Christmas Dinner

We did it. My brother and I made our own Christmas Dinner. It was great cause we had all the leftovers to ourselves. We didn't have to put up with manners or etiquette, or anything like that. And, we made what WE wanted to, how WE wanted. We made so much food. Here's how it was broken down:

Jay
Turkey (thanks to the Manwaring family for the suggestions. They were well used)
Potato Salad
Rice
Lots of the food shopping

My Brother Dylan
Turned my rice into fried rice
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
small Ham
Juice/Soda concoction

The rolls and pumpkin pie was purchased. We had a feast. So we decided to make Christmas dinner ourselves from this point on, now that we know that I can make a good turkey.

Christmas Shopping
Pretty much the only christmas shopping my brother and I did was for my sister. We pretty much get the stuff that we want ourselves, so we were going to shop for Vikki. In the process of walking through South Towne mall, I noticed some reject Care Bear ripoffs on a table in a hobby shop. After making fun of them for several minutes, I had an epiphany. (Lightning struck my brain)
My sister absolutely HATES care bears. My sister absolutely HATES the color pink. MY sister has the most twisted mind and demented humor of anyone I know. She would love the pink Care Bear baby from the hobby store, along with a few 'accessories'.
By 'Accessories' I mean stuff like:
Some rope, a tattoo magazine with accompaning colored sharpies, safety pins, some Hot Topic black cross earrings, piercing pins, sewing needles and thread, and the finishing touch...blow dart gun needles for that finishing touch. I'm sure she will find hours of fun with her Christmas present. We will just send her the supplies, the end product is up to her. It was fun on our part to go shopping for all the stuff and speculating as to what our sister could come up with. Our only real regret is that we weren't able to find a small enough katana that she could stick through her pink care bear.

She already has one Care Bear that she plastered with safety pins who she dubbed 'Gay Bear'. But this new one will be an extension of the first. . .maybe I should throw in one of Santa's reindeer just for shiggles. She has more than enough stuff. . .hmmm. . .

Anyway, that was pretty much my Christmas. Shopping for Vikki, making and eating tons of food, and watching lots of movies. This was one of the better Christmases that I've had in a while.

Due to the floods of email and requests in my mail box. Here it is for your viewing (and shopping) pleasure.

My Santa List:
1) Love Hina Box Set
2) Spawn #4 with coupon. Without the coupon, don't worry about it.
3) PSP
4) Resident Evil 4
5) Uhlsport goalkeeping gloves: Size 10
6) A full knowledge of Java put into my brain.
7) Belt: Size 38
8) Bloodrayne 1 or 2
9) Tickets for one of the upcoming Motion City Soundtrack concerts *Update* Nevermind, I got my ticket. But if anyONE wants to go, I would be happy to pay for your tix (First one to email me. . .readyyyyyyy GO!)
10) The coolest hoodie in the world: Size XL

There you go. My T-10 list to Santa, and by Santa I mean You.

Nightwish boot Frontwoman

Tarja's Response.

What sad news !!! I always thought I would be able to see Nightwish tour the US. The only time I am aware that they came to the US as last year, in some small club in NY. I wished I was there. Now, I guess I'll have to wait till they get a new frontwoman who's voice is comparable to Tarja's. Her voice will be missed. Sad.

I would put this break along the same lines as when I heard that Testament parted in the mid-90s. That wasn't a good week. But it's not as bad as when Metallica noticable changed their musical style (and their hair).

I just hope Nightwish doesn't change as much as Iron Maiden did when Bruce Dickenson (Yes, the Bruce Dickenson) left to pursue his solo career.

He came back to Maiden, but it's not been the same.

When I was in Iowa, I was able to pass off as an African, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Latino, and, on one occasion, as an Anglo. But mainly, the people guessing my ethnicity were Anglo. But today, I fooled my first Asian, who came up to me at the bus stop and thought that I was. . .well. . .Asian. Apparently, there is a clone of me walking around BYU, taking International Asian classes, and being the Asian version of me. I blame the Toth demon.

I guess I can fool anyone if I can be mistaken by an Asian FOR and Asian.

Maybe I should try to get a Chinese citizenship, then I can get cool stuff only available in China, like the most current Nintendo games, rather than having to wait a year or two before they come to America. . .or Opium.

Granny Gamer (edited)

I came across this blog while searching videos on putfile.com: Old Grandma Hardcore. She is a gamer through and though. Like any other gamer, she cusses, basks in the beating of virtual authority figures, and relishes in the conquering of a video game. She is well versed in every gaming platform and has beaten every game put in front of her. She's the type of grandma that you are glad is NOT yours, but wished you lived next to. (At least that's what I wish)

First:
This was an epic weekend. . . an end of an era. It's taken me, literally, all my life to accomplish but, now, it is done. I can finally rest.

I'm talking about completing my Star Wars collection. The first episode (Episode IV) originally opened in May of 1977. I was not born yet but I'm pretty sure I was begging to come to earth. By some mix up in paperwork, I had to wait to be born on November 29, 1978 (hint hint) and so I missed opening day then. But for the last 3 episodes (Episodes I, II, & III) I was able to make opening night. I've also been able to get my Star Wars DVDs in order too. Until saturday night, my collection wasn't complete. Now it is. I can rest assured that I have the Led Zepplin of movies. It's been a life long duty to finish the collection but now I can turn my attention to other lesser endevors, like school, or some junk like that.

Second
My chest has been hurting for the past couple of days. In some instances there has been slight pain when I breath. When I press my chest right over my heart area, it hurt. It hurt to sit up, it hurt to lay on my side, it hurt stretching. I've been puzzled as to what it could be. My arm left arm wasn't in pain, so it's not a slow moving heart attack or anything like that. So I was at the Manti temple on Saturday for a friend's wedding and Bishop Freestone was there. I told him about it and he said that it was probably my ribs a bit separated from my breastplate. Whew! I thought it was something serious. A couple saturdays ago was the last of my team's intramurals soccer games. During the game, one of the opposing team's strikers got through my defense, but luckily, the ball got too far ahead of him. It was pretty much a similar situation to when I tore my ACL. I ran out of my box to get the ball, he was en route. I had just enough time to kick the ball before we collided. My hand was caught between him and my chest. The IMPORTANT thing was I saved the goal, but I guess that's when it separated. After doing push ups a few days after the game, I started to feel pain. I guess the push ups aggrivated it and it started hurting. Now it's getting better and I'm sure I will be good for next semester's soccer season.
Chalk another soccer injury for me.

Third
I've learned to not play catch with a Hand Grenade.

I got up at 5 am.
I've been starting at my laptop screen for 6 hours straight.
I've taken a total of 124 steps all day today.
I've touched every key on my keyboard a minimum of 600 times.
I've consumed quite a bit of Pepsi.
I've breathed fresh air only 3 times today.
Twice I've consumed quasi-healthy food.
I've changed internet radio stations at least 1024 times.

And for what? 100 measly lines of code for a programming project that was due today and i'm only half done and I'm pretty sure I'll get rid of at least 30 lines of the code I've written because it was for debugging purposes.

I hate Java.

My roommates introduced me to 'Desparate Housewives'. Dang, now I have to start watching that too. I'm almost half way through 'X-files', I'm way behind in my sequential 'Simpsons' watching, I got a mixed assortment of 'Sex and the City' episodes done with, and I have all of the 1st season of 'Arrested Development' and part of 2nd season complete. I think I should drop out of school and finish them. Once all seasons and episodes are finished, then I can get on with my life.

Moral of the blog: It's important to finish what you start.

NOW it feels like Halloween!!!

For the past 4 years, I've sort of developed this halloween tradition for myself. It just happened and I'm sort glad it did. I'm not big into the holidays, sometimes I really hate them or other times I'm just so apathetic about the whole thing. I've never really was aware that this little tradition was in formation but after last night, I discovered that it's a true occurance. "What is this tradition?" you ask? Well, let me take you back four years ago. . .

After the mission trip to Iowa and coming to BYU, I lived in the Glenwood with 5 new roommates. I hardly knew anyone outside of these 5 kids, who I saw everyday. But one of the people I knew that lived in Provoland was a kid named Shawn. He is from NM also. He was in the same grade as my older brother, and they even room'd together in Deseret Towers. Shawn's brother, Dustin, was one of my friends from HS. We shared the same locker and we hung out quite frequently. I've become part of their family, sort of adopted in.

Well, it was coming around Halloween time and I didn't know anyone in my ward and all I did was study. Well, one day Shawn convinced me to go to a concert with him. This would be the first concert I've ever been to. It was coming up on the holiday season and I was in college, I need to try new things, so I said yes. I only knew one of the bands but Shawn was introducing me to who would later become one of my favorite bands. It was the Stone Temple Pilots concert w/ Godsmack and Disturbed. I didn't know who these bands were other than STP, who have always been a favorite.

Fast forward to now. A couple days ago, I pulled out one of my Godsmack CDs and started listening. I was listening to them yesterday and suddenly realized that I never really listen to them during the year other than at Halloween time. After listening to a few songs it felt like Halloween, and fall, and holiday season is upon us. Every year since the STP, Godsmack, Disturbed concert, I always listen to Godsmack around this time and through the rest of the year. It's become, really, the only holiday tradition that I have. The rest of the year feels the same, but when I pull out my holiday tunes, then it feels different, like the holiday season is suppose to. Everyone else can pull out their 'Monster Mash', or their 'Dead Man's Party', but me, I'm going Godsmack.

Now it feels like Halloween.

As I was walking to school this morning, I realized that heeled shoes are back on the scene. I'm not talking about the high-heeled stiletto shoes from the 80's, but the dressy midsized version. No, this is not the stuff I normally think about but it came to me when I saw a girl riding her bike to school in Heeled-shoes. Then, almost instantly, I saw in my mind's eye (gladly, the only eye that will never be susceptible to conjunctivitis) all the heeded shoes I've seen in the mall, on TV, on campus, and on the Fug site. I realize this 'revelation' may have come late, but I just don't think about female footwear that often.

After thinking about the heeled shoe and how tough it must be to walk in them, I started thinking about what else will come back in style. The 90's gave a good run in trying to destroy the heeled shoe and usher in the era of the 'flats' but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Not that heeled shoes totally went away in the 90's but there just wasn't the demand for them as there are now. Maybe I'm wrong but that's the observation I've made so far.

Now, what else will come back ??? The shoulder pads in suits and shirts ???

I already saw a couple girls wear leg-warmers as part of their ensemble. (Kat, didn't I say you should start this one up again??)

The skater slip-on shoe is making a comeback but mainly in the skater/punk/concert realm.

Big hair??? Flock of Seagulls??? WHAT ?!?!?!?

My Weekend

This weekend ROCKED !!!!! (literally)

Winning
It started out with winning Coheed & Cambria tickets from X96. A couple weeks ago, I went to the X96 website and entered to win tickets. I didn't think anything would come of it. Well, to my surprise, they called me up while I was in the Wilk doing homework. Along with 2 tickets, me and my roommate got to 'Meet & Greet' one of the opening bands: the Dredg.

After winning the tickets and picking them up that day, I proceeded to play a game of golf with Kat, after which I had a soccer game. (Fun day, huh?)

Winning, the sequal
At the soccer game, we were evenly matched with another well skilled team. But after a spectacular performance in the box by your's truly, we pulled of a 2-0 shutout. It was most awesome. The first goal was scored in the open 2 SECONDS of the game. A very well placed kickoff by Mr. Issac S. gave us the 1-0 lead for most of the game. Only one other time (during the World Cup) have I seen a goal scored in the opening seconds of a game.

Winning III
Saturday was the day of the Coheed & Cambria concert. After work, my roommate and I booked it up to the Saltair where we saw 'Me Without You', 'the Dredg', 'Blood Brothers', and 'Coheed & Cambria'.
Me Without You: My roommate described this band's music as 'A Psycho Stream of Consciencousness'. I described them as 'a band of Lumberjacks', half the band went with the Grizzy Adams look. The lead singer also went nuts on stage, it was awesome to behold. Out of all 4 bands, they were the most entertaining and put on the best show. They had some good music too.
the Dredg: This was a pretty cool band. Nothing too showy and very melodic. My roommate and I met them after their set. The 'Meet & Greet' kinda sucked because it was mostly dudes and I'm sure they were looking forward to getting some groupies. We each got an autographed picture of the band.
Blood Brothers: By far, this was the band that sucked the most. They were like a cheap 'Cradle of Filth' knockoff and kinda femmy. Their incoherient screaming drounded out most of their insruments. They sucked bad.
The main event: This band gave an awesome performance. They gave a 5 song encore where the last song was a 20 minute jam session that kicked ass. It was freaking excellent!

At the beginning of the concert, I was able to fight my way to 1 row from the rail. Even with the punks on the rail intentionally pushing against the crowd I was able to hold on. Then I left for the 'Meet & Greet' and then had to fight my way back to the front. As Coheed took the stage I was able to fight my way to 5 rows from the rail. For about an hour and a half, I continued to fight up to 1 row behind the rail. Then during the 5 song encore, my fighting paid off, I made it to the rail. No only did I have to push against the crowd, once I got to the rail, there were, like, 400 crowd surfers that came over where I was standing. One girl behind me was pale and about to pass out, so I put my arm around her and pushed her to the front and Security was able to pull her out. I was an Insane crowd, but so much fun.

And, after the encore, when stuff was being thrown out to the crowd, I caught one of the broken drumsticks. I had to fight off about 20 other grabby hands but I won the drumstick.

No homework got done, but I had so much fun.

Winning, the prequel
A couple weeks ago I was called to the bishop's office of my new ward and offered a calling. Today, I was sustained as the Ward Clerk of Membership. I guess I won. . .

This morning I skipped my CS 235 class and went back to the SHC to get my knee checked out. Well, I was in and out. The little suture string was wrapped around something in my knee, I don't remember what the doc called it. But it's all good. It doesn't need to go back in, so I'm safe.

Well, I had all this time left over till my next class, so I went up to the Orem Distribution center. When I got there, I found out that they didn't open till 10 am. It was only 8:30a. So now, what to do ?!? Lot's of time to spare. What is a boy to do ?!?

Hmmm...

Well, somewhere in my brain, I remembered that someone told me that the Starbucks sold Hot Chocolate. I've never been to Starbucks, so I decided to try it out. I drove to the University mall and went to Starbucks. Let me just say: I Love the smell of Coffee. I walked into what I though was one of the best smells IN THE WORLD: Fresh Brewed Coffee. It was most excellent. My dad use to drink coffee, when I was a kid, so I think that's where I aquired that love for the coffee aroma.

I could have stayed in there all day. But I had to go cause I was hungry. I ordered my Grande Hot Chocolate and left.

What else could I do with all this time I had ???

Well, that same place in my brain remembered that Burger King had a new breakfast sandwich: the Meat-normous sandwich. So I went to Burger King to try it out.

Now my morning was complete. Starbucks Hot Chocolate and Burger King Meat-normous sandwich. Could life get any better? I submit that I cannot!

This morning started out just like every other morning: Wake up, shower, get dressed, get to the bus stop on time, and then school/work.

EXCEPT . . .

for the little baby blue suture string that i PULLED OUT OF MY KNEE !!!

Here's the deal: As most of you know, I tore my ACL a year and a half ago (summer '04) and I had surgery. Well, a couple of months ago I got an infection on that knee and I've been cleaning it, taking care of it, in the hopes that it would clear up (cause they usually do after a while) but this one hasn't. I've been wanting to get it checked out and taken care of, but I've not found the time to go into the BYU health center. And it hasn't hurt or anything so I've just been cleaning it and going about my day. Well, this morning, in the process of cleaning, I happened to notice a little frayed-string thing sticking out of it. So like any one curious would do, I pulled at it. To my surprise, I pulled out an inch long blue suture string that I suspect has been floating around in my knee for the past couple months and has been causing the infection. Cool, huh?

So this morning, I decided to skip class and get it checked out. I got my knee X-ray'd and checked out. The doc said because the suture string was pulled out my knee will heal on it's own. But, I have to go back to see if that suture string was anything important, so I have to go back on Thursday, to the guy that did my ACL surgery. I hope it wasn't holding anything important together. That would suck.

Also, after I pulled it out, I set it down so I could finish getting ready and when I went back to where I placed it, it was not there. I torn apart my whole room looking for it. . .Nada. So I couldn't show it to the docs. I guess I'm going to have to tear apart my room again to see if I can find it. It couldn't have just disappeared. I don't think I'm going crazy so it must be somewhere in my room.

Anyway, that's the most exciting thing that has happened in a long time. I kinda felt like Denzel Washington in 'Virtuosity' when he pulled out a fiber optic line from his arm to defuse a bomb.

It was cool.

My team won again. 3 - 1. We dominated. One freak goal went in for them, but I figure that is good because, in the long run, it might keep us in the Middle Division for tournament.

We took lots of shots on goal, some went in, some were just a little bit wide, and some hit the post. It would be safe to say that the goal post was their best defender. I even ran into a kid and kept him on the ground while my defence cleared the ball from my box. It was a thing of beauty.

Next game, 27 September, Tuesday at 6:30 pm. Outside turf fields outside of the RB.

My soccer team won last friday. 3 - 2. It was great because we started out playing a man down but we still scored some goals. Then when 2 of my other players showed up we at least had one sub. We are playing on the shorter field so it is 7 on 7. We only had one sub and they had 2 or 3 but we still beat them. And the only reason that they scored those 2 goals was because my team got tired and made some minor errors. Had all my team been there, we would have had at least 3 subs and the other team wouldn't have scored any. So, basically, all I'm saying is that my team is going to rock this semester.

I got Issac S., D. Ramos, Ramos's brother, R. Blick, R. Wixom, Jimmy D., Dan S., Dave M., Jeff H., and a kid named Chad. We are playing the middle division also, so the team we are playing are going to be a little bit more challenging. But that will be ok, since my team is good.

Our next game is this Saturday, the 17th, at 10 am at the Practice fields behind the new Student Athletic building. If you are in the immediate area (or even if you are not) come to the game.

THEY DID IT !!! I knew they would. The U.S. National team qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. They beat Mexico 2-0. I'm going to love next summer, one solid month of soccer.

The Trip to D.C.

Day 1
I started out in the SLC, took a connecting flight to Atlanta, Georgia. I had an 1.5 hour layover so what is a boy to do while in the Atlanta Airport . . .ride the train, Of Course. There was a train between 5 terminals and the main terminal. I rode that one round trip, just to do it. With about 45 minutes before I could board my flight, I decided to get some food. I ate at a place called Paschal's, which was pretty much southern fast food. I had the Fried Chicken, collard greens, corn, cornbread, and Coke. It was my first time eating 'real' southern food so I had to try that too. I liked everything except the collard greens. I don't know why anyone would want to eat that stuff but I guess the homecooked stuff is better than the fast food stuff, which is usually the case. I felt very much in touch with my 'African' heritage.

Day 2
eSpencer, eJanna, and I went to Pennsylvania to go to a Bluegrass Festival. The drive up was great. Green everywhere. It reminded me of Iowa in the spring and summer. It was great sitting amongst all the old people and mountain folk, especially trying to figure out who was most likely to be their own grandpa. We saw a couple of guys who looked to be wearing sweaters but were really without a shirt. *shiver* WHO LET THESE PEOPLE OUT ?!?!
After hanging at the old people concert, we went to Gettysburg. That was awesome. We started out at Devil's Den and Little Round top. Continuted to Pickett's charge and the Angle, and ended at the All-You-Can-Eat Asian Buffet. There was just so much to see there, I'm definately going to have to go back and see more.

Day 3
After a very late start, we finally shoved eSpencer out the door and were on our way to Rehoboth, Delaware. Yes, yes, I said it. . . "Hi..I'm..in..delaware." After a brief stop at a WalMart (where eSpencer and eJanna were the in the minority) we were headed to the beach. Now, up to the 20 minutes before we actually got to the beach, there was overcast with the good possibility that it would rain. Regardless, we pressed on. Right when we got there, it was sunny, a slight overcast, and plenty of beach to enjoy. The water was slightly warmer than Oceanside, CA, which made it easier to adapt to. We three free spirits jumped in and swallowed as much ocean water as we could handle. The beach was good, not as good as California beaches but it was still most excellent. After getting our fill of the Atlantic, we walked the boardwalk, sang the song a few times, and went to the little carnival that they had on the boardwalk. We rode the Gravitron, the Bumper cars, and sqweezed our collective fannies into the Haunted House ride. My butt went numb but, hey, it was great.
Later we went looking for a crab shack or some kind of seafood place but found that they were either all full or they were too expensive, so we opted for one of the many pizza shops nearby. Our feet thanked us. We got back to eSpencer's house late again.

Day 4
This was Sunday, so we went to church at 9 am. eSpencer and eJanna teach the primary so I joined them in. I drew on some paperbags for them, chilled with Evan (my new friend in the CTR class), and tried to occupy the world's most ADD saturated kid who is called 'T-Michael' but who I renamed 'T-Mobile'.
This kid was hilarious, and when I say 'hilarious' I'm not referring to his ability to make jokes or say stuff that is witty. I am mainly referring to his ability to constantly remind everyone in the primary room that he was once 'busted by a teacher', meaning that he was supposedly beat up by a teacher, but I suspect that he was greatly exaggerating the story. He also was pretty open with his feelings, and by this I mean that he was always ready to let everyone know when they were getting on his nerves. 'T-Mobile' was also great in the fact that he was not shy about his pyromanic tendencies. If one of the primary teachers took away his drawing book, then he was ready to burn it, at least, that's what he would tell everyone. But I discovered 'T-Mobile's' kryptonite: candy. Give him some chewy candy like starburst and let him draw, then he is quiet for a good 20, maybe 30, seconds. I had so much fun hanging out with 'T-Mobile'. Evan was awesome too, I drew a Liger for him, which he liked very much.
After the Primary experience, eSpencer and eJanna has set up a sort of 'blind date'. Now, I think most of my readers know my policy on Blind dates. But for the rest of you, here is the policy: Don't go on a blind date ever...ever...ever...ever...ever...ever...ever...ever...ever... (I don't have that many 'ever's memorized). But for some reason, I went on this one. The original plan was that I was suppose to go on a group date with the eSpencer and the eJanna and a girl who, coincidentially, has the same name as the wife of Joseph Smith. That was the original plan. eSpencer said that she was played soccer, she was half Nava-joe, and that she was cute. Well, he had me at soccer, so I decided to go. But I guess that she, all of a sudden, decided to go to Virginia college before I came out (which has an excellent women's soccer team, by the way) so the plan changed to going out with her sister, Heather. Now Heather was impressive as well. She was a Dartmouth college grad in Bio-Psych, (which is a merger of Biology and Psychology. Not a double major but a melding of sorts), she dabbled in about 3 languages, she was pretty well traveled, and she was also half Nava-joe. She was cute too, but what earned her more props was the fact that she was willing to go on a blind date where she didn't even know the eSpencer and eJanna that well. So three strangers, a blind date, she was willing to hangout with us at short notice, and she endured eSpencer's and my guff. That was very cool of her.
We went to the Smithsonian history museum and only saw a protion of one floor but we spent a couple of hours there. It was awesome. Definately have to go back and see more.
But while we were there, we saw one pair of the ruby slippers that was used in the 'Wizard of OZ', we saw one of the puffy shirts that was used in Seinfeld, and we saw Kermit the Frog. There was something for everyone.
After dropping Heather off, we got some bikes and rode around the Capital till way past midnight, looking at all the monuments and memorials. My favorites were the WWII memorial, the Vietnam Wall, and the view from the Lincoln memorial. Most excellent. I highly recommend biking around the Nation's capital at night. So, so, so Fun.

Day 5
The last day. eSpencer and eJanna had to go to work. So I spent some time at one of the malls around eSpencer's workplace. eJanna was kind enought to take me to the airport and I took a direct flight back to the SLC. But, while boarding the plane, I saw a familiar face, J. Harms, the ward baker. She was on her annual road trip with her family and she was taking the same flight I was back to the SLC. It was fun chattin with her.

So there you have it. My most awesome vacation ever. I've been to a few places but DC takes the cake. Very special thanks have to go to the eSpencer and the eJanna for taking me around to all the different places and putting up with my flak. Y'all are awesome.

After watching shows like VH1's "I love the..." series, I got to thinking: If we are now in the 21st century and we are looking back at how quirky and lovable the 80's were, and I'm sure some time in the 201X years we will be looking back and reminiscing how cool the 90's were, I wonder, when it is the 202X years, what today will VH1 showcase when they run their "I love the 2000's" series. Here are some of the things I'm sure they will show:

1) Blogs - This is the season of the blog. Everyone has them, even these people. If the first step was the .com era, and now we are in the blog era, I wonder if the next step is the webcam era, or maybe the hologram message. That would be sweet.

2) Comic book movies - There has been a recient upswing in the number of comic book movies that have been made, that are currently being made, and that are in the works to be made. It's a great time to be alive if you are a comic book fanboy, like I am. Now I'm sure there will be more badly made comic book movies then there will be good comic book movies made, but whether good or bad, I'm glad they are being made. Not like when I was a kid and would spend most of my lunchtime in mid-school thinking who would be good to fill my favorite comic book movies and that would be the topic of discussion the rest of the day.

3) The flip flop fashion - I'm sure in the year 202X, we will be looking back and wondering, "What was I thinking ?!?! wearing flip flops everywhere I went. . ." This might be on the same plane as those jelly shoe things or maybe even the stirrup pants. I wonder what the trendy footwear of the 2020's will be?

4) Lance Armstrong's 7 Tour de France victories - I'm sure that he will hold the record for quite some time. But I wonder what will be more memoriable about him: His 7 vicories, his successful bout with various cancers, or his leaving his WIFE in order to be with Sheryl Crow.

5) the Rubber Band braclet - Inspired by the previously mentioned item, the yellow Lance Armstrong 'LiveStrong' rubber band braclet has inspired it's own current fashion trend. Everyone from grocery stores, universities, banks, and non-profit organizations has resorted to advertising their ideas through a piece of colored rubber that people find so facinating. I admit, I have 2 on myself, and people are always interested to see what is written on them. One I purchased because it was for a good cause, the other I found in one of my friend's car and I happened to put it on and not have yet taken it off. How will that look in the year 202X.

and finally,...
6) Coldplay - For some reason, everybody loves this band. All I've heard for the past while is how great the new Coldplay album is and that I should go pick it up. I admit, they are a good band and I have heard a few of their songs, but I don't think I would ever go buy their album, not when I have my 80's and 90's CDs that I'm still trying to catch up with. Maybe by the year 202X I'll finally come around to picking up the new Coldplay album. By then, it should be in the $4.99 and up bin.

True to my nature, I tore apart my eBay watch just to see what was inside. Actually, it started way before that. Let me back up to the night before.

The Ritz, Em, Bryce W. and I went to Lagoon. That was wicked fun. I highly recommend the Spider ride, the Samurai, and the Rocket. Anyway, while standing in line for these and other rides, Bryce and I would stand and stare at various attractions and try to figure them out. Looking at the design and function, we would try to figure out how they worked and what made them work the way they did. I'm sure Em and the Ritz rolled their eyes many times while Bryce and I engaged in our 'Nerd Talk'. I had fun, waiting in line and also riding. It was great. We were there way past my bedtime.

The next day, tired but still functional, I noticed while at work that I got some water in my watch from riding the Rattlesnake Rapids (twice). So in an attempt to clean out this water, I took the backing off my watch and That's when my curious nature took over. Rather than putting my watch under the bathroom's dryer and letting the water evaporate, I proceeded to tear my watch apart till I found what drives the gears. Apparently, most cheap watches have a Capacitor hooked to a Logic gate hooked to a Solenoid that drives the gears, at least that's what it looked like. Pretty inexpensive.

So now, I don't have a watch anymore, I had a bunch of fun, and I fulfilled my curiousity as to what drove my watch and how Lagoon rides work.

Last Trip Before School:

I did it !!! I booked a flight for Washington DC and I'm excited. I've never been to the eastside. The furthest east I've ever been is Illinois but that was just barely over the Mississippi river (Quad Cities) and I was a missionary. But this the Nations capital. I'll get to see the Wall, Arlington, Ghettos-burg, and possibily the While House. That will be so friggin' sweet. Thank goodness for William Shatner and Priceline.com for making my last summer trip a good one.

I will be hanging out with the eSpencer and I will have more opportunity to hit on My Janna. The only possible down side is that the eSpencer is trying to set me up on a blind date with some Navajo chick that lives in his ward (to those readers who don't know me that well, I'm Navajo too, so don't get all offended and stuff). She has the same name as the wife of Joseph Smith, beloved Prophet of the LDS church. And she is something like 18 yrs. old. So far, I have only agreed to meet her, maybe shake her hand at church or something. But the eSpencer can already see the wedding and the kids and the whole nine yards. D'oh. Anyway, I'd rather see Honest Abe than some blind date girl. But, who knows, right ??

So this will be the last cool thing I do before school starts and I spend the rest of the semester in the computer lab and the IT lab, programming and writing up labs.

Where's Charles S. when I need him ????

If you are bored at Work:

This is a cool little game. You have to figure out the correct sequence of placing the objects in order to win. It's fun.

Found it here. It took me a few tries. It's cool because it plays like a flash movie where you can control the sequence. It's like the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books only on a computer.

Viva Las Vegas

This Pie&Ear weekend, my brother and I decided to go to Las Vegas. . .well, I decided to go and I played on my brother's lack of travel experience to convince him to go so it wouldn't cost as much. Anyway, we drove to Santa Jorge and stayed the night there and then continued on the next day. Once there, we immediately partook in all that Vegas had to offer; Casinos, Walking the Strip, Video Games, sights, sounds, and food (especially of the In-and-Out variety). I had a great time with all of it. As most of you know, I love hanging out in Las Vegas. If it weren't too danged hot and so danged expensive I would probably move there, but I like vacationing there.

While hanging out on the Strip was great, I think the best part of the whole trip was saved for the very end. After all the walking, sight-seeing, and relatively small amount of gambling that we did, we went to one of the Outlet malls. Let me just say that I LOVE Outlet Shopping. As a guy, I'm adverse to clothes shopping in general, but when it comes to Outlet shopping, I LOVE it. I don't know what it is but it just seems different and more fun. Maybe because of all the great stuff that you can get for so little. It's great.

But even just being at the Outlet mall wasn't the best part. The best part was taking my brother and actually convincing him that he needed clothes. This is big for several reasons:

1) Since I've known this kid, if ever he's had a few bucks in his hand, his first and only impulse would be to spend this at the comic book store. Comics, role-playing-game cards, dice, whatever, these took priority, above food, definately clothes, and even movies.

2) His self-proclaimed status as a nerd and a geek places him in a category who as a general rule don't have any fashion sense at all except on Betazed or Coruscant. Now I'm not saying that I have any sort of contemporary or trendy fashion sense, but I escaped the game den a long time ago and can at least recognize and appreciate some of the more modern trends, heck, on occasion I've been seen to watch 'What Not to Wear' with some of my female friends, and therefore have more of an idea what is going on. Also, watching VH1 helps.

3) My brother is tight with his cash. Whenever his monthy comic book binge is satisified, he holds to whatever else he has left. If he can find a good deal, or a free deal, he exploits it. Prime example, he's been living with me for the past month rent free. (That's another blog entry)

So, getting my brother to spend money on clothes gave me a satisifaction I never knew. I was all excited and kept wanting him to spend more.

It started with shirts. Reasonably, he needed collared shirts for work. This was the angle that I worked with. We started at the PacSun, continued to Rue21, and so on. Once finding a good deal at Benzene on shirts (he got a bunch), we needed to find shoes. Factory Brand Shoes was our next stop. He went in wanting to buy one pair, this was not enough for me. Two pairs of new shoes were what he purchased. I was satisfied. Well, you can't buy new shirts and new shoes without picking up some new pants to go with them, obviously. This required the services of Eddie Bauer. Two pair later, I was jealous. I couldn't come all this way and make my brother spend so much without picking up something for myself. It was off to the Adidas store. After much searching I found an awesome fleece for the fall/winter and some new basketball shorts. I even picked up something for my little sister so she could enjoy in our loot.

I think it goes without saying that I had the most wonderful time ever: I got some new clothes, I helped my brother spend some of his hard earned money, and I went to Vegas.

It was a great weekend. I don't know how I can top it.

I saw 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. I loved it. . .not in the same way that I loved 'Spiderman', 'X-Men', or even 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. These movies I love because they fulfill boyhood dreams that I've had where I've always wanted to see these comic book movies on the big screen. No matter how campy, dumb, ridiculous, whatever, that people think they are, I will always love them.

'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' I really liked because 1) it was made by Tim Burton, which means that it's slightly twisted and imaginative, 2) it has Johnny Depp, who has made such films as Sleepy Hallow, Edward Scissorhands, and Pirates of the Carribean. The right mix of darkness, actor, and weirdness. 3) the Oompa Loompa. Deep Roy, the only actor to play an army of Oompa Loompas, singing, dancing, and pushing an 8 foot blueberry girl. 4) Backstory on Willy Wonka. And finally, 5) Count Dooku. The only way they could have made this movie better is to add Samuel L. Jackson, possibly in the spot where Charlie's dad covers his ears.

Overall, it was good. Had a few minor qualms with it, but I still had an excellent time.

Also, I finally solved a game that I've wanted to play for a long time. It's good for computer programming to teach recursive logic and recursive programming. I just wanted to solve it ever since I saw it in one of my psychology books. I still don't know the name of it but I like it.

The idea is to move the entire pyramid to a different location but only moving one level at a time, AND you CANNOT put a bigger piece on a little piece. If you want to try it, I would suggest starting with 3 layers. Scroll down and highlight the number 3 in the menu box and then click on the button next it.

I thought it was fun.

Personal Theme Song

Today at work, I got my own theme music. . .from the Crew Chief no less. As I was rounding the corner and headed toward the crew chief's desk to check some equipment, the Crew Chief was playing some music on the computer and told me that the song he was currently playing was my theme music. It was more funny than weird, but still weird. You want to know what song that was, then click here.

My only responds to him was, "I'm glad that it's Jessica Simpson and not Ashlee Simpson."

I don't know what he was trying to tell me.

HA!

As I am an avid opponent to simultaneous cell phone use and driving, I find that these studies give some weight and reason for me to yell at people while driving on the road, even if it is not full accepted by all. I think a paint gun with pellets that splatter in a form that say "GET OFF YOUR PHONE!!" would be quite handy in such situations.

Also, regarding the last posting. . .see, I was right. In responds to the bombings, however, there is one site that is pretty cool. CNN even reported on it.

F.Y.I.

Something interesting was brought to my attention reciently. So just as a warning I offer some advice/information to chew on as you surf the web. I don't mean to make anyone paranoid or anything, I just hope to offer some info that may help you in your internet sessions.

Reciently there was a bombing in London aimed to disrupt the summit meeting of the Group of Eight (G8). Sadly, there was losses. But sometimes in the aftermath of a major tragedy like the one yesterday and also after Sept. 11, there's usually an increase in the amount of hacks that take place on the internet. After Sept. 11, 2001, a sense of patriotism in hackers rose and multiple attacks on Middle Eastern sites and servers rose dramatically. New hacks, viruses, rootkits, and the like were created with the focus being on 'terrorist' information sites. But in the wake were new viruses, etc., that also affect unknowing and well meaning surfers like you and me. I wouldn't be surprised it there are new attacks in the next couple weeks.

So, in order to keep damage to a minimum and to safeguard your computer, I would suggest that you keep your protection programs updated, sweep your computer regularly, and surf the net cautiously. Some websites provide some useful and great information, but that may be a cover for something more malicious. Some websites may download programs to your computer without your knowledge just by going to their website. You may be surfing and wanting to know about certain groups or organizations, but may accidentally download something that you may not want. Not very likely but just to give you a heads-up, some sites are covers.

Some guidelines that were given in my IT 210 class included:
1) rather than clicking on links, type the entire address yourself*. It may be a pain in the keister, but if you are unsure of the link, typing out the whole thing may save your bacon.
2) stay with well known sites and names of companies who are trust worthy**. Well known sites like jaju.blogspot.com are safe but there are others that have hidden downloads in the html, I won't name any at the obvious risks.

Some of the newest security programs that safeguard your computer can actually block attacks on your computer as they are beginning. I hope some of this info was helpful. Happy surfing.


* In UNICODE, the international standard for encoding language characters for every language known, there are some characters that look like the Alphabet that we use in the US but are only slightly different and have a different byte value. (Funnily enough, the Klingon language was rejected but some Tolkien languages, like elvish scripts, are still under consideration. True story.) Example: the Latin letter o (value: 006F) looks like the Coptic letter o (value: 03BF). So in the .com portion of a URL, this little change could direct you to a site that may look like, say, google.com, but may really be a hacker site.

** Some sites may have the look and feel of a site that you normally visit, but may be a hacker site. Reciently, Paypal.com has experienced this. There were a series of emails sent from the fake paypal.com site asking that account information be updated or their spending limit will be reduced. Unknowing paypal.com users clicked on the link in the email and were taken to what looked like paypal.com but was really a hacked site that recorded account information.

I've done it. I've reached 25 postive comments on eBay and I'm still at 100%. Plus, I've gotten some really good stuff. . .shoes, softball mit, movies, even some textbooks.

Let's see what else I can find and if I can reach the 50 mark with 100%. That's a good goal, right ??

I think I was being hit on by the 'check out' boy in the BYU bookstore.

I work at 6 in the morning. I walk to campus, grab my stuff, and then go to the SWKT to hang out for 4 hours while I do nothing. Today, I shut off the lights and took an hour nap without any service calls. That about sums up what I do every day. . .well that and watching Family Guy on the internet. Sometimes I read, most times I sleep. Not very often do I have to set equipment or go on a service call. I just hang out in the SWKT wondering when the Bookstore will be open so I can get some food.

Also, we have this dress code at work where we are suppose to wear some type of collared shirt, no T-Shirts especially ones with logos or pictures. Do I follow it?? Most of the time, yes, but there are times when I all I have are T-shirts. I'm not the polo shirt wearing type. If I'm going to wear a collared shirt, I'd rather wear a button down shirt than a polo shirt. . .bleech!

Anyway, today I wore my MLS Los Angeles Galaxy jersey, the one with a big MLS logo on the back and Galaxy in big letters on the front, it's frigging sweet. I've had this jersey since the MLS first began about 10 years ago. It's like my Toyota, I take care of it and it looks as good as the day when I got it. I love it.

So I'm wearing my jersey, my shift ends and I go back to the Fletcher building to drop off my keys and radio. Well, it's about 10am and the bookstore is open for bizness. I mosey on over and grab myself a Poweraid and a bagel. As I walk up to the counter, the 'check out' kid scans my food and I give him my debit card. In that space of time when the card is being authorized, prints the 7 miles of authorization papers (CompUSA is the worst for that), and I have to sign, there is a silence, which I'm ok with. I don't mind Not conversing with the 'check out' kid because I'll probably never interact with him ever again. But today, he feels the need to chat or is uncomfortable with that silence. Apparently, we are suppose to bond in some other way because we have the buyer/seller relationship already established. I blame the RM tendency to want to 'build on common beliefs'.*

So as I'm signing the little piece of paper, he pipes up and askes: "So...you like soccer?" I'm my mind I'm thinking, "Is he hitting on me?" and "I guess that's what girls experience in their teenage years from awkward teenage boys" and also "Wow, I have some really weird thoughts."

Without looking up, still signing, I say, "Yeah, I enjoy it." I give him his pen, take my card and my food and make a B-line for the door. 'That was weird.'

Now I know that I'm slightly homophobic but I think in instances like this, it's worth being slightly homophobic for the laugh.



* Everyday on the mission trip, missionaries study and role play how to find common ground with anyone that might be a potential teaching opportunity. Some of the examples that are given in the Missionary Guide are so corn ball but they do illustrate the point rather well. After two years of practicing this technique, RM's return with this still on the brain and do very well in retail sales, telemarketing, or door-to-door sales (satellite dishes, pest control, home security, etc.) It's a good skill to have when in one of these areas, but when it's forced like in the already given instance, then it's just awkward for all parties involved, especially when alot of these techniques that are proven in the mission field are employed in the 'trying to get a date' realm and very often in the Home Teaching realm. Granted it's important to find common ground in human social interaction, but the methods taken are very often still unpolished and/or need to be revamped for the different situation.**

** I still think that there should be an RMTC that all missionaies are required to go through when they are finished with their missions. This will expose them to a healthy doseage of TV, movies, music, wardrobe selection, and carbonated beverages. They will still have the opportunity to read scripture and stuff, but mainly given the opportunity to integrate 'worldly' things into their now changed demeanor. I think Utah would be less weird should an RMTC exist.

From apt. 46's ward prayer spotlight:

TOP 10 REASONS WHY I AM NOT MARRIED YET:

10. DDR on my Laptop

9. Kat said No because I believe Blade is a better vampire reference than Buffy

8. Black Nail Paint

7. I'm not tall enough for Paige S.

6.Ninja Turtle Bed Sheets

5. The Java Programming language is a lot easier to understand than girl language.

4. Jessie S. is already taken.

3. I know that the X-Men member Rogue got her powers from absorbing Ms. Marvel's super powers.

2. Em doesn't think I'm good enough . . . and she's right.

1. I'm scared of water and girls.

This morning, I woke up at 6:30 am. Pretty early, eh?? But not when you work at 6 am. I slept in. This is the first time I've ever come in to work late that I can remember. I can think of 3 reasons why I was late:

1) With the villa under renovations, it's been mass hysteria. With people moving, I've been trying to compile a list that I can give to the bishop and the presidencies that they can use for HT and VT purposes. That's required visiting all the apartments and getting accurate information. Between when we sent around an info sheet on sunday and monday, there were already a few changes. Also, helping people move their stuff could have contributed to sleeping in today.

2) I'm trying to get to sleep earlier, around 9:30 at the latest. But I remember the phone ringing about 12:30 and I answered but I don't remember if there was a response. I just remember being half-asleep and answering the phone. Also, my brother is in town. He's been camping out on my floor. . .and he snores. . .loud. I was awake for about 2 hours thinking I should sleep in the living room but I had my fan on and the AC was on too and it was really cool where I was so I stayed. I blame my brother for being late. I made him drive me to work.

3) Bryce, Chad, Kat, and I played extreme hopscotch last night. We timed ourselves, covered an eye and jumped on 1 leg, and at one point we covered both eyes. I couldn't believe how tiring that was, coupled with the insane heat that's been here. This might have caused me to sleep in late.

Good thing my workplace is super relaxed. I think today, even the crew chief was late. Now I'm just tired and need to find something to keep me occupied. Blogging helps.

It seems like people like to post a bunch of Random Thoughts that they've had because so many things run through one's mind in any given time frame, so here is mine:

1) 'For Better or For Worse': What a great comic strip. Very unique and original. It doesn't follow the same format as other comic strips. The characters actually grow up and experience life in much the same way that real people do. Lynn Johnston is a creative genius. Since I was little, this has been one of my favorites comic strips purely for the fact that the characters age. Peanuts, Family Circus, Foxtrot, they have all been the same age for years. But 'For Better or For Worse' shows some of the life experiences that one family goes through.

This is the one that is on the 'fridge back home. It's my sister's favorite.

2) I get distracted super easily, especially when I'm on campus. If I'm sitting in the library, the Clyde building, or wherever, I need music on to keep me focused on whatever I'm doing. Thank goodness for internet radio. Virtually commercial free, tons of stations to choose from, and free. The only draw back is that it sometimes cuts out due to heavy server useage. But I can switch between the 80s channel, the heavy metal channels, or the techno-trance channels. Plus, I can watch all the music videos I want. Typically, before programming, my routine is to watch the AFI 'Girls not Grey' video and Kittie's 'Into the Darkness'. After that, I can start working.

3) Gwen Stefani is getting annoying. When she was with No Doubt, her songs were excellent. But now that she started off on her own and she hooked up with Tokyo's Harajuku Girls and Linda Perry (of 4 Non Blondes), she's starting to get annoying. I don't really like the song 'Hollaback Girl', but I find it stuck in my head from time to time. Early No Doubt: good. Solo Gwen: bad.

4) J Dawgs are really really good. I make the effort to walk south of campus just to get a Polish JDawg. I have 3 reasons why it's worth the trip:
1) It's filling. One JDawg keeps me good all day.
2) It's cheaper and better than anything in the Cougareat.
3) They have Mountain Dew.
I go often enough that they know my order: Polish dog with sauce, relish, and jalapenos. Nate and Jay just have to see me walking up and know to put on a Polish and give me a drink. They even noticed once when I didn't come by for a while.

5) The girl that I took to prom my senior year is now a bodybuilder. I blogged about her a while ago, she's the one I have been friends with for 10 years. Now she's ripped. Kinda weird.

6) And finally, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears need to go. They have strayed from the path and they are annoying. Michael just needs to get out of the public eye (if that's possible) and stop scaring the general populous. The only real purpose he serves is to play the target for jokes and heckles. I love a good heckle but I'm sick of seeing his face everywhere I turn, on CNN, MSN's homepage, even on the front page of the Daily Universe. South Park and Triumph got it right.
I caught a portion of Britney's 'Chaotic' video on mTV the other day and I wished I hadn't. She's not cute and she's not funny. 'Take your @$$ back across the 8 mile.'

P.S. While listening to RTDS (Radio That Doesn't Suck) on the internet, I came across a band called 'It Dies Today' who have a song called 'Freak Gasoline Fight Accident'. Metal Rules !!!

This week has been up and down is some extremes. It started out with a super fun World Cup Qualifying game between the U.S and Costa Rica. The U.S. pulled a 3-0 win over Costa Rica (and another 3-0 win over Panama last night). So it's been a good week for the National team. I've been excited for them to do good in next year's World Cup.

Then, this week is the last full week of school, which is a good thing, but I have 3 projects that are due by next monday, including write-ups and pass off. So all this week, I've been spending massive hours in the computer lab, asking for help and such. But yesterday, BYU switched to non-routable addresses, so the server's in the Crabtree building were down all day. No body was able to any programming, we couldn't even sign on to the computers. So I spent the rest of yesterday at work and checking back to see if the servers were up.

But, on the upside, Mr. Marc B., earlier in the day, won some Real Salt Lake tickets off of 1280 'the Zone' to last nights game. R.S.L played the 'South American Powerhouse' Universidad de Catolica from Chile. Or as Marc and I called them that night, the University of Kat (because the score board showed 'U.Cat') It was a really, really dull first 70 minutes. The R.S.L sucked. They had so many scoring opportunities but never capitalized. There were even awarded a penalty kick and missed (or rather hit the post). It sucked. A one point Marc and I even considered leaving, it sucked to bad. At the half, the University of Kat was up 2-0. Then R.S.L did a really good thing, the subbed half their team and their goalkeeper. There were some 2nd and even some 3rd string members that were playing. This was good for R.S.L because in the 72nd minute R.S.L finally scored, which was generated by a previous brilliant play from Seth Trembly. Then the flood gates opened for R.S.L. They scored two more times in the 76th and 88th minute, stealing the win away from the 'South American Powerhouse'. In injury time, tempers were flaring and there was almost a bench clearing brawl, of course Marc and I were cheering it on wanting to see a hockey style fight, but to no avail. Overall, it was an awesome game that Marc even go into. It was great that he won those tickets.

Now, today, I'll have to spend the rest of the day trying to finish up these last 3 labs, help Dan C. move, and finish up my buildings at work. I'm guessing there will be no weekend for me, which will sort of be ok if I can get this junk done.

...I'm pretty sure I'll need a really good concert or another soccer game next week.

As I was walking to school today, right by the Smith Fieldhouse, I saw a KSL van parked in the parking lot. It was out of place. . .till I remembered that the US National Soccer team was playing a World Cup qualifying match this saturday and they are in Provo to practice. The Wixom saw them at Los Hermanos and informed me that there were here. I was all excited.

So I saw the KSL van and knew that they would practice at the South Field, between the tennis courts and the Smith Fieldhouse. I walked over and there they were. The entire US National team. Cobi Jones, Kasey Keller, Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, and Freddy Adu were there. I didn't see Claudio Reyna or Eddie Pope or Ernie Stewart, but then again, they have a huge roster. It was awesome to see them practice, especially Kasey Keller who is one of my favorite goalkeepers and he was born on the same day I was: Nov. 29. Back in '94, he was third string behind Tony Meola and Brad Fridel. But now, he's starting Keep for the US team. It was awesome to see him and the rest of the team.

I watched them through the fence for a while, thinking the whole time that it would be awesome to go and support the team. The last time I saw the US team play was in '93 when they played a friendly with Chile in Alburqurque, NM and I convinced my whole family to go. That was an awesome day, dispite the fact that they lost 2-0. But I still did get to see Tony Meola at the House of Soccer in Albq. where he signed an poster and a ball for me. I still have the ball, but I don't like Meola that much anymore cause he went downhill after the '94 World Cup and he got a big head because he was starting Keeper. . . anyway.

I've been trying to convince the Wix to go to the game but he doesn't want to fork out the cash to purchase a ticket, so it looks like I'm going to fly solo to the game, which will still be cool because I will be watching the US team again.

The team looks a whole lot more skilled than the '94 team, but the '94 team had Marcelo Balboa, Alexi Lalas, and John Harkes (I think I remember him still being on the team). With the addition of Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, and Freddy Adu and with Claudio Reyna gaining more experience since the '94, this looks to be like a really competitive team.

If you want to catch the game, it will be on ESPN 2 saturday 5:30 pm MT. The US currently stands second in their Qualifying bracket behind Mexico. They need a win here. Costa Rica stands fourth in the bracket.

. . .

I just purchased my ticket and I will be on the 1st row on the sidelines.

I'M EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!

Memorial day weekend. It was relaxing. There wasn't anyway I was going to work on my IT210 project because the Crabtree building was closed, so I did the next best thing. . .I played . . .a lot. DDR, Legend of Zelda, Movies, Hanging out, Softball, it was all part of the Memorial Day weekend. The only real repercussion to the weekend was a sore left arm from playing Softball. I haven't played any type of organized ball (Soft or Hard) since I was in Little League, when I was 12 years old. I remember it being more terrifying back then. I sort of consider it a blessing that I got hit by the baseball so many times because that forced me to give up on little league and try out soccer. It was a choice I will never regret.

So this was a great holiday weekend. I need more like them.

While programming this morning, I caught James Brown's 'Living in America' on my internet radio station. It made me proud to be in America where James Brown can exist and it made me think of the fight between Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.

To listen to a great online 80's station: http://64.23634.196/stream/1040
Club 977 80's.

I did something this weekend that I haven't done since I was a 12. I'm actually surprised that I still had it in me to do it and not care about the logic or rational behind it.

As I was walking through the food section of wal-mat I happened down the cereal aisle and caught a view of a cereal on the top shelf, where they keep the 'overflow' cereals, and on impulse, bought a box of Corn Pops. I haven't had Corn Pops in a long time but this is not why I bought it. I saw the toy inside before I saw the actual box. So on a whim, I bought Corn Pops for the toy: An Episode III lightsaber spoon.

I haven't purchased a cereal purely for the toy inside since I was a kid and only ate Ninja Turtle cereal, which I'm sad that they don't make anymore. So now, I type this with my Green lightsaber spoon sitting by me. This will go great with the Darth Vader watch that Kat got me for opening night.

I saw the R2D2 bowl as well and was really tempted to get it too, but you have to mail in for that one. I still might . . .

Ok, so I lost the bidding on the cloak. With only 45 seconds left in the bidding, another posted a larger amount and won. I did my best to get it but, alas, I didn't bid enough. Hope I can get something similar. It was a cool cloak.

I got my Star Wars: Episode 3 tickets. I got them about a couple weeks ago when Fandango started selling them. I didn't get them on the exact day that they started selling tickets but some time during that week. When I bought them, the 12:05 showing was already sold out, so I got the 12:10 tickets. I'm so glad I did. Just today, as I at work, one of my co-workers was wanting tickets and was lamenting the fact that she and her roommates didn't get them sooner. I searched all over the internet for her, but there were none to be found. Everywhere in the state of Utah has pretty much been sold out for opening night, which is not surprising.

But during opening night, there are two shows to entertain. The first is the Midnight freak show where all the loyals emerge from their rooms where they are playing video games or Magic: the Gathering and expose themselves to the unfamiliar rays of light that fill the average day. They brave the time spent away from their computers and TV's for a higher purpose: Gathering together with others of their kind in order to spend those precious hours before Episode 3 together, playing board games, speculating on what will happen, and engaging in the 'cermonial banging of the plastic toys'. Oh, to be in New York or L.A. and to be standing in those lines. That would be a Star Wars fan's dream come true. . .at least mine anyway.

But I'm excited. So excited, in fact, that I've taken to the eBay site and have started bidding on a Black Sith Cloak for opening night. It's the last chance to for fans to dress up and show their geek support. I for one am not going to miss this last opportunity. I already missed the chance at Episode 2 and at the LOTR openings. If you have a chance to do, DO IT !! It will be a story you can tell your grandkids.

What does this mean? Your computer geekiness is:

You are a wannabe computer geek. You do have potential, go for it! (...Or maybe not...)

My blog was 2 years old on May 1st. 3 more years and it will be able to enter school. Good thing too, because I'm tired of all the changings and mid-night feedings. I was hopeing it would have turned into a Gremlin by now.

For the first time in I don't know how many years, I finally have my own room !!! Not even in NM do I have my own room, I usually sleep on the couch in the living room because "my room" is used as a storage. But now, at least for the summer, I have my OWN room. It's a pretty monumentous occasion for me. I think I like it.

I got rid of the extra bed because I just don't need it. I kept one dresser because that all I need. And now I have all this space in which I can romp at my leisure. I have more room that I know what to do with in my closet area, and I have tons of wall space for posters and pictures and such. It's awesome. I never thought that happiness would be a room all to ones self.

Additionallly, Wixom and I are sharing an apartment. This is good because I can keep my apartment clean easier with only 2 people here rather than when 4 people are here. Plus, we can do as many satellite installs as we want together and it will only take about half the time.

Soon, the ward soccer team will be in place and games will start shortly, which is always good for the summer time. 11 on 11, full field soccer is the best. I don't know how strong of a team there will be this summer but I'm glad I can get enough people together to play. It's going to be an exciting summer.

On top of it all, with school (I'm taking one IT class), work, and the Exec. Sec. calling, it looks to be a very busy summer. As long as I can play soccer, I'm happy.
No torn ACL's this year for me.

I decided to return to the dry, Tatooine-like state of New Mexico this week. As I type this, I'm in the Farmington library waiting for my sister to get off work so I can pick her up.

Anyway, I spent a majority of the morning trying to get some car stuff done. Insurance and Registeration stuff. Now you all know that I am the safest driver in the world. Perfect record almost. But what I can't control is the DMV/ Insurance part of driving. I got the insurance handled flawlessly with even a home-owners discount that I wasn't aware about till I was sitting in the office overhearing another person get it, so I asked about it and I can get it.

But apparently, I'm not suppose to have been driving my car for the last 10 years because my name is not on the car title. So I spent, I don't know how long talking to about three different people trying to understand what I'm suppose to do to get my car registered in NM. After about an hour, I finally got all the info I needed when a competant employee finally came over and handled everything.

This has not been my first time dealing with the DMV and I doubt that it will be my last. But all I have to say is the. . . DMV sucks.

That's all.

Good Advice.

About a month ago, I was flipping through the radio stations in my room and I stopped on a Neil Diamond song. My roommate Charles was there and we started to listen. We couldn't hear some of the words though, they were sorta run together. This morning, I heard the same song and I flashed back to when Charles and I first heard this Neil Diamond song. Because we couldn't hear some of the words in the chorus we determined that name of the song was 'Reverend in Blue Jeans'. We also determined that was an awesome name for a song. After further analysis of the song, I've come to find that the real name of the song is 'Forever in Blue Jeans'. It's still a cool song, I think it would have been better if Neil Diamond actually sang about a Reverend who wears blue jeans.
The only Reverend that I've seen wear jeans was the bad guy in the 7th Season of Buffy, only he wore black jeans.

Update: Sources (unknown reliability) has stated that Thomas Hayden Church will be playing the Sandman. One report (warning: language) has identified many storyboard that suggest that Sandman will be the primary villian in Spiderman 3. As far as the Lizard character, it is still unconfirmed that he will make an appearance even though the Dr. Connors character has been either mentioned or filmed in the last two Spiderman films. Still some speculation as to T.H.C. playing the role of Venom. More as the Story develops.

Ok, kiddies, Here's the recent scoop on Spiderman 3. Production is scheduled to begin early next year. The release date has been announce for May 4, 2007, so clear your schedules. Toby Maguire is being called back to play Spiderman (Yay!) and Kirsten Dunst is going to play Mary Jane again (Boo!). But along with the joy that is Spiderman there is one thing I've got mixed feelings about; while there is still no word as to who the next villian is, the actor that will play the new evil character has been announced. Thomas Haden Church has been cast. You might remember him as Lowell Mather from the sitcom 'Wings'. THEY CAST LOWELL MATHER FOR SPIDERMAN !!!! Although he did was in 'Sideways', his history of movies is not too impressive, especially since he was cast as Lowell Mather and then went on to another not-so-great sitcom called Ned & Stacy which was just a repeat of the Lowell Mather character, just with a different name.

I liked 'Wings' when I was a kid. It was funny then, but now, the only other actor from that show that still gets work is Tony Shalhoub on USA's 'Monk', but I wouldn't want to see him cast in my Spiderman movies. Why not a Wolverine/Spiderman crossover?? It worked great in the comic book. Thrown in a Wendigo character (like in the Perceptions storyline of Spiderman issues 8 - 10) and you have yourself one kick @$$ movie. Throw a borderline PG-13/R rating on it and you will have a comicbook fanboy's dream. What can they do with 'Lowell Mather' ?!?

Sam Raimi, director of the Evil Dead trilogy, can do great, hilarious movies that don't skip on story. I understand that the Spiderman movies are for family viewing, but why cast 'Lowell Mather' in order to reach that goal? Is it too much for a fanboy like me to ask for an awesome story line in a Spiderman movie? The past two movies are good, don't get me wrong, but they can do so, So, SOOO much more with Spiderman. First of all, kick Kirsten Dunst to the curb and get someone who has the Mary Jane quality from the comics. Toby Maguire is ok where he is. Aunt May is awesome too. But they need some comic fanboys to sit in a room for one night, One Night and record every single geeky thing they say pertaining to an Awesome, Made-for-the-fans/By-the-fans Spiderman movie. Throw some pizza and Dr. Pepper into the room every 4 hours and watch the creative juices flow. One Spiderman geek among the group must at least be grounded enough know when a dumb idea is a dumb idea and control the group. But, I think, if they did that, then you would have one Excellent Spiderman movie that would live for ages as the Ultimate Comic book Movie.

Why aren't I working for Hollywood?

Let's talk about Martha, everyone else is. Let's talk about Martha being confined to her home in KATONAH, N.Y., it's the topic on everyones list. Now, more specifically, let's talk about what Martha has to wear while she is confined to her $16 Million estate. . .the infamous ankle monitoring device, or as everyone in the press affectionately calls it, Martha's Ankle Bracelet.

WHAT THE CRAP !?!?! Why is everyone obsessed with this little monitoring device. I've seen the thing, there's nothing really to say about it. I taught a guy in Iowa who had one on, it's not a big deal!

When people either go to jail or stand in front of a judge, sometimes they leave with certain devices that monitor their doings. My friend in NM had a breathalyzer hooked up to his car to monitor his alcohol level. Lots of people in the U.S. have stuff like this. Why is everyone stewing over a little black box on Martha? It's like it's the first time people have seen these things. I saw on the news that one guy even went so far as to design shoes for Martha so she could hide it during social activites.

Again, I say: WHAT THE CRAP ?!?!?

10 years and counting. Yeah BABY !!

I've been meaning to post this one for a while.

About a month ago, I was signed on to my msn IM account. A friend of mine that I haven't chatted with in a while got on. I was happy to see that she was online so I started chatting with her. She was a friend that I met in high school and have kept in touch with very sporadically over the past few years. Still we have always been good friends, with whom we could tell each other anything and everything.

In the course of our online conversation, she informed me that we have been friends for 10 years. 10 YEARS !! Now that's something to be celebrated. We first met during lunchtime in the cafeteria, I've taken her to the Senior prom, she came to my soccer games and I've gone to her house to hang out. She went to Snow college while I was at the Y and on a mission. She has since moved back to Canada while I've been here at the Y. She came down for General Conferance a couple years ago and invited me to go with her and one of her other friends. Whenever we are both online we try to catch up in each other's lives. And it's been that way for the past few years now.

So this blog is dedicated to my long time friend Crystal, who has been a part of my life for a good portion of it. Through the highs and lows while I was in high school and who also has kept up with my activites (and vice versa) and who has been one of the sweetest and kindest individuals that I've had the pleasure of knowing.
Also dedicated to those with whom 10 years has not yet past, but hope to also celebrate a 10 year (or greater) friendship anniversary.

Like A Little Lost Puppy. . .

A couple nights ago, I was in Apt. 69, hanging out after a long day. When I got there, there was the Ritz, Emmy, Kat, Anne-Marie, and Nama. I joined the group and proceeded to do what I do best. . .burn stuff. I found a lighter and started to light all the candles, cause fire is fun and everyone knows that fire will keep me quite for a long time. Once all the candles were lit, I was looking around for other things to light. Kat was rolling her eyes but made no attempt to stop me (cause she knows she would lose). This was to my advantage. With all the candles lit, the only feasible thing left to light within arms-reach was Emmy's big Gulp full of Coke. She was working on the laptop, so I INNOCENTLY reached over and took her drink from the table next to her and placed the Coke in front of me. So imaging this, me sitting there QUIETLY, minding my own business, not bothering anyone, and Em realizes that her Coke is gone, VIOLENTLY turns to me, and then, In Her 'Mom Voice', SHOUTS out "WE DON'T BURN COKE !!!!"

Imagine my surprise that she would say something like that. How RUDE !!! She made me feel all timid, like a little puppy that's shivering in a cold dark alley waiting for someone to take me home. WHY would she do something like that ?!?! What about MY NEEDS ?!?!

So I had to return the Coke and go back to trying to burn nail polish remover.

Travels with Charlie

This one goes out to my roommate Charles, another in a long list of excellent roommates who is able to make me laugh. Here's an example:

Last saturday, before work, I decided to make some food before going to work. Simultaneously, Charles decides the same thing. We walk to our respective cubboards and figure out what to eat. We both have Mac & Cheese, so we start to make them. Up to this point in time, Charles is studying for a Physics test so we are talking physics and making jokes (Geeky, I know). In the midst of our conversation, I mention to Charles to figure out how many Joules of energy are required to make my pot of water boil. Immediately, he starts to run equasions through his noggin and figures out that it would take approximately 120 kiloJoules of energy to warm up my water so I could make my Mac & Cheese. I loved it!! I was laughing for a good 10 minutes just at the fact that he could figure that out on the spot.

Oh, if I could write down a portion of the conversations that we've had. It was one of the greatest moments in roommate history.

YUK !!

I just met someone new at work. Actually, he was the one that initiated the greeting. His name is John (or Jon). He's a semi-hefty black fellow that started working here about a week ago. I just met him today. Now, I've met quite a few people in my lifetime, especially during the mission trip, who I've never met before and have had to either get to know or forget about 2 seconds after I've told them my name. I'd like to think that my spectrum of 'meeting people' has been broadened. On one end are people you meet and they are extra friendly and automatically touchy-feely in a non-homosexual way. I've mostly met girls who are this way. On the other end of the spectrum are the people I've met who are so super shy that they don't even look at you, much less shake your hand. But after meeting John (or Jon) tonight, I think the spectrum would have to be expanded from the 'non-homosexual touchy-feely girl you meet for the first time' to the 'touchy-feely possibly homosexual black fellow you meet for the first time'. You read that right, I think John (or Jon) might be gay.

Here's why: I was sitting at one of the computers at work looking up stuff about camcorders and firewire when John (or Jon) enters the room. No big deal, just a new face at work. I didn't say anything to him, I just continued with what I was doing. He sits down and wonders where the mouse is on the computer (because someone removed it). No big deal, I help him find one. A few minutes pass and he's wondering what I'm doing. I tell him and then he introduces himself as John (or Jon). I say my name and we shake hands. First of all, he's got a rather big hand, a gentle handshake, and soft skin. I think that's a bit odd but don't pay it that much attention. (strike one)

More minutes pass and I talk to Chad, one of the assistants here, about computers, firewire, and camcorders. He tells me where he got his firewire card and I go back to my computer to find one on eBay (which is my new obsession, which I will blog about later). I find a decent card, 1 bid, and a $1 price to beat. Sweet Deal!! I bid $1.25 and there is less than 30 minutes left in the bidding. I vocalize my joy and announce that I am the proud owner of a firewire card for $1.25. NOT 2 seconds pass after my announcement that John (or Jon) leans over, brings his big, soft hand over and lays it on my leg. Not close to the end with the knee, but closer in the other directions. Talk about being FREAKED OUT !! I immediately swivel my chair away and so that his hand is now on the armrest. Maybe he meant to put his hand on the armrest and missed, I'm not sure, but I'm not going to take any chances, especially since I'm slightly homophobic anyway. (strike two)

After wondering if that just happened, freaking out, and trying not to make a big deal out of it, I showed my newly won prize on eBay and things go back to normal, a few more minutes pass, and John (or Jon) gets up and is getting ready to leave. After touching my leg in a rather high area, I'm surely not going to look up from my computer and tell him 'bye' or anything. I keep on with what I'm doing, earphones in place. Well, he touches my shoulder (soft hands) and give a rather gay wave. It's like that scene in Miss Congeniality where the FBI are viewing the dressing room for the first time and Benjamin Bratt's character mimics an ultra girlish 'Hi' wave, you know the one I'm talking about. Well, John (or Jon)'s wave looked something like that only it was a 'bye' and he's definately not a miss America contestant. (STRIKE THREE) YUK, huh ?!?!?!

Maybe I'm taking it all in the wrong way but so far all sensors point to John (or Jon) being part of the underground BYU gay community. I'm going to watch this one to make sure, but be assured, it will be from a distance.

I work for Classroom Support on campus and I work on the weekends. Saturday rolled around and I went to work. Mainly, all I do at work is sit around and wait for people to come in and check out A/V equipment or till I have to go to the Wilk and either pick something up or deliver something. On saturday there was an all day Science Fiction seminar in the Wilk. It's the closest thing I've seen to an actual Star Trek convention. Nerds everywhere !!!! Middle aged people came dressed up in their flashy, bright futuristic medieval garb. Something that you would see on a Robert Jordan novel or in an issue of ElfQuest.

Now I didn't actually see anyone wield a sword, a crossbow, or a spear, but I'm sure all weapons were checked at the door. I think BYU has a policy directly aimed at valkyries and stryders.

I did, however, see people breakout the 'Elven' jewelery and I'm pretty sure some ElfSpeak was present. I'm almost really sure that after attending a seminar like that and hearing people give drawn out talks on the Norse folklores and how it relates to scriptural teachings (this was, after all, at BYU) and how the history of the evolution of the earth, the development of the human language, and the use of dragons in ancient times all relate, people ran home to watch either the extended version of LOTR or some other SciFi fantasy, like X-files or Babylon 5.

Everytime I passed, all I could do was laugh and think about how much people invested into dressing up like warlocks and playing Magic: the Gathering.

It's times like these I wish I had a rubber dog puppet, a video camera, and an overly developed talent to heckle.

If it's too loud....tough!!!!

Whenever I do anything on a computer, I always listen to music. Whether it be programming, writing papers, or just surfing, I always have tunes. But as I sit here in the SWKT computer lab, working on an assignment for my calling, I was apporoached by one of the lab girls and told to turn my music down. Now, either I have it loud enough for the front desk to hear it (which is about 40 paces away and slightly cool) or someone around me can't tell me themselves that I should turn down my music. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with turning down anything I'm listening to when I'm asked. But when any type of 'authority' figure has to be involved THE FIRST TIME, then that's just annoying and hilarious at the same time. If the offended party just leaned over and politely asked me to turn it down, no problem. But when the effort is made to get off their computer, walk over to the desk, complain, and then get someone else to do your dirty work, that's just weak. To that I say "Tough". Now I'm going to have it loud just for spite.

Ok, so this ast week has been quite a doozy. Last tuesday night, I had a soccer game. Within the first 10 minutes of the game I bruised my right inky. It was swollen a lot. It also hurt alot. The day after the game, it really really hurt. I had to go the whole day and not be able to use my right inky. Heck, I ve had to go the whole week without using my right inky. All the ty ing that I ve had to do, my Java rograms, a ers, and emails have had to go without (the u sidedown d and commas and question marks) because my right inky controls all that. Hitting the enter key has involved using my right ring finger. I can t even hit the blasted a ostro he. At least I can still use the eriod.

But tonight, I have another game. ho efully I don t hurt anymore fingers or toes or inkies, for that matter.

Kip Dynamite
(Please rate my quiz)


Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
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Yes !!! I knew I had it in me. They forgot to mention my awesome talent for singing.

Inspired by X96 and their 'Things that must Go' feature that I love:

Here is a thing that must go, and soon.

The Career Fair reciently made its way onto campus again, like it does every year. I've never been to the Career Fair before so I decided to go this year just to check it out and see what free stuff I could get. Along with all the free pens that I could pocket, the deck of playing cards that I very stealthly took, and the shirt that Justus and I teamed up on to swipe, I also got an unsolicited pep talk.

Since I wasn't dressed up in a shirt & tie and I didn't have a resume or prepared questions to ask, I just wandered through the aisles checking stuff out. In the Garden Court I spotted a table that said 'Farmington Police'. This was not Farmington UT mind you but Farmington NM. I had heard a rumor that the PD was hurtin' for new recruits and were coming as far up as Provo to try to get people to join. I thought I'd check it out, so I went over to the table and sure enough, there was a map of my town (actually, I'm from Fruitland but Farmington is the 'big city' that is 20 miles away). I started to chat with the lady that was there, we talked about my High School for a bit, about the town, etc. Then, her companion, Deputy Barney Fife, spoke up. He was Navajo, like me, and asked me what I was studying. I told him. Then he proceeded to give me the ol' "Keep on your studies" "Study Hard" "Keep to it" speech. I don't mind getting it from the Rogers (the family I lived with for a year), because they know me and are like a second family, but from strangers, I HATE IT !!! Are all minorities always looked upon as having a doomed future, forever to have the curse of the ghetto life in store for them ?!?!? Do I look like I'm going to fail and be forced to live like everyone else on the Rez ?!?!? Why do people always assume that if you are of the non-white variety, that you need to be motivated to 'Stay in School''Don't smoke Crack' or 'Keep out of Trouble' ???

Now I'm not one to make racial statements or push racial issues down other people's throats....unless people know that I am joking and they also find it amusing. Heck, I love watching comedians like Gabriel Iglesias make fun of all the things that divide people and show how foolish things like that really are.

But when people give me the 'Stay in School' pep talk, then I get irritated because they assume I'm headed for a grim life if I don't stay in school. Many a people have succeeded without a college education, I just happen to like school (to a point), and I just happen to like learning.

So, as a thing that must Go: unsolicited pep talks that imply that because I am in the minority I am doomed to the ghetto life.

I started a new job. I'm an A/V kid for the college. If I were in High School, I would be the brunt of all the nerd jokes because of the A/V kid status, and also of the geek jokes because of the Star Wars, Vampire, Video Game, and Heavy Metal knowledge that I somehow obtained. But since I'm not in H.S but am in the college scene, I can avoid most of the bashing.

Also, if I were in H.S. and wore the same dark concert/movie shirts that I do now, I would be forced to hang out with all the other Metalheads that hang out in the halls during lunch time learning how to play Enter Sandman or Iron Man on the guitar. But since I'm not in H.S., I can go to all the concerts I want and still interact with those not of my music preferance. Sweet, Huh?

Also, If I were in H.S., I would have to keep silent all the chess and comic book activity/knowledge that I indulged in. In college, chess and comic books are a good splash of variety.

One more thing, In H.S., I would have to definatly, ABSOLUTELY keep on the hush hush that fact that I have Ninja Turtle bed sheets. No self respecting high schooler would announce that he/she still sleeps with the Ninja Turtle print on their bed. In college, it's not only welcome but, at times, praised.

What a wonderful little paradise I happen to fall into.