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Archive for January, 2010

If Only, Frank. If Only.

Posted in Humor, Politics and Society, tagged , , on January 27, 2010 | 2 Comments »

From Berke Breathed’s 1989 collection of Bloom County cartoons, Night of the Mary Kay Commandos.  Second strip, second panel.  Twenty one years later…

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State Of The Union Bingo

Posted in Humor, Politics and Society, tagged , , on January 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I know I’m posting this after the State of the Union has been given, but I wrote it before.  In fact, I still haven’t heard the speech, so I’m eager to look up a transcript to see if I won my game or not!   People   Together   Plan   Banks   Health care [...]

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Recommended: Two Great Toys

Posted in Random, tagged , , on January 27, 2010 | 2 Comments »

A month after Christmas, two toys that were introduced into our household are still huge hits, with the kids and with me. First is the BuzzBee Ruff Stuff Air Blasters Double Shot Gun.  I’ve seen plenty of Nerf guns before, but nothing with this kind of realism or power.  This double barreled shotgun actually fires two [...]

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Listen To The Magnetic Fields’s New Song

Posted in Arts, tagged , , , , , , on January 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I first came across Stephin Merritt and his band The Magnetic Fields when the romantic dramedy Shall We Dance? came out: the movie was only average, but I fell in love with Peter Gabriel’s amazing song “The Book of Love.”  As I looked up where to hear it again, I found out that it was [...]

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My Four Year Old Son Made Up Some Jokes

Posted in Humor, tagged , , on January 27, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Q: How does an elephant get out of a tree? A: He jumps out of the tree. Q: How does an elephant get through the door? A: He goes through the door. Q: How does the elephant get milk? A: He goes and gets some milk. Q: How did the elephant get to school? A: [...]

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The Purpose of Astronomy In the Book of Abraham

Posted in Religion, tagged , , , , , , on January 24, 2010 | 2 Comments »

This post is not meant to explain the many astronomical references in the Book of Abraham.  I’m not a scientist; I’m an English teacher.  My interest is in analyzing why those astronomical references are there: what function do they serve?  After studying them, I find that they consistently testify of the doctrines of Christ. The [...]

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Blessings and Responsibilities of the Tribe of Ephraim

Posted in Religion, tagged , , , , , , , on January 24, 2010 | 8 Comments »

After all these years, I recently paid attention to the injunction in my patriarchal blessing that comes after the declaration that I belong to the tribe of Ephraim, a directive to learn about the blessings and responsibilities that attend that lineage.  I’ve only devoted a few Saturday mornings to this scripture study project, but the [...]

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I Survived Roe Vs. Wade

Posted in Politics and Society, tagged , , , on January 23, 2010 | 4 Comments »

Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s inglorious Roe vs. Wade decision.  It put me in mind of something that I’ve seen on a few t-shirts these last few years: I survived Roe vs. Wade. I was born only a few years after that ruling.  My mother had a very difficult pregnancy with [...]

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The Nephi Complex

Posted in Religion, tagged , , , on January 18, 2010 | 1 Comment »

In 2 Nephi 4:17, the usually stoic Nephi offers a rare glimpse into his inner personality when he reflects on his spiritual condition and says that such an exercise makes him exclaim, “O wretched man that I am!  Yea, my heart sorroweth because of mine flesh; my soul greiveth because of mine iniquities.”  Excuse me?  Wretched?  Iniquities?  This is [...]

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Idea For Following The Prophet

Posted in Religion, tagged , , , on January 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Thomas S. Monson has been president of the Church for almost two years now–where is his official biography already?  When President Hinckley came into that office, Deseret Book had his biography out in less than one year, as I recall.  Here’s an idea I had to help fill in that big blank area, as well as to [...]

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Recommended Listening: Schubert’s Piano Quintet In A Major

Posted in Arts, tagged , , , , on January 17, 2010 | 2 Comments »

I recently picked this at random from my list of classical pieces to hear and study, downloading a copy from the library district to listen to at work, and listening to it on YouTube at home.  This is great music. This piano quintet, also called the “Trout” quintet, for some reason, immediately struck me as having [...]

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“Thy” Son

Posted in Religion, tagged on January 16, 2010 | 1 Comment »

A minor pet peeve: I cringe a little when someone in church ends a talk or a testimony with, “in the name of thy son, Jesus Christ, amen.”  “Thy” son?  No…. Thy means your.  You would only use thy in a prayer, when you’re directly addressing God the Father, whose son Jesus is.  You shouldn’t [...]

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Semester Exam Follies

Posted in Education, Humor, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2010 | 2 Comments »

This week is semester exam week in my school district, which marks the halfway point of the year.  As students work on their big tests, I’ve found a few nuggets of positivity or, failing that, laughter: While one class worked on their exams, I finished grading the book reports they turned in last week.  The [...]

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Politically Incorrect Thought of the Day

Posted in Politics and Society, tagged , , , , on January 13, 2010 | 10 Comments »

I once spent three years teaching in the room next door to a woman who, after we’d spent all that time sharing and discussing many of the same students, made a startling observation that, although it contradicted her own political beliefs, she said she could no longer deny. After yet another female student from a broken [...]

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October 2009 General Conference: 3 Month Review

Posted in Religion, tagged , , , , on January 11, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Last June I posted some notes about the previous General Conference three months before, saying that I wanted to review them halfway between the last and the next General Conferences.  That would mean that my October review should have been posted about a week ago.  Better late than never, here are some thoughts about the [...]

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