December 31, 2004
travis' favorites, year two
with the end of another year and every TV entity doing some year in review, i've decided to offer my year in review. these are my favorite posts of the year, listed chronologically from oldest to newest. i asked doug--whose posts, you'll notice, are not found in this list--to send me a list of his favorites from this year, but doug is so progressive and lives SO for the moment that he wasn't having any of it. you can read all of his posts here. the following are all mine:
*on gay marriage ::: part VIII of VIII (the last in the series, sparking a heated discussion. 24 comments)
*protesters with issues (the hypocrisy of liberals is especially obvious at big public protests)
*pissing in our holy water (this "art" reminds me of human waste. spirited discussion with 22 comments)
*newdow still retarded (semi-satirical, semi-serious piece ridiculing atheist, michael newdow, for arguing the unconstitutionality of the pledge of allegiance because it contains the phrase "under god")
*liberal academia (proof that the ivory tower leans left)
*variations on a theme(fill in the blanks) "____ don't ____ ____, people ____ ____."
*palestinian children (a shadowy arab poster propagandist attempts to indoctrinate unwitting undergrads in the humanities building on a saturday. this is my story of defiance)
*marty stephens. ready. now. (i may be personally responsible for bringing down marty stephens' campaign for utah governor)
*iraqi prisoner abuse (my first post pointing out hypocrisy of those who flood us with endless abu ghraib news)
*anti-american inflammation (definitive treatment of the abu ghraib and nicholas berg incidents)
*who's skewing the church/state distinction? (on john kerry's communion-worthiness issues during the 2004 presidential campaign)
*i think the grief is getting to mr. berg (proof that severe grief may lead to insanity)
*the fallout from my article ::: part i (i fisk a letter to the editor that was published in response to my abu ghraib article. the letter was from a BYU professor)
*the fallout from my article ::: part ii (i fisk another letter to the editor. i show no mercy)
*blind, sniping hatred of reagan (i respond to comments on the VH1 blog where ronald reagan was being slandered. again, no mercy is shown.)
*black harvard grads upset: affirmative action helping too many people (problems with affirmative action at harvard)
*utah, boy scouts trade invoices (satire, on utah's lawsuit against the boy scouts)
*john kerry: flopper and deceiver (i call the kerry/edwards ticket "a walking saturday night live skit" and predict their defeat in november)
*my retirement goes up in smoke, SSA shrugs it off (problems with social security. an argument for privatization)
*how far have we come? (a look at technological advancements and how they're improving lives)
*what people are saying about all-encompassingly (some good, some bad. some VERY bad)
*evil bush steals kerry 'bounce' (john kerry's post-convention disappointment)
*quinn and maher on NPR (terri gross of NPR interviews colin quinn and bill maher)
*ode to summer (the big engagement announcement)
*hand dryer instructions (pictures of a very odd food-dispensing machine in a BYU bathroom)
*mothereffer, i will kill you (my most racist-sounding post ever--but i was speaking about illegal immigration, not about the specific ethnic group involved.)
*mixing music and politics (alice cooper, whom i remember best for his monologue on the history of milwaukee in "wayne's world", lays the proverbial smack down up in the hizzay)
*atheist, marxist cash fans cry foul (marilyn manson is to johnny cash as democrats are to republicans)
*the best news article EVER (enough said)
*all-encompassingly picks new apostle (golf clap welcome) (i don't know what this post proves...perhaps it reassures me that my soul is not completely lost.)
*cheney/edwards: work horse vs. show horse -- on the 2004 vice presidential debate.
*kerry candidacy suffers crushing blow (i ridicule mr. heinze's blatant name-dropping effort in one of the 2004 presidential debates)
*carter and matthews brainstorm on historic parallels (one of the most outrageously idiotic and unrestrained free-for-alls in modern television history--explained)
*"oh yeah! because democrats care about rights!" (a dispute with yet another liberal BYU english professor)
*al-qaeda, al-jazeera to merge (satire, noting the complicit role of the arab news network, al-jazeera, in furthering the goals of the terrorist murder network, al-qaeda)
*NPR: "we are pretty much a bunch of right-wing kooks" (i respond to a liberal news organization's preposterous claim that american news is biased toward the right)
* brawls abound, but not a hockey game in sight (i defend ron artest's actions in the detroit players-fans brawl, and remind people that hockey isn't so bad)
December 10, 2004
christmas gifts we recommend (books, movies, & music)
with two weeks left until christmas, you have probably already finished your holiday shopping. unless you are like my dad, who is notorious for his yearly christmas eve shopping dash (in that case, this list could be very helpful). i've read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies lately that i feel have been worth my time. here are some recommendations and reviews of my favorites, in no particular order. follow the links to read more reviews at amazon:
recommended books
the last two years of salvador allende by nathaniel davis:
"written by the US ambassador to chile during the allende years, this is perhaps the only book that deeply explores--and meticulously documents--the utter failure of the democratically-elected communist president's leadership and form of government. most books dealing with chilean history between 1970 and 1990 blame only agosto pinochet for the extreme levels of domestic turmoil. davis points out the leftist leader's culpability for sparking (and ignoring) the chilean decline. the author's seemingly endless provision of facts and figures became a bit tedious during my reading of the book, but the volume is worth it's price for davis' electrifying retelling of the coup-de-etat, alone. also recommended: the capitalist revolution in latin america by paul roberts and karen araujo. not recommended: a nation of enemies by pamela constable and arturo valenzuela. 'i wouldn't soil my cat's litter box with the worthless, empty pages of a nation of enemies.'" --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and former resident of chile.
at any cost by bill sammon:
"sammon thoroughly and methodically refutes the concept that al gore won florida in 2000. sammon shows how completely ridiculous the claim is that george w. bush 'stole' the election, and sets the record straight: it was the democratic candidate who tried to steal the presidency. this is one of the most satisfying books i've read in a long time, especially considering the fact that some, including keith olberman of MSNBC, have still not conceded the 2004 election." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and political junkie.
music and the mind by anthony storr and the aesthetics of music by roger scruton:
"these two books almost convinced me to pursue a graduate degree in aesthetics. but what do you care?" --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and amateur musician.
how to know if someone is worth pursuing in two dates or less by neil clark warren:
"i read the book and i'm happily married. the proof is in the pudding. but seriously, this has got to be the most straight-forward, useful relationship book in existence. dating can really suck. to minimize suckage, read this book and take notes. dr. warren's new book falling in love for all the right reasons looks to be a rehashing of this book, plus some information about marriage--probably another extremely useful book. i would recommend anything by this author." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and married man.
be thou an example by gordon hinckley
"the most inspiring book i have ever read." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and god-fearing man.
shut up and sing by laura ingraham
"a well-researched and timely book in which liberal, blue state elite-think is the butt of the joke. very enjoyable read." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and 2004 values voter.
tricky business and big trouble by dave barry:
"dave barry's first two forays into fiction writing (as opposed to 'whatever you call it' that he was doing before). these books are hilarious, though somewhat crude. they (blatantly and unapologetically) follow similar plot patterns, which might turn you off if you are some kind of literature snob who uses terms like "denouement" on a regular basis. but if you like hilarious characters, complex, knee-slapping plot twists, and access to a new side of dave's humor, these books are must-reads." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and uncouth literati outsider.
the screwtape letters by clive staples lewis
"an interesting perspective on temptation. funny, enlightening, and inspiring. my only complaint is that it is so short." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and frequent target of tempters.
joseph smith the prophet by truman madsen
"full of amazing stories from the life of the prophet joseph smith. a must-read for any latter day saint, it should be part of the missionary packet." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and latter day saint.
truman by david mccullough
my favorite history writer, david mccullough, goes on for more than 1100 pages about president truman. about the length of president clinton's memoirs, only this book is actually worth your time. --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and history buff.
the proper care and feeding of husbands by dr. laura schlessinger
i don't know how much work of her own dr. laura put into writing this one. if we were to add up all of the emails, letters, and other comments from listeners that she uses in the text, her commentary might be shown to constitute a minority of the book. however, the true stories from actual couples are compelling and shocking. and the advice dr. laura gives is uniquely family-friendly, and to some extent (despite the title) the instruction she gives can be used by both husbands and wives. --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and simple-minded biped
give me a break by john stossel and a national party no more by zell miller
i am neither a libertarian nor a democrat, but these were two of the best books i read this year. in fact, i'll just say it: give me a break was THE best book i read this year. stossel, my favorite news personality of all time, advocates a strict libertarian approach to government and markets while using the book to look back on some of his most memorable moments as a journalist. just like his pieces on 20/20, this book alerts the audience to government policy, spending, and political-correctness outrages that need to be addressed.
about miller's offering, a national party no more: i have never felt such a desire to moderate my conservative views as i have since reading this book. he spares nothing in attacking the democratic party, and doesn't go much easier on the republicans. if anything, i've come to find great respect for senator miller through reading this book. i recommend it to everyone with an interest in politics. his chapter two (pages 9-20) provides a most-timely discussion of the blue-red hate-fest going on in america right now. highly recommended to such people as my sister and other church-going democrats. for recent stuff on the hate-fest, try scrappleface or philosophical blitzkrieg." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly', bush supporter, and former resident of a former slave state. [are those last items a matter of coincidence? wackos think not.]
childbed fever by k. codell carter and barbara carter:
"this book should be made into a movie, or at least a history channel documentary of some sort. it is filled with outrageous tales exposing the guessing-game that was 19th century medicine. it's rare and out of print and it took me about a year to get my copy. if you're interested in the book, contact me or email the professor and encourage him to reprint it independently." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and former student of the author.
recommended movies
"i continue to be impressed with tom hanks' movies, and his versatility as an actor. first forrest gump, castaway and saving private ryan, and now ladykillers and the terminal. you may not recognize hanks from one movie to the next, but these movies are all worth your time, and perhaps money. in ladykillers, hanks plays a likeable southern gentleman and bank robber, but the surprise protagonist turns out to be the devout christian lady from whom hanks' character rents his room. the terminal is a heartwarming film and, like ladykillers, hanks has mastered a strange accent for his role in it. i have seen over 100 movies this year, and the terminal was my favorite." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and a guy who is not afraid to walk out of a movie if it sucks.
it's a wonderful life and a christmas carol:
these two DVDs will be part of our family's christmas tradition every year. starting now. --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and holiday tradition advocate.
"visually stunning and fascinating, even for someone like me who knows nothing about birds. contains footage compiled over a three-year period, from practically every corner of the earth. this is an epic documentary. --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and bird-liker.
endurance and touching the void
"two of the most incredible survival-story documentaries out there. both are true stories. in touching the void, the retelling is done by the survivors of the peruvian mountain climb, accompanied by recreated video footage. in endurance, historians, journals, and logs tell the tale of shackleton's 1914 antartic expedition, in the which recreated footage is mixed with surviving video and photography. endurance is probably a PG-ish film, while touching the void, for the EXCESSIVE use of the F-word, is R." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and survivor of the 1999 lonquen missionary hiking disaster, lonquen, chile.
band of brothers (HBO's WWII movie series)
"ahh, to remember the days when 'liberation' wasn't a bad word!" --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and war-movie fanatic.
"completely unique, a future cult classic, and infinitely better than 'revenge of the nerds'--in addition to being family friendly." --travis, senior reviewer from the unheardofly popular blog, 'all-encompassingly' and former nerd.
recommended music
the newest sunfall CD will be available here soon, but for now just go stream some awesome songs for free.
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those are my recommendations. i like them; you might not. either way, good for you. if you want more music recommendations, my favorite artists haven't changed since this post, and i really don't feel close enough to the music scene to recommend any new artists. if you have recommendations for me (music or otherwise) i welcome them. please email me or leave them in the comments below this post.
***one final thing: if you are a close friend or family member who wants 1/20th of your amazon purchase price (whenever you shop there) to go to all-encompassingly, the gesture is much appreciated and welcomed. you may drag the link from the box below (the text in the box's black background has the code "allencompassi-20" embedded in it) into your internet browser and make it your amazon bookmark, or you can come here to search amazon's inventory any time you need to do online shopping. thanks again, and merry christmas.
October 31, 2004
FWWJV? (for whom would jesus vote?)
i disagree with my sister on john kerry's belief in god and the way in which he chooses to reconcile it with his political positions. i claim his nonsense stance is evidence that he doesn't have one. she claims he's taking the right position politically. what raised this disagreement were john kerry's incomprehensible statements in the 3rd presidential debate:
My faith affects everything that I do, in truth. There's a great passage of the Bible that says, "What does it mean, my brother, to say you have faith if there are no deeds? Faith without works is dead."
And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith, but without transferring it in any official way to other people.
That's why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this earth.
That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith.
But I know this, that President Kennedy in his inaugural address told all of us that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own. And that's what we have to -- I think that's the test of public service. [transcript, p.1]
-----snip-----
The president and I have a difference of opinion about how we live out our sense of our faith.
I talked about it earlier when I talked about the works and faith without works being dead. [transcript, p.3]
clearly, christians should not be happy that kerry is asking for their vote while refusing to advocate things about which they care deeply. one of the LDS church's top leaders, dallin oaks, said a few years ago,
If we say we are anti-abortion in our personal life but pro-choice in public policy, we are saying that we will not use our influence to establish public policies that encourage righteous choices on matters God’s servants have defined as serious sins. I urge Latter-day Saints who have taken that position to ask themselves which other grievous sins should be decriminalized or smiled on by the law due to this theory that persons should not be hampered in their choices. Should we decriminalize or lighten the legal consequences of child abuse? of cruelty to animals? of pollution? of fraud? of fathers who choose to abandon their families for greater freedom or convenience?
Similarly, some reach the pro-choice position by saying we should not legislate morality. Those who take this position should realize that the law of crimes legislates nothing but morality. Should we repeal all laws with a moral basis so that our government will not punish any choices some persons consider immoral? Such an action would wipe out virtually all of the laws against crimes. [source]
many have noted the contradictory nature of kerry's debate position. i found this excerpt from the get religion blog particularly appropriate. i've altered the original somewhat, but the point is the same:
dude 1: Kerry launches into this thing about how faith guides everything he does-
dude 2: Except his votes on abortion.
dude 1: See I don't get that. If it's "transferring your articles of faith" to others to ban baby-killing, how would welfare or pollution not make the cut?
dude 2: I dunno.
dude 1: If he said "faith without works is dead" and his faith is causing the government to use our taxes to do stuff that we might disagree with, isn't that imposing his faith on us? It doesn't make any sense.
dude 2: (Thoughtful pause) Religion is heady stuff. [via MMS]
of kerry's 3rd-debate-remarks on religion, my sister says:
Our public life should be guided by our faith, but WITHOUT transferring it in any offical way to other people. [Kerry stated] that that is why he fights against poverty. [link]
my sister may have interpreted kerry as meaning that he, personally, fights poverty. but this interpretation is illogical inasmuch as kerry is a US senator. i believe he was referring to policies he supports through legislation. or was he missing 3/4 of senate votes over the last 18 months to work in urban soup kitchens?
latter day saints understand that we are accountable to god for what we do. in the old testament, in jeremiah, we read that the babylonians were given power to overtake the people of god because of the wickedness of the latter. the same was the case in the book of mormon between the nephites and lamanites. and the same was prophesied by the same book of mormon of the latter day inhabitants of america.
"i will punish you [or bless you] according to the fruit of your doings, saith the lord" --jeremiah 21:14
i hope the man who leads our country for the next four years understands this statement. when i hear the commander in chief pray, "god bless america", i want to think he's serious about it.
October 29, 2004
the choice: a helpful video
in 2000 i was out of the country and had limited access to information on the presidential election. i asked my mom to send me news clippings, and there was one, in particular, that helped me make up my mind. it was a series of baseball questions that major league baseball posed to both candidates, and then reprinted in the world series program. bush tended to give short, direct responses, qualifying them with reasons. gore seemed to go on forever trying to show how much he knew, and usually ended without taking a position on anything. who knows, maybe he didn't want to offend voters who like domed stadiums?
anyway, the side-by-side comparison convinced me that al gore was a lying, bloviating, disingenuous sack, and that george bush would say what he really thought, and be direct about it.
i've tried to find the article through lexis nexis, newslibrary.org, majorleaguebaseball.com, and even the archives of the newspaper that originally printed it, but it is nowhere to be found. the article so influenced me that i taped it into my journal. it's not in the best shape, but you can still read it. part I part II
this year, americans are faced with a similarly easy choice. and like 2000, there is a side-by-side comparison that should end all doubt. watch the video here or here. it will make your day while helping you make up your mind.
October 15, 2004
an all-encompassing redesign
In the next two weeks, in anticipation of wild election night blogging by travis, we are designing the web site.
So, if the current design has always bugged you, or you just have a suggestion or two, email doug@all-encompassingly.com. All ideas and suggestions of what the new site should/should not include are wanted. In addition, lists of favorite blog designs are also welcome.
Thanks!
October 03, 2004
all-encompassingly picks new apostle (golf clap welcome)
this summer, the church of jesus christ of latter day saints lost two beloved apostles. [link] many began speculating about who would be called to fill their shoes. one site had a poll [link].
i visited this site in the middle of august, over six weeks ago. however, i was disapppointed with the poll because the names it had to choose from did not include the one person i was sure would be selected to fill the vacancy in the council, david bednar. i'm not kidding. of course, he turned out to be one of the two men church leaders called to the position.
i even wrote an email to the guys hosting the poll to inform them of their oversight, but the poll remained as it was. the other new apostle, dieter uchtdorf, received 4% of the vote on this poll, placing him in a four-way tie for sixth. other popular choices (in the poll and in the comments to this article in times and seasons) included former BYU president merrill bateman, provost bruce hafen, seventy marlin jensen, and a number of european and latin american seventies.
over the more than 170 years since the lord called an uneducated farm boy to restore his church upon the earth, the calling of apostles has become more and more about qualifications...kind of like landing that job you've always wanted.
this guy lays down a pretty good analysis of the recent tendencies here. [link]
it is a shame that my email was never published by misfitmormon.com, because it appears that no one else on either of the aforementioned blogs picked him to get the job. i picked bednar because one day i was watching a re-broadcast of a BYU-I devotional on TV, and, i dunno, he just seemed like the obvious choice. two of the last four new apostles came from the BYU president's office, and bednar oversaw the change from ricks college to BYU-idaho, and can claim responsibility for what can only be called a tremendously successful transition.
the choice of dieter uchtdorf as the other apostle is also hunch-affirming, for a couple of reasons. first, the church is becoming more and more an international church--now with more members outside the US than within. it is only natural that this one of the new apostles would be of a nationality other than american. that he was not from latin america, however, is surprising, since this is where much of the church's growth has been concentrated over the last 30 years. instead, elder uchtdorf's appointment seems to affirm a theory of one of my (most boring) religion professors at BYU, victor ludlow. dr. ludlow theorizes often on the scattering and gathering of israel in his course on the writings of the prophet isaiah. indeed, it is one of the central themes in isaiah and the gospel of jesus christ. well, the huge growth of the church in latin america began with president spencer kimball, because he took a great interest in that people. and according to dr. ludlow, eastern europe is one of the great, unconverted areas of the globe, where some converts from the lost tribes could begin to be found. he suggests that president thomas monson, next in line to fill the presidency of the church, is the man to lead this work. ludlow notes president monson's love for these people, specifically his special work in east germany during the years of communist tyranny in that land. the calling of native german dieter uchtdorf as a special witness of christ appears to support dr. ludlow's theory of the role of prophets and apostles in the gathering of israel.
church press release, as well as other interesting, related links [here]
September 27, 2004
best news article EVER
i recently found an article tacked to my cork board that i had ripped out of the daily universe back in october 2002. you know it means a lot to me because it survived 5 moves. here it is; i've bolded my favorite parts.
Around 10:30, James Norlem, 23, a junior majoring in Theater and Media Arts, from Omaha, Neb., was walking down Wilkinson Way, heading toward the Tanner Building on a work errand, when he saw a male on rollerblades, said university police information specialist, Greg Barber.
"My husband and I don't like seeing people on campus blatantly disobeying rules and laws," said James' wife, Casey Norlem, 22, a junior majoring in pre-home economics, from Farmington, N.M.
James Norlem approached the man to inform him that rollerblading is not allowed on campus.
"James, out of courtesy, told him it was against the law to save him from a $300 fine," Casey Norlem said.
When the man responded rudely to Norlem and proceeded to leave, Norlem ran after the man and grabbed his backpack. The skater then did a 360 on his blades, and pushed Norlem, throwing him to the ground, said Casey Norlem. The skater fled the scene and not been identified.
Eyewitness Saia Uluave, 22, a sophomore majoring in pre-management, from Provo, Utah County, was sitting on the west side of the Bookstore when the incident occurred. He said he did not think the rollerblader caused Norlem's fall.
Norlem broke his femur and chipped a part of his knee, Casey Norlem said.
She said because of the type of break, Norlem will have to undergo surgery and have pins placed in his bone, after which he will be in a lower-body cast for several weeks. She also said he will not be fully recovered for five to six months.
"It makes me angry that one student decides to not follow the rules and my husband decides to do something about it and now he's going to be in pain and out of function for months," she said.
James Norlem said in the future, he will not try to follow rule-breakers, but rather just get a better description and turn them in later. [out of "courtesy", right, james?)
"Any citizen has the right, when they see a crime occurring, to apprehend or detain the person and turn them over to law enforcement so they can be dealt with appropriately," Barber said.
If the suspect is apprehended, he will be cited in court for a minor offense, similar to a speeding ticket, Barber said.
Casey Norlem said she thinks it is pathetic that a student would purposely break a law, and furthermore, that he did not care that he injured her husband. [link]
i was going to provide a point-by-point fisking of this exhibition of utter stupidity by both the norlems and the reporter, (and even the university police guy who recommended that the norlems tackle and subdue any future "rule or law" breaking recreationists until proper authorities can be procured to deal with them) but the article is just too hilarious, too filled with crap, and too unreal. every single thing that casey norlem breathlessly claims is refuted by eyewitnesses or the laws of probability. that is why this is, indubitably, the best news article ever.
September 16, 2004
thx 1138
From all-encompassingly reader Briant:
While perusing the entertainment section of my school paper the other day, I read a review about last week’s re-release of THX 1138, a 1971 film by George Lucas. The critic based the bulk of his evaluation on the fact that the theater was empty on a Saturday night and therefore the film must be bad. The astute reader may have noticed that I am no longer in Provo, Utah because the was at least one empty theatre. I recently moved to Athens, Georgia I thought that living here would expose me to a more culturally aware student body than that expressed in the daily universe. I thought wrong. Apparently, if a movie does not follow the normal Hollywood script with explosions and exposures every five minutes laced with trendy music in the background then it has no value, even in Athens.
I will be the first to admit that this movie is not easy to watch because I got sick to my stomach the first time I watched it (my friend subsequently fired an arrow through the VHS cassette because he was so mad at it). However, THX 1138 has a lot to offer if you watch it with the right frame of mind because creates the mood as good as any movie I have seen. By that I mean it makes you feel as if you were there. If you are interested in knowing what it feels like to be under a totalitarian regime where you are sedated and there are no means (not to mention ideas) to escape then this is the movie for you.
Although the world in THX 1138 seems surreal, the main elements are simply extremes of a tyrannical government. There is lack of person, freedom, and expression, along with oppression, surveillance, and conformity. THX helps an American, who otherwise might have trouble comprehending anything outside life in the free world, understand oppression. On the other hand, it offers hope that the free mind can conquer all, and there is a really cool chase scene where a car peels out for over a minute. It may not conform to the usual Hollywood movie, but that is the whole point.
DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend everyone watch this movie. For example, I love my mother-in-law because she treats me like a king and she has funny quirks. When it comes to movies (a lot of people are like this, and it’s not a bad thing), there are certain elements that a movie can and cannot have. There can’t be any intensity, plot twists, or bad guys who don’t die in the end. I was really proud of her when she watched Spiderman: that was a big step for her. She needs slow pace, romance, a little comedy, and, more importantly, a predictable script. If you share these views, do not go and see this film.
For more see http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/13/film.thx1138.ap/
August 25, 2004
mothereffer, i will kill you
if you ever mess with my peeps again, you cowardly little piss nozzle, i will beat you without mercy.
UPDATE #1: here's the story:
A 19-year-old woman was leaving her apartment on Monday afternoon when a man, who looked dirty and possibly homeless approached her and firmly grabbed her arm. She pulled away, but the man then grabbed her from behind. The girl struggled, kicked the man and then ran to her car and locked herself inside. The man never said anything to her but banged on her car window until the woman drove away. Provo police are looking for the man and have a composite sketch of him.
the reason i'm mad is because this happened at my apartment complex. i also had an encounter with a dirty vagrant near my apartment. (and i'm not talking about juan melara, the roommate to whom i kindly lent my car, and who then wrecked it and refused to pay for it.) as i got into my car one evening, i was approached by a disheveled, smelly, drunk (or otherwise inebriated) foreigner. he was non-threatening, if you don't count the smell. he seemed to want money, although i am not quite sure of this. his most urgent desire was for me to see his wooden leg. i am not kidding.
[listen to my reenactment of his invitation to see the wooden leg--click here]
i told him i thought i'd be okay without seeing it, and that he could keep his pants on. as i drove away, i saw him stumble a few feet further down the sidewalk, only to start up a conversation with a seedling tree.
i don't recall my friend with the wooden leg looking like the PPD composite sketch. so, if the drawing is accurate, then it appears these two different incidents are completely unrelated. that is, unless we're talking about INS failures and america's namby-pamby approach to fighting illegal immigration. i have a hunch that these unpleasant encounters might be related in that way.
UPDATE #2: on one occasion, the wife was taking trash out to the dumpster. she tossed one bag in, and bent down to get another. as she did so, a creepy, old mexican--passing by on the sidewalk--stopped, stared, and stated, "that's what i'm talking about!"
[click here for the audio version]
i'm telling you, there's never a dull moment in our neighborhood--and there may never be--as long as the dregs of mexican society continue to enter our country by the hundreds of thousands per year!
August 24, 2004
ramones documentaries: choose wisely
the ramones are one of the greatest bands of all time and a group whose sound and style influenced a generation. they're also the subject of two documentaries coming out this fall. one, 'End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones' is described by one ramone thus:
"It left me disturbed as I was watching it. I'm basically portrayed as a tyrannical monster, Dee Dee is on drugs, and Joey is an alcoholic and a drug addict at various times." --johnny ramone (note that he also calls it 'accurate') [link]
and another review says:
"End of the Century...tracks the Ramones’ career arc - freefall might be a better word." [link]
why would anyone want to watch this documentary? drug addictions, infighting, once-bright careers careening out of control...we already have the NBA for that!
instead, pick up the rockumentary that the ramones themselves are releasing. it promises to be more in-depth and upbeat (if you like that sort of thing).
The DVD's main feature plays like a lighthearted scrapbook of the Ramones, with highlights of the band's 20-year career. More than 20 songs, television and concert clips and videos are interspersed with footage of the band members enduring life on the road.
While the Ramones were as well known for their infighting as for their short blasts of rock fury, Marky's footage belies that aspect of the band's notoriety.
"You know, in order to fight and argue, you've got to be close," Marky says.
"All bands have their problems and conflicts, and there's no denying that the Ramones had their share," Cafiero adds. "But the raw footage, no pun intended, did not lie at all. There was no doubt about it that the band genuinely enjoyed themselves and had a good time."
In all, more than five hours of Ramones material populates the disc, on which Marky and Johnny Ramone offer a running audio commentary on the main feature.
Other bonuses include television appearances, including several on the low-budget New Jersey-based "Uncle Floyd Show," the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receipt of an MTV lifetime achievement award, 18 scenes deleted from the feature and a dozen hidden "Easter eggs" that fans will have to hunt through the disc's menus to find.
But the prize bonus is "I Ramone," a half-hour of concert footage captured in Rome in 1980, just after the release of the band's Phil Spector-produced album, "End of the Century." Shot on film, it laid forgotten in the vaults of an Italian television station for two decades after its one-time broadcast. [12 aug 2004, toronto star]
clearly, this documentary is going to kick the arse of that lame-sounding "end of the century" documentary. both of the movies are featured at the ramones' website [link] but i'm serious--get "raw", available september 28. if anybody wants to get it for me, it'll be on my amazon wishlist.
by the way, johnny ramone is an unabashed conservative. in punk rock, that's pretty rare. seriously, the only ones of which i know are michael graves of the misfits, some dude from the vandals, and johnny ramone, who, "is perhaps the only Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame inductee to accept with the words "God bless America and God bless President Bush". [link]
other bands that rock [follow the links for free music and vids]:
bouncing souls
bad religion
green day [go to 'video' for free media]
ben kweller [go to 'songs' then 'mp3']
dressy bessy [no free stuff]
August 10, 2004
ode to summer
update: the web page has moved here. with the change, commenting has been fixed. the template is still in the early stages, but come and tell us what you think.
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about a year ago, it hit me. i had to find one. i had to find one QUICK. all of my friends were moving on. 3 of my 5 original college roommates had gotten married. of the others, doug, had left for south america and matt had given himself to his true love in life, the united nations. my new roommates couldn't be trusted. i suspected one of using another's credit card to make a scandalous online purchase. two others reneged on their commitments (one moved home and one moved in with other friends) increasing our rent payments substantially. when i invited another to move in with me, he quickly asked to borrow my car, then wrecked it into our house and refused to pay for the damages. other roommates went to great lengths to avoid making conversation with me or each other. it got so bad that when one of my all-time favorite bands, bad religion, came to town, i had to go to the show alone.
i was at an all-time low.
i decided at some point, struggling through this time of abandonment, that i needed a "guaranteed friend". i needed someone who couldn't say, "uh, i have to go to south america", one who wouldn't eat an entire meal in the same room as me without saying a word, one whom i could trust completely.
i was officially on the lookout for the one.
there was a list of course. a short list. "bad religion fan" was a quality the one had to embody. the other items weren't quite as specific, perhaps, but just as necessary. i wanted to find someone exactly like me. and i did. (coming from someone as full of himself as i am, that is a tremendous compliment)
one night, i got a phone call from an old friend, starting the turn of events that eventually provided me with this one, guaranteed friend. the full story can be found here.
i have never met anyone like her. in the words of the bouncing souls, "no one seemed to notice how she was different but i did and i knew."
it should be like this for everyone....does everyone have this same kind of spiritual epiphany to tell them that they're getting to know their perfect match?
like that doll, my buddy (also born in the 1980s), summer is the friend i will take with me everywhere. i want to be with her forever.
July 26, 2004
what people are saying about all-encompassingly
i went through our comment history this weekend and looked for remarks hurling insults or praise in our direction, and i found quite a few. we've had some great discussion on the blog in our first 16 months. if you want to see what inspired a particular spewage of hate or love, just click on the comment to go to the post that inspired it. all of the comments are real. where remarks came in an email, there is no link. now, without further ado, here's what people have to say about our blog, all-encompassingly:
"Gives me heartburn and makes me want to hurt people." --Carina, Hollywood Film Critic
"blatantly misleading and sensationalistic" --comment, Jul 2003 [link]
"Travis, you are a gift to humanity" --comment, Jul 2003 [link]
"d***head...I'll use regular punctuation for a week in honour of your great thinkings, master." --comment, Aug, 2003 [link]
"I just don't think I can do it [choose between Travis and Doug]." --Kerri, Sept 2003 [link]
"I'm insulted." --comment, Sept 2003 [link]
"You [are] all sniffle and twaddle, an ignorant piece of squidflesh fit only to exist on the bottom of [Helen] Thomas's shoe" --comment, Sept 2003 [link]
"9 times out of 10 gives me a good laugh." --Ashley, Mother of Three
"Made me into the man I am today" --The Captain[link]
"a self-absorbed bunch...take yourselves a bit too seriously. [You publish] gossipy, bitchy drivel...[you are] just another inbred hobby group...[your writing is] babble, and...is irrelevant." --comment, Nov 2003 [link]
"you guys need to get out more." --comment, Jan 2004 [link]
"bordering on retardation." --Dan, Feb 2004 [link]
"Doug, it's becoming more and more clear that you're not terribly bright." --comment, Mar 2004 [link]
"This website is pretty funny." --Tiffany, Apr 2004 [link]
"deeply mistaken" --professor of english, bruce young, letter to the editor, Jun 2004 [link]
"Travis, stop pretending you know anything about the War on Terror, even with your degree in philosophy." --Jeremy Bransom, letter to the editor, Jun 2004 [link]
"F*** you. I hope you die of oil inhalation." --comment, Jun 2004 [link]
"Enjoying your Blog...but don't forget your school work...(unless you are being
paid by the Blog people?)." --My Mother, Bless Her Heart [link]
July 24, 2004
how far have we come?
here's a scenario for you from just 10-15 years ago:
curious son: "dad, who invented plastic?"
busy father: "uh, look it up in the encyclopedia, boy."
curious son: "but these are grandpa's old encyclopedias. they were published before plastics were invented. and they smell like him, too."
busy father: well, then i guess you'll just have to head down to the library to do some good 'ol fashioned research."
curious son: i think i'll just waste away my life playing atari and get ADD by watching cartoons all day.
busy father: sounds good, boy.
or, imagine this: google circa 1960. now, the same problem, and how it would be resolved today:
curious boy: [click][click][click][click][click][click] (typing)..."dad, did you know that leo baekeland invented the first all-artificial plastic in 1907?"
busy father: [click][click][click][click][click][click] (typing)..."huh? uh, son that's great. listen, i'm in the middle of a multi-billion dollar stock trade, right here on my laptop, so could you just email me the link and i'll read it later?"
curious boy: "sure, dad. i really love you!"
busy father: "i love you, too, son!"
as you can see, the internet makes the world a better place for everyone.
for a long time, i have told my friends that my firstborn son will be named google; the search engine (and the evolution of the internet) has changed my life.
when i was in elementary and middle school (and even high school before i got wise to the technology) if i wanted to find something out, i had to go to the library, or ask someone who knew...or (let's be honest) just forget about it altogether (i mean, who's going to spend five hours on a tuesday night researching the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? there is a ton of knowledge/information out there that is only disseminated because it is now so easy to obtain [see one example here]
i cannot begin to count how many times i've been hanging out with friends when a question comes up, and we instantly find the answer by consulting the first page of our google search results. call me weird, but that is exhilarating.
once, there was an argument between some californians and the normal people in our group. the californians argued that "bell peppers" is the correct term for green peppers. the normal people (me included) argued that, in fact, "green peppers" was right. we consulted googlefight a site that compares the number of google results to see which is more common. [what did we find? did you even have to ask?]
i suppose i just have a huge love for the conveniences high-speed internet affords me.
just yesterday, a beautiful girl asked me what perennial means, exactly, and we were able to look it up together on dictionary.com within seconds, and were provided with five (not one, but FIVE) different entries on the matter. that sure beats lugging a huge dictionary (or five) around.
it saved us so much time, we were able to make-out extensively to maroon 5's "she will be loved" which i acquired via the internet using a variation of one of the google searches suggested here. i also bought the CD (online, incidentally, on ebay) yesterday. it was competitively priced, even with shipping included, and will be delivered to me fresh like a pizza within a few days.
with gas prices being what they are nowadays, the cost of driving to the store is probably about the same as shipping. online shopping is becoming an incredibly viable alternative to the hubbub and hassle of shopping at "brick and mortar" stores.
ah, the internet age.
July 19, 2004
my retirement goes up in smoke, SSA shrugs it off
UPDATE: i sent this article to my friend at the daily universe, and it was published the following week. in the online edition [link] the name of my website is misspelled, and the muddled line breaks make it almost unreadable. here it is, edited by me (an unpaid hack with no formal education in editing) and in better condition than that of our college newspaper that has won several national awards. i would not hesitate to say that many blogs have higher editing standards than some college newspapers. anyway, here's the crisp, clean, coherent article, with controversial phrases (like "old farts") included:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
i'm worried.
i just got a letter from the socialist--er, social security administration (SSA) reassuring me nonchalantly that, by the way, when i reach retirement age, social security will have enough funds to pay me 73% (73%, yahoo!!!!) of what i was promised in our glorious "contract between the generations".
considering the poor payout social security provides to begin with (an estimated 1.5%--about as much as my mastercard incentives program), and considering i could be making 4-5% in a CD or 8-11% in the stock market with that money, this is UNACCEPTABLE. it was already completely preposterous for me to pay 12.4% of my salary into a fund that only returns 1.5% interest in 40 years. it is even more ridiculous to be promised just 73% of THAT.
here's a promise for all you old farts who're stealing my money:
when my generation starts getting elected to public office, this government ponzi scheme is going to find its way over to history's "unmarked grave of discarded lies." [*]
from democrat, john kerry:
We must uphold the promise of Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton and never allow the President and his Republican friends to threaten Social Security by putting it on the Wall Street trading block.
kerry echoes the whines of his liberal friends [link] who complain that privatizing the system will only make stock traders richer by increasing "administrative costs"!
but the truth is that privatizing social security will make everyone
richer. according to boycottliberalism.com,
The S&P 500 has returned more than 10% over it's lifetime. Therefore, if you invested $300 a month in an S&P 500 mutual fund for 40 years at the end of that time (enter these numbers into any compound interest calculator) you would have approximately 2 million dollars (Please note that these are conservative numbers). This means you could withdraw almost $200,000 or 10 percent a year and never exhaust your money. Social Security does not sound so good any longer.
and if you've got $2 million in the bank you can afford to shell out a taaaaad more to "administrative costs", k? ditwads.
and what about the typical complaint that if we privatize social security, americans will spend all their money and have nothing on which to retire?
go read the little red hen again. this issue should be about rewarding people who take personal responsibility for their own welfare, not impoverishing us all in the name of equality.
boycottliberalism.com rightly argues that the poor are better off without
social security because
The rich invest money in 401K plans. The poor, the clerk at a convenience store or a customer service representative doesn't have excess funds to invest and so their only investment vehicle is Security Security, which in reality is just a [low yield] bond fund.
it's not government's job to save our money for us. we can do that for ourselves, and as the percentages show, we'll do a better job of it than they will.
also--before you go--retirement age has been moved from 65 to 67. sorry for the inconvenience!
i love how the graphics and literature from the SSA are all so unemotional and almost numbing, in contrast to the feelings of those (like myself) who encounter them and are informed that their money is being stolen, and there's nothing they can do about it. it's kinda charming, actually.
June 01, 2004
the fallout from my article ::: part ii
here is my fisking of jeremy branson. you'll notice that he is under the delusion that it is better to leave the terrorists alone than to annoy them by pursuing them where they live. i am told his letter had to be edited to remove the word, "idiot" and that it originally began with something to the effect of, "i would like to address travis little personally":
to read the article that inspired the letter, go here or here. to read my fisking of another anti-me letter, go here.
love america, hate war
Like many people here, I am a registered Republican, a Latter-day Saint, and a sane and educated person. Unlike many people here, I was an Arabic linguist in the Army. I served as an interrogator in Afghanistan from 2002-2003 and was in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have served my country and consider myself a patriot.
That being said, you have categorized me as 'insane' because I am against the war in Iraq. It is a war of choice, not of necessity.
we appreciate mr branson's service to our country, don't we? i can only hope he served valiantly, considering his opposition to the very military action in which he was called to participate (operation iraqi freedom). sounds a lot like john kerry. i wonder if we'll see him heaving his war medals onto the white house lawn anytime soon...
As a Christian I believe that violence is an absolute last resort, and therefore cannot support such a war.
when would you say we could use our "last resort"? after two unpunished attacks against us? four? half a dozen? how many innocent people have to die before we are allowed to respond in kind to our attackers? 1,000? 2,000? 4,000? give me a break.
Of course I want to see an end to terrorism, I've put my life on the line combating it. However, I do not think that unnecessary invasions are going to persuade any extremists to stop hating and killing Americans.
persuade? PERSUADE????? what are you talking about, man? i am not interested in "persuading" a rapist from carrying out his desires on someone i love; i'm not about to persuade a murderer from killing me.
"you know, mr. murderer, there are a lot of things more fun than killing me. would you like to play a hand of euchre together? can i make you a sandwich?"
yeah, that might work.
Travis, stop pretending you know anything about the War on Terror, even with your degree in philosophy.
uh-oh. don't mock the philosophy degree, mothereffer, or you're going down.
It's not something you can understand by hearing sound bites from Fox News or by the mindless rhetoric of Bush's speeches. It's not about the American political left being anti-American and hoping to "bring their country to its knees" (which was a ridiculous assumption to begin with). It's about combating a borderless, fanatical ideology.
what i don't like is you and your fellow anti-war buddies demanding for us to kneel and apologize to terrorists for the abu-ghraib scandal, while we are simultaneously wronged to an infinitely greater degree by those very same people to whom you demand we apologize grovelingly. as i have said before, they break all the geneva conventions, every convention of civilized war, yet we are expected to pander to them. who cares if they mutilate, then string up innocent civilians on a bridge? who cares if they hack off an innocent american jew's head with a dull knife? who cares if they store their weapons in holy mosques? we used stress techniques to get information from them, gosh darnit. shame on us.
the terrorists are not divided. nobody in al-qaeda is asking for an internal investigation. i'm not saying we shouldn't be doing that. get those stupid soldiers who took things too far--as you have shown us, jeremy, there are plenty of stupid soldiers--but every step we take to weaken ourselves gives the terrorists a small advantage. if we don't all start looking at politics that way, we are going to be living in damascus west pretty soon.
You also say that you and the political right (a.k.a. 'the sane') are fighting for freedom. In what way are you personally fighting? I don't remember seeing you wearing a uniform or carrying a rifle in either theatre that I served in. Maybe you mean figuratively fighting in some abstract, philosophical way. Or maybe you mean verbally assaulting peace-loving people who oppose the war in Iraq but love America just as much as you do. Yeah, you're a real hero.
Jeremy Branson
Antioch CA
ouch. that hurts, jerm. that really does. listen, i'm no hero. i'm just smarter than you. i realize that, while i may not be personally fighting the war, (or in your case, opposing the war while wearing the uniform), i am engaging in what we call "politics". i am calling for my fellow americans to support the radical concept of national defense. i support my commander-in-chief, instead of calling his words "mindless rhetoric". i am anti-idiot, and if that means anti-you, so be it.
how logical is it to think that one must have served in the military to comment on military issues? why don't i say the same about you when you criticize the government, particularly the president of the USA? "have you, jeremy, ever served in state or federal government in an elected position? i never saw you wearing a suit or carrying a briefcase in any government offices i've been in!" see how stupid that sounds, brainless? what is your major? piano? something that doesn't require a lot of analytic thinking? the day that non-military are not allowed to opine on military operations is the day you'll really start to see some "unnecessary invasions".
May 30, 2004
you're not alone, mr. lileks
I wonder if I’m alone. I love current events and politics,, I’m fascinated to see history roll along before my eyes, and I’m sick to death of it. All of it. I turn on the radio in the morning, and it takes about three minutes before the waddling parade of canards begins. [link]
i had to look up canard. it means "An unfounded or false, deliberately misleading story."
May 28, 2004
the fallout from my article ::: part i
well, two interesting pacifist letters showed up. the first one i'll deal with came from associate professor of english, bruce young, whose c.s. lewis class i almost took a few semesters back. unfortunately, i couldn't fit it in. anyway, he offers a really strict theological perspective on the issue. and one that, in my opinion, isn't even necessary for mormons to accept. [link] the other, from misguided student and army dissenter, jeremy branson, claimed i had no perspective on the war because i haven't fought it. [link]
here's young's letter, with my thoughts interspersed. if you missed the article that inspired their responses, go here or here:
evil actions, not people
I agree with Travis Little (writer of a recent Daily Universe column) when he condemns the brutal killing of Nick Berg and criticizes any who see it as excusable. But I believe Little has a deeply mistaken view of evil in general, identifying it with others and offering the destruction of those other people as a solution. Little suggests that those who disagree are not "sane" and do not "see evil for what it is." In my opinion, that is precisely the problem with Little's view: its failure to "see evil for what it is."
get ready for self-righteous quoting of scripture and misapplied theological critiques:
As I've learned of recent atrocities, my instinctive response has been, "That is evil." But I have tried not to say "they" are evil. I do not have a privileged view into others' hearts;
unfortunately for nick berg, the victims of september 11, and those killed, maimed, and orphaned in countless other terrorist attacks, we don't have to be "privileged [to see] into others' hearts" to know their condition. the terrorists committed evil acts. we can know them by their 'fruits':
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. [matthew 7:16-20]
I have been taught that my role is not to judge
wha??? who taught you that? billy graham? the lord told the people of israel, through moses:
Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. [leviticus 19:15]
in this case, we're told not to let social standing affect how we judge, but to be unbiased in our judgments. then in mormon scripture, we are told that the spirit of christ will help us judge righteously between good and evil. a pox on me for not mentioning this, as it was pointed out to me by another, more grounded professor. see moroni 7:14-18. and JST matthew 7:1-2:
Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged: but judge righteous judgment. [source]
dr young continues:
and I can't dismiss the sobering scriptural language that tells us we've all "gone astray" and that, even at our best, we are "evil" compared to a perfect Heavenly Father.
OBVIOUSLY we all fall far short of the glory of god. of course. we all know that. and we can't make an eternal judgment as to what reward they deserve, only god can do that. but dr. young's argument that the average BYU student cannot make a moral judgment about someone who kills another, in the manner these terrorists did, is incredibly naive. i mean, it's one of the top sins on the list, for crying out loud. i tasted the fruit these terrorists gave me. i judged it to be foul. evil. i don't think there's anything wrong with making that judgment. we may all be 'evil' compared to a perfect heavenly father, but i (and most BYU students apart from paul turner) are not as evil as these mofos. crap, what a stupid, pointless statement.
Identifying evil with actions and attitudes rather than with particular people can help us avoid being caught in the cycle of violence and perpetrating against others the very evils we consider them guilty of.
but it won't help our secular country in the war on terror, exactly, which is kinda what i was talking about.
This approach can also help us accept our own responsibility to repent. That, again, is a repeated scriptural refrain. If for no other reason than our own salvation, we must remember the truth expressed by the great Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: that "the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either-but right through every human heart."
solzhenitsyn will lead me to salvation? he couldn't even get anybody out of the gulag.
Almost thirty years ago, President Spencer W. Kimball counseled against our tendency to rely on violence "for protection and deliverance" and, "[w]hen threatened," to "become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God," thus, "in the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior's teaching" to love our enemies. President Kimball went on to recommend that we should oppose evil by having faith in God, repenting and carrying the gospel to our enemies.
well, young had to go back to 1977, to a culture still reeling from the vietnam war to find an anti-war apostle. [source]. i can't believe he's serious. one of the most famous refrains of church members is that the saints fleeing nauvoo still provided a large battallion to fight in the mexican-american war. most of our current church leadership served in the armed forces and are proud to recount their experiences. these include elders monson, faust, wirthlin, maxwell, packer, and haight, to name some offhand. here is some pertinent text from president kimball's talk, just for reference:
We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44-45.)
We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us—and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Ne. 1:7)—or he will fight our battles for us (Ex. 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many).
notice, this is what captain moroni did, too. he built fortifications. he also prayed to the lord for protection. does anyone doubt that george bush does this? however, we cannot rely only on the lord's protection. we are killing babies by the hundreds of thousands, we are marrying people into unnatural relationships, and we are increasingly ungrateful for our blessings, generally. god bless america, yeah, that's it. what a fantasy. 1/200th of america is mormon. this is not the theocracy that president kimball seemed to be addressing. anyway, dr young continues:
That doesn't mean we should do nothing to protect ourselves. But it means we must be careful not to become the evil creatures we imagine our enemies to be. Ultimately, we have no guarantee we will be spared the evils designed to be part of this life.
no guarantee. since when was that an excuse to give up? why does young call for the US to lie on its proverbial sword? can you imagine the immediate horrors with which we'll all be faced if the water supply is contaminated? the agony we'll feel if a nuke goes off in a neighboring state and we all suffer a slow disease-ridden death? criminy, i'm for defense! of course i'm not going to stop praying, but i can't count on my fellow countrymen to all be so devoted, and neither can the professor with the blinders on.
What matters is how we respond to those evils, for the way we respond will in large part determine what we become.
Bruce Young
Associate Professor
English department
for the record, i'm not afraid of what i might become for supporting the war on the fanaticism of fundamentalist islam, the perpetrators of atrocities like september 11.
Langston Hughes, Part II
I was going to originally comment on Travis' post, but given the length of my comments, felt it more appropriate to post something myself...
Let's just say I see Langston Hughes in a different light. He was one of the few bright spots in middle school English class for me.
So...while I believe that he was misguided on public policy and politics, it is hard to deny that he was an incredible poet.
That said, DANEgerus strikes me as incredibly ignorant:
1) For having a bogus quote of George Orwell in the quote rotation on the masthead of his/her web site.
and 2) For taking the "Goodbye, Christ" poem out of context.
The poem was a commentary on the corrupt state of much of Christianity (especially true in the early 20th century): promoting racism, using Christ as a means to get money, etc. Try these lines of the poem on for size:
Listen, Christ,
You did alright in your day, I reckon—
But that day's gone now.
They ghosted you up a swell story, too,
Called it Bible--
But it's dead now.
The popes and the preachers’ve
Made too much money from it.
They've sold you to too many.
While the tone is a bit harsh for my liking, his point is valid. Popes and preachers throughout history have used Christianity (and religion in general) simply as a way to make money and oppress others. Considering my own religious beliefs, and as a student of history, I would have to agree that much of what the Bible teaches was quite literally "dead" in early 20th century America.
Unfortunately, Hughes failed to realize that communism was hardly a solution for inequality and greed.
May 25, 2004
anti-american inflammation
last week a friend who edits the daily universe opinion page asked me if i would help her out. she hadn't been receiving very many letters to the editor during the lazy BYU spring term and needed someone to say something incendiary to start them rolling in.
i was happy to oblige. my piece appeared in the print version of the universe last wednesday, and has apparently generated at least one very raging, bitter response. i'm told the author even addresses me personally. so, that's something you can all look forward to reading when the letters are published again tomorrow. i'll fisk that when it appears online (probably thursday or friday) and link to it here. in the meantime, you can read my article and try to pick out what provoked the angry letter. my unedited version is in the extended entry.
Some of you have seen the infamous video. Others have perhaps clicked through a few pictures. The rest of you may wish you could avoid the story completely. I am talking about the grisly deed that--internet search engines are reporting--has been at the top of their list of queries for the past week. The horrifying decapitation of an American civilian in Iraq last week has elicited a variety of responses in America. Some might say it has exposed a widening rift in American politics.
The event, recorded by the very terrori