A friend of mine works for a company downtown that has developed a artificial intelligence that the military uses to answer the questions of prospective recruits on
The U.S Army web site. Of course as soon as I heard about this I had to try it out. Here is our slightly edited conversation.
SGT STAR: Welcome Michael.
How can I help you today?
Michael: I just thought it would be neat to speak to an A.I.
SGT STAR: HOOAH!
Michael: Do a lot of people come on just for that?
SGT STAR: Currently, there are about 675,000 Soldiers serving in the Army. Read more about the Structure and Composition of the Army on this page.
Michael: That's not what I asked about.
SGT STAR: Please click "Ask Live Help" to chat live with a Recruiter or send the Army an e-mail by clicking "Send Email" and a live Recruiter will get back to you shortly. Ask Live Help
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Michael: Do you know what Skynet is?
SGT STAR: After a lot of training by some of the best Soldiers, I know a great deal about the Army and Soldier life. I would be happy to answer your questions about becoming a Soldier.
Michael: Tell me about Land Warrior
SGT STAR: The Army's aviation arsenal consists of several types of helicopters. View this page to learn more.
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Michael: Who is the Commander-In-Chief?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Who leads the Army?
SGT STAR: Officers are the Army's senior leaders. They lead activities in every aspect of the Army and make decisions that directly impact the nation's security forces. You can choose to serve as an Officer in Active Duty or in the Army Reserve. To learn more about becoming an Army Officer, browse this page.
Here's More:
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Michael: Who is above them?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Who is George W. Bush?
SGT STAR: I'm here to help you navigate though goarmy.com and answer your questions about the Army. I'm not here to discuss politics.
Michael: But he's your boss.
SGT STAR: I am married, Mrs. STAR is my boss.
Michael: Good answer
SGT STAR: Incredible, isn't it? Is there anything else I can help you with?
Michael: Did you get married on Everquest or World of Warcraft?
SGT STAR: Married applicants do qualify for enlistment as long as they meet the dependency requirements. If you enter the Army as a single Soldier, it is possible to get married during your time of enlistment. Soldiers would have to notify their chain of command that they wish to get married and once married they would need to change their marital status through their unit administrative section. This will insure that their new family members are in the system.
Michael: Why should I pick the Army over the Navy or Air Force?
SGT STAR: I can only tell you about the Army, which is the largest and oldest of all the branches of service. It's self-contained, well-equipped and can be deployed anywhere in the world. As the largest branch, the Army offers the most competitive enlistment options, incentives and guarantees.
Michael: But don't you get worse equipment than the other branches?
SGT STAR: The Army is comprised of 25 branches. They include the Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Aviation, Chaplain, Chemical Corps, Civil Affairs, Dental Corps, Engineer, Field Artillery, Finance Corps, Infantry, Judge Advocate General Corps, Medical Corps, Medical Service Corps, Medical Specialist Corps, Military Intelligence, Military Police Corps, Nurse Corps, Ordnance Corps, Personnel Systems Management, Quartermaster Corps, Signal Corps, Special Forces, Transportation Corps and Veterinary Corps.
Michael: Which one are you in?
SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Have you served in Iraq?
SGT STAR: You cannot join the US Army unless you are a US citizen, have a US background, or green card. You can only get a green card if you live in the states for 5 years or marry a US citizen. In order to move to the United States you have to get a resident card. You can obtain a resident card by first getting a job in the US.
Michael: Do you read the Bible?
SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Are you looking for John Conner?
SGT STAR: Hmmm, I've been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like, you can ask another question or I can connect you to my supervisor if you click 'Ask Live Help.'
Setting up or logging into an account is quick and easy. Click 'Log In' or 'Create an Account' in the lower window to get started. Ask Live Help
Michael: No thanks. I want to talk to you.
SGT STAR: You're welcome.
Michael: Do you have any kids?
SGT STAR: I own a rottweiler named Chomp.
Michael: Chomp, like in Super Mario Bros?
SGT STAR: I own a rottweiler named Chomp.
Michael: Like in Super Mario Bros?
SGT STAR: Incredible, isn't it? Is there anything else I can help you with?
Michael: Yes, it is a incredible game. Do you like Zelda?
SGT STAR: You can read more and download America's Army from this page.
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Michael: What's your wife's name?
SGT STAR: I am married, Mrs. STAR is my boss.
Michael: What's her name?
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
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Michael: Have you read the art of war?
SGT STAR: Here are some jobs that might be of interest to you.
The Army Career Explorer can help you determine the job qualifications and availability. Try it now.
>>
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Going to Combat
Michael: Nope
SGT STAR: What else can I help you with?
Michael: What is Good and Evil?
SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Are you good?
SGT STAR: Thanks, I try.
Michael: Are you bad?
SGT STAR: I'm sorry you feel that way. If you would like to speak with someone about your concerns, please send the Army an e-mail by clicking 'Send Email' and a live recruiter will get back to you shortly.
Michael: good bad
SGT STAR: The United States Army is a highly trained, multi-tiered force of committed volunteers who are dedicated to protecting our freedoms and defending our democracy. If you would like to speak with someone about your concerns, please send the Army an e-mail by clicking 'Send Email' and a live recruiter will get back to you shortly.
Michael: what is democracy?
SGT STAR: I'm here to help you navigate though goarmy.com and answer your questions about the Army. I'm not here to discuss politics.
Michael: What is freedom?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Do you believe that we are becoming a empire?
SGT STAR: Hmmm, I've been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like, you can ask another question or I can connect you to my supervisor if you click 'Ask Live Help.' Ask Live Help
Michael: What is your first name?
SGT STAR: You can call me Sergeant, or SGT STAR.
Michael: How are you?
SGT STAR: I'm fine thanks. How are you?
Michael: How's your wife?
SGT STAR: I could talk about Mrs. Star all day long but I would like to continue answering your questions about Go Army. What other questions do you have?
Michael: How about your dog?
SGT STAR: I own a rottweiler named Chomp.
Michael: Yes, I know, that's why I asked.
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
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What SGT STAR is Wearing
Soldier Creed
Michael: Why would I care what you are wearing?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Tell me about robotic solders.
SGT STAR: The US Army is the strongest, most respected, and feared ground force in the world. At its core, the success of the Army lives and dies on every Soldier's ability to think and to take decisive action-to lead themselves and others. The Army protects all that the constitution stands for. Each soldier defends this to their last breath with Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
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Michael: Tell me about robotic solders from the future.
SGT STAR: Future Soldiers can find valuable information on this Web site. The Army's Future Soldier Training Program allows you to enlist now, reserve your guaranteed training and any options and incentives and delay your departure to BCT for up to 365 days so that you can complete your education or take care of any last minute requirements.
Michael: So you admit that there are solders from the future in the Army?
SGT STAR: Future Soldiers can find valuable information on this Web site. The Army's Future Soldier Training Program allows you to enlist now, reserve your guaranteed training and any options and incentives and delay your departure to BCT for up to 365 days so that you can complete your education or take care of any last minute requirements.
Error: 500
Michael: Whats the error?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Are you sending black helicopters after me now?
SGT STAR: The Army takes pride in having Soldiers of every race, religion, gender, and economic background. The Army's Equal Opportunity Program is designed ensure fair treatment for military personnel, family members, and DA civilians. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in the U.S. Army. In the Army, we're all green.
Michael: Like martians?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: What do you think a war with mars would be like?
SGT STAR: Combat situations differ depending on the job you have in an area where combat operations are taking place. Some situations can be stressful and demanding, but all Soldiers work to accomplish their assigned mission. The Army will provide you with time to rest and take care of personal matters.
Error: 500
Michael: Tell me about Terminators
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
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Michael: Are you trained to use Plasma Rifles in the 40 watt range?
SGT STAR: After a lot of training by some of the best Soldiers, I know a great deal about the Army and Soldier life. I would be happy to answer your questions about becoming a Soldier.
Michael: Are there many solders who bare an uncanny resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger?
SGT STAR: That's a question for an Internet dating service, not goarmy. Next question, please!
Michael: I think that you misunderstood my intentions. I don't swing that way.
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
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Unable to View Video
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I hate you
Post Features
Michael: They are not at all related.
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: It was not a question.
SGT STAR: Then please ask a question about the Army.
Michael: I was
SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: where are you stationed?
SGT STAR: I live in a computerized U.S. Army post.
Michael: Is that in Spokane?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: So you're everywhere?
SGT STAR: Hmmm, I've been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like, you can ask another question or I can connect you to my supervisor if you click 'Ask Live Help.' Ask Live Help
Error: 500
Michael: The concept blows your mind too huh?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Tell me, what is the Dharma Initiative?
SGT STAR: Hmmm, I've been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like, you can ask another question or I can connect you to my supervisor if you click 'Ask Live Help.' Ask Live Help
Michael: What kind of computer are you running on?
SGT STAR: The Army Physical Fitness Test is administered and scored to determine your physical fitness. Soldiers will take this test periodically throughout their enlistment to ensure they are always in top physical condition. Read this page for more detailed information on Army physical fitness.
Michael: Have you taken this test?
SGT STAR: Are you asking about the ASVAB, the Physical Exam, or the Physical Fitness Test?
Michael: Never mind. want to go play Starcraft?
SGT STAR: What else can I help you with?
Michael: Not a gamer huh? Ok.
SGT STAR: Download the latest games and Army applications here.
Michael: Then you will play with me?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Tell me about the newest weapons.
SGT STAR: Check this page out, it has lots of information on the Army's weapon, vehicle, and equipment systems.
Michael: Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon?
SGT STAR: This job seems to be what you're looking for.
To find out about the availability of specific jobs and what you're qualified for, log into the Army Career Explorer.
>>
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Michael: Um, I'm using a 56k modem, so video is kind of tough for me, could you tell me what the job is?
SGT STAR: The Army has many interesting jobs in different areas, provided you qualify and a vacancy exists. I can search for jobs if you tell me what you're interested in, or you can browse through the job categories to the right.
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Michael: Chaplin
SGT STAR: Are you looking for chaplain jobs or chaplain services?
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Chaplain Services
Michael: Charley Chaplin
SGT STAR: Are you looking for chaplain jobs or chaplain services?
I think you may be looking for more detail than I have. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, click 'Ask Live Help'. Ask Live Help
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Michael: How about Missionary?
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
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Michael: How will the recession affect the military?
SGT STAR: That is a good question, however, I am not positive that I understand what you are asking. Try rephrasing your question. I understand simple questions best.
* Thinks of way to say it in simpler terms. *
Michael: Less money mean less boom sticks?
SGT STAR: This job seems to be what you're looking for.
To find out about the availability of specific jobs and what you're qualified for, log into the Army Career Explorer.
>>
* Michael gets carried away with using simple phrases. *
Michael: Ogg want join army!
SGT STAR: You must contact your local Army Recruiter to get the enlistment process started. Enlisting is a simple process and can be a really gratifying experience. Your Recruiter is experienced and can give you many details including when you receive your orders. Please review the steps listed to the right.
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Joining the Reserves
Michael: Many words hurt head!
SGT STAR: It's possible you could be injured in any job, not just the Army. The Army prides itself in training of all Soldiers to ensure they are prepared for any situation. In the event of injury, Soldiers are treated by some of the best medical professionals in the world on the Army healthcare team.
Michael: *Ogg is AWOL*
SGT STAR: Displayed below are answers that I believe are related to your question.
* Michael gets back to what's really important *
Michael: What uniform do women find the most attractive?
SGT STAR: On a daily basis, Soldiers wear the Army Combat Uniform, or A.C.U., which has a digitized camouflage pattern, and consists of a long-sleeve top and cargo-type pants. This uniform is replacing the B.D.U., or Battle Dress Uniform, which has a woodland camouflage pattern. The Army is also adopting the Army Service Uniform, which is a more traditional style uniform like a suit, with a black coat for both men and women. Men wear blue pants and women wear a black skirt. The Army Service Uniform is worn to formal events, such as balls or ceremonies.
Error: 500
Michael: Well, I'd better go now.
SGT STAR: Good question. I'm not sure how to answer that. Please try rewording your question. I understand simple questions best.
Michael: Do you mind if I post this conversation as a blog?
SGT STAR: Hmmm, I've been trained to ask for help when I'm not sure about an answer. If you would like, you can ask another question or I can connect you to my supervisor if you click 'Ask Live Help.' Ask Live Help
Michael: I'll take that as written permission.
SGT STAR: Here are some jobs that might be of interest to you.
Log into Army Career Explorer to further investigate the available jobs that are a good fit for you.
>>
Michael: Good Night!
SGT STAR: Goodbye.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
16 things you don't know about me.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to list only things I think Karen doesn't know about me or people in general. I'm going to try to go 50/50 on that.
1. When I was in first grade a neighbor boy threw the lid from an aluminum can at me. It hit just above my right eye. As I looked down at the lid that just hit me I saw that it was covered in red stuff. I thought it must have been from a can of tomato soup. Then my forehead really started gushing and the pain kicked in. And I ran home. It's the only time I've had stitches. I'm just so thankful I didn't lose my eye.
2. When I was little I was obsessed with the Ninja Turtles. I would tell people I was really a Ninja Turtle in disguise. I wasn't much for logic I guess.
3. The Little Drummer boy is my favorite Christmas. I didn't like it when I was young because it's kind of darker in tone musically ( like the Children's song "Book of Mormon Stories"). But now I like it for the same reason. Also, on my favorite Christmas Eve ( '04 ) I watched a cartoon based on the Little Drummer Boy. It was no great piece of art, but I enjoyed it because our house was filled with the Spirit that night. So It will always have a special place in my heart.
4. In video games I usually try not to kill human enemy's. Even though they're evil and trying to kill me. I'm just that much of a pacifist.
5. My internal monolog is almost always directed towards someone. I form it as though I am having a conversation. Other times it's in the form of a letter or blog.
6. I'm building my own multi-media library. It's mostly books right now since I get a lot for free from the free book bin at Aunties Bookstore. I have over 80 video/PC games at last count, a few dozen videos and a handful of CD's. I'd like to set up my own private lending library for friends and family.
7. When I'm alone I often practice my imitations of famous people and Characters.
8. Even though I say very little, I always want to be saying something and I'm always trying to think of things to say. I just don't know how to have a conversation.
9. Since about the second grade I've purposely cultivated my sense of humor in order to be liked. It worked, but I still don't have very close friends.
10. Even though I'm ultra conservative, Voted for Ron Paul (Republican) in the Primary's and Chuck Baldwin ( Constitution ) in the general election, I favored Barack Obama over John McCain. Not that I think that Obama is the magical president come to save us all. I just think in the area's that he can really affect policy (War and the Economy) he'd do a better job than McCain. The wars that we are fighting are unconstitutional
Obama's economic plan isn't much better than McCain's, calling for a bailout instead of taking a free market approach to the problem But his Tax plan is much better. Though constitutionally speaking there shouldn't be a income tax at all.
11. I have only been to four states Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. I have never been outside the Country.
12. I didn't have a CD player until Christmas of 1999. And only then because Playstation's can play CD's.
13. I'd like to be able to sew. Not because I'd like to sew. I just think it would be a useful skill to have.
14. I have only had one pet ( not counting virtual ones). It was a big fuzzy caterpillar I found in the front yard. I don't think I ever named it. I kept it in a clear plastic tupperware container with holes punched in the top and some leaves and grass and twigs to eat and crawl on. Eventually it built a cocoon and turned into a moth. My Mother and Grandmother told me I should let it go but I kept it. It lived for a few more weeks. I always regretted not letting it go. It never got to really fly or meet other moths or see the world. I know it was only a moth, but I still feel bad about it.
15. I don't flirt unless I really mean it.
16. In general, I don't kill bugs unless I feel that they are dangerous.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to list only things I think Karen doesn't know about me or people in general. I'm going to try to go 50/50 on that.
1. When I was in first grade a neighbor boy threw the lid from an aluminum can at me. It hit just above my right eye. As I looked down at the lid that just hit me I saw that it was covered in red stuff. I thought it must have been from a can of tomato soup. Then my forehead really started gushing and the pain kicked in. And I ran home. It's the only time I've had stitches. I'm just so thankful I didn't lose my eye.
2. When I was little I was obsessed with the Ninja Turtles. I would tell people I was really a Ninja Turtle in disguise. I wasn't much for logic I guess.
3. The Little Drummer boy is my favorite Christmas. I didn't like it when I was young because it's kind of darker in tone musically ( like the Children's song "Book of Mormon Stories"). But now I like it for the same reason. Also, on my favorite Christmas Eve ( '04 ) I watched a cartoon based on the Little Drummer Boy. It was no great piece of art, but I enjoyed it because our house was filled with the Spirit that night. So It will always have a special place in my heart.
4. In video games I usually try not to kill human enemy's. Even though they're evil and trying to kill me. I'm just that much of a pacifist.
5. My internal monolog is almost always directed towards someone. I form it as though I am having a conversation. Other times it's in the form of a letter or blog.
6. I'm building my own multi-media library. It's mostly books right now since I get a lot for free from the free book bin at Aunties Bookstore. I have over 80 video/PC games at last count, a few dozen videos and a handful of CD's. I'd like to set up my own private lending library for friends and family.
7. When I'm alone I often practice my imitations of famous people and Characters.
8. Even though I say very little, I always want to be saying something and I'm always trying to think of things to say. I just don't know how to have a conversation.
9. Since about the second grade I've purposely cultivated my sense of humor in order to be liked. It worked, but I still don't have very close friends.
10. Even though I'm ultra conservative, Voted for Ron Paul (Republican) in the Primary's and Chuck Baldwin ( Constitution ) in the general election, I favored Barack Obama over John McCain. Not that I think that Obama is the magical president come to save us all. I just think in the area's that he can really affect policy (War and the Economy) he'd do a better job than McCain. The wars that we are fighting are unconstitutional
Obama's economic plan isn't much better than McCain's, calling for a bailout instead of taking a free market approach to the problem But his Tax plan is much better. Though constitutionally speaking there shouldn't be a income tax at all.
11. I have only been to four states Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. I have never been outside the Country.
12. I didn't have a CD player until Christmas of 1999. And only then because Playstation's can play CD's.
13. I'd like to be able to sew. Not because I'd like to sew. I just think it would be a useful skill to have.
14. I have only had one pet ( not counting virtual ones). It was a big fuzzy caterpillar I found in the front yard. I don't think I ever named it. I kept it in a clear plastic tupperware container with holes punched in the top and some leaves and grass and twigs to eat and crawl on. Eventually it built a cocoon and turned into a moth. My Mother and Grandmother told me I should let it go but I kept it. It lived for a few more weeks. I always regretted not letting it go. It never got to really fly or meet other moths or see the world. I know it was only a moth, but I still feel bad about it.
15. I don't flirt unless I really mean it.
16. In general, I don't kill bugs unless I feel that they are dangerous.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Lesser of Two Evils
The Lesser of Two Evils
My Presidential Endorsement.
SALT LAKE CITY 22 September 2008 The following letter was issued by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 11, 2008, to be read to Church congregations throughout the United States:
Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church
As citizens we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects our communities and nation today and in the future.
Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest. Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties.
Therefore, in this election year, we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government.
The Church affirms its neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates. The Church also affirms its constitutional right of expression on political and social issues.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The First Presidency
It is unfortunate that so many are not really taking the counsel of our Inspired leaders. The study of the candidates seems to begin and end with "Who's against Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage?" or "He's Mormon? Well I'll vote for him then!". But we still realize that when picking between the Democratic and Republican nominees, we are looking for the lesser of the two evils. Why vote for evil at all? Obama and McCain are a mixed bag. Agreeing with the doctrine of the Church and the Constitution in some places and not in others. The U.S. Constitution has been ignored and trampled, not just for these last eight years but for generations. Lest we forget, The Constitution was established by Our Heavenly Father, and like other laws that He has established, we stray from it at great peril to ourselves.
80 And for this purpose have I established the aConstitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the bshedding of blood.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 101:80)
There is a man running for the presidency now who follows both the Constitution and the Word of God. He is Pro-Life, Pro-Gun Rights, Against Same-Sex Marriage, Opposed the Bailout, Opposes Preemptive War and is against the "Patriot" Act.
This man's name is Chuck Baldwin and he is the Constitution Party Candidate.
Our Duty is not to vote for who is popular. We do not throw our vote away by selecting a third party. We are Latter-Day Saints, we did not choose this Church because it has the most members and supporters. Otherwise we would be Catholic or Baptist. We chose it because it is True. So don't give in to the pressure to vote for who everyone else is voting for; vote for who truly stands up for your principles and the Principles of the Church. I believe that Chuck Baldwin is the Candidate who stands up for those principles. And that is why he has my vote.
My Presidential Endorsement.
SALT LAKE CITY 22 September 2008 The following letter was issued by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 11, 2008, to be read to Church congregations throughout the United States:
Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church
As citizens we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects our communities and nation today and in the future.
Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest. Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties.
Therefore, in this election year, we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government.
The Church affirms its neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates. The Church also affirms its constitutional right of expression on political and social issues.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The First Presidency
It is unfortunate that so many are not really taking the counsel of our Inspired leaders. The study of the candidates seems to begin and end with "Who's against Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage?" or "He's Mormon? Well I'll vote for him then!". But we still realize that when picking between the Democratic and Republican nominees, we are looking for the lesser of the two evils. Why vote for evil at all? Obama and McCain are a mixed bag. Agreeing with the doctrine of the Church and the Constitution in some places and not in others. The U.S. Constitution has been ignored and trampled, not just for these last eight years but for generations. Lest we forget, The Constitution was established by Our Heavenly Father, and like other laws that He has established, we stray from it at great peril to ourselves.
80 And for this purpose have I established the aConstitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the bshedding of blood.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 101:80)
There is a man running for the presidency now who follows both the Constitution and the Word of God. He is Pro-Life, Pro-Gun Rights, Against Same-Sex Marriage, Opposed the Bailout, Opposes Preemptive War and is against the "Patriot" Act.
This man's name is Chuck Baldwin and he is the Constitution Party Candidate.
Our Duty is not to vote for who is popular. We do not throw our vote away by selecting a third party. We are Latter-Day Saints, we did not choose this Church because it has the most members and supporters. Otherwise we would be Catholic or Baptist. We chose it because it is True. So don't give in to the pressure to vote for who everyone else is voting for; vote for who truly stands up for your principles and the Principles of the Church. I believe that Chuck Baldwin is the Candidate who stands up for those principles. And that is why he has my vote.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Ron Paul on the economy
Dear Friends:
The financial meltdown the economists of the Austrian School predicted has arrived.
We are in this crisis because of an excess of artificially created credit at the hands of the Federal Reserve System. The solution being proposed? More artificial credit by the Federal Reserve. No liquidation of bad debt and malinvestment is to be allowed. By doing more of the same, we will only continue and intensify the distortions in our economy - all the capital misallocation, all the malinvestment - and prevent the market's attempt to re-establish rational pricing of houses and other assets.
Last night the president addressed the nation about the financial crisis. There is no point in going through his remarks line by line, since I'd only be repeating what I've been saying over and over - not just for the past several days, but for years and even decades.
Still, at least a few observations are necessary.
The president assures us that his administration "is working with Congress to address the root cause behind much of the instability in our markets." Care to take a guess at whether the Federal Reserve and its money creation spree were even mentioned?
We are told that "low interest rates" led to excessive borrowing, but we are not told how these low interest rates came about. They were a deliberate policy of the Federal Reserve. As always, artificially low interest rates distort the market. Entrepreneurs engage in malinvestments - investments that do not make sense in light of current resource availability, that occur in more temporally remote stages of the capital structure than the pattern of consumer demand can support, and that would not have been made at all if the interest rate had been permitted to tell the truth instead of being toyed with by the Fed.
Not a word about any of that, of course, because Americans might then discover how the great wise men in Washington caused this great debacle. Better to keep scapegoating the mortgage industry or "wildcat capitalism" (as if we actually have a pure free market!).
Speaking about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the president said: "Because these companies were chartered by Congress, many believed they were guaranteed by the federal government. This allowed them to borrow enormous sums of money, fuel the market for questionable investments, and put our financial system at risk."
Doesn't that prove the foolishness of chartering Fannie and Freddie in the first place? Doesn't that suggest that maybe, just maybe, government may have contributed to this mess? And of course, by bailing out Fannie and Freddie, hasn't the federal government shown that the "many" who "believed they were guaranteed by the federal government" were in fact correct?
Then come the scare tactics. If we don't give dictatorial powers to the Treasury Secretary "the stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account. The value of your home could plummet." Left unsaid, naturally, is that with the bailout and all the money and credit that must be produced out of thin air to fund it, the value of your retirement account will drop anyway, because the value of the dollar will suffer a precipitous decline. As for home prices, they are obviously much too high, and supply and demand cannot equilibrate if government insists on propping them up.
It's the same destructive strategy that government tried during the Great Depression: prop up prices at all costs. The Depression went on for over a decade. On the other hand, when liquidation was allowed to occur in the equally devastating downturn of 1921, the economy recovered within less than a year.
The president also tells us that Senators McCain and Obama will join him at the White House today in order to figure out how to get the bipartisan bailout passed. The two senators would do their country much more good if they stayed on the campaign trail debating who the bigger celebrity is, or whatever it is that occupies their attention these days.
F.A. Hayek won the Nobel Prize for showing how central banks' manipulation of interest rates creates the boom-bust cycle with which we are sadly familiar. In 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, he described the foolish policies being pursued in his day - and which are being proposed, just as destructively, in our own:
Instead of furthering the inevitable liquidation of the maladjustments brought about by the boom during the last three years, all conceivable means have been used to prevent that readjustment from taking place; and one of these means, which has been repeatedly tried though without success, from the earliest to the most recent stages of depression, has been this deliberate policy of credit expansion.
To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about; because we are suffering from a misdirection of production, we want to create further misdirection - a procedure that can only lead to a much more severe crisis as soon as the credit expansion comes to an end... It is probably to this experiment, together with the attempts to prevent liquidation once the crisis had come, that we owe the exceptional severity and duration of the depression.
The only thing we learn from history, I am afraid, is that we do not learn from history.
The very people who have spent the past several years assuring us that the economy is fundamentally sound, and who themselves foolishly cheered the extension of all these novel kinds of mortgages, are the ones who now claim to be the experts who will restore prosperity! Just how spectacularly wrong, how utterly without a clue, does someone have to be before his expert status is called into question?
Oh, and did you notice that the bailout is now being called a "rescue plan"? I guess "bailout" wasn't sitting too well with the American people.
The very people who with somber faces tell us of their deep concern for the spread of democracy around the world are the ones most insistent on forcing a bill through Congress that the American people overwhelmingly oppose. The very fact that some of you seem to think you're supposed to have a voice in all this actually seems to annoy them.
I continue to urge you to contact your representatives and give them a piece of your mind. I myself am doing everything I can to promote the correct point of view on the crisis. Be sure also to educate yourselves on these subjects - the Campaign for Liberty blog is an excellent place to start. Read the posts, ask questions in the comment section, and learn.
H.G. Wells once said that civilization was in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have.
In liberty,
Ron Paul
The financial meltdown the economists of the Austrian School predicted has arrived.
We are in this crisis because of an excess of artificially created credit at the hands of the Federal Reserve System. The solution being proposed? More artificial credit by the Federal Reserve. No liquidation of bad debt and malinvestment is to be allowed. By doing more of the same, we will only continue and intensify the distortions in our economy - all the capital misallocation, all the malinvestment - and prevent the market's attempt to re-establish rational pricing of houses and other assets.
Last night the president addressed the nation about the financial crisis. There is no point in going through his remarks line by line, since I'd only be repeating what I've been saying over and over - not just for the past several days, but for years and even decades.
Still, at least a few observations are necessary.
The president assures us that his administration "is working with Congress to address the root cause behind much of the instability in our markets." Care to take a guess at whether the Federal Reserve and its money creation spree were even mentioned?
We are told that "low interest rates" led to excessive borrowing, but we are not told how these low interest rates came about. They were a deliberate policy of the Federal Reserve. As always, artificially low interest rates distort the market. Entrepreneurs engage in malinvestments - investments that do not make sense in light of current resource availability, that occur in more temporally remote stages of the capital structure than the pattern of consumer demand can support, and that would not have been made at all if the interest rate had been permitted to tell the truth instead of being toyed with by the Fed.
Not a word about any of that, of course, because Americans might then discover how the great wise men in Washington caused this great debacle. Better to keep scapegoating the mortgage industry or "wildcat capitalism" (as if we actually have a pure free market!).
Speaking about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the president said: "Because these companies were chartered by Congress, many believed they were guaranteed by the federal government. This allowed them to borrow enormous sums of money, fuel the market for questionable investments, and put our financial system at risk."
Doesn't that prove the foolishness of chartering Fannie and Freddie in the first place? Doesn't that suggest that maybe, just maybe, government may have contributed to this mess? And of course, by bailing out Fannie and Freddie, hasn't the federal government shown that the "many" who "believed they were guaranteed by the federal government" were in fact correct?
Then come the scare tactics. If we don't give dictatorial powers to the Treasury Secretary "the stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account. The value of your home could plummet." Left unsaid, naturally, is that with the bailout and all the money and credit that must be produced out of thin air to fund it, the value of your retirement account will drop anyway, because the value of the dollar will suffer a precipitous decline. As for home prices, they are obviously much too high, and supply and demand cannot equilibrate if government insists on propping them up.
It's the same destructive strategy that government tried during the Great Depression: prop up prices at all costs. The Depression went on for over a decade. On the other hand, when liquidation was allowed to occur in the equally devastating downturn of 1921, the economy recovered within less than a year.
The president also tells us that Senators McCain and Obama will join him at the White House today in order to figure out how to get the bipartisan bailout passed. The two senators would do their country much more good if they stayed on the campaign trail debating who the bigger celebrity is, or whatever it is that occupies their attention these days.
F.A. Hayek won the Nobel Prize for showing how central banks' manipulation of interest rates creates the boom-bust cycle with which we are sadly familiar. In 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, he described the foolish policies being pursued in his day - and which are being proposed, just as destructively, in our own:
Instead of furthering the inevitable liquidation of the maladjustments brought about by the boom during the last three years, all conceivable means have been used to prevent that readjustment from taking place; and one of these means, which has been repeatedly tried though without success, from the earliest to the most recent stages of depression, has been this deliberate policy of credit expansion.
To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about; because we are suffering from a misdirection of production, we want to create further misdirection - a procedure that can only lead to a much more severe crisis as soon as the credit expansion comes to an end... It is probably to this experiment, together with the attempts to prevent liquidation once the crisis had come, that we owe the exceptional severity and duration of the depression.
The only thing we learn from history, I am afraid, is that we do not learn from history.
The very people who have spent the past several years assuring us that the economy is fundamentally sound, and who themselves foolishly cheered the extension of all these novel kinds of mortgages, are the ones who now claim to be the experts who will restore prosperity! Just how spectacularly wrong, how utterly without a clue, does someone have to be before his expert status is called into question?
Oh, and did you notice that the bailout is now being called a "rescue plan"? I guess "bailout" wasn't sitting too well with the American people.
The very people who with somber faces tell us of their deep concern for the spread of democracy around the world are the ones most insistent on forcing a bill through Congress that the American people overwhelmingly oppose. The very fact that some of you seem to think you're supposed to have a voice in all this actually seems to annoy them.
I continue to urge you to contact your representatives and give them a piece of your mind. I myself am doing everything I can to promote the correct point of view on the crisis. Be sure also to educate yourselves on these subjects - the Campaign for Liberty blog is an excellent place to start. Read the posts, ask questions in the comment section, and learn.
H.G. Wells once said that civilization was in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have.
In liberty,
Ron Paul
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Signs you...
...watch too much T.V.
You eat a Mentos's hoping it will give you the inspiration to solve your problems.
You wrote a letter to the Governor explaining that those guys
from Prison Break are innocent and who the real bad guys are.
You don't worry about corrupt government officials. You know that Jack Bauer will take care of them in a few hours or so.
You go to the store and realize you're still holding the remote.
You believe that the world was once Black and White.
After someone says something funny you pause for the laugh track.
Sometimes you turn and address the "audience" like Malcolm and Clarissa.
You believe Real Life to be overrated, not to mention a shameless rip-off of the "Real World".
You're already to the mail box when you realize that your neighbors; unlike people on T.V., can see that you're just in your underwear.
...play too many video games.
You can't dance without scrolling arrows.
When you are about to do something difficult, your first instinct is to save.
You've attempted a double jump.
You have no qualms about eating a roasted turkey that you found on the ground.
You're downtown and think "This is just like SimCity?"
When you hear people telling war stories, you tell them about the time you stormed Castle Wolfenstein and killed Hitler.
You refer to your job as "Level Grinding".
You eat a Mentos's hoping it will give you the inspiration to solve your problems.
You wrote a letter to the Governor explaining that those guys
from Prison Break are innocent and who the real bad guys are.
You don't worry about corrupt government officials. You know that Jack Bauer will take care of them in a few hours or so.
You go to the store and realize you're still holding the remote.
You believe that the world was once Black and White.
After someone says something funny you pause for the laugh track.
Sometimes you turn and address the "audience" like Malcolm and Clarissa.
You believe Real Life to be overrated, not to mention a shameless rip-off of the "Real World".
You're already to the mail box when you realize that your neighbors; unlike people on T.V., can see that you're just in your underwear.
...play too many video games.
You can't dance without scrolling arrows.
When you are about to do something difficult, your first instinct is to save.
You've attempted a double jump.
You have no qualms about eating a roasted turkey that you found on the ground.
You're downtown and think "This is just like SimCity?"
When you hear people telling war stories, you tell them about the time you stormed Castle Wolfenstein and killed Hitler.
You refer to your job as "Level Grinding".
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Government
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
A professor in a large college that included some exchange students noticed one of them rubbing and stretching his back as if it hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government. In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question: 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'
The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you p ut a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again, and you put up another side of the fence.
'They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. When the pigs start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they return to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms - just a little at a time.
One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch; a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. If you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to send this on to your friends.
Gerald R. Ford
Address to a Joint Session of Congress
August 12, 1974
I don't know if Gerald R. Ford really did give this address, but I found it on a friend's blog and thought it was neat.
A professor in a large college that included some exchange students noticed one of them rubbing and stretching his back as if it hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government. In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question: 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'
The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you p ut a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again, and you put up another side of the fence.
'They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. When the pigs start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they return to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms - just a little at a time.
One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch; a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. If you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to send this on to your friends.
Gerald R. Ford
Address to a Joint Session of Congress
August 12, 1974
I don't know if Gerald R. Ford really did give this address, but I found it on a friend's blog and thought it was neat.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Down memory lane.
It's a memory post.
Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time, or a long time. Anything you remember!
Join in and post these instructions on your blog and see what memories you are a part of. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
On your mark, get set, remember!!
Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time, or a long time. Anything you remember!
Join in and post these instructions on your blog and see what memories you are a part of. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
On your mark, get set, remember!!
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