An interesting interview on National Public Radio:   http://www.npr.org/2015/05/26/409671982/desired-effect-reveals-how-important-family-is-to-rocker-brandon-flowers   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more

    What lesson should we learn from the fact that a record number of Americans, especially among the youth, declare themselves “nones” when asked to what religion they belong?   How should those of us react who don’t feel like celebrating this trend, if it’s real?   Here are some brief reflections on the subject:   http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2015/05/sons-of-nones   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more

    This week’s Thursday column for the Deseret News is now up:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629532/This-vision-was-a-gift-from-God.html   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more

      However compassionate you may feel — and your compassion does you great credit — when reading certain items online (e.g., on message boards or in newspaper or magazine comment sections, especially when the topic is either religion or politics), it’s vital to keep the principle above in mind.   I, of course, feel no compassion.  None at all.  Never have.  My heartless, unfeeling, and callous cruelty is legendary.   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more

    A nice post from Neal Rappleye, though I expect that it won’t do the slightest bit of good in the benighted quarters to which he alludes:   http://www.studioetquoquefide.com/2015/05/the-scholarship-of-hugh-nibley-and-john.html   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more

    This is an absolutely wonderful project, and an extraordinarily useful one for anybody, Mormon or not, seeking to do family-historical research:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629096/How-cemeteries-and-smartphones-play-a-role-in-family-history.html?pg=1   Posted from Berlin. Germany     Read more

    My friend and former Maxwell Institute colleague Dr. John Gee, on a recent case of what seems to have been ideologically-motivated academic fraud — one to which I’ve already alluded more than once here on this blog:   http://fornspollfira.blogspot.de/2015/05/faking-it.html   Posted from Berlin, Germany   Read more

    “The more I see of men, the more I love my dog.”  (Frederick the Great, King of Prussia)     Read more

  Yesterday was largely a family history day.   My wife’s great great grandfather was born and raised in the principality of Schaumburg-Lippe, to the west of the city of Hannover, so we went to visit the former residence of the prince (who still bears that title, even within the Federal Republic of Germany, but who has moved his capital to Bückeberg — which we had to figure out yesterday, too late visit it).     To get there, we... Read more

    I may be the only English-speaking Mormon of my generation who has never seen Saturday’s Warrior.  Not in any form.  Nor heard the music.   Not for any principled reason.  I’m not trying to make a statement.  I just haven’t.  (I’ve also never watched an episode of The Cosby Show or Seinfeld.)   So I’m curious about this:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629491/Saturdays-Warrior-director-shares-details-about-2016-motion-picture-reboot.html   Posted from Berlin, Germany     Read more