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DrW wrote:Talk about understated^: the OP posted around 7:12 pm (EST) on Nov. 26. It is now just after 4:09 pm (EST) on Nov. 27. The count now stands at more than 6500 views in less than 24 hours. If my phone calculator is right, in 21 hours, that's an average of more than 5 views per minute. I find that even more incredible.

That probably represents a much more significant readership than many of the Mormon blogs out there.

Kishkumen wrote:

DrW wrote:Talk about understated^: the OP posted around 7:12 pm (EST) on Nov. 26. It is now just after 4:09 pm (EST) on Nov. 27. The count now stands at more than 6500 views in less than 24 hours. If my phone calculator is right, in 21 hours, that's an average of more than 5 views per minute. I find that even more incredible.

That probably represents a much more significant readership than many of the Mormon blogs out there.

Funny you should mention that, Kish. Tried to find some data on LDS website page view counts. Could find no reliable data.

Taking what I thought was a long shot, but confident of getting reasonably reliable data, I had a look at page view counts for various sections of the online version of the New York Times. (Yep, the paper that Trump claims is failing - and is therefore actually doing very well online.)

The published numbers I could find were two very close estimates of monthly total views (not unique views) for the Fashion Section of the NYT. Very roughly, their monthly average is on the order 10 (9.6) page views per minute, day in and day out, worldwide.

So yeah. At a bit over 6 views per minute, the Good Dr. has a big league (dare I say world class?) page view rate on his hands here.

Witnesses could stand as one of the twin towers of Mocinematics, along with Napoleon Dynamite.

As far as blacks involved with the "priesthood firsts", I would cite the Levitical priesthood sometime BCE. Next would be the African priests of the early Christian Church, culminating in the African bishops of the early Catholic and Coptic Churches.

As far as the LDS Church not being the last church to grant the priesthood to blacks, it should be pointed out that the Klu Klux Klan is not really a church and that their robes are more of a costume than a priesthood vestment.

moksha wrote:Witnesses could stand as one of the twin towers of Mocinematics, along with Napoleon Dynamite.

I’m sorry, but the ranking goes like this:

1. New York Doll
2. Napoleon Dynamite
3. Mr. Kruger’s Christmas
4. God’s Army
5. How Rare a Possession
6. Witnesses

Several years ago, our beloved B.H. Roberts Chair, Doctor Scratch, announced the death of Mopologetics. "How can it be that Mopologetics is dead?" one might ask, given a year like 2019. We've been exposed to antic after antic and ruse upon ruse from those who call themselves Mopologists, and it's very difficult to believe that something dead can be so vibrant. Nonetheless, Doctor Scratch's pronouncement remains true. What we see today, friends, is not the vibrancy of life, but the twitching of the undead. Mopologetics has crawled from the grave, hulking and golemesque for one last "fright night" as it were.

Items 9, 5, 4, and 2, are stunning revelations, "voices from the dust" illuminating what used to be and profitable for great antiquarians such as Professor Scratch to contemplate, but these things have little relevance to the present day. Items 10 and 7 point only to withdrawal of the greater creature. And that leaves items 8, 6, 3, and 1.

Item 8, the Witnesses movie, is pretty random. Suppose it opens to critical acclaim. Where does that leave Mopologetics? Are they now a movie production company? Reverend Kishkumen asked some good questions about the apologetic prospects for this film. It's difficult to imagine it breathing real life back into the Mopologetic creature.

Item 6, the War with the Heartlanders. We might expand this to include the war against the Transhumanists also. These activities are on the table for bringing about full-blown resurrection. Transhumanism alone, however, is too small of a movement to sustain a Mopologist army. The Heartlanders are a large and worthy opponent if there ever was one, but blog attacks aren't going to cut it. I know a few folks who are part of Heartland and I will ask, but I doubt they've heard of any criticisms. The apologists need books sold in Deseret book and firesides as part of the war effort, but whatever they choose, the Heartlanders themselves need to actually be aware that they are under attack, which they aren't.

Item 3, Interpreter articles. As President Chung has stated, their overreaching and at times, outright amateurish work isn't generally impressing Mormon intellectuals. And the Critical text project, assuming success, like the Witnesses movie is a random one-off.

Item 1, losing the bet. Petty insults by lifers are groans of the stumbling undead. A few Jr. apologists have joined the throng, but until a new generation of apologists coordinate to attack critics in real life or at least come up with some original material of their own, time will have its way with those last holding out and nobody will be left to remind the world about the mythical creature people once called FARMS.

I am sure that it is not the echoing hangover of the alcohol flowing among the faculty at Cassius, for Dean Robbers is unquestionably correct that the apologists have a zombie quality about everything they do. Unable to resurrect Hugh Nibley, they are able to animate his corpse by feeding it their brains.

But let not my agreement with Gadianton outshine my gratitude to the venerable holder of the B. H. Roberts Chair, Dr. Scratch. The Top Ten Happenings each year are the end result not merely of a lot of work but also the product of a keen eye for the significant details that in their composite form make up the big picture—to say nothing of his learned wit that delights us all (apparently in the thousands). I look forward to these posts each year with holiday anticipation, and in relishing its consummation this season, I offer in his honor the last toast my wobbly hand can raise and the warmest thanks my slurred tongue can muster: tae Dktr Scratch!

I'll raise that glass with you Symmachus! Here's to Dr. Scratch, and I must thay, I am not as drunk as you think I am!

By the way, did I ever get that chair at Cassius Dr. Scratch was saying was open? I have no idea if I just join or if I have to legally be named in... I have no idea how to proceed. And I am more than willing to chair a place in the noble university!

Kishkumen wrote:I’m sorry, but the ranking goes like this:

1. New York Doll
2. Napoleon Dynamite
3. Mr. Kruger’s Christmas
4. God’s Army
5. How Rare a Possession
6. Witnesses

What about Singles Ward, Baptists at Our Barbecue, or that one with Dutcher as the Brigham City Sheriff? I was never able to see States of Grace, which sounded good in the description. Don't forget Plan 10 from Outer Space or Rubin and Ed.


Witness to transformative Multi-level Marketing

Doctor Scratch, as it has been a bumper year, if you’re feeling whimsical one evening after some of the Dean’s “small” seasonal libations perhaps you would further indulge the faculty and staff with a recounting of some of those events that were on the cusp of your top ten, but which didn’t quite make the cut...

moksha, those two films are too good for the list, but if you insist:

.25 Plan 10 from Outer Space
.5 Rubin and Ed