Amazing Grace a little history

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretched like me

These are words that many of us know well. Amazing grace is a wonderful song, and is such a powerful song. The following video is one of the most powerful renditions of this I have ever heard. The man is powerful, and he gives some great history.

Now I know that many of you will not want to take the time to watch this, however I assure you it is worth the time, and when it is over you will be glad you watched it. (note this was done in Carnegie hall if that gives the guy any more credit)

Enjoy

The Nazis of DC

So for my Wedding my wife and I went to take wedding shots at the Washington DC Monuments. We both love DC a great deal, and we thought that I would make for some really great shots. However, you think that you would be able to just walk up and take pictures just like all of the other 9000000 people that are there everyday. NOPE! not true. We learned that you have to have a permit to take professional pictures there. What constitutes as professional? Ones you pay for. Makes me wonder if I had just not paid her if I could have done it for free.

Fortunately for us (us being The Girl and I) we learned that you have to have one of these handy pieces of paper before our wedding day. 100$ dollars later had a one day pass to take pictures. Now there are some more catches to this.

1. you can't just take pictures anywhere. Places like Arlington Cemetery are off limits. Kinda morbid for wedding shots so we were not too sad about that one. Also monuments like the one that you see here. You can only take them on the outside pillars, and you can't be inside them. We did it anyway, but not without getting caught by the Nazis. I'll tell you some more about them in a minute. You also can't get the actual statue of Jefferson in the shots.

There are a whole other slew of rules, and don't worry they give you this nice big packet full of diagrams, and rules for you to follow. This is a Government thing we are talking about here, so it is a lot of them. Also most of them are just kinda dumb.

catch number 2. You must deal with the Monument Nazis. There are these people that roam the monuments looking for wayward, and misguided tourist to whip back into shape. They are the security guards. We learned that there are two kinds of them there. they are:

1. Those that are making sure people stay out of trouble
2. Those that "take the job to seriously" (as quoted by a member of number one)

The people of group number 1 are great. They kindly make sure that we have a permit, some of them just ask and that is enough. They also say nice things, and make sure to let us know that there are people of the sort that fall into the number 2 category.

The people in number two are. . . Nazis. They were so bad that one of them told our photographer that she needs to hold her backpack on her, and that she is not allowed to leave it on the ground. He said an unattended bag is not allowed. So apparently 6 feet away from an open camera bag, while holding a camera aimed at two people is appropriate wedding attire is not enough to dictate that the bag is not "unattended." Then the guy proceeded to watch us, as we so kindly ignored his moronic request.

There were other stories of them such as making sure that we were not standing in the wrong place. One guard yelling to another Giraud to run and check us for permits, and one even tackled me after I dripped some sweat from my brow onto a bench. OK I made up that last one, but it would not have surprised me if it happened.

However even with the DC Nazis it was a great experience. I highly recommend getting wedding shots done at the DC monuments. The tourist are great. They take pictures of you, and I mean it is blatant, like from 4 feet away they are aiming them in your face. My beautiful bride was even filmed for bit. People would honk and yell congratulations from the road, and a tour bus full of people even applauded us! All in all it was great. As soon as I get the pics I will post some of them up for all to see.

Cap and Trade and gas prices

Cap and Trade is not a good idea, and it will probably cause our gas prices to rise some more. Do you like 4 dollar + a gallon all the time? I hope so cause if it passes that is what you will get at some point.

Also I say Drill in Alaska. The Environmentalist and people in Washington are going to bankrupt many many companies, and people are not going to be able to buy things they need because,

A. it cost too much

B. I used up all my money in gas to get to the store to find out it cost to much.

Really, think about it. Just just find the most environmentally friendly way to drill for oil in AK, and then lets drill the heck out of it!(and anywhere else for that matter) Don't wait for the perfect way to drill, it is not there and it will take to long to find.

I mean come on! Is it really that hard to see that we are not fixing the problem? Flex fuel, and Bio fuels. . . . ok that was not a good idea. Many people are starting to see that now. I am not sure if I have a blog on here or not that talks about it (i'll have to check, and see, I have wrote one though) but I said a while ago that it was not the answer, and I have never supported it. All bio fuels did was rise the price of corn and other foods. I am all for new technology to help us. I do drive a hybrid, and I love the fuel Econ of that thing. I don't really care that I kill less polar bears, but I like that I pay less then you do for a tank of gas and still go farther than you do. Anyway not the point. The point is I like technology helping us out. But it is not going to do it fast enough. We need the gas prices to go down so that we can make it. We need money to spend developing new technology.

Is it really going to ever get any better? Is it really going to help to have a new president or are the same problems (or heaven forbid worse ones) going to still hang around? Is it really over four dollars a gallon for gas here? (yes it is)

Yea, Sure this is a fair country.

This is copied from the Washington Post.

==============

Full Up, Fed Up On God's Avenue

Along Crowded 16th St., Residents And Congregations Turn a Cold Shoulder To Mormons' Plans For a Church With A 105-Foot Steeple

By Paul Schwartzman

Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 24, 2008; Page B01

If 16th Street is famous for leading straight to the White House, it is also God's Boulevard, with at least 45 congregations lining the seven-mile stretch between Lafayette Square and Silver Spring.

But love thy neighbor? Not this time.

The Mormon church's plan to build another house of worship, one with a steeple-topped tower that will rise 105 feet, is inspiring less-than-holy thoughts among residents who recoil at the prospect of a new flock traversing their streets.

It's not just the traffic and parking congestion that they predict the Mormons will bring to 16th Street Heights, their lush residential neighborhood north of Mount Pleasant. And never mind that the area already has a dozen or so congregations, not to mention a host of other institutions such as schools and day-care centers.

But a tower that's the equivalent of 10 stories high?

"What are they trying to prove?" said Stuart Peacock, a lawyer who resides around the corner, his narrowing eyes punctuating his disgust. "It's too much."

Gloria Eblan, a software engineer who lives across from the property, at 16th and Emerson streets NW, envisions the kind of raucousness associated with a throbbing nightclub, not a church. She insists that a jackhammer-thumping construction project, followed by a weekly parade of chattering congregants will disturb her ever-precious peace.

"I don't want to come off as the anti-Christ, because I'm not. I just have my apprehensions," said Eblan, a crucifix around her neck. "The noise is going to drive me crazy. We're just trying to live our lives."

Dozens of homeowners have expressed opposition to the new church with lawn signs that read, "Too Big, Too Much, Too Many." And the Mormons are finding little support from the neighborhood's clergy, including one pastor who said his objection is rooted not in architecture, but theology.

"They don't accept Jesus as the Messiah; they accept him as the prophet," said Edward Wilson, pastor at Church of Christ, a block from the Mormon site. "It's wrong, I disagree with it, and I wouldn't want them in the neighborhood."

Mormon leaders have been surprised by the opposition, in part because so many churches are located there. But they said they're confident that their reception will improve once they build their two-story brick church, which will host two Sunday services and seat 240. The church will offer underground and aboveground parking, which the Mormons promise will minimize the congregation's affect on the neighborhood.

As for the steeple's height, they said it is a stylistic flourish necessary for an attractive church. "If you take out the steeple, it looks like a big home," said Jeffrey Holmstead, an environmental lawyer who serves as first counselor for the Mormons' Washington stake. "We want something that will be a credit to our church and the community."

The Mormon's tower would dwarf the neighborhood's detached homes, many of which are two and three stories, as well as nearby congregations, although the Sixth Presbyterian Church, a few blocks north, rises to about 90 feet.

Yet the Mormon's tower would be shorter than other congregations, such as the 160-foot All Souls Church, a mile south at 16th and Harvard streets NW. There are several soaring steeples at that broad intersection, which is also home to several apartment buildings. And the Mormons' design is a veritable afterthought compared with their Silver Spring temple, which is 288 feet tall, or the National Cathedral, which reaches 301 feet.

Lawrence Cook, a Falls Church architect who designs churches, said a common guideline is that steeples or towers should be up to twice the height of the building's roofline. By that standard, he said, the Mormons' tower is more than appropriate. In fact, he said after seeing a rendering, "It's too low. It looks like it sunk into the ground a bit.''

Congregations have migrated to 16th Street since the early 1800s, when St. John's Church opened on Lafayette Square, across from the White House, and became known as the "Church of the Presidents."

As the city evolved, and wealthy homeowners gravitated to the 16th Street corridor for its proximity to power, an eclectic mix of congregations followed, from Baptists to Episcopalians, from Jews to Buddhists, a roster that reaches 75 if adjoining streets are included. Some denominations have built national headquarters along 16th Street to enhance their stature, including the D.C. Baptist Convention and the National Church of the Nazarene.

"The congregations are like anything else, they're competing for membership," said David Maloney, the District's state historic preservation officer. "The logical place to locate was 16th Street."

But 16th Street has also been a decidedly residential strip, and homeowners over the years have railed about the encroachment of not only churches but organizations such as day-care centers and schools, particularly those that take over properties once occupied by families.

Just north of where the Mormons are moving, a civic association in 1994 protested the migration of such institutions. District officials responded by adding a bureaucratic hurdle, requiring a special permit for groups using a property for anything but a residence along 16th Street, between Colorado and Military roads.

"If you left your house on a Sunday morning to get bagels, when you came back there would be no parking," said Ellen McCarthy, a consultant to the community group, who was also the District's planning director. "The expectation is that one can enjoy the neighborhood without people coming and going to dances, without loud conversations on the street, without Bible studies or AA meetings."

No such protections exist in the Mormons' new neighborhood, which they said they chose after searching for more than eight years. The Mormons paid $4 million for a 1.5-acre corner site, which had been occupied by a convent.

"It was hard to find something in the city, because there's so much development," said Gordon Daines, the project manager. "Every time we'd go look at something, someone else would get it."

At first residents paid little attention, assuming that the Mormons would move into the nuns' building. But then a demolition team showed up and cleared the property. "Everyone was in shock," said Doreen Thompson, an attorney for the District's Taxicab Commission, who lives across the street. "Can you imagine the trucks just rolling in?"

After the Mormons unveiled their plans, the neighbors organized a coalition, started a Web site, and printed 250 lawn signs, most of which they say they have distributed. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who lives a block from the site, has not put up a sign, though he has listened to the opponents' concerns.

Residents are lobbying the District to extend the protections granted to the neighborhood to the north. Without the city's intervention, however, their capacity for stopping the church is limited because the Mormons do not need a zoning variance. Still, said Thompson, "We would hope that a church would be sensitive to us."

The Mormons, Holmstead said, are happy to talk about the building's design, including the tower's height. But he questioned whether a revision would "get us any good will with the neighbors."

The Mormons are not without support in the neighborhood, at least from one pastor who says residents opposed his church when it moved into a sanctuary on Colorado Road in 1986. "They tried to run me out but I pressed on," said Bishop Harvey Lewis, of the Star of Bethlehem Church of God in Christ. "I exercised my rights and my desires to move my church there, and the other brother has the same right."

True enough, acknowledged Barbara Flowers, a retired public school principal, sitting on her stoop a few blocks from the site. But her priority, she said, is far less lofty. When she drives to her church, Zion Baptist, around the corner from the Mormon property, will there be enough street parking?

Flowers shrugged and glanced at her husband, Hamilton, as she tried to summon biblical wisdom.

"If we can't agree . . .' What is that saying?" she asked.

"We will bless each other," Mr. Flowers said, "and go on our merry way."

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.

God Bless America - Just Words!! (This Blog may offend and is political, This is your warning!)

I hate you!! their just words, they don't mean anything. I want to hang out this Friday. Just words, they don't mean anything. I hope that you guys that are reading this think that I am nuts, cause well. . . .I am!!! Sure they are "just words" but words are attached with meaning, and with power when they are spoken. They are something that can not be unheard once heard. There are some words, both positive and negative, that once heard, can not be forgotten and will be remembered for the test of time.

They are just actions. Don't look at my left hand, watch my right. The left hand means nothing. As a magician I often times need to get people to look at one hand and not the other. If they look at the other hand, the trick is ruined cause they either saw what I was doing or they now can see it coming so the excitement is now lost, and no longer magical. A good trick has misdirections, false promises, illusions, deception, hope, good acting, stage appearance, and a twist at the end that you didn't see coming.

Well my friends, all of us here in the Good Ol'e US of A are in the process of having a magic trick played on us, and it is the biggest trick of all. It is something that even though you are unaware of it, you are involved. If we don't "ruin" the trick we are going to be duped, and we are going to feel really foolish, and think to ourselves, "where did that come from?"

The following link is a video that will open your eyes just a little to something that is right in front of you and you may or may not even see it. Please watch this, and you will see what I am talking about.

Now before I give you the link I want to clear something up. I DO believe that words mean something, that words do have power, and that actions can speak even louder than words at times. I think that hateful words should not be directed at people, and even more so to the people that matter the most in your life. There are just some words that should not be used to describe how you feel when talking about or to an individual. Once a word is said it can not be taken back. A wise man once taught me, "you can only shut-up once."

Watch the video, and please see what is happening, and that words do indeed mean something.

Vote for this man and you will be tricked


Is it really that important to watch a persons words? Is it really a persons actions that speak louder than what a person is saying sometimes? I leave those answers up to you.

To clear up some misconceptions

I am engaged to the most wonderful girl a guy could hope for. Not only am I getting married, but I am getting married to my Best Friend. I know many of you are like, "yea I would hope she is your best friend." or "Yea my husband is my best friend too." but it is not like we just started dating and became friends as a result. We were best friends for a while before we started dating. There is no one that I would rather spend eternity with than her.

As I have been engaged I am learning that there are a lot of misconceptions about being engaged. Some of them are mine, and some of them are others. I will address some of both.

1. It is all fun and exciting. (mine)

Yes this is true to some extent, but they forget to let you know about all of the stresses that can be involved in planning to get married. Like where will you live, mixing finances, parents, picking a day that makes everyone happy, where to register (that one at times is really a lot of fun though), and the fact that everyone and their dog has an opinion about how you should do it. When on Earth will we get the time to do everything, now that we have moved up our Wedding a month and a half almost. There are others but I will stop there. The point is, there is a lot to get done, and for LDS people we tend to get married kind of fast, so that means that it needs to be done in a very short amount of time.

2. You are different and you don't want to spend time with us anymore. (what others say)

This one is more of a misunderstanding than anything. Allow me to paint a picture of my life. I work out of town 4 hours away for almost half of the month. So, 15 to 20 days a months I am gone, not here, can't be seen. Let me tell ya, when you are engaged it sucks to be gone like that. But alas that is life, and that is how I bring home money, so it must be done.

As a byproduct of this, when I get home I have three things I want to do above all else:


1. Spend time with my fiancee whom I have just spent days apart from.

2. Plan our wedding and two out of state receptions.

3. Wash my clothes from the week.

4. Yea I know I said three but here is a fourth, I often have work to do still when I am home.


Some people complain that I don't have time for them, or that I don't do anything fun anymore. Maybe I don't have time for some other people, but trust me I have plenty of fun. Some people have recently become quite frustrated that I don't ever do anything anymore, and that all I think about is my wedding, or people say that I have changed, and that I don't care about my friends anymore. Well let me clear all of that up for you.

I am about to be married, which means I am about to have a wife. Included in marriage is giving up single life. And I couldn't be happier to leave it.

I also want to clear up something else as well.

I never want to hear anyone blame my soon to be wife for me not doing something. If I don't do something it is because I chose to not do so, and not because she made me. Because it is time for me to grow up just a little bit more, and prioritize all of my life. She is not a controlling person that dictates what I can and cannot do. In fact she is exactly the opposite. However we do talk to each other about EVERYTHING. If I am going to go grocery shopping I tell her. Not because I have to, but because we are 100% involved in each others lives and we want to, and very soon our lives will become just that, OURS, combined forever.

I love this girl more than anything in the whole world. I know that this may seem odd to some people but, I would rather spend time with her than doing anything else. Period. She wins 100% of the time. Why? Because I love her, and I want to be with her. Not because she makes me do it. She never makes me choose, she just lets me make my own choices, and she knows that I will choose her all the time.

Is is not acceptable for someone to talk negative about my soon to be wife in any form. I will not stand for it, and I will not associate with anyone that does so. I will not associate with someone that does not like my soon to be wife. (think about that, if I did, what kind of message does that send to her if I do?) It is not appropriate to talk negative about me making the most important choice of my life, and also the happiest moment of my life. Guys, I am about to be sealed to my best friend whom I love more than anything, for all time and all eternity. That is such a wonderful thing. Some of you may not even comprehend how great that is. And the last thing is, it is not ok to think that I will do something without her, or at least without consulting her. I just will not do so, period. I will not go hang out with girls without her there, even if they are married or there are guys there. It is just NOT appropriate to do so, plain and simple. So if there are girls at all, and she is not with me. I am not going, sorry.

I am not going to be one of those husbands that talks bad about my wife or complains about my marriage while I am not with her. If I have a problem you all can promise that I will not talk to you about it. Not even my parents will hear about it. So don't ask, and don't try to get me to talk negative. If I have a problem I will talk to her, and vise versa.

To some of you that all makes sense, and to some of you that may not. The point is, I hope that one day all of you feel this way about someone very special. I hope that one day everyone that reads this blog will realize that they have someone extremely special in their life, and or that you will one day have someone and that you should always treat that person right. Also I hope that you'll realize that what I am saying is right.

Love you all and I hope everyone is doing well. I am sad that I don't have the time to spend with everyone that I used to, but a new phase in my life is beginning, and I have a lot on my plate right now. I wish that I could make everyone, and everything a priority, but there is one person that will not be shortchanged when it comes to my time, energy, attention, and devotion, and that is The Girl, so as mentioned before, she wins. All the time!

Unions? Yea they suck!

Anyone that talks to me about what I do for longer than 5 minutes will hear about the nightmare of a Union that I have the pleasure of dealing with on a regular basis. Over the course of the last few months I have developed some very strong opinions about unions. In a nutshell I think they suck and that they need to be done away with and or they need to not be allowed to have so much power.

As an self employed person, and one of an entrepreneur type mindset I have very strong feelings on how business's should be run, regulated, and monitored. I am going to try my best to not get on a tangent and stay on the topic of Unions and why I just plain don't like them.


My Fiancee (The Girl) has a blog and she does something that I like and I am going to steal. She gives nicknames to people so that she can talk about them and not use their real names. So as time moves on and I write more and more about my opinions about where I work I am going to start using nicknames. First I am going to establish two names.

1. The Company - My Client that I am doing work for.
2. The Union - always with caps on "The" and "Union". This is the dreadful Union that The Company has a contract with.

When I came to work with The Company I did not really know much about unions, and how they worked. I knew a little bit but in my life I had no reason to interact with one, so I never really learned firsthand about them, and what kind of problems that they can cause. As time has moved on I have learned what the phrase "Welcome to ________(Company name)" means. It is something that can not be told, you can only experience it for yourself.

Please allow me to try to paint a picture of some of the stupid things that the union does. Today was trash pickup day in my office. Here at The Company we pick up trash twice a week and today is that day when I can get my waste that I so proudly created removed from my office. Now as I am one of the people that does all of the workloading, and developing of new policies, and procedures I don't want my office to be accesses by the workers that I am directly effecting. It is not that I don't trust the workers, it is just I don't . . . .ok I don't trust them, but if you were me you would as well. So when Gaps (another nickname) came into my little office suite to get my trash I kindly walked out of my office with my trash can in hand to hand to Gaps to dispose of it. I was working on her work route at the time, and I did not want her to go into my office with all of that strewn about my office. Now there where three other people in the suite, (try to keep these ones straight) F man, someone not worth getting a nickname, and Snake. Snake is a Union Shop Steward. I still to this day am not really sure what that job is other than to piss me off and everyone else at The Company. He thinks that he is the most high and mighty person that walks on the planet, and he knows all things (oh if he only knew how much he is ticking off the higher ups at The Company) Anyway I am standing there with my trash can in hand ready to give it to Gaps, (who is two feel away) and Snake looks over and says,

"you know she could do that for you" referring to me letting her get my trash.

I reply "I know, I don't want anyone in my office so I am giving it to her"

He looks kinda annoyed that I did not listen to him and says "that is bargain business and she can do it" (I am not really sure what that means but anyway)

So I decided to be a punk, and knowing that he wanted me to walk all the way back to my office and replace my container so that she could go and get it, I just stared at him for a moment, and placed the container at my feet. He looked happy and ticked at the same time. It was worth it too see that kinda of reaction.

Now why do I tell that story? Well the concept that he was trying to prove was that I am taking and union persons job. . . . . .ok. . . . . uhhh she is still going to take my trash, and I am positive that there is no shortage of work for her to do. I know cause I am the one that builds and designs it for the site.

Unions prevent me from taking care of my good workers, and punishing those that need it. you can work your tail off every day for years, and when a better spot opens up that other guy that sleep in his closet everyday gets it. Why? Because he was there 6 weeks longer than you. So why would you work hard if you get nothing in return for it? Slowly most of the good workers after getting passed up again and again quit working hard, and they become the lazy closet sleeper, and hall walkers that at they at one point hated so much. They do this cause there is just no motivation to work hard.

We had some great programs that we wanted to roll out that would really be good for The Union workers, and The Companies interest as well. The Union Leaders denied it, cause they knew that it would make it much harder for us, and would cause more problems. Last I checked when you caused problems for your boss you get fired right? Not with a Union, you just say. Oh I'm sorry how foolish of me and then you walk away.

Well I am done venting for now about unions. I know I did not really talk about unions as much as I did a personal experience but I will later. I am bored about blogging about politics.