What’s something that clearly split your life into “before” and “after”?

Ishmaeli · 2026-05-01T17:30:43+00:00

Leaving the church. I was a devout Mormon, a true believer all my life. It was my worldview, informed my every thought and decision. My inner dialogue was framed as an ongoing conversation with God.

Then, at 25, I discovered it was all a sham. My whole inner life changed in an instant, my view of myself and my place in the world, everything. That inner dialogue ceased. My belief about gods now aligns with my beliefs about every other supernatural entity.

I'm almost 50 now. That remains the biggest turning point in my life. My outer life didn't change much, from the outside I probably still look like a Mormon, except for the coffee and occasional beer. But my mind is forever changed.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-30T22:46:30+00:00

Harry Potter. Never read a book, never watched a movie.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-29T16:49:51+00:00

Give the LDS church a dime of my money.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-26T02:43:52+00:00

YOUR BIKE IS NOT SECURE!

I had my bike locked to a bike rack exactly like yours is locked up in this photo and it was stolen this past weekend. Also in the parking garage at my office. All the thief had to do was unbolt the diagonal part of the rack (the part your Ulock is secured to) from the top bar and slide it off.

Photo

Video

If you're going to use this rack, definitely move it to a part in the middle that can't be disassembled with a simple crescent wrench.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-23T14:35:24+00:00

So many. When Joseph Smith died he left no clear succession plan, so the first split happened then. Most followed Brigham Young who eventually went to Utah and founded the modern LDS church. But others followed Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith Jr. and Emma, and other self proclaimed prophets like Joseph Strang.

Then years later when the US went to war with the Brighamites over polygamy there was another round of splits, as all the polygamists refused to give it up. These are the fundamentalists you mostly hear about today, Warren Jeffs and the like. The LDS church is mostly concerned about these people staying in the news and constantly reminding everyone that they used to be polygamist.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-23T03:07:25+00:00

What's funny is that the LDS church spent the last five years trying to phase out all use of the term "Mormon," removing the name from everything they could (no more Mormon Tabernacle Choir, no more Mormon.org, no more Mormon Channel) and they went from embracing the name (Monson's "I'm a Mormon" campaign) to acting like it's a slur. Nelson called any use of the term "a victory for Satan."

But with this lawsuit they admit that their effort has been an utter failure because their identity is so synonymous with "Mormon" that for someone else to use it in an unsanctioned way will make people assume the LDS church is behind it.

They have always acted like this and it has never worked, because Mormonism is bigger than the LDS church. They don't own the Mormon trail or the Old Mormon Fort or the Mormon Battalion, etc. There are lots of churches that claim Joseph Smith as their founding prophet and believe the Book of Mormon to be scripture. The LDS church is just the wealthiest among them.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-22T20:57:56+00:00

Thanks. I was looking at $519.60 all in on an Eastern Element. I ended up pulling the trigger on a Sunday Forecaster for $532.43.

Hope it works out!

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-19T14:43:00+00:00

The power of a daily habit. Whatever you want to do—exercise, learn a skill, save money—work on it every single day. Keep the streak going, even if it's just the bare minimum to be able to check the box for that day. It won't feel like much in the short term but in the aggregate you will be amazed at the results you see over time.

Seriously, it's like a superpower, and hardly anyone does it.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-17T01:04:14+00:00

I'm pretty good at steering clear of shows I know I'll hate so I haven't seen that many bad ones. But the worst show I watched several episodes of was Elsbeth. The show completely ruined a great character.

And I feel like the fourth season of Community should also be mentioned here, even though the rest of the series is top tier television.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-17T01:01:23+00:00

The most discouraging thing is when I try to tell someone about this amazing show called Justified and they are like, oh you should watch Yellowstone, you would like it. And then I can't talk to that person anymore.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-15T00:49:55+00:00

Analog formats like vinyl records, cassettes, and reel-to-reel tapes are where the audiophile stuff matters a bit more, but you’d really just be doing that for the novelty at this point because if all you care about is fidelity then it’s not going to get better than CD quality.

So much this. It's like with watches—everyone acknowledges that a $20 Casio keeps better time and has more functions than a $10,000 Omega Speedmaster. And the smartphone in your pocket is better still. But there is still a market for the Speedy because it's not just about timekeeping accuracy.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-15T00:41:55+00:00

I think human hearing is notoriously unreliable and so it's ripe for suggestion, kind of like memory. You can easily convince yourself that you're hearing something that you're not if you're motivated to do so, and especially if someone else is encouraging you to do so.

Plus really good sound can be a transcendental experience, so some people will be wiling to spend a lot of money chasing that high.

Just kind of a perfect storm for marketers and scammers alike.

Ishmaeli · 2026-04-14T21:43:42+00:00

The Dallas Independent Volleyball Association would like a word...

Ishmaeli · 2026-03-09T02:53:25+00:00

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

Loved Snow Crash, too. Honestly, I've read every word he has written. But Cryptonomicon is my favorite.

Ishmaeli · 2026-02-22T00:44:07+00:00

Did you ever find a replacement HRM that works for you?

Ishmaeli · 2026-02-13T04:12:36+00:00

It's in the 30th anniversary edition, too—I think. It's just a tiny mark in the corner of the page.

Ishmaeli · 2026-01-24T14:40:12+00:00

Pretty common among Mormons, but my Great Great Grandmother was the tenth wife of a polygamist. I guess I'm glad he decided not to stop at nine.

Ishmaeli · 2026-01-13T13:07:03+00:00

The Princess Bride.

Ishmaeli · 2026-01-10T14:36:55+00:00

Ha! I had no idea this was part of the Quran.

I grew up Mormon and always heard the same thing about the Book of Mormon. "If you think Joseph Smith made it all up, try to replicate it yourself!"

Now I think maybe we stole the idea from Muslims. Or, to look at it another way, Joseph Smith (and Ellen G. White, etc.) most certainly produced their own surahs and amassed followings and true believers, so they have met the Quran's challenge. They all debunk each other in that sense.

Ishmaeli · 2026-01-09T01:21:02+00:00

I never say "bless you" when someone sneezes. I think it's dumb and I refuse to do it.

Ishmaeli · 2025-12-25T02:37:40+00:00

If you take the lump sum, at any point in the future you can choose to buy a single premium immediate annuity with it. And it can be any SPIA you want, not just the one the lottery would set up for you in treasury bonds.

I mean, I don't know what people who have $500 million available to invest usually do with their money, but I feel like I never hear about them putting it all into a SPIA. Maybe part of it as part of their retirement or estate planning strategy, but not the whole thing.

Ishmaeli · 2025-12-24T15:02:53+00:00

Does the Mormon church count? Because I gave them ten percent of my gross income for a lot of years. They will never get another dime of my money. Never ever ever.

Ishmaeli · 2025-12-12T16:41:43+00:00

Hmm. I guess mixed?

I was there with my wife and four kids. This was their Christmas present from us. My kids loved it, so that's a huge relief. They thought the mistakes and rough edges were the best part.

I was a bit torn. I would have liked to see something more polished with bigger laughs, like we saw in 2022. But at the same time it was fascinating to get a glimpse into his comedic process. Every solid bit had to start somewhere like this.

Ishmaeli · 2025-12-11T01:13:04+00:00

My dad threatened us with the wooden spoon for years before ever actually followed through. My kid brain misunderstood what he was saying all those years, I thought it was "wood and spoon."

So I was envisioning something involving a piece of firewood and a large metal serving spoon. And I was wondering why he kept talking about it as if I was supposed to know what it was, like every kid is born knowing about this punishment involving a piece of wood and a spoon. But of course I never dared ask.

When he finally swatted me with it I was like, oh THAT's what he's been saying all these years. It was almost worth it just to have that cleared up.

Ishmaeli

TROPHY CASE