MMM Library: The Six TV Shows That Make Me a Better Man

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by brettmerritt:

Of the 25 or so shows listed as "Season Series" on our family's DVR, a few are shows that only I like to watch. I got thinking as I looked at my list of shows. I started wondering which ones I could let go. I started asking, "Do the shows I like do anything to make me a better man? Do they teach me anything? Or are they just filler, a means to escape for a few hours a night?" If they were only filler, I deleted them.

Of the shows that were left, I could honestly say each one meant something to me personally. Some are shows I watch not only because they entertain but specifically because I like what a specific character shows about being a man in today's society. Here they are:

1. Friday Night Lights - Coach Taylor

I only started watching FNL this year. I had heard how great the show was from a number of friends and so when the entire series -- minus the final/current season -- became available on Netflix Instant, I started watching. I was instantly hooked for one reason: Coach Taylor. I could do an entire post on this guy. I watched this character and wanted to be just like him. I can say that I have never felt that way about a fictional TV character before in my life. Here are some qualities Coach Taylor has that every man should admire and emulate: totally faithful to his wife, leads his home, loves his job, works hard, makes time for his family, is a consistent father, has principles he will not back down from, keeps his word, picks his battles, admits his mistakes, preaches and practices honor and humility.

Quote: "Listen to me. I said you need to strive to better than everyone else. I didn't say you needed to be better than everyone else. But you gotta try. That's what character is. It's in the try."

2. Modern Family - Phil Dunphy

He often takes things too far (it's a comedy, after all) but Phil Dunphy is a well-meaning, lovable, earnest goof. He isn't afraid to risk and try something silly. We all shouldn't take ourselves so seriously. When we screw up, we should admit it, apologize and move on. He also loves the hell out of his wife and kids.

Quote: "I am brave. Roller coasters? Love 'em. Scary movies? I've seen Ghostbusters like seven times. I regularly drive through neighborhoods that have only recently been gentrified. So yeah I am pretty much not afraid of anything. Except clowns … I am not really sure where the fear comes from, my mother says it's cause when I was a kid I found a dead clown in the woods. But who knows?"

MMM Library: Judgement, Jesus and Justifications

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by brettmerritt:

We love to judge, don't we?

Man, I do. I enjoy looking at the thirty-something guy in his black clothes and piercings then saying something under my breath like, "How's mom's basement?" For some reason our brains need to instantly compartmentalize everything we see, feel, smell, hear and taste: good v bad, beautiful v ugly, smart v stupid, moral v immoral, funny v Whitney, independent v mom's basement. And we do this for EVERYTHING.

This complicates things for me. Just when I think I have it all figured out, I realize that, wait a second, people are doing this to me! I'm pudgy-married-creepy-aging-writer dad!

What I hate more than anything is being lumped into a group. I hate it when people think because I voted for Obama that I can't be righteous or that because I believe in God I can't also be logical. I hate it when people think that because I'm Mormon I want "the Gays" to burn or that because I'm American I'm a fat, angry, violent imbecil. I hate when people think that because I am a writer/actor that I don't have a job and cry a lot. (I do cry a lot.)

So if I hate it, why do I do it to others? I don't know. And, why, if Christ gave me some great advice on the subject, do I do it anyway?

#MormonHalloweenMovies: The Twitter Hashtag that Blew Up

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by brettmerritt (bio)

It started at close to 1 a.m. on October 23. A friend of mine on Twitter posted the following:

Now, I love a good hashtag. So, after reading a few more of his, I jumped in with:

Drew and I went back and forth for a bit and, instead of sleeping, I was scouring IMDB lists for more inspiration. Then I finally went to bed. I woke up, went to work. By 11 am, the hashtag had exploded. Later, two local Utah papers and a blog dedicated to Twitter trends had picked up the story:

The Deseret News — "#MormonHalloweenMovies: Twitter users create names of new spooky movies with LDS themes"

The Daily Herald — "From the Web: Top 25 #MormonHalloweenMovies tweets"

Daily Rehash — "Peculiar Hashtags: #MormonHalloweenMovies"

Here's a nifty real-time chart to show some of the data, if you're into that.

What's cool is the variety. For as many tweets as there are, there is just a little redundancy. Some took the route of changing up words in already existing titles, whether they became scary or not, some tried to keep the horror theme intact, some flipped it and used variations on hymns to make them scary. But whatever the approach, 99% if them are really clever and/or funny. There were some great Utah culture ones too, but I tried to keep most of the highlights below constrained to universal Mormon culture.

So, to celebrate Halloween in a manner befitting this blog, here are a bunch of the most retweeted, favorited, shared, and a few of my own #MormonHalloweenMovies up through about Noon yesterday. Get on Twitter and search the hashtag to see more.

@drewchamps — started the hashtag
24 Months Later
Heckraiser
The Tithing
Dr. Jekyll and Orson Hyde
Rosemary's Baby Blessing

@someguybrett
Let the Righteous Ones In
The Blair Witch Re-Activation Project
An American Missionary in London
Monson and Eyring vs Evil

@TheCulturalHall
The Hill Cumorah Has Eyes
Paranormal Combined Activity
The (CTR) Ring
The Priesthood Blessing of Emily Rose

@RFHGina
Drag Me to the Terrestrial Kingdom
Frankenjensen
Last Ward House on the Left

@ericartell
PPI with the Vampire
Brother of Jacob's Ladder
Paranormal Inactivity

@jennakimjones
Phantom of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Brigham Young: Vampire Hunter
Dial M for Mormon
Elder Scissorhands

@ScottHeffernan
I Know With Every Fiber of My Being What You Did Last Summer
Helaman's Army of Darkness
Donnie Osmond Darko
The Brides of Frankenstein

@jshowgren
It's the Great and Spacious Building, Charlie Brown
Attack of the Cannery Tomatoes
The Watcher in the Wards
The Bishop's Gorehouse

An Interview with Pretty Darn Funny's Lisa Valentine Clark

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by brettmerritt (bio)

Author's disclosure: I have been friends with Lisa for more than 10 years. Our kids are friends. Her husband Chris (also a former MMM contributor) is my friend. We started The Thrillionaires improv group and continue to work on projects together. However, I am not involved with Pretty Darn Funny and approached this interview as professionally as I could. Enjoy!

Pretty Darn Funny (aka PDF), for the uninitiated, is a comedy web series about a married, stay-at-home-mom who starts an improv/comedy troupe to bring better entertainment to the people of her community. The series follows Gracie, played by Lisa Valentine Clark, and her troupe of vastly different characters through the often hilarious challenges of life. The show also features parody videos of pop culture such as mobile apps, Downton Abbey, Footloose, and The Hunger Games. Season one of the award winning series began in April 2012. Season two started airing in August of 2013 and can be viewed here, or on YouTube here.

Recently, I interviewed Lisa about her experiences with the series.

brettmerritt: When you were doing season one of Pretty Darn Funny, did you think there would be a season two?

Lisa Valentine Clark: I really did. When we were writing for it and planning for it we were always moving forward with, "You know in the second season we could do this and in the third season we could do this," so the whole time the producers, Jeff Parkin and Jared Cardon, and I were always talking about how it would be great if this could be something that goes on.

BM: How do you feel like season two is different from season one?

LVC: For season one, they asked me to play the role of Gracie and I was really excited. As I was preparing for it, I realized I had a lot in common with the character. So, they had me come to the writer meetings and contribute. And that was great because I had been wanting to write more sketch comedy. And, at that time, the writing of the series was set up as a class at BYU and the writing was done by a group of student writers and Jeff and Jared would edit. So when they brought me on and I started talking about my experiences with these young kids who weren't mothers, who weren't older than 22 or 23, I gave an entirely different perspective. It was fun. They were really funny and talented too and we had fun working together. So that's how the first season went.

In the second season, we hired writers. I was brought on as an executive producer with Jeff and Jared. That was really exciting for me. That changed my role because before I just had to worry about acting. Producing is an entirely different ball game. I was thrilled, because I love this project so much, to be more involved with the creating and managing of it. Then, we brought on a writing team this time because we had a different budget. So the writing team was made up of Jeff, Jared, and I as well as Adrian Cardon—Jared's wife—and Kacy Faulconer who used to teach writing at BYU, and Tom Quinn. We all are at different stages of parenting, we all have different perspectives, we all have a background in comedic writing, so it worked well. So, the producing and writing approach was different.

BM: What about the structure of the show? In season one, there's an arc of you coming together as a group. Do we continue the story in season two?

LVC: In the second season, the episodes are more stand-alone thematically and everyone is in a different phase of their life and we explore that. You know, how do women support each other coming from different perspectives? How can we still be there and cheer each other on? The big theme is that we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously and to try to find humor in things.

Pretty Darn Funny: Season 2

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Heard of Pretty Darn Funny? PDF is an award-winning comedy web series starring Lisa Clark as a woman, a mother and ... a comedian. The bite-sized webisodes are perfect for busy lifestyles.

Season 1 Followed Gracie Moore, a mom who gets more than she bargains for when she forms an all-female comedy troupe in efforts to clean up the local comedy scene. MMM emeritus contributor May Jones interviewed Lisa back in April 2012 about what was then a new series.

Season 2 launched in August 2013 and continues the craziness of Gracie's life. From battling crossfit and the pressures of Pinterest envy, to competing with the PTA president for superior fundraising cred, Gracie and the troop show that no matter what life throws at you it's always worth the laughs.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a new interview with Lisa by MMM contributor brettmerritt. In the meantime, here is the recent season finale of PDF Season 2.

Are Some Extinct Words Worth Bringing Back?

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by brettmerritt (bio)

Image from Ragan.com

I recently read an article (here) that makes a case for bringing back some words that may have perished too soon. According to the writer Carmel Lobello, some are thousands of years old, from before English officially existed. Here is a selection of my favorites from the article:

Snoutfair: A person with a handsome countenance—"The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten" by Jeffrey Kacirk

Wonder-wench: A sweetheart—"The Word Museum" (Kacirk)

Lunting: Walking while smoking a pipe—John Mactaggart's "Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia," 1824

Groak: To silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them— www.ObsoleteWord.Blogspot.com

Jirble: To pour out (a liquid) with an unsteady hand: as, he jirbles out a dram—www.wordnik.com

Curglaff: The shock felt in bathing when one first plunges into the cold water—John Jamieson's Etymological Scottish Dictionary, 1808

11 Reasons to Stop Texting While Driving Now

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by brettmerritt (bio)

More than eleven teenagers die everyday as a result of someone driving while texting. Obviously that number goes up when you include adults.

Allow me to ask two questions:

What is the acceptable number of yearly deaths caused by distracted driving in our country?

Now, what is the acceptable number of yearly deaths caused by distracted driving in your family?

Both numbers should be zero.

My friend and former co-worker, Haley Ann Warner, and her family experienced great loss this March. Her parents, Dave & Leslee Henson, went on a morning walk in St George, Utah and were hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk. Her dad was killed. Her mom, shielded somewhat because of the actions of her dad, survived with a broken neck, broken back, separated shoulder, and several other injuries that included more than 5000 stitches and staples.

The driver at fault was texting and speeding.

Haley's hope is that we can save lives by educating people on the dangers of distracted driving, most specifically, texting and talking on cell phones while driving. I support this effort wholeheartedly.

Here are some sobering facts. Texting while driving causes:

● 1,600,000 accidents per year – National Safety Council
● 11 teen deaths each day – Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality Facts
● Nearly 25% of all car accidents

Texting while driving is:

● Six times more likely to cause an accident than driving intoxicated
● The number one driving distraction reported by teen drivers

Texting while driving:

● Makes you 23x more likely to crash – National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
● Is the same as driving blind for five seconds at a time. (five seconds of driving at 55 mph covers the length of a football field.) – VA Tech Transportation Institute
● Slows your brake reaction speed by 18% – HumanFactors & Ergonomics Society

And, if you need more convincing, AT&T put together a little documentary for you called The Last Text which you can watch here.

A Brief Twitter History Of The Author - 2011

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by brettmerritt (bio)

I contend it's a selfish exercise posting blips and blurbs from Twitter and passing it off as a blog post. Seattle Jon contends that Twitter "by its nature is self-indulgent," which is probably true.

Either way, my tweets are sometimes funny, sad, mean, or nostalgic. They are often inappropriate. The main reason for publishing this trip to tweets of years past is that I hope someone can get a little enjoyment from it.

Here for your reading "pleasure," are my "best" tweets from 2011. You can also read my best tweets from 2009 and 2010.

February

• Today's Moment of Awesomeness: Hearing my daughter (1st Grade) read to me in French about zoo animals.
• Was your momma an anesthesiologist? Because, when I look at you, I feel like falling asleep in your arms. #worstpickuplines
• "Whisper to a Scream" #fartsofthe80s
• In the Air Tonight #fartsofthe80s
• Always Something There to Remind Me #fartsofthe80s
• Tainted Love #fartsofthe80s
• James Franco is starring on B'way in a musical version of 127 Hours. It's called ... Amputwheee!
• I want to go back to the day when trolls only lived under bridges and surfaced occasionally to eat people.
• I tried to walk a mile in your shoes but your feet were too small and I got blisters.
• "Enter the last sanctum," is what I heard in my dream before I promptly started to pee the bed. Caught myself in the nick of time.
• Tip: When watching pre-1990 movies, remember that most of the older actors in them are probably dead.
• Movie pitch: George VI gets sent to investigate a murder at hospital for the criminally insane. "Stutter Island"

March

• Play It As It Lays Up #Englishmajorbasketballteam
• The Lords of the Ring #Englishmajorbasketballteam
• A Clock Shot Orange #Englishmajorbasketballteam
• All the King James' Men #Englishmajorbasketballteam
• Last line of my dream: "There must be a reason God doesn't want Alec Baldwin in the Senate."

This Mormon Moment Isn't For Us

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by brettmerritt (bio)

via Salt Lake Tribune

Regardless of how you'll vote in this election, wasn't it sort of cool to see Mitt Romney on stage for the first 2012 Presidential Debate? There he was. Mitt Romney the Mormon candidate for POTUS.

Is it really our Mormon Moment? The term is so catchy. So encompassing. I love, love C. Jane Kendrick's opinion on the Mormon Moment. She, rightly, expresses a wariness of the term and the more I read about this exciting if not controversial Moment, the more I think we're missing a potentially golden opportunity.

I think the press that the Church has gotten is helpful. The interviews that many of our Brothers and Sisters have done in the public eye have been, for the most part, wonderful to read and watch. But ...

The Mormon Moment isn't about us. It's for them.

This isn't our time to finally talk about ourselves, dutifully police website comments, and share inspirational videos, although that's fine if you have the time to do that. Rather, I think it’s a chance for each of us to really be authentic, let the world observe, and enjoy their moment with us.

We need to be ourselves. Let that do the talking, even if that means letting people see our flaws, ecclesiastical and personal.

10 Best Movies About Dads

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by brettmerritt (bio)

I love movies. There is almost nothing like the way a film can convey hundreds of messages to nearly all of our senses at the same time. Movies have always had an effect on me but as I've aged and gathered more experiences, I find myself being especially touched by movies where fathers must overcome some type of obstacle to end up doing what's best for their wife and kids.

Here, in order of their manly-cry factor, are the best films that address fatherhood in all its many forms:

Finding Nemo - What would you do to protect or save your kids? Everything.
Memorable Quote: "I have to get out of here! I have to find my son! I have to tell him how old sea turtles are!"

About a Boy - While Hugh Grant isn't technically the boy's dad, the movie shows how, in order to be a dad or father figure, we have to get over ourselves first.
Memorable Quote: "Once you open your door to one person anyone can come in."

To Kill a Mockingbird - It's almost unfair how good a dad Atticus Finch is. Still, it's a nice benchmark to strive toward.
Memorable Quote: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

My Life - I often think about what my video history will show my grown-up kids about the kind of dad I was. Will it be a record they'll watch with fondness?
Memorable Quote: "It's not enough to marry goodness, you have to find it in yourself."

The First Date to the 101st Date

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by brettmerritt (bio)

I just read an article on Primer called, "4 Simple First Dates that Don't Involve Dinner" and it got me thinking a lot about dates and dating and my dating past.

My first date with Amelia was a dinner and a movie.

I am willing to bet that a high number of people reading this did the exact same thing on their first date. Now, there is nothing wrong with this. I love dinner. I love movies. So does my wife.

But it got me thinking that of the 160-175 dates we've been on in our courtship and marriage, 140 of them are probably dinner and a movie. That's not great. I mean, it's fiiiiiine but there's no magic. Ideally, we would take more chances and do a variety of activities. The point is that it's up to us to make our dates fun and ensure it's a time where we are actually reconnecting with and enjoying the company of our spouse (or significant other). The more adventurous we can make our dating, the more alive our relationship will feel. I hope, anyway. This is new territory for me.

The trouble with this plan is the planning. In fact, one of the times we decided to forgo dinner/movie, we went to a concert. We stood in line in the rain, bundled up, waiting for the delay to be over and enter the venue. After nearly two hours of this, we gave up and walked back to our car a mile away and as we got in, we heard the music start. Yay.

So, here are some simple alternatives to the dinner and movie first date or 101st date (some borrowed from the aforementioned Primer article):

• Walk through the mall reminiscing about how much it has changed and how you have changed, eating ice cream or sipping a Julius while window shopping for running shoes or khakis. You'll find plenty to laugh about too.

Judgement, Jesus and Justifications

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by brettmerritt (bio)

Image via guardian.co.uk

We love to judge, don't we?

Man, I do. I enjoy looking at the thirty-something guy in his black clothes and piercings then saying something under my breath like, "How's mom's basement?" For some reason our brains need to instantly compartmentalize everything we see, feel, smell, hear and taste: good v bad, beautiful v ugly, smart v stupid, moral v immoral, funny v Whitney, independent v mom's basement. And we do this for EVERYTHING.

This complicates things for me. Just when I think I have it all figured out, I realize that, wait a second, people are doing this to me! I'm pudgy-married-creepy-aging-writer dad!

What I hate more than anything is being lumped into a group. I hate it when people think because I voted for Obama that I can't be righteous or that because I believe in God I can't also be logical. I hate it when people think that because I'm Mormon I want "the Gays" to burn or that because I'm American I'm a fat, angry, violent imbecil. I hate when people think that because I am a writer/actor that I don't have a job and cry a lot. (I do cry a lot.)

So if I hate it, why do I do it to others? I don't know. And, why, if Christ gave me some great advice on the subject, do I do it anyway?

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

And,

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

Why, especially if God will judge us for the way we judge others, do we insist on adjudicating each person we meet and throwing stones around willy-nilly?

A Brief Twitter History Of The Author - 2010

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by brettmerritt (bio)

Radio host or leader of the zombie apocalypse?

I know it may seem like a selfish exercise posting my blips and blurbs from nearly two years ago and passing it off as a blog post. I get that, but that's precisely why I think it's interesting. These tweets from years gone by can give me (us) a look into what was on the radar. Larry King's divorce and retirement. The finale of "Lost." What you don't see are my comments on our trip to Disneyland and re-tweets of Alyssa Milano. (I go through celebrity follow phases.) My main reason for this trip to Twitter's past is I hope you can get some enjoyment from it. So, here for your reading pleasure, are my best tweets from 2010. You can read my best tweets from 2009 here.



February

• There are a million things that will make me laugh but only a handful of things that make me really enjoy laughing.

March

• SPOILER! The twist at the end of "Shutter Island" is that they were actually using curtains the whole time.
• I guess I'd rather have a sore back than back sores. #amirite

A Brief Twitter History Of The Author - 2009

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by brettmerritt (bio)

I started tweeting in 2007. Back then most of us didn't have a clue what it was, what to do, or that it would grow into what it is today. Still, many of you aren't on Twitter. I find that amazing. It's your choice I suppose.

You should know, however, that it can be really useful like to keep up on breaking news. For me it's sports, religion, comedy, politics and trends in my industry. Still, there's the fun side of it too. Here, for your reading pleasure, are my best tweets from 2009.

•  20% of Americans think that the sun orbits around the Earth. While 75% think the Earth revolves around them.

• You know it's your first subpoena when you tell the guy, "Oh, you can't find the address? I'll come to you."

• Pretty sure most Geneva Rock truck drivers are former murderers.

• Foop is an acceptable alternative to the word shart. I may have just taught this to my daughter. Also, I am a horrible person.

• Recent words I absolutely hate and hear all the time now for some reason: Noshing and Kanye.

• Texting with the iPhone while driving is so difficult it should be illegal.

• My 5 yo daughter just told me that what I said was inappropriate. Shen then proceeded to pick her nose and eat it.

• Old Tippecanoe 2: The Presidency #videogamesiregretbuying

• To the grammar police, thanks for making the Internet more safers.

• I'm not taking a Mormon's stance on health care (Hatch) so I'm leaning toward a Mormon's stance on health care (Reid). 

• I think it would be really awkward if someone said, "I'm a hands-on kind of uncle."

• Anyone know where I can find a real barber in #Provo ? You know, the kind that does leeches and blood letting ...

• Me: "That Michael Jackson movie is playing." Wife: "I don't want to see Michael Jackson's face on my birthday."

2010's installment will be coming soon. Until then, feel free to follow me on Twitter. My handle is @thebrettmerritt.

MMM Mail 2: Chivalrous Or Chauvinistic - Who Pays?

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Q: As a single lady in the dating game, I feel really awkward having my date pay for me. Not necessarily for one date, that's nice and normal and polite to do when you ask someone out. However, once I'm in a relationship it gets iffy. You have to work out who's going to keep paying for dates and/or hangouts and I don't feel comfortable with the idea of my guy always footing the bill. The transition from traditional first date (where the guy pays) to the relationship arena (where we go dutch or equally split) is awkward, but in a good relationship you can work through that with communication. So imagine a scenario where a guy asks me out and I say, "Sure! I'd really like that. This may sound strange, but how would you feel about going dutch?" Is this too much for a first date? To me, if we both pay our own way, we'd be more relaxed and our expectations would be more realistic. But I realize that in the past I've unwittingly stomped all over a guy's need to feel manly when I've ignored "social constructs" that to me don't make sense, so I'd like to be more sensitive in respecting my dates' ideas of their roles as men. Is my interest in paying my own way too much? Should I let it wait until the second or third, or even the seventh date?

A: Call it old-fashioned, but most men feel they should pay on the first date. A few of our contributors give their two cents below and we hope many more of our readers will open their opinion wallets as well.

brettmerritt
I think you hit it on the head with "in a good relationship you can work through that with communication." Because, really, the goal of dating isn't to see who pays or if his manliness or your feminism will stay intact, but to begin the discovery process of what could be a solid relationship. My suggestion would be to just enjoy the dates and if you go on more than two or three and you're really getting along, then bring up the possibility of you paying for the next one or something. If he's cool and you really are compatible, he'll be open to it. Asking to pay on the first date (of before it) can be weird for the guy even if he is totally on board with your feminist tendencies.

Apparent Parent
As a man, I want to be able to pay for the first date. It's not so much a manly thing or a hunter-gatherer thing, like "I'll take care of you and provide for you, because I'm a man." My cro-magnon self has evolved beyond that. It's more like, "I invited you out here and I don't want you to incur unnecessary expenses on my behalf. After all, it's my fault you're stuck with me for an evening." Maybe after a successful first date a woman who would like to pay her own way could say something like, "Next time I'll pay." That shows an interest, expresses a desire to get back together and shows a willingness to chip in on the dating experience. But on a first date, if the guy asks you out, let the poor dude pay. It'll make him feel like you haven't fully accepted his offer for a date otherwise. It's almost like saying, "I'll go, but as a friend. You can't pay for me or it'll be too much of an (eeewww) date."

Seattle Jon
Here is my definition of the kind of guy you should look for. He will plan on paying, but won't be too overbearing. He will realize that some women find it disempowering, old fashioned or chauvinistic when men insist on paying for everything. On the other hand, he will recognize that some women find it chivalrous. Most importantly, he will get a feel for what you prefer and then do what makes you most comfortable.

Is Your Thanksgiving Menu Traditional, Cultural or Geographical?

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by brettmerritt (bio)

As I was gorging myself on Thanksgiving Day leftovers, I got thinking about how awesome the day was. Of course, I spent much of the last week thinking about how blessed my life is but in that particular moment I was happy about the food.

Amelia baked so many new dishes this year: butter & herb turkey, carrots and parsnips, parmesan cauliflower, maple and brown sugar yams, glazed pearl onions, cornbread sausage stuffing, and more. It's compounded in awesomeness because she has only cooked Thanksgiving dinner three times in her life. These dishes were different and amazing.

However, growing up in Utah and Colorado, the menu was always the same from year to year. We either ate at home for Thanksgiving or at my Grandma's house. We'd have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, olives, marshmallow yams, jello salad, baked carrots, celery sticks and peanut butter, and rolls. I always loved knowing what I was going to eat for dinner that day. It was always delicious too.

On my mission to Alabama, the two Thanksgivings (and six meals I ate) had a great mixture of traditional and local dishes. One meal we were served BBQ chicken, collard greens, sweet potato pie, and chitlins. (I loved everything but the chitlins which are boiled pig intestines. I still ate them.)

As I've gotten older, I've appreciated a little more variety and surprise in the menu. It's probably why I loved what my wife did this year so much and why we're already excited for next year (or Christmas).

This has all got me thinking. Not everyone has the same menu across the board for Thanksgiving Dinner. So, I'm looking for your input. Is the most anticipated meal of the year determined by geographical or cultural factors or both? Are we following traditions or blazing our own trail? Are there foods that people eat in California that they don't eat in Maine? What about farmers versus inner city residents? Do Mormons eat different dishes than the Baptists, Jews, Atheists or Catholics? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

Image via Flickr.

What Happens When You Search for "Mormons" on Twitter?

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by brettmerritt (bio)

With all the hub-bub surrounding fellow MMM Mitt Romney and his 2012 bid for the oval office, I thought I'd take a peek at the world's foremost source of political ideologies and snarky one-liners: Twitter to see what the buzz is.

Here's what I found when I took a random sampling of Mormon-related tweets from the past seven days.

Not to bash anyone, but I think this guy has "creepy" in front of the wrong proselyters.

If Romney did dump the Mormons, I think it would be under a Suburban, AMIRITE?!

Does Your Kid Light Up The Room?

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by Topher Clark (bio)
by brettmerritt (bio)
by Seattle Jon (bio)

Below are thoughts from three modern mormon men on acting and how it relates to kids.

Topher Clark
As a theatre professor, I can't tell you how many times I have parents and grandparents tell me that their child/grandchild is "so full of energy" or that he/she "really lights up the room" or that this child "is quite a character!" and this somehow equals the idea that this child is, or will be, a good actor. more after the jump

brettmerritt
I got started "late" in acting. I was 27 when I did my first play. I had no idea I would love it and that I would still be doing it at 40. I was very shy as a child and someone who thought getting up to say or do anything in front of anyone that wasn't a blood relative was akin to being drawn and quartered. more after the jump

Seattle Jon
My oldest daughter was one of those kids who refused to speak in the primary program or be recognized at her school graduations. She was terrified of other people looking at "just her." When piano lessons stopped working at age seven, we found a wonderful choir for her to participate in (if you live in the Seattle area, check them out here). She must have reasoned that choir allowed her to blend in and people came to hear the music, not to watch her sing. Soon after, she got involved with musical theater at the homeschool resource center she attends and our daughter fell in love with theater. more after the jump

Another MMM Musical

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Hopefully some of you hit Topher's hit show The Hit. If you struck out (okay, no more puns), here's another chance to see an MMM contributor in action. Our own Brett Merritt gives us "fanciful musical escapism" in The Drowsy Chaperone, playing at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. Click here to buy tickets.

Mormon Doppelgängers 5: Brett Merritt & Kevin Costner

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by Scott Heffernan (bio)

See all Doppelgängers here.

This time around I decided to feature our own brettmerritt. He bares an uncanny resemblance to Ray Kinsella himself—Mr. Kevin Costner.

I should point out that I’ve never actually met Brett Merritt. We’ve only conversed a limited number of times through email. Nor did I warn him or get his permission to do this post. Please pray that he will not be offended. My hope is that he will be flattered and delighted and jump for joy. I also hope that Brett is not angry in regards to the picture I chose. I looked for one in a steamy swimming pool, but the only one I could find like that was too small.

I’ve never met Kevin Costner either. The times I’ve tried to converse with him through email, he has been unresponsive. Both of them seem like good guys though.

Both men are actors. Of the two, I’ve only seen Mr. Costner act, but I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that Brett is the better actor. For proof click here. To my knowledge Brett has never won a Razzie Award (or 6). Brett is also a talented and accomplished writer (even outside of this blog!). In May 1998 Brett Merritt was voted most erotic male by the readers of German magazine Amica. Wait. That was Kevin Costner.

Brett gets an honorable mention doppelgänger in the form of Tim Robbins. Although not identical, there does seem to be a resemblance. Maybe they are cousins. Suddenly I’m in the mood to go watch Bull Durham. Who’s with me?

Kevin Costner’s favorite baseball team is the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tim Robbins’ is the New York Mets.
What's yours, Brett Merritt? What is yours?