Kris Beldin’s Two Cents Blog

Okay, it’s been too long since I last posted here, but it’s nigh time! I find that sometimes I just don’t know what to put here sometimes, when I do have thoughts, they are fleeting. But I’ve got a good idea and will post later today.

When I was a boy, we listened to general conference on the radio; now with the use of satellites and modern electronic equipment, we broadcast from Salt Lake City to whole countries worldwide at one time . . . using downlinks to buildings all over the world. This came about because of the inspiration that came to the Brethren to meet the needs of the people in our day and time. This is a good example of how the Lord makes it possible to meet the needs of the members of the Church. I testify that the Lord will continue to reveal through His prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, the ways and means to meet the needs of all members in an ever-growing Church.

~President James E. Faust, “Salt Lake Tabernacle Rededication,” Ensign, May 2007, 40

My son is very charitable. He is always sharing things with others, in a good way. Recently he asked if he could take a second drink to share with his kindergarten friend, I said that would be fine and he took two drinks to school that day. A short time later he asked if he could again take a drink to his friend, my wife replied that it was nice to do once in a while, but not every week.

Fast forward a couple weeks, my son is getting ready to go to school and as he is putting together his lunch asks, “has it been once in a while?”

What a hoot! I guess that’s how he measures time. He is a really good example to me on being charitable and forgiving. I think the Savior said it best when he admonished all of us to “become as little children.” They are pure and truly Christlike, real examples to us curmudgeonly adults!

Here’s a video one of my bestest friends just created and posted to the Web. Beautiful music and presentation of inspiring pictures.

PS-I do know that “bestest” is not a real word.

Recently my wife was cleaning out her purse (read:duffle bag). My daughter who was close by — and was learning to talk — exclaimed, as some coins fell to the ground, “Some!”

True to her female nature she already wanted money, and she’s only one and a half!

Here is today’s crazy news courtesy of Venezuela:

CARACAS — D’oh! Venezuelan TV channel has yanked “the Simpsons” off the air because it may be inappropriate for children. Taking its place: “Baywatch Hawaii.”

You’ve got to love the irony of this news!! Read more in the AP’s write-up.

The Internet is a big place; It can be a scary place too. That said, there is a lot of good that takes place on the Internet. Blogs can be great tools, site like MyFamily.com and Geni bring families and people together. Social media sites also bridge gaps and dissolve physical distances and borders, sometimes.

So, the Internet can be a very useful resource. It can also be used for bad, and that’s where we as responsible adults and parents need to step in and help our kids make good, well-informed choices on the Internet. The nice thing is a lot of the big entities on the Web are helping us do this job by providing guidelines galore and privacy features in most if not all social networking sites.

Google recently made a great post about using common sense online. It’s worth reading the post as well as visiting Google’s U.S. partner in Web safety education, commonsensemedia.org.

This is really a topic that can’t be put off by responsible adults. I hope to post more on this down the road.

You’ve probably heard about the Hillary Clinton debacle this week. Fudge a little here, fudge a little there, what’s the big deal. The fact is there were snipers in the country the continent and she felt for her safety. But, as first lady of these United States how could she pass up an opportunity to greet the people, even if it meant that she might be hit by a 50 .cal round of anti-aircraft fire??

The bottom line is somebody embellished something and did it repeatedly, and to the media that was present at the same event 12 years ago. And rather than just saying “Oops!” they’ve tried to spin the story — modern spin doctors, this is where we flacks/flaks get our bad reputation!

So, with all that said, my Canadian, soon-to-be-American colleague, sent me this Slate cartoon of the day:

In the end she says she “misspoke” and that she was “sleep deprived,” well, Mrs. Clinton, if the phone rings at 3 a.m. you better believe you’re gonna be sleep deprived, what’ll you do then? Once you send the missiles out you can’t bring ‘em home again.

I think Hillary thinks she’s entitled to the presidency and that’s one of the problems with nepotism in politics and she has a real vicious attitude about politics and, in my opinion, give politics & politicians an even worse name. Although I’m not pulling for anyone in particular this election, I am pulling for anyone but her!

The Savior’s Resurrection assures all of us that someday we, too, will follow Him and experience our own resurrection. What peace, what comfort this great gift is which comes through the loving grace of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.

~Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Atonement and the Value of One Soul,” Ensign, May 2004, 84

Seriously, and to my teeth’s detriment and my dentist’s dismay, I love Kool-Aid.

My favorite flavor is Tropical Punch and sometimes I just like making a pitcher (Kool-Aid pitcher, of course) and drinking it with a sandwich and chips — just like when I was younger.

Sometimes it’s nice to reminisce. Kool-Aid, surprisingly, brings me some good memories.

Although my Mom didn’t really let us have it when we were younger, when we did it was a great treat.Later in my life, while a missionary in Portugal, my parents sent me small packets of Kool-Aid and boy did those hit the spot. I had a good friend in Bolivia, a missionary as well, to whom I sent a packet and apparently it hit the spot.

So here’s to Kool-Aid, here’s to reminiscing about old times, here’s to putting almost pure sugar in your mouth, here’s to the one and only Kool-Aid Man!

(On a side note, I’ve heard that in Hastings, Nebraska — the home of Kool-Aid — the yearly Kool-Aid Days is quite an event. I’ll have to put that on my bucket list!)