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I testify that the tomb is empty, and He is risen. His grace, love, and power to become are available to all if we follow Him and allow Him to change our hearts. - Valeri V. Cordón, Easter: The Most Important Religious Observance Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. - Moroni 10:32-33

Oh...yeah. I understand the craft. Very much. I'm just not into all musicals, like some people I know. In my opinion, to be into all musicals, one has to have, essentially, no taste.

I grew upon Rodgers & Hammerstein plus Phantom and Les Mis, and in college I got into Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll and Hyde. Those—either due to the music or the story— all seemed to have an “epic” quality that the newer stuff (even Wicked*) seems to lack. *Full disclosure: I never liked “The Wizard of Oz” in the first place—it just seemed freakish—so in my book “Wicked” was already starting from a hole it was never able to climb out of. And rap may be a technical skill, but it is utterly without beauty and thus I reject it (and by extension “Hamilton”) as an art form. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I'll go ahead and explain a bit more about tariffs. FREE TRADE: The ideal situation for all involved would be if the entire world engaged in free trade (i.e. no tariffs anywhere on earth). But the fact is that any single nation will see the benefit of imposing tariffs on other nations while they, themselves, aren't charged any tariffs at all. Naturally, that results in others issuing tariffs in retaliation just to balance things out. But we (the US) have a unique position in the world. We are so much more wealthy than the vast majority of the world that we have been mostly tariff free when importing from other nations, while other nations issue insane levels of tariffs on our goods going to them. Some of them are over 90%. Yet we keep chugging along as if we have all the money in the world to spend. PROTECTIVE TARIFFS: Adam Smith liked the idea of free trade. But he also knew that it is the natural tendency of all nations to want to impose tariffs. So, being a realist, he indicated that protective tariffs (while still undesirable) may be a necessary tool to negotiate the elimination of the foreign country's taxing of our goods. NECESSITY OF TAXES: We all know that in order for a government to function, they need some form of revenue. Before the 16th amendment, the vast majority if Federal Revenues were from tariffs. And it ran well until a war raged. They imposed other taxes (including income taxes) to make up the difference. But that was only until the war ended. ENDLESS WARS: The 16th amendment was passed just a few years before WWI broke out in Europe. When the Germans torpedoed the Lusitania, the military-industrial complex was born. Leaders got it into their heads that as long as we had to fight a war, then we can continue to tax people. And they'd make bank. We've basically been in an endless state of war ever since then. Yes, there were many justified reasons to go to war over the past century. But most of them could have been solved differently. (WWII was as close to a "good war" as we dare to apply the term.) PRESIDENT OF PEACE: Unknown to most liberals (in fact, to most conservatives as well) is that Trump has largely been a President of Peace. During his first term, he did not get into any new wars. He tried to keep the peace. He does his best to hold off on any boots on the ground if other means are a reasonable option. And he wants each battle to be quick and decisive. And we've only had some small skirmishes in his 2nd term. So, he's fighting the military-industrial complex. TARIFFS ARE BETTER THAN INCOME TAX: While trade wars with retaliatory tariffs are an undesirable, they are a preferred method of revenue as opposed to an income tax. They are basically a federal sales tax (i.e. a consumption tax). And Trump is advocating for 10% across the board for all nations, all goods, both directions. Everything is even steven. So, after all the trade warring is over and everyone has settled down, we will still have a small tax to generate income for the federal government. The reason why sales tax and tariffs are more favorable for the average citizen is that it gives control to us. With an income tax, we have no choice but to pay, be jailed, or die. That's it. But with a consumption tax, we can always decide that the price is too high and refuse to pay. We have control. We see it right in front of us. With payroll taxes, we don't even see it. We don't have any decisions. All we see is what we get whether we like it or not. And we have to deal with it. A consumption tax is very visible every time we go to the store. We decide by looking at the price tag. And they don't ask such personal questions like: How much money did you make? How did you make it? What did you spend it on? Yet we voluntarily give up this information with the hope that the government will be "kind" enough to give us back some of our money that they are stealing. BOTTOM LINE: He's trying to get us back to the times before the 16th amendment when we saw the greatest economic development the world has ever seen. When you see the real GDP of the US, there was never any period in history where any nation saw such economic growth. That was true a few decades ago. I have not seen the data since the tech boom. And that may be a challenge to that statement. But imagine if we have this tech boom AND the economic freedom that we had in the 1800s.

The "epic" musical (otherwise termed the "megamusical") ate itself...in the same way Hollywood ate itself with "blockbuster" superhero extended universe movies. Instead of writing great musicals with great music, plot, singing, etc.*, they felt like the reason Phantom, Les Miz, Miss Saigon, and so-forth were "epic" was because they were staged with huge budgets and had chandeliers come crashing down, barricades descend like magic from the ceilings, and helicopters landing on the stage. And so when they flopped, they flopped HARD, because they cost so much to make. A couple of moderately successful examples didn't make their budgets back because their budgets were ridiculous. Sound familiar (*cough* Disney)? And so instead of deciding to write great musicals with great music without all the money into it re staging and effects and the like, they decided to go with "known properties" (Sound familiar, (*cough* Hollywood)), and hence we get the "jukebox" musical and/or the Disney musicals based on the successful and already highly popular property. * To be fair...doing this is harder than it sounds. Even the greats of the "mega" musicals (Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Claude-Michel Schonberg/Alain Boublil) couldn't replicate it. After Cats (which sucks...but no question, was a huge hit) and Phantom, Lloyd-Webber had Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard (awesome, but not a hit), Whistle Down the Wind, The Beautiful Game, The Woman in White, Love Never Dies, Stephen Ward, and Cinderella (with an "additional music by", The Wizard of Oz in there too). Any of those sound like huge hits you've heard of? Maybe Sunset Boulevard. But it lost money ultimately, because of how much it cost to stage. Schoberg/Boublil followed up Les Miz with Miss Saigon. Maybe my favorite musical...but nowhere near as successful as Les Miz. Then they did Martin Guerre and finally The Pirate Queen. Both flops. And for good reason, particularly with The Pirate Queen. Martin Guerre has some great music, but then never could bring it all together to make a solid show. Then they, apparenly, gave up and faded into "resting-on-our-Les-Miz-laurels". Too bad. What could have been if they'd written as many as Rodgers and Hammerstein. But...too expensive. And Cameron Mackintosh, essentially, dropped them. The Pirate Queen was done off Broadway under a different producer. Their protectory reminded me a lot of Michael Jackson. He has his Les Miz with Thriller, then follows it up with his Miss Saigon, Bad, which is my favorite. Then Dangerous (worse than Bad), History (worse...), and Invincible (TERRIBLE!). But I digress. Really...the only thing even CLOSE to the heyday of "epic" shows is Wicked and then Hamilton. Unless you count Disney's stuff. (Incidentally, the stage version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is PHENOMENAL! Check this out if you haven't heard it: ) at 3:51 of this recording....well....cool (this is the way it's typically done now)...but.... check out the original German version with Drew Sarich, who goes to the high C at the end. It sounds like he uses falsetto, but then he swells into full voice and...yeah. Moreover though....the orchestrations for this show!!! Good gravy. This is how musical theater should be! @LDSGator Okay...fine. I know a lot about musical theater. I concede. Edit: Except the last beat. It needs to be higher, bigger, include a cymbal crash, and just generally punch you in the face a bit more after that swelling vocal high note. But... you know... armchair quarterbacking here.

The libs are still doing the cancelling thing for anything with the "stink" of Trump on him. John Stamos Defends Emceeing Event at Mar-A-Lago: ‘Isn’t Political’ John Stamos Defends Mar-A-Lago Appearance | HuffPost Entertainment It was a charity event for nurses. You know, the people who help doctors with patients in hospitals. But because the charity event was held at Mar-a-lago, they want to cancel Stamos (a lifelong Democrat).

Understandable. But Epic Rap Battles of History surely have some educational value. And a good Yo' Mamma fight can be quite entertaining, even when set to music.

That's my point.

It’s nice to see our boys win the title. • Zero-star basketball recruit • Rejected SEC football offers to pursue basketball • Described by Iona coach Rick Pitino as "fat, slow, and can't shoot... but could pass" • Transferred to Florida when Pitino left for St. John's Now, Walter Clayton Jr. is an NCAA CHAMPION Where you at Pitino?

I thought that was you I saw in that cafe a few years ago! Sitting there wearing your earphones, looking innocent.

Not really. My tastes in any given thing are generally narrow. I'm not the kind of person who likes/loves ANY musical theater. I like what I like. And if I don't care for certain things, I'm not very knowledgeable. There's a whole lot of musical theater works that, upon sampling, I didn't care for, and don't know much about, beyond that I didn't care for the sample.

D&C 45:56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. 57 For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived AI is likely to play a significant role in attempts at deceiving the saints in the last days. Easy intelligence can make for an intellectually and spiritually lazy people, prime for deception. That doesn't mean it can't be used for good but convenience is often the enemy of the spiritual work Pres Nelson continually reminds us is essential for the coming days.

Nice comeback! I really enjoyed this season.

It’s on @LDSGator

Yep, it was very much not even remotely like classic Trek. More like a cross between an Eddie Murphy cop movie and a cyberpunk first-person shooter game, set in the Star Trek universe. I wouldn't have liked it except for my general love of anything Trek. I'll set a lot aside for Trek, except being lectured on how to be a better white man by Trek.

It's not much better than littering leaving hate literature lying around in your wake as you go shopping. If you do, truly, really want to share the gospel, you first must be living your life in such a fashion that your life *is* a part of your testimony. This is because once people so much as come to suspect that you're a member, everything you say and do will be under scrutiny. You need to make it so that there's as little to hold against you as possible. That being said, you also need to understand discretion. There's a time and place to bring the church up in a conversation, and knowing the difference can make or break your efforts to talk to a person about it.

As I said in another thread, I'm still adjusting to other changes they've already made! If they went to 1 hour church, the best solution would be to change it back to what it used to be. Sacrament was an hour or more on it's own. That was one meeting. You only had to go to that. They did not have the block (no 3 hour block, no 2 hour block). It was just Sacrament. Sunday School was another time entirely (and so was Priesthood). They also had sacrament during Sunday School (depending on ward and location). I'd be in favor of that type of One Hour Church, where it was just Sacrament, and then they had other meetings at other times. I don't think that's what people are meaning though. I think it's more as what posters have said above where it relegates the Sacrament Meeting to 1/2 an hour or so, and the other half an hour is the other meetings. That's too short for my liking, but it's not what I prefer, it's what the Lord prefers.

Remember, between my MBA training and what I got from the School of Hard Knocks I have a de facto minor in psychological warfare, with an emphasis on how to determine points of failure within a system. I was essentially trained to do the kind of thing he was warning about. That's why I'm doing what I can to warn people without coming off as the Boy Who Cried Wolf. As it is, a *lot* of people who identify as "educated", "woke", and "progressive" have chosen to ignore me because what I'm trying to tell them would force them to engage in the kind of self-reflection that by definition they feel they aren't required to do.

This seems to apply… Ether 8:24-25 24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. 25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. (Ether 8:24-25)

I'm agreeing with all of your points here @LDSGator. My point remains, although plenty of hateful people who dream of violence exist in every demographic and on every side of politics, there's only one side of politics where it's starting to get enacted, cheered on by a supportive community of well-wishers. There's an art and a science to normalizing things, and the early stages of it are happening right now. Nobody donates money to folks planning to blow up an abortion clinic. Tons of people donate money to the UHC killer's legal defense fund. Show me someone worried about the rise of authoritarian fascism with our current president, but not worried about the growth of the murderous left, and I'll show you someone misinformed or so radically biased they are part of the problem.

I have to shake my head and laugh at some of the things you say... The total number of gang members do not outnumber the total number of the US military or law enforcement. There are approximately 700,000 gang members in the US. There are approximately 1.2 million police officers in the US. There are approximately 2 million members of the military in the US. Now add in the retired members of both the military and law enforcement who are still capable of operating. Yeah, gangs would die in droves. The violent left would die in droves. VERY few of those gang members have any sort of firearms or tactical skills. Most of them hate each other so most of them will not work together...for any reason. Next point, see @NeuroTypical's comment above about AOC and Pelosi and gangs.

Nevertheless, despite the challenges we face in life, we can, like on that first Easter morning, awake to a new life in Christ, with new and marvelous possibilities and new realities as we turn to the Lord for hope and belonging. - M. Russell Ballard, Hope in Christ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. - John 4:13-14

Truth has finally come out. All I need now is for @NeuroTypical to finally admit he‘s still a Brony.

Tariff those too, baby!!!

As a joke, Melissa always said I should start a support group called “Heterosexual, married men who like musicals” because I was the only one out there.