This thing was orchestrated a long time ago. They're not making mistakes, just playing by the script.

Jeremiah Wright, who performed Obama's marriage and baptized both of his children, appears unremorseful about the fiery sermons that made their way on to YouTube and led to his ouster from an advisory committee the Obama campaign.

  Watch Wright talk about preaching in black churches »

But Wright, long critical of the establishment Obama must embrace in his Oval Office bid, knew it was coming. He predicted as much in a New York Times interview more than a year ago, CNN reports.

"If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me," Wright told the newspaper with a shrug in April 2007. "I said it to Barack personally, and he said, 'Yeah, that might have to happen.' "

Obama knew it was coming. The only thing he couldn't entirely gauge was the impact, which looks bad for him right now.

Wright seems like an adolescent bragging on the playground. Obama's former pastor doesn't care at all about Obama's presidential ambitions. Wright is helping Hillary right now, and he knows it.

Just a quick reminder of this weeks TLC (True Loyal Connections) Meeting.

Tuesday, April 29th, at Pasta & Vino’s 138 N. Main in Old Town Pocatello.

Time:  11:45 to 1:00 pm

Dean & Kathie Andrus with "OwnHomeEarly.com" will be presenting for us this week.

The sole purpose of this time is to meet with Business Owners, Managers and Leaders to network, pass referrals and have lunch.

There is nothing to join, and no cost other than your lunch and a $1.00 voluntary donation to support our group.  Bring a new friend and your lunch could be free!

Remember, everyone who attends is eligible to win a free dinner courtesy of Pasta & Vino’s.

If you have any questions please call Troy Neu at 234-2679.

Troy Neu

Old Town Embroidery

 Elder M. Russell Ballard, a senior leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told the Brigham Young University Management Society in Washington, D.C., Saturday that the Church has embraced the increased media attention brought about by the recent political campaigns.

This confirms several ideas that I expressed in previous JHub posts.

Elder Ballard said the Church must not be reluctant to participate in public discussion, noting that where appropriate the Church will engage with traditional and new media. He then issued a challenge to Church members to be active participants instead of silent observers during this period of unusual attention and debate.

Right.

 I mentioned how the church does not shy away from any dialogues. So it is great that the members are being called to be more a part of their communities and to rise to the occassion.

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtm...>Calling for people of goodwill to unite, Elder Ballard said: “We should be active in our communities. We should join groups where we can exert a positive influence. We should embrace those who have similar values and try to better understand those who don’t.”

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtm...>I concur.

http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtm...> 

She came yesterday morning, 10 days before the due date.

And the labor was a very quick one.

The painkillers didn't even take effect until after she was out -- OUCH!

Nonetheless, our new baby is another healthy bundle of joy and is currently resting with mommy.

-- Michael

Hear the music: I was on my feet clapping even before the game started. Natalie, Andrea, and fellow senior Kaylynn Fager were honored and presented a plaque with their jersey framed in it. During the game, Andrea passed Mandi Carver for second on Idaho State's all-time scoring list leaving behind only Natalie.

I wrote the words above in my JHub entry back on March 13:

The heart, magic, and music of Bengal Basketball

 

The entry was one of several articles I've done  about the great experiences that my wife, my daughters and I have had at Idaho State Bengal sports events. Many of these memories featured our women's teams.

Via routes 84 and 86, with Boises State's Bronco Stadium and its smurf-blue astroturf having shrunk out of sight in my rear view mirror, I drove down the road of Bengal spirit -- that special magic that can only be found on a Saturday in Pocatello ... I went on to say.

That is why I was shocked when I read that Jon Newlee, the winningest coach in Idaho State University women's basketball history, has announced that he is leaving the Bengal program to take the head coaching position at the University of Idaho. He will take over for Mike Divilbiss, who resigned from his position on March 28th with two years left on his contract.  

"While it may not quite equate to Rick Pitino leaving Kentucky for Louisville via the Boston Celtics, the move is sure to surprise both Bengal and Vandal faithful alike," writes Mike Liptak, a correspondent on Magicvalley.com.

Many questions arise.

First, take a look back at Newlee's success here, compared to the Idaho Vandals recent results:

Newlee this past season led the Bengals to a 20-10 mark and their third consecutive post-season berth as ISU advanced to the WNIT, where they lost to Boise State. The 20 wins marked only the third time in school history that the Bengals broke the 20-win plateau, and Newlee had one of those other seasons, leading ISU to a 20-9 mark in his second season.

Idaho finished 4-25 last year.

Over his six-year career, Newlee led the Bengals to a 93-82 mark, and a 54-34 Big Sky Conference record, including three second place finishes, and a first place regular season title in 2006. In 2007, the Bengals went 17-14, finishing second in the league and winning the Big Sky Conference Tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history.

Divilbiss had a seven-year record with the Vandals of 82-119.

Newlee's mark is even more impressive knowing where ISU was at the start of his tenure. He was hired in 2002 and was ISU's fourth head coach in just nine months, and his first team struggled to a 6-20 finish. From there, his teams were golden, going 20-9, 13-16, 17-13, 17-14, and finally 20-10, advancing to the postseason in four of those final five years. He owns four of the top five marks for wins in a season in school history, and his 54 wins over the last three years is easily the most successful three-year run in school history as well.

The 2007-08 season saw one of Newlee's prized recruits, Natalie Doma, become the first player in school or Big Sky history to be named a National Player of the Year finalist, as she was named a finalist for both the State Farm Wade Trophy, and for the Wooden Award.

"Most of all, it’s disappointing that (Newlee is) going to Idaho, writes Kellis Robinett. "The Vandals didn’t even win 10 games this past season, and the Bengals are the much, much stronger team."

In his six seasons, Newlee coached 10 all-conference performers, including two Big Sky Players of the Year, a Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, a Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, and a Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Newlee was also honored by his peers as the 2006 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. He also has coached 22 Big Sky All-Academic honorees, and he should add at least six more to that total when the winter team is released later this month. Also under Newlee, the Bengals had three players earned Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American.

Newlee went 2-1 against Idaho while at the helm of the Bengals.

"Had he gotten the job at UNLV, which I’m told he was a finalist for, no one would think anything of it," Robinett said. "That’s a big step up from Pocatello."

He continues: "Moscow, though, is very arguably a tougher place to win than Pocatello. Idaho faces many of the same problems as Idaho State, and no one wants to lose a coach to a rival."

So the question grows deeper. Why this particluar change, and why now?

Speculation runs rampant:

According to Robinett, "Idaho has stability in its athletic department right now. It also has better facilities and was in a position to offer Newlee a five-year contract. That’s what Newlee wanted."

Liptak made the educated guess that "a  postseason win is one thing eluded Newlee during his stint at ISU and may have played a part in his decision to leave. With Idaho competing in the Western Athletic Conference, which is more highly thought of than the Big Sky, better seeds in postseason tournaments could put teams in a better position to win a game or two."

On Robinett's blog, Up For Improvement posted: "What Idaho State University fans and supporters have to be concerned about are the conditions of (1) lack of leadership at the highest levels of the University, (2) instability at the position of athletic director, and (3) untold years of neglect for funding of ahtletic facilities just for starters."

On Thebengalden.com,

biobengal said: "Suprising and disappointing ... Good luck to Newlee... I truly believe this speaks volumes about the state of the athletic department. Idaho is not exactly a great position; better.... apparently."

and vluvforbengals said:  "You can't make a coach stay... you can only provide the most attractive offer so he wants to stay. Since we don't have the money or great facilities we would have had to make it up in other ways. ... I don't think he was dying to get out of Pocatello and up to Moscow so much as go somewhere where he felt the administration was committed to his program. They are still without championship rings from last year... a small fact that speaks volumes to a coach about what the university thinks of his team. ... I'm not naive enough to believe he would have stayed forever, but it just makes me wonder how much the coaches in all the sports here feel like the administration is committed to quality athletics."

skippy57  said: "the University of Idaho used to be the model for that when the Vandals were in the Big Sky -- they lost several football and basketball coaches to bigger programs in the 1980s and early 1990s, but always succeeded in hiring another good one. Boise State has also mastered the art, at least in football. They replaced three excellent football coaches with excellent successors.

Idaho State's problem has been a very weak administration (mostly Bowen), hiring very weak athletic directors. They, in turn, have done a lousy job hiring coaches and providing them with the tools they needed to succeed."

I can only conjecture that Robinett, Up For Improvement, Liptak, biobengal and the others are right.  It is time for the Bengal administration to rise to the occassion and plug a few holes before the ISU athletic program becomes a sinking ship.

It will be very interesting to see how ISU President Arthur Vailas proceeds from here.

Idaho State Women's Basketball

NEWSFLASH: Save the Date for Take Back the Night – Friday, April 25 – More details to follow!
 
In the meantime, plan to attend the Family Services Alliance Safe at Home Dessert Gala:

I had the privilege of meeting Rep. Steven Thayn from Canyon County, at recent political forums.

"I always felt oppressed in our education system, Steve said. "As a senior in high school, I got a group opposed to the United Nations to come to my government class and they were kicked out of school. I felt that as if I had been kicked out of school and realized that education is not about learning the whole story or freedom of speech. This is still a problem at this time. I believe that schools need to support parents and reinforce their values, not try to give them different values."

Steve grew up on a farm in Emmett, Idaho; went to Utah State for a year, spent two years on a mission for the LDS church in Brazil where he learned Portuguese; came back and went to Utah State for another year and earned a voc-tech degree as a dairy herdsman; returned to Emmett and started a dairy with his father which Steve managed for 18 years.

After selling the dairy Steve returned to school graduated from Boise State University with a political science degree and a teaching certificate. He taught Spanish in high school for 4 years, ran for state Senate once unsuccessfully, then ran for the House and was elected. Steve now serves on the Health and Welfare; Commerce and Human Resources; and Education Committees.

Steve married his wife Sherry in 1977 which he calls "the best thing that I ever did," adding  "she has been such a stabilizing influence in my life. We have been blessed with 8 wonderful children; six boys and then two girls. Three are married and we have two grandchildren.

Rep. Thayn sent me the following thoughts he has recently written.

For further elaborations on these matters, see Thayn's website at:

www.Thayn4Idaho.com

-- Michael

________

America is a blessed nation and Idaho is a special state.  I feel so fortunate to have served the citizens of District 11 in the state legislature the last two years.  I seek your support for another term in the Idaho House of Representatives.  

However, people have concerns.  
Property taxes are high.
One in 36 adults is incarcerated. Canada's rate is only 1 in 700.  
The State budget has grown 50 percent in 5 years.
Foreclosure rates are climbing.
Not enough money for roads.
90 percent of the budget goes to education, Health and Welfare and corrections.

Should we raise taxes and increase the role of the state government or do we need less government and lower taxes?  

I strongly believe that we need less government.  The limited government philosophy is popular; however, it has not been successfully implemented in recent history because no one has proposed a practical plan to solve social problems using less government.  I have three simple proposals.  

In education, allow more flexibility and choice.  Allow students to accelerate through the K-12 curriculum and finish in less than 13 years.

Health and Welfare:  Place more emphasis on prevention thus reducing the need for costly interventions.

The basic building block of society is the family unit.  A strong parent-child bond is the key to drug prevention, crime prevention, and good mental health.  As we focus on the important role of parents, low-cost solution to social problems will become obvious.

I sincerely believe that we are at a crossroad.  I ask for your support and vote on May 27th so that I can continue to formulate and champion a limited government social agenda.  

Thank you,
Rep. Steven Thayn
www.Thayn4Idaho.com

TLC is moving!

Beginning April 15^th we will be meeting at Pasta & Vino’s 138 N. Main St. in downtown Pocatello.

Please make note of the change and plan on continuing to come and network with other business leaders from throughout the community.

Thank you.

No surprise here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a missionary organization that spends most of its time on public outreach matters including the building of temples, proselyting in the field, meeting with civic leaders, performing charitable work, working with other religions and donating to their causes, etc.

It is not clear that the AP claim of "decades of silence" is journalistically accurate. There has been a lot of commentary from the church on the gay issue. All are welcome at  the meetings where these talks are usually given.

There is a big difference between not being willing to attend a function of a group and turning one's back on them.  For example, I can invite the First Presidency to my next children's literature symposium.Their lack of attendance doesn't necessarily symbolize an unwilligness by the church to talk about and help children.

When I joined the Mormon Church in New Jersey in 1996, I remember the missionary who did my final discussion: Tyler Hammond from Idaho Falls, Idaho.

That was the first time I had ever heard of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Anyway, Tyler was telling me about how many strippers and murderers he was baptizing.

NOTE: There is no intention here to compare gays to strippers and murderers.

However, the point is clear that the LDS church doesn't avoid dialogue or embracement of any person or group.

-- Michael

______

Gay Mormons get audience Affirmation's Assistant Executive Director Dave Melson poses Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. After decades of silence, Mormon church officials have agreed to meet with the gay Mormon support group. "We're pleased the church is opening up the possibility for dialog," said Melson. (AP Photo/Timothy Jacobsen) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - After decades of silence, Mormon church officials have agreed to meet with a gay Mormon support group that has sought to forge understanding between the faith's leaders and its gay members. In a letter received last week, leaders of Affirmation were invited to meet with Fred M. Riley, commissioner of Family Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Harold C. Brown, the agency's past commissioner. ''We're pleased the church is opening up the possibility for dialogue,'' said Dave Melson, Affirmation's assistant executive director. ''Affirmation has tried 5 or 6 times over the past 31 years to meet with church leaders. This is their second response.'' Affirmation has repeatedly invited church leaders to meet or attend the group's annual conference, but the only response was a letter last year declining the conference invitation, Melson said. In February, just three days after 80-year-old Thomas S. Monson was named president of the 13 million-member church, Affirmation petitioned the new leader to meet and begin an unprecedented conversation about gays in the church. -- Advertisement -- Riley's letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, says he and Brown were asked by Monson to meet with Affirmation on his behalf. ''We believe that is always important to have the opportunity to be given better understanding of your points of view so that the church can appropriately understand your organization and how best to be helpful,'' Riley wrote. The meeting is scheduled for August, Riley confirmed Sunday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Among the specifics Affirmation wants to address: the historical treatment of gays by the church, including recommendations for aversion therapies to ''cure'' homosexuality; recommendations for more effective counseling methods; ways to avoid family break-ups; and a change in the honor code at church-owned Brigham Young University that can result in expulsion for sexually active gay students. The same standard applies to straight students. ''None of this requires a change in doctrine,'' said Melson. ''They're good for both gays and the church.'' Melson, who spoke with Riley on Friday, said he asked if the meeting would result in any change or was simply and effort to placate Affirmation. ''They said that there won't be immediate changes, but they are definitely interested in helping ... that they are sincere,'' he said. ''We would like to start to a dialogue, even if it isn't immediately fruitful. For Affirmation, which has about 2,000 gay, lesbian and transgender members worldwide, an official meeting with anyone from the church organization is unprecedented. Founded in secret by gay students at BYU in 1977, Affirmation has traditionally been ignored by church leaders, Melson said. Latter-day Saints are taught that gay sex is a sin. Gays can continue to hold church callings if they remain celibate. Those who act on what the church calls ''same-gender attraction'' have sometimes been excommunicated. In the 1990s, the church openly fought same-sex marriage legislation nationwide and, in 2006, joined other religious denominations in asking Congress for a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution. LDS Family Services, with offices across the country, is the only church-endorsed source of counsel for gay members and their families. All therapists are licensed and trained to use treatments that best fit the individual, Riley said. But gay Mormons say the agency's track record of assistance is marked by a lack of understanding and a prescription for clinical treatments that were sometimes horrific and painful. ''My personal story - I got recommended for electroshock therapy. They told me to hate and be angry at my parents for making me gay,'' said Rob Killian, a Seattle physician who has frequently spoken publicly about his experiences. ''They've destroyed families.'' It's not clear what treatment methods LDS Family Services therapists currently recommend, but in a 2007 interview posted on the church Web site, Apostle Dallin Oaks acknowledged that some abusive practices, including over-medication and aversion therapies, had been used in the past and phased out by professionals over time. Oaks said the church has no position on the types of treatment used by doctors and accepts no responsibility for out-of-date treatments. ''Even though they are addressed at helping people we would have liked to see helped,'' Oaks said in the interview. ''We can't endorse every kind of technique.'' Killian called a meeting between Affirmation and the church a ''small improvement'' and said he thinks the church may be acting for public relations reasons. He fears it will perpetuate a false belief that the church will change. ''There is no way under the current system or the current administration that our story would be even listened to or heard,'' he said. Valerie Larabee, executive director of the Utah Pride Center in Salt Lake City, is more hopeful. ''Any time that two groups come together there's a possibility, and I hope the possibility can lead to more understanding, more acceptance and less isolation,'' said Larabee. Many gay, lesbian and transgender church members seek support from the center after failing to find the help they need at LDS Family Services, she said. ''Part of the reason Affirmation does their work is to build bridges,'' Larabee said. ''This is definitely the building of a bridge ... sometimes that process is long and arduous.''

Jenny,

The last print version PDF for the JHub that we can access through this site is from March 9th.

When will we be able to see the others, so all  can see which JHub posts made it to print?

-- Michael

Thanks for getting the JHub up and rolling. We appreciate your service.

The site and its features are a great resource for the Pocatello Community.

What will you be doing now?

-- Michael

_________

Hi JHub crew,

We have a big announcement to make, and I think you're going to love it.

As of Monday, I'm stepping down from my position as online editor/JHUB manager. Frequent JHub contributor Jenny Wixom will be taking over, and she's going to do an awesome job.

What does this change mean to you? Not much, except that if you have any questions, you should probably direct them toward Jenny. She'll be managing all the day-to-day running of TheJHub.com. She'll also be working on marketing the site, so if you have any suggestions for spreading the word let her know. Jenny's the Variety editor at the Idaho State Journal, so she's totally in touch with everything happening around here, and she'll be a great resource for TheJHub.com.

But I'll still be around, probably blogging and staying in touch with TheJHub community, so you won't even have a chance to miss me.

I've had a ton of fun getting to know all of the great people here, and I know you'll love Jenny even more than me.

Have any questions? Feel free to e-mail kcarpenter@journalnet.com or jwixom@journalnet.com.

Just a quick reminder of this weeks TLC (True Loyal Connections) Meeting.

Tuesday, April 8^th, at The Continental Bistro, 140 S. Main in Old Town Pocatello.

Time:  11:45 to 1:00 pm

Randy Vawdrey with Physicians Immediate Care will be presenting for us this week.

If you’re crunched for time there will be a soup and salad bar for $5.50 or you can call your lunch in ahead of time if you like. The phone number for The Bistro is 233-4433.

The sole purpose of this time is to meet with Business Owners, Managers and Leaders to network, pass referrals and have lunch.

There is nothing to join, and no cost other than your lunch and a $1.00 voluntary donation to support our group.  Bring a new friend and your lunch could be free!

Remember, everyone who attends is eligible to win a free dinner courtesy of The Continental Bistro.

If you have any questions please call Troy Neu at 234-2679.

Troy Neu

Old Town Embroidery

208-234-2679
208-251-9910