(via /r/exmormon/)

That paraphrased (and greatly summarized) monologue came out of my oldest daughter’s mouth.

“We believe that God made everything,” says her younger sister.

“You can believe in both things. You can make a combination,” says older. Then to me, “I try not to talk about Jesus things when you’re around because you don’t believe in it.”

I told them that it’s OK to talk about Jesus, just that I would have a different perspective about the subject than other people. We also talked about trying to figure out for yourself what you believe.

I am interested to watch my oldest start to ask big questions and really think about her world. Most children are natural-born philosophers, coming out of the womb with a need to make sense of life. It is tragic to see children’s natural curiosity and nascent critical-thinking skills crippled by spoon-feeding them too many answers.

(BTW, Don’t get used to this high frequency of posts. I believe it will prove to be a statistical outlier.)

Friendly Atheist has a compilation (via Meming of Life).

And you know Jesus, he went right for the groin with his submission.

Here are my results: O53-C64-E12-A17-N5.

I’ll take the test about a year from now and start my own longitudinal study. (The following chart won’t make sense until I have more data.)

I just learned about DJ Drez, a yogi who spins world music with hip-hop beats. Take Jatha Beat—The Progression for example. Downtempo with exotic Eastern sounds to get my creative juices flowing. I like.

Mouse’s Tank is a fictionalized retelling of the story of Mouse, a renegade Southern Paiute who steals from the white Mormons of St. Thomas who have stolen the homeland of his people, the People, where they had lived for a thousand years. Mouse is immortalized in the name of Mouse’s Tank, a natural catch basin in the of the Valley of Fire where he hid out.

I picked up this local publication because I had visited Mouse’s Tank and heard the story about the Indian who defied white man’s law and because I’m fascinated by the lifeways of the people of the Mojave. Being a native Las Vegan, I feel a deep connection to the desert spaces of my childhood and like to hear stories about its people.

The writing is rather florid; the author romanticizes the Paiute, falling into the Noble Savage meme; and the book could have used some more proofreading, but it was a quick, enjoyable read. I could tell the author shares my love of the subtle beauties of the Mojave. The desert landscape could easily be confused for the protagonist because of how much attention its sight, sounds, and scents receive.

Despite its flaws, I enjoyed it. Perhaps that’s because I’m a native son.

View all my reviews

1. … Lacey who cleans up my early morning messes when I’m rushing to get to work.
2. … the growing understanding that I don’t need to be perfect to enjoy life. Good is good enough.
3. … the realization that worrying about being happy is one of the best ways to feel miserable.
4. … healthy children.
5. … a warm greeting when I come home from work.

Rely not on the teacher, but on the teaching. Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the spirit of the words. Rely not on theory, but on experience. Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is written in your scripture. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.
 (Kalama Sutta, a free interpretation thereof)

1. … feeling a bit more organized. A big part of my procrastination is not knowing where to start.
2. … having a family.
3. … my chance to be alive.
4. … books.
5. … a short list of things to accomplish today.