utah

The third season of Big Love ended with a bang (or a gasp?) Sunday, so we'll have to follow real-life polygamists until next season. Good thing there's some who want to be seen and heard, saying things like Jesus had many wives. Maybe he did?

Anne Wilde, a polygamist widow, is leading the Principle Voices campaign to legalize, or at least decriminalize, plural marriage in Utah. She showed BBC her basement/publishing house filled with books she and her husband published, including their bestseller, Jesus Was Married, which shows Jesus was married and married and married.

She led dozens of polygamists to the square outside the Utah State Legislature building to lobby for plural marriage. While it's felony in Utah, and every other state, there are too many people (nearly 40,000 just in Utah) to prosecute it. In fact, Anne and self-identified polygamists talked congenially to Utah's attorney general that day. His stance? As long there are no child marriages or pedophilia accusations, he'll let them be.

One openly polygamist family, which couldn't be more like Big Love's Hendricksons and less like the stereotypical prairie-garbed families, let BBC into their home. To find out what their lives are like, read more

The intuitive trend in America to move to where the land is open and the climate warm has hit a road bump. Thanks to the housing crisis, which makes the idea of taking on a new mortgage scary and risky, people are staying put.

The population slowdown specifically hit the western and southern states, which had seen huge growth and migration over the last decade. While this trend could mean less traffic and more space for those already living there, it could also lead to less political influence. Based on current projections, California might lose a seat in Congress for the first time ever following the 2010 Census.

Still, a population slow down in the South and West doesn't mean other regions are growing faster. In 2008, Utah was the fastest growing state, followed by Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. And Michigan and Rhode Island actually lost population.

Have tough times made you shelve any plans for moving?

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Hoping to move away from the fringe and regain political influence, Utah's polygamous community has released a voter's guide to help members decide how to vote tomorrow.

A coalition of polygamist groups — Communities in Harmony — asked federal, state, and local candidates about their positions on a wide range of topics that impact the once powerful demographic. Of the 150 candidates questioned, 60 responded and were rated on a scale of one to 10. Neither Obama nor McCain responded, but Libertarian candidate Bob Barr received a total score of 7.5.

Politicians who submitted their answers (to questions such as "Should polygamous people have the same right as other Utah citizens to hold public offices?" or "Should the government spend public safety funds disproportionately to target one group of people?") may see a modest bump in the polls. Out of 2.7 million people living in Utah, 37,000 are polygamists. If you were a politician, how would you answer the group's questions?

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Seven western US states and four Canadian provinces have agreed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 15 percent before 2020. Proud of the Western Climate Initiative, Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asserted:

We’re sending a strong message to our federal governments that states and provinces are moving forward in the absence of federal action, and we’re setting the stage for national programs that are just as aggressive.

So how will Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec curb climate change? To find out, read more

When a friend stumbled upon these pups, he had to send the link to me! I mean, first off, they're smooshies, and secondly, they seem to be a rather rare breed color.

I can safely say I've never spotted a French Bulldog with this bluish coloring up close. Utah breeder Bullbank has the five pups from France we see here — although they're not up for sale, you can see how cute they are! Even their names are absolutely adoro: Shooter, Dr. Dolittle, Azurro, Rhadamanthys, and The Wild One.

Check out more pics of the pups when you read more

When I think of lead poisoning, I think of old paint peeling off the wall. It can actually be a silent enemy. Just yesterday, a family in Utah discovered that their little girl has been affected by lead — not from sucking on a recalled toy, but from plates in their kitchen. And, the scary thing is that the girl wasn't the one eating off of them. Her mother was passing it on to her daughter by breastfeeding. I don't know about you, but I only worried about my food and drink consumption while I was nursing. I'll know better next time.

Lead poisoning can cause nausea, constipation, stomach aches, and headaches in the short term. Long-term effects include behavior, learning, and physical development issues . If you live in an old home that has old paint, it might be a good idea to talk to your pediatrician about testing your child's lead level. I'm taking my own daughter in for her test next week.

The plates were made by Home Trends and were sold at Wal-Mart over three years ago. They do not sell those particular plates anymore, but they still carry the line.

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Didn't quite make the cut on this season of Survivor but still think you'd be pretty good at surviving in the wild? Or maybe you're training for the possiblity to be on next season? Well, then I have the trip for you!

BOSS, the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, is an adventure trip anyone could use but especially if your name is Gilligan or the Skipper. In fact, the people at BOSS were behind the scenes in the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks.

The courses range from 1 to 28 days in length in Utah, Colorado, and Mexico, and clients range from 18 to 70 years old. Courses currently include several target-specific divisions: field courses, skills courses, explorer courses, and custom courses. But why? Well the founder felt that our society had lost its edge when it came to facing and overcoming the pressures of modern life -- so he created a wilderness program featuring specific physical and mental obstacles that would produce more adaptable and resourceful people.

This would make a great gift for my husband -- After all he is always trying to convince me that his proper corporate lifestyle is just a cover-up for the true mountain man he really is. You're going to pay to learn how to start a fire without matches (or a lighter) as courses range from $300-$3000. To learn more check out Boss-inc.com.