Did I just tweet that?

Saying the wrong thing is so much easier these days. There was a day when you could only stick your foot in your mouth in person, or on the phone. Now we're making fools of ourselves without even thinking about it, in more ways than we would like. Google Latitude, Gowalla, Foursquare, and Loopt will tell all of our friends where we are, sometimes when we don't want anyone else to know. You may not want your future employer knowing how often you visit certain establishments. Blippy will tell everyone what we're buying with our credit cards, and how much we're paying. Facebook can lead to all kinds of problems, and Twitter lets people speak their minds far too easily.

These services aren't inherently bad for your reputation, but anyone can fall victim, and most everyone does. I created a Facebook group 6 years ago called "The CPA club." The group promoted the use of Casual Professional Apparel - we wore ties and/or blazers with blue jeans. This seems harmless, but could be interpreted as mocking Certified Professional Accountants. That was never the intent - I started wearing ties to try to look the part when I took my first accounting exam - but I may never get the chance to tell my side of the story. I have written blog posts expressing my opinion about various products and philosophies, and now Google Buzz makes my comments on other peoples' blog post public to the world (if I tell it to). I'm not ashamed of the things I've written online, but some of them could be taken the wrong way.

And I'm not alone. Apple leaked information about the fabled existence of it's tablet. Technology blogs and news sites alike were in a frenzy to tell us what the tablet would do, the dimensions, the apps, the price, the name, the size, and everything else, up to a year before they were even sure Apple would produce such a gadget. The hype was amazing, fueled mainly by these blogs, and other social media. And the result was disappointing. Most of the blogs called the iPad nothing more than a big iPhone. All the digital press was great up to the release date, now more than half of the digital press has been negative. This could have been avoided by lessening the hype, leaking less information, and leaking it closer to the release date. The iPad appears to be a good product, but no product could live up to the hype that the iPad had.

A smaller problem happened with Google. One of their employees stopped in the crosswalk in front of Michael Arrington's (founder of TechCrunch) car, refusing to let him pass. The reason: Arrington was using his cell phone while driving, which is against the law in California. Arrington snapped a picture with his phone, and wrote a post about the ordeal. Probably not too many people know about this, but the people that do know, the people that follow the TechCrunch blog, are the type of people that Google would want to hire. I am still a huge fan of Google, but I think this Googler took the "Don't Be Evil" mantra a little too far. This is difficult to avoid, but it is important to remind employees not to do anything controversial or potentially offensive while acting as an employee of the company (i.e. wearing name badges or uniforms).

Recently MySpace has attempted several social media strategies to regain prominence online, including making its own site more social. Unfortunately, the online response to these attempts are basically that MySpace is floundering; some blogs say the site is already dead. In this case, MySpace is being criticized for trying too hard. It would have been better to just focus on core competencies (music discovery), and not try to become Facebook.

Disclaimer: These are merely my opinions and observations. In no way do I intend to demean or damage the reputation of any of these companies.

In the Grass

James was there again, staring into the darkening sky. Occasionally, though rarely, in his mind the stars were no longer pinholes in a great black sheet - they surrounded him, and he saw them as lights hanging in the distance, some nearer and some farther. Tonight he got that feeling of being surrounded by the cosmos. It both thrilled him and frightened him.

He remembered going to a baseball game with his father. They sat high in the stands, near the edge of the stadium. He had looked over the railing, imagining the horror of falling from such a height, when he saw out of the corner of his eye a helium balloon escaping a child's hand. It rose out of the stadium, out of sight. James watched it until it was just a tiny red speck against the clouds. The fear of falling was lost as he watched the balloon escape. One can only fall so far down; falling away from Earth, as the balloon had done, seemed endless.

This same fear, though not as intense, accompanied the sensation James felt as the stars surrounded him. Endless. He felt as if he somehow might fall into these starts and be lost in the depths of the universe. Perhaps what frightened him most was being lost in the unknown. He understood that stars were very similar to the sun, but beyond that, he understood very little of the universe.

James was constantly in pursuit of knowledge. He read a lot of books and blogs and magazines. He had learned about physics, and had become interested in the strange rules that sub-atomic particles live by. But he could not understand any of them, and some of the theories were disconcerting. He learned about computer and a little bit about writing software programs. But the way computers actually work was still just magic to him. He had learned about biology, and a little bit about human physiology, but he was hardly a doctor, and he didn't really believe doctors completely understood the body too much better than he or anyone else. He felt like his knowledge was like algae spreading slowly over the top of a pond, but never penetrating the depths in any spot. He wasn't even quite sure if algae actually grows on the surface of ponds.

He was beginning to understand why people say that the more you know, the more you realize how little you know. James had met a few very smart people, but even their knowledge lacked depth in most areas. His lack of knowledge frightened him as he lay supported by thousands of leaves of grass, surrounded by stars he couldn't understand. How could so many disparate, complicated systems work in perfect harmony if no one understands them, and if no one is at the helm. Certainly, James thought, this harmony cannot continue so long unchecked. All of these systems must surely come to a screeching halt any moment, he thought, and he braced himself for the impending chaos which he assumed was upon him.

He opened his eyes, and noted thankfully that the universe had not ended in chaos, merely because he didn't understand everything. He went inside less afraid, and a good deal happier. Someone does understand.

A Voice

This is a departure from the subject I have written about in the past, but it's on my mind. I want it to be known that I am an American, and grateful for it. I am proud to have a government so well structured. I want to express gratitude and admiration for those who are willing to spend their lives in the service of this country.

I also want it to be known that, while I want to support my government, I am shocked and dismayed at many of the decisions that have been made in the last 9 or 10 months. I don't understand all of the implications, nor all of the circumstances that led to the decisions that have been made, but the decisions I speak of are decisions that will lead America on a course it should not go. Not if it wants to continue to be America, and not if we hope that our nation's colors will stir the next generation like they stir us. I am aware that lately the media has been very quick to approve of everything that is being decided in Washington, and they even dare to say we're moving forward. Well, mine is a voice crying that what is going on in Washington is a travesty, almost to the point that I am not proud to be called an American, because that relates me to what happens there. And I hope that my voice can be joined with others who are appalled at the direction our country is headed, and with the politicians who are willfully driving us there. I am appalled.

But, I am still proud to be an American, because great men founded this country on true principles. I am proud that these principles have not been utterly extinguished. I am proud to see people working hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. I am proud of what America is supposed to be. Here's hoping our hard-earned principles won't change. That's what I believe in.

Tax Day

This evening I went out to dinner with my wife (who is a tax accountant) to celebrate the end of the tax busy season. While we were there, a friend of mine called for advice about his taxes (I'm also an accountant). We filed our return months ago, so it's somewhat humorous to me how many people are just finishing up. Kind of the post office to stay open late. I just hope none of the postal workers forgot to file their returns, because, man, if they did, they're stuck.

Also, while I was at dinner, I witnessed one of the many "tea parties" to protest legislation coming from the nations capital. I support the cause, but I'm afraid it is somewhat misled. First, as far as I understand, the president doesn't make any legislation. He signs it into law, but he doesn't create it. At least that's how it should be. Second, anyone who thinks the IRS should be eliminated is a fool. Although our government spends way too much money, at least they spend it on us and our well-being. At least we drive on paved roads and we have underground sewage systems. At least we have a military that can defend us. If we eliminate the IRS, I wonder, how will the government collect revenues. If the government doesn't have any revenues, who is going to maintain the roads, the hospitals, the sewers, etc. I agree with all of my soul that the government should spend less, and should spend with more prudence when it must spend, but to eliminate the IRS is totally absurd, even idiotic. Unless there is some alternative means of transferring money from citizen to government that I am missing. The publicans (private tax collectors) of Jesus' time weren't too popular either, so I don't think that would work.

So, that my voice may be heard, I plead with the government: Tax me. Take all that is fair to take from me, and I will do my best to keep all that is fair for me to keep.
And I plead with my fellow citizens, displeased with taxes: Keep the protests coming, but aim well. Foolish protests are counterproductive.

Tribute

This one goes out to all of my followers. All of the people who have made this blog possible. Thank you. I'm thinking about turning the blog over to a more efficient writer. If we meet again...

Obedience

As this semester comes to an end, this assignment comes to an end, and perhaps this Blog comes to an end. I don't really like Blogs, and I realized why yesterday. Some blogs are useful in allowing people to keep up with each others' lives. I appreciate this aspect of blogs, but I still do not utilize them for this purpose. The reason that I don't like blogs was articulated by a friend of mine in the opening post of his blog. By writing, we assert on all of our readers that we have something to say. And not just something to say, but something worth writing. And not just something worth writing, but something worth reading. The amount of valuable content already available on the Internet is astounding. Sometimes mind-boggling. The amount of worthless content online is sickening. So, why should what I write be worthwhile to anyone? I don't even proof-read. I don't think any blogger does, though.

Why have I posted every week, aside from it being a requirement of my religion class? I hope that I have done it in obedience, in a sense. An servant of God asked that faithful followers of Christ be prepared to give a reason for their faith. In more recent times, another servant of God suggested that the Internet was a useful way to do that. I don't know if these words will benefit anyone other than myself, but I'm glad I've done it, because I have been asked to do it. I am almost certain that I will not post as frequently in the future. At least not about religious matters. But I will try to be active in the global online community, in the discussion of religion. Signing off, Steven Foote

Hope

As I finished reading the Book of Mormon this time around, something struck me more than usual. I like to read books as though I were the author, and try to figure out why they wrote certain things in certain ways, and what they meant by certain things they wrote. As I read the end of Moroni, I found the 7th chapter to be especially interesting, considering the position that Moroni was in when he wrote it. After all of his family and friends had died, as he wondered alone in the wilderness fearing death at the hands of the Lamanites, he wrote a chapter about hope and charity. The words are not his, but are a direct quote from his father. I think it no coincidence that Moroni includes, multiple times, the kind words of his father directly to him; I think doing so was a source of comfort to him, and I think he wanted to show the world what a good father looks like.

The words of Mormon, written by Moroni in Chapter 7 of the Book of Moroni are especially poignant when viewed from the eyes of the lone Moroni. I assume these words were very special to Moroni; that he treasured them. I assume he read them often in his difficult situation. I am grateful he felt to share them with the rest of us, that we may have them as a source of comfort as well.

To have hope is such a gift. We need not be abounding in wealth to have hope. Nor do we need to be in the depths of poverty to benefit from it. I do not believe a human can live without hope of some sort. The hope Mormon refers to is the hope of Christ. Hope in a better life. With this hope, nothing is ultimately sad, because life is just part of the process to get us a better life. Death and sickness and suffering, while not to be underplayed, are not as hard to endure when we have hope in Christ, and hope for a better life. I have this hope. I know He lives.