Archive for February, 2008

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Celebrity Golf Classic doesn’t lack for names

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

From The Herald Tribune (FL):

Vern Law, the 1960 Cy Young winner with the Pittsburgh Pirates, came in from Provo, Utah. Bob Friend and Elroy Face, two of his teammates on that 1960 Pittsburgh club that stunned the New York Yankees in the World Series, flew in from Pittsburgh.

Law, a devout Mormon who still pitches batting practice at Provo High, was nicknamed “The Deacon” by Bob Prince, the late Pittsburgh broadcaster.

“I was an elder in the Mormon church,” said Law. “Prince didn’t think anyone in Pittsburgh would know what that meant.”

Law is 78 and can still hit a golf ball almost 300 yards. He plays to a 4 handicap on his home course in Provo.

“I don’t understand it, but some people age faster than others,” said Law, who doesn’t drink or smoke.

During the 1960 World Series, a representative from Marlboro cigarettes approached the Pirate right-hander about doing a commercial for a sizable sum of money.

Law declined.

“I told them I wasn’t going to compromise my principles and faith,” he said.

After winning the World Series and the Cy Young Award, Law signed for a $15,000 raise the next year.

“There were no agents in those days,” he said. “My son (Vance Law) made more money in 10 years in the big leagues than I did in 20.”

Law was a workhorse during the 1960 championship season for the Pirates. He pitched 18 complete games, unheard of in today’s game.

One game that sticks in his memory was against the Cincinnati Reds in 1955. Manager Danny Murtaugh started him on two days rest because the scheduled starter was hurt.

The game went 19 innings. Law pitched 18 innings, and although he did not want to leave the game, Murtaugh took him out with the score tied.

The Reds scored a run in the top of the 19th against Friend, but the Pirates scored two runs in the bottom of the 19th to win. Friend pitched one inning and got credit for the victory.  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Brooke White, David Archuleta Through to the Round of 16

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

From The Associated Press:

Four more aspiring singers failed to convince viewers that they have what it takes to win the star-making talent contest “American Idol.”

The voting public cut loose Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, Robbie Carrico and Alexandrea Lushington, trimming the number of contestants to 16 Thursday night.

A standout this week was 17-year-old David Archuleta, who sang a soulful cover of “Imagine.”

Brooke White, 24, also scored a glowing review from Cowell for her bare-bones performance of “You’re So Vain.”

Cowell joked he thought the song was about him.

From Best Syndication.com:

Brooke White is the Carly Simon look alike. This week she explained that she went to beauty school and dropped out to pursue her music career. She did finish high school though. She was all polished up with a new shiny hair do this week with more makeup than before. She played the guitar and sang a Carly Simon song, “You’re so Vain.” Randy said that this was a great song choice and joked about her looking over at the judges singing the song to Simon. Paula said that she like it and it had familiarity. Simon said that he absolutely loved it and it was the perfect song for her.

From The National Ledger:

On the boys side we may have a genuine superstar in the making in David Archuleta. This young man is humble and extremely talented and he has a true presence on the stage, well beyond his years. He’s safe and he is a finalist barring some really bad performances. I hate to pick favorites this early but wow - the kid seems to have it all.

Get American Idol DVD’s

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Tavernari fun to watch and to interview

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

Jonathan Tavernari is a popular media backstop. He talks. He’s quotable. He’s got stories, offers angles and opinions. He’s not shy to expound, and for reporters this season, he’s an all-you-can eat buffet.

The native of Brazil, by way of Timpview High and Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High, is a bundle of energy. He talks like he plays, with unbridled passion. His enthusiasm for basketball is like a politician on the stump. He’s got drop lines, talking points, anecdotes, testimonies and sound bites.

TV reporters, who only get seconds to air their stories, puzzle their tape editors with what sound bite to cut to from a maze of expressions Tavernari spits out like machine-gun shells.

After scoring 20 points and hitting key shots in a home win over Utah, Tavernari showed up in the interview room faster than Superman out of a phone booth, completely changed from game gear to a dapper black turtleneck and sports jacket with a beanie on top. It brought smiles from the media, who knew they were in store for Tavernari spilling his heart like the lead on the “General Hospital” set.

Tavernari’s interviews are like a compressed minisoftware program that expands when it runs. Topics run from one to another, often from country to country and time zones, from societal notes to X’s and O’s. (cont.)

Get The Legends of the Cougars of BYU

Entire article here

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U.S. called a house of cards just on brink

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

A former White House adviser for four U.S. presidents says America is on the verge of financial and political upheaval unless the country makes substantial changes in the very near future.

Speaking Wednesday at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, Stephen M. Studdert, author of the book “America in Danger, What You Must Know to Protect Yourself,” said the country is facing economic threats on various levels, including growing government and corporate debt.

“I think the debt level in this country is enormous and dangerous and frightening,” said Studdert. “If the government of this country were a business, they would have to declare bankruptcy.”

Studdert, who served as adviser to Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, said the U.S. comptroller general has described the U.S. as “bankrupt as a nation.”

“Today the United States of America is a house of cards that could tumble at any time,” he said. “The elements of a perfect storm of destabilization and crisis are all about us.

“I’m concerned about unfunded federal liabilities, especially Medicare and Social Security,” he said. “Unfunded pension liabilities on the private-sector side are enormous, and over-obligations that are unfunded by municipalities, state and local governments are troubling.”  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Sharing in the spirit of song — and praise

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

TWICE NOW IN our ward we have received our sacrament-meeting programs and found no speakers listed.

Instead, between the passing of the sacrament and the closing hymn were these words: “Worship through music.”

As with a testimony meeting, the bishopric member who was conducting started things off. He spoke about a favorite hymn and what it has meant in his life. Then the chorister led us in singing one verse of it.

From the congregation, people trickled forward, then became a stream, adding and explaining their choices.

A Brazilian-born member of our ward spoke of the time when, not long after his conversion, he had the chance to meet then-LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball face-to-face in Brazil. For him we sang “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet.”

This meeting took place only eight days after the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, and one sister spoke of what it had meant to her and her family to watch his funeral on television, over and over, and how they missed him. For her, with her, we sang, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”

A brother who had recently traveled through the west and realized what bleak landscapes the pioneers had traveled through had us sing “Come, Come Ye Saints.” (cont.)

Entire article here

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The 5 Browns: Siblings Achieve Success Not Often Associated With Classical Music

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

From RedOrbit.com:

SPRINGFIELD — It happened to Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond. Hey, it happened to Keith Partridge, too. Will it happen to one of the 5 Browns? Namely, will one of them get too big for their own DNA? As the piano-pounding siblings from Utah prepare to hit Kuss Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 27, each of them says no. Not Gregory, not Ryan, not Melody, not Deondra and not Desirae. As if to ensure that no Brown sticks out, they all do phone interviews together — like the conference call from hell. The unified front is a nice effort. But at this point, the nation’s music critics can’t even agree on which Brown to anoint. “Sometimes they’ll pick out their favorite,” Melody Brown explained, “but it’s always changing. “So it lets us know we’re all equal.” Really, though, if any Brown secretly harbors thoughts of a solo career, now’s the time.

With three No. 1 albums in a row, the 5 Browns might just be the closest thing classical music has to pop stars.

Ranging in age from 22 (Ryan) to 29 (Desirae), the five pianists surely have to be the envy of that stereotypically hoity-toity world.

The Browns love to note that a third of their audience is young - - another third doesn’t even like classical music all that much. But those same people will plunk down the debit card to see five Mormons on five Steinways playing Rachmaninoff. “We’re not the stuffiest people in the world,” Melody Brown said. “We’re not out there in gowns and tuxes.” But, seriously now, how long can something like this last? The shtick of five 20-something piano virtuosos — all famously attended Juilliard at the same time — will eventually run its course. Like, in a year, when Desirae turns 30. Then they’ll have to go on talent alone. Luckily, they all have it. And luckily, classical music has always been a tad different than pop music. “If you look at anybody in the classical world, their careers last a little longer than people in the pop world,” Gregory Brown said. “Hopefully that will translate to our career.” He thinks it has something to do with fads in pop music. “Who’s in now probably won’t be in tomorrow,” he said. Still, it’s not like Gregory and Ryan, for example, have it any easier than Michael or Jermaine did. “Being a family that plays music is hard, anyway,” Gregory Brown said, “just because of the strain the work can put on the family.” And the family’s getting bigger all the time. Last year, Melody became the most recent Brown to marry. (She’s now Melody Brown-Welch offstage.) All three women are married, and Ryan just got engaged. “As of now, we’ve been trying to balance everything,” Melody Brown said. The Browns spend two weeks on the road, then get two weeks off. “When kids come along, we’ll change the schedule more,” she added. So the 5 Browns might never break apart — they might just add more Browns. (cont.)

Order The 5 Browns CD’s Here

Entire article here

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Being a black student at BYU can be difficult

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

BYU student Charlene Baptista paints the face of Peter Sturdivant during the annual African-American Children’s Fair at BYU Saturday. (Jason Olson, Deseret Morning News)

PROVO — While attending Black History Month events at Brigham Young University this month, many black students have spoken out about their feelings on being a minority at the university — and issues that arise from being black and Mormon.

Of the 30,426 students enrolled at BYU, 158 are black, according to BYU statistics.

Black students speaking to the Deseret Morning News at a recent Black History Month presentation emphasized they have been treated very well at BYU — by faculty and students alike. But being a minority anywhere is difficult, they said.

Niiboi Amertev, 25, a junior from Ghana, said sometimes he feels white people in Utah don’t feel comfortable around him, and he can tell by their body language. “Actions speak louder than words,” Amertev said.

Barima Kwarteng, 20, a sophomore from Ghana, said most people at BYU simply don’t have a lot of exposure to blacks, and they don’t really understand black people.

“I get the impression they think I’m here to play sports,” said Kwarteng, who is majoring in computer engineering.

Catherine Spruill, 27, of Steilacoom, Wash., a senior, said, “People make ignorant remarks. They’re not worth remembering. We’ve been commanded to forgive. The easiest way to forgive something is to forget about it.”  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Family History Center is a unique asset

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

From The Daily Times (Salisbury, MD):

To the editor:

I feel moved to let someone know how much the Family History Center in Onley has helped me in researching my family genealogy. The center has been an invaluable resource for work I have done over the last five years would have been impossible without the center being available on the Eastern Shore.

Prior to the Eastern Shore Family History Center’s opening, traveling to Hampton Roads to the nearest center was a dream. As a mother of eight, it was impossible to even consider.

The welcome I received at the center by Darlene van Werkhoven and her staff of volunteers is as warm as any Eastern Shore welcome could be. For hours I can scan the microfilm with an infant in my arms or a young child playing on the floor beside me. I always feel at home when I am there.

As a second-generation American with little information but some names of my great-grandparents and the countries from which they emigrated, I was able to narrow my search through Social Security and Ellis Island records to some particular European towns. I then ordered the films of those village records and was able to search for my uncommon surname right at the Onley Family History Center instead of writing or traveling to the villages myself.

The microfilms contain photos of the original records, and many showed nothing that I recognized. Imagine my surprise when one morning I loaded microfilm on the viewer, turned the handle and saw page after page of my maiden name repeatedly listed in birth, death and census records of a particular village church in southern Switzerland. I had discovered generations of genealogical information and in one moment went from knowing very little to dating my family back to the early 17th century. I immediately put those particular microfilms on indefinite loan.

The resources at the center allowed me to trace my other European lines also to small towns that will never be of any interest other than to those of my family. These are records that would not be on the Internet or in any database, because so few people who descended from the people in those villages would be interested.

I am so grateful that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feels these records are worthwhile to preserve. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate having this Center here in our community — I understand it is one of 5,000 worldwide.

I encourage anyone who is interested in researching his or her genealogy to take advantage of this wonderful, invaluable resource we are so fortunate to have on our own Eastern Shore. (cont.)

Entire article here

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David Archuleta Emerges as A clear leader among the ‘Idol’ men

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

Outshines the competition with his poise, confidence

From MSNBC:

The “American Idol” guys sang songs from the ‘70s on Tuesday’s show, and it was one of those nights where the judges seemed to grade on a curve.

Much was expected from those who had succeeded last week, which meant that Michael Johns and Jason Castro had to be content with lukewarm praise even though they were still among the top performers. On the other hand, David Hernandez and Danny Noriega were lauded for their efforts because they were a lot better than they were a week ago.

The result was David Archuleta emerging as the clear leader. As Simon said after the teenager’s performance, he’s the one to beat. Though it’s early, Archuleta already has the judges raving and the girls in the audience squealing.

Teenager shines
Archuleta is the youngest male still here, and younger guys tend to struggle as the competition wears on. But he has the poise onstage of a longtime performer, and the confidence of someone who’s been doing this for a long time.

That was evident in the judges’ reaction to his version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Paula gushed, “I want to squish you, squeeze your head off and dangle you from my rearview mirror.” (cont.)

Buy Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore BUNDLE for Wii

Entire article here

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Utah’s Housing Market “No Longer Insulated”

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

From HousingDoom.com:

Another “too special to fail” housing market is on the skids- Utah.  Here’s how one agent described the Utah housing market in 2006:

All the recent talk of a bubble and the cooling off of the markets on left and right coasts seems to have only strengthened the local market for Utah. Many of the people selling in the coastal regions are moving inland, away from the natural disasters and high cost of living and realizing how beautiful a place like Utah really is. And real estate is local and is effected by local factors as much as by general factors, such as interest rates.

Here’s the most recent story about the Utah market from the Salt Lake Tribune. [No longer available.] They mention that some areas have appreciated more than 40% during the last twelve months, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that the market is headed for a bubble. It’s not- and here are some reasons why:

First, the Utah market is not only appreciating- it’s correcting from the last few years of being flat while the rest of the country went up in value.

Secondly, being undervalued has brought in some investors, but most of the homes are being sold to homeowners. When markets get too many investors buying and flipping properties, like what’s happened in Vegas the last couple years, the appreciation is hollow. It’s self-created by the market and doesn’t have a solid foundation, so eventually the market has to correct downward. Utah’s market has not been mainly because of investors.

It was the same “no bubble here” rhetoric we have heard from across the nation, and now it is playing out the same way:  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Mitt’s Son Josh Romney mulling politics

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

Utahns may get the chance to vote for a Romney this November after all — Josh Romney, the son of former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, says he’s considering a run for Congress.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that Mitt Romney may end up on the ballot as a vice presidential candidate — or even, some suggest, the party’s nominee if the campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., continues to falter.

Josh Romney told the Deseret Morning News that after a year of campaigning across country for his father, he’s been approached to run as a Republican against 2nd Congressional District Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

“I haven’t ruled it out,” Josh Romney, 32, of Millcreek, said of becoming a candidate himself. “I’m pretty young, but I’ve had good experience on the campaign trail.” Plus, he said, he likely could count on his father’s supporters here in Utah.

He also has to consider whether he’s ready to take on the rigors of another race and spend more time away from his wife, Jen, and their three children, Owen, 1; Wyatt, 3; and Gracie, 5; as well as his career in real estate development.

Josh Romney is the only one of the family’s five sons who lives in Utah. His father, who served as the head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, was considered a “favorite son” presidential candidate in Utah.   (cont.)

Entire article here

Posted in Families, Politics | 1 Comment »

Church History Library will be ’state of the art’

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

From The Deseret Morning News:

Besides the publication of “The Joseph Smith Papers,” the construction of the new Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City is evidence of the LDS Church’s desire to make history more available to scholars and the public.

The 230,000-square-foot facility will have five floors and is currently under construction just east of the Conference Center and north of the Church Office Building at the northeast corner of Main and North Temple streets.

It will be completed in the spring of 2009. Construction began in October 2006.

“It’ll be a great state-of-the-art library,” said Elder Marlin K. Jensen, church historian and member of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Construction is a lengthy process because of all the considerations for temperature, humidity and the storage of rare old documents.

“It will be a very welcoming, convenient building,” he said, noting the building is on schedule and in budget.

He believes it “will rival the great libraries of the world with its facilities and collections.” He also feels it will be yet another significant attraction for anyone who makes a pilgrimage to Salt Lake City, church headquarters and Temple Square.  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Julianne Hough Sets the Record Straight in Country Weekly Interview

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

From CountryWeekly.com:

Here are some excerpts from an interview Julianne did with CW Senior Editor David Scarlett during a break in a Nashville recording session not long ago. You may be watching her on Dancing with the Stars again in the coming months, but there’s a good chance you’ll also be hearing her music climbing the charts later this year. Here’s part of what she has to say about that . . . and more.

CW: I’m impressed with what I’ve heard so far.

JH: Oh! Thank you! Thank you so much! I’m extremely happy with everything that’s happened . . . extremely happy with everything we’ve recorded so far.

CW: Is there a timetable for a single, album release?

JH: We’re gonna be releasing the single early spring . . . we’re not sure which one yet . . . and the whole album will be released May—June, late spring. Not that far away at all.

CW: What’s your Dancing schedule, and how are you squeezing everything in?

JH: There’s a lot of juggling. We’re gonna be finishing the album, ’cause I have to head back to LA the third week of February to start training for Dancing with the Stars. And that will finish the last week of May. David (her producer, David Malloy) might have to come to LA, so we can do some vocals at night after rehearsal.

CW: Are you looking at being on a musical tour later this year, as opposed to a dancing tour?

JH: Oh absolutely. We’ve already been talking to some amazing artists, and if I could go on the road with any of them, I would die to. But, yeah, I’m gonna be an opening act for somebody.

CW: Is this your first studio experience?

JH: The first time I was with David (Malloy), for “Will You Dance With Me”…that was I think my second time in the studio. It was very new to me, I was very nervous. But David is so great, I’m so comfortable around him…I could go so off—key and sound great to him! (laughs)  (cont.)

Entire article here

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Study: Mormons have biggest families among religions

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

From TheExaminer.com:

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Mormons have the biggest families of any religious group in the country, according to a new study.

The Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life’s report says one in five Mormon households has at least three children at home. Muslim families are second in size to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Hindus are most likely to be married, followed by LDS church members.

The report also indicates that Protestant religions are on the verge of losing majority status in the country. Right now, 51 percent of people call themselves Protestant - and that number is falling.

Entire article here

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