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I sure hope someone doesn’t fire one of those pesky anti-aircraft missiles while he is flying over the Atlantic.

I have lived in Ecuador, and I know people who work for Petroecuador. According to some of them, it was a huge mistake to kick Oxy out of the country. Oxy’s taxes supported the government, and now that the oil fields are state run, Ecuador is in trouble. This all came about because some politicians felt that Ecuador’s sovereignty was being threatened by a large oil company, well now it is being threatened by another country in the region. If things heat up expect the U.S. to step in, we have in air base in the coastal city of Manta, and a interest in stability due to the U.S. Dollar being used there, and Ecuador’s location.

Raising the minimum driving age will cause more problems than it will solve. I received my learner’s permit at 15 1/2 in Los Angeles. I grew up watching my parents drive, and when I took the wheel I felt comfortable, even in rush hour traffic. When I turned 16 I got my license, but no car, I used either of my parents’ cars when I needed to go somewhere. My father has a Mustang with a manual transmission, he tossed me the keys one day after getting my license, I got in, and drove away like I had been driving a stick for years (I have never stalled it). I am now 21, and I have never gotten a ticket (not even parking), or been in an accident (people have almost hit me). I have also driven a fair share Thailand and Ecuador, and if any of you have driven in a third world country, you know how it can be. Growing up in Los Angeles has helped my driving skills a lot; I am horrified to see what passes as “driving” in other states.

This summer I will turn 22, and I will purchase my first car. I don’t think I would be the driver I am today if the age restrictions were raised. If anything there should be a maximum driving age, generally old people are oblivious to what is going on, and put others at risk. I know two people killed in separate incidences by old drivers that shouldn’t have been on the road, but no one killed by teenagers.

Something isn't right.

"The girl had told him her mother was waiting in the car, the store clerk said."
....
"They're instructed never to lie, but they are given leeway."

Today I made the following purchases or payments. I think I did my part as a 21 year-old to help boycott the boycott.

$853 - University tuition (Spring)
$90 - University medical insurance
$270 - University meal plan
$500 - Apartment rent (2 months and security deposit)
$36 - Misc supplies needed for apartment
$191 - New stereo for car
$15 - Haircut

$1955 - Total

These are basically all my purchases and payments until the end of June (minus groceries). I do still need a couple of things at the market, lets see if I can hit $2K in the hour I still have left. Sadly tomorrow is the start of Spring semester.

As a product of LAUSD (K-12), all I can say is about time!!!

I go to BYU, and this whole event was a waste of time. SoulForce is against religious discrimination, so they came to protest. BYU set rules, it is private property, and when the "equality riders" broke the rules, they were cited, and escorted off campus. Overall I think BYU handled it professionally.

Just happened here in MDT. It was great.

"... and about 100 Westchester High School students walked out of school Wednesday but were picked up by buses and returned to class within the hour."

It is great to see my alma mater in the news.

mmmmmmmmmm, El Tarasco.

UPDATE:

Gutiérrez’s Airplane departs again for Ecuador after "mechanical fault"
October 14, 2005
Ex-president Lucio Gutiérrez left Friday from Bogotá en route to Ecuador, after his first flight to had to return to Bogotá due to a mechanical fault, verified a photographer of the AFP that in accompanying the ex-chief executive in the return to his country.

Gutiérrez departed at 16h55 local (21h55 GMT) en route to the airport of Manta (260 km to the west of Quito) after changing airplanes at a military airport west of the Colombian capital.

The ex- chief executive is flying in company of other 16 people, among them his brother, ex-deputy Gílmar Gutiérrez, a group of journalists and defense counsels.

Minutes before taking off, the ex-commander declared to the AFP that he was aware that Manta’s Airport now is under military control. "We know of their presence, but nothing will hold us back", he indicated to us.

The first airplane that took to ex- president Lucio Gutiérrez on his return to Ecuador had to return to Bogota because of a "small mechanical difficulty", after about 20 minutes of flight, according to a photographer of the AFP who is accompaning to the ex-chief executive.

The ex-chief executive had left to 14h31 local (19h31 GMT) in the middle of a strong rainstorm covered Colombian capital.

In Manta, one of his lawyers, Luis Almeida, who is with Felipe Mantilla and other supporters of the ex-chief executive, confirmed to this newspaper that Gutiérrez will travel accompanied of 16 people, and it hopes that between 17h00 and 18h00 he will arrive at the airport.


Opinion: Something is fishy. I think there was probably an attempt on his life but it went wrong and the plane didn't go down. When Lucio gets to Ecuador one of two things will happen, he will be killed, or there will be a Civil War (my opinion). There are a couple of other ex-presidents in exile watching this closely to see if they should return also. A side note is the airport he is flying into is adjacent to a U.S. Air Base.

Sorry for the terrible job I did translating, it is not my favorite thing to do.

This guy is a crook, he tried to take power years ago in a coup, and failed. Later he was elected President, and caused plenty of problems. He dissolved the Supreme Court twice, which led to his ousting, and now after country-hopping in South America looking for a safe place he has chosen to return to cause political turmoil in Ecuador.

I played in the Boy's Volleyball Junior Olympics in 2000 which was held in Reno. I am assuming that this tournament was similar, and that means the convention center is full of courts and people. I doubt whatever it is was spread by the balls (very little contact), I am guessing it had to do with food. It is not suprising that it spread so fast seeing as when I was playing in Reno there were 4 guys in a room, and everyone is close.

First of all the LDS Church only sends missionaries where they are allowed to go. That means if a country doesn’t wanted proselytizing, then they will not send missionaries. That means because currently all Islamic nations do not allow missionaries in, they do not have a “presence”. Although there have been cases where the LDS Church has sent massive amounts of aide to Islamic nations such as Afghanistan, and also a lot of aide is being prepped to be sent to Iraq.

The LDS Church has a presence in Jerusalem (Israel) with the BYU Jerusalem Center. It is currently closed right now due to the violent conflicts. Part of the agreement with being able to build the Jerusalem Center was that any people staying there would not be allowed to proselytize, even if they were asked specifically to tell more about the Church. The LDS Church also made an agreement with the Israeli government that no Israelis would be baptized into the Church.

The LDS Church does care about non-Christians, and are in many countries where Christianity is not the norm. My brother is currently serving in Thailand and has met numerous people who have not even heard of Christ. But the only reason missionaries are currently there is because the government has allowed them, the LDS Church will not use deception to gain a foothold in a country. Currently there are “Humanitarian Missionaries” from the LDS Church in China, they have been allowed in by the government but are currently not allowed to proselytize. Because there are many denominations that chose to ignore the Chinese Government’s wishes proselytizing Christianity is still not allowed there.

On a different topic, I find it really interesting how so many people are so adamant about the persecution of the LDS Church, some of these people say they are Christians, but if you ask me their actions are not very Christ-like. I guess the LDS Church must be doing something really right if the adversary must work so hard to persecute it.

Guys this is series!!!

It was just Bart, he was a "foriegn exchange" student because Skinner wanted him gone. Season 1 Episode 11: The Crepes of Wrath.

I think most of Hussein's group is at room temperature right now, and our President probably knows that. I think we are avoiding a full scale conflict there because our special forces can take out the rest of Saddam's regime.

On the other hand it could give us the element of suprise.

Not really, I have a Math test tomorrow (and am tired) and am perfectly content with my faith.

Good point with the scripture. If you don't mind, what caused you to leave the Church?