How to Retain a Church Member Might be How to Reform a Convict

   If prison reformers were to look for advice on how to reform convicts, what might they find? What if prisons were to turn to other institutions to see what they are doing?
   I picked up one answer in Sunday School this week. The church I belong to, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has set three guideposts for retaining new members: (1) Give them a friend, (2) Give them a calling (an assignment), and (3) Provide them with the nourishing word of the Lord.
   A similar formula for working with prisoners would revolutionize the correction of our criminals.
  One, let's give them a friend. Everyone -- and I mean everyone --  needs a friend.  Everyone benefits when there is someone who loves them, and is there for them, someone who cares, and listens and advises. Where in all our prison system is this found? It might, perhaps, be there some. You might point to the counselors, to the church workers who come in each week, or even to friendly guards.
   But, I don't know that there is a prison system that designates a friend for every inmate, that assigns someone to be available on a daily basis, same a real friend is. I think there should be.
   Two, give them something to do. Let them develop a hobby. Give them a good and worthy pastime.
   Three, nurture them with teaching, and edifying, and direction. Teach them all the basics mothers teach, things like, if you can't say something nice, don't say any thing at all. Teach them to be the most civil people on earth. Wouldn't that be neat, if a prison could achieve this, if a prison turned out people who were more courteous and well-mannered than average people are? We may not achieve quite that much, but if we were to pursue such a goal, it might make a difference.

Bullying Laws can be Good, but Why Must Bureaucracy Come with Them?

   I'm a little surprised at the posts I see on Facebook saying that instead of preaching against bullying, we ought to teach our kids to man up and fight the bullies. I replied to one of the posts, saying:
   "Maybe the answer is not an either or. Teaching kids to stand up for themselves can be a good thing. But, it is not wrong to teach kids not to pick on each other. I'm a little surprised at how people oppose teaching children not to bully each other. What am I missing? What is wrong with teaching this?"
  I then took a moment to study a little on what anti-bullying laws actually call for. Every state has one. I did not like a law I found in Utah. It requires local education agencies to develop plans of action against bullying. While having a plan of action against bullying can be good, it seems this law probably creates a burdensome bureaucracy, as the education agency has to spend time coming up with a program, and has to report on it and fill out so much paperwork.
   Why make it so difficult?
   Either just make the rules yourself, spelling out what is right and wrong and what the punishments are, or, just give the school agency authority to make the rules without either requiring that it make the rules if it doesn't want to, or requiring any paperwork showing it is compliant.

http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r277/r277-609.htm

Give Trump some Credit in the Event with Jorge Ramos

    So, Donald Trump has been castigated for kicking journalist Jorge Ramos out of a press conference. Well, I'd like to thank him for letting Ramos back in. And, not only did he let Ramos back in, he allowed him to debate with him for an extended period of time. How often does that happen at a press conference, to that extent? Usually, it is ask your question, and maybe have a little follow-up, but on to the next question from the next journalist.
   And, I'd like to thank both of them for the respectful, professional tones in their voices as Ramos came back in and they started their discussion. I missed listening to some of their back-and-forth, but would not be surprised if they maintained respectful tones of voice for the entire exchange.
   I disagree with Trump on immigration. I disagree with a lot of what he said in the press conference. but, I laud him for taking the questions. I laud him for letting Ramos back in the room. Judging the whole of the event, and not just the start, says you have got to give Trump some credit.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_HaEOIJhM

Transport Yourself to Any Place in the Universe at this Theme Park

   There's a whole new type of theme park to be rolled out. And, just like when roller coasters were introduced and became all the rage, this will be a game-changer. And, it'll happen as soon as someone stops overlooking modern technology and chooses to apply it.
   I'd sure love Salt Lake City to be the place to introduces such a park, and wish I could excite one of our nice, wealthy people to build it.
   The new park will take on all the advances in robotics we've enjoyed these past few decades. We are hearing a lot about self-driving cars, and drones are almost passe by now, but I haven't yet heard of an amusement park packed with robotic people and creatures. Why not a Jurassic Park?  Why not a park where visitors interact with and take rides on the necks of life-sized robotic dinosaurs?
   Or, you could have Peter Pan, Paul Bunyan, Rumpelstiltskin, and all the characters from storyland. If the characters could be made light enough, you could have a realistic-looking Superman flying through the air, courtesy of unnoticeable nylon string (or some such transparent or unnoticeable string.) Spiderman could defy the law of gravity as he bounded up the side of a building in a manner no human actor could hope to duplicate.
  Computerized interaction? All the robotic characters would be programmed to respond to the tourists, talking with them, dancing with them, or whatever.
   And, how about a section of the park being filled with what we might call interactive tunnels? One such tunnel could be a greeting tunnel, where the visitor enters to be greeted by an image on the wall of a dog, running alongside him, programmed to run at the same pace as the tourist. The dog says, "Welcome to Salt Lake City," in as much of a bark-sounding voice as can be created. Then, when the visitor says, "Cat," the image of the dog flips to that of a cat, and, in a voice slurred to sound like the meowing of a cat, the "Welcome to Salt Lake City" is echoed. If the visitor yells, "Duck, bear, lion," not waiting for each animal to respond by itself, all three appear, and the tourist is greeted with a chorus of welcomes.
   In another interactive tunnel, the walls are programmed with exploding images that change as the visitor touches the wall. If the visitor scratches or drags his hand along the wall, it responds with  with an image tearing along with his hand.
   In another tunnel, the visitor transports himself at the command of his voice to any place on earth or in heaven. He says, "New York," and the walls of the tunnel make it appear he is in New York, complete with people talking back and forth with him as they walk on the street with him. The visitor is surrounded on every side by the city, panels ahead retracting into the walls as he approaches, replaced by panels sliding out further ahead with the very same imagery. There is all the splendid-ness and grandness of a well-produced movie, except this screen is one that not only envelopes the visitor, but interacts with him,
   3D without the glasses. And, you are in the movie instead of just watching it.
   Transport yourself to Kathmandu, to an African jungle, or to the far reaches of the universe, all at the command of your voice. Samantha on Bewitched couldn't do you better.

Salt Lake City: Where Wonderful Stories are Brought to Life.

   The next generation of amusement parks might include a Jurassic Park. Scientific advances certainly make it possible to have life-sized robotic dinosaurs roaming through a park, interacting with visitors and giving them rides.

   What once was a dream, often becomes reality. What is thought of in books and movies, inspires things that become real.

    Why not a park with all kinds of life-like robots? Peter Pan, Jack in the Beanstalk, Puff the Magic Dragon, etc.

   Salt Lake City: Where wonderful stories are brought to life.

   But, if Salt Lake is to do this, it had better hurry. I would guess if an amusement park like this doesn't already exist, it will very shortly. The technology exists.

If Walmart is Correct in Why it is Dropping Assault Guns, Bless America

   What of this: Walmart -- the largest seller of guns and ammunition in America -- is pulling assault rifles off its shelves. . . .  And, it says it is doing so because they just aren't good sellers.
   How I want to believe them.
   How I want to believe Americans don't need gun control. Rather, they can see on their own that they don't need weapons that can take out crowds. Rifles to hunt, yes. Rifles to protect, yes. But, not rifles to kill en masse.
   Could it be that sales are down? I believe Walmart simply said the weapons just aren't selling. Maybe they haven't sold well all along, and Walmart simply decided, Well, if they don't sell, why are even offering them? But, if sales are down, that, too, would be neat. It would be an indication Americans don't even want to be associated with the weapons that are being used in so many mass murders.