Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mac Speaks Deseret

Ok so even I was surprised to hear that my Mac knows the language of Deseret. No I'm not kidding. I saw this Deseret thing in a system option, and I wondered what it was,
And the more I looked, the more amazed I became. It's the real deal. The Mac knows the Language of Deseret.

Which if you were wondering is a phonetic language developed in our lovely Deseret.
many years ago.

anyway just thought I'd share it ttfn
Ü

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Turkey Wrap

What with thanksgiving having just past us, and thanksgiving leftovers still lingering, it seems like a very good time to share my favorite recipe for a Thanksgiving Turkey Wrap...
It would seem like a good idea, but I don't have a recipe for a thanksgiving turkey wrap.
So instead you will get a different kind of wrap.

This is my turkey wrap:

First it was the pomegranate trick. It seems so obvious, yet some how, I was oblivious. Yeah, you might say that's my specialty, but it is also irrelevant. So what is the pomegranate trick. Put simply, it is the easiest way to get all of the seeds from a pomegranate. It's quick, and easy, and delicious. I'm not kidding, if you like a good pomegranate, this could change how you feel about them forever. Instead of painstakingly picking out all those little seeds ( and there are a lot), you just snap and tap. simple. The way we were taught was to cut the pomegranate in half. Of course my sister and I tested a few things, just to make sure that was the best way.
And it's good, but you do wreak havoc on those middle seeds. So we decided to see if you could just cut around the skin, and it seemed to work. So you take a pomegranate, and you cut around it, in a complete circle, (or if you really want to be fast, cut straight through). Cut it down the middle (equatorial) in other words don't cut it from the top to the bottom (which I think is how I've always done it before). The you take a large blunt object, like a knife handle (don't cut yourself) or and big spoon of something. Then you tap it, some would say you hit it, it may take a little bit of force. Round and round you go, tapping the top (or the bottom - the shell as it were) 'til you've tapped out all of the seeds. And then if by chance you tapped in some yuckies, just pick um out, and eat. mmmmmmmm.

Speaking of eating, I thought for sure that I would be gaining weight for thanks giving, but somehow after three days, of what I thought was some good eatin' I did not, in fact I went down, not a lot mind you but enough that I thought the irony was funny enough to share. And I don't know, then scale could have just been telling a fib, but when it said 210 I said hmm really?
It's about where I'd like it, so no complaints from me.

I have a brother that cook Thanksgiving Dinner. They went to eat with a friend, but it just wasn't the same... without the leftovers, so Saturday Night they cooked them a feast. And Sunday they got to eat leftovers again. ü

I was also happy to hear of another brother's family. They learned of some friends with a little less this year. My brother's family had plenty to share, so they invited them to dinner. I hope and believe that they will remember and cherish this Thanksgiving.

In other news Black Friday was good. Both for me and for the country.
Yeah sales were actually up like three percent from last year, so much for the media which said doom and gloom.
For me I did really well, I spent some moolah, and saved even more I think. I got some things that I really needed, and perhaps a few fun things too, oh yeah and a present.

I almost didn't make it. No I'm not one of those crazies, that got up too early, but I did stop by to see what was still around... After we got our Tree (christmas tree, yeah there must have been 400 on the lot, it was amazing. It's a fun little tradition.) So I wen't the the Big Box. and well it was cool. I got something there, at half prices. And then to the office store, and it was even better, everything I needed was on sale, and even though their sales ended way too early, they still rang up at the sale price for me. And when I took something back, and traded it for what I really wanted, the price just got better.


My Family played a lot of games, many of which I sadly did not win, but it was still fun, and I like to thank everyone for that. We went to see Madagascar 2 and I actually thought it was good.

So now it's back to the busyness of the season, it was great to take a break, to pause, and have gratitude, I really like that part.
Unfortunately my play time is over, and I'll be crazy busy for the next few weeks.
My blog will probably suffer, my comments may too, Word of the day may or may not always be updated and so forth and so on, but happy holidays, I'll be back soon enough.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Lynx is a Cat

But links are like websites.
Here are some links that I kind of like,
or that have interested or intrigued me for any space of time.

It's Black Friday time and the deals are awesome!
That's right I like 'um.
In fact, one of my favorite Deals is the Amazon.com one. You vote on your deals and then depending on how people vote, you get an unbeatable price. They have electronics, and Books, and oh yeah, that sweet KitchenAid Professional thing (it's big, and I wouldn't recommend all KitchenAids, but it's Sweet - consistently getting rave reviews and It's RREAALLY on SALE.)

And Speaking of Sales...
Remember how I was saying that NG's magazines were on sale? Well they are. Get your first year of National Geographic for under $20.

I have a hard time passing up a good sale,
and well there are a few others that I've been known to check. Of course, these ones change regularly:

http://www.govdeals.com/eas/
https://surplusapps.dts.utah.gov/SPOMaster/public.aspx
http://www.tntauction.com/auctions.asp
http://209.90.75.61/sms/utah,ut/browse/home?tm=m

And Speaking of the Government...
And Change...

www.usa.gov Has links to tons of cool government sponsered sites.

www.whitehouse.gov talks about who has the power now.
and www.change.gov talks about who's gonna have it. (next year-ish)
I'm not sure why, but cabinet positions really intrigue me.

Another thing that intrigues me is Photoshop Express.
It's simple, and lets you do a good amount of basic edits. I don't have to play with it, because I have the real deal, but I would bet that it will just get better and better. I think it's even free, which of course is also cool. And they may even let you store some photos there.

Of course for online storage You can't beat a skydrive. Ok I'm lying, I don't know if you can or not. I had a really cool account with Xdrive, but they're shutting it down. So I got myself a skydrive. Five Gigs. Free Space. Store, Share, Send, Etc. I like the concept a lot. In fact I like the concept enough that I signed up, and yes, they're a Microsoft thingy. I know, I couldn't believe it either. But it does what I want, and I want an online storage drive.

Of course for crazy cool online things you can't beat google.
They're not just for searches any more. Yeah, nowadays, you can search, or list, or email, or draw, or map, or stargaze, schedule, buy, well, pretty much anything. I especially like the blogs, The Google Docs, and my friend the Picasa. Seriously Google = really smart, I think.

And one more thing...
I know I say it a lot but LDS.org is totally awesome.
I love how they have information about everything, but also lot of cool things too. This page highlights both, the info and the cool. It will take you anywhere. awesome.

Well there you have it. Some places I've been, and the places I like. It's kinda fun.
ttfn

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

10,000 Watts of Entertainment

I noticed something very interesting
while I was watching some TV one day.

I noticed that I like bright things.
Super-bright.

No not the amount of light that it puts out,
(though I seriously didn't like that one harry potter movie)
But how smart it is, or maybe...
how significant intelligence is to the program.


As I looked back these were some shows that I noticed I watched.
Most of them use excellence as a substitute for
the tradition formulas that hollywood tends to believe in.


So without much ado, I give you a look at the shows I have found my self watching.

Psych: My friends used to rave about it, but I had my doubts. How could it possibly be that good, I'd never even heard of it. But of course, I was wrong. The more I watch, the more clever it becomes. It's two really smart guys solving crimes, one's got a great memory, and an eye for detail, the other just happens to know a lot of things that no one else knows. And it's funny.
I admit I'm a little jealous.

and then there were two.

See the Mentalist is basically the same show, but without an amusing sidekick to play off. It's not quite the same, and perhaps it's a little more serious, but I still kind of like it. Usually they focus more on the main guy and his 'special abilities.' (again basically observation and remembrance), and less on the gory details of a crime drama. I hope they can make something good of this one. It's better than most, but I'd say still a w.i.p.

NCIS: firmly planted on the line between crime drama and comedy. Near as I can tell it started with a few episodes on J.A.G., and well six years later its better than ever. It takes a team to solve these things, the best team, crazy smart person here, crazy smart person there (crazy smart as in really really smart - top o' the class kind of people). My mom got me started here,
and I admit I usually like it.


Sidenote -- Does anybody else love foxtrot? I think it's awesome. I mean what other comic can tell jokes with math equations and still be funny. Way to be Bill Amend!

and speaking of math...
How about that Numb3rs show?

I mean awesome. Solving crimes with probabilities and statistics, and well, math.
Again it's really smart. Again I wish I knew some of that.

And speaking of what I wish I knew...
Jeopardy. I mean how cool is that a whole show about how much you know, and if you get it right you come back, and then you get to do it again. I've always kind of liked it. Ok I love it. I mean I even taped those Ken Jennings days (yeah my brother did some church work with him in Europe). What is... Amazing... Good clean fun.

And speaking of amazing, one of the greats has got to be the original Iron Chef.
One hour to create a whole menu and every dish has to include the secret ingredient, so secret that there's no way to prepare for it. Just two chefs, Brilliant chefs, and staff, and any ingredients they may need.

Now part of what makes Iron Chef so good is the English narration: Alton Brown and his insightful comments about the ingredients and the dishes, yeah he's a little nerdy, but that may be why I liked it.

And when I found out his show Good Eats is exactly that, the science, and history, and trivia off food, well I decided I liked it too. It's really good.

And how about that PBS. I mean I love watching a good episode of Charlie Rose, or the Nightly Business Report. And now that I can watch ole' Charlie do his thing (interview Americas best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions) at a slightly better hour, life is really good.

And what about quantum leap one of my best friends got me started here. I'm not sure how many of the seasons I missed, but the guy created a time machine, I mean how cool is that. (random sidenote, same guy created NCIS... Other sidenote I hear they're making a movie).
Yeah I think the same friend introduced me to SeaQuest.

I remember Due South, you know the really smart mounty. He played his own way, but he was sharp. So Coool.

Of course the quintessential tv super smart guy is MacGyver. He can get into or out of anything, and he doesn't like guns. He doesn't even need them. He just uses what's around.

One of my favorites... back before my mission, was The Pretender. A smart guy, righting others wrongs. The cool thing here, besides of course the righting of wrongness, was that he could do pretty much anything. Not just smarter than your average bear, way smarter.

Finally I would like to conclude with Chuck. I like Chuck. He's very down to earth, trying to do the right thing, and somewhat socially awkward. Clearly it's his brain that makes this show work. Ok and the humor, but still it's cool to see a nerd (typical or not) save the day every now and then. And here it's basically every not just now and then.


So there you have it I like the exceptional.
The intelligent, and the outstanding.
Consciously or not, I look for the bright ones.
Yeah I really like the bright ones.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Facebook video

Here's a little little video on privacy in Face***

Friday, November 07, 2008

Quick List

I noticed the other day that I have an interesting set of goals.
so I thought I would share some of them with everyone.
the ones that I find most interesting.

  • That $18 library card.
  • Be debt free.
  • Eat good cheese often (Espcially Haloumi)
  • Two ovens
  • Side by side fridge, and freezer (individual units... more of a wish than a goal)
  • Buy at least one book a month
  • Read at least one book every 5 weeks
  • Earn enough money from interest to live off for a month.
  • Live up north. (I have a specific place, but I'm not saying it right now)
  • See a live professional sporting event (preferably RSL)*
  • Make a trip to the nearest St. George esque city once a month
  • Own a sweet camera
  • Take sweet pictures
  • Own a DDR game, or a PIUE
  • Go to Greece **
  • Go on a mission (or two or something)
  • Take 1 class per year
  • Be that crazy uncle who gives educational presents (like books)
  • Be a grandfather
  • Get my knee/lungs to where I can play any sport I want, the way I want
  • Own a piano
  • Play every song in the h. book
  • Perform with a trash can band
  • Own my own home
  • Read the last half of the old testament
  • Subscribe to three or four magazines
* ok so I did see some of the 2002 Olympics, but I want more
**Also I have been to Greece and served a mission, but see above.

Ü

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Half a Fortnight

Well the time is briskly approaching.  And in a week it will be all over.  Well some of it will be.  
But in case you have a bit of interest in learning more, or passing time or what not, I'm going to share my favorite election links again.


leaveyourprint.com:  Comprehensive, specific, everyone you could vote for (if you live in Utah)
They ask a few personal questions to verify your identity, but it's not a lot, they already know who you are, unless you haven't registered, I'm not sure in that situation.  This is a great place to start.

votesmart.org,  Huge. More comprehensive, and thorough. Just the facts. National.


I love it.  Rank the issues, it ranks the candidates for you, and then it tells you why,
then pick a different issues, and play it again.


Aggragate political information.  News, and so forth.


Glassbooth  times .01
smaller but not bad


So if you want to be informed, or be involved, or just plain not be lame,
these are a good place to start.
Ü

And in a fortnight we'll likely be free... at least from the campaigning! 
If not in any other way.



Friday, October 24, 2008

Investing (but not the kind with money): A series of thougths, quotes, ideas, and admonitions, or what not.

I spent a good deal of time the other day, thinking about investments. I like to think about investments, I like to watch my favorite stocks, and to find new stocks that I really like. I read an article that talked about the value of investing, specifically the value of investing in American stocks in these trying, and difficult times.

As I thought about this concept, about investing when times are hard, I could see the wisdom that the author was sharing, I could see how every dollar invested could be a win for the economy, and for the individual. Still I had to wonder if there was something even deeper here, if there wasn't a principle or perhaps even principles that apply to human beings.

I'm not sure that my thoughts on this make sense,
So I'm publishing it in limbo...
It's not here, but if you want to read it then you can.
This is the link to its current residence.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfd445rn_17hfh9qbhf
if not, that's fine too.

I'm open to suggestions.
Have a great day.
Ü

The J.V. E. part II

Day 24: Greenland to England
Ok so I'm in Greenland, and clearly getting out is going to be a pain.
I mean there's really nothing close to Greenland,
but I guess It's time to hop on the first plane I can and get to London.

So I get to London, and man am I tired.
So I sleep,
and I sleep some more.

Day 25: London

London is an impressive city,
maybe even too impressive, I clearly can't take it all in, so I grab a bite to eat at a chippy. And I search for a good can of vimto, and maybe some candy or something.

And I sleep.
Maybe I see some things, maybe not.

I wake up rejuvenated, and it's time to catch another plane.

Day 26: London to Stockholm
Day 27: wandering through Stockholm maybe a little trip over to Drottningholm, a village on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren.
Day 28: Stockholm to Copenhagen
This is the day that I would board the train, yep I'd use the EuRail pass for the next few stops. It's about five hours of travel, but that's more than enough for one day.
This city looks amazing, lot's of wandering, lots of water. There would be plenty of things to see here.

Day 29: Copenhagen to Hamburg
Five more hours on the train.

Day 30: Hamburg
There are some beautiful gardens in Hamburg
I'd probably visit them, and then soak in the German atmosphere.

Day 31: Hamburg to Frankfurt
First of all this is funny - add some er to it if you're drawing a blank.

Day 32: Frankfurt
Do something in Frankfurt, and get my sleep on schedule again.

Day 33: Frankfurt to Munich
More train time.

Day 34 - 35: Munich
Alte Pinakothek: t
his is quite the museum I imagine I'd spend a good portion of the day there.

Day 36: Munich to Vienna
Choo- Choo!

Day 37: Vienna
Vienna, need I say more?

Day 38: Vienna to Venice
Venice intrigues me, but not enough to linger.

Day 39: Venice to Zagreb
Yep I'm on the train again! It's getting old, but I try to take it just a little at a time. I think this segment is nearly 6 hours, a little long at this stage.

Day 40: Zagreb
My Journey is half way over today. Today, I visit the Castle at Medvedgrad and the lake of Samobor

Day 41: Zagreb to Belgrade
Yep, 6 more hours on the train. Yay! I like Belgrade and I'm sure that while I'm there, I would take the opportunity to be with the people. The people in Zagreb and Belgrade are one of the most interesting things to me.

Day 42: Belgrade to Sofia
Well, I've made it to Bulgaria. The land of the endless roses. You can smell it, and I do. Bulgaria is exciting, But partially I'm getting excited, because I'm one to two days from the land that I love... One to two days from Greece

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Don't Buy an Apple

No seriously.

Ok not seriously.

I think Apples are great.
Both the computers/gadgets and the fruits.

and I have no problem with people buying them,
Apple's stock is low, so it would seem to be at least a decent time to buy it,
but as always I am not a financial analyst, so don't buy it just because I say to.

As for the computers, well Apple keeps putting out these dang impressive little things. I really do love mine. Especially since I don't love my PC.
It's a stark reality as I cross from one side of my office to the other.
The iMac almost always works,
and the other thing does not, simple really.

But this is about something deeper than that.

As you may already know, we have too many apples.
We have five apple trees, and five friends' apple trees, and
quite honestly we have too many apples,

I really don't think we have room or jars for all the apples that we have,
so if you feel like you could use an apple,
or half a bushel of apples, feel free to stop by for some.
seriously, it's not a very logical time to buy an apple,
because I already have them,
and they are big, and gorgeous, and wonderful.
so there you have it.

Buy an Apple, but don't buy an apple, you know, basically speaking.
Ü

P.s. a special apology to those far far away, you can buy an apple if you want to.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Blog Exchange

Here is the link to the blog that I wrote to put on Cardine's blog
It's called My List.

We both really like comments.
So if you have something to say, we'd probably love to hear it.
Thanks,
Warnser

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

ShufflePaLooza

That's right it time for Shufflepalooza,
(in case you haven't heard)

And if you need more information.
you can go to the awesome shufflepalooza blog. TTFN


Thursday, October 02, 2008

On Dating (Blog Exchange)

The other day I was talking with my friend Cardine and she suggested that we each write a guest entry for the other one's blog. We each had a list of topics that we thought would be interesting to hear about. We each picked one and this was the result.

My Best Date (by Cardine)

Hi. I'm going to address this topic politician-style and not really address the issue that's being presented or the question that's being asked. In other words, this isn't about my best date. But, I am going to talk about some good experiences I've had and say why I liked them.

1. Once upon a time, there was a young man wearing a strange and unique hat. I complimented this fellow on the hat, and he promptly asked me out the next time we saw each other. I said yes. He arrived for our date almost a half an hour early. I wasn't home. I was still at work. When I was informed that he was at the house, I promptly left and went home to meet him there. He didn't have a car, so we walked to Dairy Queen. He bought me some ice cream, and we talked. After that was over, we decided to walk to Wal-Mart because he needed some bread. And then, we walked back to my house. So, all we really did was walk, eat ice cream, walk some more, buy bread, walk some more, and talk in that time.
And yet, this was a good date. I know that the description probably doesn't make it sound like a good date, but I really enjoyed the time I spent with him, even though it was evident (to me) based on our conversations that he and I were not too compatible. He was perfectly polite, kind, and interesting. And while I said "no thank you" when he asked me out again, I still maintain that it was a very, very good date.

2. I hate getting up early. But one time this guy who I was slightly interested in asked me if I would go to breakfast with him at 7 a.m. I think I probably tried to talk him into a later time, but eventually decided to go at 7. Afterall, it was free breakfast with a really cool guy. We met with a couple of other couples at 7 a.m. at this hick restaurant with all of the old timers and discussed riveting things, such as John Wayne movies. And while I had nothing to add to the discussion, except for a hazy memory of "True Grit," the breakfast was tasty, and I was glad that I had gotten up to go with him. And he smiled a lot. Enjoyable.

3. One time I had a friend who asked me if I wanted to go play ultimate croquet with him. I think my roommate ended up going with his roommate, as well. Anyway, there was a gigantic group of people there all on dates. We were on a team, and played this croquet course at a park, going over all sorts of obstacles. I love croquet, so I really enjoyed this date. And my date was polite and well-mannered. I don't think I talked a lot because I didn't know very many people, and I'm shy like that. But it was nice to have my roommate there so I didn't have to feel totally weird around all the people I didn't know.

Analysis:

1. This date was fun because my date was ultra-polite, attentive to me, and a good conversationalist. He was a good date.

2. This date was great because I already had interest in my date. When that happens, the activity, conversation, or whatever happens matters less than if the date is with someone for whom I don't already have interest. I mean, John Wayne... guh? Oh, and also, he fed me. I like food. Especially bacon.

3. This date was enjoyable because it was relaxed and an activity that I really enjoy. If someone invites me to do something that I already want to or like to do, then that is awesome!

So, I guess that there are a lot of different ways to enjoy dates. I think that I enjoy dates the most if the following elements are involved:

1. A good conversation
2. Interest
3. A fun activity or something that I want to do

And sometimes food. Mostly if I know there will be food.

How about you? What sort of elements do you like in a date?

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Jules Verne Experience

It started with a book, and then there was a blog, and then a friend inspired by the book inquired about a blog. I'm pretty sure it didn't quite go as it was planned, but here I am embarking on the journey (even though technically the idea was directed at moi. 80 days to get around the world: how do I do it?

My first thought when I think about this, is eighty days: that's like the jet lag that never ends.
So the first thing I thought about is how to make this into a vacation instead of just a task.
I'll try to share what makes each place work, and a little bit of insight into how and why I got there, but I'm not going to spend a lot of time researching all the details that I would need to actually take the trip.

Day 1: Salt Lake City Utah to Seattle Washington.
This is basically just practical. Its a nice slow start, but I get to go someplace I've never been.
I'd love to see the sights of the city, but I'm just there for a glimpse.

Day 2:
After a somewhat leisurely morning, and perhaps a quick trip to the museum,
I take a short flight to Canadia. It's a relatively short flight, just over 400 miles, in a north-northwest direction. The plane lands at the Canada's own Jasper National Park.

Days 3 -9: For the better part of seven days I would then work my way from the top of Jasper to the bottom of Banff (also a NP). I imagine I'd take a nice horseback ride through some of the most breathtaking mountains in the world, stop to take in the lakes and the waterfalls. We might travel by boat, and maybe by small plane, but I imagine that most of this phase would be done with a car, maybe a lincoln, they're incredibly comfortable (but not mine, it's feeling sick right about now, and I haven't decided whether I should shoot, or nurse it back to health).

Day 9: Fly south to Glacier National Park
Day nine is really just a continuation of Day's 3- 9, but it happens on the US side of the border. It has always been a goal of mine to travel to Glacier NP, well at least as long as I can remember (maybe ten years or so, plus or minus five... ish). It's one of the perfect spots in the trip for some camping.

Days 10-13 GNP.
It's definitely one of the places that I want to spend some time. It seems very awe-inpiring.

Day 13 Fly to Yellowstone,
Oddly enough, I don't think I've been there (at least not since I was old enough to remember it, I heard that we went when I was young).

Day 14 Yellowstone to Pigeon Forge Tennessee.
In the spring of 2004 my family stumbled upon the most amazing city in the world: there's a miniature golf course on every corner! I'm not kidding. So in the evening after I had settled in my hotel, I'd definitely play the back nine of a course or two.

Day 15
More mini-golf, and lots of relaxin'. Maybe I'd even talk a little hike through the mountains: the Great Smokey Mountains. And maybe it would be a nice day for a little bike ride, and then in the evening perhaps a little more mini - golf, if I'm not tired of it yet. Ü.

Day 16 Pigeon Forge to Boston MA
In fifth grade I did my state report on Massachusetts. Ever since I've kind of had an affinity for the place. Admittedly this is not a major stop, but a nice place with a lot of history.

Day 17 - 18
Leisure time in Massachusetts: visiting some of said places with history. Probably involving a carriage ride, just because I can.

Day 19 - 23 Greenland
On the morning of the 19th day I would fly from Massachusetts (or somewhere near there) to the edge of Greenland (the bottom edge). Greenland is primarily a stop of convenience, but while I'm there, I plan to make the most of it. Maybe some whale watching, and a little helicopter ride from one part to the next.

On day 24 phase one of my journey would complete as I fly from Greenland to England, and sleep!

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Pinnacle of Perfection

President Spencer W. Kimball said that we should look for a spouse that reaches as near the pinnacle of perfection as we can find. But how do we know if we're being too picky.

Clearly only one person has ever achieved the status of perfection, but all the rest of us fall short, often very short. I wouldn't even begin to imagine what sins or mistakes Nephi must have made, and yet he exclaimed "Oh, Wretched man that I am!" He had his problems, The fact is we all do.

The question I have to wonder about is how do we define that person not at but near pinnacle of perfection?

It's funny how our paradigms get set. How they shift, and how they stay the same. Sometimes they are set as it were in stone, and sometimes even when we think we know what we want we end up going a different direction.

So how did we get these paradigms and ideas? Were they something someone gave to us? Did we find them lying in the street, or did we grow them like seeds, in the gardens of our minds hearts? Perhaps we create them. It could be we create them without even knowing?

Often times we like the things with which we are most familiar. This being the case, those people who we grow up around, and who impact our lives have a good chance of being a part of our paradigms. Sometimes though, these paradigms become a little too rigid. In the grand scheme of things I really believe that it doesn't really matter what we choose to do with our lives,
but more that we do something, and that we do it to the best of our abilities. I believe that the way we do things is as important if not more, than many of the things that we may choose to do. Don't get me wrong, I understand that people may get used to a standard of living, or other such things, and I think that's ok, but I guess I also believe that we live in a land and an age of opportunities. Many of our societal paradigms are tumbling all around us. Sometimes I think our paradigms could use a good tumble too.

There are some other ways that our definition or ideal could be created. Sometimes we hear something from a friend. Sometimes we hear things from what some might call a good friend (others might call it a TV). Sometimes we create paradigms just by talking about what we think we want.

Regardless of the paradigms we end up with, it seems very unlikely that someone else will share them exactly. It seems even less likely if we have too many of them, that someone will actually meet them all.

Now I don't think it's bad to know what you want, and I think it's great when a person understands themself well enough to know what works for them, but I also think it is possible for us to lose focus on the things that really matter most.

People used ask President Kimball what they should look for in a spouse and on occasion he would say something like this: 'Find someone like mine and you'll do alright.'
Sometimes when I look at his wife that seems a pretty tall order, but then when I look back through life I realize that there have been quite a few people that I have known that would probably meet that standard. Sure there may not always be a ton of them, but there always seem to be some. And I would imagine that there are probably more than we would think.
and sometimes they are closer than even we could imagine.

If we ask the right questions, we will probably get the right answers,
if we ask the wrong questions, we may still get answers, but a good old fashion paradigm could prevent us from understanding the answers that we get.

I guess sometimes we just need an open mind a willingness to try,
and of course faith, lots and lots of faith.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Weak Things Become Strong

I was surprised. A friend told me she thought I could talk to anyone. I didn't know what to say. Ironic I know, but I was speechless. Talking has never been my strong suit. I mean I get nervous around people, well I used to. I still do somewhat, but I guess I never noticed how much I have changed.

I remember in high school, it wasn't my strength back then.

And then when I went on my mission, I thought I was pretty good,
You know, until one lady said "Elder Warner, you can talk!"
I was as surprised as she was, of course I could talk. Surely they had heard me.
But to this day, those Philippine women still maintain that something happened to me on Cyprus;
something broke me out of my shell.

But the shell wasn't broken, at least not completely. Many times since then I have looked out and said,
wow, what is my deal? Why can't I communicate? It sounds so good in my head. And usually it does.
But letting it out, that's a whole different story.

Still I can see that I've changed. Sure I still get nervous around pretty girls and such, but I am getting better. I have a lot of friends, and a lot of good conversations. I can see my weakness becoming stronger, and I like it. Sure I still wish I was better, but I guess I am on the right track.

I thought it would be interesting to share some of the tidbits I have gleaned about communication.
So hear it goes.

Like all good things it takes practice.
I asked my dad once, how he did it. He seemed to know everyone, and everyone seemed to like him. I knew it was a gift, but I didn't know that he had to earn it. I practically fainted when he said he used to be shy. If you've ever met my dad, you can probably understand, nobody's used that word to describe him in a long, long time.
Still he told me it was so, and he told me how he fixed it. He said 'One day I decided that I would set a goal: I would introduce myself to five new people every week at church, and before you know it, I knew the whole ward.' He started with a solid resolve to become a friend to those around him, and he never looked back. Some people find it hard to believe that he knows 1000's of people on a personal and friendly level, but I don't find it hard to believe at all. He's been at it for a long time, and not just because he's older but because he practices. He has made it a habit to be a friend, and to talk with people. I guess in someway I've picked this up too. I try to be a friend, and I think I'm getting better.

It's strange but sometimes the simple things leave the biggest impact.
I remember this girl, I used to pass her everyday, and as we passed she'd turn and say "Hello, sir." I'm not sure why she used the 'sir,' but it was funny, really funny, and it always brightened my day. We didn't need to stop and talk for hours, it was just a simple 'Hi,' still every time, the impact was huge. It always left me with a smile. I learned that sometimes it doesn't take too much, just let people know that you are happy to see them. A smile, a wave or simple hello, they're all simple gestures, but more often than not, I bet they do more than we know.

It is more important to communicate with people than with words.
Used to be, I was just a little thing (6 foot nothin' or so), but I had a huge vocabulary. I've always loved words, and there were always plenty of new ones to love. My parents tend to use some really good words, but it's never been a problem to ask what they meant. I got to the point where I knew a lot of words, but I still didn't really know how to communicate. It was strange, I had the tools, but I wasn't a builder. When I got older I developed new and different vocabularies. I began to specialize in things and learn the vocabularies that were pertinent to the various subjects that I liked. And all of this was good. I still wish I knew more words, and that my vocabulary had greater depth in a larger variety of fields, but somehow through the course I learned a very interesting lesson: It is more important to communicate with people than with words. It doesn't matter how good the word is if nobody is going to understand. It doesn't matter how much you know about something, if your audience doesn't care about the subject. If the audience loses interest, it doesn't matter what you say.

Some years ago a friend helped me to understand that the people I'm talking with are often more important than the things that are said. Without even pausing to say hello, already I was asking for his help. What I needed was important, but it wasn't more important than he was. He helped me understand that he was glad to help, but it's always nice to know that we care. The more people know that we truly do care, the more they tend to really care too. Whatever we say becomes much more important when we put other people first.

A friend in need is a friend indeed
Sometimes people need a friend. Not a pseudo-friend, or an acquaintance, but a genuine, bona fide friend. I have a friend who is so good at this. I've seen them drop everything, to help me in my time of need. Sometimes they just sat with me and sometimes they just listened. I learned that words are amazing if you use the correctly, but listening can be amazing too.

Speak once listen twice think a lot.
To paraphrase Ben Franklin, It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Now Ben Franklin was not a man of few words, but he was careful with his words. I don't believe that his message was to keep our mouths shut, but rather to think about the things we say. Ironically enough, the more we listen, the better our talking becomes. Sometimes we talk too much (yeah I'm guilty too), but we don't say anything. The more I think about it the more I believe it: We should listen as much or more than we speak, and we should think about the things that are said, both by us and by those around us.

I guess it's true, weak things can become stronger. I'd like to believe that I'm moving that way. I hope my friends know how much I care, and I hope that I can continue to make more friends, and especially to build them. I may not always be the communicator the could, and yes sometimes I get nervous even with my friends, but I think the shell is breaking, and the Lord is helping my weak things to be a little stronger.



And if men come unto me I will show unto them their aweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Ugly Girls (don't shoot the messenger Ü)

There seems to be a lot of ugly girls. It's true, everywhere I turn I hear "I'm not pretty." or "I'll break your camera." or "I hate to be in pictures." Now I hear these things because I take a lot of pictures, both because of my church assignments, and for my own personal memories. But not only when I'm taking pictures, I hear it all the time. Seriously though, how come everybody is so UGLY?

I mean, I'm glad they say something, or I might continue in my uninformed ways, I might actually think they were pretty or something. What a tragedy. I'm also especially glad that I don't ever say it. I'd hate to be shot down by ugly tongue words from an their ugly mouths.

I did say it once: I said "wow, you look nice." And I'd have repeated my mistake if her good friend hadn't saved me. What I didn't know was that my words were a sword. And every time I spoke I cut this girl down. My saying how nice she looked, only proved that she was ugly all the times that I said nothing.

And then there's that other thing. You certainly can't tell a girl that she is attractive. If you do, then you of course are superficial (besides you have to say it a lot if you want them to believe you, because let's face it, everybody knows they are ugly). And if you do say it, and even if they do believe it to some degree or another, they'd rather that you tell them they are smart and other things that "they have control over."
It would be so much easier if I could just accept the fact that women are ugly, and yet some how I can't.

You would think as often as they say so, that by now I could listen, but I guess I'm a little contrary. I still think they're wrong. I still think I could prove them wrong, if I really had a chance.

Maybe it's the Greek in me that says I have to argue, or maybe it's the artist, that has to look for beauty, or maybe it's the ego, that thinks I could fix it help them get past it. Or maybe its just hope. Hope that one day there will be no ugly women. But then again, I'm struggling enough with the ugly ones, I could only imagine how it would go if they weren't. ;)
ttfn

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Truman Show

I'm pretty sure that's my life.
sometimes it's pretty annoying,
but everything seems to happen at the same time.
I'm just waiting for the scene where some guy calls out follow him,
and then I get suspicious, and he calls out peel off,
and everyone peels off.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Somehing more important

Last night was a historic first. For the first time in the history of our great nation, an African-American accepted the presidential nomination of one of the major political parties of our country. More than 80,000 people packed into a stadium, and millions more tuned in at home, to participate in this historic event; but for some there was an event of far more significance.

Last week there was a tragedy. Ten people got into a plane, but none of them got out. Their memorial was last night. Ten people whose lives touched so many others. Ten people whose love constantly strengthened those around them. And so last night, there were great things happening, and there were simple things happening. Some of the simple things had an immeasurably large effect. I chose to be a part of the simple. To show my support for those around me, and even those who may have needed me.

I applaud Barack and his followers,
but for me there was a far greater good last night.
As important as his event was, for those involved ours was more.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are affected.
W.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Yeah I cried

As sad and confusing as my social life may be, I decided to give you guys a little break,
So I'm writing a blog about onions.
I've always wanted to know how to cut um,
And now that I have a knife (worthy of cutting), I decided to try it.
My parents were making relish
and I actually volunteered on the onions.
I was surprised at the ease with which my onion cut.
Now if I can just get rid of the crying...

ttfn

Friday, August 22, 2008

I Almost had it

As some of you might know I thought I could do it.
I thought I could get Barack's VP before it was out,
well, I may have done it.
I don't have any real proof,
but I have... let's call them inconsistencies, that lead me to believe I may have found it.

So tomorrow if you get the txt msg. Feel free to leave me funny comments about how wrong I was, but if I had to guess (Friday, Aug. 22 2008 @ 6:35 p.m. )

I would guess Sam Nunn of Macon Georgia.
That's all I have.
ttfn

A missguided interview (with me)

I has often been noted, that some of my blogs that people look forward to most are the ones that talk about my social life. But since you're not here to ask the questions,
I decided to have an interview with myself.
(but of course I will be my typical non-descriptive slightly frustrating self, especially since no one is here to really press me for answers)

Here goes...

Reader: So I hear you play volleyball, how is it?
Writer: Well, I'm not quite ready for the Olympics yet, but the people are fun.
It's a good group of people, and we do play volleyball but we do other stuff too.

Reader:Really? What kind of other stuff do you do?
Writer: Well sometimes we play games, and sometimes we go to concerts, and sometimes its an excursion to the mountains or something else like that.

Reader: So you've got a good collection of friends?
Writer: Yeah I'd say I do.

Reader: What about dating are you doing any of that?
Writer: Yeah I'm getting back to it more or less.

Reader: Been on any good dates lately?
Writer: Yeah I'd say so, but I guess I'm only half the equation.

Reader: So is it a variety of people or is it kind of focused.
Writer: I would say it's variety of people, but I have been out a couple of times with a couple of girls.

Reader: Do you want it to be more focused?
Writer: Uh, maybe, I don't know, probably not quite just yet
(Both my standpoint, and my dating standpoint).

Reader: So what kind of prospects do you have?
Writer: Well there's the international superstar (small exaggeration... maybe),
and the long distance email girls, and some of the people that I spend time with, and a few from my ward.

Reader: How is your ward?
Writer: I like my ward, but I'm excited to see it grow. There are tons of new people in town, and I like people enough to believe that is a good thing.

Reader: So do you think your next relationship will happen as quickly as the last one?
Writer: I find that HIGHLY unlikely.

Reader: So are you Barack Obama's running mate?
Writer: If I am I may never know, cause I don't get text messages. Actually last time I checked the constitution I didn't quite qualify. And besides, I'm not running all that much these days. Just strolling.

Reader: Hmm, do the girls like that?
Writer: actually, I hear that my stroll is still a little bit fast. (What can I say, I've got a really big stride)

Reader: So I take it the girls are shorter than you?
Writer: Well I hear rumors of one that's pretty close,
but we haven't officially been on a date (you know the international superstar).
But for the most part I don't notice too much.

Reader: is it true that girls like a taller guy?
Writer: I don't know maybe we should ask them.
Actually I've heard a few things regarding height. Near as I can tell, they do like tall, but not too tall, I hear that I'm borderline, but most of the time they put me on the right side o' the line, so that's a good thing... I think.

Reader: So if you had to pick one...
Writer: Here again this is really tough, In fact the only thing I'm sure of is that I don't want to make that decision yet. Some seem to be showing a some interest, and that is always basically a good thing. And some of them seem to have some people showing interest in them (which of course gives me mixed feelings), it certainly doesn't make things easier, but in theory I would still have a chance, and then there are those that are already my friends. Ideally I would pick D) all of the above, but I'm glad I don't have to pick right now

Reader: Is there anything you would like to ask us?
Writer: Yes actually there is. A few months ago, I put out a poll on how to ask a girl out, now that I've been taught a little about that, I'd like to know what's the "best" way to end a date? more-than-one-word-answers would be preferable.
But of course if you have a talent for word efficiency then do whatever works best, but I'd really like to hear, lead the dialogue on this.

well that's all the questions that I could think of for you,
so I hope you enjoyed.
ttfn
W

Friday, August 15, 2008

Book-club recommendation

As most of you probably know I accidentally joined a book-club.

I'm actually starting to like it.
But I still don't have "privileges"
(i.e., I can't add my recommendations to the website)

So I'm putting them here.
I think we should read Up from slavery
By Booker T. Washington

I just listened to some of it,
and I think it would be really good for people to read.
I like it enough that I may purchase it (and that's saying something).

My other suggestion is a book that has apparently been cycling through my family:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret. by David Brian Selznick
When we feel like something more recreational.

Two completely different kinds of books,
but two that would definitely be right up the book club alley

Seriously.
ttfn

W




Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Ignorance and Arrogance

It's funny the thing people say. Ok sometimes it's funny.
But this time it just bugged me.

I'm trying not to say mean things,
but seriously... We were talking about the three R's and how important they are, and this kid says
Oh yeah "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" It was a valiant effort, but he was wrong.
I let him know that we were talking about the other three R's
the original 3

Reading, wRiting, and aRithmatic.
Now I could see his point when he said they didn't all start with 'R.'
and how stupid that was,
but when he told me that his people didn't need these things I was um livid.
Of all the things that a person could be arrogant about, the last thing I expect
it to be is ignorance. It was almost like a badge he wore.
I'm too good for that.
Who needs those 'common' things anyway.

I know that there are a lot of things that I don't know,
but for the most part that's not something I'm proud of,
it's something to fix.

But then what do I know.

Friday, August 08, 2008

a word from TJ

Yeah, I'm quoting him,

It makes an interesting foundation or reference to some of the things that I may one day have time to write here.

So here it is...

"Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. I knew that age well; I belonged to it and labored with it. It deserved well of its country. It was very like the present but without the experience of the present; and forty years of experience in government is worth a century of book-reading; and this they would say themselves were they to rise from the dead." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816. ME 15:40

ttfn
W

Saturday, August 02, 2008

eieeio

There was a farmer had a cow.
This story's not about him.
e i ee i o

But there was a farmer had Zucchini
e i ee i o

It all began in the spring of 2008.
A man called Bryson set forth a grand Challenge.
A Challenge to grow.
... grow a garden that is.

and the people responded.
and their gardens did grow.



and grow.



and grow.


And before you knew it, there was an abundance of fruits and veggies,
and zucchini, did I mention zucchini?

Well with plenty of food, and a little to spare,
an idea was hatched.

A farmers market.
Yeah you've heard that one I know.

but this one is local.
Like in the neighborhood.

700 is where it will start,
but it may move to 11th (a place you might guess)
if the circumstances change.

So when does it start?
Next week August ninth.
It should be somewhere around 255
(I'm guessing it will be easy enough to spot).

Some will be cheap,
and some will be free,
and some... well, you'll just have to see.

I'm actually excited.
it could be quite fun.
so ttfn
and perhaps I'll see you there sometime.
Ü

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Miss Ellaneous

So who's that girl?
"uhh which girl?"

I mean sure I'm dating, but not "Dating."
I'm trying things Elder Oaks' way
'with a variety of dates... not implying something very serious.'
just now.

Will I continue to flirt with those people? Yes.
Will I continue to flirt with everyone else.
Absolutely.

That's just where I am.

There was a new girl at volleyball the other day.
She was fairly pretty, I won't deny that,
but I wondered if she wouldn't be even more pretty with just
a few changes. A little less tan, and some slightly smaller earrings.
A little less make-up and more natural looking hair.

Upon mentioning my experience.
There was an opinion that this girl probably got way more attention than anyone else.
Sure she received more attention than some, and less than others,
but I really believe that there were a lot more factors involved.

#1. She was new! I know it almost seem too obvious, but she got attention, because nobody knew anything about her... most of the other people that we didn't know got a lot of attention too.

#2. Perhaps we are not so shallow as one might think. I suppose some of us are, and some are not, but I would be surprised if a goodly number of people couldn't see that a person would look really good with a little less of the non-essential embellishments that perhaps some people like.

#3. Personality. Personality. Personality. She was nice and she was happy, and that goes along way. She said more to me than some of the others there have ever said. She didn't stay only with her friends, she was kind to everyone, and outgoing. She acted like she was happy that we were there, and happy that we received them, and when I saw her at a later date she remembered me.

She reminded me of someone actually.

A girl who once told me that she'd rather not be hot.
Or rather she didn't want people to say that she was hot.
She said she'd rather be pretty or cute, or something like that.

Ironically she understood the difference, she just didn't realize that she was hot.
She didn't realize that her definition was right but that everyone else was using the word in it's proper context. She wanted their definition to change, not change itself.

Which is interesting, when you think about it. I think Hollywood does it a lot.
They change the definition of words, so they don't have the same meaning.

It reminds of a movie that "should have be have been 'R.'" But because it is not, many people who would not otherwise see it, probably have. I don't understood why people don't take a less passive approach to their entertainment.

There is a website that helps me be less passive.
(I'm sure there are others too). I use Screen it dot com.

anyway I hope you enjoyed the miscellany
ttfn

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Snapsots: part I

There are some moments, simple moments, that I look at and smile. The fifth grade, The sixth grade, the tenth grade and so on. Brief photographs that make up the movie of my life. Here are the stories that I think about often, but don't share enough. These are some things that have influenced me.

I remember my first computer class, 6th grade, (apparently that is both more common and more ancient than I thought). I had no idea, when I sat down at my first Mac that computers would weave so thoroughly through my life.

I enjoyed the class, but, I'm not sure it really changed my life.

When I was in ninth grade you could have asked me "Are you Mac or PC?" and I probably would have said PC. After all it looked like the way things were going (and they did). I was even a little surprised when I decided to take the 'intro to Mac class' (instead of the 'intro to PCs' one), but somebody taught me a great secret; sometimes it's the teacher.

This time it was the teacher.

Mrs. Webb was amazing. She had a gift, she had a few of them. She loved computers, she wanted us to love them too. She could start at the very beginning, but she could take a person about as far as they wanted to go. She didn't teach the same things that others were teaching. In fact she did even always teach the same things herself. Her goal was to teach (and learn) one new program every semester, at a minimum. Consequently we learned a lot of cool stuff.

I heard that the 'PC' people were learning stuff too, but it wasn't quite the same.
We were frontiersmen, on the very edge of unexplored world of computers, and we were exploring it. We started with the some of the basics, but soon we had moved on.
We made movies, and websites, and in my year, 3D animations. We talked with people all over the world, face to face. It used to be a serious novelty. We learned FTP, and layout programs, and the one of a kind Hypercard. Hypercard was like the forerunner to flash. It was programming, and and animation all in one. And yes we did a little programming, and HTML.

It was downright remarkable. I was learning the things that got me to where I am today. Mrs. Webb was indeed an architect and artist: creating futures for hundreds of students, and I was one of them.

When the foundation was set. I decided to take some classes from Mr. Andersen. He too helped me to see the power of these little beige boxes. Here too, I learned so much, partly because he had us help each other. Usually I would learn one way, and he would find a different way to do it, whatever it was. Then when people needed help, he let us share whatever knowledge we could muster. I was glad he did it. It reinforced the things we learned. And I learned a lot.

It's amazing the difference one person or class can make. I've forgotten most of the thing we learned back then, and I've had to learn many more things. But the foundation
was laid and the foundation was solid. I learned how computer programs work. I learned the frameworks, so I could learn all the programs that we didn't learn. Even the programs that were yet to be conceived. And it has served me ever since.
Thanks to those that taught me so much, so long ago.

Monday, June 23, 2008

John McCain is an idiot, oh yeah Barack Obama is too.

I'm sorry but this is how I feel. I think that our government is really going to the dogs, if it's not already there.

It's ironic. The two main people trying to "fix America" are the ones who had the power to do something about it as members of the Senate. After all, congress makes the laws. They are the ones who got us into this mess. Of course is wasn't just congress that did it, but seriously John Chapter 8 vs. 7. These guys are in no position to be throwing things.

So what are the idiots up to today?

Let's start with the idiot from Arizona.

"McCain proposes $300M prize for new auto battery (AP)"

That's what the headline said. Now I admit, in some ways this could work, but the reality of it is this is typical politics. Poorly researched, insanely excessive, ridiculously narrow and broad at the same time, and oh yeah redundant.
So lets start at the beginning.

The basic premise here is pretty much brilliant. That's what I said like a year ago when the Xprize foundation announced that they were doing it. So wait John McCain is proposing a contest that is already going? Oh yeah and it gets way better than that. John's proposal is for a better battery, that' sounds kind of vague to me. What's a better battery, and why are we limiting our research to just batteries, and how many people can really work on something like
a battery anyway. Oh yeah and pssst by the way the better battery was announced a long time ago. I guess he missed it, but it turns out that batteries made out of nanotubes are going to increase efficiencies dramatically. Though it will take a few years to get them into mass production, and do extensive safety research (or did we want to skip that part).

But seriously why did he limit his contest to batteries. The Xprize is open to all technologies. They don't care how you do it, just make a vehicle that is cleaner, greener, way more fuel efficient, affordable and safe. Did you catch that, you have to make the whole car, not just a battery, and people have to actually be able to buy it. It's not theoretical and political, it has to actually make a difference.

And then there was the number, incredibly small by the standards of Washington waste, but $300 Million? This is starting to sound like those brilliant ethanol subsidies that congress came up with. The Xprize is offering $10 million, and there a scores of amazing ideas being developed (I count about 80 teams already trying to win). So why would we spend 300 million to do what has already been done, or at least what could be done with $10 million. Now I'm no expert, but that sounds like 290% waste. I say if John Sidney McCain Thinks that we absolutely have to spend some money on this we should spend it under the guidance of the people who know what they're doing, the people who are already doing it, the Xprize people.

So what about the other guy?

He's an idiot too.

Barack politically incorrect middle name Obama, Says that it would be unwise to start drilling for oil, because it would take ten years for the wells to produce any reasonable amounts. Now I could be wrong here, but it sounds like we should have been drilling for about ten years now. Ten years, hmm I remember a time right around there, when the Democrats had a majority in congress, and a president in the white house, and to think they could have fixed this for us, at least to some degree, way back then. But they didn't do it then, and they won't do it now. It is better to invest in new and renewable energies like ethanol, oh wait this sounds familiar. But here's the thing ethanol subsidies didn't work. There's a reason it had to be subsidized, because Ethanol alone just wasn't profitable, it didn't make sense. But hey, the corn growers are making a killing, way to be congress.

And now I will make a prediction, in ten years (there's that number again) gas prices will be higher than they presently are. Gas will not be $4 a gallon, like it is today, it will probably be higher, much higher, if we're not smart. So why if gas prices are not going down, would we want to avoid things that could help us ten years down the road. What kind of an idiot says "we need help and we need it now, but in ten years, we will need it less. Our children and our childrens children will just have to fend for them selves. We're too busy digging out of this pit, (that coincidentally we created)
to worry about the future."
What kind of idiot?
Appearantly its the Barack Obama kind.

So there you have it two idiots for president.
may the best man win.
And pray for America, because I'm pretty sure we need it.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Party of Four(s) -- the details

Remember how I had that really funny idea,
you know to have a party when gas hits Four dollars a gallon
well gas is getting close,
and my idea hasn't gone away yet,
so here are the details/ facts/ tidbits/ other relevancies.

The date of the party will be determined in the following manner.
Every Friday (about 3:30) the price of Gas in a 10 mile radius will be checked.
(mostly this means that I will check my widget for Loves™ and if need be walk to the maverick)
If both are over $4 for the lowest grade of gas, then it's party time.
(I will try to post here that that is the case)
I expect this to happen this week, but maybe not till next.

If it happens this week the party will be Saturday @ 8:00 (2 fours).

If it is not this weekend then the party will be at 4:00,
unless it is otherwise noted on this or other relevant sites.

We will be doing thing related to Four.
(maybe four-square, (bring a ball if you can) probably shuffleboard, and of course there will be at least four types of food)

Please brrrring four of something (creativity not discouraged)
my address is 0333 1100.
(yes stretching a lot for that one)
ttfn
ÜÜÜÜ

Photos of recent activities

It's mildly ironic, but some of these are just plain bad photos.
and I lost a few,
(but I still might try to recover them).
but here are some pictures of The first Meander
and other recent activities
ttfn




Monday, May 19, 2008

Irony in Iron C

It used to be that no matter what was going, on, I knew that Sunday would be a kind of sanctuary for me.  But these days it's not like that. 
These days Sundays are bad. 
A lot of days are hard, but Sundays are the hardest.

There is of course still one haven.
but unfortunately it's a little harder to get there.
So I guess I'm asking for a favor,
if your headed to the south. 
could you let me know?
cause I could use a ride.
and I really want to go.
Especially on Saturdays.

In other news My knee is feeling better
I still don't know how healed it is,
but it hasn't freaked out on me in a really long time,
occasionally I take it slow, but at least it isn't agony any more

Ok it just popped out,
 it's not in pain, but it's a little tender. Still I have high hope that it will fix itself quickly

I guess I  should have knocked on wool
(or is it wood, i don't know Ü ) 

I'm still not sure what I can do,
but I guess we'll find during our softball game tonight.
still a runner might be a really good idea.

ttfn


Saturday, May 17, 2008

Ha ha funny funny

So I had this idea,
you know, something 

a little ironic.

I'm going to have a party.
I  don't have all the details yet,
but I'm doing it when gas hits four dollars/ gallon.
(or more accurately about that time)

Probably a weekend,
probably more information later.

hope you can come,
W.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Another scoop of DTV goodness

As if the first dose wasn't enough to send your mind on a vacation from which it may never return, I have come again to share my wisdom, or lack there of on Digital digitalness.

So here's an update,

It just happened one day I turned on my tv and it was there.

I have a free program schedule built in to my tv now.

I am imagining that each station has decided for some reason that it is now time to broadcast their full information.

What show you are watching, what it's about, and why you might wanna skip it. (a rating)

But suddenly the button that did nothing. now brings up a schedule.

I haven't explored too much, but I know I get at least a six hour window.

And while I do think that this is being done by the stations, I can't guarentee that all boxes will have the capability to display it (i.e.; the box may get the signal but if there's no button on the remote, then you might have to click through every station to see what it's showing.


granted you may not think that this is nearly as cool as I do, but it kept me entranced for hours.


So how many coupons are there?

about 34 million.


How will they be distributed?

well this is where is get complicated.

The first 22 mil. are available to anyone.

No holds barred.  Get one, get two they really don't care,

the last 12 mil. will only go to people without a pay service of any kind.


Are there advantages to waiting?

yes.


Are there disadvantages?

yep on that one too.

Once the coupons are gone, they're gone.

Technically you could get one until about February 2009, but I could see them running out before then.

And then there's that other thing applicatoins will be processed in the order that they are received,

And they will be processed, and/or mailed in batches.

If I had to guess I'd say they'll send out an average of 3 million per month, maybe every month maybe every quarter,

but they won't all come at once. (so the stores won't get a windfall, but they won't run out so fast either).

I ordered mine in January, and I imagine that many other people did too.
My coupons got here In April and will be good through the middle of June
(which means it actually got sent towards the end of March) 

I think, now that the first batches of coupons have been spotted in the wild, a lot more people will be hopping on board.

this could be good or bad.

If you wait too long, then the people giving out theses puppies, may make you wait a little longer,
or horror of horrors, they may run out,

but I guess I doubt thats gonna happen just yet,

but if you do wait you may get better stuff at a better price,

I personally think now is a good time to order. It's a is a nice compromise, between waiting to 
get a better value, but not missing the boat (or not running to catch it).

Like I mentioned before the coupons are good for three months (they have the date that it's mailed printed on the back) but the coupons, are not a cheap piece of paper (they're a cheap piece of plastic, and they probably have their expiration date coded in to them too).


As I said before I think june is the pivotal month (better and cheaper technology).

but if you wait too long...

I honestly think that the coupons could all get used,
but that may not happen until people start to panic,
necessity can be a great motivator.  ü

So that's that, but what can I expect when I get my box?
Well actually to my surprise the boxes vary quite a bit more than I had thought.

yes even the picture quality from different model varies.

Some boxes have better antennas
so they receive a signal where others might not,
The main differences between the basic boxes 
are latency, and picture quality.

Since the boxes are reconstructing an image from a digital signal,
it takes a bit longer to get a picture,
but usually when you do, the picture is crisp.
(though if you have interference, you might see some jaggies, during a storm for instance)

For now this is where NTSC pass through comes in handy,
(if I can't get a signal, I just switch to Analog)
 
Some boxes will load channels very quickly,
while others, my take a bit longer.

I highly recommend the Echostar box.
but until it comes out the king of DTV is RCA.
(which ironically is the box I saw at the W-mart the other day)

I check CNET for latest ratings and info


so  Digital TV part two. 
That's the scoop, 
one more time.

TTFN


Thursday, May 08, 2008

Researchers wisdom

I saw this and it was funny,
so I'll share it if you want it.
Link

Thursday, May 01, 2008

A Little Video



The video file was kind of large, so I thought I might add a separate audio track, but I haven't yet.
It's not quite the same, but it would be something.
It turn's out though that video is actually easier than audio.
so if you really want it (audio only version) let me know,
otherwise, enjoy the show.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Round One: Spike Lee


It was a great idea. 

I still think it is.

But after a few weeks of incubation,
Spike Lee has jumped out to any early lead.

I can't say it's everyday that I'm bested by the likes of Spike.
Though oddly enough, it seems to happen from time to time.
(though usually my ideas are somewhat less ridiculously large)

SIDENOTE:  The last time I remember something remotely close to this was nineteen ninety seven, or eight.  It was the molten hot food chain of take-and-bake.  I was going to franchise it, but by the time I got around to looking for land, somebody else already had a sign, "Papa Murphy's coming soon."  Sure enough, ten years later, It's still going strong.  Somedays I like it, and somedays I don't, but either way the idea was smokin' hot!

Needless to say I was surprised to hear about Spike's new project.
I was not surprised that somebody else launched the same kind of idea that I had. I was however surprised that it launched in such short proximity to my launch (In fact mine is barely even public, and still needs some work), but what surprised me the most was Spike Lee. 

A critically acclaimed director, with over forty movies under his belt, and he's my competition.  He calls his project "the Democratization of Film."  oooo good name. I call mine the Patchwork Video.  The basic concept is essentially the same.  We make a video largely based on user submitted content.  His website launched today (April 24, 2008).  My website launched about two days ago: Patchworkvideo.blogspot.com.
 
Clearly his website is all the things that mine should be, but is not yet.
So round one goes to spike.

I'm guessing this is something that they've been working on, unless they have an amazingly sweet team of web warriors, because my vision looks kinda like their site, but I just haven't had that kind of time.  Besides it would have been hard for them to do so much in just two days.

Still I can't decide whether I should be flattered or furious, but I can say that I don't have the time to be furious, so I'm choosing flattered.  You know what they say, great minds think alike.  Ironically though, the person  usually saying it doesn't always have a great mind.

So let me tell you about my project.  This will be my second feature length film.  I was a technical consultant/ secondary cameraman/ miscellaneous minion, for another film called Nerd Squared.   A couple of my friends decided to make a movie, and I decided to join them.  
It was an amazing experience, but not without complications.  They've almost completely finished the movie, but very important people keep disappearing.  I think the last thing they are working on is the scoring, but they can't seem to find their musicians anymore.  
This of course makes their job a lot harder.

It did however open my mind to a new kind of video.  A video where every part could be pieced out, in a sort of contest.  It's like American Idol meets YouTube meets Hollywood.  A movie where people could come and go as they please.   A movie where no one is too important to be cut. Everyone can participate, but anyone can be replaced, and if your sound-guy should disappear, scores of people are right there waiting.

And so I had my idea, a patchwork video.  A video for the people, and by the people (with of course some creative oversight).

And then Spike went and had the same idea: A video for the people, and by the people.
Though as similar as our ideas are, they're actually quite a bit different.

Spike is encouraging people to shoot their video with cellphones (Nokia).  But I am discouraging cell-vids.  I want videos with really good resolution (at least 640 x 480), good lighting, and good sound.  If a person can do that with a cell phone, I certainly wouldn't stop them, but most cell phones just aren't made to make videos.

Point number two Spike is telling the 'story of humanity with music.'
I am telling a story. 

Spikes movie sounds like it has a lot of potential, but it also sounds like a documentary.
(which I'll admit will make his a bit easier)
Mine is most certainly not a documentary (though we don't have a plot yet, we are of course seeking submissions Ü). It could be action,  it could be adventure, and yes there's a chance for a little romance, but we are trying to keep it PG at the most, so it's not one of those.   

So clearly Round one has gone the other way,  but who knows, round two might just be mine.

Congratulations to them, and the work that they've done.
We've started something with incredible potential. Now we'll just have to see what happens.
Let me know what you think.
ttfn


Monday, April 21, 2008

Good bad or Great?

I'm a little bored, and a little distracted,
let's face it, it's a Monday.

And since I haven't written much lately I thought I might put something here,
just throwing it out.

As many of you know I'm not a big fan of dating,
it's kinda hard.
But unfortunately, it is something I should do.

so I had this idea, and I want to know,
Good idea,
bad idea,
or great idea?

I could see how it could be all of the above,
but I'm curious to hear some extra perspectives.
So here's the idea, followed by some of my thoughts.

I've noticed that girls can be um difficult to ask out.
Sure there are options but each one has limitations.
You can call them, but then you have to explain who you are (assuming you're not pretty good friends (and sometimes if you are), but if dating is to get to know people... this should be a fair assumption, sometimes).

You can find a girl in a social setting,
but they probably won't be alone, and this can make things even more awkward.
(don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they should be alone, I'm just giving my perspective, perhaps I'll add examples).

Or you can track down, a girl at home, or perhaps other places that one might logically be.
Of course the downside here, is the whole stalker thing, This one seems like a generally bad idea, especially since I have no reason to be where anyone else would be.

Of course there is TEXT and email. But again, kinda problematic,
some people like it, some people hate it. And if you hit the wrong number, you're in for a big surprise.

But then I had a new idea.
By now I doubt I would do it,
but perhaps...
So I was wondering,

What if a person sent you a video?
you know something simple.
Maybe ten seconds, maybe a minute.

Kinda an introduction,
and a simple invitation.

"Would you like to ... with me... insert date... insert time."

Nothin fancy, just asking a girl out, without so much of that dang awkwardness.
Ü

Of course there are some downsides.
For instance, I might not have total control over how things happen,
but I've taken that into account, and I've already been there, so that's not the issue,
(besides, I think that I could work around that, at least to a degree)



So here's the question, if it happened to you, you would...?


Comments, may include some 'funny' stories