Club Unicorn

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We’ve featured amusing and clever blog posts by Josh Weed a few times before on MDB.

But this weekend, his blog took a more serious turn and has created something of a stir (2,046 comments and counting as of this writing).

Josh and his wife, Lolly, are celebrating their 10th anniversary (normally associated with tin and aluminum gifts) with a weekend away, including taking in the show, The Blue Man Group (which they really enjoyed, by the way) and publishing for the first time a dual Josh-and-Lolly post about something they’d never shared with their blog readers before.

Typically, such a declaration would be followed by a denouncement and hurt feelings on one side or the other, if not both. Here, there is only a call for love.

Regardless of where you stand on this frequently polarizing issue, this is a timely, sensitively written post that would be well worth your time reading.

Consider joining Josh and Lolly’s Club Unicorn.

Dallas Lauchner

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Dallas Lauchner‘s blog, Miracle and Oddities, features psychology-related topics as well as how to be a better man in the gospel (his Manly Man Trainings come out on Sundays).

He’s a mental health counselor in his community who has served in many church leadership positions.

Dallas and his wife have four daughters. He lives in Virginia.

Eagles Live

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A live feed from the nest of a family of eagles in Iowa? Precisely the kind of stuff the internet was made for.

Among thousands of others (yes, that’s 71K+ watching online as this was written), the feed has captured the attention of MDBer Josh Weed. This mesmerizing display of reality TV internet-style has served up more than a few life lessons for Josh, such as one he learned from what he calls the lame stick moment:

The Mommy eagle, not knowing quite what to do with a random stick, just kind of shoved it to the side. But what she didn’t realize was that she trapped one of the babies by the neck so that it couldn’t move. At this point, I had grown attached to the little guys… I was actually kinda starting to stress out. I was talking to the screen. “Mama eagle. Hey! (tap tap tap on the computer screen) You moved the big stick onto your baby’s neck. Baby is contorted now and not moving. He seems pinned to the ground. He might be dying. Hello? (tap tap tap).

Catch the life lesson (beyond putting large sticks on your children’s necks) delivered to Josh courtesy of a nest of fledgling national birds in Life Lessons Learned from Eagles (and while you’re there, you can watch the live feed on Josh’s blog to pick up a few life lessons for yourself along the way).

Nuggets of Another Kind

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Without wishing to give away too much (for those of you for whom the movie “Bambi” has yet to make it to the top of your Netflix queue), let’s just say there is a tragedy that occurs deep within the movie involving hunters and a certain relative of the lead character.

Over the years, this tragedy has surely led to more than a few nightmares for traumatized young viewers. But a mid-story, stop-everything-let’s-talk-about-this inquiry about the particulars of this tragedy by Josh Weed’s 4-year-old daughter took an interesting turn that is the kind of stuff that could lead to nightmares for the grownups.

You don’t want to miss Josh’s post, Bambi Nuggets.

Josh is a 30-year-old father of three, a therapist and a writer who lives in the greater Seattle area. He writes a humor blog called The Weed (which is OK, because that’s his name, see?). Josh sets out to talk frankly and openly about family life and other things in a way that he hope enriches people’s perspectives about fatherhood, Mormonhood and personhood.

Welcome, Josh, to MDB.

The Friday Five • Episode 2

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So much good stuff – not enough days. Hence, The Friday Five:


Beat the Rush. Although most of us here have probably already tied the knot, we may have kids who could benefit from this latest help from Mormon Life Hackers, especially in light of one of the major themes of this past General Conference. That’s right, we’re talking about helping prepare for the tsunami of weddings coming this summer.

Tevya Washburn lays it all out in Use Google To Help Plan A Wedding.


Dress Warmer. You have to cut the guy some slack; he just moved from California, not to mention the fact that he had spent the night in the E.R. with his daughter.

So cinematographer Rod Santiano wasn’t entirely prepared for the elements as he shot BYU’s spring football game. Read the chilling account in Note to Self: Dress Warmer!


Watching You. With seven children from ages 13 to just a few days old, Ken Craig finds that the Deniro/Stiller father/son “watching you” roles are reversed in his house. His kids are watching his every move, especially his flaws.

Ken’s always engaging posts have found a home in a new blog sure to be of interest to MDB readers, Modern Mormon Men. Read Ken’s post, A Legacy in Progress, then enjoy what else this “manly mommy blog” has to offer.


30 Things. When it comes to listening to the prophet’s voice, Jamie Huston and his family don’t mess around. As they listen to General Conference, they make a list of direct instructions Pres. Monson gives, and make those priorities in their family.

This General Conference, Jamie came up with a list of 30 such priorities, which he kindly shares with us all on his blog, Gently Hew Stone. Read President Monson’s Marching Orders.


Not Always Our Fault. Relationship expert Dr. Elia fields a question from a male reader who perceives from Dr. Elia’s past columns a pattern of innocent women versus men who are the bad guys. The reader poses the question of whether this perception matches Dr. Elia’s experience in his work.

While it is not surprising that there are issues that are typically “men’s issues,” you may be relieved to know that men don’t have a corner on all the issues. Read Dr. Elia’s response, Relationship Issues Are Not Always the Man’s Fault.

Never Give Up, Never Surrender

Galaxy Quest

Galaxy QuestTim Allen’s most famous line might be “To infinity and beyond.” But only slightly behind that one has to be the line from that classic, Galaxy Quest, when he inspires the crew of his spaceship with the immortal words, “Never give up, never surrender!”

The line is a favorite in the home of Elia Gougouris, not just because it’s a good reminder to hang in there when the going gets tough, but because his wife, Sona, was co-producer of the family friendly movie.

Elia, who lives in Colorado with his wife and children, uses the line to kick off the latest post on his blog about relationships. He is a Ph.D. who knows a few things about women’s issues, self-esteem, and communication skills, having been a speaker and relationship coach on such matters for more than 20 years.

Check out the good doctor’s take on getting past our fears with the help of Tim Allen’s second most famous line here.

Looking Beyond the Jersey

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Few things in memory have generated more scrutiny of Mormon life than the Brandon Davies situation, and the Mormon dad blogosphere was not immune. Gordon Smith may be a law professor at BYU who has taught courses at universities in Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Germany, and Hong Kong, but like pretty much every LDS man in this hemisphere, he has observed this situation unfold with interest.

(For those who may have been incommunicado for the past week or so, Brandon Davies is the BYU basketball player who was suspended for an honor code violation late in the season just as the team appeared to be a contender for a spot at the national title.)

But he boils down in five short paragraphs what it seems many others are feeling. Read his take on the Brandon Davies situation here.

Outrageous Kid Parties and Potato Chips

Outrageous Kid Parties

Outrageous Kid Parties

A still from the TLC program, Outrageous Kid Parties

Life has given Stephen Marsh a different way of looking at things. An attorney who teaches classes in mediation by trade, he’s also a father who has lost three children and has written about his experiences in living beyond loss. He also writes a blog called “Ethesis,” a word which he describes as a combination of esthetics and ethics, meaning acting with both law and with spirit.

So I was interested in his take on a recent episode of a TLC show called Outrageous Kid Parties that featured a Utah woman who threw a $32,000 birthday party for her 6-year-old daughter. His perspective may surprise you. Read about it here.