Grand Theft Auto

I am a video game junkie, in fact, it's one of my true passions in life. They've given me so much joy and  entertainment.

But that doesn't blind me.

If you let your minor child play Grand Theft Auto, you have failed as a parent. The GTA series are without question among the most groundbreaking and innovative games in history. Personally, I don't like to play them though. I'm awful at them, and killing police officers and dealing drugs doesn't appeal to me, even in a fantasy setting. It's no big deal if you choose to play them, these are just my thoughts. 

I am a huge fan of the Fallout series, which also has drug references. As an adult, I know the difference between fantasy and reality. So I have no problem with playing "adult" like video games.

Sure, of course you have the right to let them play it. But kids minds are underdeveloped and impressionable. This is a murder simulator.

And no, games don't have to to have adult content to be breathtakingly good, even as an adult. Mario 64 is without question one of the greatest games of all time. No vulgarity or offensive content. Thank God Mario will never start shooting hookers. You can't go wrong with anything Mario or Zelda, usually.

Mormons are famous for not watching R rated movies. I have no problem with watching R rated movies if they have artistic merit. "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke is one of my favorite movies of all time, and that's tough to watch. I've only seen it once. It's certainly R rated for a reason.

Video games can be artistic, and GTA certainly is. But I don't think a good.

Scripture Sunday Jacob 6:3

This verse makes me smile. Don't all of us feel like this sometimes? Like we labor in His vineyard and get nothing for it? Or worse, we see the bullies and the bad guys win? It can seem hopeless for us. 

This verse gets me though the bad times. Of course I don't like to admit that I like seeing "the world shall be burned with fire" part-but I don't hate it either. Evil needs to be punished. When we see the wicked thrive, we should know that justice delayed is not always justice denied. 

But yes, the best part is certainly "how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard." The blessings will come, and they will be wonderful. 

Keep on trucking. Happy Sunday. 

Album of the Weekend

Pearl Jam-Ten

There are albums that are good. There are albums that are legendary. Then there are albums that are iconic. I know this is hyperbole, but this how I feel about Ten by Pearl Jam. 

Oh Pearl Jam, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 

I love the song "Once"-which I've always thought was one of the best songs about the mental instability you can feel going through depression and dark times. 

I love the song "Even Flow"-a surprisingly dark song about a homeless person but is oddly peppy and catchy. The contrast is amazing.

I love the Alive (one of my favorite songs of all time)-deals with feelings of love and loss when a child finds out they were lied to about their origins

I love the song Black-simply put, the best break up song of all time written from the males perspective

I love the song Jeremy-written about a bullied child that if you don't feel sympathy for, you aren't human. 

I love Pearl Jam. Thank you for creating this album. 

Mormon Fundamentalism

I'm going to shock the world (yes, my ego is big, but not so big to think the world is watching): 

Mormon fundamentalism, like the kind shown in Big Love, has much more in common with the LDS church than you think.   

First off, anyone who marries a minor is a disgusting pervert who should be thrown away in jail for life. In my view, the death penalty is more than appropriate. I have zero tolerance for child abuse, and forced marriage of a minor is certainly, without question, one hundred percent wrong and flat out disgusting. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints accepts Thomas Monson as the prophet and leader. Obviously I accept and believe that he is one too. This shouldn't be shocking. However, I also accept that the priesthood shown in most fundamentalist sects is legit. That doesn't mean a convert from the fundamentalist sect shouldn't have to be re-bapitzed by the LDS church. If you want to join the LDS church, you play by their rules. 

Mormon fundamentalists also correctly view the Book of Mormon as not just "inspired scripture" but actual history. On this issue, I fall on the conservative side of LDS scholarship (though I do not claim to be a scholar of any type) and agree. I as well think that the events in the Book of Mormon took place in actual history. However I don't think it's dogma-you can be a good and faithful LDS member and not believe in inerrancy. You can also believe that the Book of Mormon is largely allegorical. That's fine-most people believe that the Bible has many allegorical parts too. 

I'm fine with the government cracking down on fundamentalist sects-if there is child abuse (and again, child marriage is child abuse) or any other illegal activity going on. If adult women are forced into marriages they don't want to be in-that's gravely immoral as well. If people just choose to live in that lifestyle by their own free will though-then they really should be left alone to do as they wish. 

Catcher in the Rye

I can't sum it up any better than Quagmire from Family Guy did. "Holden Caufield is a spoiled brat." He's also the hero for people who are too insecure to be themselves. 

Holden can't grow up-he views anyone who has as "phony". He also seems to think that only he can judge people-odd, given that so many of his fans would scream about someone else being "judgmental". 

Holden is the epitome of an ungrateful, petulant child. His little sister is far more mature than he is when, at the end of the novel, she correctly says "You don't like anything!" Holden is detached from the world because he doesn't want to be hurt-that's true-but he's also detached because he thinks he is better than the world that he lives in. 

When you think about it, Holden is going to an elite prep school-he's from a wealthy family-and yet he still complains about how bad everything is. Many, many people would have killed to have the opportunities that he does. 

We all know people like Holden. I was like him when I was in my teens-in fact, he was sort of a hero to me-becasue I was too insecure to be myself. Looking back, good God I'm ashamed to even admit that. At least I grew out of it. I still see people in their 40's who look to him as an idol. I think it's sad more than anything else. 

Jack Kerouac hated beatniks, even though he basically created them. I wonder if Salinger (who was not the cool, hip guy everyone thinks he was) hated the Holden fans that he created. 

More thoughts on anti-Mormonism

We know that protestants-in particular evangelicals-don't like us much. Which is sad. One of my personal heroes is Billy Graham, who is associated with the evangelical movement. I will always admire Reverend Graham. In my view only, almost no American has brought more souls to Christ than him. 

Evangelicals (and some Catholics) insist that you must believe in a Trinitarian God in order to be Christian. While they have every right to think that way, a Christian is just a believer in Jesus Christ. Evangelicals proved they need lots of work on this prejudice thing by overwhelmingly rejecting Mitt Romney (who socially agrees with them on virtually everything) in favor of the thrice married Newt Gingrich in the 2012 GOP primary. 

What bothers me more about evangelicals is that they think they know more about our religion than we do.  Like I say to people who think Kiss means "knights in satan's service", do not claim to know more about Kiss than a thirty year fan-and no, you don't now more about Mormonism than lifelong members. I am not a lifelong member, but my point still stands. 

Catholics have also experienced prejudice in this world (being in the minority, it's almost automatic that you will) so generally they are less likely to be prejudiced against Mormonism. Just to be clear-I'm speaking in generalities, yes. There are great Evangelicals, stupid Mormons, and wonderful Catholics. 

Stupid Mormons bother me more than anyone else. I've had Mormons whom I know and respect that buy into anti-Catholic stereotypes. No, Catholics don't worship Mary and no, they don't practice cannibalism either. 

A Mormon who perpetuates anti Catholic (or anti any religion, really) lies has no right whatsoever to complain about people who spread anti-Mormon lies. Period. 

Stephen King

I know, I know. I'm from New England, so I'm supposed to like Stephen King. He's written one book I like, The Stand. That's it. 

One of the many reasons Stephen King is not a good writer is that he uses stock characters. The villains in Stephen King almost always don't have good motives. They exist solely to be villains and to be hated. That's lazy thinking in itself-no villain starts off by saying "I'm going to be evil." In fact, the most interesting villains believe they are doing good. Oddly, I got into an argument about this with a brainiac in college. I said "Stalin probably thought he was doing good." Foolishly, that girl said "How can you say he did good! He killed millions of people! How dare you!" Right. I never said I thought he was doing good-I said Stalin thought he was doing good. 

Another annoying fact is that King relies on stereotypes. Many of the bad characters in his books are religious fanatics and of course, all of them are evil, unsmiling killjoys (yes, I exempt The Stand). I get it, the man doesn't like religion, republicans or anyone that isn't a clone of his own views. That's the sign of a bad writer and a person who hasn't really matured in life. If you can't separate "good people and bad political ideas" well, I feel sorry for you. You aren't alone-I get that personally all the time. In fact, one guy sent a three page rant telling me that only people on the left "help people". I'm planning on framing it and getting it signed by him. 

Stephen King is also wordy. A good writer can succinctly tell you a story and not babble on. 

You might say "Oh, you are a terrible writer too." Yes, but I've never claimed to be otherwise. From my limited impressions of King (I've only read a few of his books, thankfully) he seems to think he is better than what he is.   

Is he a better writer than I could be? You betcha. He's sold a lot of books. But Nickleback also sells a lot of records. 

Flame on.