Are people really excited about this whole triplet digit day thing? Yes, apparently. For some people this is a day to be regaled with significant remembrance. For others, it’s yet another day drinking coffee and pretending to sit at your desk and work. Yay! for democracy, or something like that. Now then, who are the people all hopped up on numerology today. Continue reading
Spirituality
47 posts
There have been a lot of holiday playlists going around, some focusing on The Good, and some focusing on The Bad, but all focusing on one particular holiday. With Chanukah starting tonight, what’s a Nice Jewish Boy or Girl to listen to? To bring a little diversity to your mixtape and give you a break from ringing your sleighbells, here’s a list of the Catchiest Chanukah Songs: Continue reading
Originally, I intended that this post be about the Sikh people, then about the beautiful principles taught in Sikhism and then about the founder Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru. Reading about all has proven both enlightening and interesting. I was reminded of many valuable lessons.
For example, the monotheistic religion, founded almost 500 years ago, is the fifth largest organized religion in the world with over 30 million Sikhs worldwide. The Sikh religious philosophy has been traditionally known as Gurmat (literally ‘wisdom of the Guru’). Devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, the denouncing of superstition and most importantly, equality of man-kind, are it’s key principles. The Sikh religion teaches respect to all other religions and that one should not only defend one’s religion, but the religious faith of others as a human right as well. At the end of every Sikh prayer, there is a request for the welfare of all humanity. Continue reading
Oh boy. The problem with big time celebrity members in your ranks is big time celebrity bad PR. By now we have all learned that totally lovable and not at all insane national treasure Tom Cruise is divorcing from Katie Holmes, his bride of 5 years. Continue reading
Proving that nuns are the best thing about the Catholic religion, a group of nuns recently kicked-off a nine-state bus tour to highlight the disastrous consequences of the Paul Ryan budget plan on the low and middle classes. Continue reading
In order to visit Jerusalem’s Temple Mount — which includes sites holy to Muslims, Jews, Christians and others — non-Muslims are expected to follow guidelines set by the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Places. In order to play a round of golf at the revered site of Augusta National, you need an invitation from a club member. To visit the Scientology Celebrity Center on Franklin Boulevard in Los Angeles, it surely helps to be a member of the church. And also a celebrity. Continue reading
I was staying with some friends at a Vermont inn in November, some years ago, when inspiration struck me out of nowhere. In the form of a 38.5-foot-tall granite obelisk.
Idling in the inn’s lobby one evening, I discovered a pamphlet touting the birthplace of Joseph Smith. The Prophet of the Latter-Day Saints and translator of the Book of Mormon had indeed been born just down the road from this inn, in a tiny hamlet in rural Vermont. Continue reading
Occasionally, I listen to Focus on the Family’s radio station when I’m afraid of nodding off in the car. It always wakes me up. One of my favorite Focus Friends™ is Nancy Leigh Demoss. Her “Revive Our Hearts” ministry is some of the most fascinating radio around. The ministry is targeted towards women and she also writes books. Her approach to womanhood is refreshing in a world where women are being selfish because of Satan. Nancy believes that women are being influenced to abandon their traditional roles. Her book “Lies Women Believe” is a favorite among bible study groups. Women are exposed to many, many lies by the media and Satan is in charge of many of these lies. She is fond of saying things like “When you recognize that you’re exchanging or blurring your distinct feminine design, role, or calling—repent.” Continue reading
The other day I had a debate with a math student. He defended the mathematical soundness of the Laffer Curve and, by extension, the efficiency of supply side economics. Maybe the Laffer Curve has theoretical soundness, but it’s never been shown to work at levels of taxation like ours. Furthermore, there’s a real human cost when attempts have been made to try to make it work here. That’s even provided that the people keeping so much money in lower taxation actually keep it in the same curve. If we’ve learned anything from Mitt Romney and his Cayman residing millions, it’s the one glaring human reason as to why the Laffer Curve will never work anywhere. As for “efficiency”; let’s just say that my friend had a limited understanding of what that word means in the field of economics. These points were all lost in the morass of my friend’s Math Chat. Continue reading
Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent for many Christians around the world. During Lent we are supposed to abstain from meat (mammals and fowl) on Fridays as a sacrifice during this solemn time. However, we are allowed to eat seafood. Lucky for me, Lent and the beginning of crawfish season are nearly one and the same.