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Show -NEWS- Covering what matters most Spanish Fork WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 • A3 Green guilt and your carbon footprint in his family. This brings me to ThomGalloping Geezer as Friedman, a columnist for Gary Davis the New York Times. Nearly everyone who reads the I feel a little guilty about NYT, a rapidly diminishing not feeling guilty. People group, thinks Friedman is are actually going to shrinks the world's smartest man. these days with a new mal- There's no question that he's ady that has been dubbed smarter than I am. He gives "green guilt." That's what lectures for fifty thousand a you get when you drive pop and he's married to the around in a Hummer and heiress of a $3 billion real fly to Europe in a private estate fortune. My father-injet to attend conferences on law was a truck driver and how to save the planet while I'd be happy to get gas monliving in a house with 14 ey for doing a gig. Having a bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. vast knowledge of worldly Your "carbon footprint" is affairs however, does not too big and you need to talk mean that one has any comto someone about it who mon sense. Most of us have will assuage your guilt for known some very smart a couple of hundred bucks people that do not have the an hour. (I don't think I ever common sense that God used the word, "assuage" gave a goose. Friedman rebefore but it's a perfectly cently did an interview with' good word and should be an editor at the Reader's Diused more often.) Unlike gest. Following is a quote cancer, green guilt seems to from that interview: be a universally " liberal" afQ. You have written that fliction. Al Gore likely has it the Bush Administration but Rush Limbaugh doesn't. missed an opportunity after Nor is Rush likely to get it 9/11 to change U.S. policy since there is no history of it on energy? A. " It could have been like our response to communism. Anti-communism got our parents' generation to build a national highway system and invest in infrastructure, defense, and education. We could do that again. To me, going green is the great challenge and opportunity of the 21 st century. Where's the downside?" So, following 9/11, instead of going after the people that killed thousands of our citizens, the President goes on TV and announces we're going into Afghanistan to construct windmills? What am I missing here? And incidently Tom, since most of us didn't marry someone worth 3 billion, four bucks a gallon for gas is a definite downside. The airline industry is laying off thousands of employees because fuel costs have forced cutbacks. Mrs. Fields Cookie stores just filed for Chapter 11 because lots of cookie eaters are now going to the mall only once a month instead of every week. Auto companies are hurting big powering electrical gen- tree and get a fire going in time. In short, failing to go erators but problematic for the corner of the living room. after energy sources that are •transportation: Natural gas Trees too, are renewable enplentiful in our nation and is, after.all, a gas, and in or- ergy but they're off limits continuing to buy oil from der to store it in a tank for to the green crowd. Nor is people who hate us is both your automobile, it's got to wind, problem free. Resibe packed in there under lots dents who live near a wind stupid and dangerous. T. Boone Pickins is a of pressure. The gasoline farm in Oregon complain rich oil dude who has been propelled vehicle which I of nervousness, sleep deprispending a chunk of fortune now drive will get take me vation and a whole host of to promote wind and natu- over 400 miles before I need wind turbine related health ral gas as the answer to our a refill. The natural gas pow- issues. Bird lovers complain energy problems. The com- ered pick up I drove while that their feathered friends mercials seen on TV fail to employed with the Southern are taking a terrible beatmention that Mr. Pickens California Gas Company ing from the huge spinning is a major honcho in the would take me forty to fif- blades although there have companies that would make ty miles before a refill was been no complaints from the zillions from further devel- needed. So natural gas could local feline population. Most opment of these energy op- be a practical option for distressing of all, a recent tions and, surprise, surprise, the widow who drives only report indicates that rapidly Speaker of the House, Nan- to the local market once a turning wind turbines create cy Pelosi also has six figures week but not for your aver- a vacuum around the blade that causes bats to explode! age driver. invested in the enterprise, A major drawback with Bat guts, bird guts and fat Me thinks that Nancy, who is trying to "save the the "renewable energy" of cats, now that's something to earth," should preach her both solar and wind is that feel guilty about. Mr. Davis is the author of Green Gospel sermons to the if the sun ain't shinin' or the wind ain't blowin' no elecsome little-read novels and Chinese who are building 4 coal fired energy plants a tricity is being produced. the founder of the Institute week. And they don't give a Electricity, in major amounts, for the Politically Incorrect, hoot about the environmen- cannot be stored like coal or a conservative think tank. oil so I guess that if a heating He is a former actor, cometal impact. Natural gas is great for emergency arose one would dian and Bon Vivant. emailheating your house and need to chop down a nearby ipil940@msn.com Two report cards Autumn activities Life After Birth Janene Baadsgaard According to my children, lots of parents pay their children if they get good grades and I am missing the good parent boat. I've never been a subscriber to that philosophy. When you pay a child for something that is outside their control, you set them up for a lifetime of misery. Getting good grades, making the team, being picked for the solo, winning the election and ah1 the other anxiety that comes with growing up is stressful and competitive. I like to reward my children for the courage to try and the determination to work hard, not an outcome that is determined by someone else. An arbitrary test-grader, peer voting choices or a teacher's grading process shouldn't determine.our inner sense of achievement. This is what I tell my children when it comes to school grades," I want you to work hard and do your best with the gifts, resources and time God gave you. The grade you receive from the teacher is interesting but it shouldn't matter most. The grade you give yourself matters infinitely more." We all know we've received an A for sub-par effort and a lesser grade when we worked hard and gave it our best.That's why I tell my children they should rely more on what they think about their effort. Too often we teach our children to look outside themselves for validation. Too many of us think we are motivating our children when we are really teaching them that we should be rewarded for every good thing we do. If you get an A I'll pay you fifty dollars. If you clean your room I'll give you a trip to the candy store. If you get into the right college or choose a career where you can make lots of money, then I'll be happy and you'll be happy. So you end up with children of intellectually gifted parents stressing about every test and grade — children of athletically gifted parents scared to death they won't make the team — children of stylish parents worried about their clothing labels. The reward we ultimately receive for good deeds and personal effort should be intrinsic or a good feeling about our usefulness to others. My adult daughter called the other day. She was going to be graduating with her Ph. D in anthropology that week and we were making final travel plans. "You know Mom you always told me I could do anything I wanted if I worked hard and didn't give up. Yet it wasn't what you said but what you did that influenced me most. I watched you work hard and achieve your dreams. I told myself, 'If she can, then I can.' You didn't pick my dream for me, you just showed me how to have a dream and then go for it." It's not our job as parents to pick out what our child will be good at, but to expose them to various opportunities, then support them when they 'Round and About Benjamn Kathleen Olsen Janene Baadsgaard choose what to do and who to be. And we have to keep becoming and doing ourselves to show them how. There will always be two report cards — the one the world gives us and the one we give ourselves. The one we give ourselves always matters more. Janene Baadsgaard is the author of many books for families including 15 Secrets to a Happy Home, Families Who Laugh . . . Last, On the Roller Coaster Called Motherhood, Winter 's Promise, Financial Freedom for LDS Families and The LDS Mother's Almanac available at book stores or at www.springcreekbooks .com. Readers will find her columns titled Baadsgaard Bylines on line at baadsgaard.blogspot. com" wwwjanenebaadsgaard.blogspot.com. She can be reached at janenebaadsgaard@juno .com. met at Sweats Shanty trail head in Payson Canyon, and spent the beautiful late summer day riding in the mountains. That evening they were joined by other ward members for a supper served in the lovely yard of Brent and Connie Benson. The- Elders' Quorum presidency consists of Dean Roberts, president, Greg Maughan and Chris Bartold, counselors, and secretary, Brent Shelby. ••• Marion and Pat Wride's granddaughter, Amy Patrice Olson, of Spanish Fork, is leaving to serve an LDS mission in the California Sacramento Mission. Amy is the daughter of Jeff and Sharon Wride Olson of Spanish Fork. Congratulations to Vernon and Lucille Allen, who celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 21. The Allen's are remarkable people and strong members of the community and ward. ••• Members of Benjamin 2nd Ward had a fun filled 'end of summer' party on Thursday, Sept. 11/2008. The event was held at the Benjamin Park, and featured supper, including hot dogs and other dishes. The Young Men and Young Women were in charge of games, while the younger children enjoyed train rides around the park's path. The trains were supplied Jenna Anderson and by Jim Downey and Jim Karson Jones both showed Moon, and provided great- market steers in the Jr. fun for the little folks. Livestock Show at the The ward Activities state fair in Salt Lake City. Committee was in charge Both did well, receiving of the evening. Alan and blue ribbons. Jenna is the Pat Swenson are" chairmen daughter of Wayne and and members of the com- Michelle Anderson, and mittee include Richard and Karson is the son of Tim Janet Ericksen, Greg and and Liz Jones. This pretty well wraps Nancy Balzly and Roger up the livestock shows for and Diane Jones. ••• this year, but the young The annual Elders' people in 4-H or FFA are Quorum Horseback Ride already starting to prepare for Benjamin 1st Ward for next year's shows. took place on Saturday, ••• Sept. 13, 2008. The riders The General Relief Soci- ety meeting will take place on Saturday evening, Sept. 27. Relief Society members of the Spanish Fork West Stake are invited to the stake center at 5:00 p.m. that evening to enjoy supper prior to the broadcast that will begin at 6:00 p.m. ••• If you visit the Benjamin Cemetery, look for some improvements in the grounds on the south end. Brett Pernod and his crew spent a couple of days spreading, and smoothing out piles of dirt in preparation for adding more sod and curb. Work on the cemetery is ongoing, and help given by Benjamin citizens and others is appreciated. ••• The Frost Fair for Benjamin 1st Ward will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Park. The. highlight for the evening will be the judging of the pumpkins, grown in various gardens during the summer. There will be several categories, including the heaviest, the tallest, the biggest around and the smallest. There will also be painted Jack-o-lantems and fall flower or weed arrangement contests. Supper will be served that evening and all First Ward members are invited to attend and take part in the fun. Legal Tips by: v A T T O R N E Y "*~" A T L A W 798-8201-743 N. 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This I is mrnJMicated furtherwheti many of thesesocial security recipients j" | z^jrie rMicapped in someway and are therefore in speffiineed help. Tfiatexoa help- of course- is difficultforrela offer so long as ttiat $2,000 rulefengs over their hea fair, that$2,000 rule exists p s m b u s e of the ^stem le question hutt hutthat it does a ggfi job offilteringout I J ^entassistanceit saves you fronvWng out m _ j m e casfi^^gjtrnrtations of social security income *; causes sigBifkarj hardshipro&IbigSDI reagents and the solution is ,, not very well advertised. Ifyoa l a lovla ori^KHlesto havetheir . needs met because of these HmfetionUs ' betheperfedvehidefo^ . living and to live a fuller life. |