Democrats Blow a Great Opportunity--Peter Carroon v. BYU Professor Richard Davis

I voted for Richard Davis for Democratic Party Chair. He did not win. Peter Carroon won. Both were good choices, but Peter is a better choice as a candidate for political office and Richard would have been a shrewd and smart strategic choice as Party chair.

Utah Democrats were foolish for not embracing Mr. Davis' candidacy, even though many party stalwarts may not agree with some of his positions--as I don't.

In listening to comments in the caucases, instead of realizing that Democrats are the minority party in Utah, it appears that the rank and file want Peter Carroon, not because he's good for the party's progress but because, "he's put in his dues," "we need to act like, talk like and be Democrats (whatever that means)," and because he's a BYU Professor and therefore his candacy is "interjecting religion into politics." I also had the feeling that many would not vote for Mr. Davis solely because he is LDS.

So the same wrongheaded thinking that many staunch LDS Republicans have that does not permit them to be Democrats or vote for none-LDS candidates or those who are Democrats--applies to many Democrats. Yet when you are in the minority, you especially need to reach out and attract more participation from a broader electorate. You do not do that by party purges, creating orthodoxy and electing those who have "put in their dues."

Those involved in politics at the grass roots level in both parties tend to include many who are at the polar extremes of the populace. This leaves a lot of people in the middle. And lets face it, in Utah, that middle is filled with many who are LDS who do not feel welcome in the Democratic party and are often made to feel unwelcome.

As a consequence, the Republicans have the luxury in this State of ignoring the independent and potential swing voters. Democrats can accept that for what it is and as the minority party, work with it and court those moderate voices or it can swim against the current.

Therefore, Democrats can decide if they want to continue to have little influence outside of Salt Lake County by sticking to their orthodoxy or they can appeal to a broader base by making bold choices. Such choices would include embracing fellow Democrats who, while clearly fitting within party philosophical parameters, may not share the same positions on a few issues that Democrats consider the litmus test to the parties' supposed orthodoxy.

Richard Davis, as party chair, could have helped exponentially in extending the party's influence beyond Salt Lake County without having had any political power to have threatened the orthodoxy of the party.

Yet, because Democrats have rejected Professor Richard Davis, Republicans can relax and Democrats can now continue to be the party of the Wasatch front.

Loren M. Lambert © April 26, 2014

Not When, but If

"It is not a matter of when but if."

Comment 1: Steve Sims - if the when is never the if is moot

Comment 2: Loren M. Lambert - This isn't my slogan, it's the slogan of the republican party.

Comment 3: Bob Shorten - Ninth grade geography teacher at Wasatch always said that about earthquakes

Loren M. Lambert © April 23, 2014

Taste for Dirt

When you get a taste for dirt, it's hard to keep it from going to your head.

Loren M. Lambert © April 22, 2014

Look Good or Be Good?

I only have time to look good, not to be good.

Comment 1: Rosalinda Burton - Oh come on now! Being good helps you look good!!!

Comment 2: Jeff Johnson - How ironic and I'm just the opposite.

Comment 3: Loren M. Lambert - (Frankly, truth be told, I was thinking about my workouts--the reality is I can't push myself like I use to because I can't hold up and my time is limited so its like I'm athletic enough to stand at the starting line in the sun and look like I could actually run the race but as soon as the gunshot sounded, I'd just have to stand in the sun and look like . . . )

Comment 4: Rosalinda Burton - ....you just finished it?

Loren M. Lambert © April 22, 2014

Embracing The Eternal Mystery of Mediocrity, Moderation and Modesty

I’m re-thinking this, be all you can be, find your highest potential, explore your limits, hogwash. The wisdom of Joe Rowling, fellow river rat and Wisconsin wonderkund-kid keeps coming back to taunt me. Joe, zinc oxide always plastered across his city-boy-white nose, a goofy Gillagan’s Island straw hat on his head, said you should never get into shape so you don’t ever have to worry about getting out of shape. So you know, this wasn't coming from some loser--Joe was the best most improbable yet adequately able river guide there ever sometimes was.

He would slightly less than whole heartedly agree with me that it’s best to stay a bit pudgy, somewhat pale, slightly greasy and settle for just enough of everything to live moderately above the poverty level. And, he would nod unenthusiastically that on a good day we should shoot for just a bit less than the sure thing, expect the worse yet plan for something slightly better, and to always look on the side that faces you and steer clear of any bright sides.

I mean isn't it much more engaging and romantic to be able to just look at what others are doing and say–“Hell, I could do that.” “You call that art?” “Piece of cake.” “I’ve seen bigger balls on a pygmy possum.” “Why don’t I?–Why bother?--Hey, I’m fine where I am,” and last but not exactly, the least, “I could a if I wanted ta, I just don’t wanna.”

In fact, if he wanted to, Joe would’ve probably made millions of dollars going into business with me almost printing up t-shirts with slogans like: Slow Guts No Gory; Less is Never More & We Want it That Way; No Need for Speed; Never Gain If It Requires Pain; When the Going Get’s Tough The Smart Go To Bed.

Finally, Joe would possibly give me an ovation if I’d do the standing and half-hearted clapping myself, and if he had the interest in listening to me exhort: don’t ever go the extra mile; definitely do not take the road less traveled; and never ever, except on the pain of death, follow your dreams.

And why? Because 90% of all fatalities, catastrophic property losses and relationship blowouts occur during the extra mile, 97% of the time the road is less traveled because it leads to a dumpy little place next to a toxic waste dump where for entertainment its five residents watch tar drip; and don’t follow your dreams because they were never really that cool since you were either asleep, drunk or sick when you had them you never had the capacity to follow them any way, and if you did manage to follow them to their very end you had to ask: Is that all there is? Is that all I’ve got? And then you had to answer: Yes, that is all there is, and that is all I have got, and it’s all I ever had and ever will have.

Where’s the mystery and glory in that? There isn't any. So leave something in reserve. Besides, if you would just ignore them, dreams should be like butterflies that just come and land on your shoulder. Why should you chase them? Better--make them chase you. So, if you hear about the best restaurant with the best food ever, avoid it like the plague. If you hear about some technique for the most exquisite sex, the most intimate relationship–burn it. Don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. Who wants the burden of knowing it will never get any better.

This will allow you to live in a state of continuous anticipation with a sure knowledge that your best is yet to come, that Santa will always be on his way, and that America is a place where we are exceptional and never do anything wrong.

Then you’ll never have to confront the pain of knowing you gave it your very best but your best wasn't good enough, and you’ll never wonder if what you have could be any better.

So when I die, my epitaph should read:

Here Lies a Man Whose Best Was Yet to Come, Who Was More Than Likely A Famous Genius and A Great Leader but Who Chose to Live a Modest, Humble Life of Mysterious Mediocrity.

Loren M. Lambert © April 22, 2014

The Daddy Daughter Connection

Today I got a call that no parent/Dad wants to hear. It turned out that it wasn’t too serious, still, not good. “Mr. Lambert there’s been an emergency, you need to come immediately to pick up your daughter and take her in for medical care . . .” Instantly, at the back of my stomach this heavy sick feeling took hold. I fired off a few orders to my office staff, gathered up my brief case and headed to Cottonwood High.

Earlier this week I had one of my best meetings, aka, auditions. Generally, they have all been pretty solid lately due to lots of hard work. So you know, a great audition for an actor is not that they get the part, we don’t have any control over that and there are a lot of variables and lots of stiff competition. A great audition is when you forget you’re auditioning, you forget your day, forget your standing at a mark like a wax museum statue, forget there’s a camera stuck in your face and you connect to a momentarily real experience and react like you really would were that moment a real event in your life with your scene partner. I was reading for the part of a father who had recently lost a daughter and was consoling his surviving daughter due to her survivor’s guilt. In that moment for all intents and purposes I was that girl’s father and the emotion was raw, real and visceral.

The same as it was as I was driving to get my daughter.

My sons, all older than her have had their medical emergencies. Those experiences also provoked the same sense of concern, but there was something different about this, something much more profound and substantial knowing my daughter was in pain. It was like there was this neural connection draining her anxiety into me so I could feel it like it was mine.

I arrived at Cottonwood, called the number I had been given and Noelle’s high school attendance coordinator brought her out in a wheel chair. She couldn’t walk because while at dance practice she had impaled her foot on a sharp hanger wire that must have been used to hang some prop. It was dangling from the ball of her foot and looked to be about an inch or more in. She was in pain and every whimper and ouch made my gut turn more. I wanted to take the pain for her.

We went to the Holliday Instacare. While waiting for treatment, which required a numbing shot because the wire was hooked, she asked me to sing to her. My jaw dropped, my heart surged and I felt so inadequate. For the past many years she had always asked me not to sing. On the spot, all I could think of was the Killer’s Human that I had been singing in the morning. Not exactly a calming song. Yet, she wanted distraction, so I obliged. Holding her hand, as the doctor gave her a shot, I sang a weak Human and then threw in Ed Shehan’s Lego House.

"Are we human, or are we dancer, my sign is vital my hands are cold, and I'm on my knees looking for the answers, are we human or are we Dancer." "And if you're broken I will mend you, and I'll keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now." Still the neural connection raged on, the pit in my stomach, and the helplessness in the face of her pain remained. It didn’t wane until an hour after I took her home.

Then I realized why it had been a great audition--the apparent tapped into connection. That Daddy Daughter connection. So what is it? Instinctual? I can’t think of anything I’ve done different with my sons, wife or others I love in my life. Yet this was so immediate, so tangible. Though now I know she'll revert back to asking me not to sing when I do, I am just thankful she’s now downstairs, safe, sharing the calm after the storm with good friends. I can only hope that further such connections will only be in auditions when I can find that neural link in my imagination and be at my best artistic self, instead of receiving a call that there has been an emergency.

Loren M. Lambert © April 18, 2014

Sugar is Poison--Literally

Sugar is poison, sugar causes addiction, sugar causes diabetes (type II), any diet that works will be high fiber and low sugar. Low sugar and high fiber diets are what god gave us and processed food is taking real food and turning it into unhealthy garbage. We used to consume about a 100 grams a day of fiber—now we consume 12 grams a day. Extracting fiber and adding sugar is good for your wallet and bad for your health. This is said here: http://radiowest.kuer.org/post/sugar-bitter-truth-0

Loren M. Lambert © April 16, 2014