Think Over Here

I recently joined a Unitarian Universalist church... but I sometime go to Mormon (LDS) church... but sometimes I don't go to either... but I don't really believe in the Mormon church... but... Basically, I talk about why I left the Mormon church, why I started to attend Mormon church again, and why I joined the Unitarian Universalists church. How can I be both a practicing Mormon (Very nuanced), and a Unitarian Universalist? It goes to show, spirituality is not something that you can put in a box.

We talk about oranges! I share some orange-related folk music, talk about trying to eat a pomelo, some divorce trauma, but we don't talk about orange julius... I wish we would have talked about orange julius, they are really good!

I talk about sections. I meditate on philosophy of what it means to experience life, and how we can find wholeness or perfection. I talk a bit about LDS theology, math, food, folklore, and more.

I talk about dinner, expectations, Norman Rockwell, fried chicken. But I don't talk about the family dinner bell! I forgot! Oh well!

I talk about my thoughts on distance. We explore how distance is relative based on age and excitement level. We talk about how I can't even comprehend distances greater than 5 hours by car, and how we can/cannot bridge emotional bridges as I reflect on my divorce.

Today I give my word and memory associations to snails, which lead to a conversation about grandmas, gardens, ocean acidification, and snail sex.

We think over in the USA, where I talk about the classic tween sleepover game "Bloody Mary". Who was Bloody Mary, what is the ritual or game like, what is the science behind the strange things you see in dark mirrors? And because I was too scared to play the game as a kid, I talk about other spooky sleepover games that I played.

I love mushrooms. So I talk about mushrooms, including topics such as MAD, Fly agaric, toadstools, bears, and the king of mushrooms.

Come think over in Southeast Asia as we talk about the Kting Voar - a cryptid cow that has special twisted horns and supposedly eats snakes. As recently as the early 2000s zoologists have been debating whether or not a species of snake-eating cow exists in Cambodia and Vietnam. Learn all about the scientific controversy surrounding this legendary animal in this episode. Article references: Locking Horns - Hassanin, et al., Nature, 2002 Phnom Penh Journal; Cambodia's Mystery, the Horns That Never Were - Mydans, NY TImes, 2002. Pseudonovibos spiralis (Artiodactyla: Bovidae): new infomration on this enigmatic South-east Asian ox - Timm, et al., J. Zool., Lond, 2001 Horny Dilemma -Science, 2001. Debate on the authenticity of Pseudonovibos spiralis as a new species of wild bovid from Vietnam and Cambodia - Brandt, et al., J. Zool., Lond, 2001.

Today we think over in Asia, as we talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival, we talk about festival traditions, moon cakes, and the legend of Chang'e and Hou Yi. So be sure to spend some time with family and give your respects to the moon during the Harvest Moon!

We think over in Cambodia, where I share two folktales. We learn how a monkey's understanding of geology saves his life in "The Female Crocodile Who Wanted to Eat the Monkey's Heart", modified from https://aseanfolktales.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/the-female-crocodile-who-wanted-to-eat-the-monkeys-heart/ In the second story modified from the "The Shepherd's Soup" from Tell Me a Story Collection by Amy Friedman and Meredith Johnson, we see the heroic struggles of a shepherd to find his true love.

What do you get when 40 princes are forced to leave their kingdom? An adventure! Get ready for dragons, princesses, and a magic horse of course! Enjoy this Turkish story inspired by the story in Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales, by Ignac Kunos.

We are thinking over in Istanbul, Turkey. We talk about the history of the beautiful Hagia Sophia. Topics include the Justinian I and Theodora, the Nika Riots, the sweating column, iconoclasm, and the conversion of the building from a cathedral, to a mosque, to a museum, and as recently as July 2020 back to a mosque. This episode will brush you up on many great trivia nuggets about this cultural icon.

Come Think Over Here as we learn about the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul, Turkey. A beautiful and ancient landmark seeped in stories of love and loss. On our adventure we will learn about the battling Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, sneaky snakes, and how not to protect one's daughter.

Come Think Over Here as we listen to an Eastern European Fairy Tale from Latvia as we continue our theme of Latvian rings. On our adventure we will see a magical ring, grave robbers, and questionable oral hygiene practices.

We talk about the legend of the Latvian Namejs Ring and the shaping of identity.

Latvia - the most famous obscure country! But also home to many strange folk tales. Listen to these fascinating fairy tales now available in English! And in the process learn more about the culture history of beautiful Latvia. This episode contains three folk tales on dealing with Latvian Devils and makes us ask the questions, who are the real Devils?