The Laubs are good cooks

Images that agree:
Sub-argument: Megan is a good cook

Italian Breaded Pork Chops with Couscous and Applesauce (the sauce was necessary because the chops were dry)

Image Background: Megan made this cake for my 35th Birthday. 35 Years of Laub (German for Foliage). Reason to agree that this image supports the above conclusion:
1. It takes thought, planning, creativity, caring, and love to be a good cook. The above cake shows that Megan poses those attributes.
2. Some frosting is gross. Megan makes good frosting.

Image Background: My birthday, 2012. Asparagus with red peppers, chicken wrapped in bacon, and some artisan  potatoes

Reason to agree that this image supports the above conclusion: 

1. The above photo shows a healthy meal, which is required to be a trully good cook

A cake Megan made for Ali on her 2nd B-Day

Megan: "As many of you know, Mike had a birthday at the end of January. To make his day extra special, we tried to make him a fancy dinner. The menu included: hazelnut crusted chicken with Gorgonzola sauce, wild rice, green and yellow beans, and IBC root beer. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give the chicken a 6. I think hazelnuts are delicious with chocolate, but not so tasty with chicken. Also, Gorgonzola is one of those moldy cheeses. I don't need to purchase fancy, moldy cheese. I produce such cheeses in my fridge monthly; although, I don't usually eat them, unless I'm not paying attention. However, Mike seemed to like the meal, and I suppose that is what really matters."

Megan: "For dinner, we had Chicken in Tarragon Cream Sauce and White and Wild Rice with Walnuts. This is a Rachael Ray recipe—it was chosen because her recipes are easy and quick. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this recipe an 8. It might have received a higher score if we could have eaten it piping hot, but the kids just had to have dinner first, so our precious meal cooled while the kids ate their beloved and bland TV dinners. If you do choose to make this recipe, I suggest you accompany the dish with a chilled bottle of aged root beer or cream soda. We chose A&W cream soda in diet flavor. The subtle hint of aspartame really complimented the anise-like flavor of the tarragon. For dessert, we heated up frozen chocolate lava cake and tried to pretty it up with caramel sauce and magic shell topping. The magic shell was too runny and ruined the overall look of the dessert, but it tasted magnifique. Our Valentine's Chaperone and Our Dinner ***Note: I removed the stems from the chocolate dipped strawberries because I didn't want the greenery getting in the way of my mouthful of yumminess. But as I gaze at the photo, I see that my decision drastically reduced the beauty of chocolate covered strawberries. I'm not for butchering beauty. I'll make sure to leave on the stems next time.***

Megan: "For dinner, we had calzones. A big thanks to my sister for pointing me in the direction of the calzone recipe. They turned out tasty and even looked like calzones. Mike gave the recipe a 10 out of 10. Here it is if you want to try it: Real Italian Calzones. I changed a couple things in the recipe, though. I used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar, and I used black olives and tomatoes instead of mushrooms. The only fungus that ever touches my pizza, or its calzone cousin, is yeast. I salute you, yeast...you are the specks of sunshine in the moldy and decaying kingdom of Fungi."

Megan: "For his cake, I decided Phil needed a theme, and the theme would be bouncy balls. We bought him a ball popper machine and a big, blue beach ball. On the cake, I was going to write: "Happy Birthday, Phil! Have a Ball." However, I ran out of room and enthusiasm, so I shortened "Birthday" to "B-Day" and let the reader infer "Have a Ball" from the cake's decor (bouncy balls and Sixlets®). Just to be clear, though, the moment the bouncy balls were purchased, my kids inferred "Have a Ball," so mission accomplished."

Sub-argument: James is a good cook

Images that agree:

Image Background: In McCall we didn't have marshmallows for s'mores but we made due with what we had.

Sub-argument: Mike is a good cook
Images that agree:

Image Background:  1995 in my parents basement.
It has been a while sense I used Tupperware and a knife to cook a hot dog 

Steve People's "Suggestion"?

See this news article from the Associated Press:

Would you consider that to be an accurate "reporting" of what Obama said. Instead of miss-characterize what he said, why don't "news" organization (and Steve Peoples) just report the facts?

AP implies that Obama used the word "help". However Obama gives 100% of the credit to the community, not the individual. Obama said; "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."

Comments like that are a slap in the face to the American Dream and reveal the President's naïve view that government, and not the hard work, talent, and initiative of people, is the center of society and the economy. Clearly, this President doesn't understand how our economy works.

Given the information you provided, it seems like the belief in question is that the media, and Steve Peoples in particular, are biased in their reporting of President Obama's comments about individual and communal contributions to success. Here are the pros and cons of this belief:

**Pros**

1. Encourages Critical Thinking: This belief promotes skepticism towards media reporting and encourages individuals to critically analyze the news they consume.

2. Promotes Media Accountability: Holding media to account for any perceived biases could lead to more balanced and accurate reporting in the future.

3. Highlights Possible Misinterpretation: By discussing the nuances in President Obama's statements, this belief highlights how comments can be interpreted differently depending on perspective.

**Cons**

1. Potential Overgeneralization: Labeling an entire news organization or an individual as biased based on one instance might oversimplify the complexities inherent in reporting.

2. Misunderstanding of Journalism: While it's important for journalists to be objective, it's also part of their job to provide context and interpretation to the events and statements they're reporting on.

3. Neglects Differing Viewpoints: The belief assumes there is a single "correct" interpretation of President Obama's statements and doesn't acknowledge that different interpretations can be valid.

a) **Beliefs one must also reject to reject this belief**: If you reject this belief, you might also reject the idea that media bias is prevalent or that journalists intentionally distort their reporting.

b) **Alternate expressions**: #MediaBias, #FairReporting, #NewsIntegrity

c) **Objective criteria to measure the strength of this belief**: One could analyze the reporting of different media outlets on the same issue, looking at their choice of words, context provided, and whether they include a variety of viewpoints.

d) **Shared interests between those who agree/disagree**: Both parties are likely interested in accurate, fair reporting and a well-informed public.

e) **Key opposing interests**: Those who agree might be concerned about media accountability and transparency, while those who disagree may be more concerned about defending journalistic freedom and acknowledging the complexity of reporting.

f) **Solutions**: Media literacy education can help the public critically analyze news. Improved transparency in journalistic practices could also alleviate concerns about bias.

g) **Strategies for encouraging commitment to a resolution**: Public dialogue, perhaps in the form of community forums or debates, could foster understanding. Regular audits or reviews of media outlets could also ensure adherence to journalistic standards.

Weather can be destructive

My Images that agree:

2012 wind storm at my parents house while we were visiting (Oldest son first on the site, came running in when it fell).

People seeking to maximize moral behavior in society should promote monogamy

Plants are interesting

Images that agree:

On a hike in mountains of Idaho (above McCall, off Lick Crick Road) my son found a flower that had 1 stem but 2 different types of flowers stuck together.

Reasons to agree:

1. Laub is German for leaves or foliage. I'm not exactly sure how that ended up being our last name, but plants have to be pretty dang interesting to name yourselves after them.

Websites that agree::

1. Laub Life: Parsley

Kids like fire works

Images that agree:

Ali watching fire works with Cousins in McCall, Idaho. 2012. It seems that we watch fire works at the Bolingbrook end of summer fire work show each year. But the best fire works are on the beach of the Payette Lake in Idaho. They bring a barge to the middle of the lake, and freak out the local wildlife. You can hear the explosions from the fireworks bounce off the mountains. They usually have a great show. Fire works are hard to capture on Camera, so sorry it is sort of a lame post...

Hiking is a good pastime

Reasons to agree

1. Hiking is good exercise. 

Images that agree:

1. 
• Lick Creek Road, Above McCall Idaho. My daughter with a stick and a flower that she found along our trip. (Photo: My brother, 2012) My brother's daughter carried our daughter on her shoulder, let her hold a big toad that she caught (James wouldn't hold it), and showed my kids the "zit tree". J was fast and stayed with his cousins, and so I got to walk slowly with Alison.
2. 
• My daughter and I on a rock (Photo: My brother, 2012)
3. 
• This is a big tree. Or as my youngest would tell us on this day, perhaps 300 times: "Trees are big".
4. 
• My daughter getting a ride from her cousin

Kids are good... when they are asleep

Background / Context: This is something my dad would always say: "Mike is a good boy... when he's asleep". Sometimes when you have had a tough day with one of the kids, they can seem like little devils when they are awake, but when they are asleep they look like such angels.

Images that agree:

1. 
• 2012-06-25. For some reason Phil does not like sleeping in beds. 
2.