So bad I had to share

Here's what MSN Entertainment had to say:

Mars Attacks: There comes a time in the life of every eyeliner-dependent actor-cum-rocker when he must look in the mirror and ask himself, "Are tight, tapered acid-wash jeans, a novelty tee, cataract shades and grandpa's silver gardening clogs really an accurate expression of my true self?" For Jared Leto, we can only hope the answer is a resounding, "Nuh-uh." Long ago, high school heartbreaker Jordan Catalano might have been able to pull off these tasteless togs (not to mention the chipped black nail polish) while performing with his Angela-adored band Frozen Embryos, but for the gout-suffering, 34-year-old frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars, it's way past time to put away childish -- and unstylish -- things.

I am nothing...

I realize as I stagger under the weight of my committments that I really am nothing. I have relied on so many people for what I have achieved. I suppose I just want to thank my supportive wife for giving me the encouragement and guidance that I have needed thus far. I have gone without seing Baby Australia for a couple days and its tough. I come home late and eat...and...well...go to bed. Pretty much a no-show.

I am digesting about 5 times the amount of information at twice the pace of an undergraduate student. I have a test next week in every single one of my classes. The amount of knowledge required for anatomy alone is unreal. I realize that Heavenly Father is also present in all of this. Despite my shortcomings and failures He sticks around and helps me. I rely on Him to help me absorb all of the information and to draw on it accurately when I need to. There is a special circle of people who help me. My friends are very important too. I apologize in advance for not answering phone calls, showing up at events, and/or being socially impaired. I cannot tell you how intense this is...but how incredible at the same time. Ironically, as the pressure and time committments ever increase...so does the silent satisfaction.

Bottom line: I appreciate this opportunity... As I sit here in the library with 8,435 things on my mind, somehow there is a little peace that envelops it all and makes it all bearable.

Makes me self-examine...

I know a lot of us subscribe to these quotes, but today's I found interesting:

"I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy; and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives." -Joseph Smith, July 2, 1839

Makes me really introspective, because I have not been the biggest fan of some of the members of the church's practices as of late. I wonder if finding fault with the practices of members of the church also falls into this category. Now that I just typed that and read it back, I'm sure that it does fall into this caution.

Transparency in Government, indeed

According to Project Vote Smart, only one out of 72 Utah State Representatives completed an NPAT, which is a National Political Awareness Test. It lists where a representative stands on current issues. In addition, only four out of 28 State Congressmen completed them. This is either because they refused to provide them or their time to complete them has elapsed. Some of these people don't have websites, which is the current medium through which voters can get information on their government leaders and candidates.

How are we supposed to know what they stand for? How do we know if they will support the things that are important to us? If we vote strictly according to party affiliation, are we simply acting on good faith that they will adhere to the party's platform rather than "repay" their financers by looking after private interest rights?

This frustrates me to no end. This is why I didn't vote when I was 18: I didn't have enough information on the candidates to make an informed decision.

Project Vote Smart (www.vote-smart.org) is a great website with scores of information on local and national government officials. I recommend it to anyone interested in what's really motivating our elected representatives.

9/11 ABC Drama

I just finished watching the ABC docu-drama on the Path to 9/11. It was much better than I thought it would be. It was very straight-forward, besides some dramatic elements. It was heartbreaking, and incredibly upsetting to see how many times we could have prevented 9/11 before it happened. It made me so frustrated. I don't think 9/11 is the answer for all our problems, but I get frustrated that people think it's in the past and should stay there. It was one of THE defining moment of our generation, much like Hiroshima or Pearl Harbor, and the Moon Landing. It is NEVER in the past.

I get angry when I see how many people bag the government for tighter security, raising the threat level, or for racial profiling. You know NOTHING about securing our country, so either become educated, or shut up. What a colossal failure we were in securing our country before 9/11! Just watching how the bureacracy, red-tape, and civil liberties kept us from killing Bin Laden 3 or 4 times before 9/11 made me angry. I know I just watched a 'drama' of the events, but it was based on the 9/11 commission's findings, a bipartisan panel that has written the definitive authority on everything leading up to it. What a HUGE, FREAKING FAILURE!

Listen to my phone calls, search my computer, keep me in line at the airport longer, I don't care! I have nothing to hide. I will never forget how it felt and feels to have my country victimized. This show awoke those feelings I felt 5 years ago, and I will do anything to avoid another 9/11. We have stopped 5 different terrorist attempts that were within days of being carried out on US soil, according to the FBI. We can't stop being vigilant.

At the end of the show they flashed a few graphics on the screen about the panel's findings 5 years after 9/11. In grading our progress in different areas of prevention they gave out 5 F's, 12 D's, and 1 A.

"If we find ouselves in this position again in the future, can we look to anyone else for an excuse?"-9/11 commission.

And once again, before you dismiss these ramblings for right-wing propaganda, or lump my words with Toby Keith, remember, I don't agree with blind patriotism and I'm not republican.

Soda is the Devil

I'll admit it: I'm an addict. I can't get enough of that sweet, sweet Coca-Cola (no Pepsi for me, thank you). Even worse, I can't get enough of Red Bull. I know vaguely that these things are bad for me, but I just read an article that proves that soda is making me fat, giving me cavities, and weakening my bones. Even more scary, drinking too much soda over time can cause Type 2 Diabetes.

Here is the article: http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=10014570

For those with less time, here's an excerpt from the "soda is making me fat" section:

According to a study last year, soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks have become the largest source of calories in the American diet. There is mounting evidence that our national obsession with liquid candy affects more than just our figures. From the very first sip, experts say, cola starts to wreak havoc on the body. It corrodes the teeth, confuses the appetite-regulating hormones in the digestive tract, attacks the bones, and encourages the organ breakdown that leads to diabetes.

Sweetened drinks can pack on the pounds. If, on average, we're drinking 18 ounces of liquid candy daily, we're adding about 225 calories to our diet. Over the course of a month, that's almost 7,000 additional calories, which can easily translate to a 2-pound gain. Over a year, these drinks could be adding 24 pounds to our bottom line. According to a Harvard study, the odds of becoming obese increased 60% for each can or glass a day of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

What people don't realize is that these calories may be particularly effective at making people fat, perhaps because they pass through the stomach more quickly than food. Liquid sugar is a problem—but the type of sugar used in the majority of soft drinks may be making things worse. Although the research is controversial, there's evidence that the man-made high fructose corn syrup used in most sodas fails to suppress the production of ghrelin, a hormone made by the stomach that stimulates appetite. So the body never gets the message to stop eating. Drink a six-pack of cola—900 calories, or about half of the total calories the average woman would need for a day—and your body feels no fuller than if you'd just swallowed water.

. . .

Let's stop the madness! Somebody, quick, start a Sodaholics Anonymous group! I need help!!!