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Dealing With Pesky Newspapers
Any politician who has been criticized by a newspaper can take comfort in the remarks by LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley in last weekend’s General Conference. He quoted the following:
“Once a man who had been slandered by a newspaper came to Edward Everett asking what to do about it. Said Everett, ‘Do nothing! Half the people who bought the paper never saw the article. Half of those who saw it, did not read it. Half of those who read it, did not understand it. Half of those who understood it, did not believe it. Half of those who believed it are of no account anyway’” (“Sunny Side of the Street,” Nov. 1989; see also Zig Ziglar, Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down World [2000], 174).
“So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.”
Taxpayers Association Newsletter
The Utah Taxpayers Association has posted its October newsletter. This month's edition debunks several "false assertions" about the proposed voucher program and features a column by Assoc. Pres. Howard Stephenson on Overstock.com founder Patrick Byrne's voucher advocacy efforts.
Today in Political History
October 12, 1492: Christopher Columbus’s ships, Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria, land in the Bahamas.
Oct. 12, 1870: Gen. Robert E. Lee dies in Lexington, Va., at age 63. (New York Times)
October 12, 2000: An explosion from a floating terrorist bomb blows a large hole in the hull of the USS Cole, killing at least 17 U.S. sailors. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.”
-- Ulysses S. Grant (Source: Brainy Quote)
Utah Geography
Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats of the western Great Salt Lake Desert were formed through the evaporation of the Pleistocene-era Lake Bonneville. The salt flats are actually the bed of that once massive lake which rivaled in size present Lake Michigan. The flats are composed mainly of potash salts ranging in thickness from less than one inch to six feet.
Early attempts to promote automobile racing on the flats failed until 1925 when Ab Jenkins, driving a Studebaker, beat a special excursion train by ten minutes in a race across the flats. Since that time the Bonneville Salt Flats have attracted racers from throughout the world and have become the site of numerous land speed records. The attraction for these racers is due to the hard, flat surface expanse -- in an area so flat that from certain perspectives the curvature of the earth can actually be seen. (Source: Utah Edu)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- The Hill: "President Bush pointed to declining federal deficit numbers released Thursday to portray himself as a fiscal conservative and warn congressional Democrats against raising taxes."
-- The Hill: Evangelical leaders are backing off their third-party threat, saying "it is still possible for social conservative Republican voters to find a candidate to rally behind, and paint[ing] another Clinton administration as the worst outcome of the 2008 election."
-- New York Times: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's strongly antiwar message has helped position him to break into the upper echelon of Democratic presidential candidates.
-- The Politico: Sensing that the political environment has changed, congressional Democrats and the party's presidential candidates "are again offering spending programs and calling for measures that would lead to tax increases of the type that they began shying away from after the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress."
Blog Watch
-- At The Senate Site, Sen. Curt Bramble notes: "[Thursday] morning Senator Ed Mayne received some well-deserved recognition at the Utah Conference on Safety and Industrial Hygiene. The Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational & Environmental Health selected him for the Award of Excellence in Workplace Safety and Health. Senator Mayne richly deserves this honor for the time he has devoted to this area and the success he has achieved. He is a great public servant and a good friend. Congratulations Senator."
-- UAC Blog reports on a recent Utah Association of Counties-sponsored forum for county officials and state legislators that focused on Utah's property tax system.
Lighter Side
“Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.”
— Scott Friedman (Tea Leaf)
Casual Friday
Fishing Report
The newspapers are all carrying articles about the hunting seasons, which are expected to be good this year. But fishermen are also finding big game -- this is the best time of year to go after trophy fish. Flaming Gorge lake trout are congregating near spawning areas. That makes them easier to find but the big ones are still hard to catch. The next couple weeks will bring your best chance.
Lake trout are also active and catchable at Bear Lake, as are the big cutthroats there. At Strawberry, everyone is catching cutthroats, including some big ones. In terms of number and size of fish, I don't think fishing has ever been better at the 'Berry. Most of our trout waters are good right now.
Lake Powell and Sand Hollow continue to offer very good action for bass; striped bass fishing is still great at Lake Powell. Read more at RedrockAdventure.com.
Outdoors Report
-- East Canyon offers yurts to visitors in the Tribune
-- Morning News recounts history of deer populations across the state
-- Tribune inspired by Utah Ironman
-- Plenty of bucks for hunters in the Morning News
-- Summit Bald Mountain in the Tribune’s Hike of the Week
-- Find out about upcoming events in the Morning News’ Outdoor Notes
-- Check out the Tribune’s Outdoor Notebook and Recreation Roundup for sports and recreation activities this week
-- For the latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report visit the DWR website
New Films
-- Michael Clayton: Tribune review
--We Own the Night: Tribune review
-- Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Tribune review
Concerts
-- Jay Kraybill, organ, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall, free
-- “The Road Not Taken,” Choral Arts Society of Utah, Friday, 8 p.m., Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
-- “Thriller,” Odyssey Dance Theatre, Friday and Saturday, Austad Auditorium, Weber State University
-- “Fall Concert,” West Valley Symphony, Saturday, 8 p.m., Granger High School auditorium, $5
-- Group for New Music, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Madsen Recital Hall, Brigham Young University, free
-- Murray Perahia, piano, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
-- Westminster Chamber Singers and Griffin Chorus, Saturday, 8 p.m., Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College, free
-- The Fourteenth Annual Eccles Organ Festival, Sundays, 8 p.m., through November 4, Cathedral of the Madeleine
-- Organ Recitals, every Saturday, noon, and every Sunday, 2 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall
Theater
-- “Paint Your Wagon” through October 13, Pioneer Theatre Company
-- “Cinderella” through October 17, Tuacahn Amphitheater
-- “My Fair Lady” through October 19, Tuacahn Amphitheater
-- “42nd Street” through October 20, Tuacahn Amphitheater
-- “The Batting Cage” through October 20, Pygmalion Productions
-- “The Flying Dutchman” through October 21, Capitol Theatre
-- “Art” through October 26, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “Dracula” through October 27, Academy of Performing Arts
-- “It's Showtime!” through October 27, Bumbleberry Theatre, Springdale
-- “The Mousetrap” through October 27, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “The Tempest” through October 27, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “Twist the Night Away” through October 28, Bumbleberry Theatre, Springdale
-- “Lucky Stiff” through November 3, Draper Historic Theatre
-- “Harry Botter and the Curse of Dracula” through November 10, Off Broadway Theatre
-- “Little Shop of Horrors” through November 10, Rodgers Memorial Theatre
-- “Once Upon a Mattress” through November 10, Terrace Plaza Playhouse
-- “Spamlet, Where Mystery Meats Comedy” through November 10, Desert Star Cabaret Theatre
-- “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” through November 17, Empress Theatre
-- “Thoroughly Modern Millie” through November 24, Hale Center Theater Orem
-- “Once On This Island” through November 24, Hale Centre Theatre
Museum Exhibits
-- The Bear River Exhibition through December 30, Utah Museum of Natural History
-- Picturing the West: 19th Century Landscape Photography Exhibition through December 30, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Andy Warhol’s Dream America Exhibition through January 6, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Cinderella: Masks, Magic, and Mirrors Exhibition through March 31, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Minerva Teichert: Pageants in Paint Exhibition, through May 26, Brigham Young University Museum of Art
Et Cetera
-- 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Race, Saturday and Sunday
-- Downtown Farmers’ Market, Saturdays through October 20, 8 a.m., Pioneer Park
-- Utah Shakespearean Festival, through October 27, Cedar City |
