BigRedHammer Indicted in Murder Case

Yes... I've been indicted again. I can't seem to keep myself away from these "shady dealings". It seems I like to hang out with suspected murderers. I actually wish it was me... I'm never the murderer! Thanks to Kate and Gill for hosting another excellent Murder Mystery! We had a lot of fun. This Murder was a convoluted family affair. I could have won an entire English estate. Sadly, I was happy just buying it from some other heir. Dang.

Christmas Tree OR Holiday Tree

So I just read about the most ridiculous thing I've heard in awhile. Let me preface this by saying I am distinctly 'anti-pc' or political correctness when it comes to the English language. I receive mail from my mail man no matter his gender. Anyway, back to the story.

In many places across the country, there are tree lighting ceremonies for cities. And in order not to be offensive, some of these cities have begun to call their trees "Holiday Trees". So stupid.

"Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, a legal group that focuses on religious issues, said the mayor's use of 'Christmas tree' means there's no need to go to court over the issue. His group's Christmas campaign aims to stop what it views as religious censorship and 'political correctness run amok.' It is endorsed by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
'It's like calling a menorah a candlestick,' Staver said. 'It's wrong. It's offensive. And it disenfranchises a large segment of the community.'"

I agree with Mr. Staver. It is offensive. If there are people out there who are offended by the term "Christmas tree", they need to reevaluate themselves. By definition a Christmas tree is: "An evergreen or artificial tree decorated, as with lights and ornaments, during the Christmas season. " That's how it's defined by the dictionary. So let's call it what it is. None of this PC crap to try to placate those PC thugs among us.

Getting to know me...

I copied this idea from my good friend Amy. You can see her answers and blog at the PSRaT link on the right. Enjoy getting to know me better.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 10:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls, I guess
3. What was the last movie you watched? Return to Oz
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Simpsons and Family Guy
5. What did you have for breakfast? Good question
6. What is your middle name? Roy
7. What is your favorite food? Lasagna
8. What foods do you dislike? Coleslaw, Au gratin potatoes
9. What is your favorite chip flavor? Vinegar
10.What is in your CD player right now? A mix of techno songs I’ve made
11. What kind of car do you drive? none
12. Favorite sandwich? Sweet Onion Teriyaki at Subway
13. What characteristic do you despise? Boring people
14. Favorite item of clothing? My “I have candy” t-shirt
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Back to Romania, by way of England and Italy.
16. What color is your bathroom? Beige mostly
17. Favorite brand of clothing? Aeropostale and Hollister
18. Where would you retire? Somewhere warm with a short winter, California perhaps.
19. Favorite time of the day? Summer nights
20. What was your most memorable birthday? Mmmm… good question. They’re all good.
21. Where were you born? Yakota Air Force Base, Tokyo, Japan
22. Favorite sport to watch? I don’t watch sports. But basketball is good.
23. What kind of desert or treat could you go for right now? Chocolate cupcakes sound good.
24. How tall are you? 6'
25. What fabric detergent do you use? Western Family Economy with bleach
26. Coke or Pepsi? 90/10 Pink lemonade and Sprite
27. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night owl. I can be a morning person too if I need to be, but if left to my druthers I will stay up late.
28. What is your shoe size? 10.5
29. Do you have any pets? Not allowed. However, I’d like to have a cat and a dog
30. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your family & friends? I’m pregnant.
31. What did you want to be when you were little? A pediatrician
32. Favorite Holiday? Christmas, it’s a time full of love, memories and traditions.
33. Do you consider yourself political? Yes. Registered Republican voter
34. Do you consider yourself religious? Very much so.
35. What is the latest book you have read? “Prey” by Michael Crichton

A different perspective

"Anthropomorphic animals, when taken out of narrative into actual visibility, always turn into buffoonery or nightmare -- at least with photography," C. S. Lewis wrote.

"Cartoons (if only Disney did not combine so much vulgarity with his genius!) would be another matter. A human, pantomime, Aslan would be, to me, blasphemy."

Another One Bites the Dust

The BigRedHammer puts on his black mourning clothes. My good friend is dying. He gave me the gift of movies and music for free. We only knew each other several years, but it was a good friendship. I'll miss dear Kazaa very much.

For those of you who are in the dark:

The operators of the Kazaa file-sharing service have until December 5 to update their software with a filter to screen out copyrighted material or else face the rospect of being shut down.
The filter will prevent users from trading files containing 3000 keywords selected by record companies, including the names of popular artists and songs. The filter can be updated every two weeks to include the latest and most popular releases, the international Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said in a statement.

But in the battle of pirates versus the media industry, you can expect to have casualties. We've lost Audio Galaxy, Kazaa, Napster, among others. But the good thing is I've already moved on to LimeWire Pro. It actually is a much better system than Kazaa. I have no doubt that it eventually will fall to the evil lawyers too. So keep your eyes out for more P2P programs.

BigRedHammer throws his rose onto Kazaa's grave.

Saturday!

Yesterday was an excellent day! That morning my friend Aaron came over. We were planning to play Capcom vs SNK (which is a Street Fighting-esque game). But we ended up watching The Goonies instead. I'd never seen it before. It's a fun movie. I imagine it would have been especially nice as a 10 year old boy. We made some lunch and then I headed to work. I was only scheduled for three hours, but I ended up only having to work two hours. They sent us home early. That made me very happy. I would have enough time to make my scalloped potatoes for the Murder Mystery. So yes, I went to a Murder Mystery. I was Rogan S. Coundrell, a rich millionaire who made his fortune through blackmail and thievery. I won't tell you who the murderer was, in case you play the game. However I did not guess correctly. We had a great time though! After that, some of us came to my house and we watched Return to Oz. I'd never seen that either. It stars the girl from The Craft. She was way young in Oz. That movie was very interesting, very different from the original. It was a little darker and a little more realistic. I liked it.

What an excellent day!

Vacation! (2)

I'm here in Morgan Hill, California. It is awesome! Let me tell you, the weather could not be more perfect. Mid-seventies and blue skies have been the norm. Yesterday we drove south along Route 1 which follows the beach. I saw beautiful scenes, waves crashing on the rocky coast, driving along a beautiful cliff, and then at the end seeing the sun set over the water. It's so cool, it's light much longer after the sun goes down because there's no mountains blocking it. Just ocean going on forever. Way cool. We also went to this apple orchard and got fresh apple pies. Let me tell you, that stuff is way good. Just the right amount of tartness and sweetness. I am having a great time.

Vacation!

So this Friday at 9:05 AM I will be flying out of Salt Lake City Airport to San Jose, CA. I'll be staying with my friend Chris till Monday night. Well, I just looked at the forecast for that area: a high of 72 degrees! We currently have a high of 39 and a low of 23 here in Provo! I just walked home from work (5 blocks) and it's COLD! But in a few days I will be nice and warm, shirt sleeves and the like. *grin*. I will also be doing fun things like visiting the Bay, going to Muir Woods Park and walking among the redwoods. You know, when I planned this vacation I didn't really need it. But I was invited out and it was cheap, so I did it. Now... I need it. I need a break from the mundane and the repetitive. I know it will freshen my outlook. I still have a lot to do be ready, but it will be done.

Yeah for sunny and warm California!

Et Cetera

It's Saturday night. It's cold outside. But I'm feeling warm and comfortable sitting here in my hoodie. (This is the first hoodie I've ever owned.) I have some food in the oven. It will be ready to take out in about 12 minutes. It's penne pasta with marinara. Mmmm.

A few recommendations:

Fall Out Boy - Dance Dance
The song has energy! And as the song suggests... Dance! I only know one other Fall Out Boy song, "Sugar, We're Going Down" and I recommend both for download. They have a unique sound.

Erasure - Breathe
The song is soft and slow. I'm sure you could do some kind of zen meditation with it in the background. (As if I knew anything about zen meditation.) I'm going to be downloading the other Erasure songs from the same album. I've high hopes.

Axe - Touch
Sounds like a heavy metal hair band doesn't it? This acutally is not a song... but a deodorant bodyspray. You've probably seen the commercials. Well let me tell you, it's almost more of a cologne than a deodorant. And well, women love it! So men, here's the BigRedHammer's recommendation! (And the bottle is red too. Perfect.)

So that's all I have to say tonight. Here's the BigRedHammer signing off.

Salute to Elder Evanko!

My roommate Kyle left for the MTC this afternoon. Tonight is his first night there. In fact, he's probably headed to bed right now. (What a difficult transition that must be for Kyle!) He would often stay up later than I did. And I'm sure the shock and loneliness could be there tonight as he lays in bed. Wow. Just thinking about all the transitions a teenager has to go through to become a missionary... it's mind boggling. But he will be there two months. People who have been there 4 weeks will seem like old timers to him. He'll be there Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. It's like the group right before me in the MTC. I hope he has good teachers and does his best. I know he'll do very well as a missionary.

Here's to you Kyle!!

Happy Birthday!

Well, Sunday was my 2xth birthday! Now those of you who don't know how old I turned.... quick, take a guess. Got it? Well, I just turned 27. Two days before my mission I was at work and talking to two girls. I mentioned that my birthday was soon. They asked how old I was turning. I told them 27. The one girl next to me said "No way. I totally thought you were pre-mission." The other said she wouldn't have guessed I was that old either. *grin* Other people have guessed 23-24. It's good to look younger than I am. Though a preemie... hm, that's kinda out there.

So here is how my birthday went. Being on Sunday as it was, I wasn't expecting much to happen. My parents wouldn't be coming down till Monday and I hadn't planned a party or anything. So I figured I'd just have a quiet birthday. That morning my friend Aaron called me and woke me up to wish me happy birthday. I also talked to my mom on the phone, my sister, and my nephew Shane (who turned 11 that day too. He was born on my 16th birthday.)

Later, my friend Kristen asked if I was going to the CES Fireside that night. I did go to that. President Monson gave an excellent talk. He's great because his stories really illustrate his points and he has a great sense of humor. Anyway, when we came back the house was decorated! Kristen had made me a cake as well. It had homemade chocolate frosting that was wonderful. Amy came over and had made an apple pudding cake that was incredible too. :D Amy also gave me real Romanian chocolate! Mmmm!

After that my friend Mike came and picked me up and brought me over to his house. He and Robert had baked me a giant cake. It was shaped as a ying yang. One side was chocolate and the other white cake. heheheh, the thing was huge! Some more friends came over and we hung out and played Settlers of Catan. I lost the first game and won the second. *grin* We also watched "The Interpreter". The movie was pretty good. Though it was pretty confusing too.

Monday I got to spend time with my friends again. We went to an Italian restaurant on Center St. It was waaaay good. We also went miniature golfing and to the movie "The Fog". I had a great time. Then they dropped me off and I went to the Olive Garden with my mom and dad. Mmmm, the chicken paramgiano I had there was so good. And filling. We came home and I opened my gifts. I got a really nice coat and new shoes too. So it was a really great birthday! I'm happy to be 27! Menace nothing!

Halloween Aftermath

So this Halloween was a success. A grand success. This weekend I went to a Halloween party that was a blast! There were so many incredible costumes. There was an ethnic Albanian costume, plenty of cowboys, devils, and angels. Let me tell you wings are so overdone. I am so tired of being poked by those stupid wings! I didn't actually know about this party until it was underway, so I didn't get to dress up. But, they did have a pool and hot tub. So half-way through we went and got our swimming trunks and soaked in the tub. That was fun.

Monday I was in Preston, ID for annual haunted garage/barn. My brother, sister-in-law, two nephews, mom, dad and I were in it. We scared 100 something kids from the neighborhood. I used my air horn from my own haunted house. It was really cool. In my haunted house I didn't get to use it myself. When you use it right, people jump two inches into the air. I was very glad the weather cooperated. Often it's already snowed in Preston or actually snowing as we scare. It can get so cold. But not this year, it was a clear night and relatively warm. I got by with just a fleece on. The foggers were a very big success too. They give such atmosphere! For whatever reason, there were less adults that went through the house. I think that adults can be more fun to scare. The best though are pre-teen and teenage girls. They scare so easily and we love to hear their screams.

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

Scott needs...

Okay, so I read my friend Bob's blog and I'm going to use her idea. (Okay, I asked her first.) So you go to google.com and you put your name with the word 'needs' with quotes. Like this: "Scott needs". It can be very uh... interesting. Here are mine:

Why Scott needs Mozilla I actually wonder why I need Mozilla. I'm not even sure what it is. But you can need something you don't know exists... so I guess this follows suit.

Scott needs nude models Uhhh.... don't ask me! What would I even do with them!?

Scott needs to get out more Now that is debatable!

Scott needs to step up now To what? And for what purpose?

Scott needs to back up his regrets with action Wisdom. However, right now I have no regrets. But if I were a fortune cookie, that would be my fortune.

Whatever his issues, Scott needs to get over them Are these googles fortelling something amiss in my future? Only time will tell... and google.com I guess.

Scott needs a partner Agreed!

Scott needs the practice It has been awhile since I've tickled the ivories.

Scott needs more of Mike's guitar Mike! I didn't even know you had a guitar!

Scott needs to access all seven sites I wonder what sites those are? The Seven Sites of the Devil? The Seven Sites of the Ancient World?

Haunted House

Saturday we had the ward haunted house, dance, games, party. I was in charge of the haunted house. It went really well. At first we were really afraid. As we went around the ward to recruit people to be in it, all we got were people telling us that they wouldn’t be coming to the party because they’d be out of town, or that they’d probably get the very end of it and thus they couldn’t volunteer at all. So we were afraid the haunted house wouldn’t be very good, let alone have very many people come at all. So when the party started, there weren’t very many people and we were getting nervous. I knew that no party actually starts on time… they are always an hour late. Even still we were worried. All day before the party we were buying stuff for the house. My family didn’t give me even a fourth of the stuff that I thought I would get. So I had to go buy it myself. I’m sure I spent close to $150 on it. Yeah, I had that money, but I really didn’t want to use it on that. But it had to be done. We could have used 2-3 more people helping us out but we had enough to do very well.

(More to come...)

I'm a Pirate! Arrrrrrrr!

It's true, I am a pirate. I love downloading music! A friend just referred me to a new tool in my quest for new and good music. I started out with Napster. They had quality downloads and were on the forefront of piracy. Eventually they had the crosshairs on their forehead and went down with a fight. Not long after I discovered Kazaa. Their network was extensive. You would often hear stories of how they were eluding authorities. *grin* Eventually I switched to Kazaa Lite, Kazaa's safer little brother. I have been a Kazaa-litist for many years. But only last week I was referred to LimeWire. I have been very impressed. I find the good music quickly and on the first try. There are not as many spoofers on this network. I highly recommend you try it out. I just got "Fallout Boy - Sugar We're Going Down" It's a *great* song!

Now once you start downloading music, you'll need something to play it on. I've recently changed from MusicMatch to jetAudio's player. Kyle will agree, this thing is good. And those you know my tastes in music... I love music with a beat. I also like my music danceable and a little faster. Well jetAudio's player has effects that will allow you to do that easily and seamlessly. Wow. I'm listening to Missy Elliot's "Lose Control" at 110% speed and a flange effect. Incredible.

Now those of you who would like to know more about my stance on pirated music, take the following link to an editorial article I wrote. I'd love your opinions on the matter after you've read the article.

Arrrrrr! That be nice!

Touche

In an 1860 debate between the Darwin-doubting Bishop of Oxley and Darwin protégé Thomas Huxley, the bishop asked Huxley which side of his family was descended from an ape.
Huxley famously replied, "If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling, it would rather be a man, a man of restless and versatile intellect, who ... plunges into scientific questions with which he had no real acquaintance, only to obscure them by an aimless rhetoric, and distract the attention of his hearers from the real point at issue by eloquent digressions and skilled appeals to religious prejudice."

Bravo.

A taste of Halloween

Here's a little taste of Halloween. The three pictures of just me are from last year. For those of you who don't know, I dress up as a dead prom date every year. Each year it gets better and better. The other picture is my friend Franzis and I. I do a lot better job with my makeup now. LOL

So on the 22nd I will be hosting my ward's haunted house. Along with it we will be having a game room, scary stories, scary movies, a Halloween dance, a costume judging contest, among other things. Now my haunted house is going to be spectacular. I've been doing these things for over a decade with my family. So these haunted houses aren't just little things with people jumping out with masks... No, this is serious stuff. And for those of you curious what this year's haunted house holds... Here's a hint: Bloody Mary and death by pencils (LOTS of pencils). Mwahahahaha. I really do LOVE scaring people and I'm very good at it. As well this month, my roomie Chris and I will be showing lots of scary movies from "Nightmare Before Christmas" to "The Ring". I will be having my annual Halloween reading as well. I really love the month of October.

Freedom of Speech... N/A

So I just read an article in which a woman on a Southwest flight to Portland, OR. She was wearing a t-shirt protesting the Bush family. Airline stewardesses asked her to cover the shirt because it was offensive. The woman did so, but later on in the flight she uncovered it again. The attendants gave her an ultimatum: Remove or cover the shirt or leave the flight. Well, the woman was booted off in Reno. Of course she did so with complaints. Well, the entire time I read this article I was thinking... "Lame, what does a t-shirt matter?" Then I read that the t-shirt was a spoof on the movie The Fockers only it had "but with one crucial vowel changed." That changed my entire perspective. I now believe that Southwest had perfect reason to deny her further passage. Their rules state that they can deny passage to anyone with offensive clothing. It's a case by case judgment. Go Southwest! Way to stand up to the Liberal Pig Woman!

Make Like a Tree...

2 October 05

This weekend was fantastic. I took Thu-Fri off of work. Thursday evening Kristen and I prepared for our camping trip to the Nebo loop. Amy happened to be over right before we were going to leave to buy our food. And I invited her to come, spur of the moment. She said she’d love to, that it was just what she needed. So she went to class and we went and bought our food and headed up. Oddly enough, certain parts of the campsite got cell reception. So we kept Kristen’s cell on top of the car in a certain location so that we’d get Amy’s call and give her directions to our location. For dinner we had barbecue chicken wrapped in foil and we made this incredible reflector oven out a cardboard box and tinfoil. You put coals in there and bake whatever it is you’re making in there for about double the time of a conventional oven. Anyway, we made brownies. And they turned out to be as good as any brownies you might make in your house. We also brought up a small thing of ice cream too. We of course had jamlet and rolls too. We had some great campfire conversation. In the morning we made sausage in tinfoil and had hot chocolate and rolls with jamlet. Mmmm, that was good! Amy had to leave for class soon after that. Kristen and I packed up the camp except for the tents and then went on a hike. We had seen some cub scouts leave their vans and head out somewhere so we decided to explore. We ended up hiking to a place called Red Lake. And let me tell you, this was the perfect time to be up there. The forest floor was blanketed with leaves. Yellow, red, gold leaves were all over. So beautiful. As always, we had wonderful conversations as we walked. We also saw about a dozen cows along the way. We didn’t bring our camelbaks on the actual hike because we didn’t think it would be that long. It wasn’t long but it did get hot during the day. I ended up having my fleece and my sweatshirt wrapped around my waist. I was worried that I’d get a dehydration headache, but it didn’t happen. Kristen and I both said that we wouldn’t mind heading back up there soon. It was an incredible trip. And the cool thing was, it’s only 30 minutes away from here. You don’t have to travel the normal 3.5 hours to get to the camping spot and then drive that all the way back and get home at 2 in the morning tired both physically and sleepy. It was sweet.

Totally 80s!

So we had an incredible 80s party this weekend! There was some Twister action, 80s foods like: Twizzlers, Combos, and Cheetos, we had an 80s trivia contest and a bubble gum blowing contest. Thinking about it now, we should have had an 80s costume contest. As you can see, we had some totally outrageous gear present!

Utah State Fair

Shout out!

Here is a shout out to Lori-Ann who reads my blog! So this weekend was an excellent one. Kyle and I took off work on Friday so that we could attend the Stake Opening Social. The social was incredible as always. I belive I told you all it entailed already. Saturday I got to go up to a party/social with my friend Mike up at Park City. Let me tell you, in Park City it is already fall. I was cold up there! Provo has started getting cold at night and the trees are red in the mountains. Did you know that trees turn the most brilliant colors when it is very hot during the day and very cold at night. The larger the difference, the better the coloring. On Sunday it was a wonderful day at church. Our Bishop and his wife gave talks. Or should I say Sister Huntington gave a talk... and all our bishop had time for was some comments. lol But good comments nonetheless. That night I went to a dinner party at my friend Jeromy's. I met some new people there and talked with some friends too. I made my mother's world famous Spanish rice. Mmmm, I have leftovers of that and I love it! Monday I got to go the Utah State Fair. Now when I was told about that I was thinking more of a rodeo. But it isn't just that... there are animals, crazy rides, tons of fried foods, and tons of fun. I will definitely want to go again. Tuesday, being today, I went to work. However, I didn't have to go in till 4:45. Normally I start at 3pm. So that was pleasant. Afterwards I went to Jeromy's, hung with my friends and we barbecued. Sadly, I had been eating grapes and Mike's incredible chip dip so I was full by the time my bratwurst was done. You know, I've never had a bratwurst before. I'm told they're like hotdogs should be. *shrug* Will I ever know?

What a wonderful four (five if you don't count the 4.5 hour interruption of work) weekend. Sweet!

Pics of the famed White House North

World Domination

This might have been the sound you heard from me last night: "Mwahahaha-huh?" Mike, Aaron, Kyle and I played Risk last night. I was black as in the Black Plague. Well, I must have been a very weak strain because I didn't hurt anyone. On my first turn I had a string of bad luck. Everything I went against beat me. I was warned to stop, but I had to keep going till I got a card. Which left me with only one country with more than one army on it. And that one only had two armies on it. I should have dealt with not getting a card and just held my own. I could have had Australia and then finished getting Africa after that. Well, hopefully I learned my lesson. Next time I will (hopefully) be a force to be reckoned with.

It's Thursday and I am wishing it was Friday. We are having our Stake Opening Social. It's at our old stake president's home. Let me tell you, this is the most incredible place. It has two large homes, a human slingshot, an indoor pool and hot tub, a tennis court, a horse pasture, a bonfire location, it's up a canyon and next to a mountain. And TONS of people come too. I took all of Friday off of work so that we could go on time. It will be a blast. (It has been every other year.)

I am also happy for tomorrow: I get paid! Yeah, for paydays!

Today

Today has been a good day thus far. Last night I stayed up till four I think talking with Mike. I was in a very good habit of going to bed at one every night. Mike's a bad influence. lol. But I enjoyed our talk. We disagree on our likes of scary things. I taught a Sunday School lesson for Amy today as well. The actual lesson was from Gospel Principles. It was only 4.5 small pages long. With some guidance I found the same lesson online through lds.org from the New Testament manual. That helped significantly. So I woke up at 10:30 to finish preparing the lesson. Fast and testimony meeting was very good as well. The lesson went very well too. I had more material than the time required. Now, there was only about a dozen people in my class... but they did well in participating and commenting. So all in all, I was proud of the results.

And a little while ago I got back from Break the Fast. So now I am nice and full. I have started the novel "Dune" today as well. And for now I am resisting the urge to take a nap. So I am writing this blog entry and listening to some classical music. I'd write the name of the song I'm listening to, but it's just too long. Why couldn't classical composers name their music. Maybe something like "Frolic in the Forest" instead of "Concerto of Violins in A Major With a Side of Simple Fugues and a Glass of Fortisimo" Ugh. My roommate says that Bach was all mathematical so all of his titles reflect that. I hate math.

SobekPundit's Elegy to New Orleans

My friend and first roommate has created a photo tribute to New Orleans. Check it out here.

Can I say 'Wow!'

First of all, my good friend Joe gave a link to an interesting site. It's called reddit. Basically it's a fully democratic news site. Meaning the readers are the ones who determine what news stories are presented. These news articles come from all sorts of networks like CNN, BBS, etc. I highly recommend it if you'd like to stay on top of breaking news in many topics. So there's my plug.

Now to the heart of my post. I was just on reddit and checked out an article from the Sunday Times. Now this is breaking medicial/scientific news. A certain strain of laboratory mice have been discovered to have regenerative properties. The strain, known as MRL have regenerated amputated toes, tail and ears or damaged organs, such as the heart. And as the scientist said "[We] just watched them regrow." For those of you wondering about the science of this miracle here it is:

“We have found that the MRL mouse seems to have a higher rate of cell division,” she said. “Its cells live and die faster and get replaced faster. That seems to be linked to the ability to regenerate.”

Professor Ellen Heber-Katz has also said that humans almost certainly have comparable genes.

Wow.

At work

I'm writing this from work right now. And for those that know me, that is odd. BRG does not allow us to get online normally. However, our project has not yet come in. So we're sitting here waiting for it to come. I just heard that we're not supposed to be clocked in (meaning not being paid) but I had already clocked in before that. lol.

I was also just reading about the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. It seems that most of New Orleans is under water. All refugee centers have been ordered to evacuate. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones and are suffering. It makes me wonder if I am prepared for a natural disaster. Here in Utah, there's always the lingering fear of the "Big One" meaning an earthquake. Here at BYU there is enough food for (I believe) three days for every student. That's 30,000 students. After that..

Whoops, gotta go.

To liven up the debate some.

A little earlier I had a short discussion about "Intelligent Design" being taught in our schools. Just to clarify, I believe in God and that he created all things. However, I don't think that we should teach that as fact. There are no facts to prove or disprove the existance of God. Then on a purely logistical sense, whose Creationism would we teach? Baptist, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu? I don't think it is possible to teach Creationism without a certain religious skew. Afterall, not all creation stories are even based on the Bible. If these things are to be taught, it should be in it's own class.

What a Dilemma.

Amen! "Intelligent Design" is not science. It should not be masqueraded as such. I personally believe that God created and organized all that is. But that is my religion not my science. If parents want intelligent design taught in their schools, then perhaps they should create a Religions of the World or Religious Theories class. There is certainly a place for creationism to be taught. But it is not in any science class.

Let's get you updated.

So I just got an e-mail from my good friend Lori-Ann. She had recently moved from here in Provo back home to Merced, California. She is doing well and already has a job. I'm envious. I want to be graduated and have a good job. She did an interesting thing with her e-mail. She gave different sections headings like: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The Bureaucratic. And then wrote paragraphs under each. That is a *really* good idea. Perhaps I will use that from time to time on this blog. Thanks Lori-Ann! And good to hear from you!

And I think I'm going to start making my blog even more creative. If you've noticed I have a "Things I Am Doing" list on the right. It comes from a site called 43things.com It allows you to list things -both long and short term- that you'd like to do. In tandem with that site there is a 43places.com site where you (apparently) list places you've visited or would like to visit. And I think I'm going to add another list: My Top Ten Music List. I'll have to use all my vast html skills (HAHAHAH) to make it happen. Basically that means I'll be copying and pasting some html from elsewhere on the site.

Tonight we had our first games night in quite some time. We played Tibbits, Mafia, and Signs. It was quite fun and we had many new people and some old favorites. I was Mafia once... but they found and killed me quickly. Dang. I'm usually much better at that. Well, hopefully I'll get more practice.

For us bloggers

Here's a chuckle

What a long day...

I went to my grandma's funeral today. It was sad, yes. But in a way it was happy too. My grandma was 81 years old and had been paralyzed over half her body for 33 years. That is a long time. But it was a full and worthwhile life. She did so many things even with the paralyzation. I guess the most moving part of the funeral was when each of her six children got up and gave memories they had of their mother. My mom's talk especially touched me. Missing my grandma wasn't the hard part. It was feeling how much my mother and her siblings missed their mother and wondering what that would be like. Sad. On the bright side, she is no longer paralyzed. She can run and jump and dance. (I did not know this till today, but she used to love to dance.) As well, the food was very good too. :)

It was an emotionally draining day. Besides that I got up early too. So here I am, it's 12:21 am and I really should go to bed. But I'm going to go play SkipBo. Woot.

I did just win at Cities and Knights too. I really like the game. You can still win even if you're trapped. The game has so many ways to undermine other people and still build yourself. How I love that game. What a great investment.

Origins

Ah... the origin of the BigRedHammer. I remember when... *wavy lines appear* It was July of 2004. Turbulent times were afoot in America. Our presidential candidates were at each others' throats. And a young (one year younger anyway) Scott got it into his mind to start his own blog. Now he already had two internet/life nicknames. But he didn't feel that either were appropriate for his blog persona. So a brief brainstorm ensued. Scott looked around the room for ideas. His eyes rested upon the game, "Killing Doctor Lucky". There is a card in that game, "The Big Red Hammer" which is Scott's favorite card in the game. And then it hit him like a... well, a big red hammer. That should be his name! So, contrary to popular belief, the BigRedHammer was not named for covert communist missions or politics, but rather for a card in an immensely fun game. I also find it odd that the BigRedHammer lives in the WhiteHouse. Very odd.

Toyota jump!

It is official. We are moved into White House North. And let me tell you, life is good. I still don't have a digital camera, so I can't show you the house room by room. But it so very clean and nice. Beautiful white walls, clean carpet, new furniture, new bunk beds, and tons of space! Yesterday I bought a wireless router and network card so we're online too. *happy sigh* I missed you dear internet. Come see our house. You'll be impressed.

On another note, I am volunteering at BYU Education Week this week. Today was the first day. I am hosting at the Smith Field House for youth classes. I spend most of my time directing the youth the right way and checking for name badges and proper clothing. It's not bad. But I'm standing nearly the whole time. Oh it felt good today when I finally sat down. I met my mom and and aunt for the traditional "meal on mom". I went to some good classes as well. I really love BYU Ed Week. I learn so much and the Spirit is excellent.

That is all. Goodnight.

**Attention**

BigRedHammer is popular. Here are the real-time results:

Yahoo lists 12 instances and 81 actual of my perennial name.

Google lists 17 instances and 156 actual of the incredible BigRedHammer.

I've looked through the links and well, Google wins for quantity and Yahoo wins for quality. All but one link on the Yahoo search actually point to me!

I just checked both search engines' picture finding ability. Google comes up with my trademark Big Red Hammer on a green and white field icon and my favorite posted pic, that of Kerry pretending to be a fighter. (As a reminder, my 7 year old nephew could beat him up.) Yahoo is slightly more disappointing.

More on the BigRedHammer later.

Tomorrow...

... is the day we move in. And what a busy day it is too. Check out/in is at noon. And I found out yesterday that orientation for hosting BYU Education week is tomorrow from 10-12. So this morning I really should be packing up some of my stuff in preparation. But thinking about it now, it won't be as hard as moving in was. I only have to make sure that everything in my bedroom is gone. The other stuff I can keep where it is and then move it when we're allowed in the apartment. Phew.

Daniel has decided not to move back into the ward. He will be missed. He was an excellent roommate and I'm glad I chose him all that time ago. I am still hoping that he is able to have his Japan experience. That would be so incredible.

My current (and future) roommate Chris is very excited to move in with us. Just like I have, he has been making plans in his head of how he'd like things. I think we'll get along very well. Kyle has decided to stay in the small room with our new roommate John. I wouldn't have done that, but oh well. I peered into my bedroom yesterday. It looks finished. I have to say it looks very very nice. Everything is painted, the new carpet is laid, we have new furniture. Interestingly, one piece of new furniture is a bunkbed. Now, you may not know, but my bedroom is very large. Having our beds bunked leaves TONS of space. I think I'll prefer having them unbunked but we'll see. Maybe I'll love the new space. I will also need to go to Home Depot or something and buy some of those sticky wall mounts. Yeah, no nail holes in these walls. Ugh. All that's left in our apartment to complete is our bathroom and kitchen. I'm hoping when I go over there today both of those will be finished.

This is exciting. Our place was large and ghetto. And now it may just be large. I need to buy a digital camera (for many reasons besides) and take some pictures of the new place. Then your jaw can drop like I know mine will.

The only surprise left now is our new roommate John. I hope that if he *is* an overflow from WHM that he will still be a good roommate for us. I want a real roommate not just someone who sleeps in the same apartment. We'll see.

Wish me luck!

Three more days!

Yes, it is only three more days until I can move back into White House North. I'm excited, my "mini-vacation" in Fort Apache is soon coming to an end. We will be able to move back into WHN on Saturday. They still have a lot to do from what I can tell. Thus far they've put in new outlets and light switches. There's now actually a switch to the livingroom at each doorway! I can't count how many times I've rubbed the wall looking for a non-existant switch. They've also painted. And I'm glad... it's actually white, not cream of olive like the Red Brick apartments. Unfortunately we'll have an electric stove (flat top). I've really learned to love gas stoves. I don't think we'll get all the improvements that they said. "Pipe dreams" no doubt. Which means the apartment won't be wired for internet, get vinyl windows, a new tub, etc. Ah well, some remodeling is better than none.

In other news, I really love Seafarers of Catan. I won our game tonight. And let me tell you I dominated. "I'm a winner!"

All the Rage

Apparently making self quizzes are all the rage. Around a half dozen friends of mine have created their own self quizzes. And even more than that have taken my test. Congrats to Sobek for getting the highest score (without the use of quiz enhancing drugs). He got a whopping 8 out of 10 questions correct. Bravo!

In other news, the movie "The Island" rocks! If you hang around me at all, you'll know that I like the movie a lot. It achieves my rating of "Best Summer Film" beating out War of the Worlds. It is full of action, chase scenes, sci-fi thought, and some discussable issues. I've already seen it twice and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. Go see it!

And a quick White House North update: The pace has not changed at all. Perhaps once a week we see one person working in our apartment. On our way to work we saw our manager loading the soda machine. My roommate Kyle asked if we'll be able to move in on time. He kind of nodded and said he thought so. Move in date is the 13th. Now for those of you have not seen the current state of the apartment, it is no where near ready. (I need a digital cam.) They need to paint the walls, install the carpet and linoleum, gut the bathroom and replace all of the fixtures and counters, wire the house for internet, and replace all of our windows. None of that has happened. Basically the house is gutted. That's it.

*sigh* I want my White House North back.

How well do you know me? Hmmmm....

How well do you know me? Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Happy Anniversary!

I just realized that 24 July was the one year anniversary for my blog! Happy Anniversary BigRedHammer!

Celebrate your freedom...

By blowing up a small piece of it. So I just got back from Spanish Fork where I saw an excellent fireworks display. I spent the time with my friends there. There were a lot of people there and a lot of glow sticks too. Now on the Fourth, I was at Thanksgiving Point for the fireworks display. I was very disappointed. But Spanish Fork's display was about 8x better. You know, I need to get a digital camera so I can accentuate my blog with pics from the events I write about. That would be cool. In other news, I bought RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, Hitch, and the new Gwen Stefani CD. RCT3 is disappointing (or my video card is), Hitch is an awesome movie, and the Gwen CD is absolutely superb! So life is good. How's your life?

Me, me me

Ouch, sunburn can hurt. Mondays can hurt. And itchy bug bites can hurt. Woot and double woot. Today is Tuesday. But it is Kyle's and my Monday (first workday of the week). We only went in at 5 (instead of 3). But I'm on a Toys R Us survey. It's 18-22 minutes long and well... it's just not enjoyable. It's very repetitive and people get bored of it. I'm a pretty good surveyer too. I once got a woman thru a 45 minute survey... that due to her constant yammering lasted 80 minutes! I get compliments on my voice too. But all this does not change the fact that I would rather not work there. I need a car, a new job, and well... more money. lol Okay, I'd settle for the car.

"These words..."

"Are my own." I just found a new song. It is so catchy. I'm listening to it again and again. But those who know me, know that that is very common. The music video is good. Kinda original, kinda fun. And on the recommendation of my roommate Kyle, I just watched the music video for "Cool" by Gwen Stefani. It is also a great video. I'm a big fan of Gwen. I'm very excited/happy to find out that she will be in concert in SLC at the Ecenter in October. She will be performing alongside Black Eyed Peas. I am definitely going to be at that concert. I just gotta remember as it gets closer to buy my ticket. You know, I've actually only ever been to one concert before: U2 and No Doubt. It was superb. Both bands put on a good show.

"These words are my own / From my heart flow"

Ring Worthy? I think not!

Before you jump to conclusions... I refer to "The Ring" not wedding bands. lol. Last night my friend Robert and I saw "Dark Water". When I saw that it was from the writer of the Ring I had high hopes. And not that those hopes were dashed as much as slowly placed in a small box and then smashed. It's a good movie, but it doesn't instill near the fear that I had hoped. Look forward to a happy ending with a melancholy flavor. Not the horror and creepy feeling that the Ring excelled in. Perhaps renting this movie would be the best. I will give it a... 7 on the Fear Scale.

In other news, my back is still as red as well... burned skin. I expect it will be a beautiful tan in another day or two. I toasted my front a little today too. I love having a wonderful pre-cancerous glow. (As long as it stays 'pre'.)

Life continues in our little attic. Kyle and I looked at our old house (the one being remodeled). And not to our surprise, nothing has happened. They have a month left to finish... I hope, hope, hope, that they get it done in time!

Back Again?

She did it. Where others have failed, my friend Mightybob succeeded. Reading her blog has made me want to start up the Bigredhammer machinery. We'll see what direction it is headed.

So today was my first time to teach the Elders' Quorum lesson. I had been assigned lesson 13. Unbeknownst to me, I had chosen the wrong book to look in to prepare my lesson. I prepared it on Obtaining Financial Security. Then during Sunday School I was informed of my mistake. So I had forty minutes to prepare a new lesson. Luckily the new topic was much easier than the first. Everyone has commentary and stories on temples. So my lesson went very well. I had lots of people raising their hands and I had more than enough material. That's about as last minute as you get. I hope to never repeat that.

In other news, I have the day off tomorrow. Yeah! Actually I have every Monday off. I have two things to do: Sleep in and go shopping. I've informed my roommate that he is not to turn on his music until I'm awake. The cell phone is going on silent too.

Wow. That was one action-packed blog entry. Watch for more excitement to come!

The Grudge

Yes, I went and saw the Grudge yesterday afternoon. It was thrillingly scary. What does that mean you ask? Have you seen The Ring? I give the Ring a ten in scariness. The Grudge was a close nine. Yes, that scary. It would have scored higher but the movie takes place in Japan and only in a certain house. The Ring is in the US and could happen anywhere. It's much more personal. I definitely recommend this movie if you would like to be scared OR if you want your female friends to be grabbing at your arms in fear. My friend Joe suggests going to the gym before hand.

For those of you who have already seen the movie: There's a little boy standing behind you.

Mwahahaha!

Catholocism and Orthodoxy

The Catholic Pope is returning two relics of saints to the Orthodox church in Istanbul after 800 years of ownership. It's seen as a sign of goodwill between the two churches. It also seems that they may begin theological talks once again. I like to see the various Christian churches working together to make the world better. We may all have theological differences but that shouldn't get in the way of Chrisitian service.

That said, I don't see why the Catholic and Orthodox churches would begin theological negotiation. Let's look at it logically. The Catholic church believes it is the true church descended from the church began by Christ and the apostles. They claim that their authority has been unbroken over the 2,000 years. The Orthodox church broke off for many reasons, but foremost being the strength of the Pope. I don't know if the doctrinal changes between the churches occurred then or later, but they exist now. Basically if any side concedes to change, that shows that it is incorrect. I don't think either side is really ready to change their doctrine. And then logistically, let's say the Orthodox church merges with the Catholic. Would all Orthodox members agree? Would all Orthodox members automatically be Catholic? And you know for sure there would more schisms because of the changes. Lastly, the Orthodox church is poor. I can't see the wealthy Catholic church taking on such a liability.

My opinions are mostly one-sided. I lived in Romania for two years. They are predominantly Romanian Orthodox. And I only know one Catholic.

Posting up!

Get yer dukes up! My nine-year-old nephew could beat him. LOL

If that doesn't get you laughing, try the following:

Strong Bad strikes again.
And for more fun and humor check out William Shatner's new CD.

*Uppercut!*

That is, uppercut to the RIAA or Recording Industry Association of America. I just read on Instapundit's blog about this:

The Supreme Court handed Internet services providers and privacy advocates a crucial victory yesterday when it decided to pass on an important Internet piracy case. . . .
"The recording industry may not agree, but the U.S. Supreme Court thinks personal privacy is far more important that music piracy," Red Herring reported. "On Tuesday, the high court refused to entertain an appeal of a unanimous 2003 decision by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals that held that copyright holders cannot force Internet providers to identify file sharers using a mere subpoena. Industry watchers see this as yet another blow that the recording industry has taken in its fight against online file sharing -- a fight it is slowly losing. The lawsuits in question were between New York's Verizon Internet Services and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), headquartered in Washington, D.C."

Yes that's right. Personal privacy is more important than music piracy. Blow after blow the music industry will be forced out their 'evil lawyer' cave.

A smart idea.

I just read an article about the European Union threatening to put sanctions on Israel until they resolve their conflict. Much like the Europe did to South Africa until apartheid was eliminated. I was just thinking, why doesn't the United States place sanctions on Israel. Effectively, we could place a 'famine' on Israel until they comply. With the EU and US putting up a blockade, it could seriously harm Israel. I told my roommate this and thought that Israel would be even more stubborn than Cuba in the face of sanctions. I think I'd have to agree with him. But I still think it would be a serious push for peace in Israel.

Star Trek vs. Kerry and Bush

And the winner is... Star Trek! Yes, the Star Trek: Enterprise season premier is tonight. And it is on during the second Presidential debate. Yes, Enterprise isn't the best Trek series and it can be disappointing at times... But the debate will only be more so. Perhaps I'll catch the third one. I'll read the articles on it afterwards. If anyone does watch it and would like to give their comments, please feel free.

"Beam me up!"

An Abortion Surprise!

Okay, so that title is not very appealing. But I just read an article that clinched the already sure vote of mine for Bush. Apparently five of nine Supreme Court judges support current abortion rights. But if Bush is re-elected he will be able to appoint a new judge. This could upset the balance and allow the Roe vs. Wade ruling of 1973 to be overturned. Exciting! The article goes on to say that twenty-one states are at high risk for banning abortion, nine in middle risk, and twenty at lower risk. This surprised me. All 50 states are at risk for banning abortion. I had no idea that most of the nation's legislation actually want abortion banned.

This news definitely clinches my vote for Bush.

Shoplifting

Apparently the pick for the CIA's third highest position has withdrawn from the nomination because he was caught shoplifting twenty-three years ago. With the full background check, Michael Kostiw was cleared to be a CIA employee and see high class information. The article I read made it seem as if it was the Washington Post that did its homework and brought that up. I could have misread it. If that is the case I don't think that Mr. Kostiw should remove himself from the running. The fact that he passed the CIA's own requirements is enough for me.

That brings me to my question. Should government officials resign for any infraction in their past? I've been taught that the personal lives of government leaders should not be separated from their careers. I agree with that. But where should we draw the line? Should all officials be above reproach and never have made a mistake? Men and women are able to change themselves and leave behind past mistakes. I only wonder where the line should be drawn.

True to Its Name

Iconoclast:
1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
2. One who destroys sacred religious images.

The Lonestar Iconoclast claims itself as President Bush's homestar paper. And true to it's name, it is seeking to overthrow tradtional or popular ideas by now endorsing Kerry. Now I will admit, everything I know about Texas I learned from Fox's "King of the Hill". But apparently life in some parts of Texas is close to that of Arlen in "King". Check it out.

Apparently the Iconoclast only has 425 readers. And that is in a serious decline now. Once endorsing Kerry, the paper lost many of its advertisers. I'm left wondering if the paper was in a decline before declaring Kerry their candidate. Seems this could be a good way to get under people's skin. Any publicity is good publicity.

I won't be looking to the Iconoclast for political knowledge. But it is a portal into small town Texas. I wonder if I might see Hank Hill featured in an article.

Fun in two easy steps.

Would you like to have some fun? Here is my two step process:

1. Read any one of my blog entries below. I might suggest "Serious Wisdom..." or "The Debate" For extra credit actually write a reply to one of them. (I love when people do that.)
2. Follow the link I am about to share. Remember, until you do the first step, don't do the second. This is important. Link.

Come back after you're done. Comment.

Gay marriage in Spain

Shocking fact: 1 in 10 Spaniards is gay. Literally. Spain has now passed a bill that will allow homosexuals to marry. It is the third in the European Union. Of course the Roman Catholic Church (which has a lot of power in Spain) opposes the move. "'It would impose on society a virus, something false, which will have negative consequences for social life,' Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, spokesman for Spain's Episcopal Conference, insisted in midweek."

At the heart of this conflict is the new ability of gay couples to adopt. Some 60% of Spaniards favor gay marriage, but only around 40% favor adoption by gay couples. A 20% difference is a big thing. I would guess that most people (including myself) oppose it, not because the child wouldn't have good parents -gay parents can be as good as heterosexual parents- but because the child would think that homosexuality is normal and natural. It's fine to have adults make those choices but children shouldn't have that choice forced upon them. One Spanish gay activist said, "Most Spanish people think what is important in adoption is the well-being of the child quite apart from the sexual orientation of the parents." That is true only when you believe that sexual orientation doesn't matter.

But in closing, a whole TEN percent of Spain is gay!! I will be more wary if/when I should meet any Spanish.

The Debate

Yep, I watched the Presidential debate tonight. No I didn't watch it all the way through. I watched forty-five minutes of it. (Did it go an hour or two?) I'm sad to say that I didn't learn an awful lot from it. No I'll rephrase that. I didn't learn as much as I had hoped I would. But here is the basic rundown of the debate:
Kerry believes that the war in Iraq is not a just cause and should not have been started. He does however believe in getting our troops home as soon as possible and in giving them the supplies they need. (Ironic.)
Bush believes that invading Iraq was a good choice. He believes America needs to have a strong, unwavering stance against terrorism and to root it out wherever it may be.

Now here is what I learned. Kerry focuses on the past. He kept on reiterating that we should have entered Iraq. He didn't focus on the now. And that is that we are in Iraq... saying again and again that we shouldn't be there won't change that we are. He also stated that by voting against giving our troops the needed money for supplies he was in actuality voting against invading Iraq. That seems a little convoluted.

Bush is committed to this war on terrorism. He believes that removing Saddam Hussein has made the world a better place. He doesn't like sending troops into harms way, but there are causes that justify the loss. It seems that Bush does not want to rely on foreign intervention or help to achieve the goals he has set out. He will go to them the first time, but after that he will take matters into his own hands.

I could go on and on about their motives and details I saw in the debate, but I'll say a little bit about how they spoke in the debate. Kerry is a polished speaker. Bush was a little slower and not as smooth. But Kerry is a senator and I think that oration and speech giving comes with the territory. But it seemed that Kerry's words were made to tug on heart strings and persuade the audience to his side. Bush seemed to be more sincere. Time will tell if he is right or wrong. But you can tell by the way he speaks that believes he is right.

What are you thoughts on the debate?

I just *love* easily offended Mormons.

"I can't... I'm Mormon." These are the words which have raised the ire of BYU students and faculty. In the Daily Universe there was an ad for the t-shirts with that slogan on it. I read the article today after seeing a short ad on television about it. Here's some quotes from the article that show both sides:

"Many Latter-day Saints living outside Utah, he [Ramos and t-shirt creator] noted, utter the phrase every day when asked to partake of activities - such as drink coffee or watch racy movies - that violate church standards."

And...

"I don't like it when people perpetuate these Mormon stereotypes," [Steve Brady] said. "I'm not a big fan of Mormon movies like 'Singles Ward' and 'Home Teachers' for the same reason."

I'm going to stand by Ramos. So many LDS here in Happy Valley (most of them grew up here) don't understand or think that LDS humor is appropriate. Unfortunately they have very shrill voices and like to make those shrill voices heard. I think the slogan is humorous and not offensive. So I'm okay... But people who find mild humor offensive need to ignore it. I'm going to trot out a term again... Utah Mormons. You can find them the quickest just by uttering that phrase. They'll be the ones who are standing up and getting red in the face. I've lived here in Utah myself about fifteen years and I have succumbed to some Utah Mormon ways. But I can see it in myself. Anyway, to the point: Utah Mormons will find shirts and slogans like this offensive, but ignore a lot of the more important things.

So I will happily proclaim: I can't... I'm Mormon!

What would you do?

I was just reading an article on US bombing insurgents in Iraq and having success. By success, I mean that they were eliminating insurgents against the US and Iraqi governments. This in turn has caused in-fighting amongst the rebels. Iraqi hospitals have reported civilian and child casualties with these attacks. The US gov't says that that is only propaganda. It is possible there were casualties outside of the rebels, but that the hospitals are exaggerating the numbers.

"'We've seen reports from the hospital about dead and wounded within 45 minutes of airstrikes,' Lessel said, which, he said, was too soon for victims to have been transported from the site of the attack. He also said wounded people shown on television could not have survived the airstrikes."

The article also quotes a Abu Thar as saying: ""They [the US,] are saying they want to kill al-Zarqawi, but instead they are bombing innocent families," Abu Thar said. "Iraqis' hatred is growing, which means the resistance is growing."

That I can understand. Whether you're a rebel or not, hearing your fellow citizens being killed would not make you happy.

So what do you do? If we leave the country all together and let them govern themselves, there may be a civil war. We would be responsible for that. If we stay, we are probably increasing the hatred some Iraqis have for the US and we will lose more soldiers to terrorist bombings and activities. It seems like a lose-lose situation both ways. I don't know what the solution is. I want the Iraqis to govern and police themselves. I don't want to lose more of our soldiers to cowardly terror attacks. Perhaps there is some way to have both. I hope so.

A Call to Legalize File-sharing with Taxes

The title and the article tell it all, so I am going to let you read it. Please feel free to comment. This is a novel idea, but it's still an idea. There may be others that are better.

BigRedHammer

Responsibility & Government

I was reading an article on the Israel's pull out from Gaza and their expectation of more attacks by Hamas as they do so. I am very critical of Israel and their tactics. Most Americans in my experience, sympathize with the Israelis. I sympathize with the Palestinians. They have no course of legal action, no representation in their government, nothing. So they do what they do. They attack the Israelis. I don't think that the way they do it gets them any closer to their goals. No strong government is going to give terrorists power or representation. So I do see current Palestinian tactics as futile. But I don't expect responsibility from small militant groups. I do however expect responsibility from a government. Throughout the rest of world, civilized nations find ways to deal with racism and hatred. Israel has too. They use missiles and their military to enforce it. I guess what I'm saying is, I expect more from Israel than their military-enchanced form of terrorism.

Hurricanes

Hurricane Ivan is now making landfall. My good friend 'Sobek' of SobekPundit has made it out with his family safely. I hope that everyone else in Ivan's path has evacuated safely and will suffer minimal losses. My prayers go out to everyone who is involved.

BigRedHammer

Serious Wisdom from a Play

The following are quotes from a theatrical production David Hare's "Stuff Happens," now playing in Britain.

From the character Colin Powell, "If anyone is stupid enough to think this is payback time for whatever grudge they happen to be nursing against the U.S.--be it Kyoto or the Criminal Court or, I don't know, how they hate McDonald's--then what they'll be doing in effect is condemning Iraqi women and children to the sort of bombardment which is going to make them wish they had never been born. ... That's what I'm trying to avoid,"

And from an Iraqi character, "Iraq has been crucified. By Saddam's sins, by 10 years of sanctions, and then this," the man says. "Basically it's a story of a nation that failed in only one thing. But it's a big sin. It failed to take charge of itself. And that meant the worst person in the country took charge. Until this nation takes charge of itself, it will continue to suffer."

Check it out.

=========>

Yes. That is an arrow. What is it pointing to, you may wonder. It is pointing to the newest entry to my blogroll. SonarBison, welcome to the hallowed halls of the BigRedHammer Blogroll. Your post on how to get a girlfriend at BYU deserves acclaim.

Any of you readers who have ever attended BYU, lived near BYU, know someone who lived by or attended BYU, or have been or had a girlfriend should check it out. You'll laugh.

Update: SonarBison has begun to get results. Follow the link above and find out the hilarious aftermath.

News to me: Many professors are liberal bigots

Okay, I just found more evidence of my 'bubbled' life. I just read an article on Yahoo news. In it I learned that in Colorado Universities conservative students are being discriminated against. I'll share a few of the examples given in the article:

"University of Colorado law student Mario Nicholas said a professor called him a Nazi after Nicholas complained when the professor told the class that "the `R' in Republican stands for racist." The professor was chastised by the dean but not suspended. "

"Metro State student William Pierce said he filed a grievance after a professor accused him of spying on the class for Republicans intent on enforcing the new policy. "

I go to Brigham Young University. It is a religiously funded university. As such only members of the LDS Church can be tenured professors. Which means that we have a very conservative faculty here. Well, comparatively. Many LDS people are ultra conservative and might disagree. So all I am used to is moderate professors who respect all ideas. But until today I didn't know this was not so of all colleges and universities. And I'm not referring to the conservative point. I'm talking about professors being moderate and respectful of all ideas.

The article talks about a professor that was forced out the classroom with death threats. He now sleeps with a rifle under his bed. I do not condone death threats or getting results through fear. And the 'conservative' students who did that not only hurt their cause, but hurt their lives.

But, such comments as calling a student a Nazi for any reason is not acceptable. The employers of such faculty need to evaluate their performance and if they cannot come to acceptable terms, let them go. That kind of environment is not conducive to learning for any type of student. Perhaps it is just my own experience, but professorship is not supposed to be a platform for expressing political views. Unless of course it is political science. And then it should be unbiased.

Students should not be judged on their political views.

Hurricane prognostication?

I predict that the next hurricane will be named, Jeanne. And let's up it one notch... the next one is Karl. Scary huh? Well, doing a little research, I found out that there is a hurricane name list for the next six years. 2005 will start with Arlene and end with Wilma. Interestingly enough, hurricane names can be 'retired' if they cause enough damage and a country requests it. Then a new name is selected and the replaced one will remain 'off-duty' for ten years.

So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about naming hurricanes.

But if that wasn't enough, find out more here.

No Time, Good Quote

"After voting for the war, but against funding it, after saying he would have voted for the war even knowing everything we know today, my opponent woke up this morning with new campaign advisers and yet another new position,"

--George W. Bush, 6 Sep 04

Seems to me that Kerry's advisors should run for President. Kerry is only their yes man. Oooh, here's an idea. What if I could infiltrate his campaign advisors? I could control the Democratic candidate. I'd have to slowly bring my friends in too. Eventually we could oust his advisors and if we won, we'd be in charge of the most powerful nation in the world. The biggest puppet government ever!

Terrorist Brutality

I just read about the attack on the terrorist-held school in Russia. The other day I was watching a music video that had children in school portraying the way we treat enemy combatants (blindfolded and arms tied). And I thought perhaps that is a brutal way to treat them. All people need a certain amount of respect.

Well, I was wrong. When anyone does something as heinous as kill innocent children for their own political purposes, they deserve to lose respect and most of their 'human' rights. These terrorists in Russia didn't just have children hostages by accident. No, they chose to hole up in a school. And now there is a possibility of over 150 children, parents, or teachers dead. The article said an explosion went off inside the school. The hostages took that as a sign to escape. The terrorists shot them down as they ran. You do things like that, you had better not expect any mercy or any rights when you are found. It's cowardly. And I know they will get their reward.

Now I have to applause Russia for standing strong against terrorism. Many people may say, "Just release the rebels so you can get your children back." But I don't think that they realize the danger that that response will put the entire nation in. If you give in even once the terrorists win. They now know a way to get what they want. Next time they want something all they have to do is march into a school and hold them hostage again. It's a cycle of fear that won't end. At least someone in Russia understands this. Earlier this year I was sad to see that Spain doesn't understand it. Rather than stand against terrorism with us as brothers, they chose to cave to terrorism. Sad.

It is strong language, but I hope those terrorists burn in hell.

Feminism and Inferiority

This past year I've noticed a prominent trend in the media (especially television). So often men are portrayed as being stupid brutes. Examples abound from any sitcom you care to name to television ads and movies. The first that comes to mind is a Carl's Junior commercial. A mid-twenty-something male is standing in front of an aisle of food in the supermarket. He stares slack-jawed at the many different brands of some product. The commercial closes with the statement, "If it weren't for Carl's Junior some men wouldn't eat." Most examples actually contrast a neanderthal-brained man with a clever and well-put-together woman who can show him the error of his ways or how to operate something.

It was only tonight that I thought that perhaps this is the liberal media's attempt at embracing the feminist movement. The first paragraph of this entry is obvious once it's been pointed out. My guess that it's part of feminism is only supposition. I notice as well that most instances of this are meant to be humorous. It's considered comedy to have stupid men and clever women.

It's interesting because it seems like the writers of this kind of comedy believe they are appealing to both genders. Eh, what do I know... maybe it does. But if you have a more refined sense of humor (like me) you won't find it funny. LOL I'm kidding of course. Just keep your eyes open, you'll see this humor all over.

Lithographs and missionaries

Yesterday I went to Salt Lake and worked for my Bishop for thirteen hours. He works for a sports memorabilia business. This Saturday BYU will be honoring the 1984 football team. They won the national championship. Bishop Larsson's business would be selling a lithograph (fancy poster) with the signatures of the starting line. It was a long day. Each athlete had to sign 1,200 lithographs and in the thirteen hours we did six athletes.

Overall, I'm very glad I did it. Shayla, a girl I know worked with me as well. For lunch we went with Kurt (I forget his last name, but I know it's Hawaiian.) to a sports bar. He was a very nice guy. He had been in two superbowls. I saw and held his superbowl ring as well. The thing is HUGE. Like the head of a baby.

One of the football players was in prison for a time and he couldn't sign the lithograph. So they allowed his mother to sign for him. While we were helping her the Olympics were on the television. I mentioned something about Romania and how I always root for them. Sister Larsson told the woman that I had served a mission there. She didn't know anything about missions or missionaries so I got to explain it all to her. I mentioned that we did a lot of street contacting. And she asked, "Well, how would you contact me if I were a Romanian (don't speak in Romanian though.)?" Ah, such a prime answer. So I gave her a shortened introduction. I didn't bear my testitmony of anything like that. But now this woman knows who the missionaries are and what they do. That is a large step right there. Perhaps one day she will invite them in. Perhaps.

It's not often here in Provo that I have any opportunities to do missionary work. But the opportunities exist. You merely have to have the courage to act and be able to recognize the opportunities too. Anyway, it felt good.

Student Suffrage

Yes it has been eighty-four years since women won the right to vote. And now in 2004, students are working for that right. I just read an article which really enlightened me. It seems that many states won't allow their out-of-state students vote in local and national elections. They can only send in absentee ballots to their home state. This was news to me. Students in some states are rallying and have formed a federal lawsuit pushing the issue. I applaud them. Students should vote. Students should be able to make their voices heard in local elections. It makes sense.

Here in Provo, I don't think that we have the same issue. Students here don't want to vote. When weighed in a scale against losing their residency, most students here choose to give up their rights to vote. Sad. There are approximately 30,000 students at BYU alone and nearly that at UVSC. As of 2000, there were 105,000 residents in Provo. If even half of us voted in local elections we could own this city. As it is, the Provo City Council passes anti-student laws. I am a native Utahn so choosing between losing residency and voting is not an issue for me. But I am an independant when it comes to taxes so I don't think residency would matter much to me.

Voting is important. Visit www.studentsuffrage.com for more information.

West Virginia: No Lifeguard at the Gene Pool

Statement: The Big Red Hammer does not like the political correctness movement.

I am tired of this country's 'offended at the slightest knock' mentality. This country is founded on democracy not on oligarchy. We should not have to conform to whoever is most offended. This stated, we will move on.

West Virginian Governor Bill Wise (isn't that an oxymoron?) is offended by a line of Abercrombie & Fitch shirts "which has an image of a boy and girl in a kiddie pool superimposed on an outline of the state" with the captioning stated in the title of this blog. You can read about it here. Here's the gist. He is offended and has written Abercrombie & Fitch and asked that they discontinue the shirt.

In his spokesman's words, "It is unfortunate that Abercrombie & Fitch continues to perpetuate stereotypes rather than positive things like the number of residents serving in the military or the state's PROMISE scholarship program."

Now can you see a shirt that has an outline of West Virginia and soldiers in the background with the captioning, 'West Virginia has a lot of people in the US Army' selling even one shirt? Well, maybe one shirt. Apparently Governor Wise does not understand marketing. I personally hope that Abercrombie & Fitch continues selling this line. Be offended Governor Wise. I'm sure that will bring more tourists to your state.

PS - For those of you who don't get the joke: West Virginia is known as being the only state that doesn't have laws against first cousins (perhaps even siblings) marrying each other.

Swift Boat Accounts Incomplete.

I just finished reading this article from the Washington Post on Yahoo news. This is the first time I've known in any detail what the swift boat accounts and accusations were about. The article was written by Michael Dobbs of the Washington Post. I am pleased to say that the article presents both sides of the arguement fairly. If you don't know about the significance of the swift boat accounts to the Kerry campaign, here is the short of it: Kerry served in Vietnam on boats (swift boats) patrolling rivers. He received several awards for his service during this time. He has made that service a defining point in his campaign against Bush and used it to rally support. This article goes through the evidence from both Kerry's side and his detractors.

Read it! You'll learn a lot and be able to form your own opinion.

Communist? No.

So about an hour ago I was watching the Olympics. I watched a woman make a world record in some sort of swimming event. I also watched the women's 100m and some men's medley swimming race. The US won in one of those events I saw. But for the way the broadcasters and announcers went on, you'd think the US had won all of them. If one competitor beat the US, then the announcers would say "He was ahead of the US by 1.35 seconds." Everything is merely a comparison to how the US competed. And I don't think I'm too far-fetched with this scenario: Let's say the US basketball team didn't happen because of some scandal here. I bet that basketball wouldn't even be covered at all.

And you may say, what do you expect from America? If you were watching from Bulgaria, the Bulgarian broadcasters would be doing the same thing for their teams. True. However I am sure that they would not be as strong as it is here. I can't expect an impartial showing of the Olympics, but I can expect them to at least show foreign competitors when they win. I can expect them to show the competitors' fans, and congratulate the winners.

This is Scott with a larger world view than most Americans, signing out.

MPAA Propoganda

While clicking to get to a Yahoo game I came across one of their sponsorship ads. I've become so accustomed to web ads, I don't even see them anymore. However, this one caught my attention. It was made by the MPAA or Motion Picture Association of America. The basic premise of the ad was to scare 'pirates' into stopping downloads of illegal movies. You may have not have seen this ad yet, or their accompanying site, www.respectcopyrights.org, but I am sure you have seen the ads before movies in the theater. They generally show some average joe who begins by talking about what joy he gets working on movie sets or special effects. Then he makes the transition to piracy and how it's costing him his job. He will actually purport that illegally downloading movies only affects the small guys like him and not the big movie execs. Could this be any further from the TRUTH? Let's assume for a moment, that one movie loses $1 million in ticket sales due to illegal downloads. (I have no idea if that is even close to the real number, whether high or low.) All of the men and women who work on the movie from set builders, special effects artists, animators, stunt doubles, actors and actresses, and extras are paid some negotiated fee. The set builder does not receive a percentage of ticket sales or the like. He did his job, he got paid and now he's working on another movie already. Those ads are absolute hogwash. "Hollywood Hogwash."

Now I've had the chance to argue and debate this topic often. I am on the anti-MPAA and anti-RIAA (music industry) spectrum of things. I am not an extremist. But I believe that a change needs to be made in both industries. Whenever I read articles in which the courts rule in favor of downloaders or the programs that facilitate downloading I give a big Wahoo! The way I see it, technology has opened a new avenue to get your media. And it's free! At the MPAA site, they purport that your downloading habits are easily tracked and thus copyright law is easily enforced. I'd have to say that is more a wish of the MPAA and RIAA than actual fact. P2P (peer-to-peer) software are very aware of their customers. 'Pirates' want privacy and security and they want their movies and music free. So P2P programmers stay one step ahead of those who would take away your ability to pirate. The fact of the matter is, there are more people working for piracy world-wide than against it. And the pirates are much more ingenious.

The piracy issue has been around long before the internet, P2P software, and even VCRs. It isn't going to be eliminated or even curbed. Now whether your ethics say that is right or wrong isn't currently the issue. It is a simple fact: piracy is growing. I wish I could guess how this will effect the music and movie industries in the end. But change will be needed. Technology has outpaced big business and is leaving it in the dust.

So I leave you with two points:
Recognize the music and movie industries' propaganda. Not everything they purport is true, right, or unbiased. Use your head, reasearch it, think about it. Find your own stance

Once you've found your stance do something about it. Voice your opinion, write it down, share it. And the most powerful of all, vote. Copyright law is not an issue in the presidential election this year. But it is always a congressional and senatorial issue. Find your representatives and senators' stances on the issue and vote appropriately.

Et cetera

Today was the first day of BYU Education Week. I had an excellent time. I went to several Book of Mormon classes to get ideas and learn more for my Gospel Doctrine class. Let me tell you I learned some incredible things. But I will save another blog spot for Ed Week. I also have lunch with my mother every day at the Morriss Center. Free food and talking with my mom, that's always great!

I ought to get to bed soon so I don't sleep through more classes than I'd like. But before then I will refer you to some of my favorite sites.

Sluggy Freelance comic A lot of fun and very creative. Joe referred me to it, so you know it has to be good!

Homestarrunner.com If you don't know this pull your head out of the oven and go look!

Dr. Devious vs. Lincoln High Spies, supervillians and mayhem in high school. Devious!

And on a closing note, Romania's women gymnasts took gold! Yeah that's right! In your face pompous Americans! Go home and cry on your gilded pillow. (For Kate and those other Romania haters.)

John Kerry's True Story

John Kerry's military service:

My friend Joe just sent me this link. Seems our good friend Kerry has not been very honest about his military service. That makes me uncomfortable to have a military commander in chief and leader of the free world dishonest about his own military service.

As Reed would say, "BAAAAAH" (buzzer noise).

Unpatriotic

So call me unpatriotic... I root for those who oppose the United States. And if it's Romania... I'll even trash talk. The way I see it, the US is in the spotlight all the time. It pleases me to see other countries win. It please me to see the US currently places seventh in overall gold medals. I like seeing the underdog win. Now when it comes to gymnastics Romania is not the underdog. They are the team that all the other teams are judged by. And a wonderful quote I heard twice today, "If you leave the door open even a little bit the Romanians will come in and eat you alive." Yeah, that's right! We'll eat you alive! (Notice the use of the pronoun 'we'.) And I'm proud to see Romania is a serious competitor in many other events. But they need to win in gymnastics.

GO ROMANIA!! ESTI CEL MAI BUN!

Where are the whip lashes?

The California court decided that the rule of law is worth considering. Actually, it decided that San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom overstepped his authority by issuing homosexual marriage licences. Nearly 4,000 marriages were nulled. Of course Mayor Newsom has the enduring respect of gay and lesbian people across America. And of course the disdain and anger of those against same sex marriages. But I think another large issue is forgotten behind all the controversy of same sex marriages. We have a system of law here in America. We do not live in the feudal ages where a lord could make and break his laws at his whim. Newsom ignored that system and did what he felt was right. Whether he declared marijuana legal, Saddam the King of America, or leash laws unconstitutional, it's all the same. He doesn't have that right! Mayors don't have that ability. So what I'm wondering: What is the punishment for breaking the law? You law people, is there precedence? I'm thinking that he should lose his position as mayor and perhaps serve jail time. If there is no punishment, then there needs to be one appointed. 'If there is no punishment, there is no law.' People need to know that choices like that have consequences.

The Village and Other Things

Yes, I went and saw the Village tonight. My cousin Stephanie invited me to go with a few of her friends. We were supposed to see Napoleon Dynamite (and no, I have no clue what it is about). But it was sold out, so we went and saw the Village. Which by me, is a much better choice. Now I won't give anything away... but it is different from the other M. Night Shyamalan movies. Still some twists and surprises, he doesn't ever disappoint when it comes to that! I will give it four stars out of five. Rated against his other movies, it falls behind Signs and Sixth Sense but way ahead of Unbreakable.

Now for our trenchant political commentary: Several days ago I was reading some critics' reviews of The Village. (How's that for a tie in?) And one critic said that the political commentary in the movie got in the way of the plot. What political commentary you ask? Well, I would suggest you only read the following if you have seen the movie so that you won't be looking for it and thus ruin the movie. You have been warned. This critic believes that the movie was a commentary about Bush and how he leads the country. The leader of the village is named Walker, George W. Bush's middle name. As well the colors yellow and red play an important part in the film. This critic believed that just as Walker ruled his village through fear, Bush does the same thing with us. The war in Iraq must be a diversion to keep us from looking at the shortcomings of this presidency.

First of all, I will disagree that M. Night meant to have The Village be a parable for current American politics. It's too far of a stretch. Secondly, I disagree that this war is a political ploy. If it is, it failed miserably. Watching CNN which I often do, (and I am told is more on the democratic side of things, but which I find much more unbiased than the step-above-a-tabloid Fox Network) there are a lot of stories talking about other pressing issues outside of the war. Same sex marriage, the economy, employment rates and the like seem to be very important. Fear is something we've put upon ourselves, not by Bush.

I believe that companies (especially airlines) have seen this new demand for security and are taking advantage of it. The safety precautions are merely to make customers feel safe. I (half) jokingly suggest we have pre-9/11 and post-9/11 flights. And I will tell you truthfully I would ride the post-flights if it meant I can forgo all of the 'needed' security measures. And I will also hold my opinion even if there is another large terrorist attack on this country.

On a lighter note, I think I have found Kerry's long lost twin brother. Ironically his twin is President. In fact, he is president of a planet, Planet Neutral. Their motto is: 'Live Free or Don't.' And when in danger, they go to Beige Alert. Yeah, so I watch Futurama, what of it?

Kerry's approved! (sort of).

Fast Sunday

As the title states, today was fast Sunday. And it was a beautiful one as well. Many testimonies were born on missionary work and missionary experiences. It reminded me of how good it is to have someone you know learning about the Gospel and accepting it step by step. It is a faith and testimony building process. But not only for the investigator, but for the members involved. I would like to share the Gospel with someone. I'd like to feel those feelings again which were so strong on my mission.

Sunday School went very well too. Kate taught the class I was in. It was in Alma, around chapter 40 I believe. Alma was giving advice to his sons. This lesson included my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon, chapter 38. I chose that as my favorite scripture on my mission. It seemed like the perfect advice from a father to a missionary son. But the lessons learned there apply to me at all times. It was very good to hear it again. It's prompted me to seek some positive changes in my life.

We had break the fast after Church and it went very well. There was plenty of food and lots of people showed up. And then started raining. Beautiful summer rain. We moved into the laundry room. But the rain is so nice. Cooling and beautiful. I like this. I wouldn't want it all the time, but summer rain is pleasant.