Ce am facut?

Well, it has been awhile since I've posted something on my blog. I haven't really had anything that I wanted to say or share the past week. But I'll share what I've been up to.

Today I cleaned all of my dishes and emptied some junk from the fridge. My disposal unit was stinking, so I had it eat a lemon. It smells nice now.

This past week I've been listening to Romanian radio online. I rediscovered a station that I "loved" back on my mission. It was on in the metros and taxis. It is called Radio Twenty-One. And its name is said in English in Romania. "Rrrrrrradio Twenny-one!" I love to say that. Anyway, this and one other station are a lot of fun to listen to. Romanian radio plays lots of good American hits along with their Romanian hits. And Romanian radio fits my musical likes perfectly. I've discovered a band I really really like, Akcent. Their songs are very catchy and have a good beat. I've found and downloaded some of their stuff.

Today and yesterday I went over to my friend Aaron's apartment complex. A bunch of us went hot tubbing and swimming. The pool felt so nice! My friend Dalin dunked me! :( I was in the deep end (nine feet). I hate being dunked! I can't swim underwater. Anyway, I touched the bottom of the pool and then pushed my way back up. The surface looked so far away. That fact means that I opened my eyes underwater. I'm surprised I didn't lose my contacts. So that freaked me out. But later it also excited me. I touched the bottom! It probably isn't as hard as I think it is. I could learn to dive. That was something cool for me to think about.

While I was there I played Seafarers of Catan with my friends Dalin and Robert. Dalin had played Cities and Knights and Settlers before, but never Seafarers. He beat Robert and I soundly twice. So much for being oh so good! (Third in the tournament!) Robert and I want a rematch. Badly.

Cell Phones and Driving Don't Mix

Just a quick pointer to a relevant artice: Apparently driving while talking on a cell phone is as bad or worse than driving drunk according to a new study. Check it out here. I believe it. So just a warning to all of my friends and family who drive and have cell phones. Don't do them together.

The super and not so super hero movies

I took this list from MSN. It has some movies that I've never heard of and now I want to see them. First, the best:

The Top Ten Best Super-hero Movies

10. The Rocketeer - I thought this movie was actually boring. Women seem to like it though.

9. Spy Kids - I've never seen it, but it looks good for a laugh.

8. Hellboy - Chris G. loves this movie. I think it didn't quite peg its potential.

7. Inframan - Never even heard of it, but the synopsis makes it sound worth seeing.

6. Darkman - No clue.
5. Superman II - When did this movie come out? I probably saw it then and that was the last time.

4. The Incredibles - A+ all around. It's witty, stylish, fun, and endearing.
3. Spider-Man - Great movie! Didn't you just want to hit him when he said no to Mary-Jane!?

2. Batman Returns - This movie gave the Batman series new life. And by a new life, I mean reality. No more comic disasters!

1. X-Men - This movie was perfect. I didn't think it could be improved upon, but X2 actually was better. It is very rare that a sequel is better than its predecessor.

The Top Five Worst Super-hero Movies

5. Hulk - The characters never developed, we never cared about them.

4. Fantastic Four - Juvenile at best. The characters were two-dimensional.

3. Catwoman - I'd like to see this movie just to see how bad it really is.

2. Dare Devil - Coincidentally, I saw this movie tonight for the first time. It felt like it was only a quarter of a movie.

1. Batman and Robin - Speaking of comic disaster...

Now there are some of these I haven't seen, so I can't know how accurate these lists are. But there are some honorable mentions I'd like to add: Ultraviolet, X3, Flash Gordon, and Supergirl. I'll let you guess which ones go in which list. ;)

Trekstravaganza!

So the past two weeks I've been learning Photoshop so that I can create original graphics for a Star Trek simulation I want to create, the USS Solomon. I've learned a lot and I think I've made some good graphics. You've seen some of them on this site already. Well, I was just looking at startrek.com to see what style I should create my site. On the site is an article about various "fan films" going on worldwide. For those of you who don't know, fan films are fan created series and created for free. From the article I learned that Paramount allows the 'infringement' as long as the films are free for viewing. Who knew copyright law could ever work for the masses? I've been following a fan film for the past year, the Final Frontiers series. I've been quite impressed by the quality stories, characterizations, sets, and graphics these fans have created. I learned about many more fan fics out there. I'm going to show you them.

The Starship Farragut

The USS Hathaway

The New Voyages

The Starship Exeter - Amazingly true to the original. Their sets are incredible.

Star Trek Intrepid - Worth watching, if even for the incredible British accents.

Star Trek Hidden Frontiers - I've been watching this for over a year and each season is better than the last.

All but three of these, Hidden Frontiers, Intrepid, and the Hathaway are based on the Original Series. Eh, I prefer Next Gen or later, but I think I'll check them out anyway. The Hidden Frontiers series has been very rewarding. I suggest you try one out that catches your eye.

"Engage."

Flag Burning?

Tuesday the Senate rejected the constitutional ammendment to ban flag burning by one vote. The tally was one short of the two-thirds majority it would take to make the changes. It lost because three Republican senators voted against the measure, contrary to their party's choice. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and President Bush were both disappointed that the measure didn't pass. The ACLU was proud of the senators that dissented. Apparently the measure created a heated debate for two days.

I can understand that. Americans look at the flag as a symbol of what they believe in and the ideal of freedom. Most believe that flag burning is an insult that cannot be suffered. I disagree.

Yes, flag burners used to be called "stinkin' commies" on the mild side of things. And true to my blog's title (and moderate conservative viewpoint, there you go Aaron!) I will side with the flag burners in this case. Now before you stop reading my post and start writing your hate mail and replies, hear me out. Take a deep breath, step out of yourself and take a third person perspective. Then step out of your box too.

Okay, I believe Americans take themselves too seriously. And even more so, they take the American flag seriously. There is a strong link between our patriotism and our flag. It's a strong link that doesn't exist in many other first world nations. Canada for example, you can take a Canadian flag and sew it into a shirt or a backpack. *gasp!* And it's actually patriotic, you are wearing your flag! In America, the flag is reserved for poles and coffins only. It is after all, only a piece of material with a certain pattern on it. Whatever emotional value we place on it, is in our minds. I think we need to place less emphasis on the flag.

Now, this doesn't really tackle the flag burning issue. After all, making a backpack out of our flag isn't quite the same thing as protesting in the streets, burning flags, and wanting to scratch your eyes out because of tear gas. Free speech in this country is important. It has its limits and boundaries too. Free speech should not trample on other values we hold dear. Flag burning doesn't concern our other freedoms though. It is only a matter of free speech. And as inflammatory (no pun intended, okay it was intended) as it is to most Americans and as much as they hate it, it is Constitutional. This is one of those very, very, few times that I agree with ACLU. "We applaud those brave senators who stood up for the First Ammendment and rejected this damaging and needless amendment." said the director of the ACLU's Washington office.

Now to turn my big red hammer on Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He said concerning the amendment, "Old Glory lost today. At a time when our armed services are defending America's freedom in the war on terror, it's unfortunate that a minority of my colleauges blocked [the proposal]." Oh, whatever! Let's look between the lines of that quote, (break out your magnifying glasses!): "I am linking the passing of this bill to our troops in Iraq. It is crucial that our flag not be burned if our troops are to ever come home. Democracy as we know will end abruptly if we cannot keep the American flag from being burned. You stinkin' commie turncoats that didn't vote for the bill!" Okay, so that was a little provocative, but you see my point. This bill has nothing to do with our troops in Iraq or the war on terror.

President Bush said concerning the bill, "By showing respect for our flag, we show reverence for the ideals that guide our nation. We show appreciation for the men and women who have served in defence of those ideals." Well, if you take his quote word for word, he is right on! We do show respect for our men and women in the military by respecting the flag. I agree wholeheartedly. But I do not agree that the law should enforce that respect and appreciation. We should make our own choice on whether we want to reverence American ideals or not and how we want to respect them in the end.

FW: Wife/Girlfriend

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend version 7.0 to Wife version 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3 , Football 5.0 , Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6
I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0 , but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,


A Troubled User. (KEEP READING)

___________________________________

REPLY:
Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.

Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM..

You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance . Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0 , Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.

However, be very careful how you use these programs . Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5 Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0 !

WARNING!!! DO NOT , under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

Planets!

The red Mars-like planet is my favorite. The Earth-like planet is my second attempt, but using a different tutorial. And now I have a lava planet.

Ms. Nebula Contest

Okay, so we have our contestants here:

Ms. Emerald Nebula














Ms. Nebula Pastel










Ms. Fire nebula




Who wins your vote?

Another starscape...

...But in my estimation, this one is much better!




And I'd love to share the link: How to make a starfield. He also has a tutorial on how to make a planet. Once I get this down pat, I'll start working on that.

Look what I made!

Today, using a tutorial I found online, I created this starscape image. It is my first, but I know the basics now and well... I think I'll be able to improve a lot. *grin* It feels cool to learn a new skill.

"What is real?"

I was just messing around with the buttons on my Yahoo messenger. There is a "Buzz" button which lists the top searches for Yahoo in various topics like "Television Movers" and "Movie Movers". I looked at the television movers and at number four was "Tuesday Night Book Club". I had never heard of it. But I recalled seeing little fliers from Relief Society on Kate's and red brick's doors. The fliers said something about a book club or something. So the link in the Buzz interested me. Perhaps the RS was doing something with a national group. So I clicked on the link and I found out it was a television drama. The tagline is this:

"A CBS one-hour series which follows the lives of a group of real women as they deal with the day-to-day pressures of raising kids, maintaining households, satisfying their husbands, and keeping it together on a personal level."

I followed the link. And here's the pic of the cast:

And the first word that popped into my mind was: bullcrap! So much for "a group of real women". Not one of those women looks remotely real, average, or normal. Heck, they're not even standing/sitting in "real" positions! I guess they're "real" in the fact that they were all born to parents and they're not a figment of my imagination. But if CBS is trying to pass them off as "real" they need to try a lot harder. This show is just a "Desperate Housewives" knockoff. Hearing all of this may sound odd coming from me, seeing as I'm a semi-anti-feminist and I hate political correctness. But I find this ridiculous. What do you think?

Trip down memory lane

So about ten minutes ago, I was googling my name. I've done it before, I was just seeing if there was anything new. Well, I came across something I had forgotten about. Back in about 1996 a friend and I created our own website. Well, my friend helped me with the web stuff but I made 98% of the content. Anyway, I just explored the site. Wow, that brought me right back to high school. I was such a sentimental goof! Well, "was" is very subjective. Anyway, back in the day I was a *very* big EFY fan. I actually made the site dedicated to EFY first and then to me second. I can't believe it but I'm going to let you explore my past. If you delve deep enough, you'll be rewarded with some pics of me at high school age. There are a lot of interesting things on this site too. LOL

Well, here's link. Enjoy!

**Alert!**

Okay, so if you read my last post, I have been reading the Limewire blog. And I read a very interesting and important entry. Basically it amounts to an easy way for someone to look at your passwords for all of your saved passwords on firefox.

Go to Tools and then Options. Pick the Privacy tab. (Your menu may look a little different from mine.) Some smaller tabs will come up. Third from the left is "Passwords". Click on that. Click on "Set Master Password..." put in your password that you're going to remember. Until you have that set, anyone can go to the "View Saved Passwords" and view all the of the sites that you have told Firefox to save the passwords for. You can also look at all the sites you told it not to save for. Anyway, this protects you from an easy breach of privacy. They would just have to sit down at your computer. Well, I hope that helps out.



PS - So I did this myself today. Well, it puts up a password entry window about every time you start Firefox. Annoying! So, I guess you could take your chances, or you could erase all the sites there and not have Firefox remember your passwords, or just deal with the annoyance.

Just Spreading the Word

So I upgraded my Limewire today. I was looking to see if it was the most updated version when I discovered the Limewire blog. And I found something of interest to me. So to spread the word and do my part, here is the entry that interested me.

A Pirate’s Tale

April 5th, 2006 by hunt

I have a confession. Once upon a time, in a land just a little more dangerous than it is now, I was… a pirate! I did not sail the torrential seas of the internet in search of precious MB of glittering mp3 booty. No, I was content in my little cove, which was given the innocuous name i2hub. You will not find it with any site map or search bar–today it is googols of miles away, farther than any can travel, for even my haven was not safe from the long arm of the RIAA.

It all began with an email from MIT letting me know that the RIAA intended to extract my name from the ‘tute so that I could be named in a lawsuit. I started looking into previous RIAA suits to see how these things played out, and was surprised by the lack of firsthand accounts. How tragic, considering the RIAA hopes fear of lawsuits will keep people from stealing music. More information on how the process works would turn that fear of the unknown into something more concrete and, frankly, deride-able.

That’s what brings me to the LimeWire blog site. I want to share my story of being sued by the RIAA so people can learn more about how the process actually works. So here we go: an account of my foray into the RIAA lawsuit machine. After that first email, I didn’t hear anything for about two months until I received—joy of joys!—a package in the mail. While normally an occasion for any college student to celebrate, the fact that it was indeed a large envelope and came from MIT legal quickly changed by tune. And tunes turned out to be the manner at hand: the materials inside let me know that MIT would be forking over my name in 14 days, and proceeded to enumerate my rights and responsibilities hitherto and forthwith and sideways etc, etc. And just in time for Christmas.

I’ve got to hand it to MIT legal, though. In mid-January I received another fat envelope letting me know that, because there was no confirmation that I had received the last mailing, MIT had held off giving up my name so they could send another one. Which may be legitimate, but also sounds like someone’s tap dancing to buy time. If this was the case, thanks, MIT.

However, even the ‘tute couldn’t put things off forever. Some things in life are inevitable, like death, taxes, and late nights tooling; such is the RIAA’s relentless pursuit of villainous, scurvy pirates like myself. I received a letter from a Colorado based law firm letting me know that I’ve been named in a suit for copyright infringement.

At no time in the course of any of this had I been informed exactly what the RIAA had against me. I had been informed, however, that I should not delete any evidence of my crimes from my computer, even though they already had this mysterious evidence. Which was ironic, really, considering that not long ago I had sent my computer in to HP for a replacement DVD ROM and, in their infinite wisdom, the company had decided that this warranted wiping my hard drive. On top of the three major projects and loads of photographs I’d lost, the music I’d been accused of sharing now rested in that mythical paradise to which all lost data goes.

The law firm was kind enough to pass along a number to contact RIAA representatives, so I gave it a ring…and reached their “settlement negotiation hotline.” My jaw nearly dropped. Talk about an organized attack! And to add insult to injury, the area code was for Missouri, my home state. I left my name and number at the beep as instructed but decided to talk to the law firm instead…and reached their RIAA-related answering machine. The audacity boggles the mind.

I eventually got through to a real person and asked, perhaps a little peevishly, “So, what is it that you guys think you have on me, anyway?” The answer was (a whopping) 272 songs and, should the case go to trial, potentially $750 per song. Now, I know what you’re thinking: with a collection of 272 whole songs, no wonder the RIAA felt compelled to squash my threat to the sanctity of music. However, with the grace and benevolence only a huge corporate machine could display, the lady on the phone told me they’d be willing to settle for $3750.

I actually started laughing at her. “Okay,” I said, “so who do I talk to about negotiating that?” She replied that they usually wanted the amount within 15 days, but that they had a six month payment plan available. How nice. “No no,” I said, “I mean who do I talk to about negotiating the amount.” Turns out the whole ‘negotiation’ part of the hotline covered the way they rape you, not to what degree.

So the conversation was pretty much over after that. Life got in the way for a bit, but a few weeks later I called the lady back. Not to settle, mind you, but to make the most out of the situation and give the RIAA rep as much crap as possible. I’ll post about the ensuing convo soon.

The Evolution of Dance

Pat on the Back

I just finished putting replies on all of my friends' blogs. *grin* I am good.

Bigredhammer's Top Ten Top Ten Lists List

Okay, here you have it folks, the Big Red Hammer's Top Ten... Well, what it says in the title. These are lists that I found interesting, compelling, or just plain funny. And yes, some of them list more or less than ten items. I accept that.

10. The Top Five Signs Your Co-worker is a Ninja
In case you needed to guard against ninja attacks.

9. The Top Ten Ways to Destroy the Earth
And this one is bases in real science. It also lists what you will need to accomplish the feat.

8. The Top Ten Spanish Phrases That Don't Translate Well
I don't speak Spanish... but I wouldn't want to start with these phrases.

7. The Top Ten Secret Societies
Playing Illuminati has put me in the mood, but you never know... or do you? No you don't.

6. The Top Ten 80s Cartoons
Because the 80s have and always will be important... especially cartoons.

5. The Top Ten Scariest Movies
I love scary movies. And for those of you who don't, this will provide you with the list to stay away from.

4. The Seven Wonders of the Modern World
I think it's plain interesting. Wouldn't it be an incredible world tour to visit them all?

3. The Top Ten Richest Men of All Time
Wouldn't it pay to study up on the most powerful men?

2. The Most Popular Scientific Myths
This one is more applicable to everyday life.

1. The Top Ten Baby Names
You might find this to be an odd choice for my number one list. But hey, I've heard of so many stupid baby names... well, don't get me started. But I believe a baby's name has a lot of bearing on its life. So here's my hint: No misspellings, new names, or names that are things. You'll be good to go if you follow that.

So! Those are my lists. Feel free to add any you may have seen that caught your eye.

Three posts in one!

I just read a pleasant article on MSN (on which all articles are merely ads construed as news) about the five dream jobs for men. Their choices were: video game designer, brew master, toy creator, comic book guru, and casino host. I have to say, the first one has the most appeal for me. I don't want to know any kind of computer code or the technical stuff behind the games I play. I want to be able to build the levels, create the weapons or vehicles, and write the storyline. That is where the fun is at.

And for those naysayers that think that video games take up too much time or aren't worthy of time, I will retort: The game industry makes more money than the film industry. And if you think about it... which is more interactive and social? A movie where you sit down silently and watch one screen the whole time? Or a video game where everyone is involved in the action and working for or against a cause? I think most vide game naysayers are (dare I say it?) women. I will ask the women, why don't you like video games? or men playing video games? I have my guess. LOL It's because sometimes men almost ignore you when they're playing. It's a form of competition. Now I have more opinions on that... but I'll save that for another post.

And my third post: I just read an article in which a North Carolina panel has determined that the state should pay reparations for an organized race riot that happened in 1898. That riot did have a rippling effect against positive race relations in the state for a long time. But reparations? "Along with compensation to victims' descendants, the commission also recommended incentives for minority small businesses and help for minority home ownership. It also recommended that the history of the incident be taught in public schools." That is BULLCRAP. We could just as easily follow the same logic and say that there should be a tax on Italian businesses because Christopher Columbus changed the way Native Americans lived. Or perhaps Missourians should pay an extra tax to make reparations to Mormons for the extermination order that was put upon them. After all, that happened in 1838. It makes sense doesn't it?

The 80s!

So anyone who knows me, knows that I love the '80s! The music is fantastic, the culture was incredible, the cartoons some of the best created, the '80s were great! Well, this blog post isn't about the '80s, but rather the 80s of the 100 Interesting Things About Scott list.

81. I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of falling.
82. I'm currently on a diet.
83. My high score in Yahtzee is 522.
84. My middle name is Roy.
85. My dad's middle name is Roy.
86. My dad's middle name comes from Roy Rogers.
87. I hate black licorice.
88. From 1989 to 1998 I didn't write in cursive.
89. I have an addictive personality.
90. I have vowed to never live north of the Utah, Nevada, California border.

X-Men or X-Minus

So earlier this week I went and saw X-Men 3. But before I begin on that, I want to give a disclaimer. I'd actually prefer if you didn't read this review until after you've seen the movie. I don't want you going in there expecting this or that and have it jade your view on the movie. I will not give any spoilers in this review, so don't worry about that.

The move is good. The acting is well done I think. Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry do very well as their characters. You get to know Storm a little more than previous. (But you might have expected that, as she told the franchise that she wouldn't do X3 unless she had more screen time.) But I have no complaints there. Storm is an excellent character. The action sequences are good too. It is exciting. Those who liked the first two movies will enjoy this one.

That said, here is what I didn't like about the movie. It was only mediocre. The character development was kept very minimal. While there were many changes in storyline and character development, we didn't get to see any of it. For example (a broad one), a sub-character in the movie comes to a decision which will alter her life. Rather than see how she works through the process or how it affects her family and friends, we have a two step process. First, she states what she's thinking about. Second, she's already done the deed. And that's it. It happens that way on almost every issue "tackled" in the movie. The two main focus characters (Wolverine and Storm) aren't tackling tough decisions, there isn't character development with them at all. My friend Aaron said it right, "This is like half of a movie!" The writers, director, and producer needed to add a whole lot more character development and let us learn what these people had to face. This really was the "Hugh and Halle show".

The movie also had some jaw dropping events. But they didn't pause on them at all. We didn't have a chance to take them in before they were glossed over. It felt like someone was giving a synopsis of the full movie.

So all in all, I am disappointed with X-Men 3. It had such a great potential built up in the first two movies (especially the second). But it failed to meet them. So I give this movie a B-. Sad.

A Question of Mine

Is there such a thing as a Second World country?

Michelle Washington, D.C.

Dear Michelle:

Third World countries (now known as "developing nations") are countries with a low "Human Development Index." First World countries (like the United States, Japan, and Germany) score much higher on the HDI. A nation's HDI is determined by its literacy rate, poverty rate, life expectancy, etc. There is indeed a Second World, though the expression isn't exactly parallel to the other terms, and these days, few mention it. According to Nations Online, the phrase refers to "former communist-socialist, industrial states, the territory and sphere of influence of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic." For example, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, and of course, the big bear -- Mother Russia. China is also considered a Second World nation. Thanks to the fall of the Soviet Union, the term "Second World" has become rather meaningless. Nowadays, a country's economic strength (not its government) determines how it's classified. Countries in Europe and North America as well as Australia are primarily First World, while Africa and South America are mostly made up of developing nations. Hopefully with economic aid and other support, the gap between the haves and the have-nots will grow smaller, and the need for words to distinguish them will disappear.

===================================

I've always wondered what a second world country would be. I actually had guessed about the same thing as what they stated, except for the former soviet thing. I figured that former communist countries were second world because of their economy, not their government. But I was spot on for guessing that Romania was a second world country. I'm guessing that the terms "second world" and "third world" have been eliminated in order to be more politically correct. After all, "second world" would make it seem that the country in question is 'second class'. But we'd probably have to ask our resident expert, Bob. Bob, are you there?

Regulate your blog!

I blog. If you're reading this, then you already know that. I enjoy blogging. if you know me, then you already know that. I write about things that catch my interest. Sometimes it's something I read in the news, sometimes it's something from my own experience, or happenings in my life. I've enjoyed blogging immensely and reading your comments on my musings. It's pretty cool.

Well, I just read an interesting article about blogging. It appears that students of Libertyville, Illionois will now have to be a little more careful about what they write.

"The board of Community High School District 128 voted unanimously on Monday to require that all students participating in extracurricular activities sign a pledge agreeing that evidence of 'illegal or inappropriate' behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action."

One parent of a student at said high school rebuttled, "I don't think they need to police what students are doing online. That's my job."

I agree. Students should have the ability to write whatever they like on their blogs. And this is certainly an invasion of privacy.

Rebuilding

I just read an article from Yahoo news about the rebuilding of the first skyscraper on site of the September 11th attacks. That makes me proud. This building replaces the third skyscraper that fell because of the attacks. It also has state of the art safety features. Despite all of this, the owners have only leased one fifth of the office space. I think it will just take a little time to fill. I don't think it's necessarily that people are afraid of there being another attack and destruction of the building. At least I hope not. We are a resilient nation. To quote Chumbawumba, "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You ain't never going to keep me down."

This Summer's Blockbuster!

Radio Free Monticello

So awhile ago I heard about a website compiled by some members in our ward about the greivances, breaches of contract, negligence, and miscommunication with Monticello Apartments Management. I asked around for the address, but no one knew it. Well, thanks to my brother (who googled my name) I found the site. It gave me satisfaction to see all of our problems listed out. I hope that people don't forget about this site and will update it. After I ask for my deposit back, we'll see if I need to add another entry.

Here's the link: http://www.radiofreemonticello.info/index.php/Main_Page

Goblin Valley Trip

Okay, so I just got Anthony's pics from our Goblin Valley trip. They are excellent! I am happy to say that the trip went exactly as planned with no problems. It feels good to have been in charge of one of those. lol. This is generally my first trip of the season. This was my ninth time to go. So I know it rather well, as you can imagine. But on to the pics!

Breaking StrongBad... I mean news!

Okay, so you have to see the latest StrongBad e-mail.
It is hilarious! Especially if you have ever worked in a call center of any sort.

The Seventies!

71. I don't believe that "hell" and "damn" are swear words.
72. My favorite calling has been Sunday School teacher.
73. I'd like to invent silent Velcro.
74. I've lived in Utah 18 years.
75. I can't ice skate, roller skate, or rollerblade.
76. I don't chew gum.
77. I purposely never got my Eagle scout badge.
78. I've been first counselor in two branch presidencies.
79. If I had to get a piercing, I would get a tiny silver ring on my left eyebrow.
80. I don't like Yoda.

Yeah! I have my list back!

Side Notes.

So I am now officially moved in to my house. My roommate left today and I moved into his room. I have never had so much storage space before! This beats WHN just in my bedroom. I have a closet that I haven't even used and several shelves that I have nothing on. And my room is still roomy. This was definitely a good choice. I kept working till the other room was exactly as I found it. Now my last tasks will be to put all my food away. Unluckily, (or luckily depending at how you look at it) the shelves I want to put my food on are occupied with food already. I don't know if the guy who just left left them behind, or if it was someone else. I'll wait a day before I move them over and move in. But I am quite pleased with myself right now.

Odd side note. So in the previous post I referenced 'Joey' from 'Full House'. I just IMDB'd him. He was a voice over for "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo", "The Jetsons", "Muppet Babies", "The Muppet Show," and "The Real Ghostbusters." Wow. He voiced for many of my favorite cartoons from my childhood.

He also introduced Candace Cameron Bure, then his co-star on 'Full House', to hockey player, and her future husband, Valeri Bure at a charity hockey game.

He was the first lover of Alanis Morissette - they met at a celebrity hockey game. And interestingly enough, she wrote "You Oughta Know" about their relationship. The relationship ended when Coulier who was 15 years her senior wanted to start a family, but Morissette felt she was too young.

And now you know...

Treizeci

11. Shout out a response to "Are you ready to rock?" Unless sarcastically.

12. Use the word collated on his resume. Unless you're an ecclesiastical cleric. Look it up!

13. Hold a weekly house meeting with roommates. I've never done that ever. And if you have roommates at 30, then you're all adults, it shouldn't need a meeting.

14. Name pets after Middle Earth characters. Chris!

15. Jokingly flash gang signs while posing for wedding photos. I've never done that. But I guess it's never too late to start.

16. Give shout-outs. I thought only TRL gave shout-outs.

17. Use numbers in place of words or locations, such as "the 411" for information, or "the 313" for Detroit. Yeah, you wouldn't want to lose your gangsta.

18. Hug amusement-park characters. Oh come on! What girl doesn't like a guy who can hug a giant Winnie the Pooh!

19. Wear Disney-themed neckties. I think that should stop at nineteen anyway.

20. Wake up to a "morning zoo." Now here I disagree. Music tastes are one's own.

21. Request extra sprinkles. Does anyone in double digits do that anyway? Sprinkles don't taste good in the first place.

22. Air drum. No comment.

23. Eat Oreo cookies in stages. I think eating them in stages is cool as long as you don't leave behind the cookie. WHN!

24. Volunteer to be a magician's assistant. Well, you have to get your adventure somehow.

25. Sleep on a bare mattress. I've never done that... bedsheets are nice.

26. End a conversation with "later skater." No comment.

27. Hold his lighter up at a concert. Well, unless you're a biker.

28. Wear Converse All Stars with a tuxedo. Unless you're Joey Gladstone and wear themed pjs.

29. Propose via stadium Jumbotron. I don't think you should do that ever. We ask creatively for dates, not for marriage. Get down on one knee and propose.

30. Decide anything based on the ruminations of Howard Stern. No one anywhere, anytime, should decide anything based on anything to do with Howard Stern.

The Big Three Oh

Well, since I moved, I have not been able to find my "100 Interesting Things About Scott" list. But if my roommate moves out tomorrow, then I will be moving into his room and organizing things better. I'm hoping that I will find the list then. But in the interim, I have found another interesting list. I didn't create this list. However, there are a few entries that are not classy at all, so I will omit them. And I commented in the italics.

Things A Man Should Never Do Past 30.

1. Coin his own nickname. Actually, you should never coin your own nick name. They are earned!

2. Use a wallet that is fastened with Velcro. True.

3. Rank his friends in order of best, second best and so on. Did anyone ever do this?

4. Hacky sack. I never could play hack anyway. It always goes between my leg.

5. Hang art with tape. I don't think it's art if it can be hung with tape.

6. Hang The Scream, unless he stole it from the Munch museum in Oslo. Which I have read is not that hard to do in the first place.

7. Ask a policeman, "You ever shoot anybody with that thing?" Dang.

8. Skip. At first I asked myself, "Skip what?"

9. Let his father do his taxes. Considering that it has instructions... anyone can do their own.

10. Tap on the glass. I'll assume that this refers to fish tanks. And I think that everybody, no matter the age taps on the glass.


There are many more of these, which I will be adding in future posts.

Fictional Truth

"The truest stories can only be told in fiction."

As you may know, I am a big fan of science fiction. Star Trek is my favorite, but I love Star Wars, X-Men, and many other stories, shows, and films. It has the ability to tell compelling stories while incorporating a moral or analogy for issues that affect our lives. I believe science fiction is one of the best forums to tackle current issues. By moving the issue into a fictional realm we are able to view the ideas in a third person perspective. And I've found in my life that third person perspectives help me make sound decisions.

I Need a Hero!

You scored as Batman, the Dark Knight. As the Dark Knight of Gotham, Batman is a vigilante who deals out his own brand of justice to the criminals and corrupt of the city. He follows his own code and is often misunderstood. He has few friends or allies, but finds comfort in his cause. Batman, the Dark Knight 71% Captain Jack Sparrow 58% James Bond, Agent 007 54% The Amazing Spider-Man 54% The Terminator 50% Lara Croft 50% Neo, the "One" 50% Indiana Jones 46% William Wallace 42% Maximus 42% El Zorro 25% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

The Nature of Forgiveness

"The things I have done are unforgivable," he said through gritted teeth.

"Correct. Absolutely correct. But you don't seem to understand that that's precisely the point of forgiveness."

I'd stunned him yet again with that -- gratifying, that was, and this time I took the advantage.

Easy, Hunter. You have to put this calmly and logically, or he'll never understand. It's obviously a totally alien concept to him, no matter that he bandies the word about.

"You regret your crimes, you never want to repeat them -- you've repented, in other words. I'm not saying that you should stop making amends. I think you have an obligation to do so, in fact. The extent to which you'll go to achieve that is a matter for you and your conscience -- or your code of ethics, if you like, since I suspect you think you have no conscience.

"But the problem is that forgiveness has nothing to do with that. It's not a reward for repentance, or for paying off a debt. None of us deserve it, no matter the degree of our crimes, and it can't be earned. It can only be granted. It's an act of love on the part of the pardoner, and you have nothing at all to do with it. It's neither your decision nor your responsibility, and not one single thing you've done can alter or negate it once's it's given."

Brave New World
A Harry Potter fan fiction

Moving

So today I succesfully moved from White House North to my new place. I'm thankful for all the help that was offered and the help received. So I'm sitting in my new room thinking about today and everything surrounding it. In a way, this move has been a difficult one. I have lived six years in WHN and now I'm not. I was very comfortable there and had found my niche. I had the rooms how I wanted them, I had the friends I wanted, and basically everything how I liked it.

Now I'm in an apartment that isn't really in the ward. I have two roommates, one who I met for maybe 45 seconds and the other isn't here. The one I met is leaving tomorrow. The other may be leaving in two weeks. The apartment was empty all day except me. Wow, did I feel alone. So I am very glad for Amy and Kate for letting me hang with them.

So a little about my apartment. It's in a basement. It's roomy for three people. But it is rundown. It could use a major remodeling. I could have taken an upstairs room (upstairs is much nicer), but I wanted a single room, not a small shared room. I have a tiny little bathroom, a moderately sized living room, and a small kitchen. I do have my own entrance to my bedroom. I need a chance to talk to the new roomies so I can get a feel for the place. Where do I put my food? Can I just walk in to the guys' upstairs apartment? You know, stuff like that.

In the words of my mom, "You can do better than this apartment Scott." And I can. But not still be close to the ward and involved with the ward. I am here for that purpose. I am here so I can keep my eyes open for openings in the nice houses of my ward. And they are nice! I am here so I can keep my friends. I need to settle in here. Then I will feel at home. But keeping in mind that this place is temporary. It will work.

Sir, yes SIR!

You scored as Artillery/Armor. You are an artillery/armor soldier. Fighting really isn't your strongsuit, and instead you prefer to sit back and blow things up with your 80+ mile range or behind some rather thick armor. This isn't to say you don't have a strong sense of duty and honor. You just seem to be smarter about it. Artillery/Armor 69% Medic 69% Combat Infantry 63% Special Ops 56% Support Gunner 50% Engineer 44% Officer 38% Civilian 19% Which soldier type are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Interesting Things: Sixty

61. I think "Lost" is stupid.
62. I hate puns.
63. I've eaten ants and crickets.
64. I have no known allergies.
65. I was the archvillain Mann Man
66. I can wiggle my ears.
67. I can't touch my toes.
68. I hate hypodermic needles.
69. I can't donate blood.
70. I am pro-cloning.

Hugs are strictly prohibited!

So I just read an article from thebostonchannel.com in which a 5 year old kindergarten girl was punished for returning a hug to another girl. Savannah was on the playground when her fellow classmate Sophie came up and gave her a hug. Savannah returned the hug. She was made to write the following letter:

"I touch Sophie because she touch me and I didn't like it because she was hugging me. I didn't like when she hugged me."

And the thing is, Savannah had no problem with the hug. The teacher made her lie in the apology letter. The principal has said that there was some dispute as to whether one of the girls lifted the other off the ground during the hug. And I say, "Who cares?"! If your feet are lifted off the ground does that make it a criminal offense? Obviously if children are fighting they should have a punishment. But what does punishing aggression and affection teach our children? It teaches them that they have to be emotionless. And can you imagine an emotionless child? It wouldn't be a child! I am glad that her parents were apporpriately outraged and are removing their child from that school. But I can only imagine the many parents whose children have done the same thing but didn't protest at all. This brings to mind two things: I hate political correctness and I hate lazy parents.

And any teachers who read this: Use your common sense, your mind, and your heart when you make decisions. You will make a world of difference if you do. But you will ruin children if you don't.

Cinquante

51. I don't believe in conspiracies.
52. If I could be any animal, I would be a lizard.
53. I had a penny in my shoe for over two years.
54. I'm an expert toliet paperer.
55. I've had a close run in with a moose.
56. I've never called 911.
57. My favorite apostle is Russell M. Nelson.
58. My hard drives are named Sam, Merry, and Pippen.
59. My favorite comedy is Clue.
60. I've created Super Monopoly, Clue Live, and a murder mystery.

Voting with your voice

I have to say I've taken an interest in the current beard issue. It seems like an issue that hits home for many of us. I personally believe we should alter the Honor Code to allow well kept beards and goatees. I think it should be a matter of personal choice for each man. Now this is a little bit odd as I am one of those men who is blessed or cursed (depending on your side of the issue) with not being able to grow any substantial facial hair. But I think allowing facial hair will not detract from the campus' cleancut appearance or bring anyone closer or further from Church standards. That is exactly why it should be allowed.

To all of you who defend the Honor Code and believe it should not be altered, "Thou fool, that shall say: [An Honor Code], we have got [an Honor Code], and we need no more [Honor Code]. Okay, I was totally kidding. But at a school which is not a democracy, we do not have a chance to vote for our policies and policy makers. Being able to voice our opinions in the Daily Universe, protesting on campus, and discussing with our friends, roommates, and classmates is the closest we get to letting ourselves be heard. So don't yell that we should just accept the status quo or believe that because we signed a document that we must turn off our brains and no longer hold opinions. Just because I signed a paper making me a registered Republican doesn't mean that I can't or shouldn't vote Democrat if I feel they do a better job. And if I ever vote Democrat it will no more be an embarrassment to the Church than putting tape on my mouth to symbolize my beliefs or by writing to the Universe to express my opinions. We vote with our voices. I think rather the Church and Prophet should be proud that one of its universities is breeding critical and independent thought.

XL

41. I hate winter.
42. I am the only person in my family who is not married and has at least two boys.
43. Mint is my favorite flavor.
44. My favorite beverage is an 80/20 mix of pink lemonade and Sprite.
45. I'm an ectomorph.
46. I can't catch a ball or frisbee.
47. I have an excellent memory for faces.
48. My favorite numbers are currently: 27, 78, and 2.
49. I always keep my most current fortune cookie fortune in my wallet.
50. I love techno, 80s and pop music.

Don't mess with the Bigredhammer!

Mess with MSN Messenger!
It was a dark and stormy night... The Bigredhammer sat alone in his bedroom. Well, not quite alone, his roommate was asleep in the bunk. Only the light of the monitor illuminated the room and Bigredhammer's face. The street light outside his window flickered on an off in it's endless pulse. Our hero double-clicked on the little blue icon next to the tray clock. Up popped a small window in the corner. It may be small but it was powerful. Through it's near magical powers it allowed Bigredhammer to communicate with many friends, 7 of them at their computer that very instant.

Bigredhammer went about his mission, using the Messenger to write clandestine messages to his friends. Sadly his mission was hampered by the ads and worthless buttons that littered the program's interface. He remembered another friend he needed to message, but that person wasn't listed in the current MSN Messenger's list. He had to log out and enter another account to message his friend. He started to write a long message to said friend and hit an invisible wall. Blast! The typing window could only accept so many characters! Unfathomable! But there was hope in sight!

After some searching online, the Bigredhammer came to a site boasting a program that could change everything, the Bigredhammer would be able to complete his mission of world importance without being hampered by the annoyances of his near-magical MSN Messenger. And that program was the Mess patch. It removed those unnecessary buttons and annoying ads. He could then open more than one account with MSN Messenger at a time. He could type up to 500 characters in one window. It was glorious to behold. The Bigredhammer would have let out a "woot" of joy, if it hadn't been for his sleeping roommate. So he let out a mini-woot.

woot!

You may have clandestine mission too that require you to remain unhampered by so many annoyances. The Bigredhammer is not so selfish that he wouldn't share his magical add-on for MSN Messenger with others. You can get it here! Thank goodness for Messers!

The Thirties

31. My earliest memory is at two and a half years old.
32. I can curl my tongue.
33. I've dyed my hair auburn, gold, and blond.
34. I've owned a guinea pig, two cats, and two dogs.
35. I enjoy desert hiking more than any other kind.
36. My three favorite shows are The Simpsons, Voyager, and Family Guy.
37. I consider myself a conservative optimist.
38. I love to fly.
39. My favorite colors are maroon, navy blue, and silver.
40. I've studied German, French, Romanian, Russian, and American Sign Language.

Interesting? Hmmm?

O suta

And we continue on...
11. I am a registered Republican.
12. I taught myself how to raise one eyebrow.
13. I hang up on hundreds of people a day.
14. I don't like chocolate ice cream.
15. I have lived on every continent in the northern hemisphere.
16. I have never seen Titanic.
17. I have been to all five Utah National Parks.
18. I know absolutely everything about Super Mario Brothers 3.
19. I have never broken a bone.
20. I've never had surgery.

The V

Yet another film review coming at you from the Hamma'. (That's thug for bigredhammer.) Before I begin that I will remind you all that tomorrow is a very cool day. If my roommates read my blog--which they don't-- they would beware. Mwahahaha!

Anyway, "V for Vendetta". It's tagline is "an uncompromising view of the future." and it lives up to its name. The future the Wachowski brothers (creators of The Matrix) paint is one dark with dictatorship, little hope for the common man, manipulation, and well, crazy heroes. But it is the crazy hero that gives the common man hope. And that hope is crucial. I wouldn't think that this future is actually possible. Sadly, history has shown us that indeed it is possible. Facism, nazism, and communism do exist. The Vendetta world is based on the goverments created during the World War II period. Everything in this movie is sadly within reach of mankind.

I don't want you to think that this movie is only sad and depressing. I walked away with a good feeling, one of patriotism, and knowing that there are things worth dying for. In the end it has a bright message: The good in mankind will prevail over the evil.

As for being rated R, this movie gets its rating from adult situations, and some gushing blood from fighting. The blood was completely unnecessary. This movie will draw you in and I will definitely own it when it is released. Bravo Wachowski Brothers!

One hundred

Following the example of my good friend Bob on her blog, I have decided to give one hundred interesting things about myself. I did this over several days at work. Around 70 I started to really stretch. Apparently I'm not as interesting as I thought!

1. I speak Romanian.
2. I was born in Tokyo, Japan.
3. I can't swim.
4. I write science fiction.
5. The first R-rated movie I ever saw was "The Matrix."
6. My mother is Canadian.
7. I have hiked the highest peak in the Wasatch Front, Mount Nebo.
8. The only organized sports team I've participated in was soccer, in the second grade.
9. I can type 80 words per minute.
10. I wear contacts.

Look out for more interesting things to come. To quote the profound Transformers, "There's more than meets the eye."

Uber Ultraviolet

So tonight I saw the movie Ultraviolet. I was not expecting much. It looked like an AeonFlux knockoff. (Basically, an all action movie set in the future with funky camera angles and no character development.) I didn't even see AeonFlux. But after my friends and I were done eating at Cafe Pierpont that was all that was playing at a decent hour. So I went in expecting very little.

What I got was incredible. There is so much to talk about with this movie. First of all, I take it this movie is based on a comic book. And I can tell you, every frame in this movie could be made into a very well done comic frame. Or... it could be framed and put on your wall. It is a very stylistic film. The colors are vibrant and the action is fluid and intense. A lot of people die in this movie but it is all done very artistically. You see the movement of the sword but you don't see any gore. Very well done. It was like a combination of the good visual elements of The Matrix, Hero, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Very well done.

The not so good parts of the movie: There is very little dialog. What dialog there is, you could very well put in a talk bubble just like in a comic. That isn't a good thing. Because there is not an emphasis on the dialog, we don't get to know the characters very well and we don't form a bond with them. If that had been so, this movie would do very well in the box office.

Now when this movie comes out on DVD I will certainly be buying it. It will add an artistic blending of sci-fi, action and martial arts to my film collection. Sadly, I know this movie will not do well in the box office because it is so stylistic. Many people will scoff at some of the effects or the dialog. Not everyone will see the art in this film. And that's really what it is... very well done art.

Monticello Monsters

Yes. I was not able to re-sign contracts with my complex. Why? Well, because the managers decided that many of us were too much trouble to let us re-sign. Their complaints range from, "You have been rude to us." to "You are a difficult roommate." or even "You slammed the door on us once." Yeah, they seem like petty reasons to me too. I am one who can't re-sign because I've had late rents. Now the good thing is a *few* of the people who received notes were able to convince Monticello to give them another chance. One of my roommates and one of my friends are some of them. However, I was not that lucky. Now the aggravating thing is that they gave us these notes five days before contract signing. How are people supposed to make housing plans in five days!?

I am very sad to have to move from this house. I have been here six years this spring. It's big and roomie and I have excellent roommates. I am going to miss it a lot. I am going to try to stay in the ward and move into a house across the street. It's a little smaller, but it's furnished well. I will do alright.

And for all the negative things... at least I won't have to deal with bass ackwards management anymore. You know, this isn't the first time they striked. Ever since they became managers they've been trying to break the status quo and homogenize their tenants. I'd love to list all the new rules and problems they've created. It makes me roll my eyes uncontrollably. My roommates are afraid of management now. They're afraid of holes in the wall, failing cleaning checks, getting late rent fees and all manner of things for fear that Monticello management will write it down in their little black book and next year trot it out and tell them that they cannot re-sign. Yeah, they cited things that happened over a year ago in order to not allow people to re-sign. Ugh.

There are many problems with our managers. I think their largest problem is the that they want zero confrontation with their tenants. I don't like seeing us, talking to us, writing to us, calling us, nothing. They want to pretend we don't exist. They complain and react if anything to the contrary happens. Let me first say, you HAVE to communicate with your tenants in order to be a manager! Second, if you don't want to see us or communicate with us, then MOVE away. Don't live on the same property as us, don't live next to us. We dislike you as much as you dislike us. Sadly for all of us... Sam still has TWO more years of school. So it's highly unlikely that any of us will outlast him. Bob have mercy on your souls Monticello tenants.

Versus!

VS

First of all, I have successfully transferred from Internet Explorer to Firefox. There are a lot of cool things that I can use on Firefox, from blocking ads (permanently) to going back a page from just my mouse movement (no silly little back button.) The downfalls to Firefox are mostly to do with the Yahoo page. I can't do searches on Yahoo.com or watch musicvideos on launchcast. There are some problems with Quicktime as well. Luckily I did get a extension that will load pages in Firefox with Internet Explorer. It sounds complicated and but it really isn't.

Next matchup: The Ultimate Showdown This is a must see. Have you ever wondered who would win if all of the world's super-heroes and super-villains got it on? Well, now you can... and you might be surprised who wins. Once you've seen the clip... be sure to vote on the links underneath. It's important. ;)

Yet another showdown: Pirates versus Ninjas

Then one last showdown: Your icons. This one is just plain fun.

Funny that,

So as I spoke about in a previous post... I am in a Trek mood. So I have done something about it. I now have joined a Star Trek Sim: The USS Katana of the Obsidian Fleet. For those of you who don't know "nerd" well enough to translate, I will help you. In a Star Trek sim, I portray one character (in this case my favorite character, Lt. Scott Donnelly, Chief of Security) . We write in story format about our character and their interactions with each other and the missions we go on. The captain chooses the story arcs and the things that go on. And no... there aren't any dice to roll, meeting in dark basements to trade cards, going to conferences or any such "nerd fare". It's just writing using Trek as a backdrop. I really enjoy writing. This is a great outlet for it.

I have also downloaded a whole bunch of Star Trek desktop photos. They look very good in fact. I am also in the process of finding and downloading all of the Star Trek: Voyager series. In case you were wondering, Voyager is my favorite Trek series. And for those of you who do speak "nerd", before you burn me at the stake... I like Voyager best because how familial the crew is. Next Gen always seemed like they just treated each other like co-workers, you come to work, do your thing, and then go home and forget about the other people. So Janeway or not... I like Voyager best.

"Better safe than assimilated."

Why oh why...

...Would the BigRedHammer write two posts in one day? Well, because this deserves blogging!

Those of you who know me well know that I don't mind repetition in songs. I love electronica music and repetition is paramount to that. I also enjoy internet phenomena such as "the hampster dance, the Star Wars kid, etc." Well, both of these beautiful things have come together at last. I warn you now that this will take repetition to a *new* level.

Please go to each of these sites in order:

Badgers! - The classic

Potter! - Always wanted more Harry?

Zombie! - For the living impaired

Aragorn! When the elves fail

Santa! The Jolly Old Elf has been replaced

Wikipedia! Pay special attention 4th paragraph. Someone has *too* much time!

I've had badger playing in the background for 15 minutes now. I think the original is my favorite. If you listen to (at least) the original Badger... the word "badger" seems to morph into the word "magic". Also of interest, follow the link to inherently funny word on the wikipedia article. Now I should have successfully dislodged any song you had stuck in your head with my new earworm. And if you're wondering what an earworm is... go *here*

Star Trek musings

Well, for some reason I'm in the mood for Trek tonight. Well, I want to watch a Star Trek movie... but none of them interest me. So I looked up info on the "next" movie on Yahoo. That kept me happy for a little bit. Then I started checking up on my old Star Trek rpg. I didn't recognize any names on the crew.

So anyway, here are some of my ideas on Star Trek.

My idea has always been to have a non-UFP based series. At first I thought Klingons... but I scrapped that for two reasons. I don't find Klingons that interesting as a species. There isn't much in way of Klingon diversity of personality. Second, it would be hell for the makeup artists to put Klingon makeup on every character for every episode. So I came up with the Romulans. I never really considered Romulans as very much in the Trek world until I saw Nemesis. But face it, they're devious, intriguing, sneaky, emotional and multi-faceted. They take minimal makeup and costuming as well.
It would be fantastic to see the inner workings of the Romulan Empire. How are they coping with the fall of Shinzon? The Romulan-Vulcan unification movement, the awful Federation, etc.? There's so many possibilities. Now I think this could work for a movie too. The way I see it, we either need a spectacular movie and then follow it up with a great series or vice versa. I think a Romulan series would do better than a movie, but I'll take either! I miss watching Trek.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Saturday, I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Let me tell you, it was wonderful. As a child or preteen I had read the books after seeing the BBC series based on the books. I really was captured by the magical world and the religious influence in the books. I figured out that Aslan represented the Savior and I thought I was the only one who I had guessed. lol.

The wonderful thing about the movie, was that it stayed true to the magic of the books. The religious nature was subtle. The story was strong and the characters were interesting and you could relate to them. I think it was a beautiful adaptation. I hope that this movie will do very well in the box offices so that we can be sure the other movies will be made. I read in some article that Narnia has the second place record for ticket sales on a December weekend. *eyeroll* I don't know what that even means. Narnia has number one spot for a movie released during a new moon and peanut sales are up. Anyway, it is an excellent movie and it is definitely worth seeing many times.

**Stop reading if you haven't seen the movie**

The thing I would have changed in the movie:

Aslan is a wild lion. Yes, he is gentle and good. But there needs to be a little bit of fear when you're interacting with him. When you are bad, you could expect a scolding on one side and being eaten on the other. Aslan is just and you will only get what you deserve, but he is not a tame lion. If you haven't read the books, it's very hard to explain. In the movie, he seemed only tame. You never feared him in the least.

Special mention:

Lucy really stole the show. Her cute, child-like wonder and precocious wit really stole the show. Her acting was superb. And her smile really lit up the screen. I'm glad that we get to see Lucy throughout the series. Wow.

The White Witch was equally impressive. Her single-minded determination shown from the screen. Once she set her eyes on some goal, she worked towards it and removed everything in her path. This fits perfectly with what we know about the Queen from the other books in the Chronicles. She inspired fear because of her ability to accomplish whatever she wanted.

Happy Anniversary!

Yesterday was my eight year anniversary of when I entered the Missionary Training Center. Wow. How time has flown. It's interesting, I look back at that time... Back then I thought I was this intelligent, wise adult. Being a typical teenager, I thought I knew everything. I remember making fun of things I didn't understand. I also had weird coping strategies for the stresses of the MTC. My MTC district can attest to that. lol

In four days I'll celebrate my sixth anniversary of arriving home. I remember that well too. I remember walking off the plane and meeting all my family and relatives at the airport. Everyone had grown so much. Little cousins and nephews were no longer so little. It was very overwhelming. I remember telling my mom that I really wanted to cry but that the tears weren't coming at all. Then we walked into the parking garage and I'm sure my eyes nearly bugged out. The cars were all so *HUGE*. I remember thinking how rich Americans were. Driving home I was wondering why everyone was yelling. Everyone speaks so much louder here than in Romania. When I first watched TV I was amazed at how fast people talked and things happened. On Simpsons, people would walk in the room, speedily say something, leave and then the scene would change. Wow, it would just blur by. I came home on the 15th of December. I don't even remember that Christmas. I wasn't ready and I was in full culture shock. My mom said I didn't really leave that "weirdness" until I got back from my return visit to Romania in August the following year.

Hehehe, I'll stop the reminiscing now... I didn't say a thing about the two amazing years between then. That's a whole 'nother 100 blog posts.

Merry Christmas!!

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