Wall Street and the establishment

No Fortune 100 CEOs back Donald Trump for president. None. Nope. Not a single one. Zero. No one in the Hollywood establishment backs Trump. Sure you might find an actor here or there that supports Trump but in reality, no one in the mainstream really likes or supports this guy. It's partially the republican thing. Most elites are against the republican party because all their friends are. George Clooney doesn't hang around with anyone who isn't a liberal democrat, so it's all group think. If you hang around with people who share only your views, you begin to become afraid of people who dare to think differently and worse-you being to think that those who think differently than you do are morally deficient. It's a very good way to delude yourself.

I am old enough to remember when Wall Street was a republican thing. When democrats and liberals in general hated Wall Street because it was so conservative and they threw money to republicans. Do I expect most liberals to remember 2004? When Bush and his "rich oil buddies" ruled the world? Of course not. Most republicans have selective memory too, so yes, it's not a democrat thing, it's a politics thing.

But the establishment is firmly against Trump. If you want to vote strictly on who is anti-establishment (a foolish way to vote) you would have to vote for Trump. Do I expect people that told us to "question authority" will vote for Trump? Of course not. Question authority is only true when there is a republican majority.

Scripture Sunday 1 Nephi 14:10

This is a controversial and uncomfortable passage from scripture, but I'm not sure it should be. In my view, it talks about the exclusiveness of salvation for the LDS church. This is controversial in a post-modern world, where claiming that your religion is the sole passage to salvation is offensive. Putting aside my own personal view, I don't see why this is controversial. Every belief system is exclusive. Yes, even moral relativism and atheism.

Moral relativism claims that there is no moral truth-which is a moral truth in itself and thus excludes every religion that claims there is a moral truth. Atheism claims there is no God-thus excluding those who believe in God. No one talks about moral relativism or atheism being exclusive though, which I've always found strange.

99% of you won't re-post this.

Okay, I'm going to give it to you straight: 

No one is in favor of domestic violence, breast cancer, AIDS, giving cocaine to three year olds, DUI's, hate crimes, miscarriages or lyme disease. I have never met anyone in my life who enjoys any of those things. Yes, everyone wants to cure cancer and yes, everyone wants to end domestic violence. The big difference is that most of us-the dreaded 99%-don't repost those whacky Facebook statuses because we know that in reality, they don't do a damn thing. 

I take that back. They make the poster feel really good about themselves. Yes, the people who post those status updates are good people. Some in fact are very good people. This blog post isn't about the people who post it. Well, it sort of is I guess. 

I'm sure they don't mean it this way but sometimes it really does feel that people who post those are sort of shaming those of us who don't post it. What? You aren't posting my anti-domestic violence post? You must support domestic violence! That's bullshit. You don't need to wear red ribbons to show how compassionate and wonderful you are.  We get it. 

Album of the weekend

Bob Dylan-Blonde on Blonde

Bob Dylan is a poet. An outstanding and beautiful poet. He has been awarded the Nobel Prize in poetry and he absolutely, one hundred percent deserves it. He still hasn't accepted it-which is classic Bob Dylan. Rebellious and punk like he always has been. 

It's hard to say how important this album is. Musically it's outstanding. Lyrically it outstanding. Socially it's outstanding. It's placed on virtually every "Greatest records of all time"  list out there. Critical acclaim is overrated in some ways-you should like whatever you want too-but when a large group of critics (and in this case, virtually one hundred precent) agree that this is a great album-it's a great album. Criticism is about the critic, that's one of the many reasons Roger Ebert was the greatest critic of anything of all time. Personally he was so fascinating and intelligent that he could have been analyzing anything and made it good. 

Bob Dylan is also part social critic along with musician. He is correctly viewed as a near God in the music industry. This is one of his many masterpieces. 

Jack Chick

If you don't know who he was, consider yourself lucky. He was a bad comic writer/illustrator, a delusional thinker, and a man who gave Christians a bad name. He died recently-I have to admit that I haven't thought of him much but I did assume he was already dead.

The first time I saw a "Chick track" I was using a public pay phone in Manchester, NH and one was left on top of the phone, like they usually are. His followers leave them in public places like pay phones and gas stations bath rooms so that unsuspecting people can pick them up, be shocked and appalled and take in some good ole' conspiracy bullshit at the same time. His writing was full of nonsense-even if you agree with him theologically you should decry his conspiracy garbage.

It scared the hell out of me, pun intended. I grew up Catholic and hearing his rants about how evil the Catholic church was how the Vatican "kept a computer with the names of every protestant in the world in their database" really scared me. Was I to be condemned for hell just because I was born Catholic? Wait! I didn't have any say in that?! I couldn't sleep for a week afterward.

He's done far, far more harm to Christianity than helped it. Like I've mentioned before-how you present yourself in life matters. Scaring people to death (especially children. I'm sure I'm not the only child to stumble across one of his hideous publications) will make people correctly marginalize you. There is a reason Jack Chick is ignored by mainstream, legit churches. Just like the Westboro Baptist Church.

And that's what he was. The Westboro Baptist Church in in comic book form.

Bandwagon Cubs fans

Two sports posts consecutively. Sorry about that. My inner sports geek is coming out. 

Everyone is a Cubs fan now because they are winning. If you ask these people who Ron Santo or Ryne Sandberg are they might give you a blank stare. No, I'm not a big Cubs fan. In fact I'm rooting for the Indians because I really like their manager, Terry Francona. This series will be incredibly interesting because it's Theo Epstein (a high up Cubs official) vs Terry Francona. As baseball fans can tell you the two men worked together to break the curse of the Bambino in Boston in 2004.

In 2004 the Red Sox gained a lot of fans who barely knew who Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon were, much less who Dwight Evans, Carlton Fisk and Oil Can Boyd were. It was nice to see the Red Sox really capture a city (and in some ways, a country) with their counter culture and hip look-but I am sure it must have been frustrating to lifelong Red Sox fans to see so many people suddenly become die hard fans of their favorite sports team.

I get it, in sports everyone loves a winner. No one focuses on who came in second. In my view it's a lot like your favorite band suddenly crossing over to achieve mainstream success. You've spent your weekends going to dingy bars and clubs when they could only draw fifteen people a show because you really love their music. Suddenly when they get some mainstream success you are happy for them because it's nice to see them get some accolades-but you are also a bit like "Where were you guys when they were not popular?"

The death of the LA Kiss and Orlando Predators

Like I mentioned a few months ago I went to an arena football game recently, seeing the Orlando Predators take on the LA Kiss. Both teams will not be down for breakfast. For the LA Kiss it's not a surprise at all. The owners knew nothing about sports, much less football. For the Orlando Predators, it's a complete surprise. This team has been in Orlando for twenty five years and if you've been in business for that long a time, you are doing something right. No, I'm not a big football fan and no, I haven't been following them for two years much less twenty five-so I'm not devastated by them going under. I did have a good time at the game and I was planning on going to some more in the upcoming season though.

The only constant in minor league sports is change. Teams come and go all the time and teams like the Pawtucket Red Sox-who have been in existence forever and haven't moved in years-are pretty rare. 

While not technically a minor league let's not kid ourselves. Arena football players are usually not good enough to play in the NFL, with few exceptions. Just mentioning Kurt Warner doesn't mean what I said wasn't true.  If the players were good enough to play for millions in the NFL, they wouldn't be playing for thousands in the Arena league. 

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley deluded themselves into thinking that their team could compete in the Los Angels market and I think an NFL team has moved to Los Angeles recently, so that surely provided the death blow to their franchise. They also had to compete with USC and UCLA football. Granted college is a different schedule than Arena football, but it's still competition.

 It's sad for the players and employees-rumors are all over the place that they have not been paid for their services. Paul and Gene have also been really quiet on social media about their latest failure. Very disappointed in them for treating people so poorly. I don't think it'll damage the Kiss legacy though-after all Music from the Elder should have prepared them for failure. 

Generation X

So while I was watching Survivor a few days ago someone talked about how he was part of Generation X. He rattled off a few characteristics that Generation X apparently has. "Hard work", "honor and discipline". Let me be very clear: I am sure that many people in Generation X have those qualities, and those are good qualities to have. I am not insulting anyone who has those qualities. (We can talk about being overly defensive and taking things personal later) but they aren't characteristics that usually apply to Generation X.

When I think of Generation X I think of the amazing movies "Slacker" by Richard Linklater, Reality Bites by Ben Stiller and the one of the few good Kevin Smith movies, "Chasing Amy". All of those movies are classics and widely considered to be Generation X landmarks. They show the good and the bad about growing up Generation X. None of those characters are particularly concerned with "hard work", "honor", and "discipline." The guy on Survivor didn't even know what generation he was part of.

By the way, what happened to Generation Y? Growing up I was told I was a member of Generation Y, the generation that apparently has been forgotten about by those who study such things. I get it, we are all individuals of course-but every individual is usually part of something bigger than who they are personally.

Scripture Sunday Enos 1:9

For private people the LDS church can be a bit overwhelming. On one hand if you are in a good ward, it's nice to have people check on you and make sure that your temporal/spiritual needs are taken care of-and on the other it's a bit strange. Because I don't wear a suit to church I've had people in the church offer to buy me some at consignment stores. Nice, but then I go into my closet and show three or four new suits. They leave confused. 

There is also the famous "too much information" that goes on sometimes in church. We are family and I understand that but even family has boundaries.  When someone in a testimony Sunday wants to "pour out their whole soul to God" like this passage states that can get a bit awkward. Like the commercials say there is "sharing" and "oversharing." 

But I do like this passage a great deal. It's one that reinforces the closeness of great LDS community. 

Old boxers

Should people be allowed to do what they want? Yes, within reason. I'm a libertarian, not an anarchist. People should basically be allowed to do what they want to do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. If they make choices I don't approve of I can jump around, scream, tell them off, cry, ignore them-but in reality in a free society we shouldn't be able to stop them except under certain circumstances. Obviously being a minor is one of them. No, I don't want a minor smoking pot or trying to join the army at age fourteen. But an adult should be allowed to smoke pot, join the army, marry a member of the same sex, etc.

An adult should also be allowed to enter a boxing ring and beat the hell out of another adult if they so desire. I love boxing. It's a young mans sport that is loved by old men. While I'm not old yet I admit that only old people like boxing. Young people like MMA. I'm actually not much of an MMA fan. Some of my favorite fighters are Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins.

Bernard Hopkins was a genetic freak that fought at a high level up until an advanced age. In boxing, early thirties is over the hill. Hopkins fought incredibly well up until his late forties. Since boxing is so heavily regulated he didn't do it with chemical assistance either. He was a genetic freak, and I say that with the greatest admiration and respect. He'll always be one of my favorite boxers. His ring generalship, savviness and overall spectacular boxing ability is basically unsurpassed in this era and probably we won't see anything like it again.

Sadly, he's going to fight again. Like Roy Jones Jr (another one of my favorite boxers) they don't know when to quit and they are placing themselves in serious jeopardy. I'm scared, because I don't want anything to happen to him. I'm also torn. Should we protect someone from themselves? In this case no. If he's mentally all there (and he is. I'm obviously not a doctor, but I have noticed that in boxing a lot depends on how spaced out your fights were and the amount of punishment you take in them) he should be allowed to make his own decisions. It's very hard to watch though. I will not be watching his last fight. I want to remember him in his prime.

Album of the Weekend

Pearl Jam-Vs

"Ten" established Pearl Jam as at the one of the greatest bands of the 90's and brought them mainstream acceptance. For a brief moment in time, they became the Beatles and Kiss of the 90's where every album they released was a must have.

"Ten" had a slower grunge sound and "Vs" has a much more rock sound. I love their first album and it has some of the songs that defined them-but "Vs" is actually overall better. In my view it shows their complete talents with diverse songs like "Leash", "Daughter", "Indifference". This is another album where there are really no bad songs. 

There is also a bit of sadness to this album. Pearl Jam would decline after this. Vitalogy is also a good album, but it's not as good as Vs or Ten. Pearl Jam achieved large mainstream success than decided it wasn't for them. In a way that's a good thing-they didn't sell out, after all-but their albums after this one seem to be lacking the sound and innovation that their first three do. 

New Michael Moore movie

Michael Moore is making another movie.  He absolutely has every right to make whatever movie he wants whenever he wants. I also have no doubt whatsoever he'll be thought of as brave and original because he's making an anti-Trump movie. Think about that for a minute. Virtually everyone in media and Hollywood despises Trump but somehow making an anti-Trump movie is considered brave. 

Um, no. Real bravery would be making a pro-Trump movie. But Michael Moore lacks the intestinal fortitude to be really brave. 

Instead, he preaches to the choir. No one enters a Michael Moore movie with their mind truly objective. Oh, I'm sure people think they are objective when they pay 10$ to see two hours from the Ann Coutler of the left-but be honest. None of his fans are pro-Trump in the first place. They are the kind of tolerant leftists that don't know anyone who is pro-Trump, much less friendly with someone who is pro-Trump or even someone who doesn't already agree with them on most major issues. 

No, I'm not pro-Trump. I've dedicated more Facebook and blog posts to bashing that idiot than I care to remember. I've never liked Moore though, strictly because he's a giant hypocrite. The guy tries to be this folksy, any town USA guy but in reality he, like Bruce Springsteen has gotten filthy rich off capitalism-a system both men claim to despise. 

So no, Moore isn't brave. Not in the least actually. 

Milo Yiannopoulos

This guy is heroic. An out gay man who claims to be anti-gay marriage and is for Trump. If that isn't thinking for yourself, than the phrase means nothing. He's gotten himself into some trouble lately and has been banned from Twitter. Sad that Twitter banned him but would never even think about banning a leftist-if there have been famous leftists banned from Twitter let me know please. I'm hardly an expert on who has been banned from Twitter, in fairness.

Milo is a provocateur and a bomb thrower-think of Ann Coutler without the raw anger or inability to make fun of herself. I get the impression that Milo is at least ten percent an act. He also epitomizes punk in all it's forms-the anti-authority, give the middle finger to anyone attitude-and you have no idea what he'll say next. Very few people are as brave as this guy. 

Acting "Christian", being "Christian"

Whenever a Christian gets angry (imagine that-a human getting angry) or says something that someone else might think is wrong, they are falsely accused of not acting Christian. The standard of behavior for believers is so stupidly high that it's simply not possible to satisfy everyone.

Example: Two people are debating the merits of Christianity. One says "You Christians are supposed to love your neighbor." What he thinks that means is "I can say anything about Christianity and you  can't respond, or else I'll falsely accuse you of not loving your neighbor." Ho ho ho. I win! This "argument" is especially convenient for atheists-no one can accuse an angry atheist for "not acting like an atheist".

It's very hard being a Christian in 2016, and I'm not just talking about the chastity. People who know very little about our churches claim to know a lot-that's annoying in itself. When people attack our faith and we :: gasp :: defend ourselves idiots think we are supposed to "turn the other cheek". Which to them means "say nothing in defense of your values." Those same people often wrongly think that "don't judge lest ye be judged" means "No Christian can say anything about immoral behavior." I've seen internet atheists lean back in their chair thinking they've really debunked Christianity after saying things like this.

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream

Like the Simpsons (hardly a right wing source) says Ben and Jerry's is the ice cream created by hippies but owned by a heartless corporation. It's also the ice cream to eat if you want others to see you supporting a corporation that is "cool". Capitalism is bashed and business people are hated-but if you donate to "progressive" causes, all is forgiven.

I don't have a sweet tooth. In fact, my only vice for junk food is popcorn which I do love and eat an ungodly amount of. I used to drink coke by the gallon in college but the caffeine keeps me awake and like we all know, soda is bad for your teeth and all around health. Have I had Ben and Jerry's ice cream in the past? Yes, but I can't remember if it was good or bad. It was in Freeport Maine and the girl I was seeing at the time loved them, so being the gentlemen and good date that I am, I put my personal feelings aside and bought us some. I remember it being very expensive for ice cream. Want to save money? You can start by not spending 30$ on jars of peanut butter just because they say "organic" and not spending 15 dollars on ice cream to impress women. Samantha, wherever you are-that's the story and I hope you are doing great.

The benefits of capitalism outweigh the negatives.Ben and Jerry should be advocates for capitalism because it's helped them so much. Instead, they remain active in many "progressive" causes. I wonder if they lived in Cuba or Venezuela if they'd feel the same way.

Scripture Sunday Alma 53: 17

Liberty is a reoccurring theme in the book of Mormon and many times the people of God are advised to never give up their liberties or continue going to war until their liberties are restored. Out of all of the issues that war is considered justifiable for, few churches would state that "liberty" is one of them. Most LDS lean slightly towards that side in their political views because of the frequent mentions of liberty in their scriptures.

Religious liberty has been in the news lately as well. A group of churches have written to the president reminding him that religious liberty is still a right in the country and that we feel it's under attack in some ways. I am surprised-usually all religions can do together is dislike one another. It's nice to see them unite under something.

Would I get a tattoo from someone who didn't have them?

It doesn't seem like it's a good idea to get a tattoo from a person who doesn't have any tattoos, does it? After all, you are inflicting an amount of pain on someone and you should at the very least know what they are going though.

But it's not always like that. A cardiologist doesn't need to have a heart attack to be a good cardiologist and a DUI lawyer doesn't need to get a DUI to be a good lawyer.  So that argument doesn't work well. Granted, you do need some experience and education to be a doctor, lawyer, or yes, a tattoo artist. No one can or should go to Sally the bus driver for legal advice. (No, that's not an insult against bus drivers. It's simply that they have a different skill set than lawyers)

To me a good tattooist doesn't need to have tattoos personally, even though they should for their own business sense. I'm probably in the minority who think this way. I assume that the majority of people want their artist to have tattoos. Of course there are practical reasons for a tattoo artist to have tattoos as well-it's good for business and it shows your potential customers what style you prefer. IE-A guy who does only tribal should have some tribal tattoos himself.

The only time I think that a tattoo should have tattoos is if they choose to tattoo the face or head. They need to know the prejudice that exists against people with face tattoos. Obviously I think that prejudice against tattooed people is wrong, but it still exists in the world. First off, you shouldn't get a face tattoo unless you are 100%, dead set on getting on. Second if you do want one get one from a person with one so they can convince you not to get one or at least inform you of the potential life implications of your decision. 

Album of the weekend

Guns and Roses-Use Your Illusion II

The sequel to the 5 star Use Your Illusion I, the blue album (called blue because the album artwork is :: gasp :: blue as opposed to red for the first) is a rock album with a strong blues influence. It's still rock, and it's still heavy-but many of the songs sound very bluesy. This album, like Use Your Illusion I, is a rock classic that really shows how good Guns and Roses was-even if it was for only a short time.

Much like Axl Rose, this album is a little bi-polar. Songs like "Get in the Ring", "Pretty Tied Up" and "You Could be Mine" are energetic, loud and fast-while songs like "Don't Cry", "Estranged" and "Yesterdays" are sad and can be total downers. "So Fine" is the most blues based song and it's a hidden gem. One of my favorite songs by Guns and Roses. "My World" is a bad song and I'm not sure what the band was trying to get at by recording it. It's not even "good weird" or "unique weird". It's just outright bad. Given that it's Guns and Roses, I'm sure that drugs were involved while writing, recording, producing and agreeing to put it on the record.

Guns and Roses is rightfully considered one of the best hair bands and one of the best rock bands of all time. They are often talked about for their decadent lifestyle - but you need to get by that. Their music is fantastic.

Sharing the gospel

In the LDS world there is a lot of pressure to share the gospel with our non believer friends. Often times leadership puts such a pressure on it's members to share the gospel with everyone that those who don't share the gospel feel deficient in some ways. That's nonsense, of course-there is a time and place to share the gospel and there is a time and place to keep your mouth shut. 

When members say you should proselytize at work, I cringe. Not only is this a foolish idea, it could get you fired. Sharing your faith at work can be a good thing, but it can also lead to disaster. First off-it's work, you should certainly not do anything against your faith, but not everyone is there to be saved. Some people just want to go to work, go home, and be left alone while doing so. You have no right whatsoever to lecture them about your religion. While I'm not one to talk about "offending people" not everyone feels the same. They might have a thinner skin than us and one phone call to HR after you share the Book of Mormon with them and your outta there. 

Sharing the faith with your friends is also very risky. Mom did say that you shouldn't talk about religion and politics. I don't personally believe that obviously-I talk about politics and religion all the time with my friends-but again, not everyone has the same kind of relationships as I do. That's not an insult or a claim that my relationships are deeper or better-it's just that they are different. You can be wonderful friends with someone for years and not talk about religion. In fact, sometimes it's a good thing to not talk about religion with friends because you might damage the friendship. 

If you want to share the gospel, be a good example. Be open with your own faith-let everyone know that you are LDS-and let them come to you with questions. There are so many misconceptions about our faith that most will come to you because they'll know you are LDS. If you pushy, sanctimonious or obnoxious that'll just reinforce negative stereotypes of us..

Who "wears the pants" in your relationship?

I hate this question. I hated it when I was single, I hate it now. I hated in third grade, I hate it in my mid thirties. It's an archaic question from a different era and I wish people would just stop asking it altogether. Obviously, I won't get my way and people still ask the question as an insult to those who they think aren't "masculine" or let their wife boss them around.

I get it all the time because I don't like traditionally masculine interests. I also do most of the housework so people who aren't very bright and lack cognitive abilities assume that this in some way makes my life partner "control" me or "boss me around". It's bullshit, of course. In 2016 no one should be the "boss" of a relationship. A man or a woman, a husband or a wife. Relationships of all types should be about two equal people joining together to form a greater partnership. That means equal. Equal. While open communication is key the moment one person becomes the "boss" or tries to take control it's time to have a long talk with that person.  

Insecure men try to control their women and "wear the pants". Obnoxious men give credence to that way of thinking by asking questions like "Who wears the pants?"  or quietly condoning controlling men. Yes, there are controlling women and that is wrong as well. A good relationship is about open communication and realizing that both people are "in control." 

Vulgar comments

In 2016 our culture has gotten more and more coarse. It's now common on Facebook to see people using language that I'm personally not comfortable with. Does that mean I'm perfect? No, obviously I use pg-13 language and I don't really have a problem with people using language that was controversial when George Carlin talked about the seven words you can't say on television. In fact, I strongly dislike the prudes in our culture who throw their hands up and act all offended when they hear the word "damn"-then talk about people being easily offended. I find that behavior priggish and puritanical.

But I don't make the rules. I understand that some people mind find that language offensive or uncomfortable. So I try my hardest not to use to excessive profanity in public. Crucially, I also see a huge difference between cursing and making vulgar sexual comments, like Trump did.

Vulgar sexual comments, in my view, do cross the line are much worse than using the foul language. Some men talk like this, some men do. Some men rob banks, some men don't. So just saying that "some men" talk like how Trump did doesn't justify it. I can't picture Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan or George W Bush talking like how Trump apparently does. Another startling reminder that the GOP has nominated a guy who in a sane society, would be on a list that keeps him 500 feet away from schools. 

Gary Johnson

Like most people who are against Trump and Hillary and lean to the libertarian side in their politics I was, at first, excited about the Gary Johnson candidacy. I generally think voting third party is a foolish thing to do, and it is. It's done so you can feel morally pure and sneer at the fools who vote for the two the other parties. The right, the left, and yes libertarians do this. Perfect truly is the worst enemy of the good enough and most adults realize that in the real world, you can't always get what you want. Key word: adults.

Trump is an insecure high school bully and Hillary is Tracy Flick from the book Election by Tom Perotta (also a great movie) combined with a mafia don. I mean no disrespect to the mafia please. So we are stuck. Gary Johnson is a liberal who lies and says he's a libertarian, but he isn't all bad. I would have voted for Austin Peterson who ran against Johnson but sadly lost. In fact I like Peterson so much that I probably would have thrown my vote away and voted for him.

Gary Johnson though is different. I'm all for legalizing weed and what you do behind closed doors is your own business. Do I want my president to smoke it? NO. I don't want him or her to get drunk every night either. In case you get the big phone call that requires a calm head and clear mind, do you want your president to be rolling blunts with his friends and so drunk he can barely stand? In this incredibly polarized political world I think most sensible people can agree that a drunk/high or otherwise mentally impaired president is not a positive for the country.

Gary Johnson barely knows where Maine is, much less France or Russia. This guy smokes so much pot that I don't trust him the nuclear codes. A good rule of thumb: No nuke codes for a guy who thinks Aleppo was the fourth Marx brother.

Scripture Sunday Helaman 5:9

Few things are more offensive in this culture than declaring that your religion is the sole pathway to salvation. It's offensive to some people. Not to me. It doesn't make sense to be offended by someone elses religion if you are secure in your own. Of course to religious people, eternal salvation is an important thing. In some cases, few of us would be religious if it wasn't for the promise of eternal salvation. 

King Benjamin here states that there is no other way to salvation then through Christ, who is the redeemer of the world. For Christians this is obvious and comforting. As mentioned, few of us would be Christians if it wasn't for the promise and hope of eternal salvation. Of course this passage makes us think of Acts 4:12-it's basically saying the same thing. 

Kim Kardashian robbery

Like most of us have heard, Kim Kardashian was robbed in France a few days ago. I admit, she is not a sympathetic figure and yes, it seems like her and her family are on the sixteenth minute of fame at this point-but getting robbed at gunpoint is something I would not wish upon anyone, including people I don't like. Aren't I wonderful and compassionate?

I find several things interesting about this story. One-she was robbed apparently at gunpoint in France, a country that has heavy gun regulations. This should make anti-gunners think twice about wanting to create more regulations, but it won't. It never does. It's also interning that once again, people who pride themselves on being tolerant and compassionate (from "Christians" who dislike the moral behavior of the Kardashians to tolerant leftists who dislike her wealth and fame) are the ones who are glee in this. Glee might be too hard a word, but it's close. If these people were robbed at gunpoint (or if their moms were) they'd be outraged and break down crying if anyone showed a lack of compassion towards them. Because Kim Kardashian is well, Kim Kardashian-there is a lot of schadenfreude.

You might be thinking "What, you've never experienced schadenfreude before! You are such a hypocrite!"Of course I have. Many times, actually. So I understand where people are coming from but no, that doesn't make it right. Just pointing out that the accuser is guilty of something doesn't justify the bad behavior they are condemning. A person who has had a DUI before can still say DUI is wrong.

Album of the weekend

Motorhead-Ace of Spades

:: moment of silence for Lemmy:: 

It is sometimes difficult for Americans to understand the Queen of England. Her powers are difficult enough to grasp but what is more complex in some ways is the notion of how she "represents" what it is to be British. People are prosecuted in her name, laws are enforced in her name, and wars are fought in her name. No, I'm not an expert in English law (though ethnically I am English), so if I'm wrong-sorry it's just my understanding. Americans have the Flag and the Constitution that "represent us" and England has the monarchy. 

Lemmy is to metal what the Queen is to England. Lemmy represents all that is metal. From his lifestyle to his appearance to what matters most- his music-he is the embodiment of what metal stands for. Johnny Ramone was once "caught" driving a Cadillac and some snotnose said "That ain't punk!" His response was "I created punk! If I say it's punk, it's punk." Johnny was right. Lemmy didn't create metal, but if he said it was metal,  it was metal. There would be no argument. 

So you can see how his sudden death last December is still painful for his fans. 

Ace of Spades is the the epitome of a Motorhead song, so it's also the epitome of a metal song. The BBC also said that "we are the road crew is the sound of a grizzled veteran who has been there, done that." The BBC is right-the entire album has a been there, done that sound without sounding old and tired. It sounds more like the wise old grandfather giving advice on how to live to his obedient and dutiful grandchildren. Ace of Spades is the best song on the it's self titled album, but "we are the Road Crew" "Live to Win" and "The Chase is Better than the Catch" are all outstanding.

I'm toying with a new tattoo idea-I'd like an Ace of Space card on my leg. Just in honor of Lemmy. 

You don't like metal if you don't like Motorhead. If you don't like Motorhead (Shame! Shame!) try this album. 

Hurricane Matthew and coincidence

I am praying for all the countries that have been hit by the hurricane already, and I will continue to pray for the states that are preparing for it now. This post is not meant to insult anyone so I hope no one takes it that way. 

This picture has been broadcast all over social media: 




First off, it's kind of cool. Putting aside how destructive and life threatening hurricanes are (and they are) the picture showing a smiling skull with red all around it like it's on fire is at least interesting. Like everyone else I thought it was photoshopped at first and basically ignored it. Now that we are certain it isn't photoshopped, I think it's a natural occurrence and dumb luck that it formed that way. 

Inevitability, people took this picture and blew it totally out of proportion or misread it into something truly whacky. No, Satan is not going to eat the state of Florida. No, this hurricane is not a punishment for sinful behavior. No, this picture doesn't mean it's going to be a worse hurricane than any other natural disaster known to man. Simply put  it's just a coincidence. 

I'm religious and I believe in coincidence and luck. When Hurricane Matthew misses your state but hits North Carolina you thank God you are safe. Does that mean God aimed for North Carolina though? Of course not. Luck plays a huge role in life. 

Montreal pit bull ban

This is an issue that I am so passionate about that it's hard to control my emotions. I love the city of Montreal-it's without question one of my favorite cities in North America. I've been going there since I was eighteen and it's basically the only thing I miss about living up north. Growing up I was a Montreal Canadiens fan in the heart of Bruins country. Even back then, I thought for myself wasn't afraid to show it. 

It's true, that a judge issued a stay on the Montreal ban. Doesn't matter though-they passed it in the first place. 

The city of Montreal has recently passed a pit bull ban. Like most times the government has tried to ban something, it's a bad idea in theory and an even worse one in practice. What is a pit bull? Can you tell by appearance? What if someone has a therapy dog that is a pit bull? Or one that looks scary? Another troubling problem with breed specific legislation? A dog might look dangerous but in reality be truly harmless and a dog might look harmless but in reality be truly dangerous. You can not judge on appearances without making an ass of yourself, and this goes double for dogs.

"Pit Bulls" are a specific breed, that is true, but there are many different types of dogs that can be classified as "pit bulls". Not all of them are dangerous. While it's true,  some types of pit bulls can be dangerous dogs and are involved in attacks, an out of control Shar Pei can be just as dangerous if not more so than a pit bull if not trained correctly. When it comes to dogs, it truly is the owner rather than the breed. Montreal made a huge mistake when they bought into the anti pit bull hysteria.

Scary clown reports

I'm not afraid of clowns. In fact, I find most clowns just exhausting and tedious. They use tired jokes that weren't funny the first fifty five times you heard them and at their worse, they lack the self awareness to see how annoying they are. Part of what makes Krusty from the Simpsons funny is his cynicism and his own knowledge that everything he says/does has been done before. Most clowns lack that trait. The other annoying as hell part about them is that they assume you don't like to laugh if you don't laugh at their tired old gags and stupid jokes. We all have different senses of humor.

Scary clowns are, in fact, no different. Given that everyone seems to be afraid of scary clowns they've become cliche as well. We see them in the movie "It" (granted it was Stephen Kings most scary creation, but that's not saying much. Even Pennywise wasn't that scary once you get past age ten), we see them in American Horror Story, we see them in pop culture so much that scary clowns haven't become scary anymore either.

But I admit that not everyone feels the same way I do. Some people have different fears, and that's okay. I am afraid of heights, in fact it's so bad that at the Amway Center in Orlando I can't look down if I'm on the top floor without getting sweaty palms, weak knees and a feeling of nausea. It's bad. I know of people who ask "How can you be afraid of heights?!" then are terrified of snakes and spiders-which I absolutely love. Like I just said-not everyone feels the same way I do and this is in no way an insult to those who are afraid of clowns.

Walking around in a clown suit isn't illegal and it shouldn't be. If you want to look like an idiot, knock yourself out. Scaring people might be different though. I'm not a lawyer so this obviously isn't legal advice, but scaring people is a good way to get yourself in serious trouble and maybe even get your ass kicked, or worse. It's hard to have sympathy for some dumbass who is scaring people and then gets a beatdown by police or angry citizens.

Snowden

So I saw the movie Snowden on Friday night with some friends. I had to be dragged kicking and screaming-like I've mentioned before I'm not a movie guy and I would rather have been watching Shark Tank or playing Xbox.

Snowden is a vastly controversial figure and you either love him or hate him. There aren't a lot of people in the middle about him or what he did. The movie won't help. As a movie, it was good (but again, I'm hardly a barometer of what makes good movies) even though it was highly romanticized and drawn out.  I particularly liked the portrayal of Snowden and his girlfriend-it showed how complex their relationship was. It also added an interesting sub plot to whatever his motivation was. He gave up what seemed to be a beautiful and fulfilling relationship (along with his freedom, belief in his country, liberty, etc) in the process of doing what he did.

The movie is very pro-Snowden. In fact, it's so pro-Snowden that it doesn't bother to bring up the other side of the argument. It portrays Snowden as incredibly moral. Maybe even saintly or Godlike. I swear there are some scenes where there might as well be a halo around his forehead as he restores sight to a blind man and turns water to wine. It's an Oliver Stone movie, so I don't expect it to be two sided. It doesn't have to be, I guess. If you want the other side you can easily find it.

None of that is to say that I didn't enjoy the movie-I did. It won't be a habit though and I highly doubt I'll bore you with any other movie reviews for the foreseeable future.

Scripture Sunday 2 Nephi 4:27

All of us have temptations. They can be for illicit sex, illicit drugs, or something like stealing or envy. In this culture we are trained to think that all instincts are "normal" and how can feelings be wrong after all? If we are tempted to do something, that means we want it, and all of our urges (wether they be sexual or not) can't be wrong, can't they?

Well they can be wrong. In fact, they can be very wrong. Instead of giving into the culture of today you should listen to the words of Nephi right here. Should you give into temptations of the flesh? No, because the devil truly did put them in there, and yes, eventually it'll destroy your peace and afflict your soul. Do your best to avoid temptation-once you've already subjected yourself to it it'll be easy to give in to it. It's much easier to say no to something when it's not being offered to you in the first place. 

General Conference

It's general conference weekend. Which means most hardcore LDS are glued to the television or in their ward building watching the leaders of the church speak.

Me? As per usual I'll be at home with my dog, Game Boy and drawing pad right near me.

Hope you have a wonderful, inspiring weekend everyone. LDS or not.