The Aunt and the Grasshopper - Two Versions

THE ANT  AND THE GRASSHOPPER

This  one is a little different....
Two Different Versions!  .................. Two Different  Morals!

OLD  VERSION: The  ant works hard in the withering heat all summer  long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The  grasshopper  thinks the ant  is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come  winter, the ant  is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper  has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL  OF THE STORY: Be  responsible for yourself

MODERN  VERSION:
The ant  works hard in the withering heat all summer  long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The  grasshopper  thinks the ant  is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come  winter, the shivering grasshopper  calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and  starving.

CBS, NBC ,  PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of  the shivering grasshopper  next to a video of the ant  in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America  is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How  can this be, that in a country of such wealth,  this poor grasshopper  is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit  the Frog appears on Oprah  with the grasshopper  and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

Acorn  stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group  singing, 'We shall overcome.'  Rev. Jeremiah Wright  then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's  sake.

Nancy Pelosi &  Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry  King that the ant has gotten rich off the back  of the grasshopper,  and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant  to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC  drafts the Economic Equity &  Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the  beginning of the summer.

The  ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate  number of green bugs  and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is  confiscated by the Government  Green Czar.

The  story ends as we see the grasshopper  finishing up the last bits of the ants  food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's  old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The  ant has  disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper  is found dead in a drug related incident and the  house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize  the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL  OF THE STORY:  Be  careful how you vote in 2010.

--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

What is an Ed.S. Degree Anyway?

My highest degree from Utah State University is the Educational Specialist Degree, Since most people have no idea what it represents, here is a short summary.

The Ed.S. degree is a focused degree program that is considered by accrediting bodies as the completion of the sixth year of collegiate study (between the master's and doctorate). Programs typically require from 30 to 45 semester hours. But while master's degree holders can usually be confident of advancement and upward movement on the salary scale, the Ed.S. degree holder may find that managers are often not aware of, or do not have a way of recognizing, this lesser-known degree. This is especially true outside of academic settings. The Ed.S. degree is not a doctorate but is a terminal degree in the field of study. A terminal degree is generally accepted as the highest degree in a field of study.

Educational Specialist

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Education Specialist, also referred to as Educational Specialist, Specialist in Education, or Ed.S., is a terminal academic degree in the U.S. that is designed for individuals who wish to develop additional skills or increase their knowledge beyond the master's degree level, but do not wish to pursue a degree at the doctoral level.

About

Most individuals who earn an Ed.S. degree seek to increase their skills for advanced certification requirements or other professional objectives. Many people may pursue an Ed.S. degree in order to meet state or professional requirements for career advancement. Major areas available with this degree include school counseling, school psychology, and others.

The Ed.S. degree is a focused degree program that is considered by accrediting bodies as the completion of the sixth year of collegiate study (between the master's and doctorate). Programs typically require from 30 to 45 semester hours. But while master's degree holders can usually be confident of advancement and upward movement on the salary scale, the Ed.S. degree holder may find that managers are often not aware of, or do not have a way of recognizing, this lesser-known degree. This is especially true outside of academic settings.

The Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) degree is similar to the Ed.S. in School Psychology. It is typically granted when the program is located in a department of psychology rather than education.

Formal attire

According to The American Council on Education "six-year specialist degrees (Ed.S., etc.) and other degrees that are intermediate between the master's and the doctor's degree may have hoods specially designed (1) intermediate in length between the master's and doctor's hood, (2) with a four-inch velvet border (also intermediate between the widths of the borders of master's and doctor's hoods), and (3) with color distributed in the usual fashion and according to the usual rules. Cap tassels should be uniformly black."^[1]

Terminal degree

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

A terminal degree is generally accepted as the highest degree in a field of study. An earned^[1] academic (or research) doctorate such as a Doctor of Philosophy is considered the terminal degree in most academic fields of study in some countries. However professional doctorates may be considered terminal degrees within the professional degree tract even though they are prerequisites for research degrees. For example, the Juris Doctor, a professional doctorate, is the highest professional degree in law, but not the highest research degree in law. The highest research degree in law in the United States is the Doctor of Juridical Science, which requires a Master of Laws for admission, which LL.M. degree requires a first law degree for admission (either a LL.B. or J.D.). Thus, the Juris Doctor is terminal among professional law degrees while the Doctor of Juridical Science is terminal among academic (or research) degrees.^[2] In addition, in some countries there are degrees which are more advanced than the Ph.D., such as the higher doctorates in the U.K. and Russia, and the habilitation degree awarded in Germany. Also, not all terminal degrees are doctorates, such as the terminal academic degree in applied arts is usually the M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts), and the terminal academic degree for a librarian is the M.L.S./M.L.I.S. (Master's degree in Library Science or Library and Information Sciences)^[3].

Link to Utah State University Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences

http://itls.usu.edu/programs/eds




--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

FOXNews.com - Media One-Sided in Covering Palin - Opinion

FOXNews.com - Media One-Sided in Covering Palin - Opinion

ABC – All Barak Channel
CBS - Central Barak System
CNN - Communist News Network
MSNBS - Microsofts National Barak Channel
NBC – National Barak Channel
NPR - National Propaganda Radio
PBS - Public Barak System

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Ross and Linnie Findlay now with the Angels

ROSS P. FINDLAY FAMILY

Ross Partington Findlay was born 18 May 1920 in Smoot, Wyoming, to Hugh William and Gertrude Peterson Findlay. The fourth child of this couple, he grew up in a family that increased to nine children, eight of whom lived to raise families of their own. A brother just older than Ross, Charles Bruce Findlay died in infancy.

Early in his life, along with his four living brothers and three sisters, he learned the value of work, and through diligence and hard work they were able to have the necessities of life and to enjoy some of the comforts. They also took time for recreation and Church service was an important part of their lives.

He remembers his grandparents, and was baptized into the L.D.S. Church in a stream near his Grandfather Peterson's store. He attended school in Smoot and Afton, Wyoming, and after graduation from Star Valley High School in 1938, was called to serve in the California Mission, which at that time included all of California and parts of Arizona and Nevada.

After his mission was completed he served three years in the United States Army, spending one year in Europe during the final decisive battles of World War II. He served in the 582nd Quartermaster Co., Ninth Army, and had an opportunity to travel in thirteen countries before he returned to the United States. While in overseas training in San Bernardino, California, Ross was called and set apart by an Elder Smith as a group leader for LDS Servicemen. Elder Smith was servicemen's coordinator for Southern California, and was under the direction of Elder Hugh B. Brown. Ross was given the charge to organize and supervise L.D.S. Church services for other servicemen who were stationed in various areas where he served.

Linnie Taylor Marchant was born in Ioka, Utah, on 22 April 1919, to Robert Henry Casper and Agnes Taylor Marchant. The fourth of five children, she was the youngest of her parent’s family to live. At her birth her mother was attended by a mid-wife, known in the community as "Aunt Jeanette" Miles. After about three days of fruitless labor it was determined it would be necessary to have a doctor. Doctor Enix was finally located in Myton and he was able to save the lives of both mother and baby.

Linnie, too, was baptized in a canal, near what was then the William H. Stone place on the south bench in Ioka, in July following her eighth birthday. Baptisms were held only two or three times during the year so that the weather would be warm and the water clean, so there were a number of children baptized at that time. What a joyous day that long awaited baptismal day was.

She attended school in Ioka and Roosevelt, Utah, and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1937. After graduating from Seminary the year before she had had the opportunity, along with others who graduated that year, of going with a member of the High Council for their monthly visits to the wards in the Roosevelt Stake. Two quarters of college, practical nursing and other work that was available took up the next few years. She assisted Dr. John R. Bourne with three "at home" deliveries, administering anesthetic and helping as she was directed. In addition she assisted in the homes of many mothers with new-born babies, sometimes staying for ten days or two weeks.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, she attended L.D.S Business College in Salt Lake City - or six weeks, and was shuttled into secretarial service to assist the war effort. She became the first Chief Clerk of W.A.A.C. (later WAC) Recruiting at Ninth Service Command Headquarters at Fort Douglas, Utah, and worked there for four years.

She met Corporal Ross P. Findlay in Salt Lake City when he was home on furlough, just prior to his over-seas duty, and they became engaged on 11 July 1944. They were married exactly one year later, on 11 July 1945, in the Salt Lake Temple, just a few days after his return from Europe.

Following a 30 day redeployment furlough he returned to active duty at Camp Lee, near Petersburg, Virginia, with orders to prepare to go to the Pacific Theater of Operations. She resigned her job and made plans to go to Virginia before he left. Even though the treaty with Japan was signed before she left Salt Lake City, Ross continued his service at Camp Lee, and she joined him in Virginia. He was discharged from Fort Douglas 1 December 1945.

We made our home in Salt Lake City at 140 N. West Temple for several months, and both worked while Ross attended L.D.S. Business College. Our first child, Richard Bruce Findlay was born in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City on 25 July 1946. When he was six weeks old we moved to Logan where Ross enrolled as a freshman at U.S.A.C. (Utah State University).

Two children were born while he was attending the U.S.A.C., Roslyn, a daughter, was born on 6 November 1948 and John Michael on the twenty first of April 1950. Ross graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor's degree in Education, and we moved to Ephraim where he taught Social Science and Music at the Ephraim Junior High School.

Another son, Kimball Ross, was born 14 July 1951, while we were in Logan the next summer so that Ross could attend summer school. He received his Master's degree from U.S.U. in 1952. Donald James, our first child to be born in Sanpete arrived 30 August 1952 in the hospital in Mt. Pleasant.

We moved to Spanish Fork £or the school year 1954-55, where Ross taught social studies at the high school and worked with the student officers. He also taught music in the Junior and Senior High Schools in Spanish Fork. At the close of that school year we came back to Ephraim and Ross began teaching at Snow College. We have lived in Ephraim since that time.

A second daughter, Kathleen, was born shortly after we moved back to Ephraim, on 5 July 1955. In October 1956 my mother, Agnes Taylor Marchant, 76, who had been living with us for several weeks, passed away at our home the same weekend that Ross was sustained as Bishop of the Ephraim South Ward. He served for six years, and was released in 1962. That summer we went to Pullman, Washington, where Ross attended a short session at Washington State University.

On New Year's Day, 1957, we moved into our present home. A son, Scott William Findlay, was born 23 November 1957. Another son, Charles Robert Findlay joined the family on 24 August 1960.

The family encountered the usual childhood diseases, and it was difficult when Polio vaccine was first developed to have the children immunized with live virus; but after much prayer an inner peace was reached, and when one of the children became ill following the treatment there was no great anxiety and he quickly recovered.

Tragedy came to our home in 1965 when it was learned that our third child was suffering from osteo-genic sarcoma, a rare kind of bone cancer, for which there was no medical treatment. Michael was a real hero as he bore the burden of his illness, and lived with faith as he went in and out of the hospitals as doctors did what they could and prescribed that he should have and do anything that he wanted to. Michael waited for the day that Bruce would be set apart for his Mission, for he knew that at that time he would either begin to mend or he would be taken home to his Father in Heaven. He believed that if he did not live he would be going on a greater mission, and when he died, 9 September 1965, we tried to make his memorial service as it would have been if he had been going on an earthly mission, to return to us here, as other members of the family have.

In 1966 while Bruce was in the Mission Field in Canada, the rest of us traveled by car to Springfield, Massachusetts, where Ross attended summer school for six weeks at Springfield, College.

It was in 1975 that we learned that we would have to sell our property to Snow College as they planned to expand the campus. That was a difficult time in our lives, but it has proved a good, growing experience. We were able to move our brick home to a new location, and by the next May we were back in our home and able to begin to get our "hardpan" to growing lawn and garden.

Ross was called for a second time to the Stake High Council soon after he was released as Bishop, and served there for 13 years, being released in March 1976. That fall he was called as Ward Executive Secretary and has served in that position in the Ephraim South Ward, the Ephraim Third Ward and in the Snow College Second Ward.

My responsibilities have included working in the MIA, Primary, Relief Society, and I have been accompanist for the Ward Choir for a number of years. As Stake Historical Arts Correspondent, there have been many opportunities to learn more of the history of this area, including early history of the Indians who lived here. At the present time I work as Ward Nursery Coordinator and play for the Choir. In 1967 Sister Eleanor Madsen and I began a writing contest for this area that still continues to record the history of Sanpete, and in 1979, we authored a history of Ephraim's last 25 years.

Ross has been active in Scouting for many years and has served in a number of leadership positions. He has had Philmont and Woodbadge training which prepared him for his present assignment as a Council Vice President in charge of Woodbadge and Timberline training. For 26 years he directed training programs for scouts and scouters at Snow College.

Ross' duties at Snow College have been many and varied. He has taught history and social science, has served as Dean of Students and Registrar. He operated the printing services at the school for quite a few years, and always said it was his recreation from other responsibilities. He took care of the mail, administered the first ACT tests given at the school and was State Coordinator for ACT for six years. He was instrumental in bringing technology to Snow; and while he was Dean of Students he initiated pre-school training sessions for student body officers beginning in 1956. Those sessions were held in Forest housing in the mountains, where Student Officers learned of their duties and responsibilities for the coming school year.

Together we have assisted with the Mormon Miracle Pageant in various capacities for most of the years since it began in 1967.

Prepared by Linnie Taylor Marchant Findlay (1982) Edited and Digitized by CRF (2009)

Linnie Findlay returned to Heavenly Father on January 10, 2009, Ross followed on April 2, 2009. They are missed by the family they left behind who hope that someday they can be together again.

Hams Assist Woman Injured in Desert:

from The ARRL Letter, Vol 28, No 11
Website: http://www.arrl.org/ on March 20, 2009
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Hams Assist Woman Injured in Desert:

It was a sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, when Hal Whiting, KI2U, Todd Kluxdal, Kluxdal's father and Whiting's two sons decided to go out to the Poverty Mountain area in Arizona to search for airplane crash sites. Whiting, who lives in St George, Utah, and Kluxdal, who lives in Mesquite, Nevada, took two vehicles that day. According to Whiting, they always take two vehicles, just in case a problem pops up: "We always have two spare tires, extra gasoline and a tow rope. We take enough food and supplies to stay two or three days." In addition to the extra equipment, Whiting took the one thing he never goes without -- his ham radio.

"It was a bit after lunch, about 73 miles into our trip," Whiting told the ARRL," when we were flagged down by a man wanting to know if we had a satellite phone, since he couldn't get coverage on his cell phone." Whiting didn't have a satellite phone, but he asked the man if this was an emergency. Whiting said that the man told him that one of his friends had been injured when her ATV rolled on top of her. "I told him I could call for help on my ham radio," he said. The injured woman was knocked unconscious by the fall, but had regained consciousness and was speaking coherently, but was in pain.

"I picked up my mic and put out a call on the 146.910 repeater, one of four repeaters run by Dean Cox, NR7K," Whiting said. "I called for assistance a couple of times when Mac Magee, N6LRG, in the Arizona Cane Beds, answered."

"Mac lives about 50 miles away from the accident site," Whiting said. "It's funny -- it's usually Washington County hams who are on the repeaters, since that's the direction they're pointed in. But Mac lives in Mohave County. And the accident happened in Mohave County. We were lucky, since if the call was answered by a ham in Washington County, there would have been a delay in them getting the info to the proper authorities in Mohave County, but with Mac answering, all our information went right to the proper place."

That morning, Magee told the ARRL that he came into my shack "and for some reason, turned on the 2 meter rig and it happened to be on the 146.910 repeater. I usually have a problem with the repeater 'hearing' me, so I rarely use it. About 11:20 Arizona time, I heard someone call and say they had emergency traffic and needed help. I fully expected a bevy of hams to answer the call, since so many are in range of that machine, but after his second call, and no answer, I took it."

Magee said that the calling station had been flagged down by another motorist. "He told me there had been an accident in the vicinity of Poverty Mountain," he said. "I really had no idea where that was, but I began to write down details. As soon as I had basic info, I called 911. The Mohave County Sheriff Office answered; I explained who I was and what the call was about."

The dispatcher asked Magee for the coordinates to the site, and Magee relayed the request to Whiting. "I looked at my GPS and gave Mac my coordinates, but he said the dispatcher wanted the coordinates from the accident site," Whiting said. "So I got in my 4-wheel drive and drove down the ridge to the site, about 5600 feet above sea level, and got the coordinates. I had to drive back to the ridge, another 1000 feet up, to call Mac back, because I couldn't get a signal down there."

Whiting told the ARRL that in addition to his ham radio, he also carries a set of FRS radios. "I gave one of the FRS radios to Todd and he drove his Jeep down the ridge to the accident site," he said. "I kept the other one and Todd was able to relay me information about the injured woman's condition and I was able to relay that information to Mac who in turn relayed it to the 911 dispatcher. Mac put the mic right up to the phone so the dispatcher could hear exactly what was going on."

Magee said the 911 dispatcher requested more information: "While Hal was replying, I held the phone up to my radio speaker. When he finished with the details, I asked them if they copied that. The dispatcher said he did, and they held me on the line. Hal and I talked a while as he gave more data. When the dispatcher returned, they said a chopper was being dispatched from Phoenix! Well, we finished that call after they had the actual accident site GPS coordinates that Hal had passed on."

With emergency help on the way, Kluxdal returned to the ridge and he and Whiting and his group went on their way to go check out an airplane crash site, the original intent of their trip. "The family members told us to go on and get on with our trip, so we did, after making sure they were all okay," Whiting said. "So we left to go to the crash site, about 3-4 miles away. As we were getting ready to return, we saw the helicopter overhead, taking the injured woman to the hospital in Las Vegas. We returned to the top of the ridge and a sheriff's deputy was there and he told us that our GPS coordinates were off, but only by 20 feet! He said that the helicopter crew was real happy that they were so on-target."

Whiting said they were glad to have been able to help. "This is a remote area," he said. "There's only one way in, one way out with no shortcuts to get in and out. There are only dirt roads, and it can get very muddy when it rains a lot. I was out that way two weeks ago and got stuck in the mud there, but it was all dry this past weekend."

Whiting said he learned a few things after this trip: "I am glad I had my radio equipment with me, and I am glad there was someone listening on the repeater to take the emergency call. Having the spare FRS radios created an efficient means for relay with a non-ham person, and having the GPS equipment provided a very effective means for the helicopter rescue team to locate the accident, since they did not want the road designation information but the exact patient coordinates. It would have been useless to have my equipment if there had not been someone listening. This proves that there is a good reason to keep your radios with you and in good operating condition."

Whiting, who was first licensed in 1976, is the ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Washington County. A CAD Manager and Aerial Photographer for Bulloch Brothers in Mesquite, Nevada (he and Kluxdal are co-workers), he is currently teaching an Amateur Radio licensing class to 13 prospective hams at the Dixie Regional Medical Center in St George.

Magee said that before this incident he had never been involved in an actual emergency. "I have established emergency communications networks, in particular for the LDS Church in Newbury Park, California, where I was the Stake Emergency Communications Coordinator." He told the ARRL: "Our communications group won the first worldwide test of the system back in the late 1980s. This is like ARRL Field Day, but involved mostly LDS members and facilities, then under the name of Mercury Amateur Radio Association (MARA) http://www.mara.net/. I feel very pleased in knowing that I had the opportunity to serve in this rescue incident and that every penny I spent on my system, radio and antenna was certainly worth it. In these days of extensive cell phone service and coverage, isn't it satisfying to know that ham radio can still be of use for public service?"

Source:

The ARRL Letter Vol. 28, No. 11 March 20, 2009

--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

If it sounds too good to be true . . .

We live in a day when the truth has been ignored so much in certain ways that many people are unaware what the truth is. By truth the reference here is to things that really are and can be verified as being reliable, often in a cause and effect relationship. This deception often takes the form of promises that cannot be fulfilled as promised, because a different effect will always be realized. Following are a few examples;

--I'm sure you've heard the expression, 'If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.' Well, in the investment world, I say, 'If something sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.'
    [1997 Washington Times 3 June B7]

--Apparently the old adage still applies: If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Pass it up, or at least check it out . . .
    [2001 Washington Times 24 Aug. E18]

--How often have we heard this from the experts? Whether it's real estate, stock tips, financial planning, or belts by Pierre Cardin, how often have we seen offers for unrealistically low priced items that turned out to be fake?

--At shopping districts outside our nation's borders, and at too many places inside them, the unavoidable, inescapable street vendors sell designer jewelry, clothing, handbags, and accessories at discount prices. By now, most of us know there's no way you can buy a real Hermes scarf for two bucks or a Seiko watch for ten, but our kids and a surprising number of adults often don't know.

--I'm sure you've heard the expression, 'If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.' Well, in the investment world, I say, 'If something sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.'
2001 Washington Times 24 Aug. E18

There is a pattern of being easily deceived emerging here.

The deception also includes false ideas in government and religious venues, ideas that history has shown to be 100% incorrect, yet there are those who continue to promote these loosing concepts. Concepts that bring heartache, sorrow, regret, bondage, despair and loss of confidence.

It is not possible to rescue our economy by the government spending more of our money than we have given them (they have already taken) and we cannot afford to give the government any more money or the free market system which supports our individual liberties will be severely damaged or destroyed. All of this is a deception and has other purposes such as power and wealth for those in control of the government.

In the war in heaven before we all came to earth there were two plans presented to our Heavenly Father, these plans were very different. One plan which came from our Heavenly Father required us to make choices and to be responsible for our actions. The other plan was virtually "acuna matata" (acuna matata - 1 definition - it means no worrys, for the rest of your days.) the problem free philosophy we see in the movie "Lion King." Each plan had its sponsor, one who would put it into action, the first plan had Jesus Christ, the second plan had Satan also known as Lucifer. The first plan was chosen, the proponents of the second plan were angry and ended up being cast out to the earth never to obtain a mortal body, one of the gifts the first plan provided each of us.

The war goes on here on earth and we see the second plan proposed by the Obama administration again, it has failed every time it has been tried, in every conceivable way it has failed miserably. Those who sin against the first plan tend to support the second one. Keeping the commandments of God such as the 10 commandments given to Moses on Sinai is necessary to supporting the first plan which promises peace, eternal prosperity and happiness in the most glorious manner.

So beware, the second plan is still floating around, There is much more to each plan than I have elaborated on here, but in the sake of brevity the second plan cannot ever work. Yet there are still those promising great things with a problem free philosophy. Just remember this one thing I learned from my Dad;

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Unless we are taking about the first plan,
then it really is the only thing that sounds too good to be true,
that is true!



--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

Proper Perspective Is Of Great Value To Each Of Us

Some thoughts on Perspective

It has been said that sometimes we are so closed to the forest that we can't see the trees. This statement refers to the notion that we need to move back from a situation sometimes to see it with adequate perspective. You might ask yourself the question, how close to the forest would you have to be so that you could not see the trees? Probably very, very close. If you were to back up the view of the forest would improve because you could probably see many trees and the surrounding landscape. If we take the concept of perspective with the forest and trees and apply it to challenges that seem to surround us we tend to get a different view.

In America and the world today, there are financial and political challenges each and every day. The perspective that one has helps in dealing with challenges that arise many dealing with health and safety. Over time as we study history and learn the lessons from those who have gone on before us, be begin to recognize evidences that some events will probably happen again. We learn that people in the end will be responsible for their own choices, and that government cannot effectively incentiveize the economy.

Have you ever heard of the depression of 1920? Probably not, it came and went so quickly because the government encouraged the people to save and get out of debt, the result was a depression lasting only a few months followed by the roaring 20s. It has been shown that the depression of 1929 was prolonged greatly by government intervention, manipulating the markets and throwing money at people. We have had a depression or recession every 7 to 9 years since, like clock work. How do we know this? Perspective.

Have you ever wondered how a parent could love each of their children in a special way and yet the children can be at odds with each other, the parent stays out of the fray and continues to love each child. Hopefully when they get older they will begin to treat each other as well as the parents have tried to over the years. How can parents do this, perspective tempered with love.

Sometimes those without correct perspective complain about what is happening in our country, dispairing over what we must pass through in life, they offer different solutions that squander our future and do not retain our eternal possibilities. If we are prepared we can discern the serious detour proposed and refuse to be diverted.

The value of perspective cannot be denied. Remember to back up far enough from the forest that you can see the trees, not only the trees of the forest but the lessons learned from history. If we don't understand history, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past.

--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

Material Things Don't Last

My mom wrote this poem for Linnie. I have had conversations with my mom about your mom, and how difficult it has been for your mom to leave her home and everything that she has.  My mom sent me this poem to give to Linnie, but I didn't, I felt like it would just make it harder for her to leave.  I will let you read it now, - I should of given it to her.

 

(My mom writing to me)

I have been thinking about our conversation on Sunday night, I am getting
too close for comfort to the same thing and feel for your sister.

I wrote this for Linnie if you think she would like it.  I started to read
it to dad and couldn't for goodness sake!!

He said "Do you want me to tell you who to send this too?"
I said "Who?"
"All of them,"  he said.

No I'll just have it in my history in my "poetry" section.




             Just Things

³Just things,² you said, they¹re my life you know.
I want them to follow where ere I go.
They¹re echoes of happier days I deem
Much more to me, than to you, they seem.

The record player with love¹s sweet sound,
Things like this I want around!
The tapes and videos and slides galore
They tell me I won¹t need anymore.

The books in my library I seldom read
Now you want them gone with lightening speed.
The rows of pictures on my wall
Are now not needed it seems at all.

The scrap books and keepsakes that are so dear
No one wants them now I fear.
The children¹s table under the stair,
Is much too old, even for repair.

The dishes and pans in cupboards  kept ---
The easy chair where grandpa slept ---
All can be replaced by something new
It all depends on your point of view.

The toy box filled with half broken toys
The silent house without any noise
The  kitchen table once overflowing
Now is empty -- and it too is going.

Just things you say? You can¹t erase
The time when everything had it¹s place.
Memories grow stronger through the years
As we fondly remember with silent tears.

Norma L. Smith October 2008

--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

National Signing Day

Wednesday the 4th of February, 2009 was indeed an exciting day. Football enthusiasts all over America had their attention focused on where the best players were going to play beginning this fall. Now to me this did not used to be such a big deal, but since Nick Saban came to Alabama a few years ago, my interest in college football and my understanding of what is really going on seems to be increasing.

A college team can win games sometimes with just good old 'grit' and 'determination.' But these are such vague terms and highly unmeasurable, it makes my college trained mind think we need a goal analysis here. I feel an analogy coming on. Someone recently explained to me that a college football teams success can be compared to a good restaurant, the players are the ingredients in the food served, the coach is the chef, the high school coaches are the supplier of ingredients. It can be said that a good chief can make lesser ingredients taste fabulous some times but the best path to having consistently fabulous food is to use the best ingredients possible. A plan to consistently have the best ingredients and the best coach would seem to insure a consistent winner. And that best coach will also be a great teacher as this will insure that the players advance and make progress during the season from week to week.

So National Signing Day is a big deal for those teams that want to compete for a national championship in the next few years. When you get the best horses in the stable you have a better chance to win the race. Alabama is a great place for football and the Crimson Tide program as setup by Coach Saban has a learning process along with procedures to bring new players in, get them acclimatized to college studies and also to advance through a winning football training program that addresses every aspect of a players needs. It is not just enough to tell a player what to do, they make sure that players understand their role and how to accomplish it. Meaningful practice is employed so those skills can be honed to a championship quality. Having only great players on the team adds competition and motivation for each to work hard and become better. This seems to be similar to the path for success in life.

So congratulations to Coach Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide for their #1 recruiting class on rivals.com for the second year in a row. Instead of just one Julio Jones as wide receiver there will be four others just as good, and the depth on the offensive and defensive lines in improved considerably as well. The running back position also has much more depth. All of this seems to lead to greater anticipation and excitement for the Spring A Day game on April 18th, 2009. The place will be packed again is my guess.

Looking forward to another great year, ROLLIN WITH THE TIDE.

Some of my Favorite Quotes on Learning

Quotes On Learning

What's your favorite quote?   In today's sound-bite world, there is power in a well turned phrase, glory in a succinct, memorable statement. Since learning is one of my greatest passions, I'm fascinated by articulate quotes on learning, training, education, and development. Here are some of my favorites, listed aphabetically by source:
 

"They know enough who know how to learn."
-- Henry Adams
 

"There is no time of life past learning something."
-- Saint Ambrose
 

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
-- Aristotle
 

"Education in our times must try to find whatever there is in students that might yearn for completion, and to reconstruct the learning that would enable them autonomously to seek that completion. "
-- Allan Bloom

"It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them."
-- Leo Buscaglia

"Only those who have learned a lot are in a position to admit how little they know."
-- L. Carte

"Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back."
-- Chinese proverb
 

"Placing the learners in small groups allows them to not only receive and express linguistic information, but to also manipulate it in various forms to gain a full understanding of it."
-- Don Clark
 

"It seems that we learn lessons when we least expect them but always when we need them the most, and, the true 'gift' in these lessons always lies in the learning process itself."
-- Cathy Lee Crosby
 

"Learning is not so much an additive process, with new learning simply piling up on top of existing knowledge, as it is an active, dynamic process in which the connections are constantly changing and the structure reformatted."
-- K. Patricia Cross
 

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."
-- Anthony J. D'Angelo

 

"Learning is not compulsory but neither is survival."
-- W. Edwards Deming
 

"We don't learn from experience.
We learn from reflecting on experience."
-- John Dewey


"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life."
-- Henry L. Doherty
 

"Every person in this life has something to teach me - and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening."
-- Catherine Doucette
 

"Just as I have always said that I learned more in university pubs and clubs than I every did in a university classroom, so also I say now that I learn more through online discussions and simulations than I ever did from an online course."
-- Stephen Downes
 
 

"Perhaps the mission of those who love mankind is to make people laugh at the truth, to make truth laugh, because the only truth lies in learning to free ourselves from insane passion for the truth."
-- Umberto Eco
 

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."
-- Albert Einstein
 

"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Nine tenths of education is encouragement."
-- Anatole France


"Learning is easier than doing and don't confuse the two."
-- Robert Gately
 

"Research shows that you begin learning in the womb and go right on learning until the moment you pass on. Your brain has a capacity for learning that is virtually limitless, which makes every human a potential genius."
-- Michael J. Gelb


"Change is only another word for learning, therefore, the theories of learning will also be the theories of changing. If you want to change, try learning, one might say, or more precisely, if you want to be more in control of your change, take learning more seriously."
-- Charles Handy  (quoted at the introdduction to The Dialogue of Learning and Change)
 

"Read books, listen to tapes, attend seminars - they are decades of wisdom reduced to invaluable hours."
 -- Mark Victor Hansen
 

"If you're not learning while you're earning, you're cheating yourself of the better portion of your just compensation."
-- Napoleon Hill
 

"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists."
-- Eric Hoffer

"There is no difference between living and learning . . . it is impossible and misleading and harmful to think of them as being separate. Teaching is human communication and like all communication, elusive and difficult...we must be wary of the feeling that we know what we are doing in class. When we are most sure of what we are doing, we may be closest to being a bore."
-- John Holt, What Do I Do On Monday?
 

"No one limits your growth but you. If you want to earn more, learn more."
--Tom Hopkins
 

"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."
--Thomas H. Huxley
 

"Learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen."
-- Ivan Illich
 

"The brain develops better in concert with others…"
-- Eric Jensen
 
 

"Meaning is more important to the brain than information"
-- Eric Jensen
 

"Everyone and everything around you is your teacher."
-- Ken Keyes Jr
 

"Nothing can be effectively controlled, in the long run, from the top of a hierarchy-- or from any one perspective.  People are basically trustworthy. Only workplaces that give their members the chance to learn and add value through their work will succeed in the long run."
-- Art Kleiner
 

"When you want to win a game, you have to teach. When you lose a game, you have to learn."
--Tom Landry
 

"The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate."
-- Doug Larson
 

"All of life is learning; therefore education can never end."
-- Eduard Lindemann


"The best of all things is to learn.  Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever."
-- Louis L'Amour

 
 

"If telling were the same as training, we'd all be so smart we could hardly stand ourselves."
-- Robert Mager


"Take the attitude of a student. Never be too big to ask questions. Never know too much to learn something new."
-- Og Mandino
 

"Education is not something which the teacher does... it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being."
-- Maria Montessori
 

"When I learn something new-and it happens every day-I feel a little more at home in this universe, a little more comfortable in the nest."
-- Bill Moyers

"Learning is the best of all wealth;
it is easy to carry,
thieves cannot steal it,
the tyrants cannot seize it;
neither water nor fire can destroy it;
and far from decreasing, it increases by giving."
-- Naladiyar (c.5th-6th century), Tamil ethical literature
 

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
-- Pablo Picasso

"It is best to learn as we go, not go as we have learned."
-- Leslie Jeanne Sahler
 

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you."
-- Barbara Sher


"What have you learned today? Asking -- and answering that question every day is a launch pad to success."
-- Doug Smith


"Many instructional arrangements seem "contrived," but there is nothing wrong with that. It is the teacher's function to contrive conditions under which students learn. It has always been the task of formal education to set up behavior which would prove useful or enjoyable later in a student's life."
-- B.F. Skinner  

 

"To learn anything fast and effectively, you have to see it, hear it, and feel it."
-- Tony Stockwell
 

"When an automobile maker is designing a new model, he does not ask the people in charge of wheels and tires to do an ROI study to justify having wheels and tires on the new model. It is accepted that the new model will not be complete, will not work, without wheels and tires. Learning should be viewed as the wheels and tires of any organizational change effort - no change effort can be successful without learning."
-- Daniel R. Tobin
 
 

"Knowledge itself, therefore, turns out to be not only the source of the highest-quality power, but also the most important ingredient of force and wealth. Put differently, knowledge has gone from being an adjunct of money power and muscle power, to being their very essence. It is, in fact, the ultimate amplifier."
-- Alvin Toffler
 

"Ignorance breeds fear; the more you learn about your subject, the less fear it holds for you."
-- Brian Tracy
 

 "Growth is the only evidence of life."
-- Herb True
 

"Our best chance for happiness is education."
-- Mark VanDorn
 

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
-- John Wooden
 

"It's not whether we have learned from history--we have--but our awareness of what we have learned."
-- John Woods



--
Kimball Findlay Ed.S.
kc4rzw@gmail.com

Keep Working To Fulfill Your Dreams, They Will Be Fulfilled

Sometimes we get an opportunity to do something that is important to us quickly when the dream comes to life inside of us, but seldom do we get that chance more than once in our lives, unless we persevere.

Many years ago during the 1960's as a Jr. high and high school student, it was my goal (dream) to get the highest radio telephone license. This would require many months of study and preparation. In high school I obtained my 3rd Class RT FCC license needed to operate a commercial radio station at the time. To move closer to this goal I attended Snow College and studied Electronics Technology and even attended on Electronics and Radio scholarships. These were very instructional and formative days in a great electronics program that has since gone away. I got a job working in commercial broadcasting at a regional radio station and was able to employ some of the skills learned from my early college work as it often became necessary to rebuild portions of the transmitter that were burned out by static electricity hits during stormy weather, and other things. I took the Cleveland Institute 1st Class FCC License course by correspondence course but got stalled out, without a way to get the help I needed. When it became clear that commercial broadcasting was not the professional activity I was prepared to lead out in, I had to face the decision to go back to college for more education and leave my fun with radio behind, translated into go and get a real job, all things considered this was a tough decision but one that was made not looking back but only forward to greater opportunities.

So what was going to happen to my goal of getting the highest FCC Electronics and radio license? What happened over the next decade was unpredictable to me at the time. I earned my BS degree in education and taught public school. later returned to graduate school and earned two higher degrees in Instructional Technology. I found that blending hardware and software in a meaningful way to make learning systems was what I loved to do.

After graduating with an advanced degree and a terminal degree in Instructional Technology, and a move across the country to north Alabama, it may have seemed that the dream to obtain the highest FCC license was out of reach. In my work the radio aspect was gone but inside I knew that it was still something that was important. It had now been about 20 years since I started working to reach the highest FCC license goal.

Enter KK4AI better known as Bart, a new aquaintance in Alabama, a seasoned amateur radio operator who invited me to study for the Novice Exam, something that was interesting but was unsure about the possibility for success since a 5 wpm morse code test was part of the test. At the last minute I went to the class and took the test, to my astonishment I passed, that was a real boost.

In the next few years other tests were taken with upgrades to technician and having passed code translated into tech plus, then general came a few years later. HF operations were now possible to go along with the 2Meter operations that Technician made possible. By now the FCC had realigned the class structure, and Novice and Advanced classes were eliminated but grandfathered. So to upgrade from General the only option was Extra Class, this was the highest FCC license you could get.

I determined to 'geterdone', here was the opportunity to get the highest FCC license again, repackaged in a different way, but just as difficult in my mind to obtain. Much of the electronics and radio theory from my college days was in my head but covered with rust it seemed. Having had success with Gordan West study guides in my previous Technicial and General upgrades, I decided to let 'Gordo' help again in upgrading to Extra Class, using his manual and audio tape set. I purchased a good portable audio cassette player and scheduled my study. Also began taking the online tests on QRZ.com. After a couple of months the formulas, procedures and thoery was really fitting together well.

On the 2nd of October in 2007 I successfully passed my Extra Class exam, talk about excitement. No longer was I going to be at the level just below the top, but rise to the very top class. This was a very exciting and ecellerating accomplishment, after notifying Gordon West of the successful completion a certificate was sent in the mail commending the achievement, something that I was very pleased about.

Then to may great delight, The following year at the Huntsville Hamfest who should be present but 'Gordo' himself. After learning that 'Gordo' was coming, I put my completion certificate in my bag and headed off to the great Huntsville Hamfest. There I had an opportunity to thank Gordan West personnaly for his assistance in successfully completing my Extra Class training by obtaining my license. The accompanying photo was taken at the hamfest with myself and Gordan West with the congratulatory certificate he had sent, it was the fullfilment of a wish that had been carried for over 30 years but finally fulfilled.

There is great meaning to everyone from this experience, and I guess that is what this post is all about. When you are working at making your dreams come true, just keep praying and working at it, sooner or later you will achieve what you desire, and usually in ways that you never dreamed possible.

Thrilling Opportunity to personally meet and thank Gordon West

Weekends Include Radio Time

One of the fun things about weekends is that there are a number of ham radio nets that I regularly check into. It is fun to see how the atmosphere is working on a given day and when you have friends with a common interest doing the same thing it helps build an understanding of how to operate in any situation.

There are two nets, one on HF (high frequency voice, 75 and 40 meters) and one on 2 meters. The HF nets are early saturday morning at 7:30 am central time, and the 2 meter net is sunday evening at 8:45 pm.

The saturday hf net is conducted out of Atlanta GA and includes hams from all over the southeastern united states, NC,SC,TN,GA,AL,FL,MS,AR,LA,TX you get the picture. HF can be very tempremental as some days are much better than others. There is a great excitement after turning on the equipment to hear the call from the net control station to start the net.

The Sunday evening 2 meter net is on our local repeater, we have a group of repeaters that have been linked together that cover north Alabama and central southern Tennessee. We also have a connection into echolink so any ham anywhere in the world can check into our net from their computer using the internet. Since it is a training net, each person who checks in over time will get an opportunity to serve as the net control station which is important because when disaster strikes its too late to figure out how to run a net.

The purpose of weekly nets is to make sure everyone remembers how to do everything, make sure the equipment is working properly, and to practice net operations. The best way to do all of these things and have fun at the same time is to have weekly nets. The nets allow everyone to make a few comments after going through the checkin process. Net business is conducted if there is any and we get a status of system links operations. We have almost 100 licensed hams who have checked in but only about 20 or so check in each week.

These nets are to be prepared for a time of emergency and we specifically support the needs of the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then any other group who needs our services. The local 2 meter net links people from our local stake and we have many non member hams who participate weekly. The saturday HF nets tie everyone into the storehouse in Atlanta where area spearhead units are standing by in case of an emergency.

The hurricanes in the Gulf that hit Lousinana and Texas were in areas supported by the Dallas TX store house so we had a secondary role but still supported with jump teams traveling to be on the ground so that communications could be opened up to get orders into the bishops storehouse for those in need.

I have had some good mentors in my ham radio experience, the most influential being Black Bart (KK4AI) who spearheads our local stake radio activities. When we have work days like we did last fall to put a new antenna on our repeater tower on brindley mountain, we have fun working to meet a common objective. We all learn more by doing.

So it looks like net time is approaching. Even when we get home from our assignment in Birmingham at the temple at 11:30 pm, I look forward to being up in time for the HF net at 7:30 Saturday morning. Since Joseph upgraded his license to general class, he is also able to join in on the fun on the HF net.

Its about time for Net.

Thoughts and Hope From My Dear Mother

As the passing of my dear Mother passes to the past, the things that she meant to me and the things that she taught me become more meaningful in surprising ways. Hopefully my thoughts will come together in this post and allow me to effective elaborate on this topic for your understanding.

My mother was full of love, love mostly for her family, love that was passed on to her by dear and loving parents and family. She was a decedent of apostles and prophets of the Latter-days who had recognized the fulfillment of bible prophecy in the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. These ancestors gave their all, their religious traditions, their homes, homeland, comfort and ease to join with the saints in sustaining and building the kingdom of God on the earth. So there were deep feelings supported by the spirit of truth that this work is true, that it transcends mortality, death, the resurrection, and everything we hold dear deep in our hearts. Sweet is the peace the gospel brings to seeking hearts through the still small voice and comforting spirit of truth. This peace which comes only from God is more important than anything else in the world.

Mother lived through the great depression in the United States during the late 1920's and 30's. She knew that we could not squander opportunity because it might not ever come again, we could not waste resources, food, clothing, money, time, but be grateful for all that we have and live to thank God for his bounteous mercies to us each and every day. She instilled in her children a great love for learning and education. This love for learning drove me to get 4 college degrees, (AA, B.S., M.Ed, Ed.S.) and to spend many years living and working at the university something that has blessed my life incredibly.

As her children grew up, went on missions and married in the temple, Mother assumed the role of counselor and friend not only to her new in law children, the spouses of her children, but to many more in the community who needed her encouragement and support. She was a wonderful visiting teacher and many of the sisters she visited over the years just knew that she thought they were wonderful people, and appreciated her love and encouragement.

She loved all of her grand children (this includes all great grand children with all the greats as there will be) and each held a special place in her heart. She knew what it was like to feel unloved and cared about by those around her in the community, this would not happen to her family and friends. Mother knew that love in the family circle was for every single grand child, that each belonged as a family member, and that the family is a place of acceptance, love and encouragement in the manner of happiness, the way of living that has proved to lift us to higher plateaus where more beautiful vistas can be seen of eternal possibilities. She loved not to manipulate, but to serve her family and in the process served her Heavenly Father, who makes our time on earth possible through his great plan of happiness.

She did not like to see waste of any type, especially in human divine potential, and she encouraged those around her including her children and grand children to live to achieve their divine potential as children of a living God. To live so that when our life is over we can truthfully say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 timothy 4:7).

She believed that our path to a happy future goes through studying our history and learning from the mistakes and more importantly the successes of others. With this understanding it would be possible to chart a course through life that would avoid many of the unnecessary pitfalls and troubles. She wrote many histories that she worked on for years to make the knowledge of our ancestors available to us so that we too may be blessed by understanding our history. Mother knew that our history includes the history of our ancestors, their determination, sacrifice and faith.

So my dear mother has finished her course, fought the good fight and kept the faith. Now the baton is handed to each of us yet living to do the same. Have we taught our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Do our children understand that there is a devil who wants to make us miserable and who wants to mess up our thinking and turn our every weakness into an addiction. Do they know that we have an all powerful, all knowing, all caring and feeling Heavenly Father who loves us, who has declared that each of us is of infinite worth to him. That the Savior Jesus Christ came to redeem us from our sins, if we repent and humble ourselves before him, we can be forgiven for past misdeeds and return to full fellowship in his kingdom. That there are ordinances of the gospel that we each need to receive so that we may return to the presence of God, and that the priesthood authority to act in the name of God has been restored to the earth, that said authority is administered by living Apostles and Prophets on the earth today. This life is a time to rejoice in the opportunity that is ours to freely accept the plan of our Heavenly Father and to prepare to meet God again. We will be blessed in doing so. Mother knew all of these things and her testimony of these truths and knowledge that we are all children of God and need to prepare to return to him drove her forward in a loving and stellar way.

The last time I talked with my Mother on the phone, we were at Mikes place in El Mirage AZ, she was wondering if we were coming to see them that day, I explained that wave after wave of snow storms was pelting Utah and that there was no way to get through safely, my mother said, "what you are doing is more important, building the family there." Deep in my heart I knew what she was saying was true, that participating with Mike and Bonnie's family in Sam's baptism and having Sarah and Ted and family come down and join us for this important event, to me was a sacred family event time. We are meant to be together it feels so right, and the covenants of the temple make it possible to be together forever permanent, for all eternity.

Many times over the years, on the phone, my Mother would say that it would be nice to see you more often, I would say that the feeling was mutual, and even though we spent considerable resources making numerous cross country trips, we were always glad to be together again, but we always knew that there was a higher purpose in our living in Alabama, and in the future there would be time to visit as often as we liked and we agreed that this would be OK as a solution to the miles that separate us. As my dear mother departed for the spirit world in glory, she passed the baton on to all of her descendants to love and bless the rising generation, that they too may know that God lives, and that the Gospel has been restored in its fullness. That the Savior will return and the Kingdom of God on the Earth will be joined with the Kingdom of God in Heaven for a thousand year millennial real of our Savior Jesus Christ on the earth.

Many times someone would ask mother when we were growing up if she was excited to be a direct decedent of the Prophet John Taylor, the prophet who was a witness and also living survivor with wounds to the martyrdom of the the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in Carthage, and she would always say, don't worry about that, just live your life so that he will want to meet you. And so she did.

May God bless you all, may you know how much your Heavenly Father knows and loves you, and how much he wants to bless you with good things. May we all move forward in Love, eye hath not seen, neither ear heard the great things that God has prepared for those that love him. As the Savior said (John 14:15) if ye love me, keep my commandments.

God Bless