randomized babblings

Have finished reading a book I bought about three weeks ago, 1491 by Charles Mann. In it, a very different picture is painted of the cultures of North and South America before Columbus (and their subsequent demise) than we receive in US public education. The revised picture is one of widespread populations (hearing Carl Sagan saying "millions and millions") which actively shaped land and environment. All in all, an excellent (if slightly zzzzzzzz inducing) read which gives a new appreciation for the prior inhabitants of the two continents. I took it slow and methodical - there's a lot of information to digest, and while the author does make it as exciting as he can, the subject matter is "documentary in print"-like in nature.

There have been some speculations on other blogs that this work might (accidentally) represent some validations for the Book of Mormon. While it probably does, I'd say it raises at least as many questions about the possibility of pinning the events in the Book of Mormon to any one pre-AD1500 culture specifically. So in broad application, the material is very supportive, but to anyone wishing to "prove" the Book of Mormon account truthful by identifying a specific pre-Columbian civilization, I don't think there will be much luck.

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I love the days when every so often, I hit my second wind right at workout time. Makes me feel like I can do anything. I always wonder why it feels like that so rarely - most days I'm wishing for death very early on, despite doing my routine at the same time and in the same ways each time. Last night I not only did everything, but did it with considerably higher weight than usual. So much of exercise is mental. I just wish I could bottle up whatever I had going on last night. :)

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Have I mentioned that I hate computers lately? This is bad for somebody who works in the computer field...

Also hating plantar fasciitis. Not cool.

On the plus side, loving my beautiful wife.

Also happy that new windows will be coming to our home soon. Signed the contract for that this past week. No more freezy cold beds by the windows in winter. :)

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Doing more reading on the curses/marks topic. The more deeply I get immersed in it, the more I realize how flawed our "easy" interpretations of the scriptures lead us to be.