What A Lawful Thing To Do

Laws, politics, morality...AGHH!!! Most of us want to just stop listening when we hear these concepts, so I will be very impressed and grateful if you make it to the end of this post!

I've heard a lot of people say that they don't care about politics. I heard one guy go so far as to say that he is very political about not caring about politics. First of all, that's like saying you bully other bullies because you can't stand bullying, so maybe it's a good thing you're not voting on important decisions that impact our country. But I think we often get confused about what it is exactly we don't care about.

I only recently got interested in politics, which I think is a little too late. I don't know a lot of the history of politics or how a lot of things work, or how the political system actually works between the lines. I just care about the issues. I care about voting, and I care about the education of the issues. I want to know what the law says, not the media's slant or interpretation of it.

For example, I'm gonna pick on Rush Limbaugh. I doubt his show will lose rating because of my blog post. I try to listen to both Democratic and Republican advocates, so usually I'll listen to Rush or Sean Hannity at lunch or on my drive home and then throw on an episode of Jon Stewart at night. I think listening to what both sides have to say is the smart thing to do. So I was listening to Rush's show, or bits of it maybe, when he was addressing the woman who asked Congress to supply contraception for women. When Rush heard this, he said that asking someone for money to have sex is basically prostitution, so she's a slut. When I heard that, my first thought was, "yea, someone who asks someone else for money to have sex is a form of prostitution, so I can agree with that."

Hopefully people do a little digging around, or at least listen to both sides of the story. In this case I did. I looked up what was actually said by Sandra Fluke. She was asking Congress to provide medical contraception for women who's health depended on it, as it is getting really expensive. It wasn't to have sex. I don't think I even saw her address that issue. So yes, while asking for money to have sex is a form of prostitution, she didn't do that! She was asking for Congress to aid women who need contraception for medical issues to provide it for them.

I think what happens to a lot of people, and the media is horrible at helping us with this, is that they don't know the whole story. They're missing a side. They listen to Fox News and get what republicans think about the issue, or they watch Jon Stewart and only get how democrats feel. Being educated as to what is really going on allows us to make informed decisions. Not voting for Romney because he's evading paying taxes is ridiculous because that's not the whole story.

Now Rush has been reprimanded for his comments already, but those are the kinds of things that happen when we don't think and act for ourselves.

I took a class a few years ago in college called American Heritage. It was one of the toughest classes I'll ever take in college, and I'm in accounting! Basically it's a mixture of American History, World History, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology. I didn't do too well in the class, though I passed it. I did learn some very important things in that class, though, that I'll always be grateful for.

One thing I learned is one definition of a law: a law is legislated morality. The dictionary definition mentions rules, commands, authority, and a bunch of other words. But basically a law is legislated morality. We think stealing is immoral, so we have a law against stealing. We think killing is situational, so if you walk out of your house and shoot up your block, you receive one punishment. If you accidently hit someone with your car, you receive another. And if you shoot someone during wartime as a member of the military, you actually can receive rewards.

This definition pertains to political issues, not procedural things like how a corporation should file its taxes.

So we as a country have the opportunity to enact laws based on what we think is moral. One of the great things about our country is that we each get to have a voice. There are ways for us to get our concerns across. If we don't feel a proposed law is moral, then we can vote against it. We can write to our congressman to have a certain law created. We get to publicly declare what our morals are. Is abortion okay? What about in cases of rape or unplanned pregnancy? What if it endangers the health of the mother? Everyone has their own answers to these questions, even if the answer is just "I don't know," and we get to share them in a lot of ways.

While each of us has our own morals, we need to respect the morals of others. We may not agree with them, but in order for us to make this thing work, we need to have respect for others. We learn this in kindergarten but at some point we forget it. We also don't have to shove our morals onto other people, like on Facebook. We learned that shoving is wrong in kindergarten, too.

So when someone feels that homosexuality shouldn't be a part of marriage, that's their moral. They think homosexuality is wrong; they don't hate gay people. Well, if they do, they're wrong. Or if someone says abortions should be legal, that's their moral. Respect it. You can by all means vote against it, and you should always be willing to discuss these issues. But don't think that people are hateful or killers or any kind of extreme simply because they want their morals legislated.

Because that's what laws are and always have been.

Poor Food

Food, glorious food! Who doesn't love food in America?! (at least 51% of us who are now overweight!) I'm in this group...I love food. I love eating out, I love the taste of a good baconator... mm.. I shouldn't write this before I go to lunch...

Sadly, companies have done a great job at marketing their products. Banks, fast food restaurants... basically all the companies that are doing well have great marketing. See, the better the marketing, the more we buy their products. The more we do that, the more we become dependent, justify irrational behavior, and even get addicted to these things.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I know some people (maybe you're one?!) who, if they don't have their Five-bucks, I mean Starbucks, coffee in the morning, they're grumpy all day. That's an addiction, my friends. I don't think I have an addiction to anything...the closest would be Dr. Pepper, but really I just like to drink things. Whether it's pop, juice, nectar, powerade, or even (gulp) water, I just need some fluids in my body.

The topic of today has to do with all-you-can-eat buffet's and how they market their products. These places (Chuck-A-Rama, Sizzler, Golden Corral) take the approach of laying out a ton of food and allowing you to eat as much as you can. They make sure to keep your dirnks filled, because filling yourself up with liquid refreshment usually leaves less room for food. My mom always told me to not drink too much or I'd get a pop belly. I was warned, mom, and I didn't listen...

At first glance, this is a great deal. How cool is it to be able to pay as much as you would for a normal dinner and eat as much as you want! That makes not only good food sense, but good financial sense, right? Wrong, chicken-breath!

In our capitalistic society, we are programmed now to get the most amount of product/service for the least amount of cost. Get deals. This is what wealthy people do, right? They end up with more for less. We get to beat up office depot when they have a sale of 2 notepads for the cost of 1, right? But let's take a step back for a second and think about this. The very purpose of a business is to make a profit. They can't survive if they spend more than they take in. So if a business is having all kinds of sales and knocking down prices so far down that it would be insane to pass up, how can they make a profit?

Businesses know that the most important thing for them is to get people in their doors. If they can do that, they can sell you more things. So if a sale on shoes at payless gets you in the door, maybe you see something else you like and have to have. That means you spent some money you wouldn't have normally spent. This is how businesses think.

So let's come back to the food buffet business. How can they even make a profit with such low prices on food? Think about it, what is the fat-person to skinny-person ratio in Chuck-A-Rama? Like 8:1? People fill themselves up with food because they eat as much as they can. That's the whole point of a food buffet - to eat as much as you can for a low price! From a business standpoint, they want you to get fat. The fatter you get, the more likely you are to come into their restaurant. They may lose some of the money they could have normally gotten by pricing their dinner plates a little higher for less food, but if they get you to keep coming back because of the good deal, they've won. Maybe some days you order a special dessert or more beers. The point is, they got you in their double-doors and that is how they make money.

On average, obese people spend more on food than skinny people. This is just common sense, right? If you eat more food, you'll usually pay more money. So that good deal that you got at the food buffet...it doesn't add up. People go there, gain weight, and end up spending more money on food throughout the year anyway. This doesn't end up making financial sense.

Unlike other things (it's GREAT to get deals on things other than food, especially if they are things you were going to buy anyway), more food isn't always better. Food represents fuel. It's not meant to be eaten at the rate Americans eat food. And the type of food. This can be tough because we sometimes have to fight our basic survival instinct - to eat as much food as we can. This was developed in us because food wasn't always as prevalent as it is now. McDonalds weren't lined up throughout the jungles. People had to find and kill their food, and if they didn't find any, they didn't eat. So their bodies told them to eat more when they could for the times when they weren't going to be able to eat as much.

But we can't do this. If there's one thing that won't disappear any time soon, it's food. I know this because I'm guilty of it. I love a line from the movie Captain America - the First Avenger. Stanley Tucci (one of the best actors of all-time in my opinion) says to soon-to-be-Captain America, "Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion." I liken this to food. I've been skinny most of my life and I've also been fat. I know the value of both. I think obese people know what other obese people are going through better than if someone had never been overweight. The value of being healthy far outweighs (pun intended) the value of being overweight. The trouble lies in the motivation and execution to the process of being healthy.

Is it bad to eat at these places every once in a while? Of course not. Is it bad to seek out these places every time you're going out to eat? Probably. So, again, when it comes to food, more isn't always better. This is a battle that I myself am still fighting. And even though I lose a lot of the battles, the war still rages on. Know what will help win that war? Staying away from food buffets, no matter how good their marketing is.

The Emergency Fund

This picture is actually targeted for people with hair emergencies, but the topic I'm going to address today is a little more important than that (although, since just about all of my readers are female, I recognize that this does exist and is by no means inconsequential).

A lot of financial guru's such as Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman will tell you that to get out of debt, to have a stable financial plan, or to simply ride out the hard economic times, you must have an emergency fund. And they're right. I teach community education classes for Granite Peaks, and in them (Get Out of Debt & Cash Planning) I teach my students to get an emergency fund. This is the most important, fundamental, key element to getting out of debt and creating a budget.

In order to get out of debt, you MUST have a budget. A budget, as John Maxwell puts it, is "simply telling your money what to do instead of wondering where it went." It doesn't have to be this 15 spreadsheet, 20-hour long lecture on the best things to do with our money. In the class, we go over how to create as simple an extensive budget as we possibly can. But the key part of that is to have an emergency fund.

What most people will do is they'll take the budgeting class and get all excited with their spouse. "Yes! Finally we're gonna take control of our finances!," they shout. Then they create this elaborate budget with money going to all the places they need...except an emergency fund. Then when something unexpected happens (most of us call this LIFE), their budget is busted and they don't want to take the time to create a new one. They give up.

Don't give up. Get an emergency fund. This is YOUR life insurance against life. Because life happens, and it will especially happen if you're not prepared for it. There are two types of emergency funds: temporary and permanent. I actually am not 100% happy with these names, but I'll come up with something better. These work to explain the difference between the emergency funds, though.

A temporary emergency fund is $1,000 ($500 if you make less than $20,000). This emergency fund is temporary. The balance is not meant to stay at $1,000. However, if you're getting out of debt or trying to get your finances in order, this is the bare minimum you need against life. If you're trying to pay stuff off or get ahead, make sure you have $1,000 in the bank. I keep mine in a money market savings account. Keep it somewhere that's not too easy to get to (like your dresser drawer) nor too difficult if you really need it (a CD). A savings account, money market account, or seperate checking account all work just fine. This is for EMERGENCIES ONLY! Money for a pizza does not count as an emergency.

A permanent emergency fund is 3-6 months of expenses. Either adding to or in addition to your temporary EF, figure out how much you pay for each month in expenses. This includes mortgage and car payments, food, utilities, phone bills, and entertainment. How much money do you need to live on each month? Multiply that by 3, then by 6, and your permanent EF should fall somewhere within that range. This is for your long-term emergencies like a loss of a job.

Protect yourself against life. Get an emergency fund.

The Lesser of Two Evils

It's almost official: Dwight Howard is a Flaker.

We were all praying for the Dwight Howard saga to end, and it's about to (once the NBA approves the trade). It's a 4-team trade which sends Dwight Howard to the Lakers along with Chris Duhon and Earl Clark, the Nuggets will receive Andre Iguodala, the Sixers will receive Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, and Orlando will get Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, and a first round pick from each of the 3 teams. Best part for the Lakers isn't necessarily that they got Howard...it's that they got rid of Bynum.

So who came out ahead? Everyone but Orlando. The Lakers got the best deal with Howard and a backup point guard in Chris Duhon. He's not the best backup, but if he's not the main focus point like he was in New York coming off the bench, he should give the Lakers some good minutes while Nash rests.

Basically this puts L.A in the drivers seat out west. It makes them slightly better than the Thunder. The upgrades at point and center make this team extremely dangerous...and I hate the Lakers. But, this is the team I want going to the finals because it's the team with the best chance at beating the Heat when they inevitably make it there. The lesser of two evils is who I want to win.

Offensively, everything will run through Nash and give Kobe a much needed break. Whether it's a pick and roll with Gasol or Howard, or penetrating and dishing to Artest or Kobe for a 3, Nash gives the Lakers an immediate and necessary upgrade on offense. Kobe is still the primary option, but now I think Howard is #2, Gasol #3, Nash #4, and Artest #5. I am always the first person to rag on Artest for his lack of offensive production, but when he's your 5th option (possibly 6th if Antawn Jamison is on the floor), that's a pretty good team. He's one of the better 5th options out there.

Defensively, you now have 3 lockdown defenders in Howard, Bryant, and Artest. Gasol is no slouch, either. A defensive-minded coach just got the best defensive player in the NBA.

The best part about this trade is, unlike the Heat trade, all of the Laker pieces mesh well. You have a new point, a dominant wing, and a post. Gasol is flexible enough to play low or high post, and you have some options at the other wing spot. No one is playing the same spot or expects to have the shot at the end of the game, except Kobe. He's still the respected, unanimous leader on this team. When he leaves, Nash will be pretty much out the door so it becomes Dwight's team.

Do I like the Lakers? Of course not. But until the Thunder can prove they are the league's best team, I'm gonna put my hopes in a team that I've hated all my life...since they are the best shot at beating the player I hate more than any team.

....Go.....Lakers.....

Judgement Wednesday

I saw a Facebook post recently that said, "Don't judge me!! You don't know me!!" First of all, why shouldn't I judge you? And secondly, why do I need to know you extremely well to make a judgment about you?

You see, judgment happens all the time. And it should. It's not inherently bad; it's actually meant to be useful. Judgment is also usually seen as a one-way road when really it goes two ways. For example, let's take appearances. I talk about this more in depth in a different article. When you show up to a job interview for a professional position in sweat pants and a wife beater and your name isn't Will Smith (Pursuit of Happyness), what are you communicating to your potential employer? It's NOT that you can show that you're a professional. It's NOT that you respect that employer, position, or company enough to wear nice clothes. It says a lot of things, but it doesn't say that you're very deserving of that job.

Most job interviews are over in the first 2 minutes after meeting the applicant. You get a sense of who they are; you're making a judgment call. For employment, this is necessary. Should you just hire the first person to walk through the door so you can avoid judging the other applicants? No. You need to judge the possible employees according to certain criteria that best fits your company.

That's the same with a lot of things in life. So instead of trying to avoid judging for judgments sake, we need to learn the best way to judge people/things. Maybe some scriptures would help.

This one is found in Moses 6:61:

"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the ^arecord of heaven; the ^bComforter; the ^cpeaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all ^dpower according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment."


This scripture isn't found in the Bible, but in a book called the Pearl of Great Price. This book contains other teachings of Abraham and Moses. It's a great book, and it's small. Definitely worth the read. It's saying the Spirit, or the Comforter, has all power to make righteous judgments so let it 'abide in you.' That way you, too, can make correct judgments.

Here's one found in the Bible, John 7:24 to be exact:


"Judge not according to ^bthe ^cappearance, but judge righteous judgment."

This is a commandment, not just a suggestion. We are to judge righteously - commandment. But why should we be forced to judge? Why can't we just live life without judging anything or anyone ever? You already judge people, things, events, etc. Maybe you just don't think of it as judging.

For example, let's say you have a 10-year old boy. You decide to go to the park with your family. Over in the corner of the playground, you see a bunch of boys who go to your sons' school. They are throwing litter, pushing other kids to the ground, and shouting vulgar words and phrases. You see your son look at them and start to walk over to where they are. Do you:

A) Call your son back; there's no way he's going over there
B) Let your son go; who's to say they're not good boys?
C) Quickly ask your spouse to make a decision on whether or not he should go over there
D) Other, including you don't prefer to address the situation

If you've chosen any of these answers, you've just made a judgement. You're judging the group of boys, you're judging your son, and you may even be judging the rest of the people around them. You're judging the situation and you're making an educated, informed, possibly emotional decision on whether or not to let your son hang out with those boys. It's necessary; you need to look out for the well-being of your child, do you not? You need to make a judgement call.

So I can judge you just like you can judge me. You can even judge me for the way I judge you. In turn I can judge you for how you judge me judging you. This took a bad turn. The point is that making judgments isn't inherently a bad thing.

It's like a brick. A brick isn't inherently good or bad. It can be used for both, but it's not normally either. You can pick up a brick and throw it at someone's house. That's bad. You can use it along with many others to build a hospital. That's good. The brick doesn't care, though; it's just a brick.

Judging isn't necessarily good or bad. It can be used for both, but it's just there. Use it for the good of your family and friends as well as for your own sake. But realize others are going to do it to you, too. Maybe realizing this will help you make some changes in your life so you're not judged in a way you don't want to be judged. It can be very motivating.

Now DO IT or you're a big fat loser! (just kidding) =)