So I'm reading this article from a journalist, David Hajdu, who had interviewed and become friends with Don Shirley the pianist portrayed in the Oscar winning "Green Book."

Apparently Dr. Shirley was "erudite and salty in roughly equal measures," according to Mr. Hajdu, who upon mentioning to Shirley that he had served as president of the Duke Ellington society, a hybrid study group and fan club, Shirley found the idea of the organization offensive and said, "It's idol worship. It's uncivilized. You need to resign immediately."

That tickled me. I like to be entertained by artists, musicians, and entertainers of all types, but it ends there. I don't care what they do to stay thin, who they sleep with, what their charity is, or the worst, why some laud themselves as role models---usually just before entering rehab. All I want is your song or your magnificent prose.

Made me think about the press from the DN on the visit to the Pope and the books Sherri Dew and the others write idolizing their prophets, and then about the Mormons in awe of every detail of Apostolic lives. Amusing stories to make them seem not only human but having been extra special all along. Suddenly the fact that they pushed a grandchild in a swing or were nice to a widow is awe inspiring. All I can do is repeat Don, "It's idol worship. It is uncivilized. You need to stop it immediately."

He will never match the David Cassidy fan club in its hay day, but, the thought of Russ covered in gold leaf by adoring Mormons is quite an appealing visual. Mormons have their golden calf. Might as well be up front about it.

Praise to the Man who communed with . . . the Pope!

So... I gotta stop worshipping you?

I can't do it!!!!!! Don't ask me to try!

It's okay to worship me. Really. I'm one of the golden buzzards. We grant wishes. Really good ones, too. Honest. I swear.

Next good thing that happens to you? I did it.

a super weird world of celebrity worshiping, you should spend some time looking into Kpop and Jpop.

I recommend doing so only as an anthropological study.

They actually use the word "idol" to refer to all of the mass-produced teen heartthrobs. The biggest entertainment/talent management companies in Korea and Japan are mainly in the business of creating and producing new "idol groups" and they all use basically the same templates. 4 to 12-member girl groups and guy groups. The girl groups tend to all be dressed in mini-skirts or hot pants. The boy groups tend to all be dressed in matching suits or as "bad boys" who take off their shirts to reveal false abs (abs created using make-up effects).

It's hard to understand the appeal. But the big "entertainment companies" have polished the system to the point that they are able to completely capture the minds and hearts of a huge percentage of kids from ages 11 through 21, and they just cycle through with new kids (idol fans) coming into the pipeline year after year. It is literally idol worship in every sense.

The perennial holy grail of the most successful idol groups is to cross over to the North American market and make it big here. So far none of them have really succeeded. But it's probably just a matter of time.

between that type of pop-star idol worship and the way that many TBMs view their favorite GA idols.

One of the big reasons for the big "idol groups" in Kpop and Jpop is to have a number of different idol types in each group, so that the group as a whole will appeal to the widest possible spectrum of fans. Each group will have a "sensitive" member, a bad boy or bad girl member, an intellectual member, a charming member and so on.

I've seen the same thing in the GA idol worship phenomenon. For example back when I was still in the Morg, all the Mormons who fancied themselves as intellectuals would be particularly devoted to Neal A. Maxwell or, to some degree, Bruce R. McConkie. (Looking back, I find very little justification for it. But they were subtly promoted as Apostles for thinking Mormons.) More sensitive, feels-oriented Mormons would idolize Monson or Kimball. The more militant types would gravitate toward Boyd K. Packer or Ezra T. Benson and so on.

As diverse as the Mormon group "Apop" is, I never could identify with a single one. Maybe that is why I just couldn't be a groupie. I can abide the lack of abs, but I like idols that aren't tone deaf, bland, and mean, who never even do the requisite crotch-grab even once during a performance.

I guess it will always be the awe of Mother Nature for me and loving anyone who loves animals.

For a moment there, Wally, I thought you could speak the "OP" language.

Do you still worship the golden hemorrhoids ?

1 Samuel 6:17-19 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

OMG. Haha. That verse is hysterical. The bible is wild and wacky.

For anyone who doesn't want to bother to look it up:


1 Samuel 6:17-19 King James Version (KJV)

17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

Yes, I worship the Prophet, Russell M. Nelson.

I’m one of the wives. I’ve guarded that secret here. It’s not just Wendy and Sheri and Rustiboo (as we call him). It’s Wendy, Sheri, Kathleen and Rustiboo.

I know you all think I’m just an exmo in CA. Not true. I was recruited during the Dantzel days.

Since all you other worshippers crave any bit of knowledge into the real life of Rustieboo, here’s a bit:

Under that stodgy suit, Rustiboo is tattooed like a Pacific Islander.

and hung like a hamster.