I was nominated in 3 categories and I won 2! There are many people creating high-quality, great content about Mormons, Mormon history, Mormon culture, Mormon politics, Mormon humor etc that the competition was stiff this year. I’m honored that a few of my posts were included in the list and that I won.

A big heartfelt thank you to all who nominated and voted for me. Thank you for the support and encouragement.

-seth

As I’ve said time and time again, you have to be tough to live in the desert and I consider myself among the lucky who gets to call Arizona home. The subtle beauty, the colors, shapes, heights, the solemn stillness, the smell of creosote after the rain, all these things overwhelm and delight the senses; the beauty and the extremes of the desert pull attention away from ourselves and into the world around. No toxic, inconsistent Republican politics can keep me from loving my state. Arizona deserves much better than it is given credit for.

I quite like this video and I saw Rex Allen Jr. sing it live in Sunday.

(For some reason it won’t let me embed the damn video. Here’s the link.)

For a fun read about how Arizona almost didn’t become a state, check out this story posted in the Arizona Republic, but avoid the comments at the bottom. Most are hateful ramblings posted by cowards who hide behind idiotic screen names.

This photo received an Honorable Mention from the Arizona Centennial Conference. It is entitled Old Route 66 and comes from Kathy Neenan. I think it’s beautiful.

I also like the images (from my friend Steve) and the music from this video

(Still can’t embed. I’ll figure it out later. Here’s the link.)

Raise a glass and celebrate the people, the history, this ancient land, and the beauty that is Arizona.

Then I spent the next few hours walking around the Capitol and Washington Street taking pictures. The celebration continues on Tuesday from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. The event is free. More info is here if you want to come check it out.

New Crosswalks along Washington Street

This is the Evans House on Washington across from the Carnegie Library. I wrote about it in my book.

Carnegie Library

Crystalyne Gayle Curley, Miss Navajo Nation

Navajo Male Hogan

Navajo Femal Hogan

This was the history exhibit. Loved it!

The story of Olive Oatman was all the wall. I just read a book about her called "The Oatman Massacre." Worth a read.

We need your help to defeat a bad bill that would set up a huge roadblock to progress on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Arizona. The bill has its first committee hearing in Phoenix next week. Click here to help us tell legislators to stop this solar setback in its tracks!

Just introduced by Representative Debbie Lesko, HB 2789  would require the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) — the publicly elected body that has sole authority to regulate power rates under the State Constitution —  to get approval from a majority in the Legislature before it can approve or amend programs or policies that would advance renewable energy or energy efficiency. This would add a layer of government regulation with no benefit for Arizonans, who not only directly elect ACC Commissioners but also already have the opportunity to provide comment throughout the ACC decisionmaking process.

In fact, this bill is a thinly veiled attempt to squash progress on clean energy and energy efficiency. Representative Lesko has a history of opposing renewables: see, for example, her failed attempt to pass a bill that would have allowed nuclear energy to count as renewable. In recent years, the ACC has enacted strong new policies like the Renewable Energy Standard that have made Arizona the clean energy powerhouse it is today. But if Lesko’s bill becomes the law of the land, the ACC’s hands will be needlessly tied by a new requirement to first get majority support in both houses of the legislature. That sets up a huge roadblock to the kinds of changes that will be needed to make a clean energy future real in Arizona, and will surely lead to time-consuming and costly lawsuits over who has proper authority.

Poll after poll shows that the vast majority of Arizonans want to build the state’s economy by investing more in solar and other renewables. Passage of HB 2789 would severely hamper the ability of future ACC Commissioners, including those elected in November 2012, to enact public policy that matches the interests of Arizona ratepayers.

Let’s defeat this bill quickly and allow the ACC to do their job — to enact the will of the people!  Send an email to the members of the House Energy and Natural Resources committee asking them to vote it down in its very first committee hearing on Monday.

With Margaret Toscano, Jared Anderson, Joanna Brooks and John Dehlin!

Friday Evening, February 17th, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: The Babbits’ home
960 E Norwood St. Lehi, AZ 85203
Cost of food: $7

Catered dinner and “Bad Mormon Desserts” party with Joanna Brooks. Bring your favorite Mormon dessert and listen to our lovely Joanna read excerpts from her newly released The Book of Mormon Girl. Once the green jello with shredded carrots is gone, the floor will be opened for an informal Q&A with Joanna and John.

Saturday, February 18th, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Valley Unitarian Universalist
6400 W Del Rio St. Chandler, AZ 85226
Standard conference price: $37 (Registrants may pay less or more, dependent on ability to pay. See registration section below for details.)

A traditional Mormon Stories conference featuring keynote speakers, TED-like talks, a panel discussion, and a traditional Mormon Stories testimony or “Story Sharing” meeting. Plan to hear from Margaret Toscano, Jared Anderson, Joanna Brooks, John Dehlin, Matt Long, J. Seth Anderson, James Rogers and a few other Phoenix locals. Music by Lincoln Wright.

9:30 – 10:45 a.m. Opening Session
Conducting: Holly Williams Allred
Quote and Moment of Silence: Shari Gunther Trexler
Musical Number: Lincoln Wright
Speaker: Jared Anderson
Keynote Speaker: Margaret Toscano

10:45-11:15 p.m. Break/Mingle – Food will be available.

11:15-1:00 p.m. Mid-afternoon Session
Conducting: Emily Adair
TED-like talk: James Rogers
TED-like talk: J. Seth Andersen – Time Machines, Cemeteries, and the Desert
TED-like talk: John Dehlin
TED-like talk: Anne Peffer
TED-like talk: Matt Long

1:00-1:30 p.m. Break/Mingle – Food will be available.

1:30-2:45 p.m. “Story Sharing” Meeting
Conducting: Kendahl Millecam
Musical Number: Lincoln Wright
Story Sharing
Musical Number: Jen Flake and Mark Steed accompanied by Ben Allred on the guitar
Closing Prayer: Karen Merrell

Saturday Evening, February 18, 2012
6:00 p.m. – Meet at a restaurant for dinner and a panel discussion to be led by John Dehlin. JulieAnn Shaw, Guenevere Nelson-Melby, Zach Cooley, and Renee Clancy will discuss Finding happiness in and out of the church. Location details coming soon……

Sunday, February 19, 2012
11:00 a.m. – Meet at Gilbert Riparian Preserve
2757 East Guadalupe Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

___________________________________________________

Registration:

The standard registration price of $37 will cover the cost of Saturday’s conference. The price of Friday night’s dinner is not included. If your budget prevents you from paying $37, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. We want to have you there. Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook. Please come.

The cost of Friday night’s catered meal is $7. If you plan to attend the “Bad Mormon Desserts” party, please select ‘Friday’s Food’ in the drop down menu below.

From the website:

“A Little Child Shall Lead Them” is an examination of grief and a meditation on shared memory, which helped me to assemble a tangible idea of someone I never knew – my brother. I brought him back to life for the week that I filmed this documentary, with the help of the few people who knew him best: my mother, father and grandfather.

I’m truly honored to be nominated. Some of the other people who were nominated are insanely talented and smart and I feel humbled to be included next to them.

Voting ends on February 16. If you think my posts deserve to win, please click here to vote for me in the following categories:

2011 Most Poignant Personal Story.

2011 Best LDS Church Watch

2011 Best History Piece

Bryan Safi needs his own show. Which is exactly what I tweeted him a few weeks ago and he tweeted me back (swoon) and said he agreed!

I return time and again to watch these three minute clips because this is the kind of biting humor that cuts through anti-gay stereotypes. It’s sharp, comedy-gold commentary about gay representation in the media

Here are some of my favorite clips. Enjoy!

From their website:

HORIZON is Eight’s award-winning public affairs program airing Monday – Friday at 7 p.m. HORIZON reports examine a wide range of subjects including politics, consumer affairs, the environment, business, health concerns and social and legal issues. Ted Simons serves as host.

They made a little boo boo when Ted introduced us all. He introduced me and the camera cut to Jim. He introduced Suad and the camera cut to me, then he introduced Jim and the camera cut to Suad. I don’t know why that was so funny to me but I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard when I saw it.

We were the second guests so our segment begins about the 12:40 mark.

The link is here