Research

Many times I have opinions about a subject that are very strong. My opinions are not always backed by research. Research when done thoroughly can completely change someones point of view. There was a time when I did not like KU or Lawrence Kansas ( I still do not like KU). This was strictly my opinion, with not facts or research behind it. I was watching TV when a few facts about Lwrence came up. These were not enough to change my opinion, but they were enough to make me curious. My curiosity led me to do some research. From my research I learned some of the opinions I had were wrong. They were so wrong I am now a fan of the city. I have even began looking at property in the area. Research completely changed my opinion. I am hoping to change peoples opinions with my research paper on Utahs liquor laws. I am hoping many people are like me, and have the wrong idea. I am also hoping some research will help educate people on the subject.

World Cup

I want to congratulate the US women for a wonderful run during this years world cup. They had some great matches and plays. I know they are disappointed with second place, but it is still a remarkable acheivement. I would also like to compliment them on their attitude after the match. They did not complain or make excuses. They thanked everyone who was rooting for them. They also gave credit to their opponent which is rare in today's sports world. I think they did themselves as good in that regard, as winning it all could have done. I would like to point out a double standard among many sports fans as well. The US made a magnificent comeback against Brazil. It will go down as one of the greatest in the WWC history. Many fans were calling it the greatest comeback ever. Japan had a similiar comeback against us in the final. These same fans are calling it a choke job by the US women. If it was a great comeback in one game, it has to be the same in the other. The same can be said of choking. If we choked, Brazil must have also.

review papaer

The following is my reveiw of the Utah government.

The US, including the state of Utah has been facing a financial recession. There are many ways states have been adjusting the way they do business to increase revenue and jobs.. They are also trying to help the working taxpayer and improve infrastructure. Utah would be an exception. The state has done things that are completely opposite of increasing revenue and jobs. For the purpose of this assignment I am only going to discuss a few of the ways Utah is failing its working and taxpaying citizens.
The state of Utah is known as the Mormon state. In many ways this is not a bad thing. It becomes bad when the government does not seperate church and state. Many liquor stores have been closed down in recent months, with more expected to come in the near future. In every other state this would not be a big deal. Every other state has privately owned liquor stores, affecting only the owner and patrons of those stores. Utah has state owned liquor stores. Every single liquor store in the state of Utah is profitable. They have been profitable for a long time, with revenues increasing yearly. They funded the school lunch programs. They also provide hundreds of jobs to members of our communities. This is not a logical move by the government during good times, much less a recession. We are taking away income and jobs that the taxpayer will have to make up for.
Utah could help make up some of this revenue by loosening some of the other liquor laws. If taverns and clubs were able to stay open just one hour longer it would provide up to 20 percent more sales. This is tax coming into the state's pocket. This is also extra income for owners and employees of those taverns and clubs. Another way to increase liquor sales is to allow the bar owners to provide transportation home to its patrons. This would allow a patron to partake a little more without having to worry about a DUI. Once again more tax for the state and extra income for owners and employees of liquor selling establishments. This would also create more jobs. Somebody would have to drive. It would also help to curb drunk driving. The state does not allow bar owners to do this. This is once again not a great idea in good times, much less bad.
I am all for worshipping whatever you want. I beleive that is part of being an American. Another part of being American is seperation of church and state. If our elected officials in the state of Utah sperated their religion from their duties a little more, we would all be a little better off. I am not asking Utah to start pretending we are Vegas. I am just asking for the loosening of the liquor laws to the point we are more aligned with the rest of the country.

12 Angry men

I am currently taking psychology 1010. One of the assignments was to write an essay on the movie 12 Angry Men. I had already seen the movie but wanted to watch it again. I wanted to make sure I had not forgotten any important details, and I also like the movie. Upon re-watching it I began to think about how accurate the movie is. In everyday life I am constantly seeing people swayed by peer pressure. This can be both good and bad. If someone gets pressured into doing something negative, that they do not really want to do, it becomes a bad thing. It become a good thing if someone is pressured into doing something positive, because they want to do it. The Casey Anthony verdict was reached today. I cannot help but picture the jury in that case, acting in much the same way as in the movie. We may never know if peer pressure influenced the verdict. We may also never know if the verdict was the correct one. I just hope they make a movie about the case, and it is as good as 12 Angry men.

Follow up

In my last post I talked about the athletes of Ute Crossfit. The results are in from their regional competition in Denver. Tommy managed to get 2nd in the Mens division. Not really a surprise, but the way he did it was impressive. He did not have a good showing in the first workout and finished 20th. He managed to place in the top five in the rest (5) of the workouts winning 2 of them. Taylor won the womens division. It is even more impressive since she recently gave birth in the last 8 months. She is a testament to the rewards of hard work. The Ute team also managed a spot on the podium bringing a 2nd place finish back to Utah. They were very dominant over the rest of the teams and were neck and neck with the winners. Ryan and Mary had high hopes but fell a little short. They did perform well and make all Ute crossfitters proud with their efforts, both managing to win at least one heat each. Placing in the top 3 allows competitors the opportunity to go to Carson California July 29-31, to compete for the fittest on Earth. Realistically Tommy,Taylor, and the team have a great shot of placing in the top 5, if not winning it all. I wish them all the best and look forward to training with all of them next week.

UTE CROSSFIT.

In May of 2010 I decided to change my workout routine. I had heard about crossfit and it was very similiar to what I was used to doing in the Marines. After checking out a few of the crossfit gyms in the valley I joined Ute Crossfit. The main reason I chose them is because of the owner Tommy Hackenbruck. He was the starting middle LB on the first U of U BCS team. He also happened to be the second fittest man in the world at the time. I sleep easy knowing I made the right choice. He and the other trainers and athletes at the gym have helped me to get into the best shape of my life. That is saying something given my background. This weekend as we speak many of the athletes from the gym are competing in Denver Colorado at the crossfit regional competeition. I want to take this opportunity to wish them all well. Tommy and Ryan are competing in the mens. Taylor and Mary are competing in the womens. Ute even has one of the top teams in the country competing at regionals. They all have a legit shot of placing in the top 3 to move on to the games in July. Qualifying for the crossfit games is the epitome of fitness, and surrounding myself with that kind of athlete will only continue to motivate me to get better.

PALEO DIET

Since March of 2009 I have been on a diet to gain weight. I have consumed between 6000-9000 calories daily. This is well over the recommended daily intake. For the first 2 years the results were decent. I got bigger which was the goal, but I was not getting bigger fast enough. I was also getting stronger and faster, but also not as quickly as I would have liked. About 4 months ago I was turned on to the Paleo diet. It basically means eat like a caveman. Only eat what man had access to during the paleolithic  era. This means no preservatives, starches, sugars, dairy , or alcohol. Since my change I still consume at least 6000 calories a day. The results have been better than expected. I have gained weight, gotten bigger, faster, and more explosive. I feel better and have actually lost body fat while gaining weight. It has come with costs. I have to eat every 3 hours. It becomes a chore if I need to eat and I am not around something familiar to ensure I know the ingredients. It is more expensive to buy specific foods. I also crave desserts and salt. So far it is worth the price I am paying. It is also not just a diet but a lifestyle change that will require a lot of discipline. If your friends and family around you are on a completely different program, it also becomes a hassle, having to always do or suggest something different than they are accustomed to. I do reccommend everyone give this a try.