My Life

I was actually very pleased to watch this video ( link here ) about how people are leaving the LDS church in droves, and not because I take sadistic pleasure in seeing the numbers of LDS church membership decrease.  I think that the LDS church does in many ways serve as a positive force in the lives of some of my family and friends, and so I cannot with good conscience take joy in seeing it suffer. But the reason that I can take pleasure in this news report is that, to me, it says that people are thinking for themselves.  They are learning about their church (as I did) and are questioning whether what the church says is really true.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone at any stage in life.  And it's not something that you just do once and you're done.  It's more of an ongoing thing that you should do at every stage of life.  Think about what you believe, why you believe it, and whether it's a good thing to believe--or whether it's a true thing to...

If you haven't already read this article from the Rolling Stone, you need to.  Read all of it.  Don't skip anything, and read all the way to the end.  As I read it, I first thought "yeah, more anti-gay bullying".  Then I kept reading.  I was shocked, then disgusted, then horrified, disappointed, and dismayed.  I checked the date.  Is this really  happening now--in the 21st century?  Is this recent?  Really?  This isn't from the 50s or 60s?  It's from now? How can people be so hateful?  How can someone profess to believe in a loving god and actually say to another person--whether in jest or in earnest--"You should go blow your brains out."?  What kind of disgusting, depraved soul would you have to have in order to say such a horrific and inhumane thing to someone else? How can an entire school district be so  calloused as to completely ignore all of these complaints, and all of these suicides?  How can t...

I like making people smile.  I try to be funny.  I tell jokes and say things that I think will make people laugh.  In class, I tell jokes to my students and I even confess that they're cheesy and that it's okay if they don't laugh.  Sometimes I offer extra credit for anyone who does laugh. At any rate, I really enjoy brightening other people's lives.  I have been told by a few different people that I am a positive source of energy, and I really like being seen that way.  There is much sadness in the world and I would like to think that I do my share to combat it. In fact, this is why I have decided to be as vocal as I have on the matter of gay rights.  I think it is unjust to allow straight people to marry but not gay people.  I think that in order to decrease the amount of sadness and oppression, gay marriage should be legalized.  So, I fight to brighten the lives of other gay people such as myself.  I don't delude myself in thinki...