Tuesdays with Muerte

My FHE group's entry for the 2008 BYU 11th Ward Oscars. We lost. But it is still a treasured memory. Kat was a no-brainer for the role of the damsel in distress. I was always so nervous around her.  In the scene where we reunite for the first time, I had no idea what to do with my hands.  I remember thinking, "I should swing her around like those cabaret partners do at DanceSport." But then, instead of committing to the full-body-hug, I just locked my wrists to avoid any touching that could possibly get me in trouble with the BYU honor code office. (At least that was my justification.) #SIMPrespect My roommate, Brian Spencer (pictured above), was terrific in his role as Lester, the deed-owning banker.  Not only was his acting spot on as a vaudeville villain—he improvised the ENTIRE audio track on the piano.  If you listen closely, you can hear whispers throughout the track.  That's the cast giving Brian dynamics cues as we watched the video.  HE...

I often blog about anticipated shows.  But I was so impressed with the latest television episode of CBS's Elementary  ( S03E04, Bella ) I had to highlight it.  The whole series so far has an  IMDB rating  of 8/10. Elementary  has been getting better with each season.  When the show first aired,  I felt compelled to compare it to the BBC's Sherlock , whose first two seasons I had already adoringly watched and re-watched.  For a time, I inhibited myself from enjoying Elementary because of my ever-present concern, "how can the US create something to rival what is arguably the greatest television series of our generation?"  But once I let go of the need to compare the two, and simply appreciate  Elementary  for what it is, I began to see its unique brilliance. Epic Moment Between Sherlock and his brother Mycroft in Season 2 I won't go into detail about this week's episode, Bella —involving artificial intelligence...

"BREAKING NEWS" ON MORMON POLYGAMY The LDS Church recently published two essays on polygamy (or plural marriage) which have received national media attention over that past few weeks—most of it disrespectful. Three weeks ago, Peggy Fletcher Stack of the Salt Lake Tribute wrote a  controversial piece , which portrayed the LDS church's latest two essays on polygamy in a scandalous light.  Last week, @lauriegnyt of the New York Times , and other national media, joined the media frenzy, feigning newsworthiness that Mormons have  finally aired their dirty laundry. While the tabloid-esque reporting of the Mormon essays were technically accurate, the emphasis and tone were often inappropriately sensationalized. I'd like to add my small, but earnest, voice of reason to the national discussion. Inappropriate sensationalism from the NYTimes referenced above These lurid articles employed headlines like “shocking revelation,” "teenage bride," and “th...

This is the Saddest Thing I Heard All Week "I have to be super careful about who I ask out on dates now because I'm getting a reputation as a player  in my ward ." — A male friend and alleged   player I was  furious  when I heard this. So now I'm taking it out on my keyboard! YSAs don't know what they're talking about. Dating culture is obviously broken, and I hope that sharing my thoughts here might do something to help fix it! If you are one of the five people that reads this, God bless you. My friend is one of the coolest guys I know. To protect his identify, we'll call him Eddie.  Eddie is a hardworking, funny, athletic, 27-year-old professional living in Provo, Utah—a catch by any standard.  Unfortunately, Eddie has been branded a player  by both men and women in his YSA ward. He feels he has earned their condemnation due to the fact that he had exclusively dated three girls and casually dated a dozen more in his ward over the p...

Just discovered  BYU MEME  on facebook today. If you are are sensitive to blasphemy, look away. I lifted so hard the week after conference, I got sick from exhaustion.  ( Reference ) General Conference, October 2014 Jorg Klebingat   ( Meme ) #SoProud ( Image source ) The Lion King   ( Meme reference ) This is probably why Indy wasn't chosen. ( Image source ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ( Meme reference ) President Thomas S. Monson keeps pigeons  ( Image source ) "Wait a minute! Suppose two swallows carried it together?"  Monty Python coconut  conundrum  ( Meme reference ) Easter Puns by Shrute. ( Image source ) 2014 Easter Campaign  #BecauseOfHim ( Meme reference ) Jim, from The Office ( Image source ) "See? Nobody cares." ( Image source ) Nedry blows Dodgson's carefully established cover, from Jurassic Park  ( Meme reference ) Re: Beards ( Image source ) ...

Warning: Only read this post if you are a DW nerd and/or enjoy thematic analysis   The Writing is Objectively *Good* Feelings for the BBC sensation,  Doctor Who , are pretty segregated. For most viewers, they seem to either love the show or think it's cheesy. No one can really HATE the show—at worst, viewers might criticize the British comedy for being low-budget and childish. But regardless of your feelings towards the show's execution, the writing is inarguably BRILLIANT! Let me introduce the two head writers since 2005: Russell T. Davies  (Headwriter & showrunner:  2005 - 2010) Steven Moffat  (Headwriter & showrunner:  2010 - CURRENT) including classic episodes like Blink , Silence in the Library , and Let's Kill Hilter  during his predecessor's tenure.  Moffat is also the headwriter for the BBC success, Sherlock (starring  Benedict Cumberbatch  & Martin Freeman ) These men are two of tel...