Stephen Smoot calls my attention to this extremely interesting little essay about science and its history:   http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/occams-razor/495332/   It touches on some ideas that I mentioned a week ago at the 2016 FairMormon conference.     Read more

    Thanks to Bianca Lisonbee for calling my attention to this interesting piece about a (quite harmless) illustration of the “clash of civilizations” at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.     Read more

    An interesting MSNBC discussion with Jim Bennett, son of the late Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT):   http://www.msnbc.com/kate-snow/watch/son-of-fmr-utah-senator-leaves-gop-743287363522     Read more

    It’s Friday again, so, in the monotonous and tiresome way that has become all too familiar to some, Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture has published yet another new article:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/were-we-foreordained-to-the-priesthood-or-was-the-standard-of-worthiness-foreordained-alma-13-reconsidered/   Enjoy!     Read more

    This small and simple temple, soon to have its open house and dedication after considerable renovation, is historically quite significant:  In a harbinger of freedoms to come, it was built and dedicated under Communist rule, back when Germany was divided.  Much of the work behind this was done by Elder Thomas S. Monson, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.   One of my tasks, when I was in the mission office in Zürich for the first half... Read more

    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/438841/dr-denis-mukwege-healer-war-torn-congo     Read more

    Another Trumpist myth fails to withstand scrutiny:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/08/11/too-good-to-check-sean-hannitys-tale-of-a-trump-rescue/?tid=pm_politics_pop_b   By the way, I stopped watching Sean Hannity’s show, or listening to him, at least a year ago.  Long before Trumpulism had reached epidemic proportions.  I had never been a faithful member of Hannity’s audience, but, back when Alan Colmes shared the show, I often thought, much as I agreed with what I took to be Hannity’s general stance and strongly disagreed with that of Colmes, that Colmes... Read more

    In Alma 60, we see another striking illustration of what — in connection with the account of the proposed prisoner exchange in Alma 54 — I’ve earlier identified as Moroni’s “spiritedness,” a quality that makes him a great warrior but perhaps a less effective diplomat.   Remember how Moroni wanted that prisoner exchange and how, by the end of the letter in which he proposed it, he had become so indignant at thinking about the crimes of his... Read more

    As it often does, the investigative newspaper The Onion finds the news that others miss:   http://www.theonion.com/article/michael-phelps-spots-estranged-father-poseidon-sta-53494   Poseidon has been hiding from the paparazzi for centuries, but these Olympics have finally brought him out.  He’s always been a supporter of Greek athletic festivals.     Read more

    They would like to register a million Muslim voters:   http://national.deseretnews.com/article/21463/trump-sparks-activists-quest-to-register-1-million-muslims-to-vote-here-are-the-details.html     Read more