Mormon Musings About Important Stuff: Christian Theology, Politics, History, Internet, Movies and Women
A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice. Remember that.~ King Baldwin IV [Kingdom of Heaven (2005)]
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
"Occupy Nothing's" death throes from Seattle...
I was late coming home tonight because I stopped by in downtown Seattle, Washington to witness 20 or so "Occupy Nothing" protesters- community college students, street kids, wanna-be hippies & homeless types- block the main street intersection tonight about 7:00 pm PST near the Westlake Mall by standing/sitting in the middle of the street and generally being disruptive to the evening shoppers... The police used bicycles to form a wall and force them down the road, gave two loud warnings to disperse and then 2 cops pepper-sprayed the crowd for about 15 seconds... total protest time about an hour and after they got sprayed it was over and they went away... In the end they accomplished nothing... all a bit silly if you ask me.
Labels:
Occupy Seattle,
Occupy Wall Street,
protest,
Seattle
Location:
Seattle, WA, USA
Monday, November 14, 2011
Occupy Nothing... comments on Occupy Seattle & Portland
Comments
on the violence with "Occupy Portland" and other locs this weekend... I
must state again that although I sympathize with the philosophical
intent and plight of some of the protesters (I qualify this because most
of the regulars that I have seen in these camps are homeless
street-types and undesirables), I must emphatically say that I disagree
with their methods... real and long lasting change
in America can only occur through involvement with and through the
political process itself- the key being the Vote! OK we all probably
agree that the current economic situation here needs to change! But
raging against the system, legislative apathy, violence and Anarchy are
NOT the answers... Have you seen how people live in other parts of the
world? It's not perfect here, but we are truly blessed by contrast in
America... The answer is to be a responsible citizen... "Occupy the
Voting Booth"! :|
Here's what bothers me about the Occupy Movement as seen through my personal first-hand experience with the "Occupy Seattle" group... And I realize that there may be differences in the both demographic and idealogical makeup of these "camps" in different regions of the country all which make drawing sweeping generalizations difficult... but it seems to me that there are more similarities than differences in the shared "Occupy" experience that transcends regional boundaries... effective today "Occupy Pacific Northwest"- if I may call it that- effectively died. Less than three weeks ago Occupy Seattle put their tails between their legs and voluntarily de-occupied Westlake Park. And today the police forcibly ran the Occupy Portland out of town... What we have left here now is essentially "Occupy Nothing"! It's over peeps... From a military standpoint, they have failed to hold their ground and- although there may be a few more skirmishes- the battlefield is lost... at least in this part of the country.
So what happened? I was there peeps from the beginning watching the running commentary in the GA's and it was obvious that things were crumbling before they even got started. Within days the movement polarized into two camps. One that wanted peaceful protest and one that wanted violent confrontation. The facilitators lacked sufficient experience or direction to hold the two polarized groups together. And after about three weeks on constant police pressure one fateful night the movement fractured. I was there peeps... half the movement got up in disgust and in the middle of GA walked out. They were the half that advocated violence and open confrontation with the police- many went with them... Those that were left who preached peaceful non-violent protest were badgered with resolution after resolution to give up the fight and retreat to the community college campus- they finally gave in and it was over in Seattle. Those that advocated violence and aggressive confrontation with the police got themselves arrested on purpose for publicity and some found their ways to Portland to start a new camp... In GA these same facilitators started to openly recruit volunteers whose purpose was to confront the police, to do violent things to get media attention and to put themselves to be arrested. I stood by and watched as the movement deteriorated quickly... And that led to the only outcome possible... forcible eviction from Portland. The Occupy Movement in my opinion is fatally flawed and the media is directly responsible for overstating and hyping their activities for commercial purposes... here are the youth voting stats in America and I hope they illustrate the misguided apathy of our youth involved with this movement:
Voters ages 18-29 were 21% of the electorate (41.9 million) in 2006, but comprised only 9% of Voters in Midterm Elections in 2008 [source: CBS]...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Vote NO on I-1125 - We can't afford more traffic and fewer jobs
Tomorrow is Election 2011 and a very critical initiative is on the ballot which will affect the communities in the Puget Sound/ Seattle, Washington Area for decades... the idiot Eyman is again trying to stop any transportation upgrades for Seattle... he's pushin' I1125 which effectively stops the I520 rebuild and KILLS Light Rail to the Eastside!!! >>> Vote NO on I1125 <<<... let the tolls go ahead to fund the critical highway & rail projects that will fix the horrid traffic problems we face here...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2016596951__a_new_elway_poll.html
Be
careful peeps on how this Initiative is written. Eyman is very clever
to word it in such a way as the average Joe will think he;s voting for
something good- like capping tolls... there is a play in words there...
It will KILL all road projects... pls
read it carefully and study the Initiative online before you vote...
know what the real play is here folks... he's a rouge! think about this
next time you're stuck in traffic for hours... :( VOTE NO I1125...
"Thumbs Down
Vote NO on I-1125 - We can't afford more traffic and fewer jobs
Tim Eyman is back with another dangerous initiative that would halt major transportation projects across the state and eliminate thousands of jobs just when we need them most.
No I-1125 -1125 would block funding that is critical for hundreds of construction projects, including the 520 bridge, the Columbia River Crossing, and State Routes 167 and 509. Eyman's I-1125 also threatens critical transit projects, including voter-approved light rail to East King County. This initiative would make it nearly impossible for Washington to sell toll-backed bonds, which are a critical part of the funding for transportation projects across the state.
Nearly all the campaign funding for I-1125 has come from one wealthy developer, Kemper Freeman. Freeman has dumped more than $1 million into I-1125 as a last-ditch effort to stop light rail.
More traffic and fewer jobs is not what Washington families are looking for. Vote NO on Initiative 1125.
Opposed by: League of Women Voters, Washington Environmental Council, Transportation Choices Coalition, SEIU WA State Council, Washington Conservation Voters, Cascade Bicycle Club, Sierra Club, OneAmerica Votes, Fuse Washington, The Stranger, Washington State Democrats, various Democratic district organizations, Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, Joint Council of Teamsters Local 28, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans, Cascade Land Conservancy, Futurewise, and many others." ~ Progressive Voters Guide 2011
Tim Eyman is back with another dangerous initiative that would halt major transportation projects across the state and eliminate thousands of jobs just when we need them most.
No I-1125 -1125 would block funding that is critical for hundreds of construction projects, including the 520 bridge, the Columbia River Crossing, and State Routes 167 and 509. Eyman's I-1125 also threatens critical transit projects, including voter-approved light rail to East King County. This initiative would make it nearly impossible for Washington to sell toll-backed bonds, which are a critical part of the funding for transportation projects across the state.
Nearly all the campaign funding for I-1125 has come from one wealthy developer, Kemper Freeman. Freeman has dumped more than $1 million into I-1125 as a last-ditch effort to stop light rail.
More traffic and fewer jobs is not what Washington families are looking for. Vote NO on Initiative 1125.
Opposed by: League of Women Voters, Washington Environmental Council, Transportation Choices Coalition, SEIU WA State Council, Washington Conservation Voters, Cascade Bicycle Club, Sierra Club, OneAmerica Votes, Fuse Washington, The Stranger, Washington State Democrats, various Democratic district organizations, Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, Joint Council of Teamsters Local 28, Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans, Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans, Cascade Land Conservancy, Futurewise, and many others." ~ Progressive Voters Guide 2011
Labels:
election. 2011,
Eyman,
I1125,
light rail,
Seattle,
transportation
Location:
Seattle, WA, USA
Occupy This... thoughts on the Occupy Seattle movement
I
do want to say one thing... the reality of the said Occupy movement is
overstated by the media... although I acknowledge the plight of the
common man in these hard times and even sympathize with the concept that
change is necessary, I believe that the
"Occupy Movement" is fundamentally flawed and misguided. It will never
gather any fruits of success because it ignores the basic tenant of
American democracy: The vote! The US Constitution says it best... "We
the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America."... and Article I Section
1 says: "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House
of Representatives."... Involvement IN the system is the best way to
guarantee effective and meaningful change! I've been there peeps- as an
observer at the Occupy Seattle meetings almost every evening for three
weeks now until they gave up occupying Westlake Park and moved to the local Community College- and I'm here to tell you that they are in essence a very
small group (about 15-40 depending on the day) of students, social
outcasts, vagrants, street people, one or two young moms with younger kids, and a couple of professional types...
not "We the People" by a long shot- very few of whom you would bring
home to your Mother... The core facilitator group seem to be about
seven. There are a lot of onlookers or iterate thrill-seekers like me
who may swell their numbers another 20 or so. That there is the reality!
The rest is media-hype... They have now it seems two or three that
manage 2 websites to generate the buzz... and one old guy who openly
organizes members- with everyone's blessings- to aggressively confront
the police with physical force and other acts to gain media attention...
oh yes they now have a Lawyer, a bank account and an Accountant both of
who give daily reports... you see the irony here? And where is this
going?... OMG ok I got into a short discussion with two rather
attractive 20-something Occupy protesters Friday about what they see as
the final result if anything they hope to gain from their efforts there?
They had no coherent answer. All they could agree on is that
"globalization is destroying their lives and that they have to fight
right now to bring down the government"... Ok? I asked what do you want
to replace it? And of course they had no idea... I asked if they were
registered voters and if they voted in the last election? And both said
NO!... THAT THERE IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAW with the movement peeps! They
do NOT in actuality represent the disenfranchised! They are NOT "We the People". They
represent the apathetic youth who refuse to involve themselves in our
democratic process "in Order to form a more perfect Union"... and they do
NOT understand that citizenship in the greater community has
responsibilities... Totally lame peeps... the reality is that if change is going to occur it
has to come from within the process... otherwise they're just kids
throwing a tantrum... they become just the t-shirt of the day...
Labels:
constitution,
flaw,
globalization,
Occupy Seattle,
Occupy Wall Street,
protest,
revolution,
Seattle,
vote
Location:
Seattle, WA , USA
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Mosiah 4:30
Mosiah 4:30 "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."
![]() |
| Alma baptized Helam at the waters of Mormon |
www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/bm-ssg/bm-ssg-05-mos.htm
The books in the Book of Mormon that came from the small plates of Nephi (1 Nephi–Omni) were not abridged by Mormon. He placed those plates, without any changes, with his abridgment of the large plates. Beginning with the book of Mosiah, we are reading Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi. The book of Mosiah is named for the king and prophet Mosiah who was the son of King Benjamin and the grandson of King Mosiah I, whom you read about in the book of Omni.
- Who Wrote the Book of Mosiah?
The books in the Book of Mormon that came from the small plates of Nephi (1 Nephi–Omni) were not abridged by Mormon. He placed those plates, without any changes, with his abridgment of the large plates. Beginning with the book of Mosiah, we are reading Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi. The book of Mosiah is named for the king and prophet Mosiah who was the son of King Benjamin and the grandson of King Mosiah I, whom you read about in the book of Omni.
What Can You Find in This Book?
- The Nephites in Zarahemla (Mosiah 1–8; 25–29)
- The Nephites who followed Zeniff back to the land of Nephi (Mosiah 9–22)
- Alma the Elder and his group of converts (Mosiah 23–24)
Labels:
mormon,
Mosiah,
Mosiah 4:30
Location:
West Seattle, Seattle, WA, USA
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Death is the road to awe
The Fountain | "Death is the road to awe", Clinton Darryl "Clint" Mansell, Nonesuch Records (2006). Mansell's composition for The Fountain was nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards. This is my most fav instrumentals of all times...
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Quote from The Fountain (2006):
"The Fountain's theme of fear of death is "a movement from darkness into light, from black to white" that traces the journey of a man scared of death and moving toward it. The film begins with a paraphrase of Genesis 3:24, the Biblical passage that reflects the The Fall of Man. Hugh Jackman emphasized the importance of the Fall in the film: "The moment Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, humans started to experience life as we all experience it now, which is life and death, poor and wealthy, pain and pleasure, good and evil. We live in a world of duality. Husband, wife, we relate everything. And much of our lives are spent not wanting to die, be poor, experience pain. It's what the movie's about." Aronofsky also interpreted the story of Genesis as the definition of mortality for humanity. He inquired of the Fall, "If they had drank from the Tree of Life [instead of the Tree of Knowledge] what would have separated them from their maker? So what makes us human is actually death. It's what makes us special." [wikipedia]"
Genesis 3:1-24 describes Adam & Eve's utilizing free will to disobey God and choose to partake from the Tree of Knowledge which resulted in self awareness. This new awareness separated them spiritually from God and caused a spiritual death. Since they could no longer walk with God as equals they were banished from the Garden to experience mortality or physical death thereby becoming human. Lastly God barred their way back to the Garden physically separating them from potentially also partaking from the Tree of Life. If the Tree of Life represents the way back to God or more definitively Jesus and his Church, then one could surmise that only through death and rebirth can we truly gain eternal life... But here's the rub- Adam & Eve in the garden choose Knowledge over Life. Humanity was purposefully lost from salvation until the tree- the word of God- became flesh again. Humanity which turned their back from the Tree of Life in the Garden has to face that original choice once again... We were set free on the road to set our own path without divine determination. And in choosing correctly this time will gain salvation and walk once more with God. But to do so we must exercise free choice and turn away from ourselves- from our natural instincts- towards something more...
Genesis 3:24 (NIV)
Quote from The Fountain (2006):
Izzi: This is an actual Mayan book. It explains the Creation myth. You see that's first father. He's the very first human.
Tom Creo : Hum. Is he dead?
Izzi : He sacrificed himself to make the world.
[pause]
Izzi : That's the tree of life bursting out of his stomach.
Tom Creo : Hey come.
Izzi : Listen. His body became the trees' roots. They spread and formed the earth. His soul became the branches rising up forming the sky. All the remained is first father's head. His children hung in in the heavens creating Xibalba.
Tom Creo : Xibalba. The star, eh,
[corrects himself]
Tom Creo : nebula
Izzi : So what do you think?
Izzi : About?
Izzi : That idea. Death as an act of creation.
"The Fountain's theme of fear of death is "a movement from darkness into light, from black to white" that traces the journey of a man scared of death and moving toward it. The film begins with a paraphrase of Genesis 3:24, the Biblical passage that reflects the The Fall of Man. Hugh Jackman emphasized the importance of the Fall in the film: "The moment Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, humans started to experience life as we all experience it now, which is life and death, poor and wealthy, pain and pleasure, good and evil. We live in a world of duality. Husband, wife, we relate everything. And much of our lives are spent not wanting to die, be poor, experience pain. It's what the movie's about." Aronofsky also interpreted the story of Genesis as the definition of mortality for humanity. He inquired of the Fall, "If they had drank from the Tree of Life [instead of the Tree of Knowledge] what would have separated them from their maker? So what makes us human is actually death. It's what makes us special." [wikipedia]"
![]() | |
| The Cross is represented as the Tree of Life |
Genesis 3:1-24 describes Adam & Eve's utilizing free will to disobey God and choose to partake from the Tree of Knowledge which resulted in self awareness. This new awareness separated them spiritually from God and caused a spiritual death. Since they could no longer walk with God as equals they were banished from the Garden to experience mortality or physical death thereby becoming human. Lastly God barred their way back to the Garden physically separating them from potentially also partaking from the Tree of Life. If the Tree of Life represents the way back to God or more definitively Jesus and his Church, then one could surmise that only through death and rebirth can we truly gain eternal life... But here's the rub- Adam & Eve in the garden choose Knowledge over Life. Humanity was purposefully lost from salvation until the tree- the word of God- became flesh again. Humanity which turned their back from the Tree of Life in the Garden has to face that original choice once again... We were set free on the road to set our own path without divine determination. And in choosing correctly this time will gain salvation and walk once more with God. But to do so we must exercise free choice and turn away from ourselves- from our natural instincts- towards something more...
Labels:
Clint Mansell,
creation,
death,
Eden,
mortality,
movie,
music,
The Fountain,
Tree of Life
Location:
West Seattle, Seattle, WA, USA
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