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haikujaguar: In the Future, All Space Marines Will Be Warhammer 40K Space Marines

Wasn't he with some garage band called "Wings"? Or was that Jefferson Starship?

Paul who?

Actually, I rarely watch television. When I do, I vet the programs carefully.

Oh, please. That scene had nothing to do with "how Sherlock Holmes thinks". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his legendary protagonist have been dead for more than eight decades. "Elementary" on the other hand, is an attempt by an idea-bereft Hollywood to make a quick buck by exploiting Doyle's genius in a base, crass, gimmicky "reimagining" that relies on sexploitation, violent imagery, and shtick to reach an otherwise indifferent, desensitized, and (in many instances) debased audience. Lucy Liu was not selected for her role based on her legendary acting skills, staggering intelligence, or unparalleled genius. She was chosen because she looks good on camera and because a large number of the 18-35 male demographic would love to imagine themselves in her bed. The male lead was chosen specifically to appeal to female audience members- particularly those with a bad-boy fetish. The "entrapment" angle could have been handled in at least a dozen other ways- none of which involved almost five minutes of bump-and-grind imagery, hints of kinky-sex, and women humping and kissing in their underwear. The scene, scripting, casting, lighting and costuming were are designed to do one thing: to titillate. So spare us the "high-brow" posturing and just admit that sex sells- and THAT is what both "Elementary" and the half-time show were all about.

Yep. The gratuitous sex was there to entrap viewers.

Mad Silentist, I've spent the last hour drafting and redrafting this post examining your statement point-by-point and trying to strike the right tone. Instead, I'm going to write as the Spirit moves me. To be perfectly blunt, you are operating on rumor, hearsay, and stereotypes about Mormons- and using them to justify your own behavior. You are the one who is being judgemental- a classic passive-aggressive posture designed to put us on the defensive and justify your position. Hmmm....I wonder who would possibly want you to feel alienated from the members of Christ's Church?Did you think that there would be no opposition? Did you think that all you had to do was declare your acceptance of salvation and life would be hunky-dory from that point on? Whether from outside influence, stubborn inertia, your own insecurities, or the warm snuggly feeling of your own "comfort zone" (no matter how miserable), the impulse not to change is a powerful one. And projecting those insecurities and prejudices onto others is an excuse for you NOT to change. Pointing fingers at the Saints, feeding your own insecurities and feeling sorry for yourself is the path of least resistance. How do you know that? Do you think that we were all born in well-to-do families?Do you think you are the only one who had a mother who was not-quite-right in the head? Do you think you are the only one who suffered neglect at home? Do you think you are the only one who was left to fend for herself by neglectful parents? Do you think you are the only one who grew up in squalor and ignorance? Do you realize how arrogant- how self-centered- those assumptions are? And yet it is YOU who are doing the judging.You ASSUME we cannot relate to you or to your struggles- and preremptorily reject us based on that assumption. You ASSUME we are judging you- but it is you who find US "lacking". Outside of your own whispered insecurities and imaginings, WHO holds you to these standards? What have they said or done to "punish" or "alienate" you for your "transgressions"?I have a news flash for you: we are ALL converts. We will not be redeemed because we were baptized. We will not be redeemed because we were born to parents sealed in the Temple. We will not be redeemed because our parents never missed a sacrament meeting or donated the most money to the Perpetual Emigration Fund. We are not be saved because our grandfather was Joseph Smith's second cousin twice removed on his grandfather's side, or because we were born under the proper sign of the Zodiac. We will be redeemed if- and only if- we accept Christ as our Savior and struggle to keep that covenant as best we know how. That goes for everyone from Thomas S. Monson down to the smallest child in Primary. Each of us must make a choice. Each of us must build his or her own testimony- no matter who their parents were or what their circumstances. You are no different than the rest of us, no matter how fashionable your sins or how many support groups try to tell you your preferred sin is exempt from the laws of God. I don't know who you believe is judging you, but here's a news flash: The Church is not a resort for the Godly, but a hospital for the sick. Everyone who sits in those pews is a self-admitted sinner. Every. Damned. One. The only thing we have going for us is the same hope and assurance you have received: that the Book of Mormon is true, that Christ loves us and has provided a means by which we can become like him. Yes- there are judgemental Saints, and there are busy-bodies who are intent on minding everybody's business but their own. They are a tiny minority- and infinitesimal fraction of the membership of the Church. The rest of us are too caught up in our own struggles- and we do struggle- to be worried about the speck in your eye while dealing with the mote in our own. My advice to you is to stop making excuses. Do what you know is right. Go where the Spirit is leading you. You complain that you are ignorant of the Gospel? Whose fault is that? Stop making excuses and park your butt in a Gospel Essentials class. They have them nearly every Sunday. Stop with the finger-pointing. Stop with the self-pity. Stop looking for reasons to stay the way you are and start looking for opportunities to become more Christ-like.

Indeed- having been ruled by one corrupt military junta after another for the last two centuries (each claiming to be an effort to "restore democracy", Argentinian hands are hardly clean. And given that they fought their own wars of conquest against their neighbors (right around the time we were fighting our own civil war), they have no room to throw out accusations of "taken by force"- unless, of course, they want to give back portions of Chile and Paraguay that have been "Argentina" for less time than the Falklands have been "British". Somehow I don't suspect the Argentinian government is quite that enlightened... Two further things need to be clearly established: First, if the head-harpy-what's-in-charge of the Argentinian government had been serious, she'd have made her demand through diplomatic channels. She didn't. She instead took out a full page ad in a London tabloid and started stirring up the State-owned press in her own country. That clearly indicates she's interested in publicity, rather than a solution. For floundering President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner (the woman who would be Evita 2.0), this is a wag-the-dog campaign to distract from her corrupt government's incompetence and failure- nothing more. But since she's a South-American dictator, that's acceptable behavior in certain circles. Two: According to Wiki, the discoverers were alternately French, Portugese, Dutch, and British. The first settlement on the Falkland Islands was British, established in 1765- and the British never relenquished their claims to that island. Spain had a territorial governor there for some time, but never clashed with the British over their claim of sovereignty. Assuming you grant the legitimacy of La Primera Junta, Argentina didn't become a sovereign nation until 1810- nearly fifty years after the British colony was founded in the Falklands. In point of fact, there has never been a legitimate Argentinian colony, settlement, or government on the island. Contrary to the myth being painted here and in the media, it is more than arguable that it is the Argentinians, not the British, who are the usurpers and invaders.

snopes.com: Is Dr Pepper Made from Prune Juice?

Given the number of people who've commented on anger leaving "you out of control", it must be pointed out that "anger" is getting a bad rap. Every one of us has gotten head-over-heels goofy over someone we were attracted to. (And made a fool of ourselves in the process.) Every one of us has been pressured into handing over money and later regretted it. (While this can be caused by greed, it is more often a function of fear- notably fear of looking stingy or losing out on a good deal. Used car salesmen are trained to prey upon this emotion). Every one of us has done something foolish while excited, tired, scared, sad, happy, joyful, hungry, or morose. (Did I really eat the entire carton of Haagen-Daas)? Yet in every conversation such as this, "anger" gets singled out as the sole example of causing loss of control- or at least for having negative consequences when one does lose control. Nothing could be farther from the truth. To my simple mind, we are commanded to rule all our passions- to be good stewards of all of the gifts God gave us- including our emotional states. "Anger" is no less a legitimate state of mind than is bliss, or compassion, or heart-break. It simply has different uses than the others.

I'm going to take exception to this for one very basic reason: In my twenty plus years as a member- and my ten plus years as an amatuer apologist, it has never been Joseph's opinion- in context- which has embarrassed the Church. In every instance, it has been the false spin, false representation, or false attribution of someone with an axe to grind that has caused the heartache. One does not blame the hammer for the hand that weilds it. Likewise, one should not blame Joseph for the fact that his critics lack integrity.

When the Savior hand-made a whip and cleansed the Temple, he wasn't acting out of passive joy. The Scriptures are replete with other examples in which Heavenly Father and Jehovah is kindled to wrath. If God cannot do that which is unjust, and yet can become angry, it is only logical that said anger is not "unjust".

If that were the case, there would be no such thing as an LDS politician.

Just remember: reality trumps theory every single time.

Okay....apparently the Bugs Bunny link was a mistake. I can't say I'm now fatally distracted... ...but my afternoon just got a lot less productive.

Just to demonstrate how ugly this could get, I attended a shindig with a hundred or so friends- and helped cater the desserts. We had a cheesecake bar: key lime, New York-style, plain, and Peanut Butter cheesecake. For toppings we had hot fudge, caramel, strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry sauces. I have recipes on hand for Coconut Cream, Banana Crean, Cream-Cheese Pecan, Pumpkin, Dutch Apple, and Strawberry Chiffon Pie. This won't be Mutual Assured Destruction- this will be full caloric annihilation.

To my (admittedly simple-minded) view of things, it boils down to this: Which more accurately demonstrates my understanding of the subject material: an open-book test? Or closed-book?

First and foremost Lilac, I sympathize with everything you've posted thus far. On the other hand, I feel compelled to point out that having a Temple a mere two hours away is a considerable blessing- one that only a priveleged fraction have enjoyed throughout history. Even today, a trip to the Temple is an alll but once-in-a-lifetime for far too many. As you prepare to make and keep these sacred covenants (and as you have already discovered), you will face opposition. There are forces that will use any means to slow your trip, halt your progress, and throw up any obstacle to delay your efforts. They cannot stop you unless you let them. I know it sounds hard (been there, done that), but do not lose the focus and the understanding of what you are doing. You are making covenants with your Heavenly Father which will allow you to return to him- and to remain a family throughout all eternity. These pains and stresses are but a little moment- but the rewards are beyond anything you can now imagine. I am thrilled for you- and will add my prayers that angels will smoothe your path on that day. Relax and be grateful for all that you have- it will do wonders, I promise.

Mmmm.......fudge brownies warm out of the oven with french vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Breakfast of champions....

Yes, microwave on high.

Layered Mint Chocolate Fudge Recipe - Allrecipes.com Ready to cry for mercy yet? I haven't even gotten to the secret family recipes....

Praline Sundae Topping Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Caramels Recipe - Allrecipes.com

My problem is that I HAVE skinny jeans, I just can't wear them.