Character

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."

--John Wooden

Beautiful 360-Degree Photos

Look at this stunning photography in sophisticated 360-degree technology. Look all the way up and all the way down, using your mouse to see all angles.

http://www.utah3d.net/SulpherCreek_swf.html

http://www.utah3d.net/DoubleArch1_swf.html

http://www.utah3d.net/PaysonC_swf.html

http://www.utah3d.net/NightArches_swf.html

Journey is the Destination

"Don't be afraid to make mistakes, stumble and fall, because most of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe, you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you could have ever imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end the journey is the destination."

--Author Unknown

Do Things Cheerfully

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." --Joseph Smith (D&C 123:17)

Is this your first boat?

How Much?

So, are the prices 99 cents, a dollar, or more? Apparently.

Sign in another 99-cent store says "99 CENTS OR LESS OR MORE."

Cyber Safety

See Ken Knapton's Facebook page "Cyber Safety: Maintaining Morality in a Digital World."

He's sponsoring several safety events along the Wasatch Front.

Goals

"If you know what to do to reach your goal, it's not a big enough goal."

--Bob Proctor

Ogden LDS Temple to Get Facelift

The Ogden LDS ("Mormon") Temple will get an architectural facelift. The entire exterior will be reshaped with new stone and art glass. Beautiful!

Rendering of redesigned Ogden Utah Temple.

The Rest of Your Life

"The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life. "

--George Carlin

Wear Out Our Lives

"Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness... These should then be attended to with great earnestness." --Joseph Smith (D&C 123:13-14)

What You Hope To Be

What you hope to be like tomorrow depends on the choices you make today.

Old Age

The Giraffe Test

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator? Stop and think about it and decide on your answer before you read further.

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.


2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.


3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend ..... Except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.


4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.



According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide (changed its name to Accenture in 2001), around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. They say this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals do not have the brains of a four-year-old. Frustrate all of your smart friends by sending them this link: http://richmanramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/giraffe-test.html

One Small Gesture

Author Unknown

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous!

Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life, for better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.