Tuesdays with Muerte

Doing anything Tuesday night? Word is getting around that we might see an unusual outburst of the annual Leonid meteor shower this year. Normally a pretty mild and sparse shower, the Leonids are known for spectacular outbursts every 33 years or so. From 1998 to 2001, the world was treated to several superb Leonid displays as Earth passed through denser parts of the dust streams left by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. These were the first times astronomers had been able to accurately predict such outbursts, and new predictions now suggest another good display on Nov. 17, 2009. What are meteor showers? An increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year is called a meteor shower. Comets shed the debris that becomes most meteor showers. As comets orbit the Sun, they shed an icy, dusty debris stream along the comet's orbit. If Earth travels through this stream, we will see a meteor shower. Depending on where Earth and the stream meet, meteors appear to fall from a parti...

Pictures, music, videos and their associated programs have taken up 90GB of my 100GB laptop's hard disk drive. Basically, it's full. I've been searching online and talking with experts over the phone to see which drive I should purchase online. They told me that I can upgrade my 2.5" disk drive with one of whatever size size and whatever manufacturer. So, why not go with 500GB drive, the largest model on the market currently. All the drives I found online of that size are within $89-$109. I'll decide before the weekend is over, but at this point, I think I'm going to go with the slightly more expensive but safer bet. It is the 500GB stock hard drive that Apple puts into their new Macbooks. I've literally heard nothing bad about it. Fujitsu MJA2500BH-G2 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive This is the largest purchase I've made since I bought my car. (A significant difference in price....

According to Gerald Leonard Cohen, author of Studies in Slang Part 1 (1985) , the phrase "smart alec" arose from the exploits of Alec Hoag. A celebrated pimp, thief, and confidence man operating in New York City in the 1840s, Hoag, along with his wife Melinda and an accomplice known as "French Jack", operated a con called the "panel game," a method by which prostitutes and their pimps robbed customers. The "panel game" was a trick also used by the original Smart Alec, although not exclusively by him. Hoag was very successful at the con but was taken down when he greedily neglected to payoff his two police accomplices and protectors. While imprisoned, Hoag explained the con to a reporter, "Melinda would make her victim lay his clothes, as he took them off, upon a chair at the head of the bed near the secret panel, and then take him to her arms and closely draw the curtains of the bed. As soon as everything was right and the dupe not ...

In the world of Ballroom Dance, improvisation is required at times. For example, in the scene below, the male dancer will be cut-off from his partner by an inconsiderate and possibly malicious couple. He then has three options: He could give up, unable to do anything about it. Make a humorous [read: gay] scene out of the situation. Come up with some incredibly crazy and acrobatic way of returning to his partner.

Be a Hero and help a brother out! The rewards will be worth your while! In only one hour, I want to equip and teach you HOW TO publish a full-page newsletter like this: Requirements: a computer running Window a  willing heart and one hour of time I desperately need your help evaluating one of my school assignments. I need at least two people to have completed an exit survey before 7:00am on Wednesday morning, MST. (I feel like I'm peddling Girl Scout Cookies, expect instead of selling Samoas, I'm selling some brand of cookie no one has ever heard of before. So just trust me. My cookies are delicious!) If you are willing to help me out, go to this website that my partner, Josh Pope, created and follow the instructions. You will be instructed to download a free piece of desktop publishing software called Scribus ™ . The goal of our instruction is to help users learn to use Scribus to create Christmas newsletters, Monthly ward bulletins, Event announc...

( AP ) PROVO, Utah — "A New Mexico soccer player has become an Internet celebrity for the wrong reasons.  Junior defender Elizabeth Lambert was suspended Friday for her infractions the day before during a 1-0 loss to BYU in a Mountain West Conference semifinal. Lambert is seen in video from the game throwing elbows, causing major collisions with at least 5 players and then yanking the ponytail of a BYU player who went crashing to the ground." Who was culprit and who was the victim at the BYU v. New Mexico Women's semifinal soccer match. In reality, it's difficult to define WHO was roughing WHO . Sure, Elizabeth Lambert wears her emotions on her sleeve. However, I would argue that Lambert's emotional forthrightness is more ethical and sporting than staging secret attacks on an opponent, all the while wearing a pleasant smile. Oooouuh, those dishonest, cocky smiles. Look closely again at the video before Lambert's flamboyant jab to see BYU's...

"I do not want to go to  a heaven  that doesn't have _______." When this common phrase is pulled out in Fast and Testimony meetings and in Relief Society gatherings, it's kind of a show-stopper.  The listeners know the speaker means business regarding that specific topic. I decided to conduct an informal survey this afternoon in my singles ward. When asked to fill in the blank: "Heaven isn't a place that I would like to live unless it had ___________," I got some typical responses. Of the 25 people (ages 18+) surveyed, their top five responses were: 1. My family 2. Chocolate 3. Football 4. Sinners* 5. God *I'm not sure what the first smart-alec to say "sinner" was thinking, but surprisingly, he was NOT the only one.  (See Doctrine and Covenants 1:31) Five kids, under the age of 5, were also surveyed. Their answers are as follows: 1. Princesses 2 .Yo Gabba Gabba 3. Puppies 4. Sunshine 5. Unicorn...

There's something I've always wanted to do, but will never actually do, out of fear of being sent straight to Hell.  Because in order to do this, I would be breaking one of the Lord's 10 commandments given to Moses—taking the Lord's name in vain.  I know it's wrong, but at my young age, I also can't help but think it would be a little bit funny too. I hope one day soon, I'll grow out of this urge... So here's my confession: I've always wanted to record the sacramental prayers at church on Sunday. If I recorded each of the sacramental prayers every week for an entire year, that would yield 100 different prayers/year, [±4], adjusting for conferences and inclement weather. Why would I go to so much trouble? Because it would be hilarious. Each prayer, over the bread and water, begins with the phrase, "Oh, God." Some people voice it really slowly, while others say the words like they're about to beg for their lives. Some people u...

How to invite people to join the LDS Church This method assumes that your friend already believes in God.  (See Alma 32:26-28) If your friend fosters a belief in God, regardless of the name by which He is called, the process of conversion is the same for all believers. (We believe that there is only one God, though He might be known by different names.) 1. Does your friend pray to God? 2. Has your friend ever received an answer to prayer? Have him/her expound. (Spiritual memories soften the heart.) * If your friend believes that God, indeed, speaks to man, they are already halfway converted. 3. Ask your friend to earnestly read from the Book of Mormon and then petition God to know if the book is truly from Him. (See Moroni 10:4-5) 4. Have your friend return and report.  Help resolve concerns, turning them back to the Lord for confirmation of truths being taught. *If your friend has been truthful, and sincerely petitioned God if the Book of Mormon is true,...