I ran across this animated YouTube video today on the Internet. I ran across it because it was done by two BYU professors. It expresses very well the feelings of what love might seem like from a man's perspective (at least initially). I like the way that you can feel what is happening as you watch it. It is beautiful and enjoyable, but I didn't like the way it ended because it seemed that it fed into the fear many young folks have when considering allowing themselves to love. Some people fear that they will somehow lose at love and consequently never find love at all. Watch the video and then tell me what you think about it.
So what does this seem like to you. Is it pro love or a depressing love story.
The song is nice by the Weepies (I've never heard of them) The World moves madly on. Here is the video of the song on YouTube.
I like the ending which seems to be a little more hopeful. Tell me what you think.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Scarcity is an oddity to us.
Let's admit it, we have grown up in a time when we had pretty much as much as we wanted of stuff. There is plenty of gasoline, that's why we can confidently make trips across the country and expect to be able to get home like we used to do when our kids were young. Could you imagine making that trip with the concern that you might not be able to find gas and never make it or possibly get there but unsure if you could make it back home?
We have had plenty of food. So much food that all of us didn't even have the money to buy it all. Such that the stores throw it away or give it away to the food pantries for the poor. There are groups that bring the extra food to apartment complexes where the Elderly live and they give it away to them for free. Like I said throwing it away is the other option.
Clothing is available such that some stores charge astronomical amounts for the very same thing that is sold elsewhere much cheaper and still people buy it so they can say that they got it from that store or because it has a certain name brand in one store and another less popular name brand in another store.
We've grown up with plenty. Almost whatever we wanted and as much of it as we can handle. The limitation in the past has always been the money we had. Those with a job or a more lucrative job could afford it and those without a job or with a lesser paying job couldn't unless of course we went into debt to get it. But even that eventually would catch up with us and limit us at some point.
Now we are starting to deal with scarcities of things that cannot be bought regardless. At my work we have been aware of a certain injectable medication, Haldol, that has been scarcer. Lots of people with severe psychotic symptoms depend on that medication to allow them to keep their symptoms under control. We have been aware that the scarcity has started to impact the availability. It used to be common that people would pick up several doses of this medication and it would be kept at the clinic and they would get several injections from it until they had to pick up a refill months later. Now they can only pick up one dose at a time. It used to be that people could depend on their being plenty of the medicine each time they needed a refill. Now there are times the pharmacy does not have it and cannot get it from their suppliers requiring them to wait days or a week before they can get the medicine. Consequently they are having longer time periods between injections and their symptoms are not being controlled as efficiently as before. It used to be that the cost of it was fairly low and the insurance companies paid for it. Now, due to lack of supply the cost has risen drastically and some insurances refuse to pay the new inflated cost. Consequently clients must pay a sometimes substantial co-pay where they didn't have to pay any before to get the medicine. The co-pay turns out to be a substantial amount of their limited income. So sometimes it isn't purchased and not given and the symptoms run rampant.
I understand the ingredient that is in shortage for the medication is something that allows the medicine to be injectable. Not the actually active ingredient that controls the symptoms. There is no explanation for why this ingredient is scarce. There is not even a mention of what the ingredient is that is scarce.
I saw an article mentioning this shortage and the ingredient is used in various other medications including medications fighting cancer and so forth. The article says that this scarcity has led to deaths because the needed medication was unavailable. The article mentioned that hospitals are having a harder time than other places in getting it and the ingredient comes from foreign suppliers and the United States in general is having a harder time than some foreign countries in getting the medications.
In the case of my work, the injectable is a convenience medication. It is available and still plentiful in pill form. However; the reason that people take it in my work is because they are hugely unreliable in taking it in pill form to the point that the injection is needed not for their convenience but for the family, the clinic, and society's convenience to know the people have taken their medication.
The fact that this feels so odd to have a scarcity of something that formerly was plentiful is what tells me that we have truly been spoiled in our world. Now I am hearing that other items may become more scarce. Food items or convenience items that are more on the order of luxury items. How will our spoiled generation handle these scarcities, especially if they continue scarce over long periods of time and if the number of items in scarcity increase? We may learn the lessons of generations before us even with money the money to buy in our pocket. Something to think about.
We have had plenty of food. So much food that all of us didn't even have the money to buy it all. Such that the stores throw it away or give it away to the food pantries for the poor. There are groups that bring the extra food to apartment complexes where the Elderly live and they give it away to them for free. Like I said throwing it away is the other option.
Clothing is available such that some stores charge astronomical amounts for the very same thing that is sold elsewhere much cheaper and still people buy it so they can say that they got it from that store or because it has a certain name brand in one store and another less popular name brand in another store.
We've grown up with plenty. Almost whatever we wanted and as much of it as we can handle. The limitation in the past has always been the money we had. Those with a job or a more lucrative job could afford it and those without a job or with a lesser paying job couldn't unless of course we went into debt to get it. But even that eventually would catch up with us and limit us at some point.
Now we are starting to deal with scarcities of things that cannot be bought regardless. At my work we have been aware of a certain injectable medication, Haldol, that has been scarcer. Lots of people with severe psychotic symptoms depend on that medication to allow them to keep their symptoms under control. We have been aware that the scarcity has started to impact the availability. It used to be common that people would pick up several doses of this medication and it would be kept at the clinic and they would get several injections from it until they had to pick up a refill months later. Now they can only pick up one dose at a time. It used to be that people could depend on their being plenty of the medicine each time they needed a refill. Now there are times the pharmacy does not have it and cannot get it from their suppliers requiring them to wait days or a week before they can get the medicine. Consequently they are having longer time periods between injections and their symptoms are not being controlled as efficiently as before. It used to be that the cost of it was fairly low and the insurance companies paid for it. Now, due to lack of supply the cost has risen drastically and some insurances refuse to pay the new inflated cost. Consequently clients must pay a sometimes substantial co-pay where they didn't have to pay any before to get the medicine. The co-pay turns out to be a substantial amount of their limited income. So sometimes it isn't purchased and not given and the symptoms run rampant.
I understand the ingredient that is in shortage for the medication is something that allows the medicine to be injectable. Not the actually active ingredient that controls the symptoms. There is no explanation for why this ingredient is scarce. There is not even a mention of what the ingredient is that is scarce.
I saw an article mentioning this shortage and the ingredient is used in various other medications including medications fighting cancer and so forth. The article says that this scarcity has led to deaths because the needed medication was unavailable. The article mentioned that hospitals are having a harder time than other places in getting it and the ingredient comes from foreign suppliers and the United States in general is having a harder time than some foreign countries in getting the medications.
In the case of my work, the injectable is a convenience medication. It is available and still plentiful in pill form. However; the reason that people take it in my work is because they are hugely unreliable in taking it in pill form to the point that the injection is needed not for their convenience but for the family, the clinic, and society's convenience to know the people have taken their medication.
The fact that this feels so odd to have a scarcity of something that formerly was plentiful is what tells me that we have truly been spoiled in our world. Now I am hearing that other items may become more scarce. Food items or convenience items that are more on the order of luxury items. How will our spoiled generation handle these scarcities, especially if they continue scarce over long periods of time and if the number of items in scarcity increase? We may learn the lessons of generations before us even with money the money to buy in our pocket. Something to think about.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Pre Snow
Life in Virginia is fun in the winter. That is because as many as five or six days in advance we get a warning from the weather people that there may be a chance of snow coming up. That is a big deal here. We know that snow in Virginia can be tricky. Not only tricky to get it here but tricky when it is on the ground.
There are lots of stories of how snow has been predicted and never came. Or the "For Sure" snow storm of the century turned into a nice rain here in Virginia. But on the times that the snow actually arrives it can really get tricky because of a combination of things. First we don't put the resources into taking care of the snow like other more northern states. We use our money for other stuff. I'm not sure what but stuff that doesn't include snow removal. Because we don't get much snow, most of the driver's here have minimal snow driving experience and are overly cautious to the point of being dangerous or not cautious enough. Consequently there are lots of accidents and slipping and sliding. Schools often close, work often starts late or closes and in the big storms the nearby military base will even close down. It really is unique.
So the past few days we've been hearing about this snow/ice storm coming our way. In Virginia ice is dreaded much worse than snow. A full-fledged ice storm can keep us housebound for a week, and it has in the past I might add. Ask Grandma Loray about the Christmas ice storm where the electricity was out for several days while they were visiting. Where the Christmas ham was cooked over a propane heater since that was the only heat we had in the house, while they were visiting. Where the refrigerator in the house didn't work so we put all the stuff needing to be cold in Dad's truck to keep it cold. Now that is a good story for another time.
So back to this week: every one is watching the weather. The snow is supposed to come Tuesday, today as I write this. Church announcements tell the weekly activities with the caveat of "if it snows it is cancelled". At work everyone is wondering what they will do with the time at home. Shoppers rush out to get enough milk, bread and fixing's to last through a storm. Dread and or hope, depending on your point of view, is high. Weather forecasts are watched closely on T.V. and the Internet for days in advance.
Well sure enough, today we are getting sleet and snow. A slippery mix. The schools started with a two hour delay until the sleet started coming down, then they cancelled at the last minute with several teachers already on their way. My work was an hour late. We'll see if they stay the whole day since the T.V. news said the commute home would be worse than the one to work. We'll see.
So even though snow is meager and somewhat rare in southern Virginia, during the winter it takes up a lot of thought and tense anticipation!
As for me, I love the snow, bring it on!
There are lots of stories of how snow has been predicted and never came. Or the "For Sure" snow storm of the century turned into a nice rain here in Virginia. But on the times that the snow actually arrives it can really get tricky because of a combination of things. First we don't put the resources into taking care of the snow like other more northern states. We use our money for other stuff. I'm not sure what but stuff that doesn't include snow removal. Because we don't get much snow, most of the driver's here have minimal snow driving experience and are overly cautious to the point of being dangerous or not cautious enough. Consequently there are lots of accidents and slipping and sliding. Schools often close, work often starts late or closes and in the big storms the nearby military base will even close down. It really is unique.
So the past few days we've been hearing about this snow/ice storm coming our way. In Virginia ice is dreaded much worse than snow. A full-fledged ice storm can keep us housebound for a week, and it has in the past I might add. Ask Grandma Loray about the Christmas ice storm where the electricity was out for several days while they were visiting. Where the Christmas ham was cooked over a propane heater since that was the only heat we had in the house, while they were visiting. Where the refrigerator in the house didn't work so we put all the stuff needing to be cold in Dad's truck to keep it cold. Now that is a good story for another time.
So back to this week: every one is watching the weather. The snow is supposed to come Tuesday, today as I write this. Church announcements tell the weekly activities with the caveat of "if it snows it is cancelled". At work everyone is wondering what they will do with the time at home. Shoppers rush out to get enough milk, bread and fixing's to last through a storm. Dread and or hope, depending on your point of view, is high. Weather forecasts are watched closely on T.V. and the Internet for days in advance.
Well sure enough, today we are getting sleet and snow. A slippery mix. The schools started with a two hour delay until the sleet started coming down, then they cancelled at the last minute with several teachers already on their way. My work was an hour late. We'll see if they stay the whole day since the T.V. news said the commute home would be worse than the one to work. We'll see.
So even though snow is meager and somewhat rare in southern Virginia, during the winter it takes up a lot of thought and tense anticipation!
As for me, I love the snow, bring it on!
No bunnies
Well life has been a little blah of late due to the fact that no bunnies have been seen. Yesterday I took Haleigh to her early morning Seminary class about 5:25 a.m. Like usual I was keeping my eye open for a bunny hopping around but to no avail. I haven't seen a bunny in weeks. I miss them. For those of you who recall my post of Dec. 11: 'A Good Day--Two bunnies or five deer', I haven't seen any deer either.
So in an effort to spice up the day a little I decided to come up with another tradition to lead to a good day. Hey, we need to do all kinds of things to convince ourselves that a day is going to be a good day. So I wore my hoodie sweat shirt. Of course it was my BYU one. I had the hood on because it was cold as I was driving Haleigh to seminary and I had to pull the hood back a little so I could use my peripheral vision to drive safely. I said to Haleigh, "I'm behooded!" She immediately responded "That's better than being beheaded!" What a way to realize the blessings of the day. Of course! Today will be a good day because my head is still attached! I feel better now.
So in an effort to spice up the day a little I decided to come up with another tradition to lead to a good day. Hey, we need to do all kinds of things to convince ourselves that a day is going to be a good day. So I wore my hoodie sweat shirt. Of course it was my BYU one. I had the hood on because it was cold as I was driving Haleigh to seminary and I had to pull the hood back a little so I could use my peripheral vision to drive safely. I said to Haleigh, "I'm behooded!" She immediately responded "That's better than being beheaded!" What a way to realize the blessings of the day. Of course! Today will be a good day because my head is still attached! I feel better now.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Favorite Author
I learned this week that a favorite author of mine had a mild stroke. It bothered me. I guess it bothered me that he is human and is getting older where physical deterioration occurs. Consequently he has had to cut back some of his activities. But he promised that he will not die withouth completing all his unfinished series. ha!
Click here to see his own words about his stroke.
Click his picture to go to his web site.
Click here to see his own words about his stroke.
Click his picture to go to his web site.
Offended? Me?
This week I've had two opportunities to teach lessons about something that has caught my eye and my thoughts from November conference 2010. Elder Andersen gave the talk entitled "Never Leave Him". Of course the "Him" is Christ. One of the ways that he spoke of has been on my mind as I considered it and have looked at my life to see how it fit.
(click on his picture to go to his talk)
He said, "The Lord said, 'Thou mayest choose for thyself.'
"I promise you, as you choose not to be offended or ashamed, you will feel his love and approval. You will know that you are becoming more like Him."
"Will we understand everything? Of course not. We will put some issues on the shelf to be understood at a later time."
"Will everything be fair? It will not. We will accept some things we cannot fix and forgive others when it hurts."
"Will we feel separated on occasion from those around us? Absolutely."
"Will we be astonished at times to see the anger a few feel toward that Lord's Church and their efforts to steal the struggling faith of the weak? Yes. But this will not deter the growth or destiny of the Church, nor need it impede the spiritual progress of each of us as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."
My conclusion to date is that being offended is a temptation. Somebody says or does something that could be offensive and we are tempted to be offended. If offended then we act in ways that are not in harmony with the gospel. Being offended we are disinclined to forgive, be kind, or even associate with the person in a positive way. But if we refuse to succumb to the temptation and either forgive outright, 'put it on the shelf' as Elder Andersen says or choose to view it in a different light then we leave all the good options open and do not open up all the options that cause anger or pain or disappointment or depression.
So if we follow Elder Andersen's counsel then we avoid what is mentioned in 2 Nephi 27:31-32: "For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see that the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
And they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught."
I like to avoid problems so I will choose to not be offended. (Remind me of that if I need that sometime.)
I like what Pres. Hinckley said about it too: "So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way." (Oct. 2007 Conference)
"Brush aside" I like that imagery. I see me moving my hand in a 'brush aside' motion to symbolize my doing that. But the real work would be in my mind to not run it around in my head repeatedly and to not think poorly of the offender.
This topic has been a purveyor of some spiritual promptings this week. Not the least of which has been that when I read it early in the week I was given forewarning that it would be a good choice for the devotional at High Council meeting which I not been asked to do until two days later. Then again that it would make a good talk when I went to another ward today, where I wasn't expected to give a talk but did indeed fill in their program for about 15-20 minutes. The Lord knows what he is doing. I've had some comments that these remarks about not being offended were what was needed in both circumstances. Interestingly I've felt like it needed to be in my blog too. So maybe its for you?
As luck would have it I've been tempted to be offended this very week. So I'm learning and being influenced for good at the very time I'm doing the same for others. So things are working according to His plan as usual.
(click on his picture to go to his talk)
He said, "The Lord said, 'Thou mayest choose for thyself.'
"I promise you, as you choose not to be offended or ashamed, you will feel his love and approval. You will know that you are becoming more like Him."
"Will we understand everything? Of course not. We will put some issues on the shelf to be understood at a later time."
"Will everything be fair? It will not. We will accept some things we cannot fix and forgive others when it hurts."
"Will we feel separated on occasion from those around us? Absolutely."
"Will we be astonished at times to see the anger a few feel toward that Lord's Church and their efforts to steal the struggling faith of the weak? Yes. But this will not deter the growth or destiny of the Church, nor need it impede the spiritual progress of each of us as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."
My conclusion to date is that being offended is a temptation. Somebody says or does something that could be offensive and we are tempted to be offended. If offended then we act in ways that are not in harmony with the gospel. Being offended we are disinclined to forgive, be kind, or even associate with the person in a positive way. But if we refuse to succumb to the temptation and either forgive outright, 'put it on the shelf' as Elder Andersen says or choose to view it in a different light then we leave all the good options open and do not open up all the options that cause anger or pain or disappointment or depression.
So if we follow Elder Andersen's counsel then we avoid what is mentioned in 2 Nephi 27:31-32: "For assuredly as the Lord liveth they shall see that the terrible one is brought to naught, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
And they that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of naught."
I like to avoid problems so I will choose to not be offended. (Remind me of that if I need that sometime.)
I like what Pres. Hinckley said about it too: "So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way." (Oct. 2007 Conference)
"Brush aside" I like that imagery. I see me moving my hand in a 'brush aside' motion to symbolize my doing that. But the real work would be in my mind to not run it around in my head repeatedly and to not think poorly of the offender.
This topic has been a purveyor of some spiritual promptings this week. Not the least of which has been that when I read it early in the week I was given forewarning that it would be a good choice for the devotional at High Council meeting which I not been asked to do until two days later. Then again that it would make a good talk when I went to another ward today, where I wasn't expected to give a talk but did indeed fill in their program for about 15-20 minutes. The Lord knows what he is doing. I've had some comments that these remarks about not being offended were what was needed in both circumstances. Interestingly I've felt like it needed to be in my blog too. So maybe its for you?
As luck would have it I've been tempted to be offended this very week. So I'm learning and being influenced for good at the very time I'm doing the same for others. So things are working according to His plan as usual.
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