More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation

So President Obama has figured out something else that ails our nation. This time it is summer vacation. To be fair, Obama isn't the only one who thinks this way.

"Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe." Do we always have to keep up with the Joneses.

We have child labor laws that were enacted to allow children to be children. We send then to school 6 hours a day to learn. That turns out not to be enough for many people. Many teachers seem to think if they are not giving kids a bunch of homework they are not doing their job. So the poor kid has about 8 or 9 hours of education a day if the want to get a good grade. Now the president thinks that is not good enough. So much for the child labor laws doing the kids any good. What ever happened to the idea that children should be able to enjoy being a child.

Sometimes I get the idea that some people think that children just new assets for corporations that need to be correctly programed to serve the good of the whole.

Apparently how many hours children spend in school does not necessarily make them smarter. "Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days)."

How about instead of lengthening the school year we go back to teaching the basics. There is really no reason a kid in elementary school needs to use a calculator to do his math and having memorizing multiplication tables would not hurt. I think we are easily caught up in all the new fangled methods when many times the old methods work just as well.

President Who

President West became Brother West on Sunday.  The Elders Quorum has a new president.

It's amazing how simple the keys are passed to another.  I realized I was going to be released a few weeks ago and I was disappointed.  The spirit takes care of how we feel.  I no longer have any desire for the call and I'm looking forward to serving in my new calling which you will hear about after I am sustained.

My Favorite Wife II

(: My Bedtime Snack :)

My Favorite Wife

I often tell Debbie she's my favorite wife and she is.

Yesterday I looked around for cinnamon rolls after reading Sue's blog and Debbie's response. There were no cinnamon rolls to be found. However, Debbie noticed my longing look and there were cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning.

Yesterday was not a loss though. During the day my favorite wife went out and picked some apples and made the best apple pie. She than sat with me and watched a movie while we had hot apple pie and ice cream with fresh homemade caramel on top.

Debbie's definitely my favorite wife.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

This was an interesting election year. Especially for Mormons in California. Following the request of the Prophet to support Proposition 8, most members worked hard to successfully rally the cause. However, the news did their best to find those who disagreed.

I read an excellent article in Meridian Magazine the other day. The article quoted a talk Elder Neal A. Maxwell gave at BYU in 1978 about our day. In part it reads, "“Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions.

This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . .

Each of us needs to decide for ourselves what we will do when those in the great and spacious building point their fingers at us. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 I hope to ever keep it that way.

What if Mormons are right and Catholics and Protestants wrong?

The Belfast Telegraph had a great article today. I just had to provide a link to it. For those of you who don't want to read the whole thing here is a snippet.

'Given Christian teaching, does it make more sense to baptize dead adults rather than live babies?"

"What’s the difference, anyway, between baptising the dead and baptising babies? A tiny infant will have as much understanding as a dead person — none at all — of the complex philosophical belief-system it’s being inducted into when baptised".

"Indeed, given that all Christian Churches believe that the soul lives on after death and retains understanding and consciousness of self, doesn’t it make more sense to baptise dead adults than live babies?"

Why can't more men send flowers?

When did you last send flowers?