Randomizer (Series I Volume VI)

- Home teaching is a very underrated calling. Many people, myself included, take it for granted and treat it like a monthly obligation. We teach two people who have changed my mind and helped me realize its potential. Both men are single, live alone, and have various issues that have kept them from church attendance. But both men openly embrace our visits and look forward to being able to converse with someone. It's such a small gesture on our part, but they really appreciate it. Last night we dropped by some holiday treats to them and we received the most gracious thank yous I have witnessed in a long time. It's amazing how the littlest things can have the biggest impact.

- I have been able to learn alot of things in my life. One of the most valuable truths that I have learned is that I probably won't learn everything during my stay on earth. Opinions are rarely fixed and absolute, but evolving according to study and thought. I am around a couple of people, at work and church, who have strong opinions about everything. I don't mind that, but it does bother me when they presume their opinion is truth. Nothing annoys me more then getting involved in a conversation with this type of person. The dialogue soon becomes one sided and I get preached to about one subject or the next. Oftentimes some simple questioning, a la the Socratic method, reveals the shallowness of their comprehension, other times I just gradually tune out. Is it so wrong to say "I don't know?" or "I am still studying that topic" instead of "This is how it should be!"?

Randomizer (Series I Volume V)

- I never really understood the popular imagery surrounding roses until the other morning when I was gardening. Man, I really pricked myself while trying do some pruning. Such a beautiful plant, such a painful prick....maybe I should write a song about it.

- It would be really cool to travel back into time and see how correct or incorrect our traditional notions are of certain things. What if the "wild west" really wasn't that wild or what if Helen of Troy was really just an average looking girl or what if the Knights Templar were just a group of guys who needed some time away from their wives so they could drink. There is a giant grey void that seperates factual history from popular romanticism, it would be fun to bridge the span and get the real picture. But then again, some of those embellishments and mysteries are what makes history such a fun subject to study.

Of All Things Wassail

The other day I was shopping at the local market. It's unique and healthy items have earned our patronage, unfortunately it has also earned the accolades of many other people. While waiting in an insanely long line, 25 minutes by my count, I started to think..."Is this fancy olive oil and hormone free corn fed angus beef that I have in my cart worth this kind of wait?" It only took a second before I determined that it didn't.
It also invoked a quirky yet accurate theory and formula that was devised by a close friend a few years ago while observing similar circumstances. It became known as the Wassail Factor.

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Simply put, the Wassail formula measures the true worth of a product, event, or trend by dividing its perceived or given value by its actual value. Like the warm cider from which it is named, this formula takes into account some of the unnecessary baggage associated with many popular things.

(The value that is assigned to X by public)/(The actual worth of X)= Wassail

For example, while we love our local market(Trader Joes) we do not feel that the value derived from shopping there is worth the wait and insane crowds. The wassail factor would most likely be greater then one, something not good. The same can be said about things like Cafe Rio, the latest successful sports franchise, or RadioHead. All of these things, by themselves, are great but they can begin to lose value once their popularity and associated baggage begins to weigh them down.
The ideal scenario involves finding something that brings great value but does not carry the weight of Wassail, one that would measure at 1 or less. This would allow you to enjoy the fruits of the product without having to deal with the unnecessary attention and crowds so commonly associated with products with a high wassail factor.

Well it happened...

Tonight Shelley and I completed a very important rite of passage within the Mormon community. We sat through our first multilevel marketing sales pitch from a couple of ward members. This event typically takes place after the mission, marriage, and home ownership. The solicitors will use tactics and techniques once employed as missionaries and will even testify of the program and how it gives them the financial freedom to focus on other more righteous causes.
The meeting goes something like this, regardless of whether or not its Quixtar, Amway, or Equinox. 1. An overblown and dramatic pitch on the value of taking control of your life and breaking the shackles of normal employment to become empowered as your own boss. Who wouldn't want that? Stories and testimonies abound about how their friend was once living in poverty but since they have discovered program xx they have a six figure income and vacation in the Caymans. 2. The vague program overview, describing how you make the money. 3. There might be mention of the actual product that you are pushing. 4. They might even drop the name of the company. 5. Strong sales close and more bearing of testimonies.
These schemes make me hesitant because the emphasis is on the program and not the actual product. You never hear about how great this product is that you will be selling. All you get is talk about how wealthy you will be once you have 15 people working under you. Meanwhile no one actually sees the product and it languishes in the basement of the guy at the bottom of the pecking order. Its the program they push, the product is inconsequential.
Anyways, the meeting went better then I expected. I was very hesitant and put up a wall of resistance. These two ward members weren't pushy, I appreciated that. They presented the program without doing things that would jeopardize the relationship.
The evening is over and I guess I can finally feel like a part of the ward. I have spoken in sacrament meeting. I have a couple of callings. And now I have been approached with a MLM scheme. We've arrived!

The Truth and "The Truth"

Today was fast sunday, and with it all of the bearing of the testimonies. It is a great opportunity to have your faith reaffirmed by the testimonies and convictions of others. It also exposes one of the most oft quoted phrases within the church, "I know this church is true". It's a shame that whoever created that statement can't receive a royalty everytime it is invoked.
Anyways, my intent is not to be flippant but rather try to understand that phrase. I want to understand it, especially, from the perspective of someone who isn't familar with the LDS vernacular. If I am hearing that phrase for the first time, what does it mean? Are the members reliable and trustworthy, is that what it means? It seems vague and and I think that many of us just repeat that phrase because it is easy and it is assumed that everyone understands it. It seems like it is a short cut to something more descriptive and accurate like "I am grateful to be a member of the church that was restored by Jesus Christ and contains all of his Gospel truths." Along the way between habit and description I feel many new attendees can get lost.
I also feel like this is one of the several phrases that are used in church that shield us from actual thought. Many times the "read the scriptures and pray" response is more a trite facade to ward off another question from the Sunday School teacher than an actual investigation into a spritual matter. We've all been through the sunday routine so many times that it is hard to avoid generating new discussion. I have been dealing with this myself. Many sundays the call of the leftovers in the fridge and a nice nap preclude me from actually contributing to Elders quorum discussion. This is quite damning to my progression and something I have been conscience's been working on. Church should be a wonderfully enlightening experience not a habit.

He's not that Machiavellian after all

I've been reading the Prince lately, something I've wanted to do since my first political science class way back in high school. I always wondered if the book and its author earned all of the connotations that it's been given over the years. Well, after reading the first 13 chapters I would have to conclude that the book and Nicolo weren't as evil and conniving as all of my professors made him out to be.
I found the book to be a compilation of very astute political observations that have been recorded throughout history. These observations served as the basis for understanding human nature, particularly when it comes to obtaining and preserving power. He was merely describing what has worked and not worked concerning politics and power. I found his insights, despite their antiquity, to adequately describe what we see taking place today in the world of business, politics, and everyday life. He never overtly suggests one tactic or another, he merely describes what has worked over history and what hasn't. If anything he discouraged deceit, greed, and other adjectives usually accompany his name and works.
Anyways, the book has been a good read, if I only had the fortitude to finish Joyce's Ulysses. Books are great, it's just a struggle to get beyond the ease and convenience of TV and other distractions to get to them. Back to Seinfeld reruns.