2010 MS 100 Bike Ride

Quick note to share the map of the MS 100 Bike Ride I participated in today in Logan (and the surrounding communities.)

The weather could not have been better. I love Cache Valley this time of year. Temperatures in the low 80's, green pastures, beautiful wild flowers, and blue skies! I think some day I would like to live there.

Anyway, Lisa, Kate and I drove up to Logan yesterday, arriving just after noon. We camped at the fairgrounds (this is the first time I've camped there). We set up our trailer beneath a nice shade tree and headed to the Aggie Creamery for lunch.

A few large sandwiches and the best ice cream ever later, we went back to the fairgrounds to lounge for a few hours. We set up the Team UCCU tent in the "village", tried to sell a few MS wristbands and then checked in for the ride at 5 pm.

Our team had its traditional team dinner at Callaway's Bistro in Smithfield. I highly recommend this fine establishment.

A quick stop at Walmart to pick up breakfast cereal, milk, Ibuprofen and earplugs and back to the trailer. Lights out at 10:30.

The alarm went off at 5:45 but I was awake at 5:30 (as was most of the park.) A chilly 48 degrees at 6 am would warm to the mid 80's before the ride was over.

After a team photo we weaseled our way as close to the front of the second wave of riders as we could get and took off in a large pack. I hate riding with a lot of riders around me so I made my way to the outside and sprinted for the front.

Behind me were two other Team UCCU members, Jayson Vincent and his wife, Brooke. The three of us would ride the entire 100 miles together, or at least 95 miles until Brooke left Jayson and I behind. I did catch her at a red light as was able to finish ahead of her, only because she went by the turn into the park at the finish :-)

I finished with a ride time of about 5 hours, 5 minutes (I don't know the exact time because I walked around with my bike at the first rest stop which kept my cyclometer going.)

Of the three times I've ridden the MS 100, this was the fastest but my conditioning was probably the worst. Maybe next year I'll be more serious about training.

Now, I am very tired and I think I will go to bed.

Here I Raise My Ebenezer

I was listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" when I realized that I had no idea what "here I raise my Ebenezer" meant. A quick search on lds.org took me to 1 Samuel 7:12 which says, "Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." Ebenezer, being translated from Hebrew, means "stone of help." This commemoration was placed to remind the Israelites of their victory over the Philistines at Mizpeh and the help they received from the Lord.

Perhaps we should raise our own Ebenezer -- something that reminds us of the blessings and help the Lord has given us. It's not enough to just petition God for help in our prayers. We should be mindful of how those prayers are answered and give thanks. President Eyring taught us to "remember". By taking notice of our blessings and the miracles in our life, and recording those blessing and miracles, we remember for ourselves and our posterity and raise an Ebenezer.

Just a lesson learned I thought I would share.

Have We Reached the Point Where All We Can Do Is Laugh?!

Okay, now that we've turned the most prosperous and successful country in the history of mankind over to 537 greedy, power-seeking idiots can we all just sit back and laugh?! I mean, every reasonable person seems to see what is going on to the point of almost disbelief. It's sheer lunacy. Anyway, I came across this little nugget on YouTube that I just have to share because it is so true. Enjoy.

MS Bike Ride Journal Day 2

Okay, pretend I wrote this on Saturday after the ride instead of two days later. I was tired.

I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. But when I woke up at 5:10 I decided it was probably better to just get up than to spend the next 20 minutes worrying about when the alarm was going to go off.

I packed up my things and headed by 5:30. After a quick trip to McDonald's drive-thru for a sausage and egg bagel, sans sausage, and a large OJ I was on my way up the canyon.

I worried because the temperature in Brigham City was around 60 that early in the morning. But as I headed up the canyon the temperature dropped: 50's, 40's, yikes! By the time I reached the fairgrounds it was a comfortable 51 degrees -- just as forecast.

Parked the car, checked the air pressure in my tires loaded my seat pack and set off for our team tent.

We snapped a quick team photo, made last minute adjustments, took one final potty break and moved to the start line.

With over 3,000 riders they have to start in waves simply to protect all the riders and not overwhelm law enforcement which has to manage the bike traffic and the regular car traffic through Logan.

The waves were started every five minutes starting at 7 am. I and two of my team riders, Joe Andersen and Paul Ellsworth, were at the very front of the sixth wave. Putting me at the front of a starting line is a bad idea. My mind immediately reverts back to my high school track days.

Following our police escort we took off at a nice clip -- I wasn't going to be passed in the first mile!

For the next 20 miles I worked my way through the throngs of cyclists being passed by many and passing even more. I had dropped Joe and Paul somewhere around mile three and would go the rest of the way on my own.

I made the first rest stop around mile 20 where I met up with several other of our team members (we had all started at different times.) At this point I felt great. The weather was comfortable and the course had been fairly flat.

This would be about the last time I would see any other riders from our team.

I plugged in my iPod and headed out.

I was able to maintain an 18 mph pace over the entire 100 mile course, stopping about every 20 miles to rest, eat a little and fill my water bottles. I finished with a ride time of 5:27 and an overall time of 6:15.

The last ten miles, as always, were the hardest. I jumped into a paceline with about 9 miles to go and rode with them for two miles. But their pace was just a little too fast for me and I dropped off. With five miles to go the song, "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M came on my iPod. I had to laugh out loud!

I pulled across the finish line to the cheers and congratulations of the MS staff and many supporters and received my commemorative medal ;-)

I was a great ride. The temperature never got above 85. The air was calm and the route was simply beautiful. I will definitely ride this one again.

After showering at the public pool shower and eating a meal of bratwurst, chips and water I waited at the tent for the rest of our team to arrive. We had four team members ride their first century ride and they all did great!

I headed home around 6 pm tired but happy. The best part was that I was able to raise $1,000 for this worthy cause. Thank you to all who supported me financially and otherwise.

My MS Bike Ride Journal Day 1

I arrived in Logan today, OK, actually I arrived in Brigham City. You see, when I was planning this little adventure I was feeling pretty tight. So I decided I could save a few bucks by staying in Brigham City instead of Logan where all the other riders stay thus driving the price of hotels up.
So, I arrived at the Crystal Inn Brigham City at about 3 pm. I checked into my room and immediately took a 1 1/2 hour nap.
I then drove through the canyon to the epicenter of the MS event: the Logan fairgrounds. Arriving just after 5 pm the check-in line snaked down the street about a hundred yards. I decided to walk around the "village" a while and wait for the line to get shorter (check-in started at 5 so this was the initial rush.)
The village is a hodge podge of gazebo style tents consisting of teams gathering for meals and relaxation and vendors hawking their wares. I decided at the last minute to bring up one of our tents and a credit union banner and got permission to set up camp on the edge of the village -- kind of a squatter I suppose.
I went back to the check in line which had shrunk by that time and checked in. I had reached my goal of $1,000 just a few hours earlier and made the cut for the Ruby Spoke Club. But as I opened my gift bag just a few minutes ago I noticed that they gave me the wrong jersey, doh!
As I went to set up our team tent the heavens opened and gave us what I hope will be the last bit of rain for at least a day or two.
We had a team dinner at an Italian Pizzeria in Smithfield called Callaway's (very good), located about 10 miles north of Logan. Our entire team raised just under $9,000 but we should have some more donations coming in which will put is over $9,000. The last time I headed this we raised about $4,000 so this year was a big success.
The ride starts at 7 am sharp. Because of my decision to stay in BC I will have to get up between 5 and 5:30, ugh, to make the 30 minute drive to Logan. We are meeting at 6:40 for a team picture and then will move to the starting area.
If all goes well, I hope to finish in about 6 hours. I know my training hasn't been as good as last time and I won't have Bret, my riding partner, along to pace me so I'm setting my goal lower than last time.
Well, better hit the hay. Morning will be here before I know it.

Going MS for MS

I guess it's time that I come clean: I'm going MS for MS. By the first MS I mean metro sexual. The second is Multiple Sclerosis.

For the second time I'm riding in the MS Bike Tour (I won't call it by it's official name because I don't like it) in Logan Utah. Last time in order to motivate donors I shaved my head. This time, I'm being a little more subtle -- I've shaved my legs.

I have to admit that for several years as I've ridden my bike I've looked down in disgust at the hairy poles protruding from my biking shorts and envied the smooth, muscular look of serious cyclists.

Hey it's for a good cause and while I may never have legs like Lance Armstrong I do like the look of the glistening sweat on my smooth legs.

Of course, this is as MS as I'll go. You won't find me wearing a salmon colored shirt, polishing my fingernails, sporting a man-purse or hanging Ansel Adams' photos in my office -- but I will keep my legs trimmed, at least for another month.

How Easily We Get Bored

Yikes! Has it been two months since my last blog?!

What a crazy Spring in Utah -- or should I say, lack of Spring. 90 Degrees one day, snow the next. It's made my bike training rather difficult. Regardless, I'm starting to get in the habit. Out each day at lunchtime I'm slowly getting my endurance and strength back .... at least my cycling strength.

I started a nightly routine of situps and pushups to try and strengthen my core. Wow! I decided to start moderately so that I didn't get too sore and have to stop for two weeks like I've done in the past. I found out that moderate means 20 situps and 10 pushups. I feel old.

I have been able to increase my situps by five each night. I'll see how long that lasts. Maybe an increase of one per night is more realistic. I hadn't really done the math but now that I think of it in two months I'll be doing over 300 situps per night -- probably not a good idea =)

I've decided to stop weighing myself. I don't want to look at the scale until I can notice some change in the mirror.

So much for my rambling.

Update

Okay, I've been a little slow on posting my results because I wanted to be sure that I had some results to post. It doesn't make sense to say, "two weeks and no change."

I was able to drop four pounds through moderate diet and bouts of intense exercise.

I'm thinking of have a metabolic assessment done to see what my metabolic rate is and what my optimal exercise intensity is. I'm sure that when I exercise all I burn is carbohydrates since I have a tendency to believe that I am 17 years old and in prime condition.

Of course, I celebrated my "success" with an over indulgent meal at the Thai House in Lehi -- and might I suggest the lemon-orange chicken, yum!

I have committed myself to once again riding in the MS 150 bike ride in Logan. Hopefully this commitment will help motivate me to step up my weight loss program. After all, I don't really want to take and extra 40 pounds along for the ride.

Step 1: Admit You Have a Problem

When I was 17 I was 6'2", 140 pounds and had body fat of 4.5%. I could eat a double Whopper with cheese every day for lunch and a half-gallon of ice-cream at night and never gain a pound.
Those days are over. I'm now almost 44. I'm still 6'2" but that's the only similarity. My Wii Fit just told me I'm overweight with a body mass index of 28 (it means I'm fat.)
Over the years I've tried different diets and weight loss programs. I've stayed fairly active, riding my bike on almost a daily basis. Yet the climb up the scale keeps going.
So, I've decided to shame myself into weight loss. I currently weigh 218 lbs. My goal is 178. I will post a weekly weigh-in.
I'm also planning to pack a healthy lunch each day instead of hitting the fast food joints or scrounging the office for food. So, any suggestions are welcome.

Those Dang Old Cars

I really like not having a car payment. But the trade-off for me is driving a 10-year-old Durango with 133k miles. This morning ol' blue refused to go. So instead I made the five house trek down the street to borrow the momandadmobile -- aka the communal car. Lucky for me Kimberly had just returned it the night before and it was clean!
However, I couldn't stand having an unfixed vehicle so I slipped out of work early and headed home for the frustration of car repair. Spark plugs seemed like a reasonable start. After all, they've never been changed. Seemed like a good call. The gap was twice what it should be on all eight and the post was almost completely gone. Problem solved? The car started, but doesn't seem to run a whole lot better.
While I had it in the garage I decided to change the oil (my last trip to Jiffy Lube cost me over $60! What happened to the $20 oil change?!) This resulted in oil running down my sleeve as I tried to remove the oil filter from it's hidden position.
Now I know that changing the oil won't make the engine run any better but it made me feel good nonetheless. Cars these days are so hard to work on. Everything is electronically controlled. You can't just get in and make a mechanical fix.
So, I don't expect ol' blue to run much better tomorrow. I'm hoping that he'll hold out until Spring when I can trade him in on a slightly less old car. After all, warm weather hides a lot of car ills.

The Stimulus Package is Already Working!

I've been stimulated right back into writing my blog by all this stimulus nonsense. So, I guess it's working -- in one sense.

The following Op-ed piece ran in the Washington Post by the ranking republican on the House Appropriations Committee. I still think he's being a little soft and should take a hard stand against the stimulus package, but he is a politician. The fact of the matter is that Clinton asked for $16 billion and America scoffed at that. Have we gotten so drunk that we can swallow hundreds of billions of dollar spending proposals and think it necessary medicine?! Wake up America!!! This is not a good idea.

LEWIS: Common sense on spending

Washington Times: January 22, 2009

COMMENTARY:

America's economic crisis continues, and there is an immediate need for Congress to produce a strong and definitive plan to help weather this financial storm.

In reviewing the Pelosi-Obey stimulus proposal released last week, I was struck (along with many others) by the sheer magnitude of the numbers before us. Just the size of this bill, some $825 billion, raises serious concerns. Without a clear assurance of how, why and if this proposal will create jobs and promote economic recovery, Congress cannot simply write an $825 billion blank check at taxpayer expense. We should demand that there be some clear, unequivocal assurance of the desired outcomes, in the form of a revitalized economy.

Unfortunately, the evidence from past attempts at stimulating the economy through government spending does not lead to this needed measure of certainty.

In part, this is a debate over how, not how much is needed, to stimulate the economy. This bill represents the theory that the economy can be boosted if the government borrows money and then gives it to people so they will spend it. This supposedly "primes the pump" as the money circulates through the economy. The theory sounds good, and it would be nice if it made sense, but it has a glaring logical fallacy. It overlooks the fact that, in the real world, government can't inject money into the economy without first taking money out of the economy.

More specifically, the Pelosi-Obey stimulus proposal only looks at half of the equation - the part where government puts money in the economy's right pocket. But we must also ask where the government gets that money? Ironically, the answer is that it borrows it out of the economy's left pocket. This scheme doesn't boost national income, it merely redistributes it. The pie is sliced differently, but it's not any bigger.

Previous attempts to use this redistribution strategy did not work. Both President Herbert Hoover and President Franklin D. Roosevelt dramatically increased spending, and neither showed any aversion to running up big deficits, yet the economy was terrible all through the 1930s. Stimulus schemes also were tried by President Gerald Ford and President George W. Bush and had no impact on the economy.

And over the 1990s, Japan engaged in massive, multiple stimulus efforts and saw its economy remain stagnant and its per capital income go from the world's second-highest to the tenth-highest.

To be fair, the failure of stimulus spending to boost growth may not necessarily mean government spending does not create jobs. Moreover, the argument that government can create jobs is not unique to "stimulus" bills and is often a significant component to other types of legislation.

Nevertheless, no matter how the issue is analyzed, the more relevant question is how the government might destroy jobs.

For example, if the government decides to build a bridge, it is very easy to see the workers who are employed on that project. But what is less obvious is how many of those workers have been taken from jobs in the private sector, and thus are no longer available for other, perhaps better and more "stimulative," uses.

Based on the Pelosi-Obey jobs claims, this bill will spend a shocking $275,000 for each new job created (assuming they actually materialize). Even worse, this calculation is only a partial measure of cost. In reality, the cost of each government-sponsored job should reflect how the market would have spent the $275,000 if the government had never got its hands on it in the first place. It is more than likely the private sector could have created more than one job for $275,000 - especially considering the average U.S. household income is around $45,000.

Finally, we must not forget that this massive government spending doesn't come out of thin air and we run the perilous risk of leaving a terrible fiscal legacy for future generations. This comes at a time when we are already staring down a trillion-dollar deficit. Based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recent figures, by 2019 we will have to spend $750 billion per year just on interest alone on debt that has accumulated - and this does not include the addition of $825 billion in new "stimulus" spending.

I fully understand that prompt action is needed, but there are more than enough reasons for caution on this "stimulus" legislation. While there may be a few folks who think a big increase in the burden of government somehow is a recipe for job creation, the facts show they may be missing the mark.

In order to make the best possible decisions regarding economic stimulus legislation, we must ask ourselves some common sense questions. Are the programs in this bill really stimulative? Do they create jobs, (and how many and for how long)? Are they worth the cost? Are these one-time costs, or we committing our nation to years and years of heightened government spending? And are these things that must be done immediately, or could they be done more effectively and efficiently with more deliberation and study?

If Congress fails to ask these questions, protect the interest of the taxpayer and remember our economic history, and exercise common sense, we will find ourselves in worse economic shape than we are today. An $825 billion free-for-all based on flawed policy will not be our rescue - it will shackle our country to continued economic decline and a perilous national financial future.

Jerry Lewis of California is the ranking Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Finally, the first real snowfall of the year. By that I mean a snow that requires shovelling. And by that, I mean pushing snow with the plow on my four-wheeler.

I believe there is something deep-seated in the male brain that drive him to want to operate mechanical equipment. There are very few things I enjoy more than heading out into the cold and snow to plow every sidewalk and driveway that I can get to on a tank of gas. I feel like a real man. It completes me.

This morning I headed out at about 7 am planning on only doing my driveway, my parent's driveway and the single lady I home teach. Of course, there was sidewalks to plow between all of these -- and you can't plow one sidewalk and leave another covered. And then there were neighbors out shovelling their walks and I had to help them, too. And there were others who could use the help -- the elderly or pregnant. And the church walks needed to be cleared. Two hours later my wife had to remind me that I have a job that pays money that I needed to get to.

Not all my neighbors share my enthusiasm. Especially those who find a "beaver pelt" of grass or have to replace sprinkler heads in the spring. But I appreciate them letting me be a man (or over sized boy) for a few hours when it snows.

Prophets Among Us

I came across a couple of items this week that show us that if we listen we can be forewarned. The first is a quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell who really was a prophet, seer and revelator.

“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 (see 1 Kgs 18:21).
“President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.' (CR, Apr 1941) 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…
“Your discipleship may see the time come when religious convictions are heavily discounted. M. J. Sobran observed, ‘A religious conviction is now a second-class conviction, expected to step deferentially to the back of the secular bus, and not to get uppity about it’ (Human Life Review, Summer 1978, p. 58). This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain of people's opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will soon be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened…
“Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even these, however, must leave a record so that the choices before the people are clear and let others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds--a majority which was, till then, unconscious of itself.
“Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves ‘summer is nigh’ (Matt. 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat.”

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “Meeting the Challenges of Today”, BYU Devotional, 10 Oct 1978

I think we have seen in recent weeks this prophecy fulfilled.

The second didn't come from a prophet. In fact, it may just be that this economist got lucky (the saying for a bear economist is that he predicted 10 of the last three recessions.) In any case, Peter Schiff should feel vindicated after being one of the very few that saw the fundamentals of the U.S. economy for what they were and it makes you wonder where everyone else was. Catch the laughing and mocking.

Truths and Politics

Okay, I've been much more engaged in the political debate online than I ever have been in real life. The truth is, I've never felt or noticed much effect to my personal life regardless of who was in charge.

That is not to say that others haven't been directly affected by the decisions of a president. Military personnel who have had their lives forever altered or cut short because of war certainly know the effects that a president and congress can have on an individual. Business owners and employees can feel the direct impact of political decisions on their businesses and income. Individuals who have lost property to eminent domain certainly have experienced the power of government in their lives.

But me, I've been insulated from most of these. Yes, I've been through recessions but luckily neither my father nor I have ever lost a job to an economic downturn. I've never been drafted into military service. I've never had government seize property. I've never been wrongly accused or incarcerated. So, I guess what I'm saying, is that for me regardless of which party is in charge I haven't seen much difference.

But as I've gotten older I've begun to see the country and world in terms of what we are leaving our children. And while I'll be dead before many of the implications of political decisions made in my lifetime are realized, I feel a certain moral obligation to stand up and try to undo some of the shackles we're placing on our children.

Huge government debt. Energy crises. Nuclear proliferation. Terrorist states. This is not the world I want for my kids - especially when I'm not around to take care of them.

And so I urge all people of conscience to stand up for what is right for our posterity. To leave the world better than we found it. To strive to bring peace and prosperity to all good people. To recognize and fight evil. To not spend more than we have -- either as individuals or as a country. And to allow people to live unencumbered. I would like to see government fulfill its role as the agent that restrains men from invading others' rights, from harming one another (temporally or spiritually), and promotes the general welfare of all people. Anything beyond this I say leave it to the people.

Marie-Antionette and Entitlement Programs

My brother, David, posted an interesting comment on my last blog about Marie-Antionette, the Austrian born aristocrat who donated her head to french peasant science.

Gary Martin provides the following history of the phrase, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" or "let them eat cake."

The origin of many phrases in English are unknown. Nevertheless, many people would say that they know the source of this one. It is widely attributed to Marie-Antoinette (1755-93), the Queen consort of Louis XVI. She is supposed to have said this when she was told that the French populace had no bread to eat.

The original French is Qu'ils mangent de la brioche. It has been suggested that the speaker's intention wasn't as cynical as is generally supposed. French law required bakers to sell loaves at fixed prices and fancy loaves had to be sold at the same price as basic breads. This was aimed at preventing bakers from selling just the more profitable expensive products. The let them eat brioche (a form of cake made of flour, butter and eggs) would have been a sensible suggestion in the face of a flour shortage as it would have allowed the poor to eat what would otherwise have been unaffordable. It's rather a mouthful, so to speak, but if the phrase had been reported as 'let them buy cake at the same price as bread' we might now think better of the French nobility.

Two notable contemporaries of Marie-Antoinette - Louis XVIII and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, attribute the phrase to another source. In Louis XVIII's memoir Relation d'un voyage a Bruxelles et d Coblentz (1791) he states that the phrase 'Que ne mangent-ils de la croûte de pâté?' (Why don't they eat pastry?) was used by Marie-Thérèse (1638-83), the wife of Louis XIV. That account was published almost a century after Marie-Thérèse's death though, so it must be treated with some caution.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 12-volume autobiographical work Confessions, was written in 1770. In Book 6, which was written around 1767, he recalls:

At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, "Then let them eat pastry!"

Marie-Antoinette arrived at Versailles from her native Austria in 1770, two or three years after Rousseau had written the above passage. Whoever the 'great princess' was - possibly Marie-Thérèse, it wasn't Marie-Antoinette.

Her reputation as an indulgent socialite is difficult to shake, but it appears to be unwarranted and is a reminder that history is written by the victors. She was known to have said "It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness". Nevertheless, the French revolutionaries thought even less of her than we do today and she was guillotined to death in 1793 for the crime of treason. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html)

Regardless of the originator of the phrase, it has become synonymous in modern nomenclature with entitlement. And politicians are great at promising hungry constituents that they can have more for less. Let them eat cake! Of course the elephant in the corner is who's going to pay for all this? Don't worry, let them eat cake! We can always adopt the philosophy of "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." That seemed to work out well for Russia.

The truth is we can't have it all. We have to live with contraints and choices. I don't want a government that promises to take care of my every need. It can't be done.

I don't know about you, but maybe bringing back the guillotine for lying politicians wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Cure for What Ails You

I don't know about the rest of you, but this year has left me feeling more and more depressed. The state of the economy, the state of politics -- I can hardly stand it!

So, I've taken some advice to turn off the news and find pleasure in something that I can control.

I put together a playlist that I call "Guitar Heroes", things like "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd, "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and "More than a Feelin'" by Boston. Songs that have some of the very best guitar riffs of all time. At lunch I pop on my iPod, crank up the tunes and head out on my mountain bike. I make for some of my favorite single tracks in the foothills of Provo Canyon and I ride until my heartrate maxes at 100%. I become, in essence, comfortably numb.

I find that after an hour of hard riding I'm pretty much too tired to care about what's going on in the world.

At night I'll sit down with the family and play a board game or watch the world series or go to a lacrosse match to watch Candice or Colin. Maybe it's irresponsible to disengage but I need my sanity.

Here's my full playlist:
"Smooth", Santana
"Comfortably Numb", Pink Floyd
"Hotel California", The Eagles
"Foreplay/Long Time", Boston
"Stairway to Heaven", Led Zeppelin
"For Whom the Bell Tolls", Metallica
"Iron Man", Ozzy Osbourne
"Freewill", Rush
"Rock You Like a Hurricane", Scorpions
"I Wanna Rock", Twisted Sister
"Hot Blooded", Foreigner
"Rocky Mountain Way", Joe Walsh
"More Than a Feeling", Boston
"Burnin' for You", Blue Oyster Cult
"Bohemian Rhapsody", Queen
"Renegade", Styx
"Smoke on the Water", Deep Purple
"Sweet Home Alabama", Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Crazy Train", Ozzy Osbourne
"Free Bird", Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Purple Haze", Jimi Hendrix
"Sultans of Swing", Dire Straits
"Final Countdown", Europe
"Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love", Van Halen

Rights? Whoa Nellie!

Okay, just as I was dosing off during all the pandering answers of the debate last night, a question was posed that jerked me to attention. The question asked by Tom Brokaw was, "is health care a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?"

Now, the last time I checked, there were three rights listed in the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Additionally, the Bill of Rights in the Constitution lists 10 more. Not one of these lists health care as a Constitutional right of U.S. citizens. I'm not saying that it's not a good thing to provide health care but let's not put the cart before the horse. We do have, after all, a constitution which is the supreme law of the land.

So, John McCain provided probably the most correct answer in that he said it is a responsibility. A compassionate society will find a way to take care of it's citizens. Or, better yet, an employer will take care of his or her valuable employees by providing health care benefits. Barack Obama, on the other hand, said it is a right.

Again, I ask: where is it listed as a right?

Of course, the undecided voters, as measured by the weird lines on the graph below the picture, agreed completely with Mr. Obama.

Perhaps education should be at the top of our "to do" list. And at the top of education, let's teach people about the Constitution. What it is. What's its purpose. Why it's important.

The populist crowd is storming forward. "Let them eat cake!" seems to be the rally cry. Perhaps this was what Joseph Smith saw when he said that the constitution would hang by a thread.

If we have antiquated 20th century banking laws surely our 18th century constitution is antiquated.

Beware. As the 10th amendment states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

ZDRAS-tvuy-te Comrades!

Just getting used to the new greeting. Kind of want to be ahead of the January rush.

Do I really believe that communism is coming?! Of course not! The Lord has said that the people who possess this land will serve God or be swept off! (See Ether 2) So, I believe the land will be purged long before we reach the evils of communism.

But in the mean time, I do see a frightening trend towards socialism. Now, before you write me off as an evil hatemonger let me point out that I believe in helping our fellow citizens of the world. The second great commandment is to love our fellow man. It's the whole compulsion thing that gets me. I mean, wasn't that Lucifer's idea: I'll make sure everyone does exactly what they're supposed to do. A government that compels the people is not a government ordained of God.

As I see it, the constitution of the United States, a document that Latter-Day Saints hold to be inspired by God, clearly limits the role of government to: 1)establish justice, 2)ensure domestic tranquility, 3)provide for the common defense, 4)promote the general welfare, and 5)ensure the blessings of liberty. Well, I see our government doing a whole lot more than that (or, possibly, they're using the whole "promote the general welfare" to mean "nanny state.")

Yet, despite all this, U.S. citizens contribute more to charitable organizations by more than double per capita the next most generous nation, England. So, left to their own (without compulsory means) people will do the right thing without government intervention. And, given the chance, capitalism will always lead to greater prosperity. Not to just a few, but to everyone. Because everyone is free to compete and succeed. Why do so many immigrants succeed in America? Because they know that they are free to do whatever they want, to work hard, and become successful. Opportunities they didn't have to the same extent anywhere else in the world.

I'm not very impressed with any of the candidates this election. But I do feel that we, as citizens, need to stand up and take back the country. We have become lazy, turning our country and freedoms over to professional politicians. And, just like the D&C warns, "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." (D&C 121:39)

Now, back to the communism thing. Enjoy:

Credit Crisis

What's going on with financial markets? What is a $700 billion bailout? Is my bank safe?

These are questions that I'm hearing all the time now. Having worked in the banking industry for over 20 years I know a little about what is going on. So, let me try and cut through the politics and soundbites of fear and lay out some of the facts along with my opinion.

Mortgage Greed
This is probably the genesis of the current situation. Too many risky loans were made in order to make lots of money. Money was flowing into banks from 1) low Federal Reserve Rates, 2) Foreign depositors, 3) investors. Banks used this money to loan to home buyers and home investors. The huge demand for housing drove up home prices and home values.

Home owners took advantage of double digit home value increases to borrow against the equity and use that cash for consumer spending and investing. This stoked the entire U.S. economy as workers rushed to build houses, suppliers worked to provide home building supplies, land owners sold land for huge profits, and consumer good manufacturers built and sold all kinds of consumer goods.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the mortgage industry. I said too many risky loans were made. This resulted from a couple of market pressures. 1) The government and pseudo-government entities (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) pressured lenders into making home loans available to lower income borrowers by offering to buy up these mortgages thus removing the risk from banks. 2) Lenders coming up with creative financing options to qualify more borrowers. The economics are simple: more loans equals more money.

How a bank makes money
Banks don't make all their money from loan interest. Shocking, I know. Nowadays they make almost as much from fees with an enormous amount coming from selling mortgage loans. Banks will package (bundle together) mortgage loans and sell them to investors. These bundled loans are referred to as Mortgage Backed Securities or MBS. The investors pay the face value of the loans plus a premium for the interest that will be earned on the loans over the expected life of the loans. This "service release" premium is generally between 50 and 150 basis points (100 basis points is 1 percent.) This amounts to hundreds of dollars per loan. For example, a $200,000 mortgage sold for par plus 80 pb would net the seller $1,600 on top of the fees collected for doing the loan (appraisal fee, documentation fees, etc.) It's not hard for a lender to make $3,000 to $5,000 per mortgage loan. These loans are generally done with a buyer already committed to buy the loan so there is very little risk to the lender.

A bank will also make money by investing deposits which are not loaned out. Banks invest in MBS. But so do insurance companies, retirement funds, institutional investors and the average mutual fund investor. Historically,they have been good, conservative investments because the last thing a person wants to give up is their home.

What is a sub-prime mortgage?
It's really just what is sounds like: a mortgage loan that is underwritten to standards below those of a prime borrower. In other words, a more risky loan. But lenders tried to hedge on these loans by finding creative ways for the borrower to pay. Since consumers almost always shop payment (not rate) lenders developed programs to lower the payment. Interest only loans, variable rate loans with a starting rate well below market, 40 year mortgages, zero down. The list was virtually endless. But this wasn't all. Lenders began lending on stated income, meaning they didn't actually verify that the borrower earned what they said they earned. This was all par for our "get now, pay later" mentality.

So what happened?
With lenders cranking out loans by the thousands and investors buying them up, it's no wonder that normal oversite was soon trampled under foot. Politicians are trying to blame this on deregulation and lack of oversite, but that is a scapegoat. The industry is still very regulated. In my institution, for example, we undergo two independant financial audits per year. One by our regulatory agency and one by an independant auditing firm.

The buyer of the mortgage sets the underwriting standards. In other words, they provide the terms of the contract. If the lender doesn't meet those standards the investor won't buy the loan. Therefore, part of the blame goes to the large mortgage investors for loosening their standards. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac happen to be two of the largest.

Of course, banks, especially large banks, still hold millions of dollars in mortgage loans on their books. And, to stay competitive they began lowering their own standards in order to write more loans. They may have done this with the idea of selling these loans at some future point in time or they may have planned on keeping them for the life of the loan.

The liquidity crisis
So this brings us to the crisis. As these loans started to default, the demand for them from investors dropped and eventually dried up. Banks and investment firms were left holding billions of dollars in subprime mortgage loans. Forclosures increased. Financial institutions had to put more money into loan loss reserves. Additionally, one of the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is for companies to mark there investments to market value. As MBS investments lost value banks and other holders had to mark down these investments to market value diminishing their assets resulting in lower equity amounts.

So, the crisis is two fold. 1) Banks are unwilling to lend there diminished money (if they have any) to anyone but the very best borrowers. 2) Banks and investment companies are strapped with billions of dollars of potentially worthless loans/investments.

Now, I keep using the word potentially because not all of these loans have gone bad. Many have, but the majority have not.

What is the "bailout"?
What the government wants to do is borrow against future tax revenues to purchase these loans from banks. This will clear the bad loans off their books and allow them to begin lending money again. They also want to purchase these MBS from investment firms that will allow them to use the proceeds to purchase better investments thus protecting their investors.

The estimate is that the bad loans could equal $700 billion. The government would "protect" tax payers by taking stock warrants in the companies from which they purchase the loans. Of course, the government also hopes that as home values go back up they will be able to sell the homes and make a profit for taxpayers (I doubt that will ever happen, but that's a different rant.)

One of the sticking points has to do with executive compensation packages. Most executives have a terms written into their contracts that earn them hefty bonuses based on profits. But they also protect themselves by requiring a "buyout" of their contract if they are let go. By purchasing bad loans and investments the government can potentially create a windfall profit for Wall Street companies allowing executives to earn a big bonus from the bailout. Or, these executives could be paid to leave. Either way, the average consumer and their legislative representative thinks this is unfair.

What's will happen if a bailout is not passed?
It's hard to tell. We don't live in 1930 America. Economies are global. Despite what the politicians are saying there are a lot of regulations and controls in place. Trillions of U.S. dollars are held in foreign countries (but can only be used, ultimately, in the U.S.) But, the U.S. economy is also heavily dependant on credit. A lack of credit will certainly put the brakes on. To what extent, it's hard to say.

We are still well below the number of bank failures that happened during the Savings and Loan crisis of the 80's and that bailout wasn't even close to the one being talked about right now.

I would put my money in an insured account and wait to see what happens. If I am upside down in investments and have the time to wait it out, I'll leave them for the time knowing that they will eventually go back up. I'll decrease my spending and purchase only those things that are necessary to sustain me and my family. I'll pay off debts.

Bottom line: I'll do everything the prophets have been telling us to do for years.

The Joys of Home Ownership

Ah, the joy of being woken from a blissful sleep at 6 a.m. to the wonderful phrase, "we're flooded!"

Last night I was informed that our kitchen sink was backed up. Well, I was working on something else at the time and soon forgot about that little project.

The dishwasher started at 2 a.m. and, with no place for the water to drain, overflowed into the kitchen.

The kitchen floor was covered in water and a steady drip was coming from the basement ceiling to the carpet below.

Now, I'm getting pretty good at ripping up carpet after our basement flood two months ago. So, up came the carpet (luckly not as bad as last time.)

The ceiling's not looking so good, however. The drywall will probably have to be replaced or at the very least retaped and painted. Likewise, the slats of wood of the kitchen floor all have a nice up-curve on the sides and ends and so the floor will need to be refinished.

The interesting part about all this that in my board meeting last night at work we were discussing companies that have very high Net Promoter Scores or NPS. An NPS is determined by asking customers to rank, on a scale of 0-10, how likely they are to refer the company to family and friends. 10's and 9's are promoters, 0-6 are detractors, and 7's and 8's are passives. NPS is calculated by subtracting detractors from promoters (P-D=NPS). The theory is that word of mouth advertising is the best type of advertising. Customers who are enthusiastic about your company will sell it to others. Therefore, the more enthusiastic customers you have, the more successful your company will be. Thus high NPS=success.

USAA, a company that provides insurance and financial services to military personnel and their families, consistently has one of the highest scores of all U.S. companies. And, it just so happens that we have USAA home owner's insurance. So now is my big chance to test how good they really are (we've had one other claim for a car accident a few years ago and they did a great job.)

Regardless, with one more flood I may consider replacing the carpet in the basement with linolium.