"Prius owners have...

a cult like devotion to their cars" according to one reviewer. In addition, JD Powers says the owner satisfaction with a Prius is at an unprecedented 98%.

I went to hybridcars.com and took a little test to see how we did comparing the Avalon to the Prius. Driving 12K miles per year our green house gas, C02 emissions, are reduced from 10,264 pounds to 4893. We will do better than that as the mpg for the test Prius was 46 and we get 49-50.

R's enjoy their SUV's maybe.

A recent survey completed about hybrid car owners discloses the following:

•Are twice as likely to say they go skiing, hiking or practice yoga than non-hybrid owners.

•Eat more organic food and drink more decaffeinated coffee than the general population.

•Say they are savvy when it comes to computers, mobile phones and digital electronics.

•Lean, politically, away from the right, with 14 percent Republican, 38 percent Democrat and 34 percent independent.

I believe it is also true that hybrid car owners enjoy the drive more as they drive slower, keeping the mileage 50+ in the HOV lanes.

Is there a hybrid in your future? and Martha

We drove our green, (red), Prius from Centerville to Green River Utah last night on regular, 85 octane, gas and averaged 54+ mpg. We drove above the speed limit especially in the HOV lane but many people in their SUV's and trucks sped around us at much higher speeds.

We continue to Monticello today. Who knows maybe we will make the whole trip on one tank. We saw that Prius sales were up 38% in CA on 2007 over 2006.

Just an update as we concluded our trip... Our total for the entire drive was 52.6 MPG.

The reason we we went to Monticello was to visit Martha and Kelly before they leave for the John Wayne Cancer Institute. As some of you know Martha had half her liver removed because of melanomas. She was able to keep half and it regenerates in time she told us. She has had chemo therapy which was ineffective against this type of cancer and one other type of treatment from the John Wayne Clinic. She start a new treatment regimen, and this is the last one in the doc's bag, beginning on May 1st.

We solicit your prayers importuning heaven for a miracle for her.

She is ever positive and you would not think a single thing was out of order in her life. Kelly remains stunned as any of us would be, like me, and is doing his best. They send their greetings to all.

Life on the North Coast

Having a good day here on the Mendocino Coast midst the redwoods. We rescued a sea star from a poacher at the Westport Headlands this PM. Not just any sea star but a Sunflower Sea Star. Ate lunch at Ricarda's. Gave the cash in my wallet to someone's daughter begging in the Safeway parking lot. Got excellent help from Bill, an old guy maybe 75, who works at Coast to Coast, and helped us find the right cord to plug the Ipod into the Prius. Found another guy to tell the manager what a swell employee Bill was. Maybe I will send the manager a note. Walked around the Headlands at Mendo and observed the visibility was 40' and the tide was down about three feet. Kept the Prius above 45.2 mpg. Listened to John Lennon's 'Imagine'. Did some good email work from the Branscomb office. Ripped up some back deck and moved the top soil out of the planter to the empty planter in the front. Setting up the telescope with RA after we had supper and a soak in the hot tub. Temp is 102 as usual. A hot shower ahead of time prepares me for the pain upon entry. Discovered Mars is in Gemini and will see if we can spot the red planet with our 8" Schmidt-Cass.

Dalai who?

His Highness the Dalai Lama and the Mormon situation...

Friends and family have read Buddhist and teachings from Dalai Lama over the years. Not with any serious intent I have lightly read from his teachings. In the news presently protesters are drawing attention to the unlawful Chinese occupation of Tibet, aiming toward the Beijing Olympics to lend efforts to free their homeland. Chinese riot police are smashing heads and arresting protesters yet his Highness maintains a calmness and peace not shared by the young and the rebellious of his followers.

Several years ago his Highness gave a speech at ASU and carried on some dialogue with a western physician and psychiatrist on the subject of the purposes of existence and life. The Dalai Lama like Aristotle, Henry James and Joseph Smith teaches that happiness is the purpose of life. In a quirky, from his perspective maybe, and typical western approach to things I down loaded this collaboration between Dr. Howard Cutler MD and his Eminence from ITunes. Discovery should come from meditation on some rock in the shade of a cottonwood tree in Escalante Canyon or in the redwoods near the ocean, not from an IPod, right?

So, here I am, fat, no longer 50, 60 in fact, a true blue warrior and member of the LDS Church, and advocate of same. Yet, I along with others I know close hand suffer from depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, pride or as RA can tell you just plain bad moods. Is that a condemnation of my faith to suggest my religion has failed me or my ability as a practitioner of it has been less than satisfactory?

In Jos. Smith's letter to John Wentworth he opened the door for his followers to seek after good things and we have confirmation in the 88th section of the D&C to search and to look for truth. Here is the question then, can I read the writings of the Dalai Lama and find as the introduction of the book offers "a deeper and more abiding source of inner peace"?

I would match Gordon B. Hinckley to any Lama whoever lived, the same for Spencer W. Kimball, Neal Maxwell, Henry Eyering, and more. I am not sure others are on that level in the leadership of the LDS Church to the Dalai Lama, but who is to know. I know from history and extensive readings of diaries, histories and journals we have a very glossed over and rosey picture painted for us of our Mormon past, this in terms of leadership, personalities and events.

I am going to carefully listen to, even purchase this book edited by Dr. Cutler, and determine if I can apply and learn a few good things from the experience of 2500 years of Buddhist meditation and teachings of which the Dalai Lama is the living exemplar and practitioner. There are a number of parallels already as I have started listening between the two faiths and yet very stark differences.

You be the judge if I learn anything.

Easter and Noise

Too often in my haste and given the noise of things less important in life I ignore or forget the transcendent and supernal. Gratefully this morning I caught a few bars from the Tabernacle Choir broadcast doing this number from Handel's Messiah. They are not to be found on the web but Robert Shaw will do here. It awakened in me the importance of this day, though I confess I was not impressed when I arrived at the church parking lot to see see sisters from an earlier ward hiding Easter eggs around the back of the building. I hope the children remember something more than getting candy filled eggs.

With the Deacons this morning we read from the 11th chapter of St. John wherein is told the story of Lazarus. What a remarkable event. I asked the the young men if they had seen a dog or cat lying on the road from being run over and how after a short time the remains bulge and putrify. What power, what knowledge God possesses to bring about the restoration of life for Lazarus and for all who have slept. Consider Martha's concern, (the sister of Lazarus), when she warned the Lord, "Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days."

Jesus encourages Martha to believe, to trust him. The account continues, "And when he thus has spoken he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus. come forth. And he that was dead came forth..."

Earlier, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

May we truly believe Him and Happy Easter to all of my friends and family on this most beautiful of days.

We are green but it is red!

After going to two Prius dealers we found the better deal at Tony Divino in Ogden. Driving it back to Centerville tonight on Highway 89, (the freeway was closed), we averaged 56.4 mpg. Divino was about $3k less than the 'last of the little guys' in Woods Cross. Our friends the Wrights get a $50.00 certificate for dinner at Ruby River Steakhouse for referring us to this Toyota dealership.

We are loving the car and its efficiency. Fun to watch the display. It is distracting to one's driving. We have the navigation system also which told us to turn right on 36th Street to get to Highway 89 south.

Uncle W gives a $3150.00 tax credit too.

Sweeeeeeeeet!

Scout Camp this Summer

Troop 1049 of the West Bountiful Hispanic Branch is scheduled for summer camp August 12 through the 16th. We are staying at this Forest Service Cabin in the Ashley National Forest. It was built in 1933 and is now available for rent to families and groups. The cabin is north of Vernal and features a propane stove, refrigerator, running water and a flush pottie. The cabin sleeps four though there is ample tenting room around the exterior for the boys. We discovered this place elk hunting last year and it is delightful.

This year's dates at Westport

We are leaving Centerville on Pioneer Day, July 24th, and driving to Westport. We intend to stay through August 7th and be home on the 8th again. Micky and Alain will be looking after the place while we are gone. Most likely Bruce will be back before then as well.

Let us know your plans and dates you can be there. I think we have a couple projects to work on. Another 20' of back deck could be installed. We could begin work on the store room conversion into additional living space. There is some additional painting to do. In between the work projects will be fishing, book shopping, sand castle building, beach walking, tree hugging, star gazing with with the Schmidt Cassegrain, fishing on the Trek II and maybe even some diving.

Professor Firmage wrote eloquently...

His was the letter of the week and was published in today's Tribune:

Public Forum Letter
Article Last Updated: 03/01/2008 12:49:32 PM MST

"I am impressed with the faith communities in our area in speaking out for compassion and fairness on immigration and the rights of aliens. Compassionate care for the "stranger amongst us" is central to the biblical teachings of the prophets and the parables of Jesus.

The success of Christianity was assured by St. Paul's consistent direction to move beyond parochial thought to see the universal vision, ever outward through the categorizations by nationality, ethnicity, color, servitude and gender.

Similarly, the American Constitution speaks in universal terms. The story of human rights in the 20th century, from Brown v. the Board of Education on, has moved from categories of race and color, to ethnicity, to gender and sexuality, to alienage - moving ever outward toward the vision of a common humanity. The 14th Amendment speaks of providing for equal protection of the law and due process of law not only to citizens but to "persons."

The strength of human rights in any nation may best be judged by our treatment of "the stranger." At one or another time in the human story, we all get our chance to be that stranger, the alien in our midst."

Ed Firmage
Salt Lake City


I could let my mind wander a little and imagine I was reading something written by your grandfather Hugh B. Brown, whom I and so many loved.

Thank you!

I'm a dreamer...

It has not lost its relevancy over the years, neither its beauty.

Immigrants and Crime -- Myths dispelled

To so many of my friends, our Utah Legislators, and some family members the myth of the undocumented committing crimes here in the US is without basis. Today's San Jose Mercury News carries an article of a study done by the Public Policy Institute of California. This study suggests that California's foreign-born population which makes up more than a third of the state's adults has a disproportionately small role in serious crime.

Seems these folks are here to work and staying out of trouble with the law is their goal. Among their findings:

"Foreign-born men make up about 35 percent of the state's adult male population, but they make up roughly 17 percent of the state's overall prison inmates.

U.S.-born men are jailed in state prisons at a rate more than three times higher than foreign-born men, and they are 10 times more likely to land behind bars.

Male Mexican nationals ages 18 to 40 -- those more likely to have entered the country illegally -- are more than eight times less likely than their U.S.-born counterparts to be imprisoned.

Those who entered the country when they were 1 year old or younger make up about 0.8 percent of those institutionalized.
The low crime rate among foreign-born Californians can be seen in the crime tallies for cities such as Burbank, Glendale and Norwalk, which large proportions of the state's immigrant population call home.

From 2000 to 2005, those cities experienced crime dips far greater than cities with smaller immigrant populations.
Butcher said the report shows, among other things, that "spending more money to increase penalties against criminal immigrants will have little impact on public safety."

So if you have been one of many perpetuating these bigoted myths maybe it is time to step back and change your views.

My heart aches for the Danzigs...

In today's Trib there is a fine article by Peggy Fletcher Stack over a courageous couple forced to resign their membership in the LDS Church because of their opposition to the church's ban on gay marriage.

I really had hoped the September Six would be the last of these kinds of things. I guess I wished in vain. The forces for uniformity are alive and very powerful in quelling dissent it seems.

We have all lost something with the passing of the Danzigs out of our fold. I wish them my best and my respect for their courage and faith.

Michael Moore, Richard Nixon and Barack Obama

There is always something good on Michael Moore's web page. I saw this photo of from the 1960 presidential race between Nixon and JFK. It is appropriate for those unsure or who are against Sen. Barack Obama because of his so called 'lack of experience.' We can ask as MM does who had more experience than Nixon and what did it bring to the White House and America?

Maybe intelligence, ethics, morals, and the ability to inspire and bring together a divided country are reasons to support Barack Obama.

'Waterboarding is not torture', my mother in law says...

Waterboarding is defined as a form of torture that consists of immobilizing a person on his or her back, with the head inclined downward, and pouring water over the face and into the breathing passages. Through forced suffocation and inhalation of water, the subject experiences the process of drowning and is made to believe that death is imminent.

A few notes from Wikki on this 'enhanced interrogation technique': "Waterboarding has been used in interrogations at least as early as the Spanish Inquisition. It has been used for interrogation purposes, to obtain information, coerce confessions, punish, and intimidate. Today it is considered to be torture by a wide range of authorities, including legal experts, politicians, war veterans,intelligence officials, military judges, and human rights organizations. Waterboarding gained recent attention and notoriety in the United States when the press reported that the CIA had used waterboarding in the interrogation of extrajudicial prisoners and that the Justice Department had authorized this procedure. The CIA has admitted waterboarding Al-Qaida suspects Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri."

It should be noted that 'W' did not instigate the practice of kidnapping terrorist suspects and flying them off for torture in exotic lands, neither Cheney. It was used by the Clinton Administration, yes, Hillary's husband Bill. According to insider and administration official Richard Clarke this procedure was developed by CIA officials in the mid-1990s who were trying to track down and dismantle militant Islamic organizations in the Middle East, particularly Al Qaeda. This one way ticket to torture was euphemistically called 'extraordinary renditions'.

Extraordinary renditions were operations to apprehend terrorists abroad, usually without the knowledge of and almost always without public acknowledgment of the host government…. The first time I proposed a snatch, in 1993, the White House Counsel, Lloyd Cutler, demanded a meeting with the President to explain how it violated international law. Clinton had seemed to be siding with Cutler until Al Gore belatedly joined the meeting, having just flown overnight from South Africa. Clinton recapped the arguments on both sides for Gore: Lloyd says this. Dick says that. Gore laughed and said, 'That's a no-brainer. Of course it's a violation of international law, that's why it's a covert action. The guy is a terrorist. Go grab his ass.'"

Mitt refused to disavow this form of 'enhanced interrogation' in his failed attempt to be commander in chief. Sadly, my mother in law and a number of others believe it is o.k. for us to waterboard. Us or them right? It is cleaner than other methods of torture as it leaves no bruises, maybe...

Here is one view of it by medical personnel:
"Dr. Allen Keller, the director of the Bellevue/N.Y.U. Program for Survivors of Torture, has treated "a number of people" who had been subjected to forms of near-asphyxiation, including waterboarding. An interview for The New Yorker states, "[He] argued that it was indeed torture, 'Some victims were still traumatized years later', he said. One patient couldn't take showers, and panicked when it rained. 'The fear of being killed is a terrifying experience,' he said." Keller also stated in his testimony before the Senate that "Water-boarding or mock drowning, where a prisoner is bound to an inclined board and water is poured over their face, inducing a terrifying fear of drowning clearly can result in immediate and long-term health consequences. As the prisoner gags and chokes, the terror of imminent death is pervasive, with all of the physiologic and psychological responses expected, including an intense stress response, manifested by tachycardia (rapid heart beat) and gasping for breath. There is a real risk of death from actually drowning or suffering a heart attack or damage to the lungs from inhalation of water. Long term effects include panic attacks, depression and PTSD. I remind you of the patient I described earlier who would panic and gasp for breath whenever it rained even years after his abuse."

To all of my friends and family who tell me about the 'rule of law' and to Sen. Hickman and other legislators where is your outrage over this state sponsored form of terrorism?

Hello Neighbor - Chris Buttars

How easy was it to understand the messages of Fred Rogers, AKA Mr. Rogers, for the kids and their parents who watched his shows? It was forty years ago this week that 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood' made its debut on public television. Rep. Buttars says he has spent his life working with youth. Too bad he never learned anything from Mr. Rogers.

So this is for you Chris Buttars:

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has—or ever will have—something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."

Remember Mr. Buttars, not everyone fits into your category of what is normal. Jesus tried to teach the Republicans of his day what a Samaritan was and who are our neighbors. Hope you and your friends can figure it out one day, both for you and the people you have hurt.

My Letter to the Trib

Editors,

I cannot pick up my copy of the Tribune on any morning and not read how our misguided legislature seeks to marginalize, minimalize, and add to the burdens of those who are different but live among us. They may not look exactly like me, though I like salsa better than ketchup and tortillas better than Wonder Bread. They may not share my gender orientation, but their agenda, if there is one, does not threaten my marriage, my family or my values. I am an old Mormon bishop and I cannot sit still any longer and listen to the garbage coming from the hill from our ethnically challenged and homophobic legislators. They are a threat to me and the tranquility of my life.

I ask these erstwhile champions, protectors of our freedom, our race, our morality, wouldn't the world be a better place if you just enjoyed your lobbyist paid for Jazz games and junkets to the Caribbean, and left the rest of us alone? In spite of these legislators of morality as people of Utah, who are kind, compassionate, and caring, can we not find and share the things we have in common, celebrate our differentness, enjoy that which is unique about us all as children of a loving Heavenly Father rather than marginalizing and criminalizing so many among us?

My letter to Utah Pride

Valerie,

I regret very much the efforts of our legislature to take away, minimalize, and add to the burdens of people whom I care about, but may not be exactly like me. I am an old Mormon bishop and I cannot sit still any longer and listen to the garbage coming from the hill and our homophobic legislators.

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could find and share the things we have in common rather than build barriers between any of us because of gender, race, ethnicity or religion?

My best wishes to you and your friends and thank Rep. Buttars for the motivation to make a donation to your organization.


On Feb 12, 2008, at 11:38 AM, Valerie Larabee wrote:

Dear George

Thank you so much for your recent online donation to support our work here at the Utah Pride Center! Thank you also for being an ally in our fight for acceptance and equality.

Valerie

Valerie A. Larabee
Executive Director
Utah Pride Center
355 N. 300 W.
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Work: (801) 539-8800 x 10
Mobile: (801) 403-1038
Fax: (801) 521-5215
Email: valerie@utahpridecenter.org

A letter to Rep. Barrus (R) Centerville

Dear Roger,

I am very disappointed to see your name among the "yeas" on HB 239 denying driving privilege cards to my friends. I hope you can look Paco and Lucy in the face and explain to them your rationale and how they and so many others, any of us for that matter, are benefited by your action in supporting this bigoted measure. The bill is punitive and is based on the politics of racial animosity and fear. I read the bill's sponsor, Rep Donnelson, is an active supporter of the Utah Minutemen Project.

What happened to Elder Ballard's advice to legislators to be compassionate in these matters?

In two years or less with the Democrats controlling the US House, Senate and with either HRC or Barack in the White House they will undo everything the small minds of your party in the Utah Legislature will have attempted here, should any of it actually pass the state senate. Even the likely R nominee, Senator McCain, will undo what you and others are trying to do here in Utah and Oklahoma.

I am very angry and it is difficult for me to not write hateful and mean spirited things. I find this absolutely repugnant and evil. Shame on you Roger and don't tell me again that if I knew all that you did I would have voted the same way.

Waterboarding, Mitt, Enemas and Eminem

Among friends and family I hear the phrase, “the rule of law.” This ‘rule of law’ of course is limited in scope to the current discussion of undocumented immigrants in the United States. I grant my friends, and some family members as well, the benefit of the doubt and therefore won’t call them hypocritical. If we extend this seemingly all encompassing ‘rule of law’ to other areas of politics, government, and public debate maybe there are others areas it should apply to. Mitt Romney is one of those, as are a few Mormons, who believes the rule of law applies to the debate on immigration alone. I disagree.

Justice Lewis Brandeis, the first Jewish member of the US Supreme Court said: "If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law." There are a number who say the detention of ‘illegal non combatants’ at Gitmo held without due process and contrary to the Geneva Convention is a blatant disregard for the rule of law. We have been the lone beacon in the world for advancement of human rights and dignity. With Abu Ghraib and now Gitmo where do we stand in the world? We have dark sites in Thailand, Uzbekistan, Rumania, and Jordan. Shaikh Khaleed Muhammad impressed his CIA torturers in Jordan for how long he could withstand the waterboarding before he broke.

Time magazine has published on the interrogations of one Guantánamo detainee, Mohamed al-Kahtani, a Saudi who may have been 20th hijacker on 9-11. According to Time: “Al-Kahtani was interrogated for as long as 20 hours at a stretch, according to the detailed log. At one point he was put on an intravenous drip and given three and a half bags of fluid. When he asked to urinate, guards told him that he must first answer questions. He answered them. The interrogator, not satisfied with the answers, told him to urinate in his pants, which he did.”

FBI agents, reporting earlier on the treatment of al-Kahtani, said a dog was used "in an aggressive manner to intimidate" him. At one point, according to the log, al-Kahtani's interrogator told him that he needed to learn, like a dog, to show respect: "Began teaching detainee lessons such as stay, come and bark to elevate his social status to that of a dog. Detainee became very agitated."

Experts in the field including candidate McCain have said such treatment is outlawed by three sources for the rule of law. The United States respected these for decades and called loudly for North Viet Nam to abide by the Geneva conventions. That is until the administration of George W. Bush. Those who have suffered in Viet Nam and other places have called for the US to observe the Geneva conventions, the UN Convention Against Torture and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The International Herald Tribune reported that detainee Kahtani was, forcibly given enemas until he hurt but was not allowed to relieve himself being chained. Officials said it was used because it was uncomfortable and degrading. The Pentagon said the procedure was medically necessary because Mr. Kahtani was dehydrated after an especially difficult interrogation session.

Water boarding, ear drum breaking rapper music, forced enemas, violent dogs, sleep deprivation, chaining in uncomfortable positions for 24 hours, and the list goes on. SECDEF Rumsfield outlined 24 of these kinds of things for the illegal enemy combatants at Gitmo. Bush, Cheney and Romney have defended these extreme measures. Where is the respect for the civil rights of others and the ‘rule of law’? Because we have broken international laws and trashed our own high moral values then is it little wonder that the world looks upon us with contempt.