8.10.2009

Movie The Cove

Today, Kristy took me to see the move The Cove. With out knowing much about it other then the fact that we were recommended to see it by Kristy's sister Kim, I was totally blown away by this independent film. Outrage is simply not a strong enough word to convey the emotions that I feel regarding the topic of this movie. For those that have not seen this movie, I highly encourage you all to see this film and take a moment to see why this is my feelings. There were moments during this film that I could barely keep my rage under control.

The movie is in regards to an issue that should receive more press coverage and more public outcry against this type of debauchery. There have been many misunderstandings between cultures but this is beyond some simple misunderstanding. This is mindless savagery and barbaric behavior which the government of Japan both on a local level and higher levels have convinently turned a blind eye to.

The slaughter of over 23,000 dolphins happens each year in Taiji, Japan. The whole sale slaughter of dolphins should never be attributed to TRADITION. Each time the question has been raised the answer provided was that we would not understand since it is tradition. Human nature some times astonishes me sometimes on how ridiculous our actions are. Despite proof being provided the continued harvesting of dolphins still takes place each year from September through March.

How far have we come when a barbaric act goes unpunished for years? When the so called governing body of the world IWC continues to view this as below their prevue? A toothless organization that fails in its attempt to be a guardian to our oceans. Where votes by members can be purchased in support of a nation that struggles to provide answers that are logical and clear cut. The blame for the decline in the fishing around the world has been placed squarely at the feet of the whales. This is what Japan has been trying to prove to get the anti-whaling law repealed. They have tried to buy the support of voting countries to get that accomplished. The decline in the fishing is due to a multiple conditions that typically point to one common point of origin, MAN.

There are many things that can be said, but it comes down to this simply fact, quoting Edmund Burke "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Will you act?

8.09.2009

Happy B-Day


HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEY
August 8, 2009

Into the terrific 2s!

On this day...

August 7th will always be the day my Father, Claron Edwin Swenson, was born and is a day to celebrate! I have to admit this one was a little harder than those of the past. I decided to take ballons to the cemetary this year...

...they were still floating around the family plots today.

Tristan and I took Mom to dinner on the 7th. When we first planned the dinner we thought a place in the mountains would be good because it would be cooler than the city. We decided on the Silver Fork Lodge in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It turned out that the valley was cool and the mountain were cold. I think Dad would have liked our choice and especially the surroundings!

Kim and Andreas' day

Kim and Andreas were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on August 1st, 2009. They were married last year on August 16th in California. Now they have been sealed in the Temple for time and all eternity. It was a beautiful ceremony. Earlier in the day Kim and Andreas spent and hour with Busath Photography on the Temple grounds taking pictures. Kim asked me to take a few pictures after so that they could have pictures to put on tables at the dinner. We went inside the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for the pictures. It was a lot of fun working with Kim and Andreas! After the Temple cermony I also took some candid and group pictures. We then went to The Roof Restaurant for dinner. Here are some pictures from the morning: