I found the following short bio in the book “Strength is What Remains” by Tracy Kidder. The book is about a Burundian refugee’s horrific experiences in his homeland and in New York. While the story of Deo is very inspirational, it is the life of one of side characters that really haunts me:
While I was on my Mormon mission in the Franco-Belgian area in the 1960s, I found somebody’s list of the 100 most important novels of western civilization. On the list were two novels by the french writer Albert Camus: The Stranger (or The Outsider) and the Plague. I purchased a copy of The Stranger and in short order read it. I found it very compelling, perhaps in the same way other young people find J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” haunting.
“The legacy of (Alan) Turing the mathematician rises above any possible sensationalism. His contributions were supremely elegant and foundational. He gifted us with wild leaps of invention, including much mathematical underpinnings of digital computation. The highest award in computer science, our Nobel Prize, is name for him.
The Sunday before last, there was a one-hour tribute on 60 Minutes to the recently deceased Don Hewitt. Don created and was the inspiration behind TV’s longest running show: 60 Minutes. While I don’t usually watch shows that pat themselves on the back, this one caught my eye. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the whole show.
The following is an excerpt from an article by Peggy Fletcher Stack which originally was published in the SLTrib on Feb 13th, 2009:
(Daniel) “Fairbanks (associate dean at UVU in Orem) believes with most biologists that evolution is the unifying theory in the field. . . .
Last Friday night (Jan 22nd), there was an all-star telethon on all 4 major television networks in support of the relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. The program alternated between sad stories read by big-time actors and mornful tunes sung by big-time performers. All were dressed in somber dark gray or black. Interspersed was an occasional report from Haiti. Even though I wanted to like the program, it was about as exciting as a funeral.
A few nights ago, I rewatched Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino.” I love this movie. It is rated “R,” principally for language. At times, it seems like every other word is either a racial slur, the f-bomb, or a crude swear word. Although it sounds almost obscene, I found myself laughing at some of the absurd and creative uses of racial epitaphs.
Two articles in this week’s periodicals paint a less-than-flattering image of official and unofficial Mormons. The first appeared in Time Magazine in a review of the movie “The Book of Eli.” The second was the lead article (complete with cover photograph) in the National Geographic. I have no particular comment on either article, but it is interesting to see how we are portrayed in the popular press.
As you drive into Monticello, Utah, which I do frequently, there is one solitary stop light. In fact, it is the only stop light in San Juan County. A few years ago, if you’d have turned toward the east, you’d have been on US 666 headed for Colorado and then New Mexico (the Four Corners areas). You’d first be crossing pinto bean country and then into the Navajo Nation.
Below is a list of lesser-known movies that I recommend: