Bail out smail out

I don’t understand the bail out. I got the following from cnn.com

Question: Viewer from North Carolina: If the mortgage company that holds my mortgage goes out of business, what happens to my home?

Velshi: If your mortgage company goes out of business, your mortgage is still safe. ... The mortgage part of that business, the good mortgages get bought by another bank. So nothing will happen to you or your home at the moment.
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/25/velshi.economy/index.html)

OK. So here is my question. My bank can still sell my mortgage to another back, even if they are going out of business. I understand that a bad mortgage, one in default or bankruptcy, may not be sellable. Why would anyone want to buy a bad mortgage. Banks today are closing their doors because they have no more money to lend. The government is going to come in and buy many of the bad mortgages so the banks have more money to lend and don’t go out of business. My question, why don’t the banks sell the good mortgages, like Mr. Velshi said they will do anyway if the go out of business? Then they would have more money to lend and wouldn’t go out of business. They still have the bad mortgages and will probably lose money on them, if they sell today. Last night Pres. Bush said that if the government buys the bad mortgages, holds onto them, and then sells them when the values return, that the government will actually make money off this deal. Great, so I ask my question again. Why don’t the banks sell the good mortgages they have and then loan out that money to other people that will be able to repay the loans? All the while holding onto the bad properties until the values raise and then sell them at a profit.

It seems to me that our society of getting everything we want right now, no matter what the cost, has extended into our government. Sure the banks won’t have all that money now, but the market will return. It always has. It may be 2, 3, or 10 years. But, the market will return. Their stock will be down until then. No bonuses for the big guys. But, then there is no need for a $700 billion dollar loan from us citizens. I think having our housing market and the stock market down for while would be a good lesson for all of us. We need to be more fiscally smart with our money. That applies to my 8 year old son, the millionaire CEO, and everyone in government.

So, I say let us reap the rewards of our wrong choices for awhile. Things will get better and we will all remember our mistakes a lot longer, if we are required to feel the sting and not immediately bailed out.

Eat your veggies, It makes you smarter and other lies

When I was a child my parents lied to me. "Eat your veggies and you will grow up to be strong and smart". Well, not so. Just recently scientists in Melbourne discovered that "going veggie could be bad for your brain - with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage".

What is going on? My whole world it turning upside down. Veggies can shrink your brain? Meat is good for you?

Another lie from my parents came from strawberries. I am ashamed to say, and still feel a little dirty about it, that I was in my thirties before my parents came clean about strawberries. When my siblings and I were younger we loved to eat strawberries. So did my parents. So, one day the decided that they would tell all of us that strawberries make you sleepy. I had learned in school that turkey can make you sleepy and my parents never lied. So, I believed it. I only ate strawberries sparingly as not to get to sleepy. Just a few years ago my whole family was together at my parents house and they had some strawberries. I proceeded to tell my wife not to eat to many because, "They make you sleepy". My parents laughed and laughed. Me and my siblings didn't.

So, I have decided that my kids can eat all the meat and strawberries they want. Unless, there is not enough for me. In that case, they will just need to eat more veggies to grow up big and strong and I will warn them about the sleepy side effect of strawberries. "If you want to stay up late to see Santa when he comes tonight you better eat all your veggies and skip those strawberries". Because one good lie deserves another.

When did football practice turn into the View?

A few days ago I was at my son's football practice. In the past there were other dads yelling "go get him" or "hit him hard". You know the very manly type stuff. We discussed monster trucks and man stuff like killing small animals. Right or wrong I enjoyed watching the practice and participating in the man talk. However, at this particular practice there were no dads, except me. All the moms had come and what a difference it made.

Not that I was trying to listen in, but I couldn't help it. It was just like on the View. All these moms were trying to out do the others and it got so bad that they were all trying to talk above the others. A few interesting subjects came up and suprisingly I learned a few things.

First, just as parents are told to "pick their battles" with their children. One of these women had decided that this was also true with her husband. You could see the light bulbs coming on in all their heads. They all got so excited. "Oh, you are so right", "Wow, I had never thought of that", "Yes men are such idiots". I made that last one up, but I know that they were thinking it.

Then they tried to out do each other in the "my husband is the worst". I started hearing things like, "my husband...", "well let me give you a scenario". It even extended to their poor mothers. "Oh that's nothing, my mom..." I just wanted to stand up and be the local Dr. Phil, "I want you to get excited about your lives."

Then they had to all start discussing their diagnosis. I have to say that I turned my head at this point to listen a little better. I quitly declared one mom the winner when she said, "Well I was diagnosed with youth parental defiance. However, as an adult it turned out that I am just Bipolar". Wow, what a relief.

The best thing I learned from listening in on the "Football View" came from this mom that was totally over dressed for a football practice. Her young son's shoes cost more than my entire outfit. And you could just tell that she had some enhancements done, not that I was looking, but they kind of stood out. Anyway, she said, and I quote,"Life got better when I stopped worrying about what other people think". Truer words had never been spoken. I am sure that she only wore the high heels to a football practice because they are comfortable, not to look good. She drove the beautiful new Escalade only because it gets great gas mileage. Again, I felt like i was channeling Dr. Phil. I wanted to say, "You're only lonely if you're not there for you." Then we could have all hugged and been part of the great sister hood of football moms, and one dad.

Nothing Better than Coco on a Sunday Night

So, it is Sunday night. The kids are in bed and Laura and I decide to relax and watch some good TV. We were in luck a Lifetime Red Carpet Movie event was just starting. The movie was about the life of Coco Chanel and the New York Post reviewed the movie saying it was “A delight to watch.” How could we not watch the movie. A red carpet even that was a delight and even better it was on Lifetime, my second favorite channel after Oxygen. I must say that I did learn a few things. Who knew that Chanel was actually someone’s name. Also, who knew that Chanel made more than perfume. I was shocked, then bored. But I need to include some highlights.

Coco falls in love with some guy. He is rich and she is not. He helps her open a store by putting up all the money. Hint to all you women, if a guy is willing to put up a lot of money he likes you more than just a friend. Anyway, she rejects his advances “We shouldn’t mix business with pleasure”. She says in a French accent. Finally, they can no longer resist the love between them and they succumb to their passions. Then the very next day she tells him, in a French accent again, “I cannot be with you until I don’t need your support”. What a tease. This was when I really started tuning out. But then it got better when Shirley Maclain was introduced as the older Coco.

Young Coco

Old Coco

Notice the resemblance? Me neither. Not only do they not look alike, the old Coco traded in her French accent for a New Jersey accent. I still can’t believe that we watched the whole movie and Tivoed it for future watching. I am definitely due a good war movie.

What happened on September 13th?

Tomorrow, Sept 13, is Laura’s 36th Birthday. So, I thought I would do a little research on things that come in packs of 36 or in a size 36 or in 36 oz. I quickly realized that since the Big Gulp actually came in 32oz and not 36oz that I should go a different route. So, I decided that it would work better to go with things that happened on September 13th.
First, let’s cover people who were also born on September 13th.
1980 Ben Savage – I never really liked his show, but they did play some great music in the background.1977 Fiona Apple – Laura can relate some with Fiona because sometimes she too has…“been a bad, bad girl - I've been careless with a delicate man - And it's a sad, sad world - When a girl will break a boy just because she can”. (Criminal Lyrics by Fiona Apple) Not to me, but you may hear differently from one or two of her ex-boyfriends.1948 Nell Carter – Dear blessed Nell Carter was the caretaker to my first true love, Katie Kanisky on Gimme a Break! I quickly realized that it would not work out as a young man and was grateful that I found Laura my real first true love. The resemblance is a little scary.

This is Katie

1938 Judith Martin (authority on etiquette) – We all know how important etiquette is to Laura.1925 Mel Torme – Mr. Torme was nicknamed the “velvet fog” because of his unique voice. Funny that Laura calls me the velvet fog too. You will have to ask her why.
Now some other holidays, besides Laura’s Birthday, that occur on September 13th.
Pennsylvania John Barry Day“Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 13, 1993, as Commodore John Barry Day. I invite all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities in honor of those individuals, past and present, who have served in the United States Navy.” Every Sept 13 in our home we all put on our sailor outfits and sing and dance to the classic “In the Navy” by the Village People. After reading this we now have a reason; who knew.

Rhodesia Pioneer Day
I have no idea what this holiday is about but YEEHAW anyway.

World Dante Alighieri DayDante Alighieri is a famous poet. I don’t think I have every read any of his poems, but I did hear once that he was the first person to do the whole “Roses are Red; Violets are Blue” thing. I don’t know if it is true, but if it is God Bless Him! Now in rememberance of World Dante Alighieri Day here is my attempt…
Roses are RedViolets are BlueI Love LauraAnd Hotdogs too!
Next I looked for some important historical events that occurred on Sept 13th. Wow, there were a lot. So, I am only including the really, really important ones.
· 1503 Michelangelo begins work on his David – And women’s expectations of their husbands have never been the same. Thanks Mike!
· 1549 Pope Paul III signs Council of Bologna – This is where they first sang ”My bologna has a first name it’s O – S – C – A - R, my bologna has a last name it’s M – A – Y – E - R”.
· 1609 Henry Hudson reaches the river that will later be named after him - the Hudson River. – If only he could see it today, he would be so proud.
· 1788 NY City becomes capital of US – Glad we got this changed!
· 1789 1st loan to US Govt (from NYC banks) – Look where that got us today.
· 1814 Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner – This was really cool.
· 1849 1st US prize fight fatality (Tom McCoy) – Luckily prize fighting wasn’t stopped, go Rocky!
· 1898 20,000 Paris construction workers go on strike – I think they are still on strike today.
· 1927 NY Yankees, win AL pennant – Again, I included this purely for Laura.
· 1943 Chiang Kai-shek became president of China – He was the inventor of potstickers, I think.
· 1946 Boston Red Sox, win AL pennant – Poor Yankees.
· 1948 Margaret Chase Smith (R-Me) elected senator, 1st woman to serve in
both houses of Congress – Leading the way for Sarah Palin.
· 1952 Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez elect president of Mexico – He started the Taco Bell chain and Sainted
· 1961 "Car 54 Where are You?" premieres on TV – What more needs to be said?
· 1963 Barbra Striesand & Elliot Gould marry – And we all thought it would last, so sad.
· 1965 Beatles release "Yesterday"
· 1965 Beatles win 1st Grammy, for Best Group of 1964
· 1965 Willie Mays hits his 500th HR
· 1985 John Williams introduces new Today Show theme – We all know that Laura is an official member of the Today show family.
· 1990 Law and Order debuts on NBC-TV – Don’t you just love the Babbub sound on this show.

But the most important thing that happened on this day was in 1972 when my wonderful and beautiful wife was born.

Happy Birthday Laura! Don’t forget you have 36 spankings coming and “there not the ones you like”!

What would Jesus do?

So, last night after I picked up Brandon from football he was very excited to tell me that he threw down 2 players. I have been trying to teach him that when he is on defense, he can throw down the offense player and then go after the player with the ball. So, he was very excited to tell me that he was doing it in practice. He also told me that he called the other players “pancake” after he threw them down. Last week he had gotten thrown down and called pancake. So, I told him that when he is playing and throws down a player he can call them pancake, which he did. However, he told me that he did not feel good about this. He said that he thought Jesus would not want us to call other people names even in football. I agreed and together we decided that he shouldn’t do that anymore. Then he started thinking that maybe he shouldn’t throw people down or tackle, because that wouldn’t be what Jesus would want. Being the proud football dad that I am I quickly explained that Jesus is ok with us playing football and that it was ok to throw and tackle people while playing football. I explained that football must be ok because they play football at BYU. He liked that and decided that football was good and would continue.

12th Anniversary

Laura asked that since it was our twelfth anniversary that I write about our dating and wedding. Here goes…How we first met really is a funny story. We were both attending BYU at the time. I was working in Salt Lake at the Valley Fair Mall selling HealthRiders. I am sure you remember those awesome machines that were going to revolutionize the health industry. Anyway, Laura was working at the State Prison in Draper as a Mental Health Tech. She was teaching sex education to prisoners that were convicted of sex offenses. I will have to discuss her job in another posting.So, each weekday we both made the drive from Provo to the salt lake valley. One day as I was just getting to the top of the point of the mountain I saw a big passenger van and a little white Honda accord on the side of the road. People were always getting into accidents there. So, being the nice guy that I am I decided that I would pull over and let them use my cell phone. Twelve years ago not many people had cell phones. So, I met the driver of the Honda, Laura, and gave her my phone. Then I went to check on the people in the big van. To my surprise it was a bunch of nuns. Laura had hit a van full of nuns driving to the Utah State Prison to teach a bunch of sex offenders about sex. I had to laugh. So, I started talking more with Laura and because I was so handsome and nice she gave me her number and we started dating. A brief 4 weeks later we got engaged. And the rest is history.Isn’t that a great story? It is all true except for the Nuns and the accident. I really met Laura through a friend that had served a mission with me that also lived in the same complex as her.=)

The Beginning

Well, I promised Laura that I would start a blog so I did.