Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

I've always been fascinated by this kind of thing. We have a lot of ideas that we pass off as fact with nothing to back it up. Some of these I already knew. They are myths, but I think that some of them are still good ideas. Check out the full article here.


Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.
It turns out there is no part of the brain we don't use. There are no inactive locations. They myth comes from quacks from the early 1900s trying to push their self-improvement schemes.

Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
I grew up with this myth. My mom is a strong follower of 8 glasses a day. You know, I think that it isn't a bad idea. Our bodies are made of mostly water. This much water can't hurt our operations.

Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.
I remember learning this myth back when I was seven years old and walking through a graveyard in Germany. My dad told me about it. I had this awful idea of corpses with really long nails and hair. Gross.

Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.
I only found out this was a myth several years ago. I wish it were true! I have very little facial hair. If this myth were true, it would be possible for me to grow a beard if I kept at it. Sadly, there's no truth in it.

Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
I'll quote the article directly: "The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim light causes permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest."

Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.
This was a new one for me. Yes, yes, we've all heard that tryptophan makes you sleepy. That is true. But turkey doesn't have any more tryptophan in it than turkey or beef. The drowsiness is caused by the large amount of food you're eating, not a special chemical.

Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
I've never heard of this myth before. I can see where it would come from however. We aren't allowed to use cell phones in airplanes. (The jury on that is still out. Some studies say it can interfere with flight controls, some say that it can't.) So it makes sense that we'd believe it could hurt sensitive instruments in hospitals. Luckily that isn't true.

Trolley Square Bomb Threat

Posted: 9:51 PM- The Salt Lake Police Department responded to a report of a bomb threat at Trolley Square Mall on Thursday evening that resulted in the evacuation of shoppers.
The bomb threat was called in about 7:45 p.m. to Salt Lake City Police dispatch, said police Lt. Lamar Ewell. The call came in on a cell phone and officers were trying to track down the caller last night. Mall management decided to evacuate shoppers after police informed them of the threat. Officers and mall security then searched the mall and its perimeter. Nothing suspicious was found, Ewell said. The search ended around 9:30 p.m.

Yes, I was there. But we got the store shut down quickly and we are all safe.

MarioKart Wii

Christmas!

Eleven more days if you can believe it. Eleven more days till Christmas. And I'm caught in the middle. I'm a Christmas-boy as my mother says. I've always loved the magic that comes with this season. When I was young I did whatever I could to preserve and increase that special feeling. For many years as a pre-teen I made sure that I sang a Christmas song every month all year long. I remembered and tried to preserve every Christmas tradition my family held. We have a lot of traditions! Christmas is a special time of year. I think mankind is its closest to Christ-like. Life seems to speed up, but the desire to help others slows it down just a bit.

Now I'm an adult and I still seek to preserve the magic. However, I also work in retail. At the Sharper Image we have started longer hours. We are open 10am-10pm. I'm normally the one who closes. Customers are relentless during this season. They all want something and if they don't get it, "Christmas is ruined!" My days seem long and the pressure much greater. I love my job. Retail has been the best job I've had yet. There is an excitement in going to work during these next two weeks. You just have to have the stamina to make it all the way through. And that's the part that makes me wish the season would hurry up so that I can slow down.

So I'm caught in the middle.

Customers

So I read an article yesterday about a man who tried to open a bank account with a million dollar bill. (The bill -to the left- is counterfeit.) When the teller wouldn't open the account, the man threw a fit. They ended up calling the police. The man was charged with two accounts of forgery (he had tried to use a fake check elsewhere.) and disorderly conduct. I think that if there were a $1,000,000 bill, that's probably what it would look like. Bravo to whoever drew it. He is a good artist.

Now onto my own customer story. And I will try to keep this one very very short, as I could rant on it for quite a long time. A fiery red-headed woman in her late 40s came in late last week. She had a counter-top mirror that's stand had broken. So she was going to return it and get a brand new one. Problem: We don't carry that mirror nor have we ever. I was helping her and I told her so. She got in my face and said, "Are you calling me a liar!?" I replied, "No, I just think that you are mistaken." When someone asks if you're calling them a liar, what they're really saying is, "You are a liar." She started getting out of hand. I told her that if she was going to make this difficult, then I wouldn't be able to help her. To make this ugly story shorter, my Assistant Manager ended up helping her. And this is the part that bothers me: She gave her credit towards a new mirror. UGH!

I hate this because it teaches idiots like this woman, that if she's loud enough, she'll get what she wants. I will not condone that kind of behavior. Second, I *always* try to back up my sales associates when they are helping a customer. If one of them tells a customer something, I back them up instead of correcting them in front of the consumer. It builds confidence in their decision making.

Now this woman should not have gotten any credit for two reasons. First, we don't carry that mirror. Second, even if we ever did, she didn't buy a replacement guarantee, which means that she only had 60 days to return it. And I would have remembered that purchase if it were within 60 days. Grrrr.

Narnia News

I was wondering today when we could expect Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. So I looked it up on IMDB. It is currently scheduled to come out in May of 2008. Well, I'm glad. I was afraid I'd have to wait for a whole other year. The first one was so good, it really lifts my hopes for the following movies.

While looking at IMDB.com I also see that Warwick Davis is tapped to play Nikabrik, the black, and bad dwarf. You may remember him from Willow, Harry Potter, Star Wars, the original BBC Narnia series, Hitchhiker's Guide, and Labyrinth.

Prince Caspian, played by Ben Barnes was in Stardust (best movie of the summer!). He is also tapped to continue his role in "Journey of the Dawn Treader", scheduled to come out in 2010.

All in all, exciting news!

Halloween! The Best Holiday Ever!

The Truth?

So I just read a short article about when the author believes it is okay to tell a lie. Now being human, I have told some lies. In fact I've made a concerted effort in the last few years to tell fewer lies and for the most part I have succeeded.

So the article gave a list of four times when it is okay to lie.

1. When the truth tears someone down and makes them feel awful about themselves. She says, "Brutal honesty can be used as a toxic weapon." I agree. Sometimes honesty is not the best policy when it can hurt someone's heart.

2. White lies like Santa Claus protect a child's innocence and creativity.

3. In response to favors or queries as to how you are doing. "It's no trouble at all", "I'm doing okay".

4. Complimenting someone past what they deserve. "Your brownies are the best I've ever had."

She offers a little bit of wisdom too: The major difference between a white lie and a hard lie is that a hard lie is said to protect oneself, whereas a little white lie is said to protect someone else.

You know I think that's pretty wise. Sometimes a little lie goes a long way to lubricate the machinery of society. So... what do you think? Do you agree with the four examples? Can you think of others? Or should we do away with lies as best we can?

Breaking News

Lawyers (especially copyright lawyers) are blood-sucking maggots.

Star Trek: The (NEW) Motion Picture

Just a quick news update on the upcoming Star Trek movie. The following actors have been tapped to play roles in the new movie.

Karl Urban - Romulan enemy








Mike Vogel - "front runner" for James T. Kirk











Paul McGillon - Montgomery Scott













So of the three actors, I only know the last, Paul McGillon. Right now I am watching season three of Stargate Atlantis on DVD. I love that show! It is the best sci-fi I've seen on television since... well, since Voyager was on TV. And if you hated Stargate SG1, I'm in good company. I did too. Atlantis is completely different and much better. McGillon does an excellent job in his role as the doctor too. I really do hope that he will be in the new movie.

Nerd Test!

Cell Phone Bans

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just signed a bill that will ban cell phone use for sixteen and seventeen year old drivers and older drivers as well. I have to applaud them! For good or bad, California government does not seem afraid of breaking up the status quo.

I am all for the banning of cell phone use by drivers nationwide. A recent study found that cell phone users are as impaired as drunken drivers. The study was performed at our own University of Utah. They found another interesting fact as well. Hands-free phone systems impair drivers as much as having a phone pressed to their ear.

Now California only imposes a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense. I'm debating whether that is a stiff enough fine. "Daddy's girl (or boy)" would be able to afford that easily. Poor students wouldn't be able to afford it. If such a ban were imposed for adults, the fine should be much much larger. I looked up a list of cell phone bans and laws worldwide. In Poland the fine can be up to US$1,000! Now that is more like it!

Now California has joined fifteen other states and DC with cell phone bans while driving. I was looking through the list of countries and states with these laws. It looks like many of those fifteen states only have partial bans. Weak! But here in the US we are always loathe to enact laws that prohibit every day occurrences. We have the mentality that 'If I want to do it, it shouldn't be illegal' and to hell with the consequences. It's just my opinion, but other countries have a 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few' mentality. A more healthy ideal I believe.

Anyway, if it is ever up for a vote (ha!) I encourage you to vote for a driving cell phone ban.

Sloganize Your Name

Just visit this site: www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi

But you *must* keep the first slogan you get.

Mine is now my blog name!

--Bigredhammer

Illuminati News

My 100 Question Survey

How old are you? 28
Last time you went on a picnic? Maybe a month ago
Are you attracted to other races? Not really
What's your favorite flower? Indian Paintbrush
Your favorite television show on air? Simpsons
Country you'd like to visit? Italy
Shoe size? 10
Language you'd like to be fluent in? Russian
Cheetos, Dorritos, or Fritos? Cheetos
Eye color? Brown

Been in so much pain you cried? Not that I remember
Had surgery? Nope
Met an Eskimo? Nope
Been in a car accident? No
Had stitches? Yes, when I was four
Dyed your hair? Yes, three times
Last time you went to a zoo/museum? A month
Ever owned a fish? Nope
The last relative you hugged? My mom
Your dream job? A therapist

Would you go skydiving? I don't think so
Would you eat a properly cooked dog? Yes
Ever worn a kimono? Nope
Wished you were shorter? No
Do you have direct deposit? Yes
Like rap music? Rarely
Last time in a gym? Four years ago
Do you follow the 10-second rule? Sometimes lol
Your favorite college course? History of Animation
Last time you visited youtube.com? Before work

Last Disney movie watched? Emperor's New Groove
How many cell phones have you owned? Two
Ever won a money prize? Yes, for my blog
Ever touched an alligator? Not that I can remember
Your favorite vegetable? Broccoli
Without looking, which number key has the # symbol? 6
Did you look? No
Are your grandparents still living? Only one grandpa
Furthest north you've ever been? Sweden
What jewelry are you wearing right now? A CTR ring and a watch

The closest yellow object to you? Simpsons DVD
Do you use a knife or the edge of your fork to cut things? Fork
Your favorite movie? Clue
Do you use chapstick? Yes, but I'm not addicted
Sprite or 7Up? Sprite
Ever crimped your hair? No.
Sandals or flipflops? Sandals
The last store you visited? Sharper Image
Book you are currently reading? Some unknown sci-fi
Do you like rain? Not really

What time is it? 9:51 pm
Ever worked fast food? Yes, Wendy's.
The icon closest to your clock on your start bar? gmail notifier
Is it dusty where you're at? Yes
What is your desktop wallpaper? Lillypads in a pond
Star Trek or Star Wars? Trek!
Do you care for any plants? Yes 4-5
What shampoo are you using? Bath and Bodyworks Coconut Lime Verbena
Will Democrats or Republicans win the Presidential race? Sadly Democrats
Ever been in a natural disaster? Nope

Are you good at lying? Yes
Can you curl your tongue? Yes
Could you be happy as a vegetarian? Never
Do you like sweet pickles? Yes
Do you like maraschino cherries? Yes
Do you like olives? Yes
Do you like black licorice? Never!
Your favorite recipe to make? Lasagna
Do you like to swim? I like to play in the pool
What is in your CD-ROM? Office XP CD

Do you look older, younger, or your age? Younger
Favorite pie? Strawberry
Right or left-handed? Right
Does anybody hate you? I hope not
Do you collect anything? Yes, playing cards.
What do you see out your window? It's dark
When did you wake up this morning? 10:30 am
The last funeral you attended? My cousin Whitney
White, dark, milk, or semi-sweet? Milk
Do you own a digital camera? Nope

Ever visited New York City? Yes
Last time you visited a doctor? Hm, five years ago
Own any suspenders? Nope
Know anyone who is adopted? My sister
Do you like scary movies? Yes I do
Last movie in a theater you watched? Simpsons Movie
Last costume you wore? Murder Mystery: Butler
Ever worked in a garden? Yes, I have one right now
Flag burning? I think it should be allowed
Do you know what a Liger is? Sure do

How often do you shave? Every 3-4 days
Ever been inside a police car? No
Your favorite job ever? Sharper Image
100 degrees or 30 degrees? 100 degrees
Do you own any turtlenecks? Nope, hate them.
Do you own any corduroy? Yes, one pair of pants
Your favorite number? 28
The last thing you were late for? Work
Do you like rhubarb? Love it
Which will be first, a black or a female President? Black

Classical Barbie Girl

It's good to see one my favorite songs made classical. They did an excellent job!

EU: ISPs don't have to disclose subscriber names

Posted by Matt Rosoff | 2 comments

The bad legal news continues for the recording industry.

After yesterday's ruling that the RIAA owes an Oklahoma woman nearly $70,000 in attorneys' fees, the European Union's top court today said that European ISPs are not required to disclose the names of subscribers whose IP addresses have allegedly been linked to illegal activity on file-sharing networks.

In the case at issue, a group of Spanish music producers filed a legal complaint about Spanish ISP Telefonica, which refused turn over IP addresses of apparent Kazaa users. Telefonica maintained that Spanish law required it to turn over these addresses only in criminal cases or matters of national security. The Spanish court overseeing the case asked for an opinion from the European Court of Justice, which essentially backed Telefonica, saying that this information did not need to be turned over in civil cases.

This opinion's not a legally binding ruling, but if the Spanish court accepts the opinion and rules accordingly, this could form the basis for similar decisions throughout the EU. This would mean that recording industry representatives would either have to convince criminal investigators--the police--to go after file-traders (unlikely), or would have to come up with some other technical method (possible) without violating the EU's stringent privacy laws (very difficult).

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the RIAA continues to spend a lot of money to get very little in return.

My Fortune

So late last week I went to a Chinese restaurant. As you may know, I always keep the latest fortune from my fortune cookie in my wallet. I've had one in my wallet since 2002.

Some of them have been insightful, others were less important.

This last one... Well, I'll let you read it.

"A new hat will brighten your day give you an updated look."

Yes, so I need to do two things. First, head to the mall and find myself a new chapeau. Second, I need to go eat Chinese so I can get a more worthwhile fortune!

Quote of the Day

"In America there's someone willing to pretend to be offended by everything and so we annoy people and that's part of the appeal," he said. "It's to entertain people and also to annoy a certain segment of the audience as well."

--Matt Groening, The Simpsons creator, speaking of the new Simpsons movie


I just like this quote, "In America there's someone willing to pretend to be offended by everything," Haven't you found this to be true? No matter what someone does, there is someone else offended by it. We need to all get over ourselves and see that there are many ways to see or do things.

I am 75% Utahn. How Utahn Are You?

Put an "x" in the parentheses if it applies and put your total where it says total!!! When you're done, multiply your total by 5. This is how Utahn you are.

(x ) You know what the U is
(x ) You know what the Holy War is
(x) You have eaten funeral potatoes
(x) You leave out the "T" when you pronounce the word "mountain"
(x) You know what sluffing is

Total: 5

(x) You know what fry sauce is
(x ) You know you can't buy liquor in the grocery store
(x)You were an aunt or uncle before you were out of high school.
( ) Your family considers a trip to McDonald's a night out
(x) As a kid you looked forward to going to Lagoon every summer.

Total so far: 9

( ) You can make jello salad without a recipe
( ) You never have missed school because of a snow day
( ) You wear shorts and T-shirts if the temperature barely rises above 32 degrees
(x) You own/ed a minivan
( ) You own/ed a pick-up truck

Total so far: 10

(x)You went to a junior high that started with 7th grade and ended with 9th grade.
(x) Camping is one of your favorite past times
(x) You love to be outdoors
( ) You have a Mormon as your next-door neighbor
(x) You are republican

Total so far: 14

( ) you lived/lived across the street or next to a farm or barn
( ) you have a huge family
(x) you make your own fun
( ) you wrestle with your brothers and sisters
( ) you have too many animals

Total so far: 15

Add them up, multiply by 5, and repost as "I am % Utahn Try it even if you don't live in Utah it's pretty funny

Crash!

Sorry I haven't blogged lately. My Comcast internet has been down the past four days. It started just now and I'm unsure how long it will be up. But I hope that all finds you well. I'm doing pretty good. Work is going well. Yesterday was crazy busy. And that's odd, normally Mondays are very quiet. I think it is because we had a catalog just come out in home.


Anyway, if the internet stays up, I'll write some good posts. :)

Bigredhammer

How I Love Transformers!

Not a good weekend

So I was working on Saturday. The day was going pretty good. There weren't any returns (which I hate). I had only eaten a bowl of cereal before work and I was very hungry. My hands were actually shaking. And as you guys know, when I get hungry I get really cranky. I was really cranky. But my roommate Aaron had brought pork chops he had made the day before. So I told my co-workers that I was going in the back to eat.

I put the pork chops in the microwave and went to the bathroom. When I came out Ryan (my co-worker) was in the back. Someone had a return. I'm the only one who can do returns. I knew something would interrupt my eating. Well, I went out and and helped the woman. Luckily, she was easy to work with. I got it taken care of pretty quick.

So I went in the back again and tested the temperature of the pork chop. It wasn't hot. So I put it in again. When the microwave pinged I pulled it out and looked for our plastic forks. They were all gone. Grrrr. I didn't want to eat the pork chop with just my fingers... it was in apple sauce and it would have been very messy.

Well, the day before our manager had bought us a big thing of hot pockets, burritos and ice creams because we had done very well on a Secret Shop. Everyone was really excited about it. So I figured I'd just eat a hot pocket and save the pork chops for dinner. I microwaved the hot pocket and then had to help a customer. When I came back, the hot pocket was cold... but the microwave didn't have power. I plugged it in again and nothing.

By this point I was really really hungry and also very very grouchy. "Is someone just trying to mess me up here!?" I was frustrated. So I decided to go upstairs to the chocolate factory and buy one of their croissant sandwiches. When I was up there, I saw plastic forks. But my pork chop was cold by now anyway. So I got my croissant and I actually got to eat it too. Yeah!

I thought my hard times were over. Well, I found out today that I popped the circuit breaker with the microwave.... and the refrigerator too. Yep, all of our frozen food was destroyed. The ice cream is melted. The hot pockets and burritos are completely thawed. Ugh. We lost it all.

So I had Aaron take me to Costco and I bought us some hot pockets and some ice cream sandwiches. Ugh. When it rains it pours. So hopefully that'll make up for it a little bit. *sigh*

Something New

I did something yesterday that I've never done before. I was burning some CDs for friends of new music that I really enjoy. I really wanted a certain song but was unable to find it on Limewire. So I asked a friend where I could purchase music legally online. I hate Apple and iTunes, so I ruled that out. My other options were Napster and Walmart music. I picked Walmart music. So I actually downloaded a song legally. I think it cost me $0.96 for the song.

*shudder*

So I have now purchased music online legally. It was easy. I had the music within two minutes. It was cheap. I think I'd do it again if I was unable to find the song I want illegally quickly.

I hope my morals aren't slipping.

Arrrrrgh... Yep, I'm still a pirate. Afterall, I burned that song to multiple CDs and gave them away free. lol

What is my Daemon?

Star Trek XI

So every once in a while I check out the status of the new Star Trek XI. As of yet there isn't much to say about the film. J.J. Abrams has been chosen as the producer and director of the new movie. He is also one of the writers. I think this puts an awful amount of the load just on one person. Let's hope that he is trek enough to take a movie on. You might recognize his name as the executive producer for both the Lost and Alias series. He was also the director of Mission Impossible 3. I wasn't terribly impressed by that movie. But he may just breathe new life into the Trek franchise. So all of this is old news.

"If there's something I'm dying to see, it's the brilliance and optimism of Roddenberry's world brought back to the big screen...I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek."

Star Trek XI is set to begin shooting in Fall 2007 for a Christmas 2008 release.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that he can achieve the equally large tasks of staying true to Trek and breathing in new life to the franchise.

My Accent

What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net

Western. Like Midland, Western is another accent that people consider neutral. So, you might not actually be from the Western half of the country, but you definitely sound like it.

Take this quiz now - it's easy!

We're going to start with "cot" and "caught." When you say those words do they sound the same or different?

Different Same, no wait I mean different, maybe, a little bit different... Same

My Latino Heritage

I just have to share this little circumstance that happened last week. We had a woman call us about a problem she had with a clock she had bought from us a little while ago. Apparently its night light wasn't as bright as she needed it. She talked to my co-worker and friend Ryan. Apparently she was very pushy and she really frustrated Ryan. Finally he told her that we would replace the battery for her if she brought it in. When he got off the phone he told me about the conversation because he would be leaving soon and I would probably have to deal with the woman. I told him that we couldn't just open up a pack of batteries for her, but if she wanted to buy them, she was more than welcome.

Well, the next day she did come in. She was a very very talkative person, making it seem like all sorts of drama and difficulty for her. She got to the part about being promised a battery. That's when I interrupted and said that "Yes, Ryan told me what was happening. And I told him that he was wrong." At this point her jaw clicked shut. I laughed inside.

In the end I replaced the clock with a new one according to our replacement policy. She was upset about it because she only wanted the free battery. (Nevermind I was giving her a free clock!)

Well, the next day I came in and my manager John asked me about the woman. I told her what had happened. And everything was cool. He told me that he had called and talked to him earlier. She had said, "Well, I've worked with uppity Latinos before. I've lived in Florida and had to deal with them all the time." It took me a minute. Latino? She meant me!

I've never been racially discriminated against. And especially for the wrong race! My boss was kind of upset about it. He doesn't tolerate any kind of -ism at our work, not even from customers. If I were the sue happy type, I could make a big deal out of this. Even though she totally got my ethnicity wrong. I'm Canadian and English on one side and Danish on the other. I'm probably whiter than she is.

Illegal Music Outnumbers Legal Downloads 20-to-1

You all know how I like to track the movements of the music industry especially concerning illegal downloads. This article was pretty short, but it was interesting to see what a disparity there is. Of course, illegal downloads take place the world over and legal ones probably only take place in the United States. So I would guess comparing statistically, 20-to-1 are pretty good odds. lol Way to go RIAA!

"That’s right, 20-to-1. It took iTunes 5 years to sell 2-billion songs. But there are a billion illegal downloads every month. That’s not what the music industry wants to hear... that it may be too late to change this tune."

The only way I can see the music industry changing this trend is to make competitive prices. But how do you make competitive prices when something is free? Make it close to free. Instead of 95-cents per song... follow BMG's scheme, 95-cents for 8 songs. And when it comes to iTunes, get rid of the proprietary requirements. That's just ridiculous. Even I would pay 95-cents if I got the whole CD. Afterall, it'd come with all the mp3 info filled out. That'd save me a lot of time!

Original

As you may know, I love music videos. They're fun, they're interesting, and just outright cool. Here's one that had some popularity recently.

Simpsons: The Movie

And on a lighter note:

Trolley Square

I think it's important for me to write down my experience with the shooting at Trolley Square. First of all, I want to say that I am healthy both physically and mentally. So many things could have gone wrong for those of us in Sharper Image and none of them did. I didn't see the gunman, I didn't see any dead or injured bodies. I didn't even see any blood. I feel thankful that I don't have any traumatic images in my head. But I will tell what happened.

Monday isn't a very busy day for Trolley Square or us at Sharper Image. I remember just waiting around for customers. Around dinner time we had a lot of browsers from Spaghetti Factory in the store. People have to wait to get in, so they browse around our store. I was helping my co-worker get a product for a customer and couldn't find it in our store room. I came back and told her I couldn't find and maybe she'd have better luck. So she went to the storeroom.

I started to help the next customer with her return. After I'd exited the back and was helping the woman, we could noises from somewhere. I thought they sounded like illegal fireworks. Our store is below a restaurant and we hear a lot of what goes on up there. When they break a glass it sounds like something is breaking in our store. I remember looking up and saying to the customer, "I wonder what they're doing." There were at least a dozen of those sounds.

I don't know quite what happened next, but I remember a woman screaming and everyone in the store hitting the ground and ducking. Someone must have said that there was a gun or shots or something. I was behind the register and grabbed the phone there. The woman I was helping crawled behind the register too. I first dialed mall security but the line was busy. Then I dialed 911. I couldn't get through to them either. I tried twice. I remember looking up from the floor to at the man close to me. He wasn't on the ground. I thought, "Why aren't you on the floor?"

A few moments later, my co-worker crept around the side from the back room and asked what was going on. Afterwards I found out that a customer had come back there and told her about the gunman. She asked me if we should get everyone in the back. I said that we should. So we yelled for all of our customers to come to the back. Our emergency exit is right next to our storage room door too. One couple went out that door outside. I remember thinking, "They may be going to their death. Maybe the guy is out there."

We got all of the customers into the back room. The door is a swinging door. It only swings inward, but it has no lock. We pushed in the little orange door jambs, but then decided to push our safe in front of the door. So my co-worker and I pulled it out and put it in the way.

Our back room is narrow at first and then opens up wider with the shelves. We had everyone move back so if he looked in the little window, he wouldn't be able to see us. We had about 17 people back there. There were two mothers, one with three children and the other with two. The Hispanic mother was very scared and crying. There was also a young Hispanic woman who was crying and scared too. People were on their cell phones calling loved ones or police or whoever. I texted my roommate and told him I was okay and did the same for our assistant manager. Then I called my mom.

The conversation went something like this:
"Hey mom. This is Scott."
"Hi Scott, how're you doing?"
"Not so good. There's been a shooting here but I'm safe. Turn on the news and watch. The phone is ringing I need to go. I love you."

And then I hung up. Our telephone in the back room was ringing. I didn't know if it was the police or security or what. So I slunk up to the front by the door and grabbed the phone. It was another of our co-workers. He was finding out if we were okay. I asked him if it was still going on and what was happening. He said that the news didn't really know. But that there might be two gunmen. I asked him if it was on a radio station and he gave me one. I went back to everyone else and turned on the radio. Everyone quieted down to listen. Our phone rang again and I went up again. It was another co-worker. I told him we were okay.

When I went back again I called 911 on my cell phone and got through. That was at 6:56. The dispatch asked me where we were. I told him that we were in the back of the Sharper Image. He asked how many people we had. I asked the people to count. As they were counting, he kinda asked harder, "How many people are there?" Seventeen was the last number I heard so I told him that. I asked if we could come out yet. He said no. We needed to stay back there until the police came to get us. He asked for my name and phone number. I gave it to him. Then we ended the call.

After that a man wanted to borrow my cell phone, so I lent it to him. Our desk phone rang again so I crept up there to answer. This time it was one of the news stations. They wanted to know if we were in the mall. I told them yes and that we were barricaded in. He asked if I would do a live interview. I paused, I didn't know what to think. He said to just hold on the line and he would transfer me. The phone started ringing and then it went dead. I hung up and went to the back. The phone rang again so I went up and answered again. It was the news guy again. I told him no and then hung up. Then I unplugged the phone. I could hear the radio station we were listening to on the conversation with the guy. I didn't want the people in the back with us hearing me. That was stupid and dangerous.

I went back to the rest of the people. I remember that my co-worker seemed a little scared so put my arm around her. I don't know how much longer it was. But someone pounded hard on the back room door. We jumped and everyone ducked. We thought it was the killer. My co-worker and I peeked around the corner. I could see police and guns through the little window. They yelled out, "Police! Put your hands in the air!" I put them like about shoulder high. They yelled to put them higher. I put them all the way up. They told me to walk slowly forward. I walked to the door and told them that we had a safe in front of the door and that I needed to do it. Then I opened the door. They asked how many people we had back there. I told them. They told us to go up the front of the store. I yelled back to everyone that it was the police and we needed to go out.

We all filed out single file behind the registers. We all had to keep our hands up. I was at the front of the line and my co-worker was at the back. She made sure everyone came from the back. Some were plainclothes policemen with bullet vests and some were in uniform. Some of them had machine gun looking things too. They filed us out to the front entrance of the store. One policeman who seemed to be in charge had two other policemen go to the entrance to the mall and make sure it was safe. Then they moved us out to the handicapped parking lot. We all had to put our hands on the wall and assume the position to be frisked. As I waited to be frisked, there was an older woman next to me. She said, "I'm used to being frisked. Every time I go to the airport they have to frisk me because of my two metal hips." I laughed.

They frisked us all and then had us get paper and pens and write down our information. We needed to write down our name, address, phone number and birth date. They said after that, we could leave. There were some policemen on the balcony above us. We could hear them trying to do something up there. Then we heard gunshots and the muzzle flashes. We all hit the ground and the cop next to us yelled in his walkie-talkie, "Shots fired upstairs!" The cops up there, yelled down, "No, no! We're just opening the door!" That scared us so much!

It was freezing outside and most of us didn't have jackets. We were all huddled together as we waited to write down our information. Eventually small groups of us left and went across the street. We waited around at the corner unsure what to do. I was thinking of the store being open and that people could loot or steal stuff. We moved kittycorner and then asked a cop if they were going to keep the mall secure or what. He didn't know how long it would be or if they mall would be secure. Not long after we met up with my roommate and our assistant manager. We got in the car and got warmed up. I asked if we had blankets because we had some customers out there who couldn't get to their cars and didn't have anything warm. So we brought them blankets.

Eventually they brought buses and we got on them to keep warm. I gave my name and info again to a policeman and told him to write that I was the manager on duty and to call me when we could shut the store. It wasn't too long after that we got to leave.

I'm going to write more of what happened after all this in another post. The Sharper Image company has been so good to my co-worker and I. They have really taken care of us since the event. But I just want to say how thankful and lucky I feel. Heavenly Father was looking over us in our store. Everything that could have gone wrong for us didn't. We were able to keep ourselves and all of our customers safe. I am so thankful.

Doing well

I really love my job. I feel really lucky that I found one that fits me so well. I like what I do, I like coming into work, and I like all my co-workers. They're my friends. The icing on the cake is that I actually do *well* at this job. Last week, we had our new employee of the month sign put up. It was me! I don't know if there are qualifications outside of how much you sell, but I did the best with somewhere around $47,000 in sales for December. Yeah, even I was surprised.

For January I sold the most PWPs. (I don't know what the acronym stands for.) PWPs are the items that are half off with purchase for the month. We have to tell each customer that as they check out. I had a really good percentage.

For the past several weeks, I've been doing superb too. John, our manager is excellent at sales. It is almost always impossible to beat him. Our assistant manager is awesome too. But lately I've been selling more than the two of them combined. :D

Okay, one last toot on my horn. For February there is a nationwide contest amongst the stores as to who can sell the most of a certain product. I didn't realize this until a few days ago when we received an e-mail with the current standings. On the district, store, and associate level, we are number two. But that was the day before I sold $1500 of that product. I'm pretty sure I'm number one now. And if I can keep that up... 1st prize is $500!

All of this puts me in such a good mood. It isn't because I'm winning, but because I'm loving what I'm doing. I think my numbers are good because of that. You're good at what you like, and you like what you're good at.

An inspiring video

A quick little video, but very inspiring.

Do I even dare?

Okay, fine I will. A short mention that Illuminati: Bavarian Fire Drill is scheduled to come out in March. Like that will happen! lol

To the moon young man!

The picture was taken from Berlin this week. Though an optical illusion, I can't wait for the day when flights to the moon become regular. President Bush has a plan to have a permanent habitat on the moon. I wonder if it will ever become reality.

Besides being a serious sci-fi fan, I think expansion beyond earth is important. It will spur technology and research further and it will give (some of) mankind a dream and a goal to fulfill. With an ongoing Iraq war and I'm sure future wars without planned ends, I think it's good to have achievable, if not difficult goals to fulfill. I think things on earth will get more difficult as time passes. Space exploration will become less and less of a priority. I don't want to see it disappear from our goals and capacity.

Welcome to WarCrack!

So I've done it... I've had my first taste. And it was good. And I want more. I've joined the 7.5 million users of World of Warcraft. It is lots of fun! I am currently a lvl 12 Warrior. The game has been really interesting. It's obvious that the creators worked hard to differentiate the game from others. I also had a hard time finding a name for my character. All the Book of Mormon names I wanted were already taken... even Romanian spellings of them. So I ended up with Lemuel. lol So I highly recommend the game.

Act vs. Overreact

This from the Denver Post:

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the central part of Colorado after today's snowstorm.

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here, in the Northern Plains, we just recovered from a Historic event -- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical proportions" -- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV .

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm.

Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.

No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.

No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.

Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.

No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.

No Sean Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.

Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.

The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.

Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.

Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.

We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".

We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems evaporate"

It does seem that way, at least to me.

I hope this gets passed on. Maybe SOME people will get the message. The world does NOT owe you a living.