Exile Island - Part I (Your Favorite 12 Bands)

As a kid, one of my favorite movies was Swiss Family Robinson produced by Disney. For those who have seen it, you'll recall that they were able to salvage many parts of the ship (volumes beyond reason) to convert into their island paradise. I'm going to start a limited but continuing blog series (title attributed to my favorite reality show "Survivor") about what you would salvage in regards to culture.

Part I is about musical artists or groups. Let's assume you can bring the entire musical libraries of only 12 artists or bands. Who would they be? Remember, this is not one or two songs, this is their entire musical libraries that you will have to listen to over and over again for the rest of your life (sorry Charles Widmore, you're not going to find the island). Solo artists who also fronted other bands can be combined as one (Morrissey/The Smith's, Sting/The Police, etc).

Here is my list:

12. Elvis Presley

11. The Offspring

10. Pearl Jam

9. The Cure

8. Pink Floyd

7. Johnny Cash

6. Weezer

5. The Beach Boys

4. Grateful Dead

3. Morrissey/The Smith's

2. Bob Marley

1. Led Zeppelin

Flashback Friday - Culture Club vs Wham

Who wins this week? Get your votes in...

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon:

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon
Uploaded by jpdc11

Wham - Wake me up Before you go go:

Wham - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Uploaded by jpdc11

Galileo

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual."

Quoted in Arago, Eulogy of Galileo (1874) and quoted in The Story of Astronomy By Lloyd Motz, Jefferson Hane Weaver.

Which State Is The Porn Capital of America?

Harvard Business School just published an article announcing which state was the highest ranking in the consumption of pornography per capita. Any guesses?

It is probably a state with tons of atheists who have no moral code and completely denigrate the sanctity of marriage...oh no?

It's Utah? How shocking...

http://people.hbs.edu/bedelman/papers/redlightstates.pdf

"Wrong" - new from Depeche Mode

Tuesday Morning TV - The Office (UK-the original)

Okay, I'll admit that once I got hooked on The Office during the first season loving Steve Carrell as the obnoxiously loveable and laughable Michael Scott, I went back and watched the entire series that spawned it from the UK. It only went two seasons in the UK but (due to the laid back of censorship restrictions) a slightly more adult focused program...and hence hilarious in it's own right. With that as the lead in, I tell you that Ricky Gervais (the dancer) plays the boss that Michael Scott was based on.

ENJOY!

It's not brainwashing if it's the truth...

I recently had a debate with a friend who is pretty anti-Islam and pro-Christianity. One of the arguments was the religious brainwashing of their young, as if Christians don't indoctrinate their young. Call it "brainwashing" or "indoctrination", all religions do it. Corporate marketing firms learned from the religious masters at how to target long-term customers...you start with the children.

This isn't a blast at all of organized religion but it sure is a whole lot easier to denigrate the faith of others without seeing the reality in the mirror. About the only thing that they can all be similar in, is that all the various religions would say the difference is that their particular brand of worship is the truth and the only path to God.

You watch the videos and tell me what the difference is...

Islam:


Jesus Camp:


Mormons...I have two for you (sorry my debate opponent was a Mormon so I have to make my point clear):

Flashback Friday - Guns-n-Roses vs Motley Crue

Guns-n-Roses - Sweet Child o Mine:

Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
Uploaded by hushhush112

Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood:

Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
Uploaded by krematoria

Tuesday Morning TV - Seinfeld

Hole in One:

Hole in one
Uploaded by FreddyRis

What Should I Read?

I've just finished my current crop of books and need a new book to read. Picking what I am going to read usually takes more time than reading the first 100 pages of the book, so I am coming to you all for help. I'll leave out my comic choices for another day (I'm probably going with my deluxe Avengers Assembled Vol. 5).

I've decided this go around, I want to read something I've never read before. Here are your choices for me:

The Stand - Stephen King

Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

The Fortunate Pilgrim - Mario Puzo (I know it's a surprise that I haven't read this yet. It is one of two Puzo books I haven't read. The Dark Arena is the other.)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (this and Pride and Prejudice are my wife's 2 favorite Austen tales. She says I need to stop making fun of how lame Austen's stories are until I actually read one. P&P is about twice as long as Persuasion, so I picked Persuasion)

NEW Flashback Friday Song Contest - MC Hammer vs Vanilla Ice

Every Friday I will be posting some hits from the past against each other and will lets the readers decide who was their Flashback Favorite. So leave comments and it will be a fun time.

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This:

MC Hammer - You can't touch this
Uploaded by henki8

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby:

Vanilla Ice-Ice Ice Baby
Uploaded by ZICARLOS

Why Mormons Catch Hell For Prop 8...

I am always flabbergasted when I talk with my fellow Mormons who cannot seem to comprehend why the Mormons are the posterchild of the Yes On Prop 8 campaign. They give a multiplicity of reasons but let's just talk dollars and sense...er...cents.

Point 1. California Mormons amount to 3% of the state electorate. And 3% is a generous rounding up...

Point 2. The 'Yes on 8' campaign raised $39,900,000.

Point 3. Mormons have been identified as donating nearly $20,000,000.

Point 4. Utah Mormons contributed just under 7% of the total $40 million to a California constitutional amendment campaign.

When 3% of the qualified voters donate 50% of the funds to the costliest state proposition campaign in the history of the United States, are we really surprised when the group that does so becomes the face of the movement?

Learn something from those you are discriminating against...just own it.

Be out and proud!

The Office - Web Exclusive clips

I absolutely love the TV show The Office. Since my wife and I only watch shows that broadcast over the internet, I also came to realize that The Office also add some clips only to the web. It is almost as fun for me to wait for these as the regular show. If you haven't seen them, you are missing out. Here are a few from the last couple of episodes.

Butt Slap:


The Cup:


A Dolphin in a Sea of Sharks

Happy Birthday Nicole

Los Angeles Lakers

After completing the recent road trip by going 6-0, but more importantly, after losing Andrew Bynum for at least the next 8-12 weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers won against the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers...on the ROAD.

This gives the Lakers tie break advantage if either face the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

A few notes:

The win against the Boston Celtics snapped Boston's 12 game winning streak. When they played on Christmas Day, the Lakers similarly broke the Celtics franchise record 19 game winning streak.

The Cavaliers were 23-0 before tonight's loss to the Lakers...

LDS.org: "Media Reports on Proposition 8 Filing Uninformed"

Lest ye all think I only present one side of the coin, here is the response from the LDS Church on the Prop 8 filing discrepancies:

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/media-reports-on-proposition-8-filing-uninformed

Some other current news regarding Prop 8:
- The California Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments on the constitutionality of Proposition 8 on March 5th. A decision is promised within 90 days of the hearing. In addition to ruling on the constitutionality of the amendment, the court will also rule on the fate of the 18,000 same sex couples that married prior to the amendment passing.

- California Attorney General Jerry Brown will argue for the overturning of the proposition, arguing "inalienable rights" cannot be eliminated without compelling reasons.

- General Brown's position of challenging an electorate decision is not unprecedented. In 1964, 65% of the California electorate approved Proposition 14, a constitutional amendment that permitted racial discrimination in property sales and rentals. Then California Attorney General Thomas Lynch argued the proposition violated U.S. constitutional standards. The Court overturned Prop. 14 in 1966 and the U.S. Supreme Court did likewise in 1967.

- Ken Starr, who led the campaign to impeach President Bill Clinton, filed a legal brief last month -- on behalf of the "Yes on 8" campaign -- that would forcibly divorce 18,000 same-sex couples that were married in California last year before the passage of Prop 8.

What was your wedding song?

Or what's your song with your current significant other?

I have to be honest. I can never remember what mine is. I know Deanna Carter sings it..

That's How You Know It's Love by Deanna Carter:


Since no one on the planet has ever heard that song, my original suggestion (and the song that secretly I consider "our song" because it reminds me of Nicole...and you actually hear this one on the radio) is:

Somebody by Depeche Mode:

LDS Prop 8 donations...

I have a few theories as to why the LDS church keeps miscalculating their Prop 8 donations. But first, let's review:

First, the LDS Church reported donations of $2,078.97.

Then after the election, Fred Karger (founder of Californians Against Hate) filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, alleging that the LDS Church had underreported its donations to the Prop 8 cause. I have no idea if he had any evidence or just suspicion but he believed that the Church had actually donated the equivalent of "hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Then a little over a month ago, another amendment was filed (due to pressure because more evidence that popped up) that added an additional $19,715.08 to the grand total.

Then a couple of days ago, the Church, facing an intense investigation from the FPPC, reported an additional $190,000 worth of donations, previously unreported.

Now while naysayers would point fingers of scorn as to why the Church wasn't more forthcoming in their expeditures or why Church officials had declared from the beginning that they were in full compliance with California regulations regarding the reporting of political contributions, not I, oh no.

The explanations are simple:
1. They just misplaced the receipts but have found them now. The receipts were found bookmarked in the Doctrine and Covenants section 134, verse 9. They had been placed there as a reminder to come up with an explanation for the Mormons who believe in the Constitution and the scriptures, as to why we would be ignoring this doctrine during the Prop 8 campaign.

“We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied.”

Maybe they will get to it after their next political contribution amendment.

2. They simply didn't have the legal counsel to inform them of these silly California laws. Oh wait, the Church is full of lawyers, especially in the governing leadership. Elder Oaks was a justice on Utah's Supreme Court. The two most recently called apostles are both well-educated lawyers (Cook and Christofferson).

Besides, the Church isn't frugal when it comes to obtaining high quality legal services (I mean, it hired Kenneth Starr to write its amicus brief for the California Supreme Court in In re Marriage Cases). Should the claim even be made that required disclosures were simply overlooked, even if it is true, it is inexcusable.

Maybe they should have used Pre-Paid Legal...an excellent opportunity for any one looking to start their own business. The income potential is unlimited when you start your own business with Pre-Paid Legal. If you are interested please click "HERE" and "HERE"!

3. Though I sarcastically jest, we should all keep in mind that the FPPC has not yet made a determination as to whether the Church did indeed violate any laws. But let's be honest, in light of how this is unfolding, it doesn't look good.

Anyone else have any other theories? Apologists are welcome, you don't have to be a malcontent like me to comment...

Top 12 Super Bowl ads from yesterday

12. NFL - Usama Young:


11. Audi - Chase:


10. Coke - Heist:


9. Bridgestone - Taters:


8. Denny's - Wiseguys:


7. Heroes - Football:


6. Pedigree - Crazy Pets:


5. Bud Light - Conan Sweden:


4. Pepsi - "I'm Good":


3. Doritos - Crystal Ball:


2. Bud Light - Budget Meeting:


1. Pepsi - Refresh Anthem:

Lewis Black on Creationism and Fossils