Back to the Workforce

"When did you leave the workforce?" you may be asking. Well, actually I was laid off back in May and I just started back to work two weeks ago. I'm now working for Maricopa County. I'm excited for the opportunity. It looks like it will be a great chance to learn and grow.

The new job may end up meaning that this blog will be a private blog. I haven't put too much thought into the idea yet, but switching to a private blog may be a wise safety precaution at some point. It's really too bad, but some lines of work make you fewer friends than others.

There is no rush, but if you would like to continue to be a reader of our blog, please email me at davis2028@hotmail.com with the words "Blog" or something like that in the subject so that I will recognize it amongst all the advertisements for pharmaceuticals I receive. Once I figure out what the plan will be I'll email everyone and post another summary up on here.

And by the way, thanks to everyone for your help, thoughts, and prayers on our behalf during the time period I was looking for a job. Teri and I are extremely grateful for your love and kindness.

J. Crew thinks you're a sucker, but I know better.

For the low, low cost of just under $300.00 you too can have this season's fashion must have. Jeans with paint on them.



But I found a guy who is willing to give you a deal. He's offering hand splattered painted jeans for $150, but the price goes up to $180 if you'd like new jeans. He'll even hand deliver them (if you live in northern Utah county). I'll match his price for anyone in Arizona wanting to take advantage of this steal of a fashion deal.

Golden Compass

Before you read on there is something I should warn you about. This post contains information about...the Golden Compass books. If you believe that these books are the root of all evil then I don't know that I can say anything to change your mind. Even if I did come up with something, I don't know that you would even believe me - after all I am a lawyer. Nonetheless, if you stick out this blog post you may have a little more info next time your BBQ conversation turns to "evil literature."

My Summary
1. I read all 3 books.
2. I still have my testimony.
3. I don't think anyone else will lose their testimony by reading them.
4. The Golden Compass books are distinctly anti-Catholic, but not really anti-Christian (if you assume like I do that you have to discuss Christ, a Christ-like figure, or even some vague idea of atonement to be labeled as a Christian or anti-Christian book).
5. If you like fantasy books, or are a fan of polar bears - especially armor wearing, blacksmithing, flame thrower operating, fighting polar bears - you will probably like these books.

It would be difficult to discuss all of the reasons why people say these books are evil without revealing the storyline of the book. So just in case someone wants to read them, I won't talk too much about the particulars. Suffice it to say this - because of all chatter I heard about the books before I read them I was surprised by the minor role that atheism or attacking God played in the book. To be honest, anything in the books that could be construed as an argument in favor of atheism was presented in an almost silly way. One of the characters decides there is no God because, according to her, following a certain man-instituted church regulation doesn't do her or anyone else any good. If that is the best evidence of God's non-existence you might want to rethink. It would be like someone buying a $1.00 bible coloring book at Wal-Mart, seeing that the pictures were repeated twice in the book and because of that feeling ripped off and deciding there is no God.

The one distracting bit in the series was that I was constantly trying to discern who the author, Philip Pullman, thought God actually was. By the time I was nearing the end, especially with all the rumors I had heard about the books before I read them, it became more and more clear that Pullman had chickened out in terms of trying to define God. All in all, Pullman's atheistic tendencies are mitigated by the fact that he's not even sure atheism is correct. In fact, he's so unsure about who God is, that he won't even commit to actually putting the God most people know in his books.

Anyway, the moral of this post is this - if you like fantasy books you'll probably like the Golden Compass books. They have some interesting characters and are generally easy to read. They aren't for everyone, but that has more to do with what type of literature you enjoy than religious overtones. So enjoy. And if you do end up reading them let me know. I would love to ask a few questions about your impressions of the books.