A huge chunk of America is on pins and needles as we approach the biggest election of our lives. I’ve been afraid to get too optimistic–I’ve been disappointed too many times before. I’ve therefore been a bit of a doubting Thomas, but am feeling good enough about it now to get this out BEFORE the election results are in. Call me crazy, but methought I saw a sign during General Conference this fall. Take a look at this screen shot taken during Dallin H….
‘Head of Christ’oil on oak, circa 1648-1650Staatliche Museen zu Berlinby Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn There’s nothing like an election year to bring out the worst in people. As the rhetoric heats up, it’s no longer just the candidates that are vilified, but their supporters as well. Republicans are painted as heartless capitalists and religious fanatics that are all racist to the core. Democrats are portrayed as godless sluggards in perpetual search for government handouts–able but unwilling to take responsibility for…
Willie Sutton (1901-1980) As a medical student I was impressed with an approach to diagnosing medical problems known as Sutton’s Law. Briefly stated, it says that we should consider the most obvious solution to a problem first. So when an elderly man with diabetes and hypertension gets crushing chest pain while shoveling snow, you should order tests to check for a heart attack rather than a workup for a broken rib or muscle strain. It’s pretty much common sense (but you’d be…
This year’s Book of Mormon curriculum has taken us through the sordid works of the band of Kishkumen, more popularly known as the Gadianton Robbers. They were the bane of Nephite prosperity and peace. It was an entity that was purely predatory, the epitome of selfishness; it contributed nothing positive to Nephite society. It would be difficult to create a comprehensive list of the attributes of Gadiantonism in a few lines, but the 6th and 7th chapters of Helaman…
“All that glitters is not gold”. It’s a well-known aphorism in the English language. The origins of this phrase are apparently quite old, dating back to the 12th century when a French theologian, Alain de Lille, said: “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.” The phrase appears in many other works, including The Cantebury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer* and Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.** The most famous use of this phrase is from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice (Act II, Scene…
Armstrong Clan Motto: ‘I Remain Unconquered’ My recent post (An Unconquerable Spirit) has me thinking of a poem that has ever inspired me. Invictus was penned in 1875 by the English poet William Ernest Henley. As an adolescent Henley was afflicted with tuberculous osteomyelitis (tuberculosis of bone) in his lower extremities. He was told that both his legs would need to be amputated below the knees to save his life. He agreed to amputation of the left leg at 12 but repeatedly refused the…
Shipwreck on Tubbataha Reef, Philippines This weekend, President Boyd K. Packer gave a powerful talk on the storms and tempests that could shipwreck our faith. He reaffirmed the critical role of those in in the safety of the harbor to guide home those in danger’s way. Elder Quentin L. Cook also spoke of the reality of shipwrecks of faith that exist in the church today: those that once believed are somehow lost and become spiritual cast aways. These are friends…
Ben Franklin as conceived by Mr Brainwash2012 New Oxford Street Exhibition, London(I think Ben would find great humor in this)Photo Credit: Big Reid’s iPhone This year’s endocrinology meeting (AACE) took me to Philadelphia. Great meeting. Great city. We had the chance to visit many of the ‘typical’ tourist sites while there and enjoyed them all (there is no shame in admitting you are a tourist when you truly are a tourist).One of the larger than life Philadelphians was Benjamin Franklin, and we…
Leitmotif associated with Siegfried from Richard Wagner’s opera Siegfried – The Ring of the Nibelung The concept of a leitmotif is a musical or literary theme that becomes associated with a particular person, place or idea in a larger work. Wagner is one of the earliest classical composers that used this. Perhaps the best contemporary examples are John Williams’ use of leitmotif in Star Wars (here for a great example). The Book of Mormon holds many examples of literary leitmotif. In the…
I’m continually impressed with the literary sophistication of the Book of Mormon–yet another testimony of it’s veracity for me. Much has been written about Book of Mormon examples of chiasmus, a rhetorical arrangement of concepts that was particularly common in ancient Hebrew writings. Chiastic form is common in the Old Testament, particularly when read in Hebrew. This rhetorical tool was extensively used a an aide-memoire in times when you couldn’t easily jot down important things in a notebook (or smart phone)….