Mindy Smith: Clear-voiced Cantante
This fall my wife and I hit Salt Lake City for a concert at The State Room. The main act was an artist we’ve both followed since her excellent debut album in 2004: Mindy Smith.
Obama Forgets About Romney’s Etch-A-Sketch
In the first debate between Romney and Obama, Romney walked out with a historic win. Obama was underprepared and unfocused. But I want to explore another factor that hurt him deeply: he forgot about Romney’s Etch-A-Sketch.
She’s Here!
My precious little daughter Harper came two weeks early, healthy and happy. I wanted to quickly jot down a few simple thoughts about her first couple of days.
Parenthood: A Rewarding Sacrifice?
I try to disentangle the reasons I wanted to become a dad. There are so many intertwined, contradictory, ambiguous factors. Some are selfish. Some are noble. Some are naive. Some are wise. I have faith that parenthood epitomizes the concept of “rewarding sacrifice” as well as anything else I can do in life.
Defending Muslims
I heard a saying once that goes, “Once you get to know people, it’s impossible to hate them.” I’m not sure if this is always true on the individual level, but on the collective level it seems to be. Put in other words, there are good people everywhere.
The Works of God or the Works of Man?
A beautiful area in northwestern Spain called Las Médulas prompted some thoughts on the implications of seeing God’s hand in everything, even if it turns out he’s not actually involved in everything, and what the pros and cons of making such an assumption are.
I Don’t Like Commandments
I’ve noticed I have a strong distaste towards the word “commandment” when used in the religious sense. The commandments. Keep the commandments. The Ten Commandments. Et cetera.
Early Thoughts on Rearing Bilingual Kids
As we stand about six weeks out from the birth of the little girl who will make us parents, we’re constantly batting back and forth parenting ideas. Soon theory will need to become practice, and one practice I’m determined to employ is teaching my kids Spanish from birth.
Good Music: Kathleen Edwards
Her sunny disposition betrayed the melancholy nature of many of her songs. Perhaps there’s a paradox at play—a hidden sense of optimism even in songs about deteriorating relationships and misplaced trust.
Expectations Going into Parenthood
“Yeah, being a parent will be a challenge, but it’ll be more rewarding than challenging,” the naive dad-to-be says to himself. “Heh, just you wait and see…” comes the smirk from been-there-done-that parents. I think many of life’s experiences can benefit from properly managed expectations.