Conference: New and Improved

In the LDS church, they have this thing called General Conference. Every 6 months, there are these broadcasts of talks given by the highest authorities for the church.  As a kid, these conferences kind of were great nap opportunities, though some of the talks were humorous or interesting enough to keep us awake. As I got older, I was able to absorb and understand them better.

Mostly those talks made me feel like I was doing things wrong. That I wasn't good enough in various ways (Which is really what the LDS church is all about, but that's a subject for a different post). Of course around 2006, they started directly attacking "gender confusion" as "wicked". (I think that was the first time I noticed a direct reference to transgender issues in the church. The reference only helped me realize I was not alone, though.)

But there was really something comforting about the format, being taught via these seemingly wise folks.

Well... I found a replacement. And best of all, it makes me feel great about myself, is way more fun, and doesn't retread the same tired material over and over again. I'm learning something real. Something that I can actually use in my every day life to improve myself and my world around me.

TED Talks.

Here are a few really awesome talks I've watched recently:

http://youtu.be/yqc9zX04DXs

http://youtu.be/PktUzdnBqWI