212 vote, opposed by all 178 republicans and 34 democrats. The HCERA passed 25 Mar. 2010 by a 56-43 vote.

Together these bills mean big changes for the American people. The reform will activate gradually over a four year process.  

Over this four year activation it will expand Medicaid eligibility, provide incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibit denial of coverage based on pre-existing health conditions, and ensure that 80 percent to 85 percent of plan premiums is spent or returned to the customer. In 2014, citizens without acceptable coverage will pay a penalty of $95 which will increase yearly after that, and in 2018 a tax will be imposed on high-cost, employer-provided health plans. These taxes and penalties are designed to help the plan pay for itself in the long term. 

The reform came in response to a struggling US economy and health care system. 

As of 2008, 39 percent of government budget was going to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security (OMB), 16 percent of our gross domestic product was being spent on health care (OECD), creating the most expensive health care system in the world, and yet life expectancy in the US was only mediocre, and infant mortality was at a high 6.9 for every 1,000 (Health).

The republican party argued against abortion subsidies and the “public option” which provide a government funded public insurer to the poor. These issues were retracted.

Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America employed more than 1,299 lobbyists- that is 2.3 lobbyists for every member of congress, and spent more than $200 million fighting against this reform.








And feel free to post hate messages or rude corrections.

Livestock Center

We visisisisited the BYU-I Livestock center. Horses, cows, and sheps habitated the quaint area overlorded by bandana clad cowboys of high manly appeal. I took the road less travelled around the west, conversed with some very indecent yet private cows and discovered there are far worse things out there than yellow snow. I felt best received by the sheep, as they made for fine dreams of breaded lamb chops. I love lamb chops.

Freedom Rave

So I got a call from my man Garth from way back in the Brazilian days. He said his friend needed a photog man for his rave tonight. Its at Freedom. Coincidence. Freedom may or may not be my future place of work and I wasn't by a long shot planning to go to their rave. But money was involved so I went and was pleasantly surprised by the not badness of it. Although I couldn't imagine President Clarke there the music was edited and the dress code was generally obeyed. 

If reality were never true.

This is a little song we wrote.


In my minds eye
there's a cottage for you,
there's a creek that runs by
and reflects the sky's blue.

There's a rosy garden
and a cozy haven
big enough for me and you,
just enough for me and you.

Through the golden fields
we'll wander till dark,
then we'll chase the stars home
to our fire's red sparks

If reality
were never true,
I'd spend all my days
dreaming with you,
dreaming with you.