cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Lloyd and Luana Warner, Diane Cluff, and Maxine Shirts.
"Quiet week. I worked at home all week. Most of the time was spent getting a proof-of-concept project together for Arnie Vedlitz (see http://www.walden3d.com/H, for Harris County). I'm really excited about the potential impact of this work on on the way politics works in the United States, and eventually in the world. Then again, I have to realize I am the only person in the world, now that Bill Bavinger is dead (../9803.html) that sees this potential impact of the Infinite Grid(SM). Oh well!
I wrote a song while Andrea was out running errands Monday afternoon, and added a verse each day. It summarizes my activity for the week (capo on 2nd fret):
I think the words are pretty self explainatory. The Shell
Contract is good. Guess it is a good thing for me Paul
Sullivan showed up at church a few weeks ago (0208.html).
Christian Singfield swears he is going to get me on a
retainer for setting this whole deal up for him. Mark
believes he can make us both a bunch of money, and it looks
like he will end up working for Christian. Ken Turner is
sure he has a national hit on his hands, and I encourage
him to not spend the money until he has it. The Finders
Fee through Bob Burton was somewhat unexpected. It is at
1 1/2% of invested money, and the meeting is Tuesday. The
conversations with MKS Oil & Gas are still going strong,
although there has been some waffling about the retainer.
So, I spent the week working on the example for Texas A&M
University, answering e-mails, and only went out to run
some documents over to Horace Snyder's house. Andrea is
happy about the looming Shell contract, and I am too.
Yesterday morning was choir practice, and then General Conference. It was suprising at first that the only words said about the Isreal-Palestine conflict was in the opening prayer by Bruce Hafen. I believe there were three references by members of the First Presidency to those who choose to be detractors. When we came home from the Saturday morning session, I was eating something and asked Matt if he wanted to go out to dinner or to get some ice cream with me either before or after Priesthood Meeting. He responded, `No, I don't want to go with you. Seems to me like every time I go with you there is a problem, and so I'll get Mom to take me down!'
Matt knows how to push my buttons. I seldom get angry these days, and this got me angry. It's like someone (and I choose to believe it is the father of all contention) put in his little mouth the words to say: `You are totally responsible for the fact three of your boys don't go to Priesthood Meeting at all! You are a bad Father! You suck!'
I didn't go to Matt's soccer game, and even though he ended up riding to Priesthood Meeting with me, as normal, he was off somewhere else, rather than sitting and listening to the counsel from the Prophets and Apostles. I dropped him off at the house, and went and got myself an ice cream, telling myself I'm not responsible for the choices of others. I wrote in my journal:
I thought about summarizing all of the conference talks from
my notes for the rest of this Thoughtlet. Then I realized
those who are interested will either attend or check the
talks out of their ward library. There was one theme that
was very consistant, and which I want to mention. It was
prayer. Prayer is wonderful, and as I work with many earth
scientists who have no idea how to pray, it makes me sad.
It is sad to think there are parents who do not teach their
children by example to pray. To express thanks for their
meals, their things, and their opportunities. It is sad
there are parents who strive to undo the teachings of their
`help meet,' with stuff like, `Oh, we don't need to go to
church when they're out of town!' Everyone is going to face
trials in their lives. It is much easier to tap into the
source of all peace and truth if we have been practicing
in the good times, than to attempt to make connection when
there is an emergency. And we all enter tunnels in our lives.
It is so nice when we have the light of Christ with us when
we are in the dark and are afraid. I know from personal
experience that it is not scary in the dark when an elder
brother is there to comfort and guide me towards the
light at the end of the tunnel."