tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53415362012-01-09T00:08:57.332-05:00House of Payne InternationalPolitics, war, religion, superheroes, cooking, music, and other nerd stuff.the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.comBlogger3041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-21473082058193898262011-12-30T11:23:00.002-05:002011-12-31T11:52:03.664-05:00Movie review roundup: Special disco alien editionI really did intend to review movies as they came, but... then I didn't. So here you go!* * * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: The Legend of Neville's Gold: Better than the first part. In fact, they should have skipped the first part and just done this.* * * * Super 8 : Super awesome! Saw it with the Princesa de Poder, and we both the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-27988983824992207472011-08-01T11:14:00.003-04:002011-08-01T11:22:57.054-04:00Pointless wastes of timeI ought to be writing my dissertation right now. But instead I was checking my email, and a friend asked me to explain the current debt-ceiling crisis and what the Republicans are doing about it. I share my answer here, so that you, my imaginary readers, can see how uninformed I am and how poorly I understand fiscal matters.The short version, as I understand it, is that the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-71893115376095329822011-07-11T09:15:00.000-04:002011-07-11T11:22:12.406-04:00Look out, EterniaOkay, I've been meaning to write this post for the last three weeks. But time flies when you are having fun. And I am having a lot of fun. On June 17, the Princess and I got engaged. We are getting married August 19. Hooray!And if all goes well, I will defend my dissertation soon after and graduate in September. Additional hooray!Sorry for the lack of details, imaginary the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-11511112274471930982011-05-28T09:15:00.003-04:002011-05-28T10:05:56.087-04:00If I had a wish then it would beMy little brother and I have birthdays that are a week apart. And also ten years. So anyway we just had them. And he was saying that between 25 and whenever the senior discounts start happening, there's really no benefit to getting older. That's true. But I think I know how we could change that.I turned 36 earlier this month, which is double 18. And when I the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-73141705909379765762011-05-20T10:49:00.010-04:002011-05-22T17:48:18.537-04:00Movie review: Special weather-god editionInstead of waiting and doing a year's worth of movies all at once, maybe I should do my reviews as they come. That way, my thoughts might help you, my imaginary readers, to know which movies to spend your money on.Anyway, I saw Thor Saturday night with my buddy Frank. Pretty good! But I have one question: Why do people keep thinking that Anthony Hopkinsthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-81578275752519748572011-05-09T20:49:00.000-04:002011-05-09T22:30:05.477-04:00Restaurants of Nephi, part 4Well, this blog post is bittersweet, since it is the final entry in this series-- at least for now. The Princess of Power has flown away to Eternia, so for the foreseeable future I will be taking fewer trips to Nephi.But I think we've managed to cover the ground pretty well. In the last week, we managed to get two local institutions, Lisa's Country Kitchen, and the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-25668113318741124602011-05-02T10:28:00.003-04:002011-05-02T21:14:55.308-04:00OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!Party at my house, America! Let's dance!Yes, I know there are still terrorists out there, and yada yada yada. But this morning, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and a man responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans has gone to meet his eternal reward. Hallefrickinlujah!--JHON NOONIEN SINGHthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-38523598275037923472011-04-29T16:55:00.001-04:002011-04-30T17:49:10.182-04:00Restaurants of Nephi, part 3Two of our most recent restaurant choices, J.C. Mickelson's and the One Man Band diner, are advertised from the highway, so I had high expectations for them. Or at the very least, I was curious. And so, my imaginary readers, are you. Or at least, that is how I imagine you. CONFORM TO MY IMAGINATION!Anyway, the One Man Band is a pretty standard little diner with the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-20613440310645718002011-04-06T22:48:00.003-04:002011-04-06T23:29:30.171-04:00Restaurants of Nephi, part 2So we have tried three more restaurants in the last ten days. I think we're almost halfway through our magical adventure, actually.Tonight was Tomatilla's, which is located in the Conoco convenience store. Even before we walked in, Princess Adora remarked that it seemed a lot like Cafe Rio. I've only been to Cafe Rio one time, but it seemed true to me, too. So I the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-36987675025902929822011-03-26T23:02:00.002-04:002011-03-26T23:26:17.653-04:00Restaurants of Nephi, part 1So the Princess of Power and I have decided to try every restaurant in Nephi, Utah. Tonight we ate at Mi Rancherito, a Mexican cafe on Main Street. It was full of white people, which usually is a red flag, but I enjoyed it. The chips and salsa were nothing special, but not bad. The horchata was sweeter and milder than I usually see it, with less of that taste of the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62044418324471664312011-03-24T12:40:00.000-04:002011-03-24T14:24:56.203-04:00A year and a half of moviesWell, it's been a while since I did any blogging. And even longer since I did movie reviews. Frankly, I have not gone to see a lot of movies in the last year. I've been pretty busy. And some people think it's a stupid idea to go to the movies, anyway.But this week I might go catch a flick with the princesa de poder, so I thought this might be a good time to take a the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-75761076930655178752010-12-21T10:04:00.005-05:002010-12-21T11:03:01.506-05:00Brown paper packages tied up with stringSo I was recently talking with this nice girl, who I will call the Princess of Power. Having seen the number of books on my shelves, she asked me what my favorite book was. I was not sure how to answer that question, and I guess I am still not sure. Is my favorite book the one that has made the most impact on my life, and the way I think? Is my favoritethe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-37492922418397860262010-11-30T23:59:00.003-05:002010-12-02T09:18:00.821-05:00Moroni's strawberriesI taught the lesson at our ward FHE a couple of weeks ago, and I keep thinking about it. So maybe I should write it down and share it with you, my imaginary readers. So I will!A lot of things in my life seem like they're coming to a close. The year is ending, my classes are wrapping up, I am getting ready to move, my dissertation is slouching towards completion. And otherthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-414936261596377562010-10-21T16:22:00.000-04:002010-10-22T17:55:10.724-04:00What to expect when you're not expectingSo, I am once again going to blog my thoughts from last night's addiction recovery group. Yay!This week we talked about Step 3, Trust in God. In the words of the original Alcoholics Anonymous, this is the step where we make "a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."As we read, something stood out to me. It the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-61487864223561520682010-10-14T17:13:00.004-04:002010-10-14T18:16:10.724-04:00meine kleine kerzleinGreetings, imaginary readers. I am sorry to have neglected you so long. But in my defense, you do not really exist. Also, I have been seeing this girl, who we will call Hello Kitty. She's very nice, and I like her a lot. Also, she speaks Japanese.Anyway, HK and I were talking a while back about my calling. Right now I am a group leader for the church's Addiction the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-31245476324069835512010-07-28T14:54:00.004-04:002010-07-28T15:01:57.158-04:00No easy answersIn the latest (surprisingly non-sexual) Weird Japan News, it seems there is a problem with people who are so afraid of the world that they become hermits, shutting themselves up in their own bedrooms. Something like a half a percent of all Japanese apparently fall into this category, which in the US would be like a million people or more. I was going to recommend that they get the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-45379290380980855202010-07-14T18:36:00.002-04:002010-07-14T18:39:46.425-04:00Mike Meyers looks uncomfortable for some reasonSo, um... this happened...Kanye? You got any thoughts?Cogent, as always.--SOLOMON MBANASOthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-39977672908563173772010-06-04T17:28:00.006-04:002010-06-04T18:40:34.095-04:00We Don't Take Kindly to Your Type Around HereAs my imaginary readers know, we don't take kindly to bigots around here-- especially bigots who want to represent the Party of Lincoln. Man, forget that noise.So when I read about a jackass in South Carolina who called one of his political opponents a "raghead" because her parents are Sikhs from India, yeah, I was pretty mad. How mad? So mad that, the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-57252093681679838022010-06-02T08:29:00.004-04:002010-06-02T08:56:29.406-04:00Good news, everyone!As you may have read, human beings with ancestors from Europe, Asia, or the Americas probably have a little Neanderthal DNA. This incredible news might also make you ask yourself if your special someone is a troglodyte of some kind-- not that there's anything wrong with that. Thanks to science, Gattaca-style genetic testing is now available from your local pharmacy in a the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-71072437744347794902010-05-25T16:14:00.004-04:002010-05-25T20:17:25.308-04:00Missed headline opportunitiesI know that most newspaper editors try to sound like they're, like, professional and serious and all that crap. But please, imaginary readers, peruse this story and see if you're not just a little disappointed by the headline. So give it a think and then put your best effort in the comments. Winner gets a lifetime supply of vegemite.--CHISAIBUthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-28282746600823775682010-05-06T17:53:00.003-04:002010-05-06T18:20:46.038-04:00As the old saying goesAmerican kids are fat. Doctors say it's because they're not getting enough sleep. I blame the parents. They're the ones who drag kids out of bed at unreasonable hours to take them to crappy failing schools where they will get picked on by bullies. Why not let them sleep in and skip school? School is prison. And kids are smarter than we think. Even babies are pretty the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-41534009121863735722010-04-23T07:42:00.011-04:002010-04-28T22:56:14.467-04:00This one's for the hippiesSo it was Earth Day. Now, I am a Republican, but I'm not opposed to the earth, strictly speaking. And lots of experts and admirable people are very worried about the earth. But it's always a good idea to do some critical thinking, since experts and admirable people are not always right. So, here are a few things to think about. First, by most measures, the Earth is the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-51570733542105235742010-04-04T00:12:00.003-04:002010-04-04T00:25:26.335-04:00It's like rainSo we had an EQ gathering today before Priesthood Session, and there was loads of food. Each of the four singles wards contributed something. I think. It may have just been the senior primary and the two junior primaries, but not the nursery. I don't know. Anyway, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I had a slice of pizza (Papa John's, not bad) and about halfway through a the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-75271100013697579152010-03-22T15:40:00.006-04:002010-03-22T17:10:12.197-04:00Very wellIn the gracious spirit of collegial accommodation for which I am well known, I would like to acknowledge the victory of our dear leader and his allies in Congress. Although I fear that the bill will not have the salubrious effects its proponents claim, I hope for the sake of this great country that they are right. Let us go forward into this bright new dawn, together. Okay, comrades?-the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-75342602812230608062010-03-21T23:49:00.000-04:002010-03-22T15:36:35.422-04:00You go to blog with the links you have...not the links you might want or wish to have, as The Donald once said. So here are some links I have.* The magic age for women to start settling is 30, in case you were wondering. White women, in particular, should start having babies immediately. * Global warming-- the movement, not the phenomenon-- has been reported dead. Like Mark Twain, I suspect the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-55483952947017411452010-03-12T16:46:00.002-05:002010-03-12T16:49:22.453-05:00The new mathWhat is less than three? Two are. One is, too.Learning is hard.--S.P. DAVIDSONthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-87416858602895323082010-03-09T10:59:00.003-05:002010-03-09T11:50:12.915-05:00Beatles two-fer TuesdaySome people want to fill the world with silly love songs. What's wrong with that? --EL DOLOR(Update 11:47 AM: Now in glorious functional video!)the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-21181306285403751482010-01-24T23:22:00.002-05:002010-01-24T23:29:02.856-05:00ex-dorsementThis is the best reason so far to avoid seeing Avatar: Lucas added: 'I liked it. I make movies like that, so I can appreciate what James Cameron went through to do it. It worked well in 3D and I'm happy it's so successful.'How happy was George Lucas after watching Smurftanic? Happy enough that he now plans to remake all six Star Wars movies in 3D.Thanks a lot, Cameron. --MAJOR BLUDDthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-35058074653379230562010-01-22T16:43:00.007-05:002010-01-22T17:47:02.459-05:00More bullets, more points* I am glad I am not French, and that I do not shout at my wife.* Scientists who want to live in a moon hole should be careful and have it checked out thoroughly before they move in.* How many European countries have more prosperous populations than Kansas? One. Rock chalk, Jayhawk!* I don't believe that religious people are dumb. But that Pat Robertson certainly is a the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-52214293345298114352010-01-19T12:23:00.003-05:002010-01-19T15:01:14.112-05:00Grasp the broom of reformToday I get to do something I hardly ever get to do-- cast a vote in a competitive election. In fact, I think this might be a first.I turned 18 in Kansas, and went to college in Utah, both of which are thoroughly Republican. How thoroughly? In 1992, Perot beat Clinton in Utah. And Kansas is so dominated by Republicans that some dumb Democrat went and wrote a book the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-13047378375026876522010-01-04T11:27:00.003-05:002010-01-04T11:48:19.668-05:00Happy New Year!So, this is 2010. I always thought by now the future would have arrived, and then blown up and left civilization a devastated ruin. Well, there's always next year.In the meanwhile, I am thinking about resolutions. After all, if a stupid prion can adapt and change, why can't I?So, my imaginary readers, what should I resolve to do in 2010? And what have you resolved to do (the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-32426810673376328132009-12-28T12:33:00.006-05:002009-12-28T12:45:20.147-05:00Happy Christmas!Hey, imaginary readers! I meant to put up a holiday post, and then I was having a good time with my family and I forgot. So here's a song from me and Hugh to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, too.Sinifesela Ukhisimusi Omuhle Nonyaka Omusha Onempumelelo!--SOLOMON MBANASOthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-83657970875592165752009-12-20T10:58:00.005-05:002009-12-29T09:57:53.023-05:00Ultimate links of 2009And by ultimate, I mean the last ones I am going to post this year. Yatta!* After the scary underwear attack of the pantybomber, airlines are apparently considering banning the use of laptop computers during flight. So I'm going to start bringing my desktop machine.* Apparently, Star Trek appeals to liberals, and Star Wars appeals to conservatives. Of course, I proved the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-43984131471220299382009-11-26T22:49:00.003-05:002009-12-04T10:25:45.918-05:00Just a bunch of stuffSo, it's Thanksgiving. RB is at her sister's in Atlanta (the other sister, not the one who wanted my chili recipe). And I am trying not to think about all the pie in the fridge. So, basically, I'm bored and grouchy.Time for a link-fest! * Did you know that Africa + South America = Dinosaur? Because it does.* Did you know that European children are just as stupid as the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-43124713481879947052009-10-28T12:04:00.002-04:002009-10-28T14:17:19.523-04:00The underground music sceneLately the musicians who play for tips in the Davis Square T stop have been playing some really beautiful music. This morning, a guy on guitar wans playing something that sounded a great deal like Come Unto Jesus. I had to get on the train before I had a chance to talk to him, but certainly a few bars were the same. And last week, there was a guy playing Praise to the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-1277341738866667042009-10-20T08:34:00.004-04:002009-10-20T09:35:28.471-04:00MasqueradingI know I should have started thinking about this weeks ago, but I don't know what to be for Halloween. Ideally, it would cost less than twenty dollars, be super original and fun, and work as half of a couple costume. But two out of three ain't bad.I hunted around this morning for a Captain Hammer t-shirt, but all the official ones my size are sold out. And.. you know... I want tothe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-52679865385001884172009-10-14T20:45:00.006-04:002009-10-24T08:58:46.610-04:00Recipe fun timeMy sweetheart-- let's call her Rainbow Brite-- had her sister in town last week, so we did a little cooking. RB's sister asked me what was my favorite thing to cook, and I said chili. It's a true American art form, like blues, barbecue, and silly t-shirts. She said that she would like to try my chili, so I cooked some up on Saturday night and we enjoyed it with quesadillas. Shethe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-68494400500460920822009-10-09T08:49:00.002-04:002009-10-09T09:08:02.000-04:00Barack's Nobel IntentionsSo apparently everyone in the Norwegian Parliament is in love with Barack Obama. The last sitting US President to get the Nobel Peace Prize was Woodrow Wilson. Let's compare their achievements.Wilson ended the First World War (in which more than 15 million had been killed and more than 70 million had been mobilized) by sending US troops to break the stalemate and force the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62775830053533174502009-10-08T10:54:00.001-04:002009-10-09T10:59:42.316-04:00Band Names ChallengeRead this Mark Steyn blog post, and pick out the best band name. My pick is Tripedal Catnappers, so just try to beat that if you can.--REDBEARDthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-6923217393939213892009-09-29T09:18:00.002-04:002009-09-29T09:21:05.478-04:00From my new favorite comicShe may be Canadian, but this woman speaks the truth!--BIG JACK LE PENthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-43193182796080253252009-09-26T21:34:00.002-04:002009-09-26T21:50:06.473-04:00Kitchen apesSo science has proven that cooking is what makes us human. Maybe that explains my love for fire. And food. This study also says that the institution of marriage is all about meals, and that sex is incidental. Personally, I hope mine will have a little of both.--YAHYA AL-RIIFIthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62713920541899105032009-09-22T10:20:00.007-04:002009-09-22T11:23:59.760-04:00Do I owe Ron Paul money?Chapter 5: Closing the RingIn the summer of 2008 I had a Ron Paul nut subletting in my apartment, and he was convinced that the sky was falling. He kept making these dire predictions, but every time I tried to nail him down on specifics, he would skitter away. In the fashion of 9/11 Troofers and other conspiracy-mongering morons, he would say that he was just 'asking the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-10560651432836341512009-08-13T15:50:00.001-04:002009-08-13T15:50:51.675-04:00A year of moviesOkay, I'm tired of having this dumb post about a video game at the top of my blog. So how about we talk about movies? It's been almost a year since I posted my first set of reviews. And I know that you, my imaginary readers, have been eagerly anticipating the sequel-- which, here it is!Fall 2008 movie reviews * * Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist : I love George Michael, but the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-42482954726115726232009-07-18T23:58:00.004-04:002009-07-19T00:29:27.838-04:00Does the PhD cause the stupid, or is it the other way around?Sometimes I wonder. So, check this out. Read this article, and see if you buy into the narrative. Seriously, read it and come back. I'll wait. So, here's how I see it: This is not a story about some poor professor of "media" at Loyola being mistreated. This is a story about a tool who mistreated everyone else. Think about it. the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-73898617121010750842009-06-27T20:28:00.004-04:002009-06-29T00:08:41.679-04:00Do I owe Ron Paul money?Chapter 4: The Hinge of FateFaithful imaginary readers will recall that last summer I made a bet with a Ron Paul nut. He predicted that the Dow Jones and the price of gold would converge in the next year or two. I told him that if the gap between these numbers closed half the distance (from 10,000 to 5,000) before September 2009, I would make a donation to Ron Paul's the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-77483375240152803302009-06-21T08:09:00.002-04:002009-06-22T12:39:41.313-04:00Awards!Today, we give the first annual Mitt Romney Honorary Suspected Arsonist Award. This prestigious award goes to blogs that are so hot, so wicked awesome, that you might wonder if they set your church on fire. The 2009 award goes to a group blog, IMAO. We recognize IMAO today for their lifetime of achievements, including the work they have done to expose America's enemies: wimps, puppy the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62156176470677575032009-06-18T19:31:00.003-04:002009-06-18T19:50:50.907-04:00Future self and meSo I got to teach the lesson at FHE this Monday, and I am going to post it for you, my imaginary readers. Why? Because I like you. But more importantly, there are a LOT of things in this lesson that I still need to learn. Curse my stupidity!So, anyway, here it is. Enjoy!--SAN GIOVANNI UMILIATO1. The shadow of the future • I recently saw a couple of movies about people who the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-51850229528566365262009-06-16T19:31:00.003-04:002009-06-20T09:07:32.750-04:00This week's weird sex story, brought to you by JapanIt's actually safe to read. It's about men who call themselves herbivores, because they're more interested in gardening and other solitary, passive pursuits than the competitive worlds of business and dating. According to some estimates in this story, up to three-quarters of Japanese men in their twenties and thirties consider themselves to bethe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-12887518279709195672009-06-12T14:31:00.002-04:002009-06-12T14:34:06.707-04:00One cannot trust anybody these daysSee, this is why I always make my students hand in a paper copy in addition to an electronic copy. Lousy sneaks...--DR. SMARTY-PANTSthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-34871066411064701432009-06-11T23:59:00.000-04:002009-06-12T14:34:59.400-04:00More fanboy evangelismWarbreaker is out. And my autographed copy should be arriving in the mail today or tomorrow.If you haven't read a Brandon Sanderson novel, give this one a try. In addition to the hardcover which just got published this week, he also has a free version available on his website. So, what do you have to lose?And remember, I'm not only the president of the Brandon Sanderson the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-66656326346306865062009-06-10T18:29:00.002-04:002009-06-10T18:40:05.586-04:00Mad science news of the weekScientists have discovered a set of genes associated with "tameness" in animals. They hope that their research will allow breeders to "pass specific genes from one generation to the next as a way to produce tame animals."Sounds like a great idea! Reminds me of this drug-- the Pax. "It was supposed to calm the population, weed out aggression." And it worked for the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-76444136591059524772009-05-12T12:53:00.002-04:002009-05-12T13:12:10.774-04:00A Real American HeroSo, some Hollywood idiots have decided to ruin another beloved treasure of my childhood. Some people will be tempted to see it, even though they know better. They have only my contempt. But I expect better of you, my imaginary readers. You know where I stand on this contemptible betrayal of a cherished American icon, and I hope I can count on you to stand with me. In the the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-66148777355978287922009-05-08T22:06:00.004-04:002009-05-12T17:19:11.493-04:00Indian summerTonight one of my roommates invited some of our friends over and cooked Indian food. Yum! Everything turned out really well, but I was especially proud of the mint chutney I made. So I thought I might share the recipe.Basically, all you do is take a bunch of herbs and stuff and chop it up in the blender. Here are the ingredients I used:half a bunch of fresh cilantro, minus stemsathe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-56906172262302554112009-05-05T21:09:00.003-04:002009-05-05T21:54:16.578-04:00Look, Ma! No hands!I don't know what that title means, but I have been asked to speak for ten minutes in church this Sunday. So, what would you, my imaginary readers, want to hear someone say on Mother's Day? (And what would you not want to hear?)Let the comments flow like hot, hot tears.--SAN GIOVANNI UMILIATO(UPDATE: My congregation is composed of single people age 25-40. So there won't be the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-73944725199396440022009-04-29T15:15:00.002-04:002009-04-29T15:19:29.613-04:00I'm sorry, internetYou know I didn't mean those things I said. After all, you've given me so much. How could I stay mad at you? --PAN YUE-HANthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-87134626298484718922009-04-25T12:06:00.003-04:002009-04-25T23:32:07.254-04:00Google is ruining everything!The old internet is dying, and it is all Google's fault-- somehow. When I first returned from my mission in 1894, I got a free CD in the mail and installed America Online on the computer that had been handed down from my father to my sister to me. (Its hard drive held less than 100 MB.) I put up my first personal web page there on AOL, and when I left I exported mythe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-42398834584902538842009-04-21T09:00:00.003-04:002009-04-21T10:22:20.368-04:00Poor Old Hugo ChavezPresident Obama has been making a lot of diplomatic gestures aimed at improving US relations with other countries, including rogue states like Cuba and Iran, and rogue-ish states like Venezuela and Russia. Trying to improve foreign relations is a good goal, and of course to do this will involve lots of high-level talks between representatives of our government and their the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-24943562586549465982009-04-14T18:01:00.006-04:002009-04-14T18:27:10.861-04:00Return of the right-wing terroristsSo the Department of Homeland Security has published a report warning that the US might see increasing numbers of right-wing terrorists in the next few years.Here's the key paragraph:The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-54581711171523631742009-04-13T16:33:00.000-04:002009-04-14T18:26:22.669-04:00Unfortunately trueInteresting thoughts on habits from 4-Block World. Share and enjoy.--JUAN PENAthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-6406987370412569872009-04-09T13:54:00.004-04:002009-04-12T23:39:17.575-04:00Some stuff I read aboutNerd news:* Some guy rates movie trilogies. He's mostly right, although totally wrong about Beneath the Planet of the Apes.* The SciFi channel is changing its name to SyFy. John Scalzi has even better reasons for thinking this is stupid than I do.* Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, has passed away. Nerds, pour out a Mountain Dew for a fallen brother.* The the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-67557229032894570822009-04-08T14:22:00.002-04:002009-04-08T20:54:57.389-04:00Super freakyI just learned that Richard Alpert and Batmanuel were played by the same guy. That's freaky. You got one freakier than that?--FABULOUS Jthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-65561845258023289612009-04-02T18:35:00.005-04:002009-04-02T18:57:40.497-04:00Adventures in cookingSo tonight the missionaries came over for dinner. I cooked, and thought I might share with you, my imaginary readers, what worked and what didn't. This was the menu: Stir-fried chicken with vegetables, rice, a green salad, and a fruit salad. Also, Mr. Potter went down to Lyndells and picked up some apple tarts, which were pretty good.The chicken was the weakest link, I the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-53262033921569841132009-03-31T12:20:00.006-04:002009-06-27T21:06:15.527-04:00Do I owe Ron Paul money?Chapter 3: The Grand AllianceIt is increasingly clear that Ron Paul and Barack Obama have entered into a grand alliance. President Obama has, of course, learned of my promise to donate to Ron Paul's campaign if the gap between the Dow and the price of gold closes to 5000 by September of this year. And so to benefit his ally, Ron Paul, he is now deliberately wrecking the the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-32186881312662116932009-03-05T08:25:00.001-05:002009-03-05T18:56:21.472-05:00Wonder no longer!the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-8745056058376640682009-02-24T22:15:00.002-05:002009-02-24T23:41:08.198-05:00Lost and foundFebruary has been a really good month for me, and I thought today might be the day to try to recover some lost data. See, my laptop was stolen last month, which wouldn't have been so bad if I had been better about backing up my data-- but I haven't been.I have an external hard drive, and I used to use it to back up my stuff. But last summer, I transferred all the backups back to the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-91012430570319092182009-02-22T01:06:00.000-05:002009-02-22T08:27:17.878-05:00A final lessonI don't want to be one of those guys who can't stop talking about his last relationship, but it's only been a month since the breakup. So I think I'm still in the window. And I do have something I've been thinking about for the last few days. So as a follow-on to my previous post, I'm going to share a fourth and final lesson that I have learned from contemplating my relationship the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-50012549221309277092009-02-14T15:45:00.010-05:002009-02-15T08:35:31.629-05:00Schroedinger's ValentineSince it's Valentine's Day, I thought I might talk about my love life. As many of you, my imaginary readers, are no doubt aware, my girlfriend of four months broke up with me about three weeks ago. I would have talked about it before, but the breakup kind of messed me up. This week we sat down and talked things through, though, and I feel a lot better now.For those of the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-33322585399275905032009-01-22T04:20:00.002-05:002009-01-22T04:33:06.773-05:00In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkeyA couple of tunes for a Wednesday morning at 3 AM.Enjoy!--JUAN PENAthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-17562303968234095922008-12-27T11:32:00.006-05:002008-12-27T12:19:20.003-05:00Do I owe Ron Paul money?Chapter 2: Their Finest HourSo, as I have mentioned before, this summer I sublet to a Ron Paul nut. He said that the stock market is going to crash and everyone is going to buy gold to use when the economy collapses and we abandon paper money. That sounded nuts to me. So we made a bet on whether or not the price of gold and the Dow Jones Industrial Average would the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-80131741596700174162008-12-24T18:18:00.002-05:002008-12-24T18:23:33.656-05:00Froeliche Weinacht!Das Bluemelein, so kleine,das duftet uns so suess;mit seinem hellen Scheinevertreibt's die Finsternis.Wahr'r Mensch und wahrer Gott!Hilft uns aus allem Leide,rettet von Suend' und Tod.--DAS SCHMERZHAUSthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-68965452216125526692008-12-16T21:18:00.003-05:002008-12-17T08:22:41.969-05:00It's evolution, babyI was taught that the sex of children is randomly determined. Since each sperm carries with it an X or a Y chromosome, whichever one happens to get to the egg first will determine whether the baby will be a boy or a girl. So each child has essentially a 50-50 chance either way.But I've always thought that boys run in my family. I have more than twice as many boy cousins as the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62634952283631487842008-11-28T16:15:00.004-05:002008-11-28T16:30:57.944-05:00Hey America, you're so fineIt's a good day. I spent the morning putting up a Christmas tree with my brother and his family. Then I got online and bought presents on Amazon's Black Friday sale. This afternoon we all went out and threw the frisbee around. And of course, I'm completely full of turkey and cranberries. Thank you, America, for being awesome. And thank you, God, for letting me be the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-65938692742220512422008-11-05T07:00:00.001-05:002008-11-05T07:00:24.452-05:00Post ApocalypseI for one welcome our new insect overlords...the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-10932508997655560562008-11-04T16:43:00.004-05:002008-11-04T16:51:01.185-05:00ApocalyptoWell, I voted this morning. It took me almost two hours of waiting in line, but I cast my ballot against Obama, for Palin, and-- to a lesser degree-- for McCain, and against Biden.Despite the fact that I have been trying hard not to care about this race, I find myself quite tense. And so in these trying hours, I turn to the words of wiser men than I for solace:Kent Brockman: Professorthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-10794951256709081842008-10-21T16:52:00.007-04:002008-10-21T17:23:12.125-04:00The Dave Barry InitiativeSo... One of my roommates is getting a new game for his Nintendo Wii. I think it's Guitar Hero World Tour, but it might be Rock Band 2. Or something. I don't know. My contribution is to think of a name for the band. Hooray! I always loved playing that game. But it's harder now that I am responsible for coming up with one that everyone in the apartment will love. the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-83243445423003593162008-10-01T10:44:00.002-04:002008-10-01T10:53:11.480-04:00SpreeI thought this financial crisis thing was, you know, a crisis. People in Washington have been talking like it's the end of the world. But their actions tell me that it's just another day in Washington, with piggies crowding the trough. The bailout bill is loaded up with the same stupid useless crap as always. And when I say useless crap, what I mean is a bunch of earmarks for things likethe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-20045027752913803462008-09-26T08:51:00.002-04:002008-09-26T08:54:53.978-04:00Once again a knife-wielding maniac has shown us the wayGood editorial here about all the posturing that is going on in Washington about the current financial problems. Here's my favorite sentence.You can try to prevent a financial meltdown or you can teach Wall Street a lesson, but you can't do both at the same time.I agree, and I also think that you can't prevent a financial meltdown if your the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-31186061148811726632008-09-24T14:42:00.005-04:002008-09-24T15:34:52.127-04:00Do I owe Ron Paul money?Chapter 1: The Gathering StormSo, this summer, I had a guy subletting in my apartment who is a Ron Paul fan. He spent a lot of time trying to proselytize me, in the fashion of Ron Paul fans everywhere. This effort was somewhat handicapped because he also believes that the Federal Reserve is a satanic conspiracy engineered by a mysterious group of international financiersthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-79516201402391356562008-09-23T09:03:00.001-04:002008-09-23T09:05:25.618-04:00Hue and cryI scored 8/100 on this test, and I feel pretty good about that.--HUMBLE ST. JOEthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-12371992793825141822008-09-15T12:05:00.002-04:002008-09-15T12:10:28.541-04:00The last word on PalinI think I need to lay off the politics for a while. But before I do, here's one last bit about the campaign. If you haven't seen Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, you haven't lived. (Thanks, Dean's World.)--EL DOLORthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-62993322401014545502008-09-10T12:47:00.003-04:002008-09-11T12:52:33.257-04:00The DeliberatorMy sister and I have been talking about the presidential campaign, and she had an interesting critique of McCain and Palin. It's something that I think I have not heard anyone else say. Here it is:And here's the real thing for me -- she and McCain are both "gut" players. They govern with their guts and their instincts, and everything is right and wrong and there is no grey. Andthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-48588860253953558902008-09-10T09:36:00.004-04:002008-09-10T09:44:25.063-04:00A word of adviceAn old friend invited me to join a group on Facebook. The group is called "Sarah Palin, hold a press conference." I ignored it for a few days, but this morning I joined it, just so I could put up a post on their wall. Here's the post...Kids, you're setting yourselves up. After Palin got nominated, there were those who painted her as an illiterate neanderthal, so when she gave athe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-77619105081779411762008-08-25T10:00:00.005-04:002008-09-10T09:46:15.723-04:00Summer movie reviewsSo, here's a bunch of movies I saw this summer, and what I thought about them. the better ones are at the top.WALL-E : What a beautiful movie! If you haven't seen this, don't waste any more time. Find a place where this is playing on the big screen and see it this week. Some people were turned off by the eco-preaching, which I agree was occasionally a bit much.* But it'sthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-64297045270904365812008-05-20T12:00:00.003-04:002008-05-20T12:16:24.749-04:00So it's come to this: Another link-festI've been meaning to blog, but haven't. Sorry, imaginary readers. To make it up to you, here are some of the interesting things I've read lately. I'd like to give credit to the other blogs where I first found them, but they came from all over and I can't remember any more. So, enjoy!Here are three interesting new technological developments:* First, the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-39960346658188888082008-05-12T20:04:00.002-04:002008-05-12T20:10:16.503-04:00Not that there's anything wrong with thatHeaven help us all if the zoobies hear about this.--FABULOUS J.the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-78095861535373209652008-04-12T20:11:00.006-04:002008-04-13T11:43:44.982-04:00Bitter?So, on Friday, Barack Obama was at a fundraiser in San Francisco. He talked a bit about his chances in Pennsylvania, which hasn't yet held their presidential primary. In particular he spoke about his chances of appealing to working class white people there. Pennsylvania is part of the old rust belt which has been losing jobs (in certain industries) for the last thirty or forty years. the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-70266987682177017182008-04-09T11:10:00.003-04:002008-04-09T11:36:06.679-04:00Los JenízarosIllegal immigration is a sensitive issue, I know. But Frank J. has a novel idea on how to deal with anchor babies. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but it's about halfway between Jessica Alba and Jango Fett. Awesome!--GILBERTO "TURK" BENITEZthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-82384353041588069682008-04-01T13:40:00.003-04:002008-04-01T16:12:04.159-04:00Nerds, I am prepared to receive your envy[Note: This post is going up on April Fools' Day, so let me just begin by stating that I am not joking. Especially about the J.K. Rowling stuff.]You may remember, my imaginary readers, that I have been taking a writing class this semester. Our teacher is also a young author (actually, he's within six months of my own age, which is a little weird) who is the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-82246346295674954372008-03-28T16:53:00.004-04:002008-04-01T13:39:51.382-04:00Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.As a veteran of Mack Wilberg's elite paramilitary music force, I am happy to see that his talents have been recognized. Congratulations, Mack. --YOHANNA BEN-DAVIDthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-22610696947059308162008-03-24T17:29:00.003-04:002008-03-24T20:31:40.371-04:00It's all in the reflexesHow many countries can you name in five minutes? (Hat tip: Miss Hass.) Here's my first try:96And my second try:124My guess is that I probably can't get much higher than 150. I just can't type fast enough. And if I had infinite time, I probably could not get much higher than 180 or so, although the widget says there are 270. That's a lot. But we all know there's only the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-58334161336626577852008-03-20T09:26:00.003-04:002008-03-20T10:09:08.684-04:00Genius!Welcome... to the world of tomorrow! For you, my imaginary readers, here are a few glimpses of the glorious future that awaits us... today!1) A new comic strip: Garfield without Garfield. It's just what it sounds like. And it's unbelievable. (Hat tip to Ace of Spades HQ.)2) This guy makes computer games in seven days or less, including the amazing Crayon Physics, and one where you are the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-13122696734733861882008-03-17T21:05:00.002-04:002008-03-17T21:18:55.780-04:00Night-vision tomahawk cruise nuggetsThis video depicts the last seventy years or so of international conflict-- or at least the wars that most Americans would be familiar with. What makes this video so different? All of the belligerents are food. Yes, food. Watch it!--MAJOR BLUDDthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-12949164422902795632008-03-15T10:46:00.006-04:002008-03-15T11:47:23.712-04:00Everything's coming up Milhouse!So. The facts.1) Earth needs babies. 2) Guys who are good dates are bad husbands. 3) Single women with high standards who refuse to settle end up sad and alone. (Hey, don't shoot the messenger. These are facts. It's science.)The inevitable conclusion: Time for somebody to become Mrs. House of Payne. Aw, yeah. So why is this not happening? Oh, wait, I the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-15621870107170423132008-03-11T16:13:00.004-04:002008-03-12T01:05:55.091-04:00The triumph of Captain AhabFor the last year or so, I've been working to get myself in better shape. The first six or seven months went really well, and I dropped about twenty-five pounds without too much trouble. Then, in October of last year, I just hit a plateau. My goal was to get under 220 by November 1, and by Christmas I could be about the weight I was when I graduated from BYU. Well, the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-22736965441546970392008-03-11T12:44:00.002-04:002008-03-11T12:58:37.878-04:00Hans, bubby, I'm your white knight!I think I found my candidate for president. I'm not sure I agree with all his policy positions, but I think he's got the right temperament for the job. --BIG JACK LE PENthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-30486213742014029322008-03-06T17:58:00.003-05:002008-03-06T18:25:37.379-05:00Stick with the kid, baby!A friend asked me what I thought of the recent exchange between John McCain and Barack Obama on Al Qaeda and Iraq. For those of you, my imaginary readers, who have not heard about this, here is the Readers' Digest version: Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday for saying he would take action as president "if al-Qaida is the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-50753377990430535992008-02-25T09:51:00.001-05:002008-02-25T09:53:07.573-05:00She forgot to mention Han and Chewie...the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-9438265932509192472008-02-04T11:09:00.000-05:002008-02-04T10:11:08.820-05:00Link bonanza!And now, here are a bunch of things I have been meaning to write about, but haven't:* Ever wondered what goes into a power bar? Here's a hint: Not food.* Some of these medical myths I already suspected or knew were baloney (we only use 10% of our brains, shaving makes hair grow back thicker). Some, I have long believed (drink eight glasses of water per day).* There is now a dating the House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-35510176242890332612008-01-28T09:39:00.000-05:002008-01-28T10:11:26.068-05:00The mantle of ElijahPresident Gordon B. Hinckley has died. When President Hunter died, I was serving a mission in Ogden, Utah. That day my companion and I were doing service working on the grounds of the Ogden temple. One of the grounds crew came over and informed us, and we went over and lowered the flag to half mast. I wish I had something like that I could do today. --THE HOUSEthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5341536.post-28744020249866187812008-01-18T14:38:00.000-05:002008-01-18T14:44:44.994-05:00Culinary altruismAnd now, because my heart is full of love, here is a recipe for preparing pork chops that I created ex nihilo and completely by accident the other night. Bachelor cooking is full of surprises, and some of them are really, really tasty. Enjoy!The Pork Chop Expressingredients:4 small boneless pork chopsone nice big appleone sweet onionone clove garlichalf a can of Ro-Tel tomatoesthe House of Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13410727764741481353noreply@blogger.com3