Impersonating Mormon Missionaries

Apparently, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), tired of just arresting/detaining Mormon missionaries (I wrote several posts on that subject here), has started impersonating them.
That's right. Apparently, they dress up as LDS missionaries to track down illegal immigrants.
The article that mentions this practice is here.
If this article is correct, and this is actually happening, I imagine church leadership (along with the ACLU) will have serious problems with the practice. It's even possible that the church could sue to force ICE to stop.
Hopefully the next few weeks will reveal more info on this. I imagine the Salt Lake Tribune will pick up the story and do some research on it. I'll post more info as it comes to light.
(Hat tip: www.timesandseasons.org)

Low crime

Merry Christmas! (And please, if someone wishes you Happy Holidays, don't be offended).
We're packing up, ready to fly into Salt Lake late tonight.
Meanwhile, experts are confused as to why crime rates have dropped recently--especially since poor economic times usually lead to an increase in crime. (See, for example, this article.)
The article misses something obvious--something I predicted about a year ago. Living in Cincinnati, I've seen a bit of how Obama's presidency has affected blacks. I think a detailed study would show that blacks are committing less crime now than two years ago (because of a role model in the White House), while whites are committing more (due to the recession).
There may be other factors at work here, too, but Obama's presidency has raised test scores of black students (see this article). It would make sense if it also affected crime rates.
What do you think?

Is there anybody out there?

As I sat in Sunday School today, trying to keep Peter from crying, I missed the presence of a fellow Democrat who moved out last summer. Someone I could roll my eyes with when the teacher or class members made unwarranted political remarks (which happens more than you'd think); someone to give moral support if the need came to step in to make a comment like "no, your ideal capitalist rich/poor society conflicts with 4th Nephi, where a near-perfect society had no rich and no poor," (but with more tact).
Today that was especially important, as the topic was government--a topic ripe for non-doctrinal political intrusion.
There may be other Democrats in the ward, but I think many ward members feel that all active ward members are Republicans, and so the Democrats don't speak up (or go less active, or never join in the first place) and the Republicans make unthinking political remarks.
The Clinton bumper sticker was my only tip that that guy was Democrat.
Maybe next summer, when half our EQ moves out and is (hopefully) replaced by an equal or greater number of elders, one of the new move-ins will have an equally revealing bumper sticker, and I'll again have someone there for much-needed moral support.

Chuck

New favorite show:
Chuck.
Chuck is a mild-mannered Buy More employee who, as part of the Nerd Herd team, fixes electronics, who went to Stanford but never graduated and who lives with his sister and her fiance--until someone downloads government secrets into his brain. Then, he becomes a government spy, and his old life becomes his cover.
Firefly fans will enjoy the presence of Adam Baldwin, who plays a supporting role.
Chuck's a little bit like the movie "Get Smart." Funny, exciting, and definitely (intentionally) goofy.
Plus, prominently featuring Mr. Roboto (Styx) and Tom Sawyer (Rush) doesn't hurt. Both songs end up saving the day.
Check it out. Hopefully your library system is decent enough to offer the first season (my library, unfortunately, is not). Definitely my favorite comedy.

Visit missionaries

My younger brother had his mission farewell at about the same time I got a job offer--so we didn't end up going to Utah at that time, and I haven't seen him for a year-and-a-half. He hasn't met Peter yet.
He's in the Indiana mission, which is not too far from where we are--and he is currently a mere two hours away (he was just emergency transferred after his blowgun-carrying, squirrel-trapping companion seriously broke his ankle and so went home to Texas four months early).
So, the question is, do we see if we can go out to meet him? Or would that be too weird?
What do you think?