Rozworld’s WebLog

I live for moments like these. Anytime a religious nut knocks on my door, I’ll go out and talk to them if I have time. I do this to not only understand where they’re coming from but mainly because I care about the truth. Last summer a Jehovah’s Witness and her 10 year old son came to my door and I talked to them. The boy looked like he didn’t wanted to be there and that’s the unfortunate part of all this. Last Saturday two young LDS Mormon men came to my door wearing black overcoats, white shirts, and ties. These guys generally work in pairs so that they can back each other up. The conversation was very civil and congenial. I wanted to record the discourse in a blog entry. I am paraphrasing here but the dialogue went something like this.

All: [Greet each other.]
William: “You’re Mormons right?”
Mormons: [Together they nod.] “Yes”
Mormon #1: [Takes out his Book of Mormon and reads a passage. He speaks at some length and I carefully listen. His main theme was “apostasy”, or the fits of human society that tend to go away from “God’s ideal” and then come back. (After some hindsight I think they were implying that the Mormon Church was the latest answer to the apostasy.)] “Adam was taught God’s word and ever since then there has been a falling way…”
William: “There is not a single truth statement in what you said.”
Mormon #1: Looking stunned.
Mormon #1: “Do you know what a prophet is?”
William: “No, go ahead. Let me hear your definition.”
Mormon #1: “I detect the sarcasm in your voice. A prophet is … [You fill in the blanks here]”
William: “Primitive people invented religion. First people believed in animism, i.e. that things had spirits. From this came polytheism. From polytheism came monotheism. The Egyptians invented monotheism.“
Mormon #1: “Yes. That’s what we’re talking about (apostasy).”
William: “Let me ask you something. Did you both grow up in a Mormon household?”
Mormons: “Yes”
William: “Have you ever practiced another religion? Have you ever practiced Islam?”
Mormon #1: [Shakes his head]
William: “Then how do you know what the truth is, if you have not tried another religion? I can go to the Middle East and ask a Muslim, who goes on the Hajj and prays 7 times a day, is God not great? And he will say ‘Yes!’ Who do I believe you or the Muslim? You can go to each one of these houses and they will tell you something different.”
Mormon #1: “Have you read the Koran? The book of Mormon? You just have to make up your mind and pray on it.”
William: “I have read the Koran. I have read parts of the Book of Mormon but it’s mostly unreadable”
Mormon #2: “We’re not here to try and (convert you to Mormonism)”
William: “You’re here to persuade.”
William: (Sarcastic tone) “What do you think about the Old Testament? Do you think that is incomplete and so God started thinking, Hmm I think I’ll create the New Testament? But no, that wasn’t complete. I think I’ll pick Joseph Smith to write the Book of Mormon. Why didn’t he just write the whole darn thing in the beginning and be done with it?”
Mormon #2: “These are all very good questions. [God] wants us to learn. How else would you teach a child?”
William: “Let me ask you something. Isn’t through God all things possible?”
Mormon #2: “Why, yes it is!”
William: “Then why go through all the trouble, why jump through all the hoops?”

Mormon #1: [Opens his Book of Mormon and reads some passage about the Mormon Faith growing like a seed.]
William: “Isn’t that like the parable of the mustard seed?”
Mormon #1: “Yes it is!”
William: “Well then why say it again? That’s plagiarism.”
Mormons: [No response to this comment.]
William: “I hate to tell you this but Joseph Smith was a convicted felon.”
Mormon #2: “(The scripture) says he would be prosecuted.”
William: “Yeah, kind of like Jesus, no one liked what he had to say. He was a 1st century Hippie!”
Mormons: [Chuckle at this comment.]
William: “Do you really believe that Native Americans are a lost tribe of Israel? Isn’t that kind of offensive? You need evidence for that.”
Mormon #2: “I don’t find that offensive, why is that offensive?”
William: “Because they have a separate history independent of Israel. Genetic studies conclude that Native Americans came from Asia.”
Mormon #2: “I’ve actually heard of studies that say something different.”
William: “There’s no Archeological evidence for that. Their history goes back 15 thousand years in the Americas.”
Mormons: [Notable silence (No response)]
William: “Well if you go back far enough, we’re all related out of Africa.”
Mormons: [Nod in agreement.]
William: “The only way to know anything for sure is through science and the scientific method.”
Mormon #2: “Ok, so you can’t prove our [religion] with evidence. We believe science and religion are compatible. Well we could go back and forth forever.”
William: “Well, it was nice talking to you.”
Mormon #1: [Starts pulling out a copy of the Book of Mormon to give to me.] “Here do you have one of these?”
William: “Yeah, I think we have one of those inside. Thanks.”
Mormon #2: “Ok”
William: “Are you guys from around here?”
Mormon #1: “We’re from Utah.”
William: “I’ve been through Salt Lake. Welcome to Wisconsin.”
Mormon #1: “Have you seen the Temple?”
William: “No, I was just passing through. Have you been overseas? I mean, you two specifically?”
Mormon #1: “Yes. [For now] we’ve been given Wisconsin and the U.P. as our mission. So we’re use to the winters here. Have you heard of them [the missions]?”
William: [I am getting cold at this point] “Yes, I have. Well I have to go. Good luck.”
Mormon #1: [Leaving] “Keep reading the Book (of Mormon)”

Here are some pictures from Hillary’s visit to the Monona Terrace in Madison. It was a packed house with around 5000 people on attendance.

I’d just like to compare and contrast Hillary’s vs. Obama’s speech during their Madison visits. I am paraphrasing here.

Obama – “Join the Peace corp.”
Hillary – “If you put in one year of National service we will give you 10 thousand dollars towards higher education… we will also forgive your debt.“

Obama – “George Bush and Dick Cheney are not on the ticket, but the Bush-Cheney war and the Bush-Cheney tax cuts are on the ticket.”
Hillary - “George Bush had no intention of withdrawing from Iraq. He’s leaving it for the next president to deal with. That’s why if I get into the presidency I will pull together the pentagon, and top National advisers to begin drawing up a plan for withdrawal. Within 60 days I will begin withdrawing troops. Iraqi’s need to start taking responsibility for their own country.”

They both mentioned John McCain’s comment about being in Iraq for the next hundred years.

They both mentioned progressive politics and it coming from Wisconsin.

She mentioned “Green Jobs” and a win-win solution for auto makers and workers. She mentioned Global Warming several times during the speech and forming a pact with other countries that goes beyond Kyoto. She mentioned investment into clean technologies and research. She also mentioned taking subsidies away from the oil companies so as to not to pad their record profits.

My favorite part of Hillary’s speech was when she talked about being a “Leader in the Global community” and bringing real diplomacy back to this country. “The end of Cowboy diplomacy is near.”

I felt like Obama’s stump speech was much more broad and vague. He talked about “Hope” and “Change” a lot. Whereas Hillary’s speech gave many more specifics. Her speech was all over the place and covered more issues.

I know Obama would make a good president but I believe on the issues, Hillary Clinton would make a better one. That is why I am endorsing Clinton.

I went to Hillary Clinton’s rally at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison Wisconsin and got some really nice pictures and video of almost the whole speech. It was a big crowd of around 5 thousand people. I arrived somewhat early and stood only about 15 feet from the podium. After the speech I got to shake her hand as she went around. I got to talk to her. I said, “Fight for good science”. She then looked at me wide-eyed and pointed and said, “Thank you”. I noticed there were many more women and not as many student supporters there, as compared to the Obama rally. It was a very stirring speech and she said many things that were important to me. The video below is part 1 of 4. The rest can be found on YouTube. I’ll post another blog with pictures soon.

We have Gudrun Bergh’s family in our thoughts as they go through these hard times.

Gudrun Bergh

Gudrun Fredrikke Ager Bergh, 104, a lifetime resident of Eau Claire passed away on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008, at the Syverson Home.

She was born Jan. 5, 1904, in the family home on Chestnut Street to Waldemar Theodor and Gurolle (Blestren) Ager as the second of nine children in the family. Gudrun married Milo Bergh on Aug. 14, 1929, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Red Wing, Minn. She began her schooling at the Norwegian School (located on Fifth Avenue and Hudson Street) for her first year of classes before attending the Eau Claire public schools. After high school she attended Hunt’s Business College in Eau Claire, and then worked for several years in the offices of Samuelson’s Dry Goods Store and the Midelfort Clinic prior to her marriage.

Gudrun lived independently in her own home past age 100, at which time she fell and broke her hip. She has since then been a resident of the Syverson Lutheran Home in Eau Claire. She celebrated her 100th birthday at a party given by her daughters at the Ager House, where she had been born 100 years earlier. Her hobbies included crafts, crewel embroidery, Norwegian needlework, reading, organizing photo albums and her Norwegian heritage. She thoroughly enjoyed a trip to Norway in 1983 with her daughter.

She was a lifetime member of First Lutheran Church and, in younger days, was active in youth groups, choir, ladies aid and church circles. She also had been a member of Luther Hospital Guild, Eau Claire Women’s Club, Order of Eastern Star, Sons of Norway, Nordmanns Forbundet, the Ager Association and the Eau Claire Camera Club. Gudrun is the last surviving member of her sewing club, which had about a dozen members and was organized when she was a teenager. The group retained close friendships throughout their lifetimes until 2000 when the last other surviving member died.

Gudrun is survived by her two daughters, Karren Bloom of Burnsville, Minn., Barbara (Fritz) Culver of Madisonville, La.; five grandchildren, Ray (LeAnn) Bloom of Eagan, Minn., Beth (Doug) Bitney of Chanhassen, Minn., Jeff (Stacey) Culver of Mandeville, La., Vicki (Jim) Anderson of Rockport, Texas, and Pam Culver of La Crosse; five great-grandchildren, Mariah, Kara and Hailey Bloom, Jack Bitney and Erin Culver; and four step-grandchildren, Teryl (David) Shields, Ashley (Nils) Hammerich, James Anderson, and Jason Anderson. Gudrun is further survived by her brother, Roald S. Ager of Barron; brother-in-law, John W. Best of Barron; two sisters-in-law of her husband, Catherine Bergh and Aza Bergh, both of Eau Claire; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Milo, in 1974; her son-in-law, John R. Bloom; seven siblings and their spouses, Eyvind (Inga) Ager, Trygve (Elvira) Ager, Valborg (Arnt) Oyen, Solveig Best, Magne Ager, Hildur (Albert) Nicolai, and Borghild (Richard) Derge.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, 2008, at First Lutheran Church, with Pastor John Yungerberg officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire. Family and friends may call one hour prior to the time of service Monday at the church.

Memorials are preferred to First Lutheran Church, Waldemar Ager Association or to the donor’s choice.

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home is serving the family.

To express condolences online, please visit obituaries at

www.lenmarkfh.com.

Here are some pictures from Barack’s visit to the Kohl Center in Madison. It was a packed house with 17 thousand people there and many others in the overflow room. I got pretty close to Obama as he was shaking hands, probably only 5 feet. Everyone was “Fired up” and “Ready to go”.

Barack Obama was in Madison at the Kohl Center tonight and Jean, Rosalind and I went and saw him. We waited in line for quite sometime but it paid off because I got only about 30 feet from the podium. I took some nice pictures of Barack and captured his whole speech on video. I’ll post some pictures in another entry but here is part 2 of 4 of his speech. The rest can be found on YouTube.

We’re topped out on snow with 59 inches total this winter and that was before the latest blizzard hit us today with another 9 inches! Our average is around 40 inches in a season. It seems like we either get no snow all winter or we really get dumped on. It was kind of nice because I got to work from home today and not go out in this. School was closed also. Please, weather gods, no more snow!

I thought it was about time that I revised the old home page. After about 5 years it was getting rather tiring. I’m using a new technique this time around with the .png picture format that includes background transparency. This allows images to be any shape like round buttons etc and still show the background around the edges. Now, the background image can be swapped out without modifying the other images on the page. Jean says that the home page looks more masculine with the black. I don’t know, I think it’s much more to my liking. The buttons are a lot more brighter. What does everyone think?