Music

Vinny is getting more and more interested in music. The other day I heard him playing his 4 key piano and it almost sounded like a tune, he was obviously trying to make music. We are hoping he has his Grandpa Gary's gift to play by ear because neither Dan or I can play music so we can't teach him very well.

Diversity

I might alienate a few people with this, but I can't help it. Diversity as it is defined and treated in the world today is evil (as in I want to bash it with hammer as it runs around comically avoiding me).

My husband recently was hired by the state and had to go through some diversity training. He brought home the packet so I could see why he wanted to jump out a window after the first 2 minutes. What they called "Diversity" was anything but. It pretty much stated that those with "traditional" values, morals and ideals need to not only acknowledge but accept and embrace other peoples values even if they outright mock their own. On the other hand those with the aforementioned "mocking" values are not asked to do anything about the "traditionals". (T is now traditional and M is mocking). The feeling the packet gave was that Ts are wrong and you (M) are right and can do what you want and they need to get with the program. Um, how is that diverse? Shouldn't everyone have to respect everyone?

I mean, I am all for harmony and respect. My last supervisor at T-Mobile was openly gay. He had pictures of himself with his BF and his BF's daughter on his desk just as I had pics of Dan and myself. I didn't care. He knew I was LDS, he knew The Church's beliefs on homosexuality and we got along fine. We chose that it was not our place to judge (or vocalize judgement) at work. We would just let it be as we mutually respected the other's right under law and heaven to act as they chose and it did not affect our jobs respectively.

But if I was told I needed to accept and celebrate his homosexuality because I was wrong and closed minded, but he was told my beliefs meant nothing and to ignore them I think I might have become violent.

Here is a little article I really like from Glenn Beck's Newsletter. It is called arguments against idiots: Diversity and I like the points it made.

The Argument Against Idiots: Diversity

August 21, 2008 - 10:46 ET

How to win the argument de jour with logic and facts

The issue:

"Diversity"

What the liberal whiners say:

'What we need in America is to celebrate our diversity, the more diverse we can get, the better'

'Who's to say that a "melting pot" is better than a nice potpourri?

'Multiculturalism is the key to an enlightened society'

'You're dangerous! There is NO PLACE in America for your kind of thinking!'

Your winning, logical, reasoned arguments

1. Why? I mean, I know that shocks you right down to your Birkenstocks, but seriously, didn't we used to seek unity, not differences? Didn't we look for commonality? Weren't we at one time in this nation, considered a "melting pot"? We were encouraged to come together with our different backgrounds, and blend in to form a unified society. How can it be a good or desirable thing to promote separate languages and cultures within the same country?

2. I'm to say. Try eating potpourri. It won't go down real well.

3. The ancient Romans could tell you about the enlightenment of diversity and multiculturalism…well, they could, had it not destroyed them and their civilization. A little closer to our time, ask the Yugoslavs how well the multicultural thing worked out. Actually you'll have to side-step the rocket attacks from the break-off Republics of Serbia and Croatia, and dodge the incoming fire between the ethnic Albanians and Kosovars; the Bosnians and Slovs. Plus diversity has worked wonders in South Essetia, Georgia and Russia hasn't it? I mean, with the possible exception of the 3rd world war it threatens to touch off. How about the diverse region of Quebec? Other than wanting to secede from the rest of Canada, that seems to be going quite smoothly. And has anyone ever heard the term "Balkanized" or "Balkanization"? The terms come from the very divers region of the Balkans.

4. I see. So, you worship at the altar of diversity, only as long as it doesn't diverge from YOUR point of view? I guess that explains the effort to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine" to shut down talk radio?

If you agree with that or what I have said you should check out this essay by Professor Robert P. George called (I think) Self-Mastery, Academic Freedom and the Liberal Arts, if you can't find it I can e-mail a portion of it to you.

Olympics and Idaho

Wow, I haven't posted in a month! Well, 2 weekends ago we went to Idaho, so I thought I would post some pictures and tell you some of what we did. My cousin's new wife had a baby the second day of the reunion (that re-onion is why we went), Gabe. My aunt and uncle were VERY excite, it's their first grandchild. Also my other aunt made Vinny shirts to wear each day that said "Vincent Twice, Vincent Twice" (for anyone who doesn't know, Vinny was named for my cousin and they share the same birthday) The quote is from an old Sesame Street sketch. They were very cute.
Playing Ladder Golf
In bapa and papa's trailer
Playing in the grass
Daddy and Uncle Tom playing ladder golf
Sleeping in the van, I did that a lot! :)



On our way back we stopped by Malad Gorge near Twin Falls, ID. These are some of the gorgeous pictures we took. We also stopped at Multnoma Falls, which was fun as I haven't been there in at least 6 years. It was a lot of fun.






Now, on to the Olympics. Vinny is watching with us and he gets so excited when Sync diving, swimming and gymnastics are on. He points and squeals and dances. It is so cute, and it only reinforces my desire to get him into some basic gymnastic classes so we can keep him flexible and active. I would hate to waste his love of those things.