I knew I had finally become a southern Californian a few months ago while driving. All of a sudden, stuff! was falling from the sky!! onto my car!!! After a brief moment of panic‚Äîwondering how my windshield, roof, and paint would survive‚ÄîI realized it was rain… Today, in keeping with the fact that I follow [...]

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I’ve been sick recently and if there’s one thing that’s good for you when you’re sick, it’s chicken noodle soup. At least, that’s what I hear. Awhile back, I wanted a recipe for making it from scratch when even The Joy says to start with “4 cups Chicken Stock, 39″. So what I do is [...]

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The winners of the World Press Photo Contest are posted.

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While I was standing naked in the shower this morning (note: the author cannot be held liable for detrimental psychological effects of the mental images evoked by his blogging), it occurred to me that I was barely aware that I was showering. My body was going through the motions of shampooing, soaping, and shaving, but [...]

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Temple worship is one of the most emotionally and socially complicated aspects of Mormonism.  It is generally spoken in the most sacred and spiritual terms, and there is no doubt that it is pinnacle of Mormon ritual life.  That said, many active, believing Mormons struggle with the temple experience (this is based anecdotal evidence, but [...]

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I’ve taken a serious look at my schedule for the near future, and between various crises at work and the grad school assignment build-up as I approach the end of the semester, I’m going to have to cut back on my blogging for the next two months. I promise not to go away–it’s emotionally trying [...]

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16 things it takes most of us 50 years to learn: I learned this through hard experience at the age of 25 but only after humiliating the pregnant woman I complimented: 3. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby [...]

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by David Leeming I just finished this. I picked it up at a recent trip to the library where, predictably, I was trapped for hours in the stacks pulling book after book off the shelves and flipping through them. I enjoy reading too much to speed read (I taught myself how in grade school because [...]

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I went with friends to see Elaine Pagels speak on the Gospel of Judas yesterday. The people at Chapman University introduced her by pointing out that her book, The Gnostic Gospels, is one of The Modern Library’s one hundred most influential non-fiction books of the 20th Century. Whatever credence you may give such lists, there’s [...]

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I was reading a reimagining of a classic tale and wondered how it would change the meaning and cultural significance of it if some of the genders were switched. So here’s this week’s challenge: take a well-known myth, parable, fable, or story and change the gender of a main character, a favorite character, or all [...]

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