Temple of Dung

imagesThat's a harsher title than it ought to be, as I don't hate "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." But the revisionist history going on across the Interwebs as we mark the 30th anniversary of the first sequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" has me completely baffled. It's also directly contrary to my ... Read more

2016

Afriend of mine posted a link to a story about Senator/Loon Ted Cruz winning a GOP presidential straw poll and panicked about what bad tidings this might portend. I might share his trepidation if I thought a GOP straw poll - or indeed, the GOP itself - had any bearing on the future of this ... Read more

The “Not for Resale” Principle

I'ma big fan of comedian Jim Gaffigan, whose penchant for sloth and junk food is consistent with my own. In one condiment-themed comedy bit, he highlights the absurdity of individual ketchup packets that bear a label stating "not for resale."He then sagely observes that, "If you're in a position where you have to sell ketchup ... Read more

Guest Post: A Creaver’s Perspective

Hello.I am Creaver. Stallion is lazy, and he wanted someone else to post so he wouldn't have to. So I am posting today. Resign yourself to it.So I suppose you want to know about me. (Actually, no supposing is necessary.) I was born circa 1913, when records were spotty and English had not yet been ... Read more

Dark Thoughts from a Calabasas Kid

Igrew up in Calabasas, California, now known to the world as the home of the Kardashians. It was, and still is, a town rife with wealth and privilege. I went to high school with the children of sports legends and movie/TV stars, and my peers without fame still seemed blessed with a fortune well beyond ... Read more

X-Men Problems

X-Men-GermanSo I saw "X-Men: Days of Future Past" with my twin boys last night.We had a good time. It was a good movie, probably the best of the X-films, with the possible exception of "First Class." If you like this sort of thing, rest assured you will enjoy yourself during the watching process.I am not ... Read more

Talking of Tenets

NOTE:The first six hundred or so words of this post deal with a tedious, somewhat tendentious issue in Mormon apologetics, which I felt compelled to describe in detail to illustrate my larger point. But if you want to just skip to that larger point, I highlight where it begins in  BOLD ORANGE TEXT below.____________I ... Read more

This post means what you want it to mean

Asan LDS missionary way back when, I remember a conversation with a man in Thurso, Scotland, who had participated in a discussion that introduced the basic elements of the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the end of this conversation, we invited him to read The Book of Mormon and ... Read more

Bigotry on the Brink of Theocracy

Yearsago, I read two novels by author Ben Bova, "Mars" and "Return to Mars," which described scenarios by which mankind would explore the surface of the Red Planet. I vaguely remember enjoying them.While wandering through Barnes & Noble, I stumbled upon a third Mars book by Bova, entitled "Mars Life." It was a paperback priced ... Read more