religion

2012 starts with a bang if you are into politics.  There is mounting anticipation for the Iowa Caucuses and who will be winners and who will be losers.

Amidst all the machinations, there are a couple things that stand out to me.

The collapse of Gingrich in Iowa demonstrates once again that negative campaigning can work.  Newt’s problem has been he has given his opponents way too much material to attack him.  I still think his ad about global warming with Nancy Pelosi from a few years ago is the most damning hit on him.

Santorum’s surge demonstrates the power of the social conservative vote in Iowa.  The active evangelical base in Iowa still can’t stomach voting for Romney and they are starting to coalesce around Santorum as Bachmann and Perry just haven’t proven they can get the job done.

The one mistake that Santorum has made is setting an expectation that he will win Iowa.  He could come in 2^nd or even 3^rd and get enough of a bounce that if Gingrich continued to falter, he could take advantage of the void.  At this point, because of the expectation of a Santorum win, if he doesn’t, he’s probably done.

While Romney has stayed steady, and the Gingrich threat is dissipating, I think Ron Paul still has a chance to win Iowa.  He has the best ground game there, and he is more likely to attract a broader base of non-Republicans who can show up on Caucus night, register as Republicans, and vote for Paul.

I still think it’s possible that we could have three different winners in the first three contests: Paul or Santorum in Iowa, Romney in New Hampshire and Gingrich in South Carolina (where he still leads in polls, for now).

If Gingrich does win South Carolina, that means we are in for a long, hard slog, not unlike what the Obama-Clinton primary looked like in 2008 when it was June before it was decided.

One thing is certain: 2012 is going to be one of the most interesting political years in modern history.

Buckle up and hang on – it’s going to be a wild ride!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

I haven’t done much for Christmas.  In fact, other than a couple gifts ordered online, the only thing I’ve done so far to celebrate the Christmas season is show up more than two hours late to a couple Christmas parties.  I’m not a Scrooge or a Grinch, but I haven’t been exactly jolly.  There’s still time, right?

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Speaking of Grinch… er… Gingrich, (couldn’t resist) this has been one of the most interesting and frustrating nominating process I’ve ever witnessed.

Frustrating because I am completely unenthusiastic about any of those running, and longing for those who didn’t (Chris, Mitch, Paul, Jeb, anybody?).

Interesting because no one, and I mean NO ONE, expected Newt to come back to life after the stories about his campaign debt for private jet travel, his Tiffany’s debt and mass resignation of nearly his entire staff.

Here is what I’ll say about Gingrich’s leadership ability, as Senator Tom Coburn said: it’s lacking.

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I have a lot of respect for flight attendants.  I am blown away at how rude people can be when they travel.  And some of the worst examples of rudeness come from folks flying in First Class.

I admit that I’ve become a bit of a travel snob (I have been known to whine if I don’t get upgraded), but there is no excuse to treat flight attendants with anything other than respect.

Think about it, if you are in the service industry and there is a rude customer, there is usually an escape route – go the kitchen, the back office, the stock room – but flight attendants are stuck in a sealed metal tube hurtling 500 miles an hour 5 miles above the ground.

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Speaking of being stuck in a metal tube high up in the air is probably not something I should think about too often.  It just sounds unnatural.

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I few months ago I read the book The Help.  Powerful.  I recently saw the movie and it was equally as powerful.  If it doesn’t sweep the Oscars it will be a travesty.

First a caveat: I haven’t watched a single NFL game this season, and I don’t know that I’ve ever actually seen Tim Tebow play.

But when is it too much?

I have close friends who love Tim Tebow, and I have close friends who hate Tim Tebow, and I don’t know anyone who is in between.

So what is it about a sports figure that causes people to react in such opposite ways?

I suppose anytime someone invokes the blessings of heaven on themselves it’s bound to rub people the wrong way.  It is a bit audacious for anyone (especially a sports figure) to assert that his success comes from the hand of God.  I’m not talking about the humility that comes from recognizing that God blesses us with talents and skills that we have an opportunity to expand upon, I’m talking about the arrogance that appears when someone believes that they are more blessed by God than others.

I don’t know whether Tebow actually believes he has a special dispensation, but many people believe that he believes it.  And that gets them fired up.

Personally, I could not care less.  What caught my attention was this  article about the 13-10 overtime win by the Broncos over the Bears.  Here is the lede:

The Chicago Bears fell victim to more Tim Tebow magic Sunday, and the result was a crushing 13-10 overtime loss,  a third straight defeat that dropped their record to 7-6 and further jeopardized their playoff hopes.

I didn’t watch the game, but when you read how the game played out, I don’t see much Tebow magic.  There were turnovers by the Bears (credit the Broncos defense), there was a mental mistake by the Bears running back that stopped the clock (credit – or discredit – to the Bears running back [unless Tebow got in his head?]), the game went into overtime on a 59-yard field goal (credit the kicker with a heck of a leg) and the same kicker hit a 51-yard field goal to win the game.

Tebow magic?  Doesn’t sound like it to me.

The teacher who had the most influence on my life in high school and beyond was Mr. Gentry, the choir director.  Not only did he teach me a love of music, but he pushed me to be better than I would have otherwise been.  I’m not exactly a natural when it comes to music, but it was his influence, prodding and mentoring that led me to actually do pretty well.

It was Mr. Gentry that worked with me and encouraged me to the point of being able to earn a spot in both the All-State Choir and the All-State Show Choir.  It was Mr. Gentry who essentially assigned me to be the lead (Curly) in our school production of Oklahoma, which became the seminal event of my high school career.

So it was a no-brainer that when I found out he is retiring after this school year, that I attended his final “Feaste of Carols,” a 27-year tradition which has evolved into a spectacular evening. (see this article from the local paper about it)

And Mr. Gentry’s swan song was nothing short of inspiring.

While Mr. Gentry’s life doesn’t exactly follow the plot line of “Mr. Hollands Opus,” he has touched the lives of thousands of students over the last 30 years, and the impact of his influence is likely in the tens of thousands.

At the final “Feaste of Carols” all of the choir alumni in attendance joined the current choir to sing “Candlelight Carol” by John Rutter.  It was beautiful, and very emotional. To stand among dozens of people who were there to pay tribute to a great man was as powerful a moment as you could find.

Mr. Gentry, you may be retiring, but your influence will carry on for years to come.

Yesterday’s election was proof, once again, that voters can be finicky – and that’s the way it should be.

Here is a rundown:

 Legislative District 18 Recall

The big story was the surprise victory of Republican Jerry Lewis over Republican State Senate President Russell Pearce.  Pearce was placed on recall ballot through the efforts of some left-wing and Democrat- affiliated organizations, but it was conservative Republican Jerry Lewis who took advantage of the opportunity by running a very solid race. Pearce outspent Lewis as much as 3-1, and Pearce also enjoyed support from some independent expenditures and the entirety of the Republican establishment.

It wasn’t enough.  Voters were given a choice between a hard-edged Mormon conservative Republican whose main issue has been immigration (Pearce) and a softer spoken Mormon conservative Republican who has been a champion for school choice (Lewis).  This will likely impact the next legislative session, in that there will be fewer immigration-related issues at the forefront.

Lewis will be a good fit in a conservative State Senate, but Pearce loyalists will likely spend time unnecessarily sniping at him – and he may be a short termer, depending on what happens with redistricting.

City of Phoenix

In the Phoenix, union-backed Greg Stanton prevailed over Wes Gullet.  Thelda Williams prevailed over a challenge from the right.  One of the unspoken stories in that race was the Williams enjoyed strong support from the LDS community (who would typically be more aligned with a more conservative candidate) because of her work in helping the LDS Church preserve the ability to build a temple in the north reaches of Phoenix.  Daniel Valenzuela bested Brenda Sperduti.  After Jim Waring unseated a union boss in August, there is a pretty even split on how much union influence there will be at City Hall.

Who said politics was boring?

To know Mitch Menlove was to like him. He was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet.  He was a wunderkind in everything he did professionally, in his church and as a husband and father.

And at the tender age of 36, he has been called home to his Father.

Those of us who share his faith believe that there is a purpose for his death. But that doesn’t take away the shock and pain. And it doesn’t take away the grief we suffer as we think about his wonderful wife Elizabeth, the three boys, and the baby that is due any day now.  As Kevin DeMenna (Mitch’s former boss and tennis partner) said, Mitch must be one incredible human being to be needed “on the other side” more than here.

Our hearts go out to Mitch’s young family, his brothers, his parents and anyone else who was blessed to call him a friend.

Here is a statement from two of his close friends, Kevin DeMenna and Matt Salmon:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with immense sadness that we share with you the heartbreaking news that our friend, colleague and brother, Mitch Menlove, passed away shortly after 1:00 AM last night in the Flagstaff hospital.

[Service information below]

There is no way to express the heartbreak and the sadness that death at such a young age brings, however, Mitch’s family and friends are gathering to celebrate the life of such an extraordinary and selfless man.

We ask that your prayers and thoughts be with Mitch and his loved ones at this time.

With heartfelt feeling to all,

Kevin DeMenna

The Honorable Matt Salmon

Phoenix, Arizona Services:

• Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

• Biltmore Ward

• 1835 East Missouri Avenue

• Phoenix, Arizona 85016-3021

• Family Viewing from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM

• Public Viewing from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM

• Funeral Services will begin at 11:00 AM

Salt Lake City, Utah Services:

• Friday, July 23rd, 2010

• (Location yet to be determined)

• Family Viewing from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM

• Public Viewing from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

• Funeral Services will begin at 10:00 AM

Mitch was one of the good guys.

God is smiling down on me. I had a couple meetings scheduled in Chicago this week. Now, I’ve been to Chicago many times, but either during the winter months or for too brief a time to play around.

But this time, because of meeting schedules, I had time to catch a game at Wrigley field. To make it even better, it was a day game and it was the Dodgers! There is a saying among Mormons that when things are falling into place it means “you must be paying your tithing.” When I bought aisle 104 (in Wrigley “sections” are actually called “aisles” on the lower level) behind home plate and on the visitor side, that saying crossed my mind.

Obviously, I’m a bit of a nostalgia nerd, especially when it comes to baseball. As I blogged a long time ago about the reason I have the Brooklyn Bridge as the image on my blog, I am a huge Dodger fan, and particularly keen on Dodger history, which had some of it’s best years in Brooklyn. As such, going to a game at Wrigley Field has been a life-long dream.

I went to my first major league game at Candlestick Park just before I turned five years old when my dad was in dental school in San Francisco, and when we came back to Arizona and settled in Show Low that summer, I could only dream about big league baseball games as I listened to Vin Scully call Dodger games on KTAR. Those dreams included seeing games at Dodger Stadium (which was fulfilled the first time in 1981), Yankee Stadium (fulfilled in 2004), Fenway (fulfilled in 2006) and finally Wrigley Field. So it’s been a long time coming.

I couldn’t have asked for a better day for baseball. Sunny, light breeze and about 70 degrees at first pitch, which was at 1:20 – making the experience even more fulfilling since it was a day game. (Wrigley Field was the last of the major league parks to add lights, holding out until 1988). I settled in, bought a hot dog from a vendor walking the aisle, applied the Gulden’s mustard and had the second best ballpark hot dog of my life. (The best was the hot dog I ate at Fenway – I can’t even tell you what made it better).

I took in the imagery, the history and, in part because I was wearing my Brooklyn Dodgers hat, envisioned the Brooklyn Dodgers playing ON THIS VERY FIELD!

Like I said, I’m a nostalgia nerd. (I think I’ve coined a phrase).

I suppose the only thing that could have made the day better was a Dodger win. However, it was a great game, a pitchers duel that the Cubs won 1-0 with back-to-back triples in the bottom of the eighth.

So I’ve hit the big four of the parks I’ve long wanted to see. The only thing left is to visit the monument for Ebbets Field, which was torn down ten years before I was born.

Play Ball!

ABC’s Lost had one of the most anticipated series finales in TV history.

Lost was simply… epic.  Its draw was the examination of human interaction under a multitude of situations, both extreme and mundane.

Lost was in its third season before I watched the pilot and got completely hooked.  And after six seasons, I am still numb to the idea that it’s actually over.

I’m torn about the way it ended.  I loved it, I hated it, I laughed, I cried.

But when the camera zoomed in on Jack’s eye and the signature Lost logo popped onto the screen I felt… fulfilled.

It’s hard to describe.  It was less dramatic than I think I was expecting, but it was surprisingly satisfying.

Here’s what I think… The writers didn’t really know how to end it, so they pulled the pure emotion card – figuring out how to bring everyone together, and by doing so, even those of us who wanted a complete tie up at the end forgave the unanswered questions because everyone got back together.

It was thrilling to watch each character begin to remember what they had been through and to recognize who they were.

So, had they in fact died at the beginning after all, and the island was purgatory?  I don’t think so – I interpreted it as the sideways reality being purgatory (or in my faith’s parlance, the spirit world), where the work gets completed.

However you view the ending, and whether you think it was great or terrible or just ok, ultimately there wasn’t a perfect ending or a right ending, because we each viewed the series through our own prism of understanding, ideology, faith, bias and personal application.

What surprises me the most is that I don’t even remember all the questions they didn’t answer. That tells me that even though those questions seemed to be of burning priority, they just weren’t that important.

Kind of like how life unfolds…

We celebrate the most holy of days today, the day that marks when our Savior overcame the bonds of death and rose again.