The Greg Jones Blog

BYU-Idaho – 10 Jan 2012 – Open Your Heart to the Spirit – Sister Sue Clark, First Lady of BYU-Idaho

gregjonesorg — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:04:03 +0000

I listened to this the evening of January 25, 2012. I learned that President Clark was “off track” last semester recovering after a kidney transplant. Sister Clark’s message included some insight from that experience.

BYU-Idaho Streaming Video Player.

My favorites from 20 years at Sundance | Deseret News

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:12:14 +0000

I’m tucking this away for future reference when I’m looking for a good film to watch . . .

My favorites from 20 years at Sundance | Deseret News.

US Plummets On World Press Freedom Ranking – Slashdot

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:45:28 +0000

Excerpt: The indicators for press freedom in the U.S. are dramatic, with a downward movement from 27th to 47th in the global ranking, from the previous year. Much of this is correlated directly to the arrest and incarceration of American journalists covering the ‘Occupy’ protest movements . . .

US Plummets On World Press Freedom Ranking – Slashdot.

Helping Bill Gates and Warren Buffet Convince the “Rich” to Pay Higher Taxes

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:35:18 +0000

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett keep going around saying how they’re willing to pay higher taxes, and that all the “rich” should do so as well.

So, over their lifetimes, during which the two accumulated unbelievably huge fortunes, they presumably paid the lowest amount of taxes possible under the applicable rates then in force (they’re no idiots), but the duo is now proposing that future generations of would-be Bill’s and Warren’s (as well as people who will never come close to approaching their wealth) will pay higher rates throughout their entire lifetimes. That may strike some as self-serving and unfair pontification by a couple of guys who have already taken care of themselves quite nicely.

How about this? Bill and Warren, to demonstrate their earnestness, can take a look at the income they enjoyed up to the point that higher tax rates are imposed, compute the delta between the taxes they actually paid and what they would have paid under the higher rates, increase the amount by adding interest, then make “true-up” payments to the federal government. They can repeat the process each time any future rate increase occurs.

Bill Gates: Rich Should Pay More Taxes (VIDEO).

BYU Magazine > Winter 2012 > First Person > When the Going Got Tough

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:12:09 +0000

“First Person” is my favorite feature in BYU Magazine. In this installment: Readers recall their most daunting educational endeavors.

When the Going Got Tough.

Campaign 2012 – - A Tweet on Newt

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:36:27 +0000

I’ll want to remember this one when I look back on this year’s campaigning . . .

Retweet: LOLGOP America. Where evangelicals & casino moguls unite to help a thrice-married disgraced-politician-turned-lobbyist lecture us on morality.

Coloradan or Coloradoan? – The Denver Post

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:28:52 +0000

I had to resort to this article for the update to my previous post. So, which do you think is correct? Check out the article.

Coloradan or Coloradoan? – The Denver Post.

Do Utahns Talk Funny? – BYU Magazine (Updated)

gregjonesorg — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:23:45 +0000

I’m guilty as charged for the example of Utah dialect cited below. I did not even realize I had an issue until one of the Boy Scouts brought it to my attention (i.e., he mockingly laughed at me) just last year. But, I didn’t grow up in Utah. My parents did, however, so I must have picked it up from them.

Excerpt: Melk for Milk: typical of Utah dialect; it’s uncommon in Standard American English to relax a vowel before l. Gotcha, Utahns.

Do Utahns Talk Funny?.

Update (20120127)

I overlooked another possibility for my “melk” pronunciation of “milk.” No one in Colorado ever called me on it. So, perhaps Coloradans commonly say “melk” as well. Or, perhaps Coloradans are simply more courteous than your average Boy Scout?

Toronto News: Toronto teens send Lego man on an a balloon odyssey 24 kilometres high – thestar.com

gregjonesorg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:56:14 +0000

Impressive.

Toronto News: Toronto teens send Lego man on an a balloon odyssey 24 kilometres high – thestar.com.

Football: Fairview grad Chuck Pagano tabbed head coach by Indianapolis Colts – BoCoPreps.com Boulder County High School Sports

gregjonesorg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:48:52 +0000

I played football at Heritage High School which, with Fairview, was one of the schools in Colorado’s Centennial League. I don’t recall Chuck Pagano, but I do recall his father (Sam Pagano, longtime football coach at Fairview), and Chuck Pagano would have been on the Fairview teams I played against. His father must be so proud. Here’s wishing Chuck Pagano much success (other than when his team plays Denver).

Football: Fairview grad Chuck Pagano tabbed head coach by Indianapolis Colts – BoCoPreps.com Boulder County High School Sports.