Why is there no justice?

I've reading "The Work and the Glory" by Gerald Lund. I've mentioned before that I am a fan of historical fiction, so I like the 2 books I have read thus far.

What I didn't realize was, that by reading a book about the Restoration and the persecutions endured by those heroes of the start of this last dispensation, how vivid the feelings I would feel would be. I have a very good imagination, which is one of the reasons I love to read so much. Therefore, it is quite easy for me to visualize how difficult it must have been for them.

I still shake my head that such blatant cruelty and ignorance was tolerated, even encouraged. Today there are watchdog groups, lobbyists, PAG's (political action groups), special interest groups, etc. There wasn't anything that organized back then.

My link for today regards challenges and perfection.

The question came into my mind:" Why did Joseph Smith suffer so much? Didn't he do enough?"
This thought was immediately followed by the understanding that we are sent here to learn patience, love, charity, all the Godly attributes necessary for our exaltation. I also understood that following the commandments brings trials, pain and growth. The real purpose of life is to grow, not for life to be easy. Sucks, but it's the truth.

I also remembered something that Brigham Young said, to the effect that people who become Gods in their own right have to experience all the things that are ordained for them to become like our Heavenly Father. Therefore, suffering and challenges are a necessary part of life.

Jesus had to suffer the things He did in order to become the Savior of us all, and to become like God. Joseph understood that "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" involves sacrifices, faith, pain, suffering and charity. The only way those characteristics can be developed is through the exercise of those characteristics in situations that call for them in our lives.

The Refiners fire burns away impurities and His hand molds us in to what we hope to become. Fire burns, doesn't it? It's not comfortable nor easy, and it's not meant to be. It's meant to help change us and help us be better. The thing is, we have to choose to change, to choose to subject ourselves to more growing experiences and pain. That's the only way we get better, more Christ-like, isn't it?



Because, in the end, there is only one way to become like God, isn't there?

Oh, the doggie cuteness!

I like the first one cuz' it reminds me of our dog Hugo, who was put to sleep about 3 years ago.

I also like the Yoda one.

Cute!

Sudden Insecurities

By the way, the words that are in different colors in my posts are links to stories I want to talk about.

And it's all family friendly content!

Really, I am...

Proof positive that I am a nerd\geek, someone just e-mailed me in confusion as to my peeling off the system requirements for my dream system, and what did they mean.

By the way, if you had no problem understanding my system requirements, then you also are a nerd\geek.

Congrats!

Scotty, I need more power!

Yes, I'm still a geek/nerd. Val says that there is a difference, but I don't know what the distinction is. Does anyone know the difference?

I thought this was cool.

Eventually I plan to move onto the computing super-highway. Right now, I'm content to be in the slow lane.

And yes, I plan on upgrading my technology eventually. Right now I have a P4 1.5 GHz with about 750 MB of RAM running XP, with a 40 GB and a 60GB hard drive. It's enough to play the things I want to. Sometimes maybe not as smoothly as I'd like, but it is sufficient.

I'd like to have 3 100GB hard drives RAIDed, an overclocked 256 MB video card, a P4 4.5 GHz processor w/ 2GB RAM, a DVD burner, wireless keyboard/mouse, and a expansive flat sreen monitor. Preferably, the monitor would be a large HDTV or something comparable.

Well, it's nice to dream. Val says I shouldn't compromise what I want, but to buy this is not realistic. We're talking over $5k.

Everybody has to be able to compromise.

Better or Longer?

Here is my link/topic for the day.

This is an interesting dichotomy. Living longer isn't necessarily better, is it? I can imagine some poor person, 55 or so, who has diabetes, ED, heart disease and the onset of Alzheimers.

Doesn't sound too good, does it?

I know I wouldn't want to live another 22.6 years in a deteriorating condition.

To contrast, imagine a 55 year old who has no diabetes, a healthy heart with NO heart disease, an exerciser, a healthy sex life, and a clear and lucid mind.

Sounds lots better, doesn't it?

I'm a believer that "We are what we eat." I think everyone in the US understands this saying from an intellectual standpoint, but food and cravings exert a significant pull over humans, and Americans in particular.

All it takes is willpower, something which a lot of people have trouble exercising. Speaking of exercising, that's something else that people have trouble doing.

Sorry, I'll get off my spinach carton. I just think that a long life isn't good if you aren't healthy. But, your chances of a long, healthy life increases when you eat right.

It's difficult for me to be patient when people say "I couldn't ever do that" to anything. Self-defeating. Tell the truth to yourself. Say "I don't want to stop enough. It isn't important to me."

Then, at least you're being honest.

Honestly, I know I need to be patient with others. That's one of my faults. I'm working on it...

Honest!

Wouldn't this be nice?

I wish my company did something like this, or even had a retention policy like what is mentioned.

Department of Homeland what?

Here is your link for the day.

I think this is really sad. The department of the government created specifically to counter terrorism and promote national security can't even control access to its own bulding.

Hello!?!?!?

It's called the Department of Homeland Security! What sort of security do we have? None whatsoever!

We're worried about planes, but what about ships? Trains? Our border with Canada?

Some would say that it's impossible to control everything that comes into the country. But I say that we cut down on the unecessary 'BS' that the government funds, and use that money to help pay people to clamp down on our vulnerabilities. I'm sure that the Defense Department and the Pentagon could find a million ways to trim their budgets. Haven't we heard "You don't think they pay $75 for a hammer, $250 for a toilet seat do you?"

I'm almost beginning to believe that the best way for us to defend ourselves is to do it ourselves. Buy guns, learn how to use them responsibly, and keep our eyes and ears open.

Fuel of the Future...

Good Monday, fellow-citizens!

I'm really tired today. The weekend was long, but not in a good way. Lots to do, and not a lot of time to do it.

For your Joel update: He was made ZL (zone leader) last week and transferred out of Chapel Hill. Not much else from him this week. He is having a fun time, and apparently learning and growing a lot.

I think this place is the first in what is sure to be a growing trend, especially as gas prices continue to rise. We all know it's gonna happen, don't we? Of course we do.

I'd like to have a car that burns E85 , biodiesel or something like that. I'd gladly pay extra for it, since any extra paid would be made up in the fuel savings later on down the road. I'm getting to the point, I think, that good gas mileage is more important than sportiness or quickness. I'm gonna drive my Jetta into the ground, and the next car I get will have to have some guts. But, a turbo or supercharger and things like that won't be necessary. Good mileage, roomy interior, etc. will be more important.

That's about all I have for my Monday.

I'm out...

Raining domesticated 4-legged felines and canines...

Yesterday, on our way over to Tressa's (one of Val's cousins), it started raining so hard that visibility went from ~100 feet to nothing in 1 or 2 seconds. I've seen some nasty rain, especially walking in it in Argentina, but I've never seen anything like this. I got out of the car and sprinted to the porch, but to no avail. I was practically soaked.

The movie Cars comes out today. I'm impressed with Pixar and their story-writing staff. They are batting 1.000 so far. Val and I are gonna go see it next week.

My brother-in-law Josh and Karin get married tomorrow. Those of you who know me know how I feel, so I won't belabor my point. Tomorrow promises to be a very long day.

Not much else to report.

Have a good weekend! I'm out...

Wow! 2 posts in 1 day...

Like a butterfly, a white dwarf star begins its life by casting off the cocoon that enclosed it. In the cocoon-like structure above, the planetary nebula designated NGC 2440, contains one of the hottest white dwarfs known to scientists. The white dwarf can be seen as the bright dot near the photo's center. Our sun eventually will become a "white dwarf butterfly," but not for another 5 billion years.

Image credit: NASA/R. Ciardullo (PSU)/H. Bond (STScI)

Here is the link for this picture.

One right doesn't right a wrong....right?

Check this out.

I’m not sure where I stand on this issue. I think that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, abortion is wrong. That cluster of non-specialized cells will eventually become a real person, and thus should be treated as a person. Young children have protectors, judges, protective services etc. Why should a fetus be any different?

But, in this case, God has allowed us to discover the potential for good from stem cells. Right now though, the only way to get stem cells is to destroy a fetus.

I know that God will never interfere in our right to choose, but He certainly can control what kind and amount of knowledge He gives us.

There is so much potential for good that can come from stem cells. It could revolutionize the human race and the way we age. This is where ‘The ends justify the means’ speech could be made.

A quote from Star Trek: Insurrection comes to mind. Capt. Picard asks: “How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong? A thousand? A million? How many does it take, Admiral?”





“What a shocking d-d-dilemma.”

Day of Devils.......Yeah, right.

So, today is the infamous 06.06.06. It happens every 100 years, and most people freak out about it. I admit to being a bit superstitious, but to say that the 'AntiChrist' is gonna be born today seems ludicrous. That, or that the world will end today is also laughable. I remember hearing something like that while I was in my 2nd area in Argentina. That was 8 years ago. Guess what? World's still here.

I figure that if the world ends today, that I can say that I have done lots better lately than the prior 15 years of my life. Not stellar, but better. So, room for improvement. I'll do better.

The only thing that occurs to me at this point is to go home and read the book of Revelations, along with any inspired commentary I can find to help shed light on this most confusing of issues.

I figure something by James E. Talmage or Bruce R.

What a bunch of crap this fear/superstition stuff is!

Somewhat random musings...

Chek this out...

I suppose it would be helpful if restaurants would limit their portions. But, why can't people eat more compassionately/healthier?

If you stopped eating meat, eggs and milk, wouldn't your intake of heart-clogging saturated fat drop precipitously? Wouldn't your waist size start dropping? Why is it other people's responsibility to moderate how much Americans eat? Are they incapable of taking action for themselves? Or, in the end, does it finally come down to the mania for not having to take responsibility for our own actions...? Of course it doescome down to that...

On a different note, I registered at my graduating class' website. My 10 year reunion is coming up. I can't believe it's been 10 years already. As with my mission site, I urge everyone who wants to to sign up. That way, if you ever want to know what is happening, you can be informed. Of course, those of you who don't want to be reminded of high school, you don't have to do jack-diddly squat. Go ahead and wallow in your ignorance.

Is it June already?

Wow, where has the year gone? 5 months certainly seem to have passed quickly.

I'm afraid I don't have anything to post about today. I apologize, but I figured that you would like to know that I'm not dead.

Thanks for caring! I'm out...

Not as bad as I thought it would be...

Well, netizens, it's Wednesday, and here is another post.

Today is day 3 for our new supervisor Mark. He's doing quite well. He's very personable, smart, mentally quick, and just a nice guy. I think we'll be all right. Those of you who read my posts know that I was kinda worried, but I'm glad to see that my fears were unfounded.

This'll probably be my only post for the week since I have this Friday off. I look forward to sleeping in a bit, and playing games until my eyes go square. Besides, after the last 2 months, I deserve a few days off.

Have a good Memorial Day.

I'm out...

I hope Ben doesn't mind...

I'll link an article he has linked on his site.

So, here it is...

Of course, it goes back to security, just like the immigration issue.

I'll get off my soapbox.

But, even soapboxes enjoy privacy. Don't they?

Post 100

Well, this is post #100. It sure has gone quickly, hasn't it?

I was reading this yesterday, and here is my reaction to it.

Are you KIDDING me? To quote someone from Blue Laser..."What the crap!?"

So, because we increase our border security and national security, we're gonna be sued? How is this a violation of their civil liberties, when these people aren't even US citizens? Is it their right to illegally enter this country?

And, if they're gonna break the law, then why should we be worried if they are going to be trying to get in through more dangerous ways? Do we worry about the thug who is going to rob us, whether he is going to be treated humanely, or that what he is doing is dangerous? If we knew he was gonna do it, wouldn't we defend ourselves? If you do something illegal, you take your chances. The law is supposed to protect the innocent, isn't it?

I say we should close the border, build a wall, and patrol it with machine guns and technology to root out tunnel-diggers. Excessive? I think not.

Oh, the horror!

Normally, I feel quite warm. Ask my wife. I rarely have a problem with being not warm enough.

However, recently I have noticed that at work I am increasingly cold. And not just chilled. I'm talking "Man, it's 80 outside, but I think I need a sweatshirt here at work" cold. I think it's because of my diet change, and losing excess body fat. Hence, less insulation.

I suppose that it's a good thing, since it means I'm losing things I needed to lose. But, it is at the same time disconcerting and a little distressing. I've never had this problem before.

Maybe I should stop wearing shorts...

Oh, my...

I direct all of my loyal readers, (all 3 of you), to my wife's extensive blog post on choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, entitled "A Bold, New Journey".

I will take this opportunity to say that I am joining her in this lifestyle change. It seems like the right thing to do, for myself.

I will also say that it is sometimes difficult. Just the other night, she and I were walking and passed a BBQ that was going on. I love burgers, especially when they are Q'ed. I was almost drawn irresitibly towards the scent, and as a result I almost stopped walking. I admit to having almost 28 years of conditioning and habits to break.

So, it'll be difficult and challenging. But what in this life is worth doing that isn't?

Fianlly, I will say that this is a considered action, well-thought out, on my part. I am doing this because it makes sense to me, not out of coercion or anything else.

Besides, everyone who knows me knows that I'm a softie. It just hurts to think of those poor, mistreated animals.

Take it one step at a time... Outta sight, outta mind.

Earlier Reference...

The 'Bolt it down' from the end of my last post was a reference to the saying "Steal everything that isn't bolted down". Sorry for the confusion.

5 finger discount...

I had the nastiest dream this morning.

My PS2 is about 5 years old. It either needs cleaning, or updating, or replacing. It's probably cheaper to get a new one than send it to someplace to get it cleaned. And, since it's all hardware, it can't be upgraded.

So. I was dreaming that I had actually stolen a PS2 from GameStop close to us in Centerville. I got caught, and I felt so terrible. It twisted me up inside.

I woke up, and my first thought of the day was "Whew! I didn't steal anything. I'm not in trouble. I'm still honest. Yay!"

But, this makes me wonder if I have a bit of a klepto streak in me that is being repressed. This is the first time I have dreamed something like this, so far as I know.

It certainly was disconcerting.

Bolt everything down!

Doomed to relive history...

Check this out...

I figure that it's gonna happen again. It seems like it already has/is happening.

"This is America," Gabriel said. "Having freedom of speech and saying what is on your mind doesn't make you a criminal and it shouldn't."

Not to mention "unpatriotic" or "seditious", or any of the other adjectives I can think of.

I'm out...

Good day...

I don't know if it is a good day, but I'm gonna try and be positive...

I really am sorry, but I can't seem to be able to think of anything interesting to talk about right now. I have tried. Honest... Really...

Maybe later on today, something will occur... No promises.

Pulled in 30 directions at once...

Good day. I'm not gonna apologize for my disgusting lack of communication over the last 2 weeks.

Work has sucked. We found out today that we are getting a new manager here in our department. He's from Oklahoma, and that he has a lot of AS400 experience. That's all we know.

I have hated these past 2 weeks; being strung along, and not being given any info on what is going on. I think the choice would have been obvious as to whom the position should have gone to, but the VPDCM(vice-pres distribution center manager) apparently thought differently.

I wish John had gotten the position. Life would be easier, and I would have been able to move up a bit in position. I also figure that John and I have been doing this for the last 3 weeks, and that making John manager would have been a no-brainer. We're already doing the job, so, 'what the crap?'

Is it just me, or is it asinine to have to train your own manager? So much for intelligent business decisions...

Is he gone?

Sorry for being out of touch. It's just that nothing really exceptional/noteworthy has happened the past 3 days.

Sorry...

I wish I had a 7 second delay...

...that way I could edit out the insensitive things I say.

I'm sorry, my goo. I didn't mean to hurt you.

Beginning of a new era...

Well, the funeral is over.... *sigh* Val and I sung 'The Test' by Janice Kapp Perry. Besides being vocally shaky due to the extreme emotion of the moment, everyone so far has said that we sounded great. We were the last song, and the last speaker talked after us, and then it was over.

At the viewing last night, Bernie looked quite different, being clean-shaven for one. I suppose that death makes everyone look different. But, it was still him.

It was nice to hear fun stories of him that fit exactly with my knowledge of him. It seems like he didn't change hardly at all in his life. Still a person who lived life to its fullest.

And, I will admit to him having some traits and characteristics that I wish I had in the abundance that he does/did.

So, now I am working tonight and tomorrow instead of him, so that Taunya can be with her daughter who is getting married, and also for the other daughter who is gonna have a baby soon. It will help to get someone else to replace Bernie, which is the plan. But until then, sacrifices need to be made, and I do them happily, knowing that if he were here, Bernie would be doing it himself. I miss him... :(

I hope he looks in on us occasionally, just to see if we are making him proud.

Have fun, Mr. Crabs/Your nastiness.

Here he is...

Here is the link for my friend Bernie, and the associated information for his funeral.

Funerals aren't ever any fun, and always sad. Happening this close to me, I am somewhat aghast that Val and I volunteered to sing at his funeral tomorrow.

I'm sure we'll do fine, but I am beginning to feel even more nervous than usual, due to the assured emotions Val and I are gonna be feeling. I plan to start praying right now to be able to get through it, in a fashion that Bernie would enjoy, before I totally break down.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Dazed and confused...

I'm not sure how I feel right now. Intellectually, I grasp that Bernie is dead, and his funeral is Wednesday. But, my stomach still thinks he's gonna walk through the door, turn on his light, sit down and go to work. But, he isn't. We had to turn off the light in his office this morning because it was starting to mess with us.

He's never coming back, is he...?

It is all so sudden, we didn't have any time to adjust or prepare. It feels kinda like having something stolen, and never being able to get it back.

What do we do...?




On a lighter note, he's back! If only temporarily...

Death is never happy, is it?

I found out, about 1 hour ago, that my friend and supervisor Bernie Ure had died. It happened this morning, and they still aren't sure what happened.

I'm still not sure how I feel. All mixed up I suppose. Part of me remembers the fun things that he and I did together, but the other part still feels sad, while another part thinks that he wouldn't want me to mope too much.

I've only dealt with one other death in my life that has been close and personal like this one is, and it's lots easier this time, because I have my Goo. The last one was Chad Cook.

I apologize publicly to my friend Ben, who called while Val and I were at Bernie's house. I just didn't think it was a good time to answer the phone. Sorry, friend Raty...

What?!?!?!?!

Check this out.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think of this. The charitable part of me wants to believe that it is real, and that Judas did what he did just because he was told to do it. But then I think that, just like Lucifer did, he made his own choice.

I'm just not sure...

Not just sex...

Good day, netizens! It's a cold, blustery, rainy day here in SLC.

These 2 stories made me start to despair for humanity. Here is the first. Here is the 2nd.

It's obvious that the world is obsessed with sex, and has been almost since its creation. But, in these cases, and I'm sure in millions of other cases, it's deviant sex.

What is more disturbing to me is the fact that it seems to be more socially acceptable for a woman teacher to go after juvenile targets than it is for a dirty old man to go after juvenile targets. Most males will secretly wish that something like this had happened to them when they were young. Male pedophiles are almost universally villified and abhorred. Where is the equality? The teacher will surely be tried for her actions, and our noble government employee also. But what about the 13-year old male? Who's gonna be held responsible for his actions? Wasn't he a willing participant?

Most likely nothing will happen to him, and his name will fade away. But isn't his case symptomatic of a larger evil? This is a person who is sexually active at at least 13 years old, barely even starting puberty. What have his parents been teaching him? Have they kept track of him, of what he has been doing? I understand that after 8 years old a person starts being responsible for their own actions, but parents still have the responsibility to teach their children what is right and what isn't. Besides being morally reprehensible, sex while underage is illegal in all of the United States, as far as I know. So much for teaching peopleto be a responsible citizen.

I don't think that justice will be served at all in any of these situations. Sex is too casual, too uninhibited for anyone to be held really responsible. Until the 2nd Coming, we will continue to treat the symptoms rather than the cause.

I'll get off my soapbox, since I am neither a parent, nor perfect when it comes to sexual mistakes.

What a nice thing to say...................?

Well, my day has been a bit slow. I was feeling ambitious at about 12 this afternoon, and I went out to the warehouse to help them out. It was appreciated, and garnered a few disbelieving comments along the lines of "Computer room people actually working? I wanna see this." Disbelief notwithstanding, I have been feeling like being more helpful here at work, and I don't know why. Maybe it's my sub-conscious mind helping me to be more active so I shed some pounds...

Taunya, my co-worker, made a very interesting comment 5 minutes ago. She said that she was fortunate to work with 3 men, in this department, that are good-looking, mentally quick and amiable. Since there are only 4 of us, I knew she had to be incuding me. Before I go any further, I will state that Taunya is approaching 45, has 4 or 5 children, and is still married. I just thought it was an interesting comment, being unsolicited.

As my wife tells me, I am cute/handsome, but I expect her to say that. I'm sure she wouldn't have married me if she didn't think I was cute. I suppose that this is merely outside, independent confirmation that what Val says is true. It's still very difficult for me to believe.

Self-esteem issues, you know...

Marvelous Monday!

Or not! I was late this morning for work, since a semi spilled a few porta-potties across I-15, and thus closed the freeway. It was certainly enough to make it a bad Monday.

Conference was good. Pres. Monson was in rare form Saturday night. I can't remember laughing that much in a session, ever. It was good to see Pres. Hinckley looking better.

Those of you who know me know that I am glad I have repented of my addictions. It's so much easier to live without the burdens of sin, guilt and sadness. That's not to say that the addictions are gone, but how much easier is it to remain vigilant when you are unburdened? That's how I was feeling Saturday morning. I was also extremely grateful for my wife, my goo, who loves me. I don't know where I'd be without her.

Thank you so much, Valerie, for your love. :)

Site Tweaks

It's so nice to be able to go in and add whatever I want to link to other people. What fun it is to have a site!

Avatars galore, pt.2

P.S. The dachsund is for Val, since I couldn't find a cocker spaniel or a beagle...Cute doggies!

Avatars galore!

In case you were wondering, since I have Yahoo e-mail, I started using my avatar for this blog. And before you ask, that was the closest I could get to myself, short of getting a digital camera. So, now you have some sort of image to associate w/ my inane information.

Hmmmmmm...

Not much happening today. Sorry for it being an uninteresting day. Of course, I have no control over what happens during the day, but I am apologetic nonetheless.

I'm out...

I feel happy! I feel happy! I feel...Oof!

Well, bloggers, another birthday has come and gone, and I have attained the age of 28. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, especially this morning. I feel like an old person. My neck hurts, my back aches, and my leg muscles are tight and hurt. Boo hoo....OK, enough blubbering from me.

However, on the flip side, I got some cool things for presents. I got 2 shirts from my wife, and my mother-in-law bought dinner. One shirt is a white HomestarRunner shirt, which I am wearing right now, and the other is a Pink Floyd shirt, with the prism from Dark Side of the Moon on the front. Rock On! The only downside was that it was Saturday, and as such, all of the usual Saturday stuff had to be done. But, it was still lotsa fun. I enjoyed it.

On a side note, most of my -in-law's have birthdays in March. 1 brother, and a grandma have a birthday this week. 2 brothers had a birthday last week. So, a busy birthday time!

Have a great day! I'm out...

Blah Thursday...

A slow day today. Except for neck pain, it has been fairly uneventful.

Thanks to Leah for the cute card and pictures, and the $5 for a "quarter-pounder" on her. Thanks, Lemur!

Incommunicado...

Good day, citizens! Sorry for having been unable to post for a few days. Blogger.com was experiencing some technical difficulties the past few days.

So...........Val and I went to see a play on Saturday that was a spoof about Star Wars and George Lucas. It was so hilarious, I laughed until I got a headache. I think the title was something like "Star Wars Episode MCCLXXIVIIII: The sequel to the prequels that were the sequels" It was great. Unfortunately, it ends this Saturday. If you wanna catch it, it's playing at the Desert Star Theater in Sandy. Here is their website, I think. I can't get to it here at work, so it may be wrong.

Also, last night Val and I went to the Republican party caucus for Centerville. It was very educational. It changed my opinion of the political process. I had thought, along with most of America, that "normal" people didn't have much say in what happens in politics. However, last night changed that opinion. All you need is to be a registered voter and show up once every 2 years to participate. The voters elect their representatives, and it goes from there. People do have a say in what happens, and it puts a personal face on what is going on.

That's it for right now. I'm out...

P.S. The "finish the rainbow" thing from the earlier post was me completing the rainbow of colors on the post. My first paragraph was in red, the 2nd in orange, etc. I was just finishing the rainbow.

Sorry for the confusion. "I won't inflict myself upon you any further." :)

Snow tires?

Well, I was .5 hr late this morning, and Monday I was .5 hr late. What really bites about all of this is that it hasn't been my fault. This morning traffic was glacially slow due to the heavy snow that was falling. On Monday, they closed I-15 south and moved/merged 5 lanes of traffic into 2 on to I-215. I wonder how my employer is going to look at my recent tardies. I called my supervisor to let him know, both times, that I was going to be late, and the reason for my tardiness. I just think that I shouldn't be held responsible for situations that are out of my control.

I can hear the accusations now: "You should have left earlier." I left 20 minutes early this morning, and Monday I left 10 minutes early. "So-and-so is never late." Yeah, well he has no traffic to deal with. He's supposed to be here @ 5 AM.

I understand that a standard has to be set to be able to hold everyone accountable, but if it isn't your fault, should you be held responsible? What if the situation is out of your control? I throw the BS flag, 15 yard penalty, as my supervisor would say.

Monday War Questions...

On a very happy Monday topic, one of the questions I asked my co-worker John was if he thought we were gonna nuke Iran. He snorted, and didn't really answer. My mind wonders if we shouldn't have gone into Iran instead of Iraq. We knew that Iran had nuclear power-generation capabilities, but not weapons technology. I suppose we can't go into every country that has nuclear reactors, and bomb them because we think they might obtain weapons tech, but where do you draw the line? I think it would have been better if we had gone and pre-emptively hit Iran, but even then, it would have been wrong. They hadn't started producing nukes yet, so what else could we do?

I don't know anything about what neo-cons believe, but I do understand that Pres. Bush seems to have acted on unreliable intel that was given to him by others. But, wouldn't it have been better to deal with the threat that had the most probable chance of manifesting itself? Better to deal with a threat that is already manifesting itself than a shadowy hint. Iran already had the reactors, and just needed to go in, give the finger to the U.N. , start them up, and buy the technology that they needed from someone. Again, which is more dangerous?

Now, I'm not advocating that we start wars with suspected problem nations. But if someone already has half the capability to make nuclear weapons, and all that is keeping them from making nukes is some hardware and their honesty, shouldn't we be doing something about that?Instead of toppling an, admittedly, despotic ruler and having no viable solution for rectifying the problems inherent in Iraq, shouldn't we stop a country that has more aggressive capabilities?

Now we have 2 messes that need fixing. How many more lives will it take to fix them?

OK, I'll get off my soapbox. Thanks for listening.

Finish the rainbow!

Hmmmm.....

Just not much happening today. Although I will say that working for a living this week has been difficult. I'd much rather have 3 months of vacation so I could stay home more. But, I suppose that's something that most people want. I'm out...

A few cards short...

Check this out first...

This guy has always seemed a bit...off. Too hi-energy, too derogatory, too weird. But, he's a good salesman, and all the people I know who have bought computers from him swear by them. I think this whole thing is kinda sad. Maybe he was a nut before, and it's only now coming to light, or he finally shot his mouth off too much. Regardless, all of the Totally Awesome computer places are closing down, which seems to be a very short-sighted move, in my relatively uneducated opinion. If I'd been CrazyDell, I'd have sold my interest in the company to an interested party for a large dollar amount and a guaranteed long term percentage of future profits. But, it's not my call. Unfortunately...

So much to do, and so little time...

I'm really sorry for not posting as much as I said I would. Last week was one of the worst here at work that I could remember, and since then, I've been trying to be more responsible here at work. That means that I sometimes forget to post in the afternoon.

There isn't much going on here in our corner of the Fauver empire. Life just seems to be getting busier and moving faster.

I can't really think of anything else to talk about right now, so I'll go. But, as always, if something comes up, I'll let you know...

By the Way...

I'm not sick, it just made a good title for the last post.

Well, he will be soon, he's very ill.

I'm not dead!

Here, he says he's not dead!

Yes he is.

I'm not!

He isn't?

More tomorrow...

New Southern Words...

I am a Jeff Foxworthy fan, and I heard some good ones this morning on the radio.

innuendo- A bird just flew innuendo.

witchyadidja- You didn't bring your truck witchyadidja?

Past great words from Jeff:

usetacould- "Can you dance?" "Well, I usetacould."

pandelerium- a cross between pandemonium and delerium... or something.

sinchuous- "Told my old lady, sinchuous up, get me a beer..."

Not much else happening here on Monday. I was sad to hear that Ray Cherry died on Wed. of last week. He was one of the "pillars" in my ward in IF, meaning one of the nicest, most Christ-like guys I've ever had the opportunity to associate with. I'm sure he's happier where he is now. My thoughts go out to Lois, his wife.

I wonder how long it will be before the next "pillar" goes. I know that death is a part of life, and I know what is waiting on the other side of death, but it is kinda sad to have good people go to "the other side" as Ozzy says. "Mourn not for those passed on, but for those left behind." I don't know who said that, but I suppose it's true.

*sigh* Such is life...

Well, stay happy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Once again, Feb 14 is upon us. And, once again, I'm thankful that I have someone who loves me for who I am, and accepts me along with my insecurities and foibles.

I love my Valerie so much. My life would feel incomplete without her. I look back with dismay at the past Valentines Day's I spent alone. It's so much better being with her. She makes everything better just by her being her.

She is my goo, precious and irreplaceable. I love you so much, my Valerie. (3 MMMWAAAA!

Out of Action...

I'm back from my extended weekend. Sorry for not telling anyone about it. It just sort of slipped my mind.

I didn't do much of anything for my day off yesterday. Sat at home, played computer, listened to music and ate Gobstoppers. All 4 at the same time. INTENSE! Val and I also went to lunch at Olive Garden for our Valentines lunch.

Speaking of which, today is Valentines Day. We sent Valentine's to people that we thought would like them. Ben, check your PO Box, if you would, please...

The world turned upside down...

I just heard on the radio that a guy in the Army who was in Iraq lost an arm to a roadside bomb. Now he has to pay the Army for the body armor that was destroyed when the bomb went off. I'm sure that there is another side to the story, but the situation seems completely asinine.

Just for the record, I'm really hungry today. Hopefully I can convince my wife and mother-in-law to go out to eat tonight.

I'm out...

What the crap!?!?!?!?!

I haven't gone anywhere, but it's been busy every afternoon here at work. I usually post at about 4.30-5.30 PM every day, but it seems like things are always comin up that demand my attention here. I guess that's what I am paid to do, so I don't mind. But, it makes it impossible to post anything.

The title for this post is from the Blue Laser henchman leader from the Cheat Commandos. You can find them here.

I'm out!

Monday stuff....

I'm not sure how I feel about this past weekend. The high points of my weekend were first, getting a nice pair of snow gloves to complete my snow ensemble. The second was getting a new Wallace and Gromit DVD. The DVD makes me laugh, but these 2 things just doesn't seem to be all that exciting. I know lots of people who were at Super Bowl parties. My 2 nice things just seem to pale in comparison. Maybe I just have the blahs...

Blahs, blahs, and more blahs...

I don't really want to be here at work today. I'm not really sure why, though. I'm not mad at anyone. I just don't want to be here. I'd rather be at home playing games with my wife, sledding down 200 foot hills, reading a book, or something. Anything but being here. The weirdest thing is that I don't know why. maybe it's latent frustration about the move to upstairs. There just doesn't seem to be any time, or very little, to play the games I want, or to do the things I want to do. *sigh*

Sick time...

Not much for today, since I've been busy. My co-worker John called in sick, so I've been doing his work along with mine. Kinda frustrating, but I guess it's that way when I call in sick also. Oh well...

Weekend Stuff

I'm tired today at work, which isn't anything new. And, that's OK, since I had fun this weekend.

Friday night Val and I went dancing, and I didn't step on her foot even once. It helped that the waltz is simple and that I remembered a lot of the stuff we were being taught. Saturday we went sledding , to put to use that snow gear we bought at the start of the year. I will say this: I was so warm I sweated through my coat, which is a Columbia with an inner liner and then a shell. The only thing that was lacking was the glove situation. Fingerless, fold-over mittens just don't cut it in the snow. So, that's the next purchase being planned for for both of us.

I am currently enthralled with C&C:Renegade for the PC, and Pikmin for the 'Cube. Renegade is a FPS that is about 5 years old. It's still fun. I'm trying to beat Pikmin, so I don't get the wimpy ending this time.

I once again apologize for not posting more often. I'll try to find something blog-worthy each day, I promise.

Gone For Good.....?

Contrary to popular opinion, I am not dead, or missing. As captain Picard said, "Reports of my assimilation are greatly exaggerated." I just haven't had anything interesting to say. Also, Val and I have been very busy since the weekend. Besides, since I haven't seen any other comments posted, I'm assuming that no one is reading any of this . That's OK.

We decided that we should move upstairs and vacate our place down in my mother-in-law's basement. So, we have been running up and down the stairs putting stuff up there. What fun, since I get to do most of the heavy lifting.

I think that's enough for one day. Until tomorrow...

Tuesday blahs...

I'm kinda bummed today. It sucks hurting other people, even when I don't mean to. I'm not talking about any other heinous sins or anything emotional. Physical pain...even though it's an accident. I want to tell the person I hurt that I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. :( I'll be more careful.

Stamps went up 2 cents today, so remember to go get some so you can mail your bills out.

My friend Ben's site seems to have been deleted, destroyed, disintegrated or otherwise removed from the cyberscape. :( How depressing! I hope he makes another comeback.

Val is having a good time at her work. She had fun last week, so hopefully this week is good to her.

My youngest brother-in-law is engaged to be married sometime in June, I think.

Work is a bit frustrating because some people here expect me to read their minds, and are mad when I can't. Stupid.

Remember to check out your mission's website, so that those who like you can stay in touch with you. You'll thank me later, I promise...

Nuthin' doin'...

There's just not anything happening right now, so this is a pointless post. Sorry...

So sorry, old chap...

Please excuse my lack of communication over the extended weekend. I hope none of you were lonely.

Well, Val and I scored on Saturday. We got 2 pairs of snow-bibs, normally $80 per pair, for $50 for the 2, one for me, and one for her. We also got me a pair of snowboots for $40. All that is left is to get each of us an excellent pair of gloves, and our winter gear is set for the forseeable future. How nice!

New Years was nice, but it's always hard to come back to work. Speaking of work, Val started her new job today doing data entry for her brother-in-law's business. It's a transmission repair shop in Kaysville called Craig's Transmissions. So, if you have trannie trouble, give them a call @ 801.444.1171

I know, I know. Shameless plugging... If only it were sponsored... I'm out...

Oh, yes...

One other thing. I put up a link to the website hosted by my mission. I encourage everyone to look up their respective missions as they apply. The URL starts as http://www.mission.net/ . Click on it and find your mission. It's always nice to let people know what you are up to, unless you don't want them to know. So, go ahead and be a social recluse if you wanna be...I don't mind. Really. :)

Wow, how pointless...

I have nothing to say about myself or anybody else today, so I'll go away...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! It's been a great day! Val and my mother-in-law got me a new wallet for Christmas. It was a complete surprise, and I had a 'kid' reaction to it. Totally excited and thrilled. That was the best present. I also got the Episode 3 DVD, a pen/ FM radio and a ton of candy. We also got a few church DVD's. All in all, a happy day! I hope everyone's Christmas is as great as mine has been.

And remember, it's Jesus' birthday, at least as far as all the rest of Christianity is concerned. So, remember to take time for Him this special day.

Merry Christmas to my family and friends, especially to my friend Ben! :)

I just gotta have it...

It's been an interesting day. Lots of emotions, problems, etc.

A co-worker of mine was ashamed to admit today that, after 2 months of being free, had started smoking again. To my shame, I sat for 2 seconds, and then pointed to him and said "WEAK!" What followed, about 30 seconds later, was a realization of what I had said. I apologized to him, saying that if I had divulged an addiction to him, I would want him to be understanding to me about my plight. So much for the Golden Rule...

His situation made me start thinking about the nature of addictions. I think that everyone has at least one, and that it is part of our personal challenge to overcome the world and better ourselves. The other thing I have figured out, is that addictions seem to come in many guises. Pornography and sexual addiction, anger, smoking, drugs, alcohol, apathy...

I find that I have real troubles with getting angry. I used to think that I was pretty mellow, and that I didn't get angry. Now, it seems that I get very upset about things or people that hurt me. I talk angrily, I write angrily, and I'm so sure that I'm right that I defend my position to the utmost. I seem to be forgetting the 100 year rule: In 100 years, is this thing you are angry about, is it going to matter? Usually it isn't important enough to even matter, but still I fall into the trap.

I try to remember that I shouldn't get upset, but I always seem to forget that when my emotions get going. I feel so powerless sometimes, because I always promise that I'll do better, and the next time isn't better. I have a friend who helps me evaluate myself and my emotions/thoughts, and I'd like to thank him for helping me realize that I may think that what I am doing is right, but that long term, it isn't Christ-like or charitable. Thank you, Mr. Raty.

I think that that is enough profundity for a Wednesday. Stay happy...

Give in to your anger...

Well, I have had it confirmed to me, once again, that ignorant, angry people are stupid. Someone called here at work and was irate about a notice that we had sent out for the Christmas holiday. We will be closed on Monday, and won't send any orders out on Sunday. Any orders sent after the usual cutoff time on Thursday will be delivered Monday.He didn't read the whole notice, and was upset about his interpretation of it. He thought that he wouldn't get an order on Friday like he usually would, which is untrue. So, rather than call up and ask a reasonable question in a reasonable tone, he calls and leaves a voice mail reaming a friend of mine for her incompetency and saying that someone should be shot for being closed for 4 days. What makes people think that it's all right to talk to someone that way? Does every single person fly irrationally off the handle at every little provocation? It seems insane.

Monday Stuff...

Well, it's Monday once again, and almost Christmas time.

My holiday humbuggies were deepened on Saturday when I recieved word from Ben about a former friend. Ben and I were friends with this person 12 or 13 years ago, he and his wife. I found out that they are divorcing after 17 years, and to add to it, that our friend was\is abusive to her. Along with other assorted sins, I was saddened to learn of the depths that this "friend" has descended to. It just goes to show that you may think you know a person quite well, but that you really don't. What a sucky situation...

I don't really have anything else to add today, so I'll bail out...

Still, old friend...

Ah, nothing like a quote from Star Trek 2 to liven things up, and for a post title it does admirably well.

I am still alive, and I'll try to get something up on Monday.

I'm out...

The worst part of getting sick...is getting better.

Good day, persons. It's been a busy day here at work, but time is crawling along. How unhelpful!

I now sound lots worse than I feel. I'm still trying to clear out my lungs, and to stay warm. The warm part is a bit harder, since the other seems to be a bit involuntary.

I have nothing else to say today, so I will bid all of you adieu, and hope your weekends are productive, relaxing and safe. Hasta!

Endurance of Champions...Or Something Like That.

Well, bloggers, I'm back @ work, and able to post coherently. I came to work yesterday, but was in no shape to try anything other than work and breathing, both of which were difficult. I was sick all this past weekend, and I'm only now getting better.

I don't feel like getting into anything strenuous right now, mentally, so I'll close and bid you all good day...

I'm sick...

Well, it's official. As of 10.30 AM this morning, I am sick and stuck at work. Fridays are the worst days to get sick at work here. One of us is here at 3 AM, the other shows up at 7 AM, and I get here at 9 AM. Usually the person who is here at 3 is gone by 7.30. So, there is no one to cover for me, without it being unfair.

You know you are sick when you don't even have the energy to keep yourself upright in your seat. That's pretty bad, isn't it? And when coughs seem to come from the soles of your feet, that just makes it worse.

I'm not looking for a pity party, just trying to tell you how I feel. I hope no one else out there is feeling like this, because then I'll throw a pity party for you instead.

Have a good weekend! I'm out......Really, really out.

This mosaic image, one of the largest ever taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope of the Crab Nebula, is a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers witnessed this violent event nearly 1,000 years ago in 1054, as did, almost certainly, Native Americans.The orange filaments are the tattered remains of the star and consist mostly of hydrogen. The rapidly spinning neutron star embedded in the center of the nebula is the dynamo powering the nebula's eerie interior bluish glow. The blue light comes from electrons whirling at nearly the speed of light around magnetic field lines from the neutron star. The neutron star, the crushed ultra-dense core of the exploded star, like a lighthouse, ejects twin beams of radiation that appear to pulse 30 times a second due to the neutron star's rotation. The colors in the image indicate the different elements that were expelled during the explosion. Blue in the filaments in the outer part of the nebula represents neutral oxygen, green is singly-ionized sulfur, and red indicates doubly-ionized oxygen. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Hester (Arizona State University)
Here is the link to this picture.

My day...

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my wife Valerie for the comments that she has left here today. I love it when people leave comments, but my day was going bad today, until she left all of these comments on my site today. Thank you, my goo. You've brightened my day!

Busy busy busy...

I have nothing to say today. Sorry... Until tomorrow...

'twas the week after Thanksgiving...

It's Monday, bloggers, and for most of us, that means it's time to go back to work. Some of you lucky ones don't have to work, and some others do nothing but stay at work.

Well, I don't have much to say right now except to report on my Thanksgiving antics. I am pleased to report that I didn't stuff myself to the point of near-regurgitation, as I have done on previous occasions. I am also pleased to report that my wife is getting better by the day. Val and her brother, Josh, have a Star Wars card game somewhat akin to the game Magic:The Gathering. It's kinda old, from 1996, but Val and I started playing the starter pack the week before Thanksgiving, and aside from having a few procedural questions, it's really fun. I've become hooked on it. I know that again proclaims that I am a nerd/geek, but it's fun, I like it, and by golly I'm gonna play it!

I have nothing else to blog about right now, but if I think of something later, rest assured that I will let you know about it. I'm out...

Dia de Gracias...

For all of you who are interested, Val and I will be staying home and sharing Thanksgiving with most of my -in-laws. We'll also be being sick together, she and I. Sounds like fun, don't it?

Happy *gobble* Day, everyone! Be safe!

28 Hours?

I thought that this was an interesting article. I can't imagine sitting around for more than an hour for anything. Not that I'm really impatient, but I can think of better things to do with my time than sit outside in the winter and be cold. I guess I'm not as much of a gamer as I thought. That, and $400 for a game console seems asinine. However, I remember paying about $300 for my PS2 not 4 years ago. So, maybe I'm a bit smarter now to wait for the price to drop.

On other digital topics, a virus warning has been released, again warning people to be aware of what they are opening on their e-mails. Here's what I got about it this morning: We have become aware of a number of viruses that are being spread via email attachments. The return address on the emails changes; however, the subject lines tend to be consistent and include the following:

Paris Hilton & Nicol
You visit illegal we....
Your IP was logged
Mail delivery failed
Hi i've a new mail address

There may be others. If you receive these or similar emails, please do not open the attachment -- delete the email immediately.

So, make sure you know who it is that you are getting e-mail from. If you don't know the person sending you mail, go ahead and delete it. Better safe than sorry...

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished...

What is "Goo" ?

I've gotten a few emails from you guys asking what "goo" means.

"Well, I'll tell you..."

"He's going to tell, he's going to tell..."

"No! Stop that! No singing!"

Those of you who know me know I am a bit........overweight. Not obscenely so, but more than I want. But, my wife loves me anyway. So, about a year ago, I was voicing my opinion about how I looked. I believe it was a statement to the effect that "I'm fat, and I don't like how I look." Valerie promptly said that I have "goo fat" and that I was/am cute, and she loves me the way I am. So, "goo" became our pet name for each other. We think it's unique, and we like to say it to each other.

So, that's how "goo" came to be...

This has been a public service announcement brought to you in part by viewers like you. (I took that "public service" thing from Ben. I hope he will forgive my theft.

What a weekend...

Hello, fellow-citizens. I hope all of your separate/collective weekends were fun/productive/relaxing/ etc. Mine was kind of sucky.

Val has been feeling unwell since Friday. Saturday we did all the stuff that we needed to by 2 pm, which included exercising, food shopping, going to see her dad, going to the library to get books and movies, and going to the bank to deposit $. Not too bad for a Saturday. After exercising though, Val started to feel worse. We went to a pre-Thanksgiving party at her dad's that night, and we got back at about midnight. By the time church time rolled around at 10 am Sunday morning, she wasn't good at all. She decided to come to Sacrament, but skip nursery, so that the kids didn't get what she has. She was really upset about not coming to nursery, but I think she made the right decision. She didn't sleep well at all last night, and is probably feeling miserable right now. I feel bad for her, but I feel worse in that I can't do anything to help her feel better.

My point in stating all of this is that I think I am now becoming sick from her. That's never fun, is it? I love her dearly, and I don't mind taking care of her when she needs me, but it hurts to see her so frustrated, sad and exhausted. I also think that I'll be at her point of sickness come Thursday. So, Happy Thanksgiving to me. Oh well, I suppose I should be grateful that I have a body that can get sick, and that I am a relatively healthy individual. Such are the challenges of mortality.

Fast and Furious Friday

Good day, fellow-citizens! Today at work I am by myself. So, accordingly, I am taking this lull in the storm to post a little something for your viewing/reading pleasure.

It has been a very busy week. Between coming home from work, exercising (~30 minutes), dinner (~1 hour, at least), scripture reading(~30 minutes), and any meetings for church callings, there hasn't been time enough for much of anything else, except sleep.

There is an individual who has been trying to get a hold of me this week, and I have been unable to adequately respond to him. I did leave a voice mail on his cell phone explaining why I didn't answer the phone (reading scriptures), but I wanted to apologize to him. I hope he doesn't think I'm trying to avoid him. I'm sorry, Ben.

That's all I have for right now. If I get a chance later, I'll post something else. Have a great weekend, gente del mundo (people of the world).

Thursday blahs...

Well, I don't think there is anything worthwhile happening right now, at least not blog-worthy.

I'm really tired today, and for the first time, I feel like I am sleepwalking at work. It's a really strange feeling. Hopefully I will wake up sometime soon.

If anything happens that's worthwhile, I'll post later. I'm out.........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Doggies!

This is Haldir Anduril "Flame of the West" Fauver. He's my mother's doggy.

Tito Sharif Fumatumaafalah Fauver is the black Cocker Spaniel on top. He's my dad's.

Cute dogs, interesting names. But, if you know my parents, you already understand why the names are what they are.

......Right?

Right is right, and wrong is wrong......

Are there"gray areas" of right and wrong? Is it OK to do something for the good of the customer/person/group, even though, technically, I'm not supposed to do it, but I know how to? Is morality subservient to expediency?

The reason I ask these questions is because things have happened at work where expediency has trumped complete, unvarnished honesty. And I feel a bit guilty, because I'm really trying to be honest with others, but I don't want them upset because I know how to do something, and don't want to inconvenience them to get them to do it for me. Kind of convoluted, but there it is.

I'm becoming aware of just how much deception there is in everyday life. No one wants to be told how fat they are, how lazy, incompetent, worthless etc. they are. They only want to be left alone to pursue their own urges/agendas. So, we rarely tell anyone the complete truth anymore. We politely say nothing of the thoughts that run through our mind when someone enters the room wearing enough cologne for 5 other people. Rather than saying "Dude, we can smell you 10 minutes after you leave the room. You wear too much cologne." , we say nothing. Isn't that a sin of omission? I am realizing that there is a fine line between being completely honest, and letting the small annoyances/pesonality quirks go.

Because, let's face it, work and home are lots easier when we don't tell the clogne dude that he stinks, that someone is too fat, or that the way a person laughs grates on your nerves, and can be heard within a 400 foot radius.

So, again, is honesty subservient to expediency and/or avoiding an uncomfortable situation? I'd appreciate your thoughts on this...

If only ......

I love Pink Floyd, and wish they would get together one more time and tour. They did Live8, but the chances of the original Floyd getting together is miniscule at best.

But these guys have no problems with playing Floyd songs. They've even played for David Gilmour at his birthday celebration. They played in SLC this past Friday, but I had no dinero to get tickets, which was a bummer. Hopefully, next time I can go with my brother-in-law Aaron and Val.

I Hope This Isn't Condescending...

For my friend Ben, and for all of you out there who wonder where I get these images, go here, or click the NASA Images link off to the right. Here is the link for this picture.

NASA Hubble Space Telescope's most detailed visible-light image ever taken of a narrow, dusty ring around the nearby star Fomalhaut offers the strongest evidence yet that an unruly and unseen planet may be gravitationally tugging on the ring. Hubble unequivocally shows that the center of the ring is a whopping 1.4 billion miles away from the star. The most plausible explanation is that an unseen planet moving in an elliptical orbit is reshaping the ring with its gravitational pull. The observations offer insights into our solar system's formative years, when the planets played a game of demolition derby with the debris left over from the formation of our planets, gravitationally scattering many objects across space. Some icy material may have collided with the inner solar system planets, irrigating them with water formed in the colder outer solar system. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, P. Kalas and J. Graham (University of California, Berkeley) and M. Clampin (NASA/GSFC)

Cool Picture!

This view of one of the most dynamic and intricately detailed star-forming regions in space, located 210,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way, was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. At the center of the region is a brilliant star cluster called NGC 346. A dramatic structure of arched, ragged filaments with a distinct ridge surrounds the cluster.A torrent of radiation from the cluster's hot stars eats into denser areas creating a fantasy sculpture of dust and gas. The dark, intricately beaded edge of the ridge, seen in silhouette by Hubble, is particularly dramatic. It contains several small dust globules that point back towards the central cluster, like windsocks caught in a gale.Energetic outflows and radiation from hot young stars are eroding the dense outer portions of the star-forming region, formally known as N66, exposing new stellar nurseries. The diffuse fringes of the nebula prevent the energetic outflows from streaming directly away from the cluster, leaving instead a trail of filaments marking the swirling path of the outflows.The NGC 346 cluster at the center of this Hubble image contains dozens of hot, blue, high-mass stars, more than half of the known high-mass stars in the entire SMC galaxy. A myriad of smaller, compact clusters is also visible throughout the region.

Check this out for the link to this picture.

Monday Morning.....News?

Sorry for not posting on Friday. I was really busy here at work, and I didn't remember to post anything until I was half-way home.

I hope everyone's weekend was fun. Mine was busy. Ever since Val accepted a calling to be in the Cub Scouts, Sundays have become lots more busy. With double choir practice for the ward and the stake, Cub planning meetings and various birthday celebrations and such, weekends don't have much time for sitting around and relaxing. Oh well, such are the sacrifices for helping others. :)

Well, for anyone who is interested in my video game progression, I finally beat Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for the PS2 on hard mode this morning. What fun! I'm gonna try beating it with the other playable character, a vampire, next. Then, I don't know what I'll do, but I'm sure I'll think of something.

Sometime this week, I'll post as to why I like fall/winter more than any other season of the year. Wow, riveting stuff, isn't it?

Situational Ethics...

The purpose of this life is to be tested, to see if we will do the things which our Heavenly Father has asked us to do. Obviously, He knows what we will do and say in any given situation. But the test needs to be given, so that we may stand or fall by our decisions, and be judged accordingly.

An acquaintance of mine is faced with a situation wherein they could profit considerably from their position. However, this person has assured me that they have no intention of following this temptation and thereby selling their soul. I applaud that commitment. Because, I have heard other personal accounts of people who, although they are church members, have whored their souls and have cashed in, thereby hurting their business partners and their families. I commend this person I know for their integrity to themselves and to their faith.

It's a sad commentary on our society where men and women will prostitute their convictions and faith for the proverbial "30 pieces of silver". But, that stuff has been happening for a very long time.

Money can't buy happiness, and eternity is a very long time, isn't it?

Where is Hell?

Lying is bad. I've known it all of my life. I've been taught that lying is one of the worst things a person can do. It destroys relationships and hurts people. I found out last night, and have since come to realize, that there is no such thing as a small, white lie.

As those who know me know, I have spent a lot of my life, approximately one-half, lying about myself, my actions, and trying to shunt responsibility for my actions to someone else by lying to others and to myself. Last year at this same time of the year, I had hoped that my lying was done, and that my facility for lying had been expunged from myself.

Last night, Valerie was mad at me for something I had done by trying to help her. In other words, I hindered more than I helped, and she was frustrated about it. So, she went in to the couch, while I tried to rectify the situation. I thought that it would be all right if I told her that I actually had done the thing she had asked me to do, even though I hadn't. I didn't want her to be mad at me anymore.

However, I failed to consider the consequences of my "white" lie. With trying to help myself, I feel like I have damaged a year's worth of trust and goodwill, by telling my lie. It wasn't that I had made her frustrated, but that I had tried to tell her something that wasn't true, in order to try and help myself. She knows that I have lied to her in the past about myself, and that I have been trying to do better. However, all the progress is wiped away when one is caught, either by my own admission, or she finds out.

"Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell." Well, that's where I am right now. How can she trust me when I say things to her? How can she trust me when I try to tell her the truth? I'm screwed, basically. Hell on earth...

The other part of this situation disturbs me greatly. I didn't even consider the ramifications of my lie. I felt no stirrings of conscience, no Spirit whispering what I should do. I didn't think about anything. The only thought I had was that it was a good idea to try and get her to be happy again, by any means. STUPID! So much for trying to do better.

And even though it's hard for my goo to believe me, I am so sorry for what I did. Never again will I give you an opportunity to doubt me or my trustworthiness. Complete honesty from now on, whether or not you are upset with me. I'm so sorry. I hope that someday you can forgive me, and trust me. I love you. I'm sorry.

The Changing Face of Physics...

And I thought stuff like this was impossible... Shows what I know.

2 Wonderful Years...

Good day, blogging citizens! First and most important things first. Today, 7 Nov 2005, marks the 2nd anniversary of my marriage to the angelic voiced beauty that is Valerie. I still find myself wondering what it is that she sees in me that is worth sticking with. I suppose that I must have some redeeming qualities that she sees. I am grateful to her. I can't imagine life with anyone else. She is so much a part of me now that to try and separate the parts of me from the parts of her is almost impossible. And even though I'm not perfect, (as anyone who knows me will say), she is still right there with me. It's kind of wierd. We have spent so little time apart in the 2.5 years that we have known each other. I think that we have spent something like 2 weeks apart in all that time. She is always there when I need her. I find it interesting that when she goes somewhere without me, be it to a family thing or something else, people invariably ask her where I am. I think that's a good thing. It means that my wife loves me enough to want to spend lots of time with me, and that other people notice. Isn't that great?

Only Valerie would help trim my goatee, help give me manicures, and basically help me be more refined in my appearance and grooming. Shes SO cute!

I love her so much. I hope that we are able to spend lots more time together. She is my goo, my angelic voiced one, my beauty. I love you, my sweetheart. I need you. <3

I know, I know...

I don't have anything to talk about yet, and I don't think I'll have much of anything to report today. Sorry. Keep happy.

Why Not?

Years in the Making These images were taken by the Spitzer Wide-area Infrared Extragalactic Legacy project, which encapsulates one of the primary objectives of the Spitzer mission: to connect the evolution of galaxies from the distant, or early, universe to the nearby, or present day, universe. The Tadpole galaxy (top left) is the result of a recent galactic interaction in the local universe. Although these galactic mergers are rare in the universe's recent history, astronomers believe that they were much more common in the early universe. Thus, the project's team members will use this detailed image to help understand the nature of the "faint red-orange specks" of the early universe. The top right image depicts one-sixteenth of the survey field called ELAIS-N1. The bright blue sources are hot stars in our own Milky Way, which range from 3 to 60 times the mass of our Sun. The fainter green spots are cooler stars and galaxies beyond the Milky Way whose light is dominated by older stellar populations. The red dots are dusty galaxies that are undergoing intense star formation. The faintest specks of red-orange are galaxies billions of light-years away in the distant universe. The bottom left figure features an unusual ring-like galaxy, called CGCG 275-022. The red spiral arms indicate that this galaxy is very dusty and perhaps undergoing intense star formation, which could have been initiated by a near head-on collision with another galaxy. The most distant galaxies that SWIRE is able to detect are revealed in a zoom of deep space (bottom right). The colors in this feature represent the same objects as those in the larger field image of ELAIS-N1. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech


Ok, enough of the explanation of the above picture and who it is credited to. I post this picture with the intent of revealing a horrible, dark, nasty secret about myself..... I am a Star Trek fan. Not fanatic, like the proto-typical Trekkie that you hear about. But, I do have some episodes of DS9 and such on my computer. I don't like the original series, but Next Generation and Voyager were OK. DS9 was my favorite. I also have a few Star Trek games on the computer. I also have a certain fascination with space/astronomy/stellar physics/high energy physics. I really wanted to be an astronomer or high energy physicist, but I lack the ambition or drive to become such. When I saw the picture on this post, I thought of how many people there have to be in those other galaxies. Humans can't be the only sentient beings that exist in the entirety of space. That's one of the reasons I like Star Trek, because it allows the possiblity of there being others kind of like us.

Now, I don't presume to say that the others who surely must exist in our galaxy and other galaxies must look something like us, but just that they are there is a happy thought.

What I still fail to understand is how people can say that God doesn't exist, and that all the infinite wonder that exists in space came to be because of a fortuitous chance. I throw the BS flag, 15 yard penalty, to quote my supervisor.

I just look at that picture, and I wonder what the others are doing in their lives. I wonder if they have some of the same experiences that we do. Just a mid-day musing...

*whew*

Well, I just got done reading an e-mail from my friend Ben, stating that he is not going to quit his blog, just that he is frustrated by the lack of control he has over his own site. That is understandable. It is rather frustrating to not be able to see who it is that is posting comments anonymously on your blog. I suppose that that is one of the drawbacks to having your own spot on the 'net, but that doesn't mean he has to be happy about it.

For better or worse, I'm glad he isn't going away from us. He doesn't know how much we need his unique outlook and logic.

NEVER!

My friend Ben is deciding to stop posting on his site. No! It can't be true! Say it isn't so!

Besides being shocked, dismayed, saddened and bewildered, I'm also worried. I don't want him to go. His site is one of the few/elect sites that I check multiple times each day to see what is going on with him. I've always found him and the things he says/thinks to be entertaining, informative, and occasionally, educational. To put it simply, if he closes his site down, I feel like I will be losing access to the mind, opinions and knowledge of someone I am friends with, who I trust, and who is a sounding board for my own opinions. It will be a travesty and tragedy if he stops, almost akin to the Earth stopping its rotation.

I urge everyone who reads this post to go to Ben's site, click on the comments entry for his post of 31 Oct 2005 titled "Results of the naming contest, and other news related to the site" and leave honest feedback as to what you think of his site.

I hope he reconsiders, and re-evaluates his impact on our lives. Because to me, he is important.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

My eyes feel like they should still be sleeping. I was in this exact same place less than 10 hours ago, and it doesn't feel any better than it did last night. Oh well.

Another Halloween has passed, and I missed it. I usually don't find 'ween very exciting or entertaining. I suppose that I am turning into a grumpy old man. However, this year I was looking forward to seeing the little ones from nursery in their costumes. I suppose, like most sports teams, I can always say "There's always next year".

Not much else happening right now. But, as always, if something happening happens, I'll fire up the blog and post. I'm out...