dahlia

A few weeks back was a face 2 face with young musicians. They've also done other things like the cast of Studio C.

You'll put your eye out.

You'll put your eye out.

Someone else's maybe, not mine.  I've got good aim.  (My boss has a book on "office warfare" and supplies for making this kind of thing.  Some of them are kinda fun.)

Pagan...searches for the ban button...

I was Catholic and converted. You might be interested in, Catholic Roots Mormon Harvest, by Eric Shuster. Check it out on amazon.
My conversion history is here on lds.net. To keep it brief, I'd say some of the most attractive aspects of Mormonism for me is that there is no need for a priestly class to intervene for the regular lay person, priesthood holders (usually dads) can baptize their own children (there's so much power in that), and there's no Original Sin. You are responsible for your own transgressions. 
On the downside, I miss an ornate church and the need to make the sign of the cross can be overwhelming at times. 

...but he doesn't care about the game.
 
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2740175-justin-timberlake-announced-as-super-bowl-lii-halftime-performer

I was Catholic and converted. You might be interested in, Catholic Roots Mormon Harvest, by Eric Shuster. Check it out on amazon.
My conversion history is here on lds.net. To keep it brief, I'd say some of the most attractive aspects of Mormonism for me is that there is no need for a priestly class to intervene for the regular lay person, priesthood holders (usually dads) can baptize their own children (there's so much power in that), and there's no Original Sin. You are responsible for your own transgressions. 
On the downside, I miss an ornate church and the need to make the sign of the cross can be overwhelming at times. 

I was Catholic and converted. You might be interested in, Catholic Roots Mormon Harvest, by Eric Shuster. Check it out on amazon.
My conversion history is here on lds.net. To keep it brief, I'd say some of the most attractive aspects of Mormonism for me is that there is no need for a priestly class to intervene for the regular lay person, priesthood holders (usually dads) can baptize their own children (there's so much power in that), and there's no Original Sin. You are responsible for your own transgressions. 
On the downside, I miss an ornate church and the need to make the sign of the cross can be overwhelming at times. 

I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop making me feel old.  Thanks. 
(Teasing)

No kidding (and I'm the step-daughter of a litigator who loved to sue doctors). I'm on a number of FB pages for veganism, using plant-based diets for health, etc. While there are some physicians who post regularly or who have their own pages, you'd be surprised at the number of idiots who post stuff such as Big Pharma is sitting on the cure for cancer, etc. I audit human subjects research. I have a PhD and have to read both biomed and social science research almost every day, and when I'm not auditing, I'm writing 6 articles a year and giving presentations on research ethics and federal regulations for all of the human subjects researchers in my Big Ten university. 
There are researchers and MDs working tirelessly to find cures and treatments for just about everything. There are even folks looking at dietary treatments (no big bucks for Big Pharma in bananas and tomatoes) or relaxation (no big bucks for Big Pharma in classical music, either). Many of them work in small, windowless offices in the bowels of the hospital or research buildings. They are overworked and yet are some of the most caring people I've met (and let me emphasize again, I was pretty much raised to distrust and dislike doctors). Nobody is sitting on a cure. Big Pharma doesn't get to stay Big Pharma if it can't develop drugs that people will buy. And yet, the number of people who believe that Big Pharma or Big Healthcare are trying to kill people or keep them sick is amazing. If you don't know how the work is done, then maybe you should shut up about it. (a general comment, not directed at anyone here)

No kidding (and I'm the step-daughter of a litigator who loved to sue doctors). I'm on a number of FB pages for veganism, using plant-based diets for health, etc. While there are some physicians who post regularly or who have their own pages, you'd be surprised at the number of idiots who post stuff such as Big Pharma is sitting on the cure for cancer, etc. I audit human subjects research. I have a PhD and have to read both biomed and social science research almost every day, and when I'm not auditing, I'm writing 6 articles a year and giving presentations on research ethics and federal regulations for all of the human subjects researchers in my Big Ten university. 
There are researchers and MDs working tirelessly to find cures and treatments for just about everything. There are even folks looking at dietary treatments (no big bucks for Big Pharma in bananas and tomatoes) or relaxation (no big bucks for Big Pharma in classical music, either). Many of them work in small, windowless offices in the bowels of the hospital or research buildings. They are overworked and yet are some of the most caring people I've met (and let me emphasize again, I was pretty much raised to distrust and dislike doctors). Nobody is sitting on a cure. Big Pharma doesn't get to stay Big Pharma if it can't develop drugs that people will buy. And yet, the number of people who believe that Big Pharma or Big Healthcare are trying to kill people or keep them sick is amazing. If you don't know how the work is done, then maybe you should shut up about it. (a general comment, not directed at anyone here)

And you can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery! There’s always that!

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

I appreciate your kind sentiment here.  I also apologize if I was too sharp in my previous post.  I'll try to better explain myself:
I have no desire to change my alto sining voice into a soprano.  There is nothing "better" or "wrong" about one singing voice over another.  Same with one prayer voice versus another.  It does not matter if one person folds their arms to pray, another clasps their hands, or another a pen-- all of these are people raising their voices to God.  We are all different be divine design, the bring a rich harmony to God's choir.   And then temple is God's house, a place where His chorus signing His lyrics should all be welcomed.
Now, your college lecture example is different in a number of basic ways.  For starters, rather than expressing you are receiving information.  Hence, you need to adapt to the way that information is being delivered.  For a lower-quality professor, it's their way or the highway, so you just need to suck it up and deal with how they do things.    But what about a great professor?   A great professor doesn't just chat at you, but also has a text book, writes notes, visual demonstrations, activities, and many lessons even come in song and dance form!  A great professor reaches all types of learners.  God is the best professor of all.   

Ward Member 1: "boLth those movies are great!!"
Ward Member 2: "I've seen them boLth, I love them!"
New Member: I like them bOth too!
Members 1&2: ... *awkward silence followed by judgement*...

This month there was an article about missionaries returning early. I cannot believe that people in the ward would be negative toward someone who returned early through no fault of their own (the example in the article was a health issue). It is also worrying to see the amount of self-doubt, anger, depression, etc. that these missionaries come back with. I can completely understand why some of them would leave the Church or become inactive after being treated so badly.
What the heck? What kind of head job do LDS do on their youth that they have such major issues if they have to return early? Personally, I find it distressing. I would never want to put that burden on my child. If s/he became very ill and have to come home, I'd rather have my sick child at home and getting care rather than out in the field. And what is with telling missionaries they should have struggled more or prayed more or worked through pain and illness on their mission? 
How awful. Every now and then I run across LDS behaviors that make me glad I wasn't born Mormon. This is one of them.
What happened to loving all of God's children - especially those who are going through rough times? 

There is a beautiful young man who vapes at my bus stop. I want to hand him pictures of other beautiful young men whose e-cigarettes blew up in their faces, but haven't figured out how to do that without looking like a kook.
 

My position is a mostly dairy free (lactose intolerant) vegetarianism, and ethically, as close to veganism as I can be in terms of not having clothing or purses/wallets from leather, financially supporting animal rights organizations, and using my FB page to educate others and speak for the animals trapped in factory farms. People say moderation in all things - does that include moderation in sin? No.  We are supposed to make choices, to choose the right.  Following the middle road is weak. 
Most people are going to eat meat. I understand that. What I don't understand is the cruelty, the thoughtlessness about the welfare of other sentient beings, that is exhibited by many meat-eaters. For example, showing a picture of little piglets with the caption, "Bacon seeds." That tells me all I need to know about you and your lack of compassion.
This is from my collection of LDS leadership quotes on the issue: 
“John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes, or men." – Joseph Smith, Documentary History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 343.
"Mothers, keep the children from eating meat; and let them eat vegetables that are fully matured, not unripe..." -Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.19, p.68 - p.69, July 19, 1877.
"The Spirit of the Lord and the keys of the priesthood hold power over all animated beings ... In this dispensation the keys ... will be restored, and we are to return to the favor of the Lord ... cease hostility with the serpents and lay aside all enmity and treat all animals kindly." - Brigham Young, Brigham Young History, April 26, 1846.
“I think that another reason I have very splendid strength for an old man is that during the years we have had a cafeteria... I have not, with exception of not more than a dozen times, ordered meat of any kind. ...I have endeavored to live the Word of Wisdom and that, in my opinion, is one reason for my good health." - Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, April 1937, p. 15.
 

Probably 'cause I don't want to. No one is asking the white folks to relate to criminals from Chicago.

Probably 'cause I don't want to. No one is asking the white folks to relate to criminals from Chicago.

Perhaps a too-appropriate choice of wording, given the topic...

I don't even know what to say to that. Some of my happiest times were taking my son to the art galleries of Philadelphia and exposing him to art. My godmother was Alma Thomas, who used to take my sister (who grew up to be a halfway decent artist herself) and I to the galleries of Georgetown in DC. They were wonderful and enriching experiences for us.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Thomas
Just curious - do you read books? Or, are you unbothered by them as well? I'm surprised you use a computer.

I don't even know what to say to that. Some of my happiest times were taking my son to the art galleries of Philadelphia and exposing him to art. My godmother was Alma Thomas, who used to take my sister (who grew up to be a halfway decent artist herself) and I to the galleries of Georgetown in DC. They were wonderful and enriching experiences for us.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Thomas
Just curious - do you read books? Or, are you unbothered by them as well? I'm surprised you use a computer.

Audible gasp!  Have you told the artist that did that stylized Beethoven for Dorsey's album, which you are using as your profile photo?
Some art rocks.  Some art teaches, and challenges, and evokes, and edifies.  Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of bad art out there, and a neverending flood of useless or boring art.  And artists are a totally separate discussion.  But if you haven't found some art to reverence, your life is not as full as it could be.