Lipstick...

What happens when you put lipstick on a donkey?

Megyn Kelly v. Uhhh...Duhhh

I thought this was entertaining. Just think, this dude has a job as a SENIOR EDITOR! Like most liberals, they didn't have time for the facts. Pretty embarrassing for his mom.

New Google Browser

FINALLY!! Google has created an internet browser. Is is called Google Chrome. So, if you are sick and tired of the lame Windows Internet Explorer and all of its bugs, download Chrome.

www.google.com/chrome

Food Storage Video

Wow, it has been a long time since the last post. The move has kept us busy. Here is a clip I thought many of you would find interesting:

Thomas Jefferson's Government v. Today's America

Awhile ago, I bought a book called Speeches That Changed the World. It's a neat book and this morning I read something that I thought many of you would enjoy. It is an excerpt from Thomas Jefferson's 1801 inaugural address (the entire speech is a must read for all Americans).

Here is an excerpt that I found especially relevant to our current situation in relation to how our country's government is behaving.

"Let us, then, with courage and confidence pursue our own Federal and Republican principles, our attachment to union and representative government. Kindly separated by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the globe; too high-minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen country, with room enough for our descendants to the thousandth and thousandth generation; entertaining a due sense of our equal right to the use of our own faculties, to the acquisitions of our own industry, to honour and confidence from our fellow-citizens, resulting not from birth, but from our actions and their sense of them; enlightened by a benign religion, professed indeed, and practiced in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude, and the love of man; acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence, which by all its dispensations proves that it delights in the happiness of man here and his greater happiness hereafter - with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens - a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labour the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities."

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

For All You Crazies...

I wonder if any of you have that little voice in your head screaming, "FOLD, FOLD, FOLD!!!!" anytime you see a piece of clean clothing? Well, evidently you aren't alone.

Here is an article that was in the Wall Street Journal - Excuse Me, Do You Work Here? No, I Just Need to Fold Clothes.

And, here's a video to go along with it:

Lessons from "Trouble"

Yesterday, something happened in our family that most of you can appreciate.

It started yesterday morning. We went to Target to buy a birthday present for a birthday party that was planned for later in the afternoon. While at Target, in addition to buying the present for the party, we decided to buy a new game for our family. We chose "Trouble" with the pop-o-matic bubble - a classic, simple, and fun game.

As soon as we got home, the boys wanted to play - ALL the boys. And, it wasn't long before Jared brought out the true meaning of the game's name - TROUBLE, because he was in it.

Like his dad, he is a pretty competitive person, so when he couldn't pop the number "6" to release his pieces into play, he couldn't handle it. He started wiggin' out and crying. And, not just a normal whining cry, but the kind of cry that makes you think someone just died. Jared is an emotional kid, but this wasn't normal. I told him if he didn't calm down he couldn't play. He tried to compose himself by wiping his tears and stifling his cries. His turn came again - he popped a "2" and freaked out all over again. I sent him to his room.

Rowan and I kept playing, but I was still trying to figure out why Jared was acting so funny about the whole thing.

After about 5 minutes Jared came back downstairs. I told him he could have one more chance. His first turn - a "2." His lip quivered and his face reddened, but he held it in. His next turn - a "2." That was it - here we go again! I couldn't believe it. I almost think he couldn't either. He just couldn't help it. So, up to his room he went again, this time to Rowan's chorus of "Jawed is crwing wike a wittle baaaby! Ha, ha, ha..."

While Jared was up in his room pouting, I told him he wasn't allowed to go to the birthday party because of the way he was acting. I told him he needed to figure out how to fix his mess. That killed him.

Fast forward 10 minutes. He was back downstairs apologizing and doing the things that he knew he should be doing in order to get what he wanted - the party. But, it was the kind of apology any parent can related to - the "I'm only saying this because I know if I don't I can't go to the party" apology. Nope, not what I was looking for.

The party was to begin at 4:00, but Wendy was leaving early to help set up. So, around 3:15ish, Wendy was out the door with the other 2 kids and Jared was absolutely BEGGING to go with her. He was crying and begging as fervently as I have ever seen. He wanted to go so badly. And, it was actually really tough for me to resist giving in. But, I didn't. I just told him, "No, you can't go because you haven't fixed your mess. You need to think about why you are in trouble and how you can fix it."

Silence for the next 5 minutes. I watched him from the corner of my eye, and I could see his energy changing. As he slowed down and stepped back to think about, it seemed like he realized that his actions were unacceptable. And, I think he started to feel bad about the way he acted.

Finally, he just came over and sat by me. He said he was sorry for what he did, and this time I felt like he meant it. He never again asked to go to the party. He accepted the fact that he wasn't going and realized that it was his fault.

Jared wasn't the only one who learned a lot from this. For me, this was a profound experience. I learned something as a father, but I learned the most as a son.

At one point, while Jared was crying and begging me to go to the party, I said a little prayer, asking, "What should I do? How can I teach him something right now?" I immediately had a very distinct thought come to my mind:

"Is this how my Heavenly Father feels about me at times?" That one thought led me to this -

When I go through life, am I doing things for the right reason in the right spirit? In other words, do I really understand what I am to be doing and how I should be interacting with my Father in Heaven at the deepest levels? Or, am I just doing certain things because I know they are what I am suppose to do in order to get what I want - eternal life?

My testimony was strengthened regarding the following principle - Going through the motions is never sufficient or acceptable.

Just as I didn't accept Jared's attempt to go through the motions, my Heavenly Father can't accept my behavior when I am going through the motions. He cannot consecrate it. Sure, I may be saying my prayers morning and night. But, am I really participating at the level I know I need to in order to feel His spirit and direction? Yeah, I may be reading my scriptures everyday, and feeling the Spirit while I do so, but am I constantly seeking the Spirit while I am reading in order to learn what I need to learn? Am I fasting properly? Am I serving as well as I am capable? Am I sharing the gospel as much as I should?

I need to allow Him to teach me, and the only way that can happen is if I am completely honest in my intentions. Going through the motions isn't being honest with Him - this prevents him from being able to influence my life in a pure and profound way - that is why he can't accept us going through the motions. He simply CAN'T teach us unless our intentions are pure. Had I given in to Jared when he was begging, he would have learned the incorrect lesson. I would have led him down the wrong path. Heavenly Father's role as the is to guide us on Earth, and he won't accept anything less - so, He can't accept our intentions unless they are humble and pure. Otherwise, He would be leading us down the wrong path.

Just like Jared - when his energy changed and he was honest with himself about the situation, he was teachable. And, as badly as I wanted to give in, because I knew how important it was to him, I knew it wasn't in his best interest - not until he learned from it.

Our Father in Heaven KNOWS when our intentions are pure. Surely His love leads him to feel a delicate compassion for us when we are crying and begging, but he cannot give in until we learn how to sincerely bend to His will. Then, and only then, can He bless us with whatever we need.

It is my goal to constantly scrutinize my own behavior to make sure I am not going through the motions. I need to be completely honest with my Heavenly Father. Only then can I learn from Him.

I am grateful for a son on Earth and a Father in Heaven who both taught me this lesson.

And, Jared was able to make the party.

Why Does Marriage Make Sense? Look in the garage.

Is your garage clean? Are you married? If the answer to both questions is "yes," then chances are you are happily married – If you are single and have a clean garage, you need to find a hobby.

"Huh? What are you talking about Dr. Ben?" Well, I will tell you a story to illustrate.

About 4 months ago a beautiful young woman decided that she wanted her garage to be nice, clean, and organized. She even wanted that special garage floor epoxy coating. So, Wendy Sally called to get a bid on the cost for coating her garage floor.

"Uh, yes ma'am, we have a special seasonal discount that you can take advantage of, but only if you jump on it within the next 3 SECONDS!! $2500 doll…." [click].

Sally decided that she wasn't in the mood to get bamboozled, at least not on that day. (That's not to say that the next recovering meth addict that knocks on the front door selling magazines won't have a shot. Or the next 14 year old runaway selling plastic horse toys and cap guns for $20 a pop won't find a buyer). So, she decided to talk to me her husband Sven (looks a lot like Brad Pitt).

"It's the garage. I don't think we need to worry about having a garage with a floor that we can eat off of. Let's just get some cabinets, install them, and organize the bikes and stuff." – Sven

"Yeah, but I want a nice, clean garage. There are spiders and stuff out there. I want to do all that other stuff, too, but let's also get the floor done." – Sally

"No, it's not worth it. I don't think we need to worry about that right now." – Sven

"What should we have for dinner tonight?" – Sally [Woman-Speak Translation: I will have to devise another plan of attack, but I know one thing – WE ARE GETTING THAT GARAGE COATED.]

So, the months passed and both of them didn't put too much thought into the garage, accept when they hit their shins on the crossbar of a kids bicycle. Or, when they twisted their ankle on a Razor scooter blocking the doorway. Or, when they tripped over the pile of coats laying on the garage floor from 2 months ago. Or, when it took 15 minutes to find a 2 ½ inch screw needed to hang a picture. Or, when….[going on forever and ever].

Then, one day Sven came home from the office to find all of the stuff that was IN the garage OUT of the garage in the driveway.

"I thought this weekend would be a good time to clean the garage." – Sally [Woman-Speak Translation: Ha, ha sucker. You thought I forgot about this whole project, but now you don't have a choice but to do it!]

"Wow, that's crazy you did that. I guess I don't really have a choice now." – Sven

"Yeah, and I was thinking that we could just apply that (pointing at 3 boxes of garage floor coating kits and a pressure washer) while we are at it." – Sally

"Hmmm…" – Sven [Man-Speak Translation: What the!!! What was she thinking? I had plans to do something else, anything else. Man, now I have to be out here for 3 days in the heat, and all for a garage!]

Needless to say, Sven fired up the pressure washer and went to work. After about 2 minutes of playing with the pressure washer, he began to enjoy it. It was kind of therapeutic. In fact, the entire project began to grow on him and he started getting excited about it.

3 days later, the floors were covered with a shiny new epoxy coating and the garage smelled like a new car. Sven and Sally were both happy and fulfilled with their project. Sven realized that had he not been married, he would have never done the project. So, all the credit goes to Sally except for most of the work, like the whole process of cleaning and coating the garage floor.

For a step-by-step explanation on the process of coating your garage floor, see below...

Steps To A Coated Garage Floor

Friday:

1. Wait for your wife to take most of the stuff out of the garage and leave it in the driveway, except for the heavy stuff. That's your responsibility.
   
2. Try to think of as many excuses as possible to get out of the project, then realize you are trapped like an itty-bitty mouse – a little, hungry, innocent mouse looking for cheese when all of a sudden BAM!!! – Your head is caught in a massively strong trap. MOST OF YOUR STUFF IS OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY!
   
3. You look at the pressure washer and start to realize the possibility that there may be some fun involved. But wait, wipe the drool and hold off – it's not time yet.
   
4. You have to move all the heavy stuff that your wife couldn't move out into the driveway. (NOTE: I would recommend doing this project during a mild weather month, but I would be wasting my time since you are not the one planning the project).
   
5. Okay, NOW you can fire up the pressure washer and have at it.
   
6. Let the floor dry.
   
7. Pressure wash it again! Why not? It's fun.
   
8. While the floor is still damp, pour the acid etching on the wet floor and scub with a firm brush. It doesn't take too long and you will get a nice workout on your arms and back. Not to mention the calorie burn.
   
9. Pressure wash it again! This time be sure to get all the etching rinsed off. By now, your garage floor will be clean enough to eat off of. And, it will smell pretty nice too.
   
10. Now, you have to let the floor dry. It should be completely dry before you apply the coating. Notice how I said should be completely dry. Because of the extensive pressure washing, it may take a little longer than normal to dry. (Here's hoping that mine was dry enough - there were some spots that were questionable.) If you need an excuse to watch a game on Saturday, just tell your wife that you are worried that the floor isn't dry enough yet.
    
11. As night approaches, move your valuables into the house or backyard. Tomorrow is Saturday and there will many dawn breaking garage-salers perusing the neighborhood for bargains. They may see your stuff and decide that FREE is the best bargain they will find. It may be a good idea to park your cars in the driveway to help shield the stuff.
    

Saturday:

1. If necessary, continue to let the garage dry. Depending on your climate, it may take longer. We live in a humid area, so that made a difference on drying time.
   
2. Tape off the necessary areas. (No, your wife's mouth doesn't count – kidding, of course).
   
3. Bust out the floor coating kit. We bought ours at Home Depot. It was the Rustoleum brand and the cost was around $60 per kit. Each kit is enough for a 1 car garage and has the etching, coating, and activator. I also know that Sherwin Williams has their floor coating product.
   
4. You will mix the activator into the coating and stir for 3 minutes. Then, you will want one person to start painting the edges, corners, and ledges.
   
5. While one person is working on the edges and corners, begin rolling the floor in 5x5 sections. After each 5x5 section toss the included paint chips in the air for decoration.
   

The project really doesn't take that many man hours and is easy to do. I can't believe people can charge $2500 to do a 3 car garage.

**You actually don't need a pressure washer to do this. It just makes it more enjoyable.

Family Planning

I read a great article in latest issue of LDS Living magazine. I was by the popular LDS author Marrilee Boyack.

She starts the article off with:

Few parents of my acquaintance have an actual overall plan for raising
their children. They have a vague idea that they will feed and clothe their
children and watch them until they grow big enough that the government says it’s
legal to send them out on their own. Perhaps somewhere along the line they might
teach them a thing or two. But most parents simply approach parenting on a
day-to-day basis...

To begin with The Plan, you need to start with the end in mind. Think back
for a moment to when you first left home, perhaps for college or a mission or a
job and apartment. When you moved out, what did you not know how to do? What
came as a surprise to you? I can remember several things: I had never had a
checking account, never taken care of a car, never made my own doctor’s
appointments, and on and on. Spend a few minutes and come up with a list of
things that you suddenly had to scramble to learn how to do.

It got me thinking about all the stuff I want my kids to know - IT MADE MY HEAD SPIN! And, there are some things that we all need to learn through experience. But, that still leaves ALOT of stuff that Wendy and I need to teach them. And, we can't just "run it by them" and hope they pick up on it. We have to be able teach them in a way that has impact. To me, that is the key - can we teach them how to do certain things in a way they will remember?

What types of things do you hope to teach your kids before they leave home? Things like creating a budget, opening and using a checking accout, managing a credit card properly, etc.

Click HERE for the full article.