"What's Wrong with the People of Utah?"

Reid asks 'What's wrong with Utahns?
By Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune

DENVER - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in an interview Thursday he takes pride in the inroads Democrats have made in the West, but is confounded by Utah's loyalty to Republicans.
"What is wrong with the people of Utah? They like where this president has taken this country?" asked the Nevada senator, who is LDS. "People in Utah need to wake up."
Reid, meeting with other Western officials noted the gains Democrats have made in Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. But Utah and Idaho remain firmly entrenched in their Republican devotion, which perplexes him.
He said Utahns should be upset about the Bush wiretap program, torture record and government spending.
"I was thinking Idaho and Utah are very much like we were [in Nevada] 10 years ago," he said. "It's hard for me to understand why [Utah is] such a Republican state. Utah should be a state that believes in what we stand for."

Seeking answers to Senator Reid's question is not an easy one. I have asked myself the same questions over the years and have found no simple answers. Maybe the answers can be gleaned from the neighbor's stockpiles of grain and food stuffs while preaching millennialism to all who would hear.

When I saw Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" and bought psychologist's Barry Glassner's, "Culture of Fear," I think I began to understand the motivational power it has. Many Americans looked to anyone non white or with an accent in the aftermath of 911 as persons not to be trusted or even as potential terrorists. In the release interview from serving my mission with my then Stake President Joseph Kjar, the conversation was dominated by the very real fear of the Black Panther Party and its founders Bobby Seale and Hughey Newton coming to Salt Lake, specifically to the temple, and causing mayhem, destruction, and death. Such never happened and as Utahns we moved on to other threats and concerns.

Others have suggested the Equal Rights Amendment was something to be feared in the Mormon cultural fabric. I have heard over the pulpit, perhaps motivated from fear, sermons on godless secularism and materialism. Family and friends have spoken to me about their fears of the gay and lesbian agendas. I am not sure what that agenda is other than some Americans trying to enjoy what the rest of us take for granted. As Senator Obama spoke of last night, something as simple as being able to visit a friend or partner in the hospital is and has been denied here in the country.

I am reading the "Massacre at Mountain Meadows". Anyone familiar with the event has been hard pressed to explain how such a thing could happen. I believe the two are tied together, the massacre of a hundred and fifty one years ago and the face of fear in Utah Mormon culture today. I think fear and distrust, unintentionally, is being propagated and continues today in the monuments honoring our past including the Legacy Theatre of the Joseph Smith Building. As much as our leaders have encouraged us to "move on" and forget the sorry deed of the Mormon militias in Southern Utah, we relive over and over again on the big screen the actions of the Missourians at Haun's Mill and Carthage Jail. It underlines the 'us and them' attitude. This diferentness has and seemingly must always exist between Utah Mormons and the world.

The authors of "Massacre" do their very best to answer this question of how good people can do something as horrible as the atrocities in the meadow near Cedar City. Let me quote a couple lines. First, the authors say there must be, "an atmosphere of authority and obedience, which allows errant leaders to trump the moral instincts of their followers." Further, they explain, "Episodes of violence often begin when one people classify another as "the other," stripping them of any humanity and mentally transforming them into enemies. Once this process of devaluing and demonizing occurs, stereotypes take over, rumors circulate, and pressure builds to conform to group action against the perceived threat. Those classified as the enemy are often seen as transgressors, even as steps are being taken against them." The authors conclude that when these conditions exist a "single incident, small or ordinary in usual circumstances may spark violence..."

Karl Rove and the White House aides of George W. Bush have mastered this understanding of fear and its motivational power in holding power for these past eight years. In Utah they have found a willing and eager audience, aided by fear monger Orrin Hatch and others. So Senator Reid, in Utah we are sadly what you have observed. We do indeed need to wake up. Aptly, we like the elephant are frightened by the mouse of social and cultural change. We opposed civil rights for Blacks because Elder Ezra Taft Benson taught us it was a tool of the Communists to bring down America. We opposed the ERA amendment to protect the virtue of our young women. We support Prop. 8 in California and oppose gay marriage. Do we shrink in fear of the gay and lesbian 'agenda', thinking our Mormon weddings will end?

Maybe we need to retire the Legacy Theatre or change the feature, forget the persecution of the past, and embrace the world as easily as our young men and women learn the languages and cultures of the many places they are sent. The enemies we have created through our demonizing, these "transgressors", might well be our own family and ward members we drive off. Truly it is time for Utah and Mormons to wake up.

More on Caffeine...

RA told me this morning she was having uncontrollable twitches in her eyelid, kept her awake last night. I used to have them as well as other muscle twitches. They have all gone away now for more than the two months since I stopped caffeine consumption. This article appeared in National Geographic about the addiction to our favorite drinks. I have to admit I was wishing for a cold Coke the other day when the temperature was 99° here.

"Caffeine Addiction Is a Mental Disorder, Doctors Say
by George Studeville
January 19, 2005

Question: What do heroin addicts who receive a daily dose of methadone have in common with people who feel they cannot function without that morning cup of caffeine?

Answer: They are tending to their addiction—keeping the physical devils of drug withdrawal at bay.

As writer T.R. Reid pointed out in his January 2005 National Geographic article, "Caffeine," researchers agree that regular caffeine use triggers a physical dependence, a mild form of addiction.

The article describes how some heavy caffeine users grow irritable, get headaches, or feel lethargic when they can't get that coffee, soft drink, energy drink, or cup of tea. (See a photo gallery of the many forms of caffeine.)

But should those effects of caffeine withdrawal be classified as a definite psychological disorder?

Yes, contends Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

Griffiths, who helped review the caffeine article in National Geographic, is a principal author of a comprehensive caffeine-withdrawal study. He hopes the report presents a strong case to include caffeine withdrawal in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Known as the DSM, the manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association. Mental-health practitioners use it to help identify conditions and treatment strategies. The next edition will be published in 2010.

In addition, Griffiths believes that the diagnosis criteria for caffeine withdrawal should be updated in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, a medical manual used by the World Health Organization.

His conclusions are based on a review of more than 170 years' worth of scientific research and published medical observations on the physiological affects of caffeine and its withdrawal symptoms.

The researchers cited 57 experimental studies and 9 survey studies to support their recommendations for including caffeine withdrawal in the DSM. Their study was reported in the October 2004 issue of the journal Psychopharmacology.

"Doctors and other health professionals have had no scientifically based framework for diagnosing the syndrome," said Griffiths, explaining why he undertook the research project.

In an interview, Griffiths said that the studies had demonstrated that people who take in as little as a hundred milligrams of caffeine per day—about the amount in half a cup of coffee—can acquire a physical dependence that would trigger withdrawal symptoms.

"Although most regular caffeine users know that caffeine is a mild stimulant, many are not aware that abrupt cessation can sometimes produce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms," Griffiths said.

The studies suggested five clusters of common withdrawal symptoms:
• Headache
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Depression or irritability
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Flulike symptoms including nausea, muscle pain, and stiffness

Griffiths said that the studies consistently indicated that at least half of regular caffeine consumers would experience withdrawal symptoms if they abstained. And, he added, that the research showed that symptoms could flare up regardless of what type of caffeine product was used.

"With regard to severity, 13 percent of people had clinically significant distress or functional impairment," Griffiths added. "At its worst, caffeine withdrawal involved missing work, canceling social functions, and going to bed with the belief that they had the flu."

The onset of symptoms, research indicated, occurred within 12 to 24 hours after stopping caffeine intake. Peak unpleasantness occurred within the first two days, but other symptoms could continue for as long as nine days.

An interesting finding of the research, Griffiths said, is that regular caffeine consumers may use it more to stave off withdrawal symptoms than to simply enjoy the product."

Best new thinker I have discovered...

What Bush Hath Wrought
By Andrew J. Bacevich
July 1, 2008 Boston Globe Op-Ed piece

FEW AMERICANS, whatever their political persuasion, will mourn George W. Bush's departure from office. Democrats and Republicans alike are counting the days until the inauguration of a new president will wipe the slate clean.

Yet in crucial respects, the Bush era will not end Jan. 20, 2009. The administration's many failures, especially those related to Iraq, mask a considerable legacy. Among other things, the Bush team has accomplished the following:

Defined the contemporary era as an "age of terror" with an open-ended "global war" as the necessary, indeed the only logical, response;
Promulgated and implemented a doctrine of preventive war, thereby creating a far more permissive rationale for employing armed force;
Affirmed - despite the catastrophe of Sept. 11, 2001 - that the primary role of the Department of Defense is not defense, but power projection;
Removed constraints on military spending so that once more, as Ronald Reagan used to declare, "defense is not a budget item";
Enhanced the prerogatives of the imperial presidency on all matters pertaining to national security, effectively eviscerating the system of checks and balances;
Preserved and even expanded the national security state, despite the manifest shortcomings of institutions such as the CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
Preempted any inclination to question the wisdom of the post-Cold War foreign policy consensus, founded on expectations of a sole superpower exercising "global leadership";
Completed the shift of US strategic priorities away from Europe and toward the Greater Middle East, the defense of Israel having now supplanted the defense of Berlin as the cause to which presidents and would-be presidents ritually declare their fealty.
By almost any measure, this constitutes a record of substantial, if almost entirely malignant, achievement.

Bush's harshest critics, left liberals as well as traditional conservatives, have repeatedly called attention to this record. That criticism has yet to garner mainstream political traction. Throughout the long primary season, even as various contenders in both parties argued endlessly about Iraq, they seemed oblivious to the more fundamental questions raised by the Bush years: whether global war makes sense as an antidote to terror, whether preventive war works, whether the costs of "global leadership" are sustainable, and whether events in Asia rather than the Middle East just might determine the course of the 21st century.

Now only two candidates remain standing. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama both insist that the presidential contest will mark a historic turning point. Yet, absent a willingness to assess in full all that Bush has wrought, the general election won't signify a real break from the past.

The burden of identifying and confronting the Bush legacy necessarily falls on Obama. Although for tactical reasons McCain will distance himself from the president's record, he largely subscribes to the principles informing Bush's post-9/11 policies. McCain's determination to stay the course in Iraq expresses his commitment not simply to the ongoing conflict there, but to the ideas that gave rise to that war in the first place. While McCain may differ with the president on certain particulars, his election will affirm the main thrust of Bush's approach to national security.

The challenge facing Obama is clear: he must go beyond merely pointing out the folly of the Iraq war; he must demonstrate that Iraq represents the truest manifestation of an approach to national security that is fundamentally flawed, thereby helping Americans discern the correct lessons of that misbegotten conflict.

By showing that Bush has put the country on a path pointing to permanent war, ever increasing debt and dependency, and further abuses of executive authority, Obama can transform the election into a referendum on the current administration's entire national security legacy. By articulating a set of principles that will safeguard the country's vital interests, both today and in the long run, at a price we can afford while preserving rather than distorting the Constitution, Obama can persuade Americans to repudiate the Bush legacy and to choose another course.

This is a stiff test, not the work of a speech or two, but of an entire campaign. Whether or not Obama passes the test will determine his fitness for the presidency.

Andrew J. Bacevich is professor of history and international relations at Boston University. His new book is "The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism." He is a retired Army Colonel and graduated from West Point. Bill Moyers recently interviewed him and the interview is available from Itunes -- Podcast.

I have followed and enjoyed the writing of Carol Lynn Pearson including her opinion piece in today's Tribune. I have copied and pasted it here.


We can change history for gay LDS
Carol Lynn Pearson
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:08/16/2008 09:22:18 AM MDT
Reading the various reviews of the new LDS Church-authorized book, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, prompts me to stand as witness for another tragic killing of a group of people in our community for which - when we have the benefit of history - we will be deeply ashamed.
The insidious thing about this killing is that we manage - though it would break our hearts to know it - to get the unfortunate ones to pick up the gun and kill themselves. I speak of the suicides of our LDS gay brothers (occasionally sisters) in a number that far exceeds the 120 members of the Fancher party.
Each victim at Mountain Meadows had walking beside him a man poised to raise his gun and shoot. History will show that the gay men of whom I speak had walking beside them a dark shadow impersonating God, a shadow that gave them misinformation about who they were, misinformation that most of us now acknowledge was both dead wrong and deadly: "Homosexuality is often caused by masturbation . . . may lead to bestiality . . . caused by selfishness . . . electric shock will set you right . . . a good woman . . . reparative therapy . . . fasting and prayer . . . you would be better off at the bottom of the Great Salt Lake with a millstone around your neck . . ."
Our current discussion of this issue reflects better science and a more generous spirit, but too many deaths continue. Gay youth attempt suicide three times more often than their straight peers. According to an article in the Deseret Morning News of April 23, 2006, Utah leads the nation in suicides of men age 15-24.
I recently received an e-mail (quoted with permission) from a woman in Utah who said, "I'm in agony over the suicide death two months ago of my youngest son, Marshall, age 25, a gay student who was a senior in chemical engineering at the U. of U. He knew all about spreading love but didn't feel enough in return to keep him going. On my refrigerator I have a package of flower seeds marked, in his writing, '5/1.' That was the day he was going to plant them. He didn't make it that long, so I'll plant them for him - next spring."
The stories keep coming: A woman in my ward just told me of two gay nephews who both took their lives; a woman in the airport recently told me of three LDS gay boys who killed themselves in her neighborhood in Bountiful.
The dozens of stories I personally know are the tip of the awful iceberg. I think of Stuart Matis, an LDS celibate gay man who shot himself on the steps of the stake center in Los Altos, Calif., as a direct result of the intense religious rhetoric around a "protection of marriage" initiative similar to the one proposed in California today.
One of the historians of Mountain Meadows, Ron Walker, says that he's "come to see the massacre as a cautionary tale in making judgments about those who are different" and that the story "is a case study in how not to apply religion and how one should apply true religion in one's own life."
I believe, with these historians, that we LDS people are hungry for the truth and that we want to apply true religion in our lives. I believe with Anne Frank that people are really good at heart and I know that there is no better heart than the Mormon heart, leader and member alike.
I believe that if the rider had reached Salt Lake in time, Brigham Young would have done what he could to avert the massacre in southern Utah. Many messengers today, of which I am one, have ridden in with reports and pleas for help regarding the ongoing self-slaughter of so many of our best and beautiful young men.
For many it is too late. For others - if you and I care enough - we can change history.
---
* CAROL LYNN PEARSON is a native Utahn who lives and writes in California. She is the author of the stage play, "Facing East," the story of an LDS couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. Her most recent book is "No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons around Our Gay Loved Ones."

I wrote a comment to the online discussion: WPLyon: 8/17/2008 9:47:00 AM
+32

As a Mormon bishop I saw first hand the pain of families and young men discovering their sexuality different than the standard. I counseled with several who viewed suicide as an option. I saw the wounds on wrists, the knife cuts. I for a time wrongly embraced Evergreen and faithfully supported their efforts with reparative therapy. It is a failure and destructive to families and individuals.

Thank you Carol for all that you have done for those who carry such burdens and how you represent those of us who care. We must end the phobia, fear of and ostracism in our Mormon culture. It is alive and well as jmm36 illustrates. Pray that you never have a son or daughter that lives with this challenge.

I wholeheartedly agree that when we have the benefit of history we will be deeply ashamed. Consider Elder Harold B. Lee who questioned the American Red Cross to ascertain if the blood bank in Utah had any blood donated by Negroes so the priesthood might remain pure and untouched by the Curse of Cain when they checked in to LDS Hospital for surgery.

Shame on us all for not doing more and doing better with what we have. Jesus was wounded for us. It is not for us to wound and hurt those who are different than the Mormon cultural ideal.

Proposition 8 as viewed by some or most of the Mormons...

"In short, if the arguments used in the war in heaven were persuasive enough to draw billions of God's spirit children away from Him, why should we not expect them to be used on the present battlefield? The same minions cast out from the Father's presence still remember what worked up there.

The stakes are critical. If same-sex marriage advocates can dilute and hollow out the central part of the Creator's plan, the whole structure collapses — the family, the nation, and in time civilization itself. The time has come for those of us who believe that God, not man, created marriage (fortunately still a majority) to take a stand and defend it.

Proposition 8 is a defining moment, a tipping point, a critical battle in our existence, melodramatic as that might sound. This is not a political sideshow. Long after the world only vaguely remembers a President McCain or a President Obama, people will continue to be affected by what happened in the California battle to protect marriage in the fall of 2008."

This came from Meridian Magazine. I have written to the editors objecting to it. The author is a California pollster, BYU graduate and Stanford PhD. His name is Gary Lawrence and the author of a forthcoming book How Americans View Mormonism; Seven Steps to Improve Our Image. He and his wife, Jan, have four children and four grandchildren.

This thinking makes me angry and challenges me as to how I can fit in this culture of fear and homophobia. If my religious faith and experience is defined by people like Brother Lawrence I would drown.

I went to Equality California and made a donation. Their web site is http://www.eqca.org/

40 DAYS...

BP is 120/80 this AM. Down from 150/90+

40 days without caffeine

No more Cokes!

A Spider's Brain on Caffeine...

True or False

Caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant with a number of positive benefits to the human body.

True – It is used both recreationally and medically to reduce physical fatigue and restore mental alertness when unusual weakness or drowsiness occurs. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system first at the higher levels, resulting in increased alertness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination, and later at the spinal cord level at higher doses. Once inside the body, it has a complex chemistry, and acts through several mechanisms.

Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. The effects of caffeine last up to three or four hours.

True - After ingestion it is distributed throughout all tissues of the body and is eliminated or removed by the liver. The half-life of caffeine—the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine consumed at a given time—varies widely among individuals according to such factors as age, liver function, pregnancy, some concurrent medications, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. In healthy adults, caffeine's half-life is approximately 3–4 hours. In women taking oral contraceptives this is increased to 5–10 hours, and in pregnant women the half-life is roughly 9–11 hours. Caffeine can accumulate in individuals with severe liver disease when its half-life can increase to 96 hours. In infants and young children, the half-life may be longer than in adults; half-life in a newborn baby may be as long as 30 hours. Other factors such as smoking can shorten caffeine's half-life.

Caffeine is hazardous to many animals.

True - While relatively safe for humans, caffeine is considerably more toxic to some other animals such as dogs, horses and parrots due to a much poorer ability to metabolize this compound. Caffeine has a much more significant effect on spiders, for example, than most other drugs do.

Caffeine increases our capacity for mental and physical labor.

True – Caffeine is an ergogenic: increasing the capacity for mental or physical labor. A study conducted in 1979 showed a 7% increase in distance cycled over a period of two hours in subjects who consumed caffeine compared to control tests. Other studies attained much more dramatic results; one particular study of trained runners showed a 44% increase in "race-pace" endurance, as well as a 51% increase in cycling endurance, after a dosage of 9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. The extensive boost shown in the runners is not an isolated case; additional studies have reported similar effects. Another study found 5.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass resulted in subjects cycling 29% longer during high intensity circuits.

Caffeine consumption is tied to serotonin levels in the brain. In the central nervous system, serotonin plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite, and metabolism.

True - A reduction in serotonin levels when caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and diminished motivation to initiate or to complete daily tasks; in extreme cases it may cause mild depression. Together, these effects have come to be known as a "crash".

Withdrawal symptoms—possibly including headache, irritability, an inability to concentrate, and stomach aches—may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake.

True - Withdrawal may peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days, representing the time required for the number of adenosine receptors in the brain to revert to "normal" levels, uninfluenced by caffeine consumption.


Caffeine dependency can result in a number of unpleasant physical and mental conditions.

True - In large amounts, and especially over extended periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis and heart palpitations. Furthermore, because caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, high usage over time can lead to peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related disorder not otherwise specified (NOS).

Excessive consumption and long term use of caffeine cause sleep disorders.

True - Two infrequently diagnosed caffeine-induced disorders that are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) are caffeine-induced sleep disorder and caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, which can result from long-term excessive caffeine intake. In the case of caffeine-induced sleep disorder, an individual regularly ingests high doses of caffeine sufficient to induce a significant disturbance in his or her sleep, sufficiently severe to warrant clinical attention. A study in the British Journal of Addiction concluded that caffeinism, although infrequently diagnosed, may afflict as many as one person in ten of the population.

Caffeine may prevent Parkinson’s Disease.

True - Several large studies have shown that caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) in men, but studies in women have been inconclusive. The mechanism by which caffeine affects PD remains a mystery. In animal models, researchers have shown that caffeine can prevent the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells seen in Parkinson's Disease, but researchers still do not know how this occurs.

Caffeine may be a ‘nootropic’ or smart drug.

True - An array of studies found that caffeine could have nootropic effects, inducing certain changes in memory and learning. However, it is still not definitely clear whether the effect is negative or positive.
Researchers have found that long-term consumption of low dose caffeine slowed hippocampus-dependent learning and impaired long-term memory. Caffeine consumption for 4 weeks also significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis compared to controls during the experiment. The conclusion was that long-term consumption of caffeine could inhibit hippocampus-dependent learning and memory partially through inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis.
Another study showed that subjects—after receiving 100 milligrams of caffeine—had increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and the anterior cingulum, a part of the brain that controls attention. The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks. However, a different study showed that caffeine could impair short term memory and increase the likelihood of the 'tip of the tongue' phenomenon. The study allowed the researchers to suggest that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but also to hypothesize that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated. In essence, focused thought coupled with caffeine consumption increases mental performance.

Used in significant amounts over time caffeine dependency results in unpleasant side effects and two 12 oz. Starbucks consumed within several hours could send you over the edge.

True - An acute overdose of caffeine, usually in excess of about 300 milligrams, dependent on body weight and level of caffeine tolerance, can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called caffeine intoxication, colloquially "caffeine jitters". The symptoms of caffeine intoxication are not unlike overdoses of other stimulants. It may include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation. In cases of much larger overdoses mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, loss of social inhibition, delusions, hallucinations, psychosis, rhabdomyolysis, and death may occur.

Caffeine coupled with analgesics such as aspirin contribute to tinnitus or ringing in the ears.

True - I went to an ENT specialist this past week and he recommended cessation of caffeine consumption. In the three weeks I have stopped consuming caffeine the ringing is still present, seems to be unchanged. I do have hearing loss associated with with the tinitis in the high frequency range.

My dose has been generally two, but sometimes three in a morning. We have bottles of Excedrin in every vehicle, suit case, brief case, and I carry them in my shirt pocket like breath mints. Never leave home with out them. For comparison here are caffeine amounts in chocolate, meds, tea, sodas and coffee:

Excedrin tablet 1 tablet 65 mg,
Chocolate, Dark (Hershey's Special Dark) 1 bar (43 g; 1.5 oz) 31 mg.
Soft drink, Coca-Cola Classic 355 mL (12 U.S. fl oz) 34 mg.
Tea, leaf or bag 177 mL (6 U.S. fl oz) 50 mg.
Coffee, drip 207 mL (7 U.S. fl oz) 115–175 mg.
Soft drink, Jolt Cola 694 mL (23.5 U.S. fl oz) 150 mg.
Coffee, Starbucks (Tall 12 U.S. fl oz) 240 mg.
Wired X344 473 mL (16 U.S. fl oz) 344 mg.

Because of the ‘rebound’ headaches I have been suffering from over the years I have gone ‘cold turkey’ with respect to all caffeine consumption, namely Excedrin and Cokes, and generally all analgesics. Chocolate still remains in my diet due to its salutary effects and simply how much I enjoy it. The headaches occur daily and some days they are worse than others causing me to take a couple Ibuprofens on Sunday. Headaches seem to run in the family and I have been, no doubt, an over medicator of Excedrin. Time will tell if the headaches decrease in the long term and any lowering of blood pressure. Haven’t checked it since I stopped consumption.

To Consume or Not to Consume...

True or False

Caffeine is a powerful pesticide.

True - Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of over 60 plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.

It is found in Yerba Mate, Guarana, the kola nut and coffee bean.

True - It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the beans of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut or from cacao. Other sources include yerba mate, and guarana berries.

Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike most other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions.

True - In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily.


High caffeine levels have also been found in the surrounding soil of coffee bean seedlings.

True - It is understood that caffeine has a natural function as both a natural pesticide and as an inhibitor of seed germination of other nearby coffee seedlings, thus giving it a better chance of survival.

Chocolate derived from cocoa and cocoa drinks contain caffeine.

True - They contain small amounts of caffeine. The weak stimulant effect of chocolate may be due to a combination of theobromine and theophylline as well as caffeine. Chocolate contains too little of these compounds for a reasonable serving to create effects in humans that are on par with coffee.

In recent years various manufacturers have begun putting caffeine into shower products such as shampoo and soap.

True – Some personal care product manufacturers are claiming that caffeine can be absorbed through the skin. However, the effectiveness of such products has not been proven, and they are likely to have little stimulatory effect on the central nervous system because caffeine is not readily absorbed through the skin.

Humans have consumed caffeine since the Stone Age.

True - Early peoples found that chewing the seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating mood. Only much later was it found that the effect of caffeine was increased by steeping such plants in hot water. Many cultures have legends that attribute the discovery of such plants to people living many thousands of years ago.

The first use of coffee to stay awake during religious services occurred about 500 years ago.

True - 15th century the Sufis of Yemen routinely used coffee to stay awake during prayers. Maybe this would help us all in those warm meetings when it is High Council Sunday.

The US Government at one time seized barrels of Coke syrup alleging it was unsafe for public consumption.

True - In 1911, kola became the focus of one of the earliest documented health scares when the US government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Justice Department attorneys alleged that the caffeine in Coca Cola was a threat to virtue and lead young women at one girl’s school down forbidden paths.

True - On March 13, 1911, the government initiated The United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula by making claims, such as that the excessive use of Coca-Cola at one girls' school led to "wild nocturnal freaks, violations of college rules and female proprieties, and even immoralities."

Congress, not happy with this progressive judge’s rule introduced bills warning Americans of the potential evil of Coca Cola.

True - Although the judge ruled in favor of Coca-Cola, two bills were introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 to amend the Pure Food and Drug Act, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on a product's label.

This concludes the first half of the true/false test. To follow will be the effects of caffeine on the body. To consume or not to consume…to be continued.

When a Child is Born

The Prius

Prius Sales, Prices Soar

Toyota has said battery and electric engine supplies will only permit them to sell 150,000 Prius in the U.S. this year.
Monday, June 30, 2008


(UPI) - U.S. supplies of the Toyota hybrid car Prius have outstripped supplies, shooting prices upward, dealers and car owners said.
A one-year old Prius -- a car that boasts a fuel rating of 48 miles per gallon when new -- now often sells for more than the original purchase price and dealers are bumping prices as much as $5,000 above the sticker price, the Dallas Morning News reported Monday.

"It's hybrid hysteria," said John Mathews managing partner of Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion of McKinney, Texas.

"Nothing else comes even close to the Prius in mileage," Sonny Morgan a managing partner of Sport City Toyota in Dallas said.

Supplies are limited due to soaring demand, but Toyota has said battery and electric engine supplies will only permit them to sell 150,000 Prius in the United States this year, the report said.

Dallas resident Amy Meaux looked for a Prius in May, the Morning News reported.

She found 10 available at one dealership. But, when she inquired again two days later, there were none left on the lot, she said.

"That's when I knew we'd have to pay over window-sticker price for the car," she said."

Looks like we bought ours at the right time.

"a total commitment..."

Saturday nights I am in a special place and enjoy my time while I am there. I raised the question of the First Presidency letter to one of my associates during a slack period. I asked him what he thought of it. His response was quick and certain, "a total commitment to President Monson in this."

It is no secret what my thoughts are on the matter. Regrettably, we don't have a great history and heritage of compassion toward those who are different. We failed to get along with folks in Oho, Missouri, and Illinois. After the Prophet's death we jumped on board with the rest of America in the disenfranchisement of all Blacks. When we came west we were not satisfied with our isolation and so we whacked a wagon train from Arkansas, saving only some of the children and babies. 'The indians did it' excuse is not substantiated by the forensic evidence from a mass grave uncovered during the reconstruction of the present monument in the Mountain Meadows near Cedar City. Church historian Richard Turley's definitive book on the subject is to be out in August and I have my name on the list for a couple copies at Benchmark. Among my numerous Latino friends I am told often of ethnic slurs with Church members and without here in Utah. Our Republican legislature has a track record of being anti immigrant in spite of the pronouncements by some General Authorities.

I wish there was a more 'live and let live' attitude among Mormons and our leadership. The commitment of Mormons to follow these instructions of this First Presidency letter will not reduce any homophobic feelings among the membership. The consequence will be anyone with a difference of gender orientation than the Mormon majority will find themselves driven further away. For those of us who have a family member or friend caught up in the Church's efforts to deny civil rights to, the rest of us all take for granted, only adds to the burden and pain we experience. Are we not acting contrary to the Savior's instruction of looking for the 'one' and inviting all to come unto Him and sup at his table? I wonder.

A Matter of Conscience

More than a few disgruntled and unhappy observers have characterized the ongoing efforts by our church leadership to gain constitutional status for key aspects of the "Proclamation on the Family" like the civil rights struggle of the 60's and the question of Blacks and the priesthood. Elder Ezra Taft benson was certain, at the time, that the Communists were intent on destroying America through the civil rights movement. We cannot use that excuse now as the Commies are gone so they cannot be backing the agenda of the GLBTG community. At the height of the civil rights movement in the 60's, the foremost scholar and theologian of the Church was Joseph Fielding Smith. He was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to more moderate President David O. McKay, the president of my youth. Asked whether there was a place for Negroes in the LDS Church, he, JFS, responded by saying, "The darkies are a good people and there is place for them in this church." Elder Harold B. Lee, who would later become President of the Church, and the decision maker during the tenure of President Joseph Fielding Smith, following President McKay's death, chastised then BYU President Ernest Wilkinson for allowing Blacks to attend BYU. He threatened Wilkinson with responsibility if his granddaughter attending BYU should become 'interested' in a colored young man. So extreme were his views that he questioned whether blood supplies in SLC for LDS Hospital were obtained from any donors of African descent. Such tainted blood carried the 'curse of Cain' apparently. Further, Harold B. Lee vowed that during his lifetime he would insure that Blacks would never receive the priesthood. The interesting conclusion one could reach about that is that he served fewer months than any other president of the church and was replaced by Spencer W. Kimball who sought and received change that came in the revelation of June 1978.

Studying the introduction, perpetuation, and conclusion of plural or Celestial Marriage in the church, I honestly believe we would or there would be a few still practicing it today had not the federal government intervened to the point of extinction of this church in causing the ending the practice. The Manifesto did not prevent President Wilford Woodruff from following a belly dancer, who performed for him in Salt Lake City, to San Francisco where he secretly 'married' her. Marriage defined as between 'one man and one woman' in the days before the First Manifesto and the Second Manifesto would have been rejected quickly and anyone advocating that would have been in jeopardy.

The recent Republican primary election in Utah and the loss of immigration moderate Chris Cannon to Jason "the Ghengis" Chaffetz, in arguably the most conservative of all congressional districts in the US, (Utah's 3rd), suggests his constituency is very much ethnically challenged as to persons of the Brown color. That district must be near 100% Mormon. The track record of our Utah legislature is equally abysmal as they introduced one bill after another to marginalize Hispanics here. There is no question from my experience and observations with Latino members there is an undercurrent in our Utah Mormon middle class culture of ethnic animosity. I believe this current of animosity, coupled with the fear of someone's activist agenda and just plain homophobic views helps us to understand what has propelled us a a church to this point, giving rise to the letter and subsequent efforts to restore the law banning Gay marriage in CA.

From my study of church history and my knowledge as a lifetime practitioner, apologist, and advocate, I would conclude the following:
1. Membership and our leadership are very slow to change, i.e. nearly 140 years in righting the wrongs of the personal prejudices grafted into church practice following the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith by his successors, principally Brigham Young.
2. Membership and the present leadership are very much influenced by the 'culture of fear' here in America. It is with uncertainty and trepidation they view and feel threatened by events such as the recent CA Supreme Court decision concerning Gay marriage. It may portend the coming wave that will sweep across the land threatening traditional marriage everywhere.
3. LDS Church leadership responds to threats, direct or implied, from state or federal governments. This battle between the forces of conservatism and 'family values' in California or any other state will not be won by any other means than a real or perceived threat to the tax exempt status of the Church. They will move quickly and stop funding efforts to support Prop 22 and like battles if there is a possibility of losing exempt status.
4. Lastly, our leaders are fallible and often speak and do so from their own experience, as I freely admit I am and do. Not always are they inspired or do they speak the 'will of the Lord'. Who can deny the off kilter doctrinal statements of Brigham Young in teaching the so-called Adam God theory? On what basis did we deny persons of color for nearly a century and a half the blessings of the priesthood?

Will change occur on this matter in the Church? Not in my lifetime, except and only unless the tax exempt status is threatened. Will writing letters to the Brethren bring about change? No. What am I going to do about it? In a private way, (as I do not want to formally compromise my status), I will support financially and otherwise, the efforts of any who would oppose the coalition, (including my church), to pass legislation such as Prop 22. I will continue to contemplate the matter and seek illumination. The process works and resolution may come.

Why vote Republican...

The ladies up in Cache Valley, (See, Hear, Speak No Evil), had this on their Blog and I borrowed it here. It is too choice not to share with everyone. Hope they do not mind.



See you somewhere in one of the aisles at Wal Mart...

The sentence has been affirmed...

The Girls are to end their existence this afternoon. Being the coward I am I cannot participate. I fed them some nice grape leaves from Margaret's vines this morning. I had RA fill their water container and food dispenser too.

No longer will they queue up to the fence or come hopping out of their house when they hear my voice. No longer will I hear their contented clucking sounds. Who ever thought chickens could become such friends?

In memory of the Girls, a piece from Mozart's Requiem:



"Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis."

Sith Lords and the Primary on Tuesday

I wrote this comment on Tyler Farrer's Davis County Watch this morning.

Tyler, who can say whether Becky is a Democrat or not. Currently, I am declared 'unaffiliated' as to my party, but I am thinking very seriously about declaring myself a Republican on Tuesday so I can vote against the slate of Republican candidates put forward by the Dark Lord Palpatine/Darth Sidious. We must put an end to the careers of so many who adhere to Sith traditions -- they who seek for power and would trample the rights of this now free, but threatened people of Utah.

Progress on the Dory

We made some great progress with the boat today. Besides doing a dry fit up of the outboard motor mount on the transom and thereby determining we need the long shaft 4 hp Yamaha, we also taped all of the exterior joints with a 12 oz. special bi-axial fiberglass cloth. Miky, one of the boy scouts, helped me tape them. You cannot see the joints because the glass becomes very clear once the epoxy resin wets it out. We are using an epoxy from a company called MAS as it is reputed to have the best barrier properties against water permeation. We will mix up some epoxy body putty tomorrow and 'fair' all of the joints we taped. Then on Weds we will cover the entire exterior hull with a synthetic glass material called Dynel. It is also woven and tougher against abrasion than fiberglass.

The outboard motor mount is stainless and raises and lowers, spring loaded. I think we can get 12-14 inches of water above the cavitation plate on the motor and that is good. We will have plenty of power to get off the lake if a storm comes up. I think a bit of a deck area, or thwart up front, would be good too if waves are high and we are pushing through them, so the water just doesn't come spilling over the bow into the boat. It means some protected storage underneath and built in flotation as well.

The plans for the 22' arrived today and it is a much bigger endeavor but very doable. We will start that after hunting season in the fall/winter. It is the Surf Scoter 22'. You can see it on an earlier post. I will be making the pilot house about 3 or 4' longer to accommodate more interior room for a sit down head and a better galley. Extending the roof back a bit so you can duck out of the rain or sun in the cockpit will be helpful.

Paul is on the right in this picture

"You are my best friend and I hope you will always remember this. I pray that our savior will forgive me and you will also."

I read a journal article yesterday in Scientific American about the catharsis of blogging and maybe an insight as to why it has become so popular in America. I think we probably all would agree with that assessment. Josh expresses that with his "Stress Filled Times of Me", doesn't he?

Today I write about my friend Paul Randall. He sent an email yesterday, maybe 30 minutes before he took his life with a gunshot to his head. The long and the short of it was that he was in pain and without hope. He had been a firefighter and EMT and a decorated one. He was my friend and my assistant in the West Bountiful scout troop and loved doing that until the pain became too great. Few parts of his body functioned in any sort of normal way. The sound of his own voice made his ears hurt. Surgery two months ago to correct the hearing only made it worse. Among other things he had Menieres disease which affected his balance, equilibrium and made him nearly constantly nauseous. In spite of everything we enjoyed a fruitful and positive relationship. We would explore the favorite places I enjoy eating in the valley. He thought the chicken on the mezedakia plate at the Other Place Cafe was the best chicken he had ever tasted in his life. That was his favorite after the Trang, dim sun at the Ahn Hang, mo mos from Shambala, and Crown Burgers. Nielsen's frozen custard was something he had never experienced until we took the boys there one night. He taught the boys how to fish, tie a hook on and cast a line. We worked on the stitch and glue boat together which he really enjoyed discovering this new process of working with wood. The boys liked him and appreciated his help and guidance with the scouting work. He was dedicated to them and they knew that.

There is a hole in my life, in all of our lives, because of his passing. Thanks Paul for being one of the best friends I ever had.

An update -- Following the funeral services yesterday his widow informed me that she had his Scout shirt buried with him in the casket, "because he loved scouting with the boys so much."

June 9th is my Dad's Birthday

I was privileged to enjoy a long association with my father because we lived next door and were involved more with the folks during their retirement years. My children were blessed to have loving grandparents so close. I am grateful for that and all I learned from them. I received the priesthood from him. I have used it and given it to my son and blessed my daughters as well. That is its nature. I have given it to others who didn't have a Dad like mine. I cherish the first Sunday I sat with him in the High Priests group. I was called to be a most junior member of the Centerville Stake High Council. For a number of years my Dad served on the Davis Stake High Council. When I was a kid we would go with Mom to hear him speak in Farmington and Kaysville.

In honor of my Dad I took RA and Em to the ice cream store here in Ft. Bragg today. Naturally, I ordered a scoop of strawberry. He was definitely a strawberry guy. When we were kids we often would take a Sunday drive that ended up with an ice cream cone, sundae, or shake, usually at the fountain at Service Drug in Bountiful. Later when Baskin and Robins opened we would take our kids and the folks would treat everyone to ice cream. Families always came before anything else including silly interpretations of rules about not shopping on the sabbath, even to buy ice cream cones. My Dad was like that. He was honest and down to earth, the most honest man I ever knew. He always told it the way it was and did not mind the use of a few good four letter words here and there. Mom used to marvel that none of us picked up on any of his bad words. He never used those words to put anyone down but they could be applied to a weather report for example. Once we were contemplating a trip somewhere and Mom asked Dad what Bob Welti had said the weather was going to be and he responded by saying. "the damn weather is going to be raining with snow in the mountains." Astonished my mother questioned whether the weatherman really said "the damn weather..."

My Dad had few hobbies other than working though he liked to fish and hunt in his earlier days with friends and some family members. He liked a nice car and I had some pretty sweet rides to drive to high school and beyond. Once a brand new Buick came home for a few days and never left. At first he told Mom it was just a "loaner". Finally, he admitted he had bought it. Our boat was acquired similarly. It was planned secretly without Mom knowing about it until the time was right and after several inspections at Otto Smith's workshop the secret was revealed.

Dad instilled in all of us a sense of duty and service. He wore his life out in doing things for others and for all of us. He was an example in many ways and there is lots more than his love of strawberry ice cream and Sunday rides that continues with us to this day.

Thanks Dad for everything and Happy Birthday!

Fence is done

Our construction and staining has been a little delayed because of a nest of small birds on one of the electrical panel boxes out back. We do not want to interfere with the mother and babies so we work a little and then come inside while the mother feeds her babies.

We have the deck now surrounded by fence so next month when the boys and dog arrive we can maintain the perimeter.

The Dory

We have finished the exterior sanding and fairing of the hull and are working on the skeg. The next step will be to tape the seams and glass the entire hull before we install the skeg. Keep in mind this is in lieu putting fiberglass on a cardboard box for a bird house to fulfill one of the requirements of the composite materials merit badge.

Still have not decided on colors or the name yet. We are learning how to do the stitch and glue process of boat construction in preparation for the 22' Pilot House Surf Scoter.