I’m in the middle of The Benefit and The Burden (which is very interesting, albeit un-engaging and somewhat repetitive) and it has me thinking taxes. There’s so much standing in the way of fairness when the federal government raises revenue, and no matter where you try to fix things, someone gets burned.

While there are no doubt more impactful angles, as I put down my Kindle-via-iPhone in response to the fresh green light last week, I wondered if one of the problems isn’t the vast chasm between the individual and the Federal Government. The former pays the latter and expects the latter to serve … but the latter isn’t really configured to serve the former; it’s made to serve something in between (the States). The States, too, aren’t made to serve the individual, but the municipality – and there we finally reach the level positioned for the originally sought service.

Music I bought in the third quarter of 2012:

It amazes me that the vast majority of educated Americans don’t know what it means to be healthy. They think if they keep their waistline, heart rate and cholesterol numbers in check, then they’re good to go.

Wrong.

Health is complex

Health is complex. To illustrate, think of the following items and jot down if you think they’re good or bad for your health … or if it depends. Really, take it like a quiz.

• Fat

I’ve used various song rating systems over the years, usually trying to find a meaningful definition for each of the six available ratings (not rated, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). The ratings were there, so I should use them … right?

Well, no, actually. I realized after years of rating and playing that I really only need to classify songs I own in three ways:

• Songs I want to hear on the large playlist I listen to in the car and at work

Music I purchased in the second quarter of 2012:

• Bear Vs Shark – Right Now, You’re in the Best of Hands
• Beecher – Breaking the Fourth Wall
• Bled, The – Heat Fetish
• Bullets and Octane – In the Mouth of the Young – Some good tunes, but not enough of them. It’s almost like they’re forcing it to work.
• Bush – Sea of Memories – Nice to see they’re back in action, but this is one I probably won’t return to often. Not that I regret getting it; my tastes have just moved on.

Music I purchased in the first quarter of 2012:

• Asking Alexandria – Reckless and Relentless
• Blackout, The – Best in Town
• Classic Crime, The – Acoustic EP: Seattle Sessions
• Day to Remember, A – What Separates Me from You
• Demon Hunter – The World Is a Thorn
• Distillers, The – Coral Feng – Not quite as much angst on this one, but still top-notch (and slightly poppy) punk.
• Four Year Strong – Enemy of the World

Music I purchased in the fourth quarter of 2011:

• Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto – A lot of great tunes with a few blahs – like most of their albums.
• Grouplove – Never Trust a Happy Song – Starts promisingly, but I find it hard to get through the whole album. Particularly when they get all … well, just listen the verses on “Naked Kids” and you’ll see what I mean.
• Nothingface – An Audio Guide to Everyday Atrocity – A little like Helmet, but with the hardcore edge.

My wife gave me a little binder to hold my ticket stubs a while back. It’s chock-full mostly of faded and worn paper bits from the concert scene of the lat 90s. Growing up in Dallas I went to see either Tripping Daisy, Hagfish, Course of Empire, The Toadies, or Reverend Horton Heat¹ on a weekly basis, it seemed. I still have the Dr. Martens on which I spent all of my extra cash to survive the mosh pits. Yes, I was one of those.

DISCLAIMER: For the second time I’m going to post something I didn’t finish – and I don’t anticipate finishing. I’m throwing this out there without even knowing if I even really agree with all of it. But it might generate some discussion … right?

Introduction

I’ve often had occasion to argue the differences in the Latter-day Saint and Protestant/Catholic beliefs on the nature of God, but recently it’s been from a new angle. Instead of arguing the biblical support of LDS doctrine to those securely fastened to biblical infallibility, I’ve found myself arguing to those without religious faith of any kind that differences between the beliefs of Latter-day Saints and “mainstream Christians” do not invalidate LDS doctrine. It’s interesting to note the way the approaches differ when talking to each group. The Protestant/Christian approach is:

It was just over two years ago that Google launched Sidewiki – a browser sidebar allowing anyone to comment about any site. I liked the idea at the time and immediately made a Sidewiki entry … on the page explaining Sidewiki:

Sidewiki^2 – What the what?! A Sidewiki post about the page explaining Sidewiki … that’s … that’s … just craziness.