A new work computer...

...and I'm excited with it. I wish I could take it home to replace my old home 'puter. Mine is 6+ years old.
For anyone who understands, here are the new one's specs: P-3.4GHz, 1 G RAM, 71 G HD, and a DVD drive. In contrast, my one at home is a P4-1.5 GHz, 768 MB RAM(originally 256Mb) and a 40 & 60 Gb hard drives that I got somewhere, a hardware based DVD drive, and the original CD-RW drive.

...

Upon further reflection, my system isn't so bad, but it's nowhere near where it needs to be to play Supreme Commander.(This is a game link. Don't click it at work , as you might get in trouble.)

Oh, and happy 22/7 day. (Pi day! You know, the 3.1415 thing.)

Not much happening...

Sorry for being out of touch for so long. It's been busy, and I haven't posted anything that didn't seem worthwhile.

Hope you're all doing well.

A hole in the Earth...

..and they're gonna go check it out.

This sounds cool. It would be kinda scary to go down, in person, to look at the mantle of the earth. But, it would be exciting too. But, they're sending a robot to do the work.

Still, it would be fun...

That's a LOT of information...

Your link for the day.

"A new study has estimated how much digital information is zipping around -- hint: it's a lot.
The report, assembled by the technology research firm IDC, sought to account for all the ones and zeros that make up photos, videos, e-mail, Web pages, instant messages, phone calls and other digital content cascading through our world today. The researchers assumed that an average digital file gets replicated three times.
Add it all up and IDC determined that the world generated 161 billion gigabytes -- 161 exabytes -- of digital information last year.
That's like 12 stacks of books that each reach from the Earth to the sun. Or you might think of it as 3 million times the information in all the books ever written, according to IDC. You'd need more than 2 billion of the most capacious iPods on the market to get 161 exabytes."

Dude...that's....hmmmmm. I can't even imagine...

Look at me! Look at me. ... LOOK AT ME!!!!!!

Your other link for the day.

I wonder how outrageous famous people would be if the news didn't follow them around, and if their fans just liked their music/acting ability/voice/etc. If the media always responded with a "meh" instead of a circus and /or a frenzy, I bet they wouldn't do stupid things.

Unfortunately, since sex sells and the world turns on the celebrity axis, it's not gonna stop. So, we get more media obsession with Britney, Anna Nicole and/or anyone else who is willing to exploit/expose themselves.

Sometimes I wish I was blind...Life would be easier.

The death of rap...

at least according to CNN.com.

I agree that rap is a bad influence on society. But, it isn't the only bad influence.

The only question I have is...How the crap does rap qualify as music? Chanting? Yes. Singing? Sometimes. Harmony? No.

Now, I like some 'Rage Against the Machine' and 1 Coolio song, but I won't be sad to see rap lose some of its prominence.

I am special. I am special. Look at me...

An interesting study that I happen to agree with.

The study states that college students today are more self-centered than past generations, due to permissive parenting and the 'self-esteem' movement.

Yes, I am special. But, I don't deserve everything I want, and I don't always get all the things I want.

And I'm OK with that.

9 ways to help your heart...

are found here.

But, may I make a few...changes? I'm gonna make some anyway.

#1 Don't eat any dairy products at all. I don't understand how more can be better than none at all.

#2 is good, but maybe get out and take a brisk walk instead. Lots of fresh air is good for you...

#3 Instead of fish, try eating spinach salad with flax oil. 1 Tbsp of flax oil has more omega- 3,6,9 acids than fish does, and without the mercury. Here is where we get our flax oil : Barleans.com

#4 Pomegranate juice is great, and tates good too. Use sparingly, as it is a bit pricey, unless you can afford to guzzle it.

#5 Low salt soy sauces are good, but try a product called Braggs(liquid aminos), which isn't a soy product, but tastes like one. It's relatively low salt also.

#6 Laugh it up, fuzzball.

#7 Sleep is always good. Make time so you can get at least 8 hours. I find I do well on at least that much, but not more than 10 hours.

#8 & #9 Should be done anyway, but controlling your breathing sounds a bit difficult, especially for 10 minutes....um, I guess you go for it, if you have 10 uninterrupted minutes to concentrate on your breathing.

My weekend...

...was fun. Val and I went sledding on Friday, since I had the day off. Lots of snow, and lots of fun. There was about 1.5 feet of snow, and this was after it had stopped snowing for a few hours. And thus, we were really glad that we had snow-bibs and good boots to go have fun in.

I wiped out a couple of times, one time really hard. But we had lots of fun anyway.

How was your weekend?

"Guns don't kill poeple. I do."

All of this I'm about to post comes from the Penny Arcade website. You can go there for the unedited version. The only editing I did was change the f-word a couple of times

Here is what I wanted to post, and I quote Gabe:

"Yesterday I made a post about the teenagers that murdered the homeless guy and then blamed it on violent games. These kids have given the media their angle and just like all the other cases where games are mentioned no one will ever look any further. No one will ask what their family life was like, what their parents were like, what the kid was like before all this happened. Games did it and that’s the end of the story.

In my post I took the absolute extreme opposite approach. I laid blame completely on the parents and that was intentional. Penny Arcade is a satire site and people come here to laugh or get angry and that’s what we try to provide. I will admit that deep down as the father of a two year old I also want to believe that I as a parent can shape my kid into a decent human being. If I don’t believe that then…well I just have to believe that right now.
With that said I’m perfectly aware that the reality of the situation was somewhere between the two extremes. I know full well that violent games did not create this killer and I also know that his parents did not make him a murderer. Nothing outside of a comic strip and a goofy blog is ever that simple.

The sad truth is that the reality we’re talking about here would probably never actually see the light of day. The media will tell the story they want to tell regardless and that story will be about violent games. The parents of these kids will be lucky to get two lines in an article about the crime. If they tell a reporter that their son hardly played games or that he was fucked up long before they bought a Playstation do you really think that will make it into the final article? You’d never see that side of the story, not in a million years.

But you’re about to.

I am about to share with you an email I received from a Penny Arcade reader. She also happens to be involved in this case but obviously she’d like to remain anonymous. She has agreed to let me share her email with all of you and I can’t thank her enough for that. Like I said before, I know why most people come to Penny Arcade. You come every other day looking for a joke and a laugh. What you’re about to read isn’t a joke. It’s an extremely personal email sent by a very brave woman and I’m honored to share it with you.

""Gabe,

Your news post about the kids and the homeless man yesterday made me sick to my stomach, before I even read the CNN article. I knew what it was going to be about before even reading the article. It was not the article itself, or even your post that made me sick, it was the fact that I know this boy. Or, rather that I could be considered one of the “parents” of this boy.
The boy’s father and I have been together for almost seven years, and I had what I guess could be called a “stepmother” relationship with the kid. To say that living with this kid was hell would be a complete understatement.
I don’t think I have ever actively hated anyone in my entire life, but this kid just makes my blood boil.
As I write this, my teeth are clenched, my hands are shaking, and my whole body is seething with the hatred I feel for this kid and what he has done. Seeing the article brings back all the horrible memories from when he lived with us.
He was constantly in trouble in school, with the cops, with us, with his mother, and with anyone else who was an authority figure. Not a week went by that the school or the cops wouldn’t call us for something. His attitude was basically “ f you, I don’t have to listen to you” said with a shrug.
We tried absolutely everything we could think of to get him to behave like a normal human being… we tried groundings, negative reinforcement / punishment, positive reinforcement, counseling, and anything and everything the counselors suggested. We tried to get him interested and involved in extracurricular activities, like hockey, drama, music, art, anything, but he got himself kicked out of every group he was in with his “make me” attitude. When we would ground him, we took away everything. No TV, no computer, no phone, no leaving the house, no snacks or junk food…. Everything. When he was grounded, he was only allowed to sit in his room and read or draw. He was actually a pretty good artist, and we tried to encourage him to spend his time working with his talent. He would just sit there and take it… the groundings had absolutely no affect on him at all. Most of the time, he didn’t even remember why he was being grounded. At the end of it, we would ask him if it was worth it to have everything taken away in exchange for what he did… he usually just shrugged. He could be grounded for weeks, or a month at a time, and then the very next day would do something to get back in trouble again. Most kids get grounded or punished a couple of times, and then they want to avoid having to go through it again… not this kid, nothing seemed to phase him.
And we’re not talking the usual teenager stuff, like coming home late, or refusing to do the dishes. We’re talking stealing cars, setting fires, drinking, getting picked up for drugs, beating up handicapped kids at school (yes, really) stealing things out of our house… all with this “I’ll do whatever the f I want” attitude.
We had absolutely no idea what else we could do. We already had him in counseling, and we did everything the counselors suggested. We tried rewarding his good behavior (what little there was) to try to get him to see that when he behaves like a normal human being, things are good and people enjoy being around him. Nothing phased him at all.

Then, things took an even worse turn when he decided that whenever he didn’t get his way, or we did something he didn’t like, he told his counselors and teachers that we were abusing him. (Never happened.) And for some inexplicable reason, everybody believed him. I understand that child abuse is a very serious situation, and that they have to take every possible case seriously, but this was clearly a case of him manipulating people to get what he wanted. We had people from the school, cops, and social services over at our house or calling us on a weekly basis stating some new abuse that he had made up. At 14, the boy was already 6’3” and over 200 pounds. Of course, there was never a mark on him, because no such abuse ever took place.
One particular night (cops involved, as always) he decided that he didn’t have to listen to anything we said, and that he wasn’t coming home. He went to live with his mother, where things got worse by the day. He stole everything out of her home and sold it. He invited gang-bangers and drug dealers to her home, and she feared for her safety constantly. She called the cops numerous times because she feared for her safety, but again, the boy said that she abused him, and the cops always took his side. (For reference, the mother is about 5’3” and barely clocks in at 115.) He planted a loaded gun in her room, called the cops and told them that it belonged to the mother’s boyfriend. The boyfriend actually ended up serving time because of this f-ng bastard kid. She had two other young children in the house, and the gun and the abuse charges were an intentional plot to get the other two kids taken away from her. She tried restraining orders against the kid, but since he was a minor, they wouldn’t allow it. Every time he got picked up, she pleaded with the cops to take him to jail, maybe that would finally get though to him, but they just kept bringing him home to her. I don’t understand why everyone who was involved with this kid just blindly took this juvenile delinquent’s word over all else!
The night that he and his friends murdered that poor homeless man, the mother said that he was acting particularly cocky. Then he threatened to kill her. We had absolutely no idea of what he had done until they found the man’s body. He was immediately waived into adult court (at 15) and sentenced to 15 years. We were all absolutely sick with grief for this man.

We were also sick with guilt… “What could we have done differently?” was a constant question in all of our heads. After the kid was sentenced, all the cops, counselors, social workers, and people at the school that had been dealing with him contacted us and his mother and apologized for not taking us seriously. They are all trained to take all accusations of child abuse seriously, and as a part of that they blindly took the kid’s side for everything, and dismissed us as “the lying abusers”. Many of them told us that they wished they would have taken our pleas for help seriously. Everyone thought we were exaggerating about how f-ed up this kid was.

I completely agree with your statement of “These kids were twelve kinds of nuts and that’s a fact.” But the reason I am writing this to you is that, after reading your news post yesterday, I felt that I needed to defend the boy’s parents. His mother and father and I did absolutely everything we could think of to try to keep this kid in line. Even the kinds of things that normal teenagers get in trouble for would have been a blessing compared to what we’ve been through with him.

What I gave you today is a very small sampling of the kinds of things we were dealing with every single f-ing day with this kid. When people hear about what he’s done, I can always sense the “I’m sure there was something you could have done” comment coming up. What would you have done? How do you deal with a kid like this? Like I said, we did everything the counselors suggested, and nothing seemed to matter.

If you want to add another element to the “nature vs. nurture” idea, this boy has a brother. Both boys were raised in the same house, with the same values. The brother has developed into a kind, considerate, responsible, and independent young man. He is currently working his butt off right now to save up money to go to school for architecture. The only thing I regret is that we spent so much time and energy dealing with the bad kid that this boy missed out on having a normal family life with a normal sibling relationship.

I am sorry this got so long. I have been reading PA since the very beginning, and I feel that both of you are very much like me. I think we are the same age (29) and I have been a lifelong gamer like the two of you. I can’t stand hearing about the so-called correlation between games and real-life violence. Video games DID NOT make this kid who he was, and it’s unfortunate that the correlation is there.

The thing that really gets me with this whole thing is that the kid knows full well that by equating what he’s done to a video game, that he will generate controversy and media coverage. It makes me sick that the media is jumping all over this, because that is exactly the result that he wants.

The only good thing (if there is such a thing) that has come out of this whole ordeal is that the kid is behind bars. That is exactly where he needs to be.

Again, I’m sorry about the length of this. Thanks for allowing me to “tell my side” of the story. ""

So there you go. There’s the real story. This kid was broken. He’s decided to use videogames as a scapegoat because as crazy as he is, he’s not stupid. He knows exactly what he’s doing. The sad thing is that it will probably work."

I'm not gonna debate this one, since the lady says they tried all they could with this..."kid". It reminds me of the line in UHF where the guy says "Guns don't kill people. I do".

It makes me wonder when this kid apparently gave up his agency in order to be controlled by the demon XBox, or PS3, or that insidious Wii.

What a load of BS. You chose to subject yourself to evil influences, you chose to do things that were wrong , and thus put yourself in Stan's sway. Don't blame others for your own problems, you manipulative little devil.

I hope you like prison. I hope they never let you out.

And yes, I am being extremely unforgiving, but I deplore his actions. I don't know the whole story, and admittedly only one side, but what is he gonna say to defend himself except a cop-out? Stuff like this makes me sick, as I see it as another symptom that society will eventually destroy itself by not holding people responsible. Sure, he is in prison, but what about the lives he has harmed due to his negligence or apathy? What about the life he has taken?

I suppose everyone is entitled to a defense, but why does society seek to blame games, or sex, or drugs, or anything else as the sole reason of a persons behavior? Why can't we say that this person is messed up because of a lot of reasons, but that ultimately the choice was still his to do these despicable things, and thus he should pay for his crimes? Does society just need something to blame, rather than someone?

"It's not his fault that he can't behave. Society's made him go astray. Perhaps, if we're nice, he'll go away."

I'm glad I don't have to be the one to judge him. Some of you will say that I already have, and I disagree. I hate his actions. I'm glad he's out of society and can't destroy anyone elses life. But, I'll let Heavenly Father take care of it.

Workin' nights...

...so I won't post anything substantial tonight.

Sorry.

Mmmmmmmm....sleep......

This is a good article for everyone, not just women.

It's an article denoting some of the mistakes that women (and probably a lot of other people) make where their sleep is concerned.

I read that article, and saw a few things that do make it hard for me to sleep.

I wish I was at home sleeping right now.

The origin of my name...

Mom and dad chose my name out of a book of baby names. It was a "strong sounding name", and couldn't be shortened in any way. It also couldn't be made fun of easily, was not very popular when I was born, and was a nice sounding biblical name. Lots better than a name like Jehazareel or some such.

It seems to be a rather inauspicious origin for a name, especially compared to Val's. But I like my name a lot. And I have my parents to thank.

Thank you for thinking of my welfare, dearest parents.

Eskimo Nebula

"In 1787, astronomer William Herschel discovered the Eskimo Nebula, which from the ground resembles a person's head surrounded by a parka hood. In 2000, the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the nebula that displays gas clouds so complex they are not fully understood. The Eskimo Nebula is clearly a planetary nebula, and the gas seen above composed the outer layers of a sun-like star only 10,000 years ago. The inner filaments visible above are being ejected by strong wind of particles from the central star. The outer disk contains unusual light-year long orange filaments. "

Text and image taken from here.

A wish...

Have a great weekend, everyone.

I'm out.

Happy Valentines Day..

...to my Goo.

I love you, my dearest.

Lots of <3 and kisses to you, my goo.

And a great Valentine's Day to the rest of you.

The inverse power of praise...

This is a long article, but really a good one, in my estimation.

The article talks about the dangers of praising either normal or mediocre behavior repeatedly, and the pitfalls of making things too easy for children.

I thought this was a good article because I don't subscribe to the notion that everyone is equal. I think that everyone has things that they are good at. But just because they aren't good at something doesn't make them stupid, just not as good as someone else is at that particular skill.

Case in point: I failed Algebra in 8th grade. Bombed miserably. Sucked it up. Whatever euphemism you care to say, I did it. But, I tried my hardest. Mom and dad were patient, helped me study, and knew I was trying my hardest. They helped me, and didn't shield me from the consequences (poor grades). They also helped hold me responsible for my actions. The next year I passed with a 104%. I think it was because I was allowed to fail, held responsible for that failure, and was told clearly what the expectations were. Thus, I tried harder. No one told me "It's OK if you don't do well. You can't be good at everything. It must be the teacher's fault you aren't getting it. You're smart, even if you don't get this."

Children need to be held responsible for thier actions, specifically praised for the good things they DO, and not just for doing what is expected. That doesn't mean that we can't thank them for doing the normal things...Just don't make it sound like they have saved the world when all they have done is wash their hands or said "thank you".

I think my responsibility is to encourage my children, when they come, to do their best, even if it is difficult at first. If this entails a little pushing and discomfort, then so be it. I f iot entails an investment of time from em, so be it. Heavenly Father doesn't want us to be mediocre, and setting realistic goals and holding others responsible is all " part and parcel, the whole genie gig. PHENOMENAL, COSMIC POWER..." Sorry. It's all part of the Plan.

Praise behavior that is outside of normal, but thank for normal actions.

Besides, no one really gets anywhere eternally when everything is either easy or they aren't challenged.

I suppose I can understand the desire to shield children from hard things, but at what point does it do them a dis-service, and weaken their desire to learn or get better?

The only way that someone else is equal to me is the love that Heavenly Father has for both of us. Everybody has weaknesses they need to work on. So, let the little ones work through their challenges. Hold them responsible, help them do their best, but don't deprive them of the opportunity to learn from their mistakes/failures.

Again, this is my opinion. Take it or leave it.

Unable to distinguish between reality and fiction...

Hover your mouse over this link and look at what it says down at the bottom of the screen.

"Hi, I'm Optimus Prime. This is my wife Vanessa and my child AutoBot. I work to protect the world from the evil forces of the Decepticons...Or terrorism...Whichever.

It makes no sense.

Of pink puppies...

(no links)

I had a wierd dream this morning that someone had been kidnapped, and I had to find them. Somehow I dreamed that we found a pink puppy, whose name was....Ralph, I think. He had a long, daschund-like body with long hair, long ears, a perky-up tail with long hair, and his head was round, but with short hair. And he was ALL pink. Cutest thing I had ever seen.

He looked kind of like the cute guy up at the top there.

The really wierd part was that I had to put him in a cooler so we could take him along with us. He didn't want to be put in the cooler, so he tried to bite my fingers. But he wasn't strong enough to bite me hard, and just sorta ended up gumming my fingers. I ended up getting him in the cooler with the lid up, and he had lots of fun in there.





















What?

Don't look at me that way...Don't YOU ever have wierd dreams? OK then. Keep your eyes to yourself.

How would it be if...

..you couldn't recognize your own siblings?

Some people have a very hard time remembering what people look like, and thus can't hardly recognize anyone. This is apparently due to a malfunction in the brain. The only way they can recognize a person is by either context/enviornment, or if they have someone else tell them who it is.

That would really suck. I'd say hi to my neighbors, but then be unable to recognize them if I saw them at the store.... And like the lady at the end of the article said, I'd feel bad if someone thought I was being mean, but it wasn't my fault.

Finally...

...a haircut.

I know it's not anything big, but I sure am glad to have it short again.

If I had a camera, I'd post a picture...

*sigh*

Only 2 more months 'til we get one...

A whole lot of nuthin'...

No, really, there hasn't been anything noteworthy goin' on. Sorry.

I'm just full of pictures today...

*giggle*

Heh...Darth Kitty.

I thought of Val when I saw this.

I don't know if you can get to it, but I found it here.

A blue sun?

Loops of highly charged particles burst from the sun's surface in this image, taken on Dec. 4, 2006. Among the first images taken by STEREO, the image shows the sun's roiling surface and atmosphere at temperatures around one million Kelvin (1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit). The charged particles, mostly extremely hot protons and electrons, create a strong magnetic field that pulls the particles into the loops seen here. Over time, magnetic stress builds in the sun's atmosphere until the energy is released in a massive explosion. The explosion sends a giant cloud of charged particles (a coronal mass ejection) and x-ray solar flares hurtling into space with a force comparable to a billion megaton nuclear bombs. When the charged particles and x-rays bombard the Earth, they can disrupt communications and power systems and are a threat to satellites and astronauts in space. Understanding the difference between harmful and harmless coronal mass ejections is one of the biggest questions that scientists studying the face of the sun. Currently, scientists only see ejections in one dimension. To understand how solar storms travel through the solar systems, scientists need a three-dimensional view of the storms. STEREO, launched on Oct. 25, 2006, consists of observation systems orbiting the sun in front of and behind the Earth. Just as our two eyes give us a three-dimensional view of the world, the views provided by each STEREO system can be combined to provide a three-dimensional view of the sun. Though the first STEREO images were taken in early December, the two systems won't be in position to give three dimensional images until April 2007. Image credit: NASA

Text and picture from here.

I just thought it was cool to see the sun in blue.

Apollo 1

On January 27, 1967, Apollo 1's crew--Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee--was killed when a fire erupted in their capsule during testing. Apollo 1 was originally designated AS-204 but following the fire, the astronauts' widows requested that the mission be remembered as Apollo 1 and following missions would be numbered subsequent to the flight that never made it into space. Image credit: NASA

Quote and picture taken from here.

I like the movie 'Apollo 13'. I always thought this was a sad occasion, even though they were doing dangerous things.

Um, yeah. If you put it in the microwave...

..and it's not wet, it's gonna burn.

I'm imagining someone tossing their dry sponge into a microwave, pushing in 5 minutes on high power and pressing start. Comic hilarity ensues.

"'Just wanted you to know that your article on microwaving sponges and scrubbers aroused my interest. However, when I put my sponge/scrubber into the microwave, it caught fire, smoked up the house, ruined my microwave, and pissed me off,' one correspondent wrote in an e-mail to Reuters."

Yet another sign of the apocalypse.

I suppose it's nice to speculate...

..about the end of life as we know it. But really, this is at least +5 BILLION FREAKIN' YEARS AWAY! (no link)

Yes, life as we know it will cease to exist, but I think it'll happen long before the sun turns into a red giant, due to the 2nd Coming and the Millenium. Celestial worlds can't be destroyed, can they?

Where would you sleep?

Check this out.

+$300k for an 11x17 foot apartment!

I believe this deserves the BS flag. 15 yard penalty.

I wonder how long...

...this will last.

Microsoft is offering Windows Vista online as a download.

I predict that in about 6 months (and I'm sure I'm displaying my ignorance of hacking) there will be hacked access codes/keys available to help people upgrade to the "Ultimate" version for free.

Of course, I'm not advocating supporting anything illegal. But, I wonder how long MS will go on embedding upgrades on hard drives and along with CD's.

Then again, they may have made it impossible to hack...I don't know.

Happy Birthday, Joshua...

Today is 19 Jan 07, which means Josh is ........27 I think.

Drop him a line and let him know you're thinking of him.

..."Happy Birthday dear Frankie..."

A $20k TV...

*sigh*

Boy, it sure sounds like this would be nice to have. Not that I'm and addict to A/V fashion.

But, it would be nice...

Martin Luther King Monday...

I was thinking about this on the way in this morning: The Founding Fathers were inspired, and included the wording "..that all men are created equal" in the Decleration of Independence. Why, then, did it take almost 200 years for blacks/Afro Americans/African Americans to recieve equal status as men/women? And just as long to be able to recive temple blessings and priesthood blessings?

I understand that revelation comes when we are ready to recieve it, and in the Lord's due time. I guess this was one of those times when Jesus knows the best way to run His church, and wouldn't be rushed.

More white stuff

Dear Salt Lake Valley drivers,

Is it necessary for ALL of you freeway drivers, when a drop of rain or a single snowflake hits the ground, to slow down your cars to ~15-20 mph? I understand that it could get nasty, but it isn't there yet. Couldn't you just put more space in between you and the car in front of you, and still do 50 or 60? You live in Northern Utah, and it snows occasionally, but all of you act like you have never seen water that falls from the sky...

Can we speed it up a bit, please?

Thanks.

Freakin' Blogger!

Sorry I was out of touch for a while. I couldn't get back in to the old blog. But, I managed to get in today and switch over to the beta Blogger. So, there shouldn't be any more interruptions...

Business as usual...

Nothing to see here...

Go back to your lives, citizens...

Have a fun weekend!

What the crap is all this cold, white stuff...?

It's been snowing non-stop since ~8.30 this morning, and the Valley commute is slowed to a crawl. So, I'll be getting home some time ~8 tonight, I think...

And I'm leaving right now...

Wish me luck...

Still not much happening...

Sorry. I can't find anything really worth mentioning. Hope that's OK.

I'm out.

First in 2007.

Sorry for not wishing you a Happy New Year before this. I sorta forgot.

So, Happy New Year! Hope all of you were safe...

That's all, for now...

Short and sweet...

Christmas was great. I got 7 games; Wild ARMs 3, 4, and Alter Code:F, Star Wars Podracer Revenge, Star Wars: Episode 3 and Lego Star Wars, all for the PS2. I also got SimCity 4 for the PC. And best of all, Val, her mom, her mom's friend and her Aunt Sandy banded together and refurbished my Cabbage Patch Kid. Sandy resewed all the stitching that had gone out over the years, Rosallyn got lots of cute clothes for him, and Val's mom brought it all together. But it was all Val's idea. And she was the mover and shaker of it.

I'm working nights, so I'm gonna stop, but I hope all of you enjoyed your Christmas.

I'm goin' away for Christmas...

I have the rest of the week off, starting tomorrow. We're gonna work on Christmas cards, anticipate presents, and take time to play games.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Again, I can hear the masses saying..."duh".

Your link for the day.

A study says that 95% of Americans have had sex before they were married. And people think that it's normal.

I'm not even gonna get into a discussion or a diatribe about this study. The only comment I will make is that this shows why Western civilization is going down the toilet, and why the 2nd Coming is right around the corner. If the most sacred thing a person can share with someone else is cheapened to the point of normalcy by its casual flaunting and misuse, we are doomed.

Repeat after me..."moral degredation".

Just hold on to the stupid thing...!

Your gratuitous game link for the day...

You'd think that people wouldn't let go of their game controllers, even in the heat of the moment...

Then again, perhaps I'm not as excitable as other people.

I have made a decision about games and game consoles. From now on I'm not gonna buy a *new* console until the end of its generational cycle. I'll just save up money, and then when the new consoles come out, I'll pick up the old ones along with all the cool games that are out for them. This way I save money, avoid hardware recalls and destoyed HDTV's from flung Wiimotes.

So, with the Wii, 360 and the PS3 coming out last month, I would have bought a PS2/Xbox/GameCube, along with the games I wanted. But, I have a PS2 and 'Cube already, along with games. So my plan will be put into effect as of this moment.

Post #2

Mom just sent me this...

I wonder what Ben's take is...

on this.

A Ford Mustang Wagon?


The world is doomed...

Cone nebula

Resembling a nightmarish beast rearing its head from a crimson sea, this monstrous object is actually a pillar of gas and dust. Called the Cone Nebula because of its conical shape in ground-based images, this giant pillar resides in a turbulent star-forming region. Taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2002, this image shows the upper 2.5 light-years of the nebula, a height that equals 23 million round trips to the moon. The entire nebula is 7 light years in length. The Cone Nebula resides 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. Radiation from hot, young stars has slowly eroded the nebula over millions of years. Ultraviolet light heats the edges of the dark cloud, releasing gas into the relatively empty region of surrounding space. There, additional ultraviolet radiation causes the hydrogen gas to glow, which produces the red halo of light seen around the pillar. A similar process occurs on a much smaller scale to gas surrounding a single star, forming the bow-shaped arc seen near the upper left side of the Cone. This arc is 65 times larger than the diameter of our solar system. The blue-white light from surrounding stars is reflected by dust. Background stars can be seen peeking through the evaporating tendrils of gas, while the turbulent base is pockmarked with stars reddened by dust. Over time, only the densest regions of the Cone will be left. Inside these regions, stars and planets may form. The Cone Nebula is a cousin of the M16 pillars, which the Hubble imaged in 1995. Monstrous pillars of cold gas like the Cone and M16 are common in large regions of star birth. Astronomers believe the pillars are incubators for developing stars.

Image credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M. Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team and ESA

Here is the link for the text and image.

The king has died. Long live the king...

Ben's site is now gone.

*sigh*

I'm taking it off the side of the blog right now...

How big is the second Death Star really...?

I didn't post yesterday, and I apologize.

Here is your Star Trek/Star Wars/sci-fi link for the day.

WARNING: If you do not have a cable/DSL/T-1 or faster connection to the 'Net, I wouldn't even bother clicking the link. Lots of .gif images that are quite hi-resolution. So, if you are dial-up, don't even worry about it.

I'm not sure how coherent this will be...

...but it saddens me just how much intolerance and/or hate and /or indifference is in the world. It almost seems as though peaceful coexistence is an empty platitude mouthed for the benefit of the poor sheeple who are expected to remain pliant.

Angnostics and atheists decry the supposed fallacies of organized religions and question the believers' sanity in believing in things so obviously false and unproveable, organized religions preach intolerance and bigotry towards their fellowmen, road-rage is rampant, and indifference towards others is rife.

And the indifference isn't only towards other people, but also towards the things we belive. I wonder what the percentage of church members is, in any religion, that have testimonies of their faith. Strong, Mother Teresa/Pres. Hinckley types of testimonies. Religion seems to be a thing practiced on Sunday, and rarely if ever implemented in a person's life. I suppose it has always been that way, but I can only wonder at how much better would the world be if everyone loved everyone else and helped them, according to their religion's dictates.

Why can someone believe in no Higher Authority, but if I do belive in God and Jesus, why do they attack me for my belief? Am I the only one who sees a double standard here and a inherent weakness in the believers' position? I'm not saying that the position is weak, only that by proclaiming a belief in something, say Christianity, it limits the kind of responses to the attacker.
Because the attacker will invariably deny the reality of a person's feelings, and thus their testimony, and the beliver is limited by his Christian beliefs towards patience, tolerance and love. NOT that these beliefs make the person weak. But if you are taught not to attack a person's beliefs and to be tolerant, you will feel sadness and sorrow for the other's intractability. Hopefully you will also share your testimony, even though it might ultimately be a futile endeavor. But that will be the extent of your involvement.

I suppose that contention/attacks on others will never be a viable method of conversion. Helping others to feel the Spirit through truth is the most effective method. It just seems that there is so little opportunity to share the Spirit through the Internet.

My disclaimer is that I still have a testimony of the restored Gospel, and that it is true. Prophets lead us through current revelation.

I think I have a problem with the "meekness is not weakness" thing.

I know. It's been a while...

"This 1991 image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures a small section of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant. The Cygnus Loop marks the edge of a bubble-like, expanding blast wave from a colossal stellar explosion which occurred about 15,000 years ago. Supernova remnants play an important role in stellar evolution by enriching space with heavy elements, and triggering new star formation by compressing interstellar gas.The image shows the structure behind the shock waves in the Cygnus Loop with unprecedented clarity, allowing astronomers to compare directly the actual structure of the shock with theoretical model calculations for the first time. Besides supernova remnants, these shock models are important in understanding a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, ranging from winds in newly-formed stars to cataclysmic stellar outbursts.As the supernova blast wave slams into tenuous clouds of interstellar gas, the resulting collision heats and compresses the gas, causing it to glow. The shock acts as a searchlight by revealing the structure of the interstellar medium.A bluish ribbon of light stretching left to right across the picture might be a knot of gas ejected by the supernova. This interstellar "bullet," traveling over three million miles per hour (5 million km), is just catching up with the shock front, which has been slowed by plowing into interstellar material.The Cygnus Loop appears as a faint ring of glowing gases about three degrees across (six times the diameter of the full moon), located in the northern constellation Cygnus the Swan. The supernova remnant is within the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy and is 2,600 light-years away."

Text and image taken from here.

My bad...

I didn't post yesterday, and I hope all of you were OK with that. I'm really bsy today, and I don't have anything else to say today.

So, until tomorrow...

Hardware upgrade...

So, I traded in my old PS2, which I got about 6 months after the launch in either 2000 or 2001. I got $15 for it, which I used to buy a new PS2. I'm pleased with the new one. It's about 1/3 the size of the old one, makes lots less noise, has an integrated IR remote reciever, and is lots faster than the old one. The only drawback is that it is a top-loader, instead of a front-, like the old one. And the reason I only got $15 for it is because it was an old model that didn't play blue PS2 discs, so it needed to be sent back to be refurbished. I wasn't too happy to lose the $45 that I had hoped would go towards my re-upping, but I'll live through it.

So, that burns through the rest of my Christmas money for this year. And I'm OK with that. I picked up the stuff that I wanted, and Val has the things she wants. So, we should be good to go.

A better day, I hope...

...than yesterday. I think my problem is that I put too much stock in my personal relationships, and am too sensitive.

I worry what others think of me, if they are upset with me or not, whether what I do or don't pleases them, etc. This is with ALL of my relationships. And when someone doesn't respond to me as quickly as I would like, I assume (bad, Jordan, bad!) that they ARE mad at me, and the whole thing goes down the toilet from there. But, the key to all of this is that I still choose how I feel, and can therefore choose my way out of my funk. It's really difficult, though.

I just need to not worry so much, and trust that those who care about me will tell me if I have done something stupid, or have hurt them in some way.

A bad day...

I don't want to talk about it...

Working nights again...

...so this'll be short.

Nothing to report.



























"...feh. Boring conversation anyway. Luke...!"

So many games, so little time or money...

Your link for the day.
























WHY DO THEY TEMPT ME?!?!?!?!

I CAN'T AFFORD A 360! NOR A WII ! AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO UPGRADE MY COMPUTER!

I JUST BOUGHT A BUNCH OF GAMES FOR THE PS2 FOR CHRISTMAS!

WHY DO THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO INDULGE? DO THEY HATE ME? DO THEY GLORY IN THEIR SADISTIC PLEASURE AT THEIR ABILITY TO INFLICT PAIN AND MISERY?

*whimper...*

Back from Thanksgiving weekend...

The potatoes were very yummy, along with the mushroom gravy, the stuffing, the peas and the home-made punkin pie. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

It was hard coming back this morning, but it always is.

How was everyone else's weekends?

Thankful...?

Yes, I am...

I know most everyone is gone already. I'm working nights tonight, and I have Friday off. So, I'll wish you all a belated Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Remember, we have a lot to be thankful for. And this country, despite its faults and follies, is still the greatest country on the earth.

I love all of you...

I love food...

...and this report says why I do.

It also tells me why I love pumpkin pie so much, and why, despite no turkey on Thursday, I'll be having lots of fun and yummy food.

I am SO looking forward to everything on Thursday.

Isn't it painfully obvious...?

...that he did it?


Say hi to Hitler, Stalin, Lenin and Osama when you get to hell.

Better yet, tell them to *insert expletive here*.

One, and then the other...

Your link for the day...

Dollar coins are a good idea, I think, as long as they are readily available. I have a Sacagawea dollar, but I didn't see a lot of them around.

Now, my other topic for the day.

I enjoy being in choir in church. I love singing. I love singing tenor and/or bass parts. I like Christmas. I like to participate in things I like to do...

So, that is why I'm stoked to be able to be the narrator in our ward Christmas program in church on the 24 Dec 06. I'm also gonna be able to sing! Whoo hoo!

I had fun last night practicing with my mother-in-law and Val the music/cantata we are getting ready for Christmas. So much fun to be able to do things that sound good with other people who sound better than I do.

*glee!*

A new link...

Here it is, or else you can click on it over on the side, if you want. It's right above Ben's link.

More news to come later.

For the record...

I have neither an XBox, Xbox 360 nor a PS3.

My point is that $600 is a lot of money to pay for a console that has few games. But, as Ben pointed out, the PS3 is backwards compatible with PS2 games, and a Blu-ray DVD player is +$1000. So, if you wanna upgrade your DVD player and your console,all at the same time, go for it.

Me, I'm gonna wait 3 or 4 years.

Maybe more.

Oh, the irony...

1: People shot while waiting in line for PS3.

2: Wii more available, and it's unique...

As to the first one, I realize that this sort of thing (the craziness) happens frequently when groups of people compete for limited 'resources'. It's not limited or specific only to the PS3 launch. And, when you're carrying $600 + to buy something, it's easy money if you want to rob someone.

The second one seems to be a no-brainer for me. With Nintendo you get Mario, Zelda and Link, Metroid and Samus... Name-brand characters with historically succesful franchises, even though the only one being offered right now of those is Zelda. With the PS3, your launch is...sparsely populated, to say the least.

I thought Tycho put it best this morning in this.

It's HOW much?!?!?!?!?!

Your link for the day.

OK...

$600 + for a new console is asenine, in my opinion. Even if it has a next-gen DVD player and is HD capable. There are few games for it, it's overpriced and scarce.

The XBox 360 has HD capability, has lots of games, has been out for a year, and has a DVD player. Not next-gen, but capable nonetheless.

And it's HALF THE PRICE of a PS3!

Go back to your lives, citizens...

...show's over.

Not a lot happening. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

...and all the hot air they spew pollutes too!

Happy Monday..........?

Nothing here today, citizens.

See you tomorrow.

Honestly...

No links today...

I've come to the conclusion that people don't like honesty, even my own family(immediate and -in-law's). Most people proclaim honesty to be one of the pillars of civilization, and bemoan the fact that there is not enough of it in the world. Yet, if a person is honest to someone else, the reciever is offended and angry 99% of the time. I hate people who pay lip-service, and thats all.

Now I can understand that most people have a hard time taking criticism. I am one of them. I'm trying to do better. But, at what point do we stop being honest with ourselves and with others because we are afraid of hurting their feelings? Don't the ones we love deserve to know when they have hurt our feelings?

Are my feelings less important than theirs?

Should I stomp down on my feelings because I am afraid of hurting their feelings?

Apparently so, as even my own family has gotten upset with me on occasion for expressing my feelings truthfully. Josh has blown up at me on more than one occasion. Mom has, and Dad has too. Why is honesty so difficult for others to accept?

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that my family has been taught the same things that I have, and proclaims to cherish honesty and open communication. Yet when I communicate about how I feel, even in an imperfect manner which is the best I can do, the reaction is anger and hostility.

No one likes to be told that they hurt someone else, but to compound the problem by getting upset really makes it worse.

Don't tell me how I SHOULD feel. Who are you to tell me how I should feel, huh? Sympathize with me. Tell me that you are sorry and will try to do better. That's all I ask.

If I've done something to hurt you, tell me, and I'll do my best to say I'm sorry and to reciprocate.

And if you claim to want open communication, be aware that you are not perfect, even if you are a parent, and that that openness entails a certain amount of negative feedback. And also be aware that getting angry only facilitates the destruction of communication.

What a freakin' crock of crap. This upsets me so much I deliberately have ommitted the obscenities I had run through my mind as I was typing all of this. Rest assured, though, that they are there.

Now, on to the real issue: I want to go to a LAN tonight with my brothers-in-law and play computer games. The thing is that Aaron's girlfriend Melissa is loud-mouthed, obnoxious, and very full of herself, and she's sure to be there tonight. I don't want to be there if she's there. But, I also want to play.

Hence the dilemma. The rhetorical question before the court: Do I stuff my feelings and go play anyway? Do I avoid the situation? I know I can't be honest to any of these people(DeVon, Marie, Melissa, Aaron, Josh. Relationship to Jordan: father-, step-mother-, sister-, and 2 brothers-in-law), as they will explode just like my brother Josh.

I hate this feeling, knowing that it is an exercise in futility to be honest with most of my family.

Ask yourself: Do I want others to be honest with me, or do I want to hear some myself-serving BS from them? Which do I really want?

*indifference*

Your link for the day.

In short, the article states that Windows Vista is now ready for distribution, and will be released in January 30, 2007.

I'm gonna shorten it right now to WinVis, and state my utter lack of drive to buy said product. I see no reason to shell out $150+ for something that is gonna be a buggy, unsecure piece of crap. Not that XP is really secure, but it's been around for 5+ years and hasn't let me down yet. That's my opinion anyway.



Good day...

Happy anniversary...

to Val and I. We've been married for 3 years today!

We went and voted, and then we went out to eat for the first time in 8 months. We found a place in SLC that makes vegan pizzas called Este Pizza (about 21st South and 840 East). It was excellent, and the people there were very friendly and helpful. Then we sang to Pink Floyd and the Pulse version of 'Dark Side of the Moon' all the way home. Played Scrabble, where she kicked my trash yet again. I think the final score was 187 to 129. Oh well...It was fun anyway.

Happy day, my goo. I love you so much!

This is NOT a rant...

but I take issue with this article.

There is a better way to prevent this from happening, and it would remove a whole lot of other problems: global warming, water pollution, deforestation, ozone depletion, oil dependence...The list goes on.

The solution? Be vegan!

I understand that there are 1 billion people who depend on seafood for their protein. I don't have a problem with that. But, why can't Americans cut out their seafood intake? We don't depend solely on fish for our protein, so why don't we take it away? Wouldn't that help alleviate the 2048 collapse?

I'll tell you why. It's either one or any combination of these reasons: because it would be difficult. Because people see animals as resources to be exploited, not as animals with feelings, not as God's creations that have feelings and souls; because people are addicted to their 'carnal' pleasures. They operate under the fallacy, fed to them by the animal exploiters, that 'animal' protein is better than plant protein. They also lack the imagination to be adventurous in the foods they eat. They also are lazy, and don't want to spend the time to cook their food.

Some parts of the world don't have a choice in what they eat, or where they get their protein. As Americans, the overwhelming majority DO have a choice. But, they choose to be lazy, buying into the stereotypes fed to them by manipulative industries.

Now, I know that people are gonna feel indignant, and feel that I have maligned them. I promise that that has not been my intention. I merely saw another solution to the problem stated in the article, and I can give just as much evidence to support my position as others can give to defend theirs.

Ultimately, the choice to be vegan resides within the mind and soul of every person, and, like the gospel, can't be brought about by facts, figures or debate. It must come through correct information, clearly presented in a caring manner.

A good book that converted me is 'Diet for a New America' by John Robbins. I found it quite informative, and full of INDEPENDENT sources to back his opinions and observations.

*whew*

OK. I'm done.

On a different note...check this and this out. They are game video previews for the new Nintendo system and Legend of Zelda game that are coming out on 19 Nov 06.

After watching those, I figure that I'm definitely gonna be ensnared by that game and system, despite its unconventional controllers. Sooner or later, it's gonna happen. "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

And lastly.....4 LINKS!!!!! Whoo hoo!

Not much today...

Sorry, but I haven't been able to find anything worth posting.

*sigh*

Oh well.

See ya tomorrow!

100 million...and still going

This article says that the Web has hit 100 million+ websites, since starting in 1989.

To quote the article: "When the Web was started, it was started as a mechanism for sharing high energy particle physics data," said Professor Rebecca Grinter of Georgia Tech's College of Computing.
The creator of that Web site, Tim Berners-Lee, wanted experts to be able to share data on particle smashing, even if they weren't at CERN in Switzerland where he was doing research. CERN, in Geneva, is the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
Research facilities and universities soon started seeing benefits of this new tool for things as lofty as nuclear physics and as mundane as sharing restaurant recommendations.
Even today CERN proudly proclaims on its home page, "The world's largest particle physics laboratory, where the Web was born!"

I bet we hit 1 billion in 10 or 15 years.

EDIT: Ben pointed out that ARPANET has been around longer and is the true 'Net forerunner, according to this article, and this article also. Once again, Ben reveals his prowess.

Impressive.........Most impressive.

Yearnings...

Here is your link for the day. It's a webcomic I like. Hope it makes you laugh.

I've never played a real RPG with a 'dungeon-master' before, but I bought some Star Wars RPG books that I lent to Joel before he left. They're gone now, to who-knows-where.

I wish I had been able to play it with him some.

*sigh* $50+ down the tube.

It's Halloween! / aka Crass Commercialism

The only thing I feel I can say about today...blah!

It would be different if I could eat the candy, the chocolate and other sweet things. But, I'm not gonna do it. So, there goes one of the few things that makes it worth it.

I know there are others who will decry my lack of sentiment about this 'fun' holiday. But I feel that it is a child's holiday, tailored to them, their wants and desires; gorge on candy for free, dress up in ninja outfits, parties at school with cupcakes and stuff. Overly commercialized, and definitely NOT vegan.

I can't stand putting things like makeup on my face. I feel like a moron dressing up in anything other than my normal clothes.

There are only a few good things about Halloween: seeing the little ones from Nursery in their cute outfits, and carving pumpkins. My pumpkin this year is a cutout of Coach Z. Val's is the 'Eh, Steve!' guy.

I'm sure you're all gonna tell me why I shouldn't be so grumpy, but it's difficult for me to find any reasonable rationale for getting hyped over it.

I like Ben's links

Here it is.

Basically, this article's points are difficult to oppose.

The Internet has failed to meet the expectations foisted upon it at its inception, and has only succeeded in reaching the lowest common denominator of human depravity, for the most part.

Of course, as with anything else, there are pros and cons. I just put books on hold over the 'net, and I can pick them up tomorrow. Sweeeet.

The internet is very helpful, but not ground-breaking.

Stupid Blogger...

I tried to post last week, but there were...'outages'. So, I'm sorry for not being able to provide you with your daily fix. I hope you survived.

No link yet, but if something comes along, I'll let you know.

23 Thousand reasons to go back to school...

This says that people with a BA make at least $23k more than someone with a high school diploma.

Good reasons for trying to make another go at college.

I am thinking about going into nutrition or something like that. Maybe I could help advise people on how to eat better...

Feh...

Stupid Blogger. Down all day.

Nothing to post.

*blah*

At least my sidebar is back. Be thankful for small things.

Who says they are all slack-jawed troglydites...?

Your link for the day.

Brian May is the guitarist for Queen, but he was doing his PhD in astronomy before Queen bacme popular.

This shows me that not all rockers are unintelligent. I thought that most of them were relatively uneducated and unsophisticated. I am glad to see that I am wrong.

Of course, I realize that I have a miniscule amount of musical genius, and that I can't play burning guitar riffs like Slash, write excellent lyrics like Roger Waters, or sing as well as David Gilmour. To be able to do those things requires a more extensive musical education than I have.

So, I suppose I have bought in to the stereotype that 'rockers' are merely sex-crazed, coke-driven, drooling slobs.

I know that there are still those sort of people in rock, but not the overwhelming majority that I had envisioned.

I was wrong.

Back from the land of the living...

"Hallelujah brother! I am here to comfort the sinner and return the stray lamb to the fold..."

Your Cat Ballou fix for the day...

I'm back from vacation. It was great to see Leah and Joel, and Eric. I wish I'd been able to get pictures, but we have no digital camera. Some day soon, though, we will.

Not much to report. A few complaints, but I'm not gonna voice them here or now.

I'll post a link later on today if it is warranted.

Bye!

Happy birthday, my Goo!

She's so cute! I <3 her.

Happy birthday, my precious!

Happy, happy birthday from all of us to you...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEAH!!!!!!

We <3 you, Lemur!

By the way...

I'm gonna be gone the rest of this week and all of next week. We're gonna be in IF until Monday, and we'll be back at home for the rest of the week.

Ah, a nice relaxing week, playing games, sleeping in....I can hardly wait.

I'm out!

P.S. 1 year ago, yesterday, I started this blog. I think I like it a lot.

Have fun while I'm gone!

Crazy, like a fox...

Link

In short, the article states that N.Korea's nuke test may have the effect on the U.S. that the N.Koreans wanted: a normalization of relations and a non-agression treaty. International consensus may force the U.S. to recognize the government of N.Korea, especially if Kim Jong Il is willing to dismantle his new nuclear arsenal in order to facilitate a relationship with the U.S.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. I think the dictator is treating his people poorly, but how can we change it? Sanctions, in my opinion, hurt the common people, not the leaders who govern them. Short of a .50 caliber bullet from 1 mile away, what else can we do? Do we go in, topple the leadership and start another Iraq? How can we MAKE him treat his people well?

I guess we can't.

I can hear the legions saying...'DUH!'

Your link for the day.

So, let your kids be kids. Try asking them what they would like to do instead of making them play T-ball, play violin and piano, learning Spanish, Mandarin, German and C++, and algebra.

Childhood is fleeting. Adulthood is permanent.

And ask yourself WHY you want them to excel. Is it because of your insecurities or inadequacies?

Faceless serenity...

No, this isn't a post about the band Godsmack...

Your link for the day...

I think the last 2 paragraphs are indicative of the whole article:


"Back in Iowa, Henderson is enjoying spending more face-to-face time with his friends and less with his computer. He says his decision to quit MySpace and Facebook was a good one.
"I'm not sacrificing friends," he says, "because if a picture, some basic information about their life and a Web page is all my friendship has become, then there was nothing to sacrifice to begin with."

I suppose that friendship is a subjective term. Someone else might consider a photo, a web page and a brief description the basis of a friendship.

I prefer a deeper level of interaction from myself for those I call my friends...

Quick Friday post...

I'm super busy today, so this will be quick.

Talked to Joel yesterday. He sounds fine, if a bit disoriented. Still the same person, if quite a bit more mature. Uhhh....OK, not the same person, since he has changed. Ummmm. Yeah....

Leah's excited to be going to MT and IF with Eric (her uncle).

Not much else to report. If you wanna talk to Joel, call me and I'll give you either Mom or Dad's cell # so you can talk...

I'm out. Sorry for not having a link today.

Have a great weekend!

What!?! I'm only 55 minutes late...

Last Saturday, 23Sep06, Val and I found that one of my stitches had been left behind/ forgotten/overlooked. It was the one at the bottom of my right scapula (shoulder-blade). So, we had it taken out.

Well, this morning Val found another stitch in my lower back. I don't understand how she knew it was there, since it felt like a bump to me. But, the doctor pulled it and it was a stitch. As a precautionary measure we had him check all of the other places I got sewed up, and there were no other lingering stitches.

Now, before you send comments telling me to drop/sue my quack physician, I will tell you that he wasn't the one to take out the stitches. There was a med-school student who was helping him that day.

So, she missed some.

Annoying, but I'm not gonna scream about it.

And, happy day, my blood pressure is 110/80, which r00x0rz!

So, I was 55 minutes late.

T minus 6 hours, or so...

Joel arrives in IF at 6:22 pm on Wednesday, 04 October. That's what Mom said a month ago. I wonder if she and Dad have butterflies...

I don't think I have a link worth anything today, but Ben's atomic bomb dismantling link deserve a looksee.

I'll post again if something comes up.

I'm out...

T minus-1

Joel comes home tomorrow. Happy, happy!

Your link for today. It's the first post on the page.

Basically, Tycho examines the fallcy of the government trying to regulate the regulators of the ESRB, which is the review board for video games. Legislation is in the works to make the ESRB play completely through every game it reviews. Not to mention being impossible time-wise, considering the amount of new games that come out every month, Tycho makes the point that it is futile to try and rate player-added content that is not shipped with the game. Another point: Why should the ESRB be held responsible for what a player finds in his already sex- and violence-filled copy of Grand Theft Auto- San Andreas? Haven't they done their job by posting a Mature rating on the game? If you object to violence and/or nudity, why the HELL are you playing GTA:SA in the first place? Or letting your children play it, even IF there are nastier things hidden away on the disc?

I can hear it now: "Yes, son, I'll buy this game for you, even though it is named GRAND... THEFT... AUTO! And has a woman in revealing clothing on the cover."......"What? You kill people in this game and steal their car? You can even be a pimp? Well, that's all right, I guess................ *gasp* WTF! A simulated sex-scene! Why is this FILTH even on this game? I'm gonna sue the producer of this game for including such trash and subjecting my children to it!

Here's a news flash, politicians and parents of America... Keep track of what your children are doing and playing. Stop spending time playing golf, poker, shoe shopping, getting manicures, looking at porn, etc. ... and wake up to what your children are doing! Spend time with them instead.

Stupid people...

I apologize for my strong language. I feel strongly about this.

Just how anal do you have to be...

...for this to matter?

I suppose some people are sticklers for correct grammar. I know, for myself, that I hate it when people misspell things.

Oh well. I'm not gonna rant about this, as everyone has their ideosyncrasies.

Just seems to be nit-picky, to me.

But, again, I dunt buthcer my sintences.

:D

I'm back...

Sorry for not telling you, but I had Friday off. And boy, coming back to work is tough. I just have to make it through the next week and a half, and then I have 7 days off... Ah, the relaxation and oblivion. I can almost feel it right now.

Conference was good. I liked it a lot. I always love to listen to Elder Holland when he talks. If he gave 1 talk every session, that would only be better. I was also reminded of how much I miss hearing Elder Maxwell...It's too bad he's gone. Pres. Monson always has good stories. All in all, an excellent conference.

No link yet today, but I'm sure I'll come up with one later on today. Fear not...

Last but not least: Joel comes home in 2 days.

*glee!*