Blood is a Many Splendored Thing:

Put the Cadbury Egg Down, and No One Will Get Hurt.

2011-03-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I were walking in our local Smith's down the holiday aisle and were absolutely shocked to find that Easter Candy has nestled in and found a home with the Valentine's Day candy. My first thought was when was Easter? March is the only thing that made sense. So I went home and I calmly check the date of Easter on the calendar. April 24th? Mind you this was back at the first of January. What is going on? Have I missed something? How can you be selling stuff for a holiday that is 3.5 months away?
I have been deeply concerned for sometime on the timeliness of holidays. I think people are getting bombarded on every commercial front with these festivities. No wonder there exclamations of weariness and overload that comes with holiday seasons.
The Christmas season especially has been extended and re-extended to allow everyone the time to enjoy the holidays. Buy your presents now so you can enjoy the holiday. Mail your cards now so you can enjoy the holiday. I think it is having the opposite effect. It use to be that you could get your tree the week of Christmas or even Christmas Eve and that was fine. Christmas shopping was meant to be done during December. Now if you haven't started before December your are deemed a "Procrasti-Santa". It is ridiculous.
We tried to go buy Halloween decorations for the Ward Halloween Party the week before Halloween and found pretty much nothing. If we left it up to the stores, our party theme would have been "Have a Gory, Hallow Christmas." Homemade paper crafts were our go to that time.
Go to the store on the week of any other holiday and try finding half way decent decorations. I dare you. I have been trying to find half way decent decorations for three years and have found that every time I am choosing between the ones that are either trite, dull, or matted due to kid saliva.   You are pulling from the bottom of the barrel. If you want to buy those baubles at their peak it has to be purchased right when they hit the shelf. Which is some cases is 1.5-2 months before the festivities occur.
This whole idea cooked up in the name of commerce, to plan for every holiday months before its observance is crazy. The reasoning behind it being that it gives you time to enjoy the holiday when it arrives. I ask, how can you enjoy the holiday when you are in the process of preparing for the next holiday? We amble into this marketing snare all the time. It is impossible to not be thinking about the next festive event when you have a constant reminder of at least three holidays as you walk down the aisles of the grocery store. The amalgamation of holidays is puzzling I think it is frustrating the whole order of things. No wonder we have snow in June and warm sunny days in the middle of January. Mother Nature is confused by it as well.
There are three solutions:
1- We get rid of holidays altogether. Apparently they are just too complicated and stressful and end up not being much of a break from the hectic parts of life. If we have to plan and they consume so much of our time months in advance then why are we celebrating them. There are suppose to be a day set aside to recoup and celebrate. How are they any different than any other day in the present state?

2- We combine all holidays into four holidays that are evenly spread out through out the year. They would of course be placed in a corresponding season and then would encompass all holidays that were suppose to fall within that three month time frame. Santa would supervise the Hallow ThanksgivaChristmaca Holiday. Instead of his cap he can have witch hat and a skirt of bright turkey plumes. He could also have other embellishments that would take on other holidays. For example, at the point of the witches hat could be an American Flag for Veteran's day.    For the next set of festive days, we could have a groundhog that is dressed up in leprechaun attire only its red (which fits in more traditionally anyway) and he shoots fireworks at you that bring luck, love, wealth, and black history awareness. I think we get the picture.

3- We stop all the nonsense and just celebrate holidays as they come in the season when they are suppose to be celebrated. No more overlap of holidays. This means Christmas as well. Let's actually put up Thanksgiving decorations. Heaven forbid we would actually take time to discover new family traditions by celebrating other minor holidays. Sarah and I have distributed Groundhog Day cookies and I have been known to share a Mole Day Joke. It doesn't have to be complicated.

The Free Market will eventually just have us spending all the time for this holiday and that. I say it has to stop. Our minds and pocketbooks can't take it anymore. We just have to be strong enough to resist the urge to follow in their schemes. Celebrate holidays as they come. Learn about the history and live for the headaches that they cause sometimes. Don't spread the headache out for longer than you need to. Better yet, keep it simple. It is generally better for everyone.

Celebrate Good Times

2010-11-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

Well, we are movin' on up. To the East Side.

Sarah and I officially will be leaving our rat nest to the Holladay region at the end of November. Our end of lease will be up and we could not be any more glad. There has been very little quiet and peaceful enjoyment of out current abode. Our new place is not quite a deluxe apartment in the sky but we can't wait to be over and done with Travis James Lane. It is quite funny that only weeks ago, Sarah and I were bracing ourselves to spend a few more months here at this place. We have been searching for new place since September and had abandoned search after thinking about having to move during both the holiday season and other stressful events that were going on in our life. We can now leave knowing that we have done everything in our power to make the best to maintain the peace and it is not our fault that we are moving. So I will bid farewell to our dismal den. Let me start off with talking about the things I will not miss about our place. Then I can finish with a more positive note talking about what I will miss.
I will not miss the heat or air conditioning being turned off at night. This was one of the first problems that we encountered. Our Landlords for some unexplained reason feel the need to shut off the heat and air conditioning at promptly 10 ever night. The air whether hot or cold doesn't kick back on until 6:30 or 7 o'clock the next morning. It doesn't take a genius to know that this in the long run is going to cost more money than just keeping the temperature at a constant temperature. Luckily we do not have to stay very long in the unbearable heat the issues forth from the overburdened heater. All I have to say is thank you little space heater/fan. You have been a god send and never die again like you did that sweltering night in September.

I will not miss that demonic Buster. I can't tell how many times I have prayed for your death. I am not a violent person and I am definitely a dog lover. This plague needs to be silenced. We have said that this was a problem but if fell on deaf ears and brought more problems than it was worth. Every day we are greated to this menace as we sneak in and out of our house by his bark. We have had to keep our windows and blinds closed for fear that the dog will go on a barking tirade that lasts hours. It seriously goes on to long too far when you hear the strain in the dogs bark and the owner has not even come out to tell him to shut up. When he does come out, it is just to reinforce the behavior by saying everything is alright. What an idiot.   And the dog is not to blame because it doesn't know any better and it is constantly being told that what it is doing is alright.
I will not miss the Harpy, Olympic Runner, and Starer that live upstairs. We never hear a rest to the madness. There is such a cacophany of sounds that pierce our ears every single day. It is sad that we can count on two hands the number of days that we have not had to deal with blood pressure raising, MI inducing noise. Is it sad when we pray that their vehicle is not in the driveway when we come home from work? Just so we can get an hour of peace? Good bye shrill screams, reverberating yowls, and endless blubbering.   Au revoir marathon runs from one end of the house to the other. Adios, weird eyes with no sense to get out of the way of a car in motion.
Lastly, I will not miss the amount of time that Sarah and I have had to talk each other down from our nervous breakdowns caused by the whole situation. We are on a rotation system that really needs to stop. If I am not irate then she is. It has been a very long year and I am just very glad that an end is in sight.

Now for the things that I will miss.
Goodbye tree full of birds that greets us every morning. I just wish that we didn't have to sneak past you so that the dogs don't hear us. (I forgot to mention that the owners solution to calming Buster's bark was to get another dog).   You birds are awesome and you can come visit our yard at our new house any time.
Goodbye mini vacations to escape our prison. They have been quite fun.
Goodbye the veins protruding from Sarah's head. She is extra cute when she is mad. She also gets incredibly funny and witty.
That is about it.
Holladay and Holidays hear we come.

Captain's Log: Stardate 9508.06

2010-08-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I finished a book that had me deciphering the last clue using morse code. It was really quite enjoyable and reminded me of a time when I was much younger when my extensive knowledge of morse code saved many of my friends lives as we traveled through the outer realms of space. So last night I had to fess up to something to Sarah. This little memory brought a great deal of laughter from Sarah and a great deal of questions. So I bet you are wondering what I revealed to Sarah. You will have to decipher it( .. .-- . -. - - --- ... - .- .-. - .-. . -.- -.-. .- -- .--. .- -. -.. .-.. --- ...- . -.. . ...- . .-. -.-- -- .. -. ..- - . --- ..-. .. - .-.-.- ). Give up. Okay, I will tell you. I went to Space Camp and not just any Space Camp. It was a Star Trek themed Space Camp. It is probably the geekiest thing I have ever done but before you make any assumptions about me let me make it quite clear on how I stand about the experience. First, it was a scout trip so I had no say in whether I went or not. Second, I absolutely loved and love Star Trek. I remember as a kid sneaking out of my bedroom to go watch episodes of TNG (The Next Generation) when they would come on after 10 every night. I could not get enough and I have never been as devout to a show as I was to Star Trek. I dreamed of being able to be apart of the Star Trek world and flying around in space aboard the Enterprise. Matching wits with Data as we played Tri-Dimensional Chess with his cat Spot nuzzling up to my leg. Hanging with Geordi and Guinan in Ten-Forward swigging on a warm glass of Rokassa juice. Being trapped in the holodek with Picard and Worf because of some computer glitch is preventing us from leaving. Q must be up to his old tricks again. And I still want a replicator in my house. I would watch until I fell asleep and this is too part of the reason that I established a long habit of sleeping on the couch. I received the Trekker merchandise magazine which I never bought anything from but secretly wished I could at that age. I was a member of the official Star Trek Fan club and had the membership card to prove it. I owned action figures, the USS Enterprise, toys that a reminiscent of Polly Pockets for Star Trek, and the Ultimate Star Trek Encyclopedia. I even put together models of the ships from Star Trek. I was obsessed. So now with that perspective you can call me a geek and not make any assumptions. Needless to say, I was stoked to be going on this trip. It was young trekkers dream come true to be experiencing this. I still remember the my first experience of being teleported up to the ship. The strange whirling motion as the molecules of my body were transformed to energy and back again and I arrived on the ship. It was so awesome. As we made our way to the bridge, we passed countless rooms. Engineering, the Mess Hall, the Crew Quarters, the Infirmary, etc. I was given the assignment of Communications Officer hence the morse code. My primary duty was to relay and decipher incoming hails and inform the Captain of any developments. It was not the ideal job in fact it w very boring for me but I was in space so I didn't care. I had hoped that I would be in engineering because it was by far the coolest part of the ship I thought at the time. I only remember a few things about the whole trip. First, I took part in several away team experiences one of which we encountered resistance from Romulan forces to retrieve some sort of relay beacon that was in the Neutral Zone. I had a minor encounter with a Klingon upon the ship who decided to eat a piece of paper that I was told to give to him by the captain. The Klingon gave me the nickname Mop because he threaten me that if I ever gave him such bad food again he would clean the floors with my head. And I remember having the worse night sleep because I had the top bunk in my quarters and no matter where I turned to get sleep that night I had a light in my eyes. But all in all it was an awesome experience and I really did enjoy it. I am also proud that I was able to experience a little bit of my dream to be a part of the Star trek world if but for a moment. If anyone wants to join me in the ranks of being a geek, the camp is still in business in Pleasant Grove, Utah. I hear you getting excited. Here is the link. And adults can participate as well. http://www.spacecamputah.org/. And just to give you a glimpse of it I have included a video. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7WDJkaTyqw

O' catalyst, where art thou?

2010-08-11T00:43:00.000-07:00

SUPER HERO: A TYPE OF STOCK CHARACTER POSSESSING "EXTRAORDINARY OR SUPERHUMAN POWERS" AND IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE PUBLIC.
I have long known that I have a secret ability to pick up radio signals some how in my head. I hear (Yeah that's right I hear) the cuckoo bells going off in your head but believe me it is so. Sarah is my witness to it. I have on countless times started singing a song out loud and turned on a radio only to find that surprisingly that song is playing or is the next song to play. I know or rather hear what you are thinking, the songs are just overplayed and I could easily just have the song in my head from earlier on that day. But I don't listen to the radio that much. In fact, I seldom listen to the radio because I feel it interferes with the internal songs bouncing around in my head and I can only listen to one song at a time and more often than not I prefer the song in my head. Much to Sarah's dismay. But these songs are not from overplayed groups like Nickelback or Wilson Philips. I swear radio stations have a quota for how many times they have to play "You're in Love" or "Rockstar". But these mind songs seem to be forsaken songs that I haven't heard in years. It can't be just some random event. My claim to have this ability has to be legitimate. Either I can hear the radio waves or I have to ability to call upon some force so that I hear exactly what I want to hear. I could also just be crazy which is also very likely. But either of the former ways make it so I have a special ability and the latter makes it so I can still think it and that makes it reality. The only problem with this ability is it is not nearly strong enough. So I looked up on Wikipedia what I need to have to become a superhero.
1- There has to be a presence of the ability whether it be natural talent or supernatural talent. Check.
2- Most heroes were apart of some catastrophic event or a catalyst that will bring their abilities to the next level. Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider, all the X-men and Kal-El are exposed to radiation changes and their DNA morphs, Bruce Wayne wants revenge on his parents death, Captain America beefed up on Vita Ray treatment, and Bruce Banner has a little mishap with his gamma bomb invention. So I, too, must find a way to be part of a one of these events so that my full power can be realized. I am hoping that is not the event where I have to reap revenge on those who have killed my loved ones. I can't bear that. But I am in luck I work in a lab and surely that has increased my chance of one of these other strange events occuring. Maybe some stray radioactive rat or rabbit from the oncology lab will attack me in the hall someday. Or all the machines in nuclear medicine go haywire and start a cataclysmic event that I somehow don't escape because I can't hear the overhead speakers to evacuate (I occasionally work in a room with 13 freezers and can't hear any of the fire alarms or alerts that are broadcasted over the PA).
3- Most super heroes have a strong moral code, which includes a willingness to risk one's own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward. This one is self explanatory. And I do think my actions tend to be for the good so I think I am on track with this.
4- Most super heroes are independently wealthy. Oh dear. I am not but after my full powers are realized I suppose that I could go figure out a way to make money. It is not really gambling if you know the outcome of a race or match that you place wager on, is it? Even goody two shoes Peter Parker used his powers in the beginning to make a little money. I am entitled to a cut as well.
5- Every hero needs a lair or a hideout. I am thinking that I will just construct a rudimentary structure on a radio tower and set up base there. Easy one.
6-A distinct costume- This one is tricky. I want to be taken serious so I don't think I can have a huge antenna on the top of my head. It is cliche and ridiculous. I think I will just walk around in a big ear costume. So much better.

7-An Archenemy- This too is hard. I know that my ability can help me with petty criminals (intercepting police scanner waves and all) but the only archenemy I can think of would be Photon: the villain of light. He would travel at the speed of light. I would have to travel at the speed of sound which means he is a great deal times faster than me. So I would get to the scene of the crime well after it is happened. This is a problem. Solution: I would have to use my wits and my ability to hear into the future his plans and devise ways to slow him down (with water) or trap him (in opaque box). He will torment me with irksome songs that I will be forced to listen to over and over. It will definitely be a challenge but I will be able to handle it. Good will always win out in the end.

So the plan is set and I am waiting patiently for that primary event to happen. Unless someone else out there knows another way to become a super hero.

Blood Will Keep Us Together

2010-08-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

Whoa, has time flown. My last post was nearly a year ago and I think it is just sad. I blame Facebook mainly for this but that is another matter. A great deal has happened since last October. First, I am no longer in Logan. I now live in Salt Lake. Another change is that my career focus has switched at the present moment from dealing with plants to medical research. Hence the blog title switch. It has been quite a switch and I still am trying to learn all the new terminology that comes with working in the medical field. I am still dealing with genetics so not much has changed procedure wise but there are just so many medical acronyms. I feel like I am working with the government all over again. It has taken a great deal of getting use to. But Salt Lake has been good to Sarah and I. Sarah has enjoyed the change of working as an academic advisor. It offers the chance to still help students but not have to deal with the stress of teaching. She is much happier for it and so am I. We have really enjoyed being here and experiencing city life. It has been an interesting change. I think for the first few months I was in constant road rage just from the going-ons on the road. I still get the occasional frustration when I discover a median is standing between me and my destination or some jerk does something squirrely. But other than that it has been nice having more things to explore. In Logan, we would sadly drive around looking for stuff to do and end up a hour later back at home feeling dejected. We miss all of our friends up in Logan and sadly have not found replacements to some of our favorite places to eat but we are quite happy. Well, I will close at this time. I just wanted to get myself going on the blog again so I will close with the promise that more is to come. And, yes, that can be taken as a threat and a promise.

Halloween Appetizer

2009-10-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here is my Halloween Treat for all my family and friends who care to watch. This is a compilation of a bunch of shows that I loved when I was a kid on Halloween. Some are from when I was not a kid but that doesn't matter. I hope you enjoy. Sorry about some being blurry but they are good so you watch. Happy Halloween. I removed the video player but you can still access it through the link.

Are you Scared of the DarK?

2009-10-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society.

Since it is the week of Halloween, I thought it appropriate to talk a little about fear. We had a game when I was growing up called "Nightmare" in which the players try desperately to go around the board and collect their character keys all while trying to avoid the wrath of the Gatekeeper. I hated being called a maggot. The game is controlled by a video tape that is playing in the background. Players race against time in order to beat the Gatekeeper. At the beginning of the game all players write down their fear on a card and place it in the middle of the board. Then if you collect all the your keys you are suppose to go to the middle of the board and face your fear. Well, actually to win you didn't want to get your fear you wanted someone else so I never really got that part. The game was rather suspenseful as I recall and I never really liked the paranoid feeling that I got whilst playing it. But it was a Halloween tradition and in the long run I generally realized I had a good time after it was all said and done.
The reason I bring this up is as stated before is in part because it's Halloween. It's suppose to be a spooky scary time. A time when people are suppose to face fear in some respect. But also I have been think about in great detail lately why I fear the things that I do and how I came to have the fears that I do. So I thought I would share three. I have many others but I think that these three are the ones that have caused me the most anxiety.

Did you ever get the feeling that someone was following you? I think most people feel this way at least once in your life. The adrenaline starts pumping and you feel your heart will never slow down again. When I was a younger kid I enjoyed thinking that the moon was following me. It was a magical feeling that some how you were significant enough to have the moon follow you. Out of the countless amount of people that it could follow it chose you. That's an amazing feeling. But then I had an experience where I was riding around my nieghborhood on my bike and a car followed me. I still can remember the eery feeling I had as the car matched pace with my blue bicycle. I had to lay low in an alleyway for a couple on minutes until they were gone and I could continue my way back home. I knew they were following me because I went around the block two times in order to check whether they were actually stalking me before I ducked in the alley. From that time forth, night was no longer a magical time . The moon was no longer following me and in its place was a dark menacing figure that was after me. I ran home at night ever since. Even now to this day I make haste when I am walking at night.

I use to love going in Kaybee toys in the mall. I could get lost in that kingdom of toys and never get bored. There was a new thing around every turn. My mom would be out shopping which I hated to do with her so I would persistently ask if I could go to Kaybee toys where I could peruse the aisles and just be in toy heaven for a few brief moments. Again this was a magical time that was soiled by the acts of another. On one particular day I got an over-zealous employee who creepily announced over the intercom such phrases as "I know what you're doing." and "it's not worth it." It took me a couple of minutes to recognize that he was addressing me due to the mesmerizing aura permeating the action figure aisle. In my Teenage Mutant Ninja delirium I left the store way too quickly to not at least appear guilty of his accusations. But I had done nor thought nothing of the sort. Kaybee toys was my haven from a tedious day of shopping with mom and now it was ruined. I don't think I ever went in to the store again without at least my brother with me. Another incident occured where a store manager followed me out of a gas station and proceeded to question me as to shoplifting from his store after I had just come from paying for some penny candy at the register. I was angry about this one because he made me empty my pockets and scrounge for a receipt that was not there for my recent transaction. I got so flusters searching for it which I hadn't recognized that the cashier had not given me one because I spent less than ten cents. He eventually believed me and apologized and I angrily rode my bike off to home. I can't go into a store anymore without the persistent thought that I somehow might be designated as a shoplifter. Those cameras are always watching. I hate those black little objects. I have never nor never will be a shoplifter. I'm much to smart to waste my time stealing petty things from stores. But because of this paranoia I desperately don't want to leave a store without at least having purchased something. If I happen to leave the store without purchasing anything I have this fear that I will be chased down by some security guard in the parking lot who will try to make me unload my imaginary ill gotten gains. And if the security alarms on the front doors go off my heart just starts to race regardless of whether I have bought something that he cashier forgot to swipe or it goes off on someone else. I often have to make it into a joke in order to coup with the anxiety.

My all time fear is pyrophobia. I have lost so much sleep oer this and if it wasn't for conference talks being on tape and my sister Teri some nights I would have got no sleep as all. I would cringe when the firefighters would come to our school because I knew that for the next little while I would be getting very little sleep at nights. I wish I could have skipped those assemblies. What is a new problem spot for me to be on alert about with regards to my house and fire safety? I watched in horror as the fire crew presented a movie of fires sweeping through a house overtaking all in its path. I picture my family being consumed by the flames when ever I would close my eyes at night. I started a nightly routine where I would check the fire danger spots in the home before I would go to bed. Clear those clothes from around the water heater and while you're at it don't let them be near the furnace either. Is the oven off? The list became longer and longer as I my paranoia grew. Now there can't be clothes on a vent either. I even got to the point that I was checking each spot more than once per night just to be sure and on especially bad nights I would never stop checking until I crashed some where from sheer exhaustion. Also if it was winter outside I would have blankets ready to throw out the window so my family wouldn't freeze in the cold. It never occured to me that the fire would be plenty of warmth. My main worry with a fire is that somehow one of my family members would be caught in its blaze and I just couldn't have that. I had to make sure that everyone was safe. It was much too big of a job for me at the age that I was to take on. It also didn't help that Bryan use to light matches right in my face. Siblings just like to torture each other. I don't think he ever knew I had such an aversion to it.

So here's the recap. I hate fire. I could be type casted as a shoplifter. And someone is following me. My fears have wained in their intensity over time which I am grateful for. I don't think I could subsist on as little of sleep as I sometimes got when I was younger. The shoplifting one probably will not go away. I think stores want you to fear shoplifting so those cameras will never stop watching and employees will always be on the look out for the next Bonnie and Clyde. I don't run as much when it gets dark anymore either. This is in part because I am quite big and I think I can take care of myself it worse came to worse. I think we just gradually realize over time that somethings are irrational and we no longer have to fear them quite as much as we did.
I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed.

Riding Refinement.

2009-09-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

I have, as of late, joined with my fellow "green"iacs and financially downtrodden individuals to taking part in the local public transportation system. It has led to many some what frustrating and interesting situations. Today, for example I learned that a house near our neighborhood has a secret cock fighting ring. This can not be proven but why on earth would I hear multiple roosters bellowing from a person's garage. I know what Sarah and I are doing this coming weekend. I don't know why this secret excited me so much but I also don't know why Sarah and I spent an hour in my car once with windows cracked, watching three cop cars converge on the apartments across the street to catch some underage drinker or me sitting in the shadows at midnight watching the cops over at naked kid's house solving some domestic dispute. Why is this so fascinating? Why can't I stop myself from trying to find out what is going on? But I'm off topic now.
On these treks up to campus, I have also caught a small taste of what Logan is. The bus has such a conglomeration of individuals that ride the large and ungainly vehicle that many may not expect. Where else can one sit next to your professor or boss, converse with an old high school friend that you haven't seen in years, get verbally assaulted by the twelvies wearing the latest digs from Hot Topic (since when is the president a pop-culture figure), or receive sage advice from bumper stickers plastering the back of an electric wheel chair.
I feel connected with Logan more now that I take the bus on a regular basis. I am now more aware of what is going on in the community because within the walls of the bus not only is there countless gossip to eavesdrop on (as stated before I just can't help myself when it comes to other peoples secrets) but there are multiple signs reminding all to "Vote Today" or invitations to explore other local events. I also witness the driving habits of my fellow Loganites. I just don't know what it is about buses but ever since our honeymoon, I can't help but get mental images of cars careening into the side of the bus. It's a bit terrifying and suspenseful.
Okay you may be wondering what has caused me to decide to ride the bus. Was it money or environment? Come on and take a guess. Both are excellent reasons to switch but I have to say it is principle that caused me to change. With USU charging more for a parking pass this year than they did last year, I just couldn't take it anymore. The B lot parking is already exorbitant. There isn't just a Fall semester pass for the economy lot. And not to mention that USU now is one B lot less this year due to the move of the tennis courts. It's ridiculous. Parking is a precious commodity that was already limited and I just did not wish to take part in their game anymore. So it's the walk to the closest bus stop, drive to Smith's and getting on the bus, bike (Please don't ask. I had derailleur problems that led to a lot of pain), or coax Sarah into being a peach and giving me a ride on up.
I have come to have a fondness for the local bus. It fills my days with rays of sunshine when I take it. I can't help but get off and smile at the experiences I just took part in. Yes, it is frustrating when your bus driver is standing outside the bus making a pass on a girl but it is alright. Bus drivers need love too. Sure the bus should have left ten minutes ago. Maybe we passengers could be more understanding of the bus drivers needs instead of banging on the windows and shouting out profanities to get the bus drivers attention. That is the lesson I have gained while riding the bus.

Flipnote

2009-08-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend I decided to take a stroll in the Nintendo DSi shop to see if anything new was available. I haven't checked it in a long time and was delighted to see that they had added a new free application. It's quite a nifty little application that allows you to produce your own flip note animations. Here are some of the ones that I have done in the past couple of days. Enjoy.

This is my first animation that I did in the program.

Here's a shout out to our friends in Cleveland.

And finally since birthday month is coming up I thought that this would be appropriate.

And finally since birthday month is coming up I thought that this would be appropriate.

HAPPEE BIRTHDAE HARRY

2009-08-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

On July 30 at exactly six o'clock we celebrated Harry Potter's birthday. He actually was born on the 31st but due to several reasons we were unable to have it on this date. It was very simple this time as compared to what we have done in the past. For the last movie we had a party for each movie on consecutive nights to prepare us for the Order of the Phoenix. Each night was themed around the other movies. This night was very calm with us just playing a few Harry Potter based games and eating some Horcrux cake and ice cream.
Just a little about the cake. It was completely homemade and shaped. Most of the body is made from cake with the head being made from fruity pebble crispies. I forgot to flour the pans of the cakes so I had to do a great deal of frosting and smoothing to get the snake to look this smooth. Sarah helped out quite a bit with the last layer of frosting because I was so tired of it by the time we came to the last layer. I know we should have used fondant but it was quite the accomplishment after it was finished. Most of the other horcurxes were made with gum paste. I had tried doing them all in starbursts before I switched to gum paste because the starburst just wouldn't hold their shape. Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's ring and Locket, The Daily Prophet featuring the Headline "The Chosen One", and the snake scales where hand painted with a mixture of food coloring and peppermint oil. Jewels for the ring and diadem were made from hard candy that we had obtained from our Japan trip. Slytherin's locket is the only one at the end that is made from starbursts. It was a great deal of work but we had a time at the party even though it was small.

Half Blood, Full Betrayed

2009-07-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, Harry hold your head in shame. Last November, I came out with a blog displaying my disappointment with Warner Brothers for delaying the Harry Potter movies solely on the fact of money. I also voiced my opinion that I was afraid that I would be disappointed with the changes the writer had made with the movie. Here are a few of the things that I said: The truth is this. They jerked us around. They set a release date and made trailers and sent out the information in all the magazines and then when we Potter maniacs thought all was well they came in like a heartless mistress and ripped our hearts out of chest.
Another things is I afraid that when I finally sit down in the seat on opening night of Harry Potter. I will be disappointed. I was disappointed once when it came to Harry Potter movies and have since that time never really trusted again. This was in the case of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which is by far my favorite of all the books. I really had a hard time with the movie due to the fact that they left a lot unexplained and that troubled me. I have a feeling that this might happen with this movie because some of the vital Tom Riddle memories will not be making an appearance in the movie. They have also added a Death Eater attack on the Burrow scene which doesn't happen until the last book.
This all held true too this movie as well. I left the theater just a little bit disappointed. I had spent the day before doing an exhaustive internet search on reviews of the movie. I'm glad I did because I knew what was coming. I had found out that some vital scenes at the end of the book had been cut from the movie due to budget and redundancy. SPOILER ALERT. Proceed only if you have seen the movie or don't care to have the news before hand. They cut the battle scene at the end of this book due to the fact that there would be another battle at Hogwarts in the last movie. Not to talk bad about the books but redundacny does happen. Every year follows the same pattern except for maybe the third year. Harry starts at the Dursley's, he then goes to school, they play Quidditch or some other sport activity happens three times, and Voldemort shows up and Harry has to fight him off. Redundancy is inevitable. This is what sarah replied shen I posed this theory to her, "It's like saying I'm sick of these wands popping up in every scene and Who's this Dumbledore guy that's up in everyone's business- redundant. Also, they add a Burrow attack scene which as stated before also happens in the last book- redundant. Needless to say, my general feelings about the show are this. The show took too much time playing up the romances between Hermione and Ron and Ginny and Harry (which was very flat and Ginny wasn't very good) and the teenage hormones (trying to compete with Twilight) and far less time trying to give Harry an understanding of who Voldemort is and what his weaknesses are. This is the whole premise of the book. It is a transfer of the reins from Dumbledore to Harry and if I was Harry and had the respondsibility of killing Voldemort and all I was given was the information that I got from this movie I would be screwed. Another thing that bugged me is that it seemed that they decreased the screen time of some of the Main adult characters and I was led to believe that this was die to budget since that is the only explanation that Warner Brothers has given me to explain why they do anything. I did however enjoy Professor Slughorn. I thought Jim Broadbent did very well. I understand that the movies can't be exactly like the books. It's just a fact that happens even though we wish it didn't. But movie required too much prior knowledge to fill in the gaps that I don't understand how anyone who hasn't read the book could have enjoy it. It would leave me hanging in several spots. The writer, instead of using the book's very easy way of putting the scenes together, decided to do something different and it came across as convoluted. It was like he took scenes from the book, wrote them on a paper, and placed them in a hat (apparently, not the Sorting Hat). He then withdrew them one by one and laced the scenes in a way that kind of destoryed the structure of the film for me. I am excited for the next two movies and my hope is that they make up for the blunder that they have done. They will have to invest a lot of time in the next to explain things they could have just done in this movie. Also, Sarah and I both enjoyed the film until the last twenty minutes where everything just fell apart. They had built up the whole time making us feel that something was going to happen. Which we wanted because the real action scene in the movie was the burrow. What a disappointment. The emotion weight didn't translate from the book to the screen. There was a disconnect. Overall, we hope the next two movies do a better job.

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My Trip Down the Mountain

2009-07-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Sarah, Shannon, Brian, and I decided to go down the canal since Shannon and Brian would be moving out to Cleveland and this might be the last time they could go. It was indeed a very good day for a trip down the canal and I was excited to go. My excitement out weighed my judgement because I should have seen the signs that it was going to end in tears.
Here is a list of signs that this wasn't going to be a good canal ride:
1- Couldn't find tubes due to garage being cleaned recently
2- Couldn't find pump to fill tubes so I could check for holes at home.
3- Went to store to buy pump that was on sale and have to go to customer service because cashier doesn't want to do her job and check the sale price.
4- After an half an hour we still have only one tube filled which was filled already. We attribute the failure to the cheap pump.
5- Go to partake of free air at Foothill gas station. We find that it is no longer free and is also busy.
6- Proceed to 7-eleven because we don't want to go cross town. We find that air is 75 cents now
which we pay for three times. Results- Still have only one tube filled due to the rest having holes.
7- Go to Shopko to purchase tube repair kit. I was unable to locate the much needed glue kit so had to settle for a cheap non-glue kit.
8- Patch a few tubes and go cross town to Chevron to partake in free air. Halfway during the tube refills Man takes nozzle from us to fill his tires. We promptly tell him we are not finished and he promptly takes over. After a few minutes we just let him fill his tires and wait to finish our tubes. Results: Two tubes filled one with a patch. Also, Sarah gets sprayed by one tube due to patch not holding.
9- Decide to buy one tube. Total tubes now: two for us one with a patch, one from Shannon and Brian and one recently purchased one.
10- Keyless entry to my car placed in Shannon and Brian's car at First Dam.
11- Get to drop off and find that patched tube has deflated. Shannon and Brian agree to share the big recently purchased tube.
12- I leave them at drop off and park car 100 feet up road. I lock my key in my car and walk back to find them walking towards me. Sharing of tube had failed.
13- Brainstorming session- Hitchhike back down or I walk while the rest ride down the canal. The last suggestion was mine and due to everything else and my stubborness I won't back down and this is the decision that we take.
14- I walk for forty minutes and decide I am tired of walking on numb feet and uneven canal bottom. Brian offers tube and I find it difficult to ride due to not being able to maintain my balance. I get fed up and start looking for a way down.
15- Brian and I decide to go down together we send word with another group to tell Sarah and Shannon that we went down and not to wait.
16- Brian and I make our way down the mountain with me taking the lead. Initial problems: numb feet and flipflops for hiking boots . Encounters: A huge rock that I put my trust in and it takes me down the mountain for a ride, a rusty piece a metal jutting out mountain a few feet from where I stopped after rock slide and a lone deflated tube (apparently others had problems as well). Last twenty feet are too steep to walk down so we have to slide along with rocks which was enjoyable until we started to stop. Results after descent: My legs bloodied and scrapped from huge rock ride and the rock grinding me against the mountain and back of swim trunks ripped baring my butt. Luckily shirt covers this hole.
17- Brian and I walk back to First Dam and meet Sarah and Shannon.
18- Sarah and Shannon have one tube explode as soon as they reached the pull out for trail at First Dam.
19- I take a shower and spend the next forty five minutes pulling gravel from my leg.
20- Fancy Sandwiches that Shannon and Brian made for lunch had the bag open and got wet from melted ice in cooler. We cook them in oven to salvage them. They were delicious regardless.
And there you have it the perfect way to enjoy a tubing experience with friends. I have learned and relearned a few lessons from it. First, listen to my wife because she didn't want to go all day long and tried to find some other activity for us to do so we wouldn't have to. And second, Don't be stubborn enough to notice that when your having a bad day don't press your luck.

Who am I?

2009-06-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Sarah and I made it back from Japan. Which was an amazing experience. Sarah will be posting about it on her site so you can read it there. I will post about stuff that she may have left out. I have of late been having a difficult time dealing with the jet lag. I had one good night a couple of days ago and then reverted back to the old ways of staying up all night and agonizing about how I am going to make it through the next day without crashing until I finally do crash after 4 a.m. I have no idea why this is happening but it has led to me finding out more about myself. I have taken time to glance over a few online quizzes just to get to know my inner self. So I thought I would post about them. First of all I should be living in South Carolina and not Utah. My true age based off of environmental conditions and such should be 22 years old. If I ever needed to find employment, I am manager material at Mcdonalds because of my extensive knowledge of the company's acronyms. I should be impressed with my excessive Disney knowledge but ashamed at the same time. I apparently hate Myley Cyrus above all other Disney stars and my Disney star twin would be Ashley Tisdale (don't ask why I took these). My drunk personality would be the "helpful drunk" and my poison of choice is vodka. I apparently have read the twilight book saga more than once (not true I barely survived the first encounter) and I am a Bella. My Star Trek TNG character counterpart would be Jean Luc Picard which the description it gave was entirely spot on. If I was an element on the periodic table I would be Au or Gold with He or helium running a close second. As to question of "Which Harry Potter character am I"? I can reply with two repsonses. First, for the younger characters I am a Ron. For older characters I am a Remus Lupin. I am currently on a boat. If I was a character in a horror film I would be the comedian that would survive only until right before everyone finds out who the killer actually is. If faced with the challenge of surviving a zombie invasion or apocalyse I would have survived three times over and probably decimated the zombie population. Finding out this was very comforting. I also found out through this that I have an excessive knowledge of guns that I had not realized before. I am pregnant and her name will be Jordan. If I was an army plastic figure I would be the handgun guy which is opposite of the grenade thrower. And if i was this army figure in WW2 I would come home from the war missing at least one appendage. Maybe parapalegic night could happen someday(Sorry Sarah). Apparently I am a avid Lost fan with the intelligence that rivals Farradays ( I have only seen three or four episodes. I guess I should watch more since I'm a fan. Also, this test was not easy). And if I was Catholic my patron saint would be St. Severus of Antioch. My fruit counterpart is the lemon and I should shave my armpits. I don't even know who I am anymore. I feel so lost and I have so many more questions to go. Sarah come home soon.

On swine, public speaking and religious events

2009-05-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

We leave for japan this next Wednesday. I am pretty nervous for several reasons. The first and for most is in regards to the flight. I have been reading about Japan's current quarantine screenings. I seems that after our long flight we may get the chance to sit in our seat even longer and get a temperature taken. This little process in addition to going to customs can take up to two hours. We have a late arriving flight that night and I was already nervous about making a train to get to Kyoto station. If this actually does happen we will be rushing just to get to the last remaining trains out of Osaka. Also, if anyone that was sitting within a few rows of us on the plain has flu-like symptoms then we are going to be suspect to having be exposed. Which means we could get quarantined until they run a PCR test to verify that we don't have it. The hours just keep piling on. But, hey, you get a free hand washing and complementary mask when you exit the plane so it can't be all bad. I guess we will just have to deal with this hurdle when we come to it. We could even enjoy wearing a mask our entire time in Japan. I hope we find a place to buy one of these fashionable ones.

I am also extremely nervous about my poster presentation. I have given a poster presentation before but not at this scale. I am a bit petrified to say the least. But I guess this is expected. I am currently running on fumes because of the amount of time invested on the poster so far as well as taking pictures for Mary's presentation.

The cultural barriers is another thing to be nervous about. But I'm sure we will manage. It is one of the top tourist destinations.

Sarah included in her post about Japan a tasty tidbit of a religious pilgrimage of sorts. I will include two additions to this video. The first is by far my favorite. He gets kind of emotional at one point when he talks about his hopes. The second I take as his moment of silence to pay homage before leaving. They all come from Destructoid which is the same geek in the previous movie. This continues his story we have all grown to love.

Stop the Killing!!!!!

2009-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

I am sick today and I am getting very antsy because I'm just suppose to rest and get better. I hate just lying around all day hoping that there will be a glimmer of an end of symptoms. You know the pounding headache where it feels as if your brain is going to burst out of you skull at any time. The constant drippage from the nose. The burning needles that pierce the throat. The mass armed assault on the various parts of your body where the pain and misery will never end. And there is the ever present plug of phlegm that is caught in your throat and causes such discomfort that you are hacking for hours on end just so you can have some semblance of a regular breathing pattern. I don't like being sick but I do like the idea of being sick. We can just forsake all the regular duties because no one at work or school wants the infernal disease to come in contact with them. I can't forsake everything today because I can't miss my lab and there is nothing worse than being sick and having to endure through a class or follow an endless list of duties on a protocol when all you really want to do is just pass out. But the idea of being sick is kind of nice when you think about it. You get to lounge around all day and rest and watch TV and pretty much pamper yourself. A carefree day of rest and relaxation to forget the cares of the world and totally envelop all your thoughts on your well being and no one elses. In theory this sounds like a wonderful experience but watching daytime television when your sick makes you wish that you could just give up the ghost and be done with it. I can't bear to watch any more reruns of Judge Judy or any other court show. And the talk shows leave a lot to be desired as well. They just simply pass the time. There is always just sleeping but it even that has to end somewhere. You can't possibly feel good about yourself if you spend the whole day in bed. And what kind of a feeling is that to have after you already have the aches and pains of the plague that is infesting your body. And our body just wants to get rid of them. The poor darlings don't stand a chance.
I don't want to toot my own horn but as of late I have acquired an uncanny knack for picking up lost microbes that need a home to live in and multiply. It is a charitable work that I do for without me these poor small miserable bugs wouldn't last long in the unforgiving environment that is our world. That is why today I have come up with a new organization to make a difference in the world. This idea sprung from sheer boredom because Sarah wants me to rest and get better soon. So I have set up the Christian Catch a Bug Fund. This is hopefully going to be a non-profit organization but I can't be sure at so soon in its development. It is morally imperative that you continue to read.

We have got to come to some new ideas about life folks. What matters is that if you believe in the sanctity of life then you believe in life for all creatures whether large or minuscule, living or non-living. You may not know it's name or where it came from but this little fella needs your help. He like billions before were just spewed or hurled out one day and no longer have a place to call home. Without this home they just meander about with little hope of ever having a place to reside again in the short cycle that is their existence. Denied the freedoms that so many of us have and may have taken for granted. Does this guy have food, a nice cozy roof over its head, or the right to breed and make more of it's type? This little virus doesn't even know that those freedoms even exist. He doesn't know that someone out there could help. That person could be you. For the price you can go out to the movies and get concessions you could support a whole family of bacteria for an entire year. Or you could sponser a whole colony of viruses by welcoming them into your oral doors and giving them a warm, inviting, and accepting mucosal membrane so that they can have residence with your cells. I know what your saying it's not my microbe so who really cares? Or you might be thinking of letting the problem " go down the drain" or you might want to "wash your hands of it" but time is running out. You should care because he is a microbe and it needs you. Every day millions of the little guys are pushed out of their homes and left for dead. When you call Christian Catch A Bug Foundation you know that it will get the nutrients it needs so it won't die. Unlike billions that did just last night. Not your microbe, once you start getting to know each other by hacking off a lung or regurgitating or excreting your whole gastrointestinal track out of you body, that will change. All you have to do is step up and say I am going to help this microbe. Because you can and it needs you. Do something wonderful in it's existence. Call now and ask us to send a picture of microbe that needs you. Just call.

Tequila and Diesel Rivers

2008-12-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

Tequila in the morning, Tequila in the evening, Tequila at suppertime, when you are in Mexico you can have tequila anytime. We really got tired of this concept while we were in Mexico. I seriously think that Mexicans think that this is the only thing US Citizens do when they come to Cancun. Which is probably true.
Sarah and I just got back from a wonderful six days in Mexico where we spent our honeymoon. It was all in all a very enjoyable trip and very relaxing which is what we truly desired it to be. We arrived in Cancun last Saturday afternoon. The faint smell of ocean was in the air as we made our way off of the plane. And we hopped aboard a shuttle to our hotel. Upon arrival at the Royal Solaris we were quickly seperated from our bags and escorted to meet Omar who would get us oriented with the hotel. Omar was enamored with Sarah when he found out she was an English teacher because we was an aspiring writer of pop fiction and the english language in general. I was left out in the cold because no one wants to talk to a lowly research assistant. We we coerced into signing up for a tour the next day where they would of course offer us the amazing opportunity of becoming a member of the Solaris family. We were offered an oceanview room if we took to tour so we quickly consented. Most of the time we spent on the beach just relaxing. For most of the trip the weather was so amazing. It was the absolute perfect temperature due to the clouds that provide constant shade from the scorching sun. We didn't need to go very many places because our hotel had quite a bit to offer us. Several things stood out on this trip that I will always remember. The turquiose color of the ocean mixed with the bright white color of the sand on the beach was such a wonderful sight to wake up to every morning as well as listen to all night long. The sight of hovering seagulls eating bread from a an elderly gentleman's hand was pretty cool to watch. I really wanted to try this feat for my self which suprised Sarah because of my slight fear of birds (I have had a lot of encounters with small rodents and birds whizzing by my head and I just can't seem to get over them). And the most unforgettable event that occured on our honeymoon was the trip to Chitzen Itza. The most memorable experience about this whole trip is that we didn't even occur at those old ruins. We had scheduled our tour for the day before we came home. So we board the double decker bus that morning and Sarah wanted to sit on the bottom level. It looked very crowded to me so I pointed out that we should just find somewhere up stairs so we made our way up and found a quite cozy place upstairs that would provide me with the much needed leg room and provide Sarah and I with a little bit more privacy. So the bus starts and we are very excited to get going. The bus gets about a mile away from our hotel and the bus driver comes up with the fun idea of his own. He was turning the bus around and decided to pull out in front of a dump truck. He then instead of gunning it to see if he can get out of the way he decides to stop. Sarah and me had the absolute perfect spot to witness the entire accident take place. Time stood still. The dump truck full of cement and rebar is doing everything he could to just stop. Adn then it happened, the dump truck hit us. The bus lurched to its side in protest and everything in the overhead compartment spued out of it and fell onto the floor. and the people under it. I happened to have a stroller hit me in my arm and I think Sarah ran into my elbow. And then a very pungent gasoline smell filled the air and all we heard was shrieks and wails of "Gasoline" and "explode" filled the compartment. So both Sarah and I proceeded for the closest exit along. We were shocked at the scene that appeared as me made it down that narrow stairway. There was the dump truck halfway inside the bus and a woman that had been sitting in the seats that we would have been taking had we not moved to the upper level was pinned between the bus and the undercarraige of the dump truck. The exit door was half blocked by the truck as well. Sarah got through first but accidently got caught for a minute and I let a mother and child go before me. I had never seen so much gasoline in my life. It literally was a river of it that we had to wade through to freedom. Both Sarah and I came away from the experience unscathed physically. And no one on the bus including the pinned women were killed in the whole ordeal. I am glad for several things taht occured that day that prevented us from sitting in those seats. One of those being my long legs that couldn't endure a three houre trip to Chitzen Itza. But the most eerie thing about the whole accident is that for the rest of our trip we couldn't really enjoy ourselves. We had felt that we had somehow cheated death. Kind of like a "final destination" kind of a thing. In fact the next day we decided that we would just go to the airport early. We had had it with Mexico. The beach was amazing but we just couldn't bring ourselves to enjoy its wonderful view anymore. So it was a wonderful trip where both Sarah and I got to really relax and unwind. Which was much needed. I also learned that life is so fleeting and any little decision that we make on it can change our lives for the good or the bad. I am just glad that Sarah and I are back in the U.S.A.. Mexico is great don't get me wrong but after a long trip it is nice to be able to lie down in your own bed and relax on your own couch. After a long trip you just get the yearning to come home.

2008-12-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

I just found out this week that months and months of work that I had been doing on the Stipeae would now have to come to an end due to the fact that there is not enough money to pursue it any further. I have been working on this particular group since June and have really enjoyed my time working with them even though it has been somewhat of a challenge throughout the entire process. I thought because I am sad and frustrated right now that I would do a recap of the past several months of my life as pretaining to the lab. I began in June doing work on the Stipeae which is a tribe of grasses. Mary (who is my boss) had spent the from November to March in Australia working on this group and others and obtained samples of the Australasian Stipeae to come up with a phylogeny of the australasian samples. Phylogeny deals with the evolutionary background of a plant species. So these samples would help in establishing a (ancestral) tree for this particular group. I was asked by Mary when she got back if I would be interested in helping her on this project as well as others. So in June I started beginning to extract the DNA from the plant specimens that were brought back. These samples were packed in silica gel which helped to dry them out completely and keep them dry so the DNA doesn't degrade any more. The extraction process started offf really good. This didn't last long due to the fact that a change in plastic tubes halfway during it caused some extra stress. There are several things that happen during the extraction process. I obtained this simplified process from Wikipedia.
1-Breaking the cells open, commonly referred to as cell disruption, to expose the DNA within, such as by grinding or sonicating the sample.
2-Removing membrane lipids by adding a detergent.
3-Precipitating the DNA with an alcohol — usually ethanol or isopropanol. Since DNA is insoluble in these alcohols, it will aggregate together, giving a pellet upon centrifugation. This step also removes alcohol-soluble salt.

Or in other words, the samples are weighed and then placed in a small tube. A nickle bee bee is also placed in the tube. Then the samples that we are going to extract go through the disruptor which in simple terms it shakes the samples at very high speeds to break up the material.

The next parts of the extraction process has a lot of little technical steps that may come across as boring so I won't tell you everything. The main steps are we use chemicals to lyse or break open the cell and another set of chemicals to seperate all the extra stuff in the cell from the DNA. These chemicals are called buffers which is a substance that help facilitate a reaction but at the same time resists changes that occur during the reaction so it doesn't combine with the stuff in the reaction. So by the end of the process we have a vial of DNA. We then put it through a spectrophotometer and run a gel to test for the quality of the DNA. The polymerase chain reaction is the next process that we underwent. In this process which has several steps we amplify or enhance the DNA and then send it to the CIB for Fragment analysis. After we get if back from them we have the sequence of DNA which we then have to align so that the sequences line up. In order to do this we look at graphs called chromatographs to see what is actually happening in the sequence. The highest peak in the graph represents usually what is found in the sequence of DNA. This is just a simplified view of what I do at the lab. I know it is probably boring to most but I find it a very fascinating process. I will just have to deal with the fact that disappointment is a part of my job now. That is the nature of science. To try to find answers to questions but never really obtain those answers. The answers we receive will just lead to move questions. It's a fascinating process. I have to give up for now and not receive an answer.

Half Blood Half Betrayed

2008-11-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I received some horrific news. This news took me completely off guard and I was irate for days afterwords. In fact the mere mention of this topic escalated into hour long conversations on the topic. This subject is the topic of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince's release date not being in November but switching to July of next year. This just floored me and i didn't know how to take it. I felt betrayed and let down. I had already started to formulated plans for the party was going to be like and even was going to center my whole Halloween yard decorations completely on Harry Potter. I read the book again to get decoration ideas for the yard. I was so excited and was even going to go see movies that contained the trailer merely on the fact that they contained the trailer. Then Warner Brothers just up and pulled it from it's slot with some bogus idea that they will make more money by switching the movies release date in November to July. It's just ridiculous. They then replaced Harry Potter with the Twilight movie. I have never read the Twilight books so I can't really judge what there target audience is but I'm pretty sure it is geared towards young teenage girls or at least girls in general. So to switch from a show that is geared towards an audience that contains not only adults and children but both girls and boys to a show that is geared towards a girl based audience doesn't seem to me to be a way to stuff your pocketbooks. You are switching from a family movie and switching to a teen romance. The numbers don't add up in my head.

The truth is this. They jerked us around. They set a release date and made trailers and sent out the information in all the magazines and then when we Potter maniacs thought all was well they came in like a heartless mistress and ripped our hearts out of chest. But they didn't stop there. Instead of coming up with some amazing lie that we could actually believe they told us the truth. And that hurts. Because it was the most unexpected thing we could ever get from Hollywood. For years they have been telling us stories and feeding us lines and for the first time they show us how green there truly are. We all new this secretly. Another things is I afraid that when I finally sit down in the seat on opening night of Harry Potter. I will be disappointed. I was disappointed once when it came to Harry Potter movies and have since that time never really trusted again. This was in the case of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which is by far my favorite of all the books. I really had a hard time with the movie due to the fact that they left a lot unexplained and that troubled me. I have a feeling that this might happen with this movie because some of the vital Tom Riddle memories will not be making an appearance in the movie. They have also added a Death Eater attack on the Burrow scene which doesn't happen until the last book. I just didn't want to wait anymore. There really hasn't been many choices when it comes to movies as of late. And I am saddened by the fact that if all had stayed as planned last Friday I would have been in a theatre watching the next installment of the Harry Potter movie. I may not go the first night or even the first week when the Half Blood Prince comes out and that is a big deal to me. Warner Brother's let me down and they'll have a hard time regaining my trust.

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55 days of Christmas

2008-11-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

I turned on the television tonight and was not at all surprised to find that ABC Family was playing a Christmas show. Apparently they have a countdown to 25 days of Christmas. Why is there a countdown any way? I mean if there going to show Christmas shows then it would mean to me that it's Christmas time. so instead of a countdown why not make it 55 days of Christmas? You can never have to much of a good thing and there isn't anything special about November so why not just extend the most magical, joyous, wonderful, and yuletidey time of the year. Oh wait there is something and it's called Thanksgiving. You know that holiday that is supposed to venerate the harvest festival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation. That wonderful spread of delectable grub all centered around a beautiful roasted turkey.

I find it very hard to find decorations for this special time of year called Thanksgiving. Where are the cardboard cutouts of pilgrims and cornucopias to plaster upon your windows and walls as well as grace your table? What happened to the Thanksgiving specials and movies? I for one would love to see Garfield's Thanksgiving Dinner or Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. ABC Family won't be showing A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving but will be showing A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Come Home. Why not Charlie Brown Thanksgiving? There is also some great movies like Plains Trains and Automobiles and Home for the Holidays that deal with Thanksgiving. And many more that have Thanksgiving scenes. I'm sure they will show these on the day of Thanksgiving but when did it become Thanksgiving Day and not Thanksgiving time. What happened to the elementary schools plays with kids dressed up in shopping bag Indian vests and construction paper pilgrim hats singing songs like five little turkeys and the Mayflower song.
I just would like to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving which is a pretty cool holiday if you think about it. It's a time to be thankful for the bounty that we have and be grateful for all the blessings and freedoms that we are granted. Yes, it could be considered just an excuse to shovel and gorge us on tasty treats until we spue. But Christmas could be considered just a commericalized holiday or an excuse for the retailers to finally get their profits back into the black. It all comes down to the our own personal feelings about the purpose of holidays and the spirit of these events. Thanksgiving isn't only about the food. It's about being content with the fact that we truly do have so much to be grateful for. We live ina country that yes has flaws and our leaders do make mistakes but we have liberties and rights that few people have and many think aren't avaliable to them. It's not that I am opposed to Christmas movies or the Christmas season. I love them. Bring them on when the appointed hour has arrived and I will chow down on some peppermints and homemade cookie cutouts. It's more about let's not be so caught up with Christmas that we overlook one great celebration that occur in the month of November. Why is that we need to be so worried about Christmas that it extends into other holidays other than December? Why do we have to make it so complicated that in order to get everything done we have to start in November or for some even in October? Let's just enjoy the things that are in the present and not worry so much about the future that we fail to see what's staring us in the face is a pretty good time. My friends, Let's watch Thanksgiving specials and make it so that November is about Thanksgiving and Fall activities and not about getting ready for the December.

I like that show. It's neat.

2008-11-23T06:48:00.000-08:00

With all the chaos that comes along with getting everything ready for the upcoming wedding in December, I have been looking for an swift way to deal with the stress that comes along with everything that needs to get done. I have turned to television shows like most other Americans do. I've never been the kind of person that is very faithful when it comes to television shows. I just have a hard time confining or allocating time towards any particular show. Nothing seems all that important that I need to watch it. If I want to do something else that night I want to do it without worrying about what some character is going to do this week to solve some problem. My feelings have changed due to some shows like the Office and Pushing Daisies. I am also very grateful for the fact that Andrew and Elisha have Tivo to alleviate this dilemma that I face when it comes to doing something else or watch the telly. I have also turned to the internet to find snippets of favorite shows from yesteryears.

I have loved cartoons for so long. I am saddened by the fact that in recent years saturday mornings are filled with a plethora of Japanese anime with crappy story arcs that all seem to have the same storyline week after week and Disney sitcoms reruns that if you tune to the Disney Channel you can see the same episodes from your favorite shows every night of the week twelve times. It's fantastic. This is not what my blog is about so I leave this issue here for now. Dexter's Laboratory was one of my all time favorites and I never tired of it. I wished i could find my favorite episode which is the Muffin King episode but alas I could not.

British television is great. They just seem to go to far sometimes which I have a tendancy to do sometimes as well. This is one of my favorite shows called the Vicar of Dibley. Alcie is by far my favorite character in this show. He comedy is spot on all the time.

This is part one of the finale of Vicar of Dibley and thought it wedding appropriate.

I have mentioned the office which I was worried about last season becuase of the sporadic good episodes that were occuring but am pleased with the recent return to the strange things that happen in an everyday office instead of branching out. Pushing Daisies is good as well. I hope that it is able to draw in the crowds it needs in order to avoid cancellation. The way it treats death is very original and weird in a way. The characters are well established as well and I like the chemistry that is between them. I make it a point to turn it on this show on wednesday nights even if I am not going to be watching just so it doesn't get cancelled. It is a littel bit strange I know to turn on the tv and not watch it.

My Blooming Bride

2008-11-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have some very exciting news to report. I finally worked up the nerve to ask my girlfriend Sarah to marry me. The wedding date will be on December 12th and will be here in Logan. I am really excited and nervous and a lot of other emotions right now. It's just really surreal to think that I am actually going to be married in a little more than a month. I trully love Sarah and am extremely grateful for her patience with me. And also the fact that she still want's to marry me despite my short comings. She is truly a special woman. Well, you might ask how we first met? She moved in as I was becoming a freshman in high school into the same ward or church congregation. She became friends with my friends and hence became my friend. I had feelings for at the time but never really let on. Then at the end of my sophmore year in high school my family decided to move to central Utah to a little town called Spring City. I still came up to visit my friends in Logan occasionally so I never really lost touch with Sarah. When I went on my mission to Atlanta, Georgia for two years she wrote to me a few times but I think I only wrote her like once or sent amessage through our friend Elisha. I'm sorry Sarah for this. I am a horrible when it comes to sitting down and writting letters. I went to Snow College for two years after my mission again keeping in touch with my friends up here in Logan. Then when I graduated from Snow I decided to move on to Utah State University and finish my degree here. I started hanging out with sarah quite a bit and then in that December of me moving up to Logan I decided to make the first move to ask her out. She had her GRE exams so I got up early and made her a quiche breakfast and took it over for her. It was recieved very well but at that time Sarah hadn't made up her mind about me yet so she wasn't ready. It took until that next July for her to get back with me and we started the next two years of our dating period. It seems like a lot when in comes to the traditional mormon dating scene. But we had our kinks to get out. I 's don't know why she still with me but I am eternally grateful for this fact. We had been talking about marriage since last June but I was still waiting for my answer to whether it was right. Again Sarah thanks for your patience. She was getting very inpatient and made it very ifficult for me to suprise her. I finally came up with the idea that I would have to go down later on at night in order to suprise her. She left me no other option. We talked earlier on that day and she asked me questions that would get me to reveal when I was going to do it so I led her to believe that it was going to happen on the weekend. This was on Thursday, October 23rd. I got everything together and made the trek down to Springville to ask her the question. I got there and was so nervous. I had carved in pumpkins that asked will you marry me in them and placed them along the walkway up to her parents house. I had to get her to come out so I made up two stories. The first was that a new satelite had been lauched that day and you were suppose to be able to see it. This one didn't get her to come out so I made up another one in which the moon was a deep orange and she should go out and see it. I will not forget the look on her face when she opened that door to her parents house. She ran out and hugged me as I was kneeling and said yes. I gave her my adoptive grandma Ann's wedding ring which meant a lot to me to give it to her. I had gone ring shopping with her to get and idea of what she wanted and i don't recommend that anyone do this if you already have a ring. It made the process so much harder on me.

2008-11-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's been nearly a year since I officially started working at the Intermountain Herbarium at Utah state University. The job has been very beneficail for me. I've learned more from this experience then I have in my entire college career. Many people wonder what an herbarium is. In fact we get quite a few people that come in through our doors expecting to find an exhibit of live plants or something else of that sort and find to thier dismay that the herbarium consists of nothing more than rows of metal cabinents. Not very exciting as compared to maybe a greenhouse but stored within the metal cabinents is the next best thing. And the things contained in the cabinents is a collection of preserved plant specimens. And in that sentence is your simple definition of what a herbarium is.
You may have even started your own herbarium and not even have know it. Have you ever pick flowers and put them in a book to be pressed flat? Well this process is a vital part of the herbarium. The specimens are pressed flat and dried in a a plant press (in your case a book) and then later mounted on paper which is a standard size. Probably one of the things you failed to include with these specimens is a label containing information of where you got it from, who collected it, the date it was collected, and other information on habitat, associated species, lat and long, or other information. This label is a vital part because it tells the viewer all the information they need to know about that particular plant at the particular time it was collected (this is not always true because some labels have more imformation than others).
Herbariums have many purposes. These purposes are:
--- if you were to set up a collection of living plant species ( just one of each) for just the Intermountain Region (Utah, Nevada, and parts of Idaho and Wyoming) and place them in a greenhouse you would soon run out of room. You would probably fill it up just by collecting trees. Herbariums alleviate this problem because the specimens are dead so you don't have upkeep on trying to keep the specimens alive (because sometimes plants just die) and you don't have as much of a problem with space because the plants don't keep growing and you can mount a specimen so it contains all the vital parts of a plant but still fit on a piece of paper.
---one important part of scientific research is the fact that is you or others can't reproduce your results for a particular claim then your claim isn't valid. Say you do research and find out that this plant is related to another plant which previously it wasn't even considered to be related and you want to publish a paper. Herbarium specimens can help with others being able to reproduce your results because they have the same plants that you work with in your study(you have to have preserved the specimens that you work with).
---What about winter? A scientist that works with plants has a year-long job. He can't just stop when winter comes and all the plants go dormant.
---What about extinct plants? Herbariums have these plants on file to be looked at and studied. They contain a rich heritage of material and information.

Well, I think I have bored you enough with what an herbarium is. I think I will talk to you now about what I am doing at work. When I started this job I mainly did three simple tasks.
1- mounting of specimens (arts and crafts time as I like to call it)
2- Data entry in the database
3- filing of the specimens
These three tasks have evolved into numerous tasks since Mary got back from her trip to Australia in last March. At this time she recruited me as a research aid. It has been an enjoyable yet overwhelming experience at times. I have had to learn basically a whole new language of plant terms in order to understand what I was suppose to do. I now work not only in the herbarium but also at the USDA Forage and Range Research Lab on campus as well. At this lab I am working with the Australasian Stipeae and other grasses that Mary collected on her trip in Australia. What we are doing is trying to establish a phylogeny or plant ancestry for the Australasian Stipeae. This part of the job is where I have learned the most and has also been the most challenging. I just run extraction for the specimens and then run the PCR or polymerase chain reactions for samples we have. I am currently working on finding the right primer pairs for my given samples using primers found to work in Romaschenko's paper (link is here http://www.brit.org/fileadmin/Publications/JBotResInstTexas_2_1/14_Romaschenko_at_al-Phylogeny_of_American_Stipeae.pdf). I have had a few challenges with a couple of things but everything seems to be coming together. I have to opportunity of getting my information published in this next year four times and if all goes well I may be going to Japan this next summer to present my results.