The Cost of a Penny
April 21, 2006
It now costs more than a penny to make a penny.
WHAT happens if a penny is worth more than 1 cent?
That is an issue the United States Mint could soon face if the price of metals keeps rising. Already it costs the mint well more than a cent to make a penny.
This week the cost of the metals in a penny rose above 0.8 cents, more than twice the value of last fall. Because the government spends at least another six-tenths of a cent — above and beyond the cost of the metal — to make each penny, it will lose nearly half a cent on each new one it mints.
The real problem could come if metals prices rise so high that it would be economical to melt down pennies for the metals they contain.
I’d better tell my kids to save their pennies …
Stopping By
April 21, 2006
This morning, as I was getting ready to head to my non-job job (the construction stuff I do in the mornings before work) a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses stopped by the house. Melanie wasn’t the least bit interested in answering the door, but did anyways after I promised that I’d speak with them.
I went out onto the porch and ended up talking with them for about 20 minutes. You know, these guys sure weren’t very personable. They were a couple of older men and they kind of looked at me like I was stupid, especially after I told them I’m LDS. You know that look that people get when they think that they know something that you don’t, and that they’re going to trap you with your words? Yeah, that’s the look. They had these misconceptions about our religion, which I guess most other religions have, but they thought that they’d trap me with the misconceptions. When they asked me about them, I explained what we really believe, and they proceeded to tell me that that wasn’t what they had been told by other LDS people. In fact, one of the first questions they asked me was how could Jesus and the Father be one? When I said that they were One in purpose, spirit and of one mind, they seemed kind of surprised, as it’s the same thing that they believe. Almost as if it were some sort of test, they asked me if we believe in the Trinity, as if it were some sort of follow-up question to check my work. I answered that we believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that they are three separate and distinct entities, to which they were also surprised. This was also followed up by another question, along the lines of, “Who was Jesus praying to when he was on Earth?” Well, the Father, of course. It wouldn’t exactly be very fruitful for Him to pray to Himself, would it!?
Anyways, to make a long story short, they seemed borderline argumentative. It wasn’t overwhelming, the sense of displeasure in talking to them, but it was noticible by me. Rather than being genuinely interested in having a conversation with me about the nature of God, they just seemed to be more interested in trying to catch me in a verbal mis-step or the likes.
I was taught a long time ago not to engage in argument or Bible-bashing with those who wish to argue, as it does nothing to pursuade those who believe differently to have any interest in the message I’m presenting. When I was a missionary, I was taught to offer and invite with humility, not condemn or belittle those who believe differently. I pray that the missionaries from my church don’t come across in such a manner when they are introducing our beliefs to strangers as these two men came across to me today.
UPDATE: One other thing that they did when talking to me was to point out the American flag that was on my shirt (it’s an Old Navy shirt). They made a point of telling me that having allegiances to nations and governments set up by men was false, and that doing so is an abomination before God. I explained that, while I understand that the kingdom of God is first and foremost, I am also an American, and I firmly believe in American policies of helping to spread good will and democracy throughout the world. They didn’t seem to want to argue with me on that.
UPDATE 2: The funniest thing I noticed when they were on my doorstep, is that 5 other women and their kids showed up at my house for a big playgroup. In all, I think there were 13 kids and 6 women in the house. While I did mention that only two of those kids were mine, I kept wondering if they were going to go telling their friends in church that they met a Mormon with 6 wives while they were out knocking doors.
Treat the Waiter Well
April 16, 2006
You need to make sure to treat the waiter (or anybody else, for that matter) well because you never know who they could grow up to become. This article points out how it reflects upon your character. I’ve been known to throw down a few extra dollars in the tip to compensate for my dinner companions’ lack of decorum, even when somebody else is paying.
15 years and counting …
April 14, 2006
Today, it’s been 15 years since I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Holy cow, lots of stuff has happened in that time. I graduated from high school, went on a mission, moved to Utah, got married, had 3 kids, moved to Oregon, had another kid, built a house, and moved into the new house. Those are the big things.
What have I learned along the way? Well, for starters, I’ve learned to put my wife and kids first in my life. I’ve learned that there’s nothing I can do in life that will be more important than what I do within the walls of my own home. I’ve learned how to not make the same mistakes twice (or three times, or four times) and how to keep on the straight and narrow. I’m certainly not anywhere near perfect, but I’m understanding my weaknesses more now than I used to.
To make a long story short, the decision I made to join the church 15 years ago was the best decision I could have made. While things haven’t always been easy (apparently, life isn’t easy), I wouldn’t change the result that I’m experiencing now for anything in the world.
Moron Gas Thief
April 14, 2006
Some people are just stoopid. Like this guy who decided to see how gas-soaked his pants were by igniting them with a lighter.
Who Hates America?
April 1, 2006
This is an interesting write-up about who hates the U.S. and why, based on a survey in The Economist. Some of the info is surprising, though I’m not sure what is to be believed in its entirety.
Most Americans are entirely unaware that the most pro-US foreign country in the world is India. It is also one of the only countries where George W. Bush is more highly regarded than in the US. The reason for this is that during the period of Indian socialism and economic isolation (1947-91), Indians were fed a constant diet of anti-American, anti-capitalism propaganda. The utter failure of India’s socialist policies, combined with the emergence of the Indian-American community as the wealthiest ethnic group in the US, led to a deep appreciation for a socioeconomic system proven to empower Indians. As a democracy, Indians could understand America more readily than the Chinese or Arabs could. All this has led to a nation with 3 times the population of Europe trending towards becoming one of America’s closest economic, political, ideological, and military allies.
There’s more where that came from. Read on!
