The wonderful keynote address at the 2016 “Second Interpreter Science & Mormonism Symposium: Body, Brain, Mind, and Spirit” was given by Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, Director of the Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.   You may watch it here:       Read more

    Here’s an interesting article about Dr. Dirk Elzinga, an associate professor of linguistics at BYU who specializes in Uto-Aztecan linguistics, phonological description and theory, and the sound structure of English:   https://news.byu.edu/news/arrivals-oscar-noms-got-you-pumped-about-linguistics   You can also read Professor Elzinga’s recent review of Brian Stubbs’s explosive new book Exploring the Explanatory Power of Semitic and Egyptian in Uto-Aztecan by downloading it here:   https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/exploring-explanatory-power-semitic-and-egyptian-uto-aztecan   In that new book, Brian Stubbs argues for the presence of ancient Semitic and Egyptian linguistic elements in... Read more

    I’ll be accompanying a tour to Israel from 3 May through 12 May and, immediately thereafter, to Egypt (continuing through 18 May).   http://www.cruiselady.com/landtours/holy-land-tour-11/ http://www.cruiselady.com/landtours/exotic-egypt-2/   There are, I’m told, still some open places on these tours.  In case anybody’s interested.     Read more

    The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.  Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)     Read more

    To say that I disagree with former Senator Harry Reid on many political issues would be to put the situation very, very mildly.  I am, as I’ve explained multiple times, a serious political conservative with libertarian leanings (especially on economic issues).  Moreover, Senator Reid has said and done many things that have left me wondering how on earth he could justify them.   But, for all that, he’s an active and committed Latter-day Saint, and I’ve read —... Read more

    http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/22/media/saturday-night-live-vladimir-putin-nbc/index.html   See also   “Disturbed Man Gets Past White House Security, Gives Press Conference”   “An Important Message from Mike Pence”   And, while we’re at it, here a few more serious articles:   “The Crowd Wars”   “The Stupid Crowd Size Debate”   “Crowd Sizes Matter To The Media Only When The Cause is Liberal”       Read more

    An interesting piece by Dr. Alex Berezow:   http://acsh.org/news/2017/01/18/are-science-journals-politically-biased-editor-chief-acs-journal-refuses-discuss     Read more

    In a time of terrorist violence, fear, mistrust, misunderstanding, and, all too often, sensationalized misinformation, this effort toward building bridges between Islam and Christianity represents a really refreshing and welcome change:   http://www.acommonword.com/     Read more

    Controversy has swirled around this minor issue for many years.  It’s nice to hear from an informed voice of reason:   http://etherscave.blogspot.ie/2017/01/a-new-york-cumorah-not-hill-we-have-to.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+EthersCave+(Ether%27s+Cave)     Read more

      “Be hard on yourself, easy on others.” Abū ‘Abdullāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfi‘ī (d. AD 820)     Read more