rickety – Page 45

Brigham City Utah Temple Lot

November 8, 2009 by rickety 2 Comments

Brigham City Utah Temple lot

The announcement of the Brigham City Utah Temple was made by LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson at the opening of the 179th Semiannual General Conference of the church in Salt Lake City on 3 October 2009.

We continue to build temples. We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances. Worldwide, 83 percent of our members live within 200 miles of a temple. That percentage will continue to increase as we construct new temples around the world.

The Brigham City temple will be the 14th in Utah. The announcement of a new temple underscores the expected population and business growth many expect Box Elder County to enjoy. There are new businesses in the county and many new homes are expected in the future.

On October 26, 2009, Church officials announced that the temple and tabernacle will be face-to-face across Main Street on a city block known as Central Square that once was home to Central Elementary School. The temple will be built on the property at 250 S. Main St., directly west of and across the street from the church’s Brigham City Tabernacle at 251 S. Main. The block is bordered in both directions along Main Street by retail businesses and to the west by private residences.

The Brigham City Utah Temple District will be formed from stakes currently belonging to the Ogden Utah Temple District and the Logan Utah Temple District. No completion date has been announced, nor have any plans about the design or size.

In the photograph you can see the Brigham City tabernacle through the trees. Main Street is between the tabernacle and the grassless vacant land where the new temple will be built. The grass and the paved area are also part of the temple lot.

I hope to post more photographs as work progresses.

Photo Credit: Susan Ward
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Arkansas Bank Charges 82,563% Overdraft Interest

November 8, 2009 by rickety Leave a Comment

Bad check The fuss lately over bank fees has left me mostly disinterested. After all, fees are what other people pay — those folks who don’t know how to manage their money. Wrong. When it happens to you then it isn’t carelessness any more. It’s just the law of averages — sooner or later the fee devil will get you.

Too Little Money

When I was raising a family occasionally the bank would call and tell my wife that our account was overdrawn but if she would make a deposit that day there would be no fee. Those were the days when you each had a checkbook and tried to keep the register balanced. When the bank statement arrived each month you would reconcile it and discover your true balance. It is much easier these days because you can check balances online. So no more overdrafts. It was never a case of too little money but just poor timing.

A few years ago I became debt free and began putting surplus funds into rewards checking accounts. This earned me an interest rate of between 4% and 6%. Once in a while I would change banks to earn a better rate but leave the old accounts open to move funds back again if rates improved at the old bank or worsened at the new bank.

Just Poor Timing

On the 5th. I moved a sum from an Arkansas bank, leaving just $1.00 in the account to keep it open. I have a company that automatically charges one of my credit cards $3.31 a month, billed on the 4th. Naturally I set up my Arkansas rewards checking account to pay this bill so that it would count as a transaction. On the 6th. the $3.31 was posted, leaving me $2.21 negative and triggering a $25 overdraft fee. On the 8th. I remember the automatic payment and transfer $30 back to the bank account which will probably not arrive until the 10th. or 11th. Not a case of too little money but just poor timing.

So far in summary:

4th Nov: $3.31 billed by company.
6th Nov: $3.31 posted in bank account.
6th Nov: -$27.21 new balance ($1.00 – $3.31 – $25.00).
8th Nov: $30 transferred to cover.
10th Nov: Overdraft cleared.

Back-of-the-envelope calculation:

6th to 10th = 5 days.
$25 / $2.31 = 11.31.
365 days / 5 days = 73.
11.31 x 73 = 825.63 = 82,563% APR.

There you have it. Even people who think they are reasonably competent money managers (me) can make a slip. It isn’t the bank’s fault, it was me who miscalculated. It wasn’t a case of too little money but just poor timing.

I think I want to own a bank.
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Missionary Dan Email #1 from Choibalsan, Mongolia

November 2, 2009 by rickety 2 Comments

Presented here are portions of an email from Elder Daniel Willoughby serving in the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission. If anyone wishes to send Daniel a message, write it in the comments and I will make sure he receives it.

Munkh baatar and Daniel (right) wearing masks to church because of swine flu.

This week was one full of changes. I was with Elder Wright for one week. He recently got his appendix out so he did the best he could, but we didn’t get much work done. We taught a lot of English and things so that was fun. Elder Wright was my first district leader in Mongolia so that was a nice reunion. We made cookies to celebrate.

Transferred To Choibalsan

Elder Wright (left) and Daniel with celebratory cookies.

This Saturday was transfers. I am heading out to the countryside today to Choibalsan. [Editor’s note: check out the LDS chapel] I get to travel by plane because it is so far away. It is near China I think. So Saturday, Sunday and today I was with Elder Munkh Baatar. His area is my old area so I got to go around there for two days again. We took a picture together with the masks. They gave us masks at church to wear because of the swine flu or something like that. I don’t really think the mask does anything but whatever. It was cool to see my old area again.

The missionaries put on a little Halloween party at the church. We celebrated Elder Huder’s (my zone leader) birthday as well. The party was good and lots of people came. I almost had Otgan Bat’s little sister come, but at the last moment she couldn’t make it. She came to church the next day though.

Baptism

Daniel (right) with Elder Hansen receiving his cup.

Nyanaa was baptized by her son and to our surprise her husband came to support her. Od Bayar came too and we were really excited to have a baptism. It went very well and we were happy. At church she received the Holy Ghost. It was one of the busiest Sundays that I have had. My less active family came, Bat Munkh and erden Jargal. They haven’t been to church for such a long time. They came to say goodbye. It was very exciting. My new members said goodbye as well. I am going to miss all of them. I didn’t really want to leave, but at the same time I am very excited to go.

I got Elder Hensen a cup that he has been wanting forever from my investigator. I had her bring it to church yesterday. So that was exciting too. He leaves in December for home so today is probably the last time I’ll see him.

My old companion that left, came back Saturday. We talked for awhile and he is doing good. He is with another elder in my district. They are making some areas bigger because of the delayed missionaries from America. Last I heard they won’t be coming for awhile. We have around 160 missionaries now from 180 a while ago. So that is why transfers was a week earlier. Anyway nothing else is that new. Thanks for all the love and support.

To Mom

The missing elder is Elder Weaver. He had an emergency transfer to Choibalsan right before our year mark. So he wasn’t able to be there. Sunday here is just like Sunday in America. We go to church and do the normal things. I don’t bless the sacrament, but sometimes the missionaries help pass. Yeah they have a primary. It is big, lots of kids come to church. The mothers nursing their babies was really disturbing at first. They do it whenever they want with no warning. By whenever, I mean in the buses, during the sacrament, in a lesson when you’re talking to them, walking around on the sidewalk, just about everywhere. Yep… I accidentally sent that picture — by the way there was another one that was better. Oh well. Thanks Mom, love you!

Love from Elder Willoughby

Daniel's English class

List of Daniel’s missionary posts.
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Build an Arc Welder from Microwave Ovens: Part 4

October 31, 2009 by rickety 2 Comments

The Story So Far

Paul obtained his microwave ovens, wired the garage for 220 volts, extracted the first transformer, and rewinded the secondary. In this segment all he will be doing is to practice with a real arc-welder.

Paul practicing his arc-welding

Paul decided before he used his homebrew arc-welder (not yet built) he would practice with a factory built arc-welder. He borrowed his grandfather’s arc-welder and tried it out today. He needed a suitable piece of scrap metal which he found in the middle of the road while driving home.

At a suitable distance I took several photographs. My son Steven tells me later that the arc light could damage the sensor in my camera. The welder has the old style 220 volt plug so Paul wasn’t able to use his new outlet in the garage. Our oven uses the older style 220 volt socket so Paul ran the welder from the kitchen.

Paul will be finished with his studies this December so maybe he will have time to finish his own arc-welder. In the meantime check out this video:

External Articles

Build a Microwave Transformer Homemade Stick/Arc Welder Learn from the experts.
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Davis County Early Voting

October 30, 2009 by rickety 2 Comments

Jill early voting in the Kaysville City elections

This information is for 2009. Do not rely on the information here but use Vote Utah.

I am accustomed to voting early. I don’t feel as rushed because I can pick a day and time that better suits my schedule. Today my wife and I went to Kaysville City town hall to early vote at 2:30 pm. and found there was no waiting. If you wish to early vote then you are too late — today was the last day.

However, there is still the election on Tuesday and I can direct you to information that may be helpful.

Where To Vote

Find election dates, your candiates, registration and voting information

A lot of voting information is located at Leave Your Print. If all you need is to know where to go to vote, wander on over to the Voter Information Website. Enter you name, birth date, county, and house number and your polling place will be shown. The site will also tell you with which party (if any) you are affiliated. A sample ballot is available tailored to your city. Here is where I would go to vote on Tuesday if I hadn’t voted already:

A quick way to find your party affiliation, voting location, and sample ballot.

A quick way to find your party affiliation, voting location, and personalized ballot.

Who To Vote For

The personalized sample ballot is a great help in knowing who is on the ballot. I don’t like to be surprised when I get to the polling booth. My Kaysville City ballot looks like this.

Cities in Davis County will cast votes for mayors and city council members Tuesday 3rd November. Generally one mayor and two council members will be elected. Candidates currently on the ballots include:

Bountiful

Mayor

Joe L. Johnson (Incumbent)
Jeffrey L. Novak

City Council

Ernie Cox
Fred Moss (Incumbent)
Thomas B. Tolman (Incumbent)
Phill Wright

Centerville

Mayor

Ron Russell (Incumbent)

City Council

Justin Y. Allen (Incumbent)
Melissa Hogan
Sherri Lyn Lindstrom (Incumbent)
Brian M. Plummer

Clearfield

Mayor

Don Wood (Incumbent)

City Council

Glen Mills
Kathryn Murray (Incumbent)
Vern R. Phipps (Incumbent)
Bruce L. Young

Clinton

Mayor

L. Mitch Adams (Incumbent)
Carl Rumsey

City Council

Blair A. Bateman
Joanne Hansen
Barbara J. Patterson (Incumbent)
Michael Petersen

Farmington

Mayor

Scott C. Harbertson (Incumbent)

City Council

John S. Bilton
D. Kevin Poff
Jim Talbot
Anita Todd

Fruit Heights

Mayor

Todd Stevenson (Incumbent)

City Council

Don Caroll (Sagebrush)
Bette Hubrich (Sagebrush)
Nicole Miller (Pinecone)
Eileen Moss (Pinecone, Incumbent)

Kaysville

Mayor

Steve Hiatt
Neka F. Roundy (Incumbent)

City Council

Brian D. Cook
Richard Lenz
Gil A. Miller (Incumbent)
Jared R. Taylor

Layton

Mayor

Steve Curtis (Incumbent)
Bob J. Stevenson

Council

Mike Bouwhuis (Incumbent)
Barry T. Flitton
Adam S Gardiner
Sherri Lee Tatton

North Salt Lake

Mayor

Leonard K. Arave
Lisa Watts Baskin

City Council

Matt Hardy (Incumbent)
Stewart B. Harman
Matt Jensen
Hayward B. Oblad

South Weber

Mayor

Jeffery G. Monroe

City Council

Sara Lusk
Farrell Poll (Incumbent)

Sunset

Mayor

Chad W. Bangerter
Ryan Furniss

City Council

Brent L. Andrews
Ricky Carlson (Incumbent)
Bradford S. Weller

Syracuse

Mayor

Craig Jenkins
Jamie Nagle

City Council

Matt Kimmel
Theresa A. Sheffield
Larry D. Shingleton (Incumbent)
Robert Whiteley

West Bountiful

Mayor

James Behunin (Incumbent)
Ken Romney

City Council

George Biada
Kent Bond
Mark Preece
Teresa Thomas

West Point

Mayor

Erik R. Craythorne (Incumbent)
Terry Matthews

City Council

Andy Dawson (Incumbent)
R.Kent Henderson (Incumbent)
Shawn Watkins
Brogan L. Fullmer

Woods Cross

Mayor

Kent Parry (Incumbent)

City Council

Leo Beecher
Tamy Dayley (Incumbent)
Jon Hadlow (Incumbent)
Ryan Westergard

What Bond To Vote For

There is only one bond and if you guessed it was for education you would be right. Seems like there is always a bond for education. The controversy this time around is about whether your taxes will increase or not. The school district claims it is not a true tax increase because an equivalent amount of debt is being paid off. So let’s put it another way: your taxes will decrease if the bond is rejected.

This is the text of the Ballot Proposition:

Official Ballot Proposition for Davis School District, Utah
Special Bond Election
November 3, 2009
Bruce D. Williams
Business Administrator

PROPOSITION
Shall the Board of Eduction (the “Board”) of Davis School District, Utah (the “District”), be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($250,000,000) (the “Bonds”) for the purpose of defraying all or a portion of the costs of new school construction, land acquisition, equipment acquisition, and renovation and improvement of existing school facilities, and for payment of expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the acquisition and construction of said improvements and the authorization and issuance of the Bonds; said Bonds to be due and payable in not to exceed twenty-one (21) years from the date of the Bonds?

NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE DUE TO BOND ISSUANCE

Passage of this Proposition means that the tax on a $252,000 residence within the District would increase by $156.93 per year.

The tax on a $252,000 business within the District would increase by $285.33 per year.

However, the Board expects to issue the bonds in such a manner that no increase in the current tax rate for debt service will occur. If the bonds are approved and sold, the current tax rate will continue for more years than if the bonds are not approved.

The foregoing information is only an estimate of tax increases and is not a limit on the amount of taxes that the Board may be required to levy in order to pay debt service on the Bonds. The Board will be obligated to levy taxes without limitation as to rate or amount in order to pay the Bonds, as provided by law. The amounts are based on various assumptions and estimates, including estimated debt service on the Bonds and taxable values of property in the District.

FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS

AGAINST THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS

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Mormon Church Membership in Utah

October 28, 2009 by rickety 2 Comments

General Conference. Photo Credit: LDS Newsroom

Utah Mormon Church Membership

Utah is the most populous state for Mormons in terms of membership (1,823,613) and percentage of the population (68.94%). Utah also has the most stakes (523) and temples (14). Utah is in a three-way tie with Florida and Washington for third place in missions (5).

The table below allows one to compare the Utah membership with other states and to follow the links for additional information.

Utah Mormon History

When the first company of Latter-day Saint pioneers began to journey westward, they did not know their end destination. But on 24 July 1847, when the wagons rolled out of the canyon into the Salt Lake Valley, their destination became apparent. “It is enough,” Church President Brigham Young said as he viewed the valley below. “This is the right place. Drive on.” Young named the area “Deseret,” meaning honeybee, signifying the hive of activity that would soon inhabit the area. The President stayed only 33 days before returning to Winter Quarters in Nebraska to assist other families on their trek. At least 236 pioneer companies of approximately 60,000 pioneers crossed the plains for Utah. With time, they transformed the desert valley into the bustling and prosperous Salt Lake City. (Source: LDS Newsroom)

Table of Mormon Church Membership in the United States

There is a more recent update of this table at U.S. LDS Membership.
Click on the column headers to sort.

State	Members	% LDS	Stakes	Wards	Missions	Temples
Alabama	33,404	0.72	6	41	1	1
Alaska	29,460	4.31	7	48	1	1
Arizona¹	368,417	5.81	86	677	4	5
Arkansas	25,296	0.89	5	32	1	0
California	749,490	2.05	159	1,195	17	7
Colorado	133,727	2.75	30	253	3	1
Connecticut	14,338	0.41	4	27	1	0
Delaware	4,585	0.53	1	8	0	0
District of Columbia	2,166	0.37	0	2	0	0
Florida⁵	129,238	0.71	25	183	5	2
Georgia	72,760	0.76	16	105	3	1
Hawaii	67,106	5.23	15	120	1	2
Idaho	399,427	26.64	115	936	2	4
Illinois	54,424	0.42	12	91	4	2
Indiana	40,139	0.63	11	68	1	0
Iowa	23,301	0.78	7	36	1	0
Kansas	32,116	1.16	7	52	0	0
Kentucky	30,498	0.72	6	40	1	1
Louisiana	27,119	0.63	6	31	1	1
Maine	10,160	0.77	2	14	0	0
Maryland	38,850	0.69	8	66	2	1
Massachusetts	24,114	0.37	4	38	1	1
Michigan	42,422	0.42	8	65	2	1
Minnesota	29,550	0.57	7	52	1	1
Mississippi	20,377	0.70	4	28	1	0
Missouri²	62,217	1.06	14	104	2	2
Montana	44,976	4.70	11	77	1	1
Nebraska	21,890	1.23	4	40	1	1
Nevada	172,330	6.72	33	291	2	2
New Hampshire	8,091	0.61	3	16	1	0
New Jersey	30,280	0.35	5	35	2	0
New Mexico	63,987	3.25	14	89	1	1
New York	74,004	0.38	14	83	4	2
North Carolina	71,737	0.79	15	102	2	1
North Dakota	6,005	0.94	2	7	0	1
Ohio	56,492	0.49	13	91	3	1
Oklahoma	40,683	1.12	7	57	2	1
Oregon	144,808	3.86	36	255	2	2
Pennsylvania³	47,832	0.38	10	74	3	1
Rhode Island	3,608	0.34	0	6	0	0
South Carolina	36,141	0.82	6	46	1	1
South Dakota	9,397	1.18	2	9	1	0
Tennessee	42,102	0.68	10	65	2	2
Texas	269,670	1.13	49	413	8	4
Utah⁴	1,823,613	68.94	523	4,296	5	14
Vermont	4,302	0.69	1	7	0	0
Virginia	83,225	1.08	19	144	2	0
Washington	253,166	3.91	54	440	5	3
West Virginia	16,491	0.91	4	24	1	0
Wisconsin	23,907	0.43	6	41	1	0
Wyoming	59,970	11.47	16	131	0	0
United States	5,873,408	1.95	1,422	11,151	106	72

Table Notes

1. Gilbert Arizona and Phoenix Arizona Temples announced. Gila Valley Arizona Temple under construction.
2. Kansas City Missouri Temple announced.
3. Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple announced.
4. Brigham City Utah Temple announced.
5. Fort Lauderdale Florida Temple announced.

Sources

Membership as of 31 December 2007. Temple information is current. Source: Deseret News 2009 Church Almanac and U.S. Census Bureau National and State population estimates.
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Lose Weight With The Simpleton Diet

October 27, 2009 by rickety 16 Comments

Family and friends eating food
If your photograph appears here it does not infer that you should lose weight.

I have been asked by several friends to explain The Simpleton Diet. So here goes.

How much does it cost?

Nothing. Money makes things so complicated, don’t you agree? Besides, nothing is about what it’s worth.

How did The Simpleton Diet get its name?

Its name comes from the fact that even a simpleton can follow it. When I told my wife that I was using The Simpleton Diet she said, “Oh really? That fits.”

How do I get started?

Download the spreadsheet (see below in the section called “The Simpleton Diet Spreadsheet”). To start, you fill in the blue box. All you need is your height in inches (used to calculate your Body Mass Index), the date you want to start, your current weight, and the what you want to weigh at the end of the program.

What else do I have to enter?

At the same time each week weigh yourself and enter your weight in pounds in the orange box. That is it, nothing else to enter.

How is my weight loss goal calculated?

Each week your new weight (hopefully lower) is used to determine the goal for the coming week. Your current weight is simply rounded down to the next whole number. So if you weight 195.7 pounds your goal for the next week is to lose 0.7 pounds. If it was 195.1 it would be 0.1 pounds. If it was 196.0 it would be 1.0 pound. The Simpleton Diet spreadsheet lists the key points of the plan.

How can I lose a lot of weight if the goals are only in tenths of a pound?

Most weeks you will exceed your goal and will lose over a pound.

What should I do if I forget to weigh myself?

Enter the same weight as the week before in the spreadsheet.

What results are measured?

The results are shown in the green box. The one of most interest is the total pounds lost. The average weight loss is also tracked. The most weight lost in a week is shown (as a positive number) and also the least weight lost (shown as a negative number if you gained weight). Weight loss as a percentage is computed and loss of Body Mass Index is displayed. The maximum you can weigh but still be in the BMI normal range is calculated. If you want to be right in the middle of the BMI normal range that weight is also calculated.

What is Body Mass Index?

A measure of someone’s weight in relation to height. To calculate one’s BMI, multiply one’s weight in pounds and divide that by the square of one’s height in inches. The Simpleton Diet spreadsheet has the BMI ranges listed.

Do I have to eat special foods?

No. Remember this is The Simpleton Diet. Special foods would make it complicated.

How I am supposed to lose weight then?

Use your current knowledge and some common sense. For example, people consume a lot of calories through what they drink. So drink more water. If you have a large meal in front of you, save half for later. Eat more salads. Snack on fresh fruits. To prevent boredom eating, compile a list of projects to keep you busy. Check the calories of what you eat and make needed adjustments. Most desserts don’t need to be eaten because you are already full.

Anything else?

Yes, tell your family and friends you are on a diet so that you have an additional incentive to succeed. Oh, and eat hearty!

The Simpleton Diet Spreadsheet

Below is the Simpleton Diet spreadsheet and chart I used to track my weight loss so you can see a real example. From it you can see my start weight was 217.6 with a goal to reach 199 pounds. At the time of writing (26 October) I have lost 10 pounds with a goal to lose 0.6 pounds this week.

Notice that most weeks I have lost over a pound even though the weight goals were less. Here is the link for The Simpleton Diet Excel spreadsheet if you wish to download it and use it for yourself.

Please tell me about your diet and your successes and/or failures.

My Simpleton Diet results. Target weight reached.

The Simpleton Diet Chart

Each plot on the chart represents one week that corresponds to the weight entry in the spreadsheet.

Updates

1 Nov 2009 — Today I barely lost weight (0.2 pounds). This Halloween week the house was full of chips, sugary drinks and candy. At the beginning of the week I snacked on the chips and washed them down with Sprite. I ate some of the candy. Most of us are good at resisting temptation so long as it isn’t in front of us. Remembering that I would be reporting online any weight gains or losses, I quickly pulled my self together and exercised some restraint.
8 Nov 2009 — A one pound loss is right on target. This week I drunk more water instead of the soda I consumed last week. I ate a few Sun Chips instead of regular chips. I noticed my Quaker Granola cereal was a bunch of calories so I switched to Special K topped with fresh raspberries.
15 Nov 2009 — I ate a few too many snacks so no weight loss.
22 Nov 2009 — Even though I had a huge serving of fish, chips, and mushy peas at Little Taste of Britain, I still was able to lose.
29 Nov 2009 — I was fortunate to lose a slight amount even though the hogs were at the Thanksgiving trough.
6 Dec 2009 — I was really focused this week. I either drank water, V8, G2 Gatorade, or milk. This helped a lot as many calories can enter via liquids. I am not a big dessert eater and there were no chips around to snack on. This 2.6 pound loss matches my previous highest loss. Just 3.6 pounds to go to reach my goal.
13 Dec 2009 — There are a lot of snacks around the house that didn’t help so even a small loss was welcome.
20 Dec 2009 — These small losses are still contributing towards my goal. Just 2.6 pounds to go.
27 Dec 2009 — A satisfactory result for Christmas week. At times the snacking ruined my appetite which contributed to weight loss. Not the best way to lose a pound but I will take it.
3 Jan 2010 — A small gain. Chips should be banned from the house. 11 of Lay’s Wavy original chips rack up 150 calories.
17 Jan 2010 — I reached my target weight. I will continue to lose a little more weight but I won’t be posting any more results. If you are curious how I am doing, just ask.

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Missionary Dan Email #38 from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

October 26, 2009 by rickety Leave a Comment

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s thirty eighth email from the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission. If anyone wishes to send Daniel a message, write it in the comments and I will make sure he receives it.

Daniel (left) with a member family

Thanks for all the great letters and things. It was really fun to read them all. Thanks for the pictures as well. Paul’s costume made me laugh really hard. Steven’s costume was rad too. Remind me later and I’ll tell you more about that. That hike you went on seems like it was crazy mom! Sorry to make you worry about me. I am good and I did the best I could to help my companion. It’s exciting that we are getting a garden. I really like strawberries and pears. Peaches are good too.