Who is lying?

No on 8 said

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.

• Fact: The court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Yet New Jersey ruled that the Methodist church must allow a same-sex couple to be married on its privately owned property. No religion will be required to change its practices? It will not stop here. If so-called anti-discriminatory laws require churches to open up their privately owned property to same-sex marriages, what stops couples from suing to be married within the churches themselves?

Setting aside the fact that this is a same-sex couple, this is private property. The organization, church or not, has the right to rent the facility to whomever they choose. The court cannot decide that.

Network Neutrality

Taking a break from finals, I found this article about Google backing away from a stance for network neutrality. At stake is the traditional rule that Internet carriers - AT&T and such - don't prefer one content provider - Google, Yahoo, etc. - over another. It seems the carriers want content providers to begin carrying some of the cost burdens. And content providers are seeking for fast tracks - they want to pay to have faster connections.

Here are the pros and cons as I see it:

First, the benefits of a pay-for-speed deal means faster connections for the most successful websites - the ones which we all use. Amazon.com, Google, E-bay, will have guaranteed fast connections. I don't know all the logistics, but I think this means that it will be less common for these websites to go slow. Second, it will increase the ability of AT&T and Comcast and other companies to build high-speed networks. Right now, as they carry all the costs, it is difficult and costly to build these networks everywhere they are needed. But if those companies that require high-speed access are paying for it, then the networks will be built more quickly and we will have faster internet. Third, the quality of the internet will increase. As companies compete for bandwidth, they will need to earn more to pay for it. To earn more, they will need to have higher-quality websites that meet the needs of their users better.

On the flip side of that argument, a lot of people may lose their voice. Right now anyone could make a website and have it seen by just about anyone. With a pay-for-speed system, then all those smaller organizations will load slowly and the big companies' websites will load quickly. People will favor the big and neglect the small. There is a possibility costs could go up, as well. As internet companies begin paying for bandwidth, their costs will increase. These higher costs will eventually end up on the bills of the users.

I better get back to studying, so I'm going to wrap this up. My initial conclusion is in favor of pay-for-speed. I'm in favor of a faster, higher-quality internet. Some people claim working for money kills innovation. Hm...an interesting argument considering the most innovative nation in known history has a market (money) based economy. Were our most innovative men working solely for the public good? I could go into history, but why not consider the topic of this article - Google. Incredible innovators, they have made incredible profits. Some may claim it is out of goodwill and wealth comes to those who do good for others, but I flatly and bluntly disagree (think Mother Theresa). Google is in it for the money. And that is not a bad thing, because as long as they abide by the rules (which they seem to be doing), we all end up better off.

Good Math, at least for Wall Street

Ah, Dilbert. Greg Mankiw found some good commentary on the current mess.

Expensive Oil = Fewer Deaths

There are always more consequences to changes in our world than we expect. Take high oil prices, for example. We are all glad they have dropped back down. Especially at this time of year, it feels good to spend money on something other than filling up the gas tank.

But there is, of course, a bigger picture. Prices are low, but the economy as a whole is still falling. The additional good news and the unnoticed benefit? Deaths are down in car related accidents. So while many people struggle to make ends meet, there are a few thousand who can simply be grateful that they have the ability to worry about making ends meet.

Welcome

To the End of the Internet. I'm going to bed now.

No Mob Veto

This is a great ad. We don't need to all agree. We simply need to accept that we have different viewpoints. Fundamental to this country is the ability to express those viewpoints. I have no problem with gay people speaking about their desire for marriage. I disagree with them, but I would never do anything to silence them. It's a pretty simple matter - I don't like being intimidated or hated for being Mormon. Obviously, they wouldn't want to be intimidated or hated for some of their beliefs. So, I will grant them the same respect that I ask for - to be allowed to express my opinions and views without fear.

Woo-hoo!

We all get a free Dr. Pepper.

A Rarity

An admirable CEO. I don't necessarily think every CEO should go to this extreme, but they certainly should take a page from his book. Here is a man who seeks success above wealth.

Mac vs. PC

I have little to say. Simply that not long ago I got a Mac.

I miss my more powerful, more versatile, more widely accepted, more interesting, supposedly more error-prone (not that I experienced many), but all-together more human PC.

I like my stable, sterile, somewhat artificial Mac. Few problems. Not much personality and not much versatility, but it's only frozen up once or twice and that was easily fixed.

I like Hal. But when I get my next computer, it will be Windows. Maybe I'll name him Prometheus.

Politics vs. Economics

Greg Mankiw's Blog: Auto Industry Bailout?

A great summary of the arguments on either side. I agree with Becker. I think the bailout is a wise political move, but a poor economic one. I believe propping up the auto industry in the days of Chrysler is part of the reason we are in this mess now. American auto manufacturers are simply not competitive with foreign manufacturers. They need to change. The lesson would be painful and hard for the auto industry in the short run, but in the long run it will be better for the economy as a whole.

Having said that, the plight of GM and Ford employees is a real one. Perhaps the best move for the government would be to provide retraining programs and other assistance to employees of the failed firms. That would be more effective, in my mind, than any bailout.

What About Free Speech?

No on 8 Supporters stomp on cross

Disturbing Trend

I noticed a disturbing trend on Facebook. Many of the Yes on 8 groups are shrinking while the No on 8 groups are growing. Yes, the measure passed, but this is only the beginning. We achieved a great success in defending marriage. Let's not back down now. They are not going to back down, so neither can we.

Where's the Hate?

I'm struggling to find the hate that all the No on 8 crowd says I have in my heart.

And while I have never called them names or vilified them, I(more specifically, all those who support traditional marriage the way I do) have been called every name under the sun. They have an interesting way of fighting for tolerance and acceptance. I would include links, but some of them are fairly offensive. And those who are back in CA have heard and seen a lot worse than me.

The Church's response is great. It's important that all of us who support traditional marriage do not allow hate or prejudice to build within our hearts. If we want to fight for what is right, let us live what is right the best we can. Love our neighbors!

It's Time to Speak Up

The election is over, but the time to speak up is just beginning. We live in a representative democracy. Our representatives may vote directly on bills, but they are accountable to us. Whether or not we voted for them, they must answer to us. Write your senators! Write your representatives! If you do this, you will have a greater effect on the politics of this nation than your vote today did. The President does not write or vote on bills, but your senators and representative do. Speak up! We can have an influence. It is not over. This is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. But it is only the people's government if we act. Now is the time to speak up. Don't wait 4 more years. If this country goes down the drain (which I don't think it will), it won't be Obama's fault, it will be ours. This is our country, so we must do our part.

Who Are the Bigots?

The views I express here are my own and, while I believe they are parallel, they are not the views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

No on 8 supporters have made a commercial that erodes all credibility when they call for tolerance and acceptance. They say that the Yes on 8 campaign is full of lies and we obscure the facts. Then they create this commercial demonizing missionaries. When has the church demonized No on 8 supporters? When has the church attacked homosexuals in any way? If you actually read the literature the church has released regarding homosexuality, you will find that it is full of love and understanding. It strongly emphasizes the love God has for all his children, especially for those who struggle with situations like homosexuality. He knows it is hard. That is why he provided His Son to be there as a comfort and a guide through difficult times. There is nothing in the Church's position on homosexuality that is hateful or bigoted. In almost no other issue have I seen God's love emphasized so much.

God loves all, but He does not accept all we do. He has condemned specific acts because they do not fit in His plan, which is designed to bring the greatest happiness to those who choose to obey. It is not arbitrary. It is based on eternal truths that cannot be broken. Fundamental to this plan are a man and woman marrying and working together towards exaltation - life with God. Part of that work is having and raising children. There are situations in which this ideal does not work out. But that does not mean that we are not required to try. The possibility of failure is no excuse for making no effort. There are all kinds of obstacles placed in the lives of people. Homosexuality is one of these. Those who are homosexual are children of God with the same potential as all others, but along with that potential comes the same responsibility. There are not different requirements and rules depending on our circumstances.

The point of all that is simply to state my understanding of the Church's position. It is not one of misunderstanding, hate, prejudice, or bigotry. It is based upon a belief that No on 8 supporters do not share. I do not vilify No on 8 supporters or homosexuals. While there are, unfortunately, those who do vilify homosexuals, I do not and I have seen nothing from the Church that does.

Here is the Church's statement:

The Church has joined a broad-based coalition in defense of traditional marriage. While we feel this is important to all of society, we have always emphasized that respect be given to those who feel differently on this issue. It is unfortunate that some who oppose this proposition have not given the Church this same courtesy.

From the KSL website.