24.4.07

Todo sobre mi madre?

All women become like their mothers.  That is their tragedy. 
No man does.  That's his.  ~Oscar Wilde

April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 251 days remaining in the year.

On This Date...

In 1184, BC Greeks enter Troy using the Trojan Horse.
In 1533, William I of Orange is born.
In 1558, Mary Queen of Scots marries the Dauphin of France, François, at Notre Dame de Paris.
In 1800, The United States Library of Congress is established when President John Adams signs legislation to appropriate $5,000 to purchase "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress".
In 1877, Federal troops were ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North's post-Civil War rule in the South.
In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba.
In 1905, Robert Penn Warren, an American writer and first poet laureate of the United States, was born.
In 1934, Shirley MacLaine, American actress and author is born.
In 1942, Barbra Streisand, American singer/actress is born
In 1949, Linda Lee Bartholomew Trotter, American nurse, police officer, doll maker, wood worker, chef, craft artist, seamstress, scouter, Harley momma, hippie and mother is born in Moroni, Utah
In 1953, Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
In 1957, Boris Williams, British musician (The Cure) is born.
In 1958, David J, British musician (Bauhaus) is born.
In 1961, Bob Dylan earned a $50 session fee for playing harmonica on Harry Belafonte's "Midnight Special." It was his recording debut.
In 1962, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology achieved the first satellite relay of a television signal, between Camp Parks, Calif., and Westford, Mass.
In 1967, Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1, when the parachute fails to open. He was the first human to die during a space mission.
In 1974, Bud Abbott, American actor and comedian dies.
In 1980, Eight American servicemen died in an attempt to rescue hostages from the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
In 1982, Kelly Clarkson, American singer is born.
In 1984, Apple Computer, Inc. released its Apple IIc portable computer.
In 1990, STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched by the Space Shuttle Discovery.
In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI was formally installed as leader of the Roman Catholic Church in cermonies at the Vatican.
In 2007, Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin died of heart failure yesterday at the age of 76.

http://www.co.utah.ut.us/Dept/COMMISH/Data/Minutes/CM/1999/011999.HTM
http://www.goldenlife-labs.com/HELPFldr/provocub.html
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/61688/4/
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?ie

Some reflections on aging:
* Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
* The older you get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
* You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
* I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
* Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
* The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.
* My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
* It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffeemaker.
* It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
* These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter.. I go somewhere to get something and then wonder what I'm here after.
* Keep a diary... it will be a great source of comfort and a handy reminder of what you did yesterday.

Things My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE...
"If you're going kill each other, do it outside - I just finished cleaning!"

My mother taught me RELIGION...
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me LOGIC...
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me LOGIC... #2
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT...
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS...
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM...
"Will you LOOK at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA...
"You'll sit there 'till all that spinach is finished."

My mother taught me about WEATHER...
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY...
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times: Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION...
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY...
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION...
"Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING...
"You are going to get it when we get home!"

My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My mother taught me to THINK AHEAD...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."

My mother taught me ESP...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you're cold?"

My mother taught me HUMOR...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me about SEX...
"How do you think you got here?"

My mother taught me about GENETICS...
"You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about my ROOTS...
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."
"One day you'll have kids ...and I hope they turn out just like you!"


18.4.07

Mixed Bag

Hello, thanks for visiting. Today's blog is really a mixed bag. I really am posting them to clear out my desktop and my folders.

Every post today is an update, continuation or addition to past postings. At least it may prompt you to look back at some of my past blogs.

Surfs up fer-sure today...
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It has been a while since I have shared a new game.


[wce293]

'Orbox B' is a puzzle game. where you try to maneuver through a maze that is missing some walls. If your not careful you'll end up in outer space. It also allows you to keep codes of each level so when you return to the game you can start where you left off.

Enjoy!
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I have posted several variations of my name in different fonts and alphabets. The geek in me must really like these things because I have found a couple of them I would like to share.



'Hamburger Alpha' has floated around for the last couple of weeks. I think a butcher got bored or something, but I get to make a name out of his work.


Where's the cheese when I need it?
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This 'Hollywood sign generator' is an instant classic. I just wish the font was larger.
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*** WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT ***

A while ago I received some criticism for posting some pictures that were to graphic for children. I didn't really see it that way but you are allowed to have your opinion. This next but may also be close to the graphic line. Not as tame as 'the boy with three arms' but probably more intense than 'the man who had part of his skull fall off'. I'm not sure why I like these type of odd news stories but here it goes...

Yesterday I was reading an article called 'Croc bites off zoo keeper's arm'


What? That picture looks photoshopped!!!!

Apparently, "A 450lb crocodile has bitten off a zoo keeper's arm - but surgeons managed to reattach it after reclaiming the limb from the reptile's mouth."



WOW!!
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Have you seen the new Star Wars stamps? I know they are kind of old news but there is still time to vote for your favorite.



As of this post 139,303 people have voted, I hope they all chose Han and Chewbacca!!!
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Here is a cool little widget that allows you to make 'Personalized money'.


[Murray O'Dollar]

Please don't try and spend it!
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Last Fall I featured several pictures in a series of wrecked ships from Chromasia. Today I came across a new picture that refers to 'The Wyre Wrecks'.



With a little digging I found that these ships lay on the shores of the Wyre River in around Fleetwood, England. The website 'Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust' Lists several 'Morecambe Bay Shipwrecks' including some of the ships that have been photographed by David Nightingale at Chromasia.com. Thanks David for the really great pics!!
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I have blogged about several different types of street art but public art like this set from Cardiff Bay may be my favorite.


I don't think this is a fake.



But it all ends up looking like this.


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As the Seven Sisters take starring role in night sky Nasa has released a new picture of the constellation.



This is a great image taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope. According greek mythology, all seven sisters committed suicide because they were so saddened by either the fate of their father, Atlas, or the loss of their siblings, the Hyades. In turn Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, immortalized the sisters by placing them in the sky. There these seven stars formed the constellation known thereafter as the Pleiades.
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Remember that picture I posted of the look Obama was giving Hillary Clinton? That's nothing compared to this photo of Hillary.


I wonder what was being said?

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That's it for today.

12.4.07

What a trip...

I wanted to write a post vacation blog to sum up my experiences. If you are not interested that's fine, you can skip to my next blog.

Like with my trip to Yellowstone I took some pictures of my travels but I will only post those I can find on the Internet for now.

As I mentioned in my last blog we left on Friday [March 30] right after I got off of work. But before I get to deep into the story of my trip I wanted to share with you a little tool I used to plan this vacation.

It helped me find restaurants and other stops along the way as well as great maps to get from spot to spot. I started using this after I had already made reservations but I still found it helpful.

As you can see from the Trip planner, out first stop was in Cedar City. We had considered staying in St. George but the prices were higher there. Staying in Cedar also saved me from driving so far after having worked all day. [I know, I sound like my dad but sadly it is true]

One of my favorite parts of I-15 is the Virgin River Gorge just outside of Utah...



...in the small section of the freeway that passes through Arizona.



The north fork of the Virgin river flows through Zions National Park.



This is the same river that flooded its banks in 2005...



...and took several homes with it.


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We arrived in La Jolla much later than I had expected. I received several different recommendations to take I-215, which swings out toward Riverside and San Bernardino and avoids traffic from L.A. but the route is under construction and the detours slowed our progress.



We stayed at the Embassy Suites La Jolla which was a mistake for two reasons. 1. We had to pay $17 a night to park the van, and 2. Now my children will never want to stay in a regular hotel again!!! The suites were very nice and they had a free custom ordered breakfast every morning. We had plenty of room for us and the kids. Besides the parking fee my only other complaint was that the hotel seems to host high school teams for several different sports. We felt chased out of the pool by the players every night and one of the La Crosse players knocked over the condiment table for omelets on Monday morning. Grr!

After settling into our room we went to explore the beaches of La Jolla and San Diego. I thought it would be fun to see the sunset over the ocean.



We ended up driving down the coast through Mission Beach past Sea World and into Old Town.



We ate at the Rockin' Baja Lobster it was in a building with an open courtyard the weather was cool enough we needed the heat lamp that was placed closely by our table. There are several restaurants in Old Town but we had decided we wanted Mexican food and we saw a little shop with women making handmade flour tortillas. Public parking was cramped so when we got out of the lot I noticed some families going into the Rockin' Baja so we followed them instead. I enjoyed my meal but with the kids meals and tip we spent nearly $100.

It was dark when we came across the temple on our way back to the hotel.



It was late when we got back to La Jolla and we had to park in the P.F. Chang's parking lot [which has the bottom floor of the parking terrace] because the rest of the lot was full.
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Sunday morning ended up being the lightest line for the free breakfast. We planned on spending the day at the beach but we woke up to a thick fog that didn't start to clear until 11:30.



We decided to get in the van and go to the La Jolla Beaches and see how warm it was.



We checked out Children's beach but there was a cool breeze and the seals were all sleeping on the beach.



It didn't seem like the fog was going to clear so I suggested driving up to Carlsbad because I remember the beaches looking like this.



The problem was that as soon as we got into Carlsbad all we could see was this.



Apparently every year Carlsbad City hosts a race called the Carlsbad 5000. This year they had over 10,000 runners in town for the race.


[I should have got a shirt!]

Well, as easy as it was to get into Carlsbad, it was nearly impossible to get out of town. What a bummer! I was convinced that Heavenly Father let me get into this mess because we were missing General Conference.

After we finally got out of Carlsbad we decided to go to Ocean Beach. My wife had spent time there as a child and I had heard it was a nice sandy beach with easy access and great waves.



The only problem with Ocean Beach was trying to park. But after we circled the parking lot 7 times we finally got a spot near the bathrooms and the life guard tower.



We had a great time. The kids played in the waves, made sand castles, dug nearly bottomless pits, and helped their dad find shells. We also got to watch the lifeguard run out into the water to help surfers avoid the riptide about 70 times!!! [Think David Hasselhoff instead of Pamela Anderson].

We spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach and started to leave just as the breeze came back. We decided that for the rest of the day we would explore a little. We headed south along the coast from Ocean Beach until we were forced into a neighborhood.


[Thanks Google]

After we crested the hill up the steepest road I have ever driven on there was a sign for Cabrillo National Monument. So we decided to follow the sign. The road led into Fort Rosecrans and through Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.



As we approached the National Monument we noticed that the road to the tide pools was blocked off because it had closed, Drats!!! But we drove out to the point and could see across San Diego Bay to downtown and all of Coronado.



The buildings and paths around the monument were under construction and we were really looking for a place with picnic tables to we decided to head toward Coronado.



The drive back through Fort Rosecrans was a much better view of the Cemetery. It was very emotional and beautiful. After we got off of Point Loma we ended up driving past the Air Port and the open bay. There we saw the Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz.


[You can see Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at the top of the picture in the background.]

As we rounded the corner we could the Maritime Museum of San Diego.



We stopped to use the restrooms and tried to find a picnic table but had no luck.



It was starting to get late so we decided to head to Balboa Park and eat there. In the 'which vacation post', I blogged a lot about Balboa. My memory of the park was not as keen once we got there. I remembered the buildings, the zoo, the roads, but not the way everything was laid out. So we tried to find a picnic table, who would have thought that other people would be doing the same thing on a Sunday afternoon?!?

We managed to find a small open area with several open tables. As we got out of the van we realized that we were next to the Drum Circle. Bummer!!!



We ate quickly and decided that we did not have a contact high yet so it was OK for me to drive. We returned to La Jolla, bathed the kids and put them to bed. Then we watched the news and saw that there was a major sewage spill in Carlsbad lagoon and it contaminated the beach.


[I guess all those runners ate a few carbs before the race!]

We also learned that the Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz was deploying to the Persian Gulf the next day. I am impressed we had seen it that day.
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Monday was 'Sea World day'. It all started with a La Crosse Player spilling the omelet goody table. Then I waited in line for half an hour to get the tickets to get into the park. While standing in the ticket line a guy with a megaphone was warning us that the wait for the shows and rides inside the park would be up to two hours.

We rushed in and barely got seats to see Shamu.



Then we rushed over and didn't make it to the Walrus-seal-sea lion show. After a quick diaper change we made a mad dash to the Dolphin Show. We should have sat in the splash zone. It was so hot!!!



Then we went to the Walrus-seal-sea lion show. After another potty break we went to see the Shark Exhibit.



Wheew!!!! At mid afternoon the breeze started to blow and people began leaving the park in droves. I realize now we never had to wait in line for anything except the tickets to get in, the Shark encounter and 'the haunted lighthouse 3D'. We didn't even have to wait for lunch.



We finished the day with the nighttime Shamu show and fire works.



We drove straight back to La Jolla, had to park in P.F. Chang's again and put the kids to bed. My wife and I ordered some P.F. Chang takeout and then I crashed with the TV still on.
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Tuesday was 'get our butts to Vegas day' but we didn't want to leave San Diego. So we drove over to the Temple and took some pictures. A sister missionary gave us a pamphlet for the Mormon Battalion Museum in Old Town so we went and checked it out.

..ageshack.us/img63/4788/mormonbattalionmuseumkg5.jpg">

We left Old Town and slid back to the Maritime Museum and visited the gift shop and then we ate at Anthony's Fishette.



We made out way to I-15 with a quick stop in Balboa Park at the Boy Scouts of America shop. After settling the kids in for the 'Harry Potter Marathon' we didn't get into our room in the Luxor until about 11 pm.


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We slept in on Wednesday. I think it had sunk in that regular life starts again the next day. We left the Luxor and went to Caesar's Palace and the Forum Shops. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory and shopped at FAO Schwarz. We left Vegas and made a mad dash to Beaver. Yes Beaver, Utah. If you don't know why I'm pretty sure you wouldn't understand. Anyhow, we got there about half and hour to late :(

We made it to Provo just before 9 and into Ogden around 10:30.

Wheeeeeewww!!
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Looking back on my decision between Highway 89 and I-15 one of the factors was that we wouldn't have to drive as much in San Diego because everything was closer. We also wanted to avoid the crowds of 4x4s in Southern Utah. I guess the trade off was Spring break in California, with about 2,000,000 more people and La Crosse players to deal with. hmmmmm......

We enjoyed our trip to San Diego but I think my heart remains with Highway 89.

Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you. 1000 points for making it to the end of this blog!!

30.3.07

blog 112

Hello everyone, I threw this together just before I left for my vacation. I wanted to leave you with something to do while I was gone.

Have I mentioned how much I like feedback? Please drop me a note sometime so I know who is still checking in.

On with the show...

The Smithsonian Natural History Museum put out its 'Nature's Best' list of photographs. The theme was 'Experience Nature Through the Art of Photography'.

Here are some of my favorites:


GIANT KELP
Oceans Highly Honored - Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards. Shot in  Bird Rock at Two Harbors, Catalina Island, California, USA by Bruce P. Hall Hillsboro, Oregon, USA.


GIRAFFE
Wildlife Winner - Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards. Taken in Kruger National Park, South Africa by Marsel Van Oosten Amsterdam, The Netherlands.


BALD EAGLE
First Place - Birds - Professional, National Wildlife Awards. Photographed in Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, USA by Cheryl L. Opperman Littleton, Colorado, USA.


POLAR BEAR
Environmental Issues Winner - Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards. Captured outside Svalbard, Norway by Norbert Rosing Grafrath, Germany.

Check out the other great photos form this contest and pick your winners.
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As you know I love The Beatles and I love Zombies but what about Beatles and Zombies? I now present 'A Hard Day's Night of the Living Dead'



I do, I do I do like Th Beatles and zombies. Yes I like them Sam I am.
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Where was this list back in February when I needed it? 'Ten Ways Being a Geek Makes You More Attractive'. Yes, they are talking about me!!

10. You're passionate. [I knew that]
9. You're very articulate. [Wha?]
8. You've got your own stuff going on. [Computers, scouts and home repair!!!]
7. You fix stuff. [Computers, scouts and homes!]
6. You make good money. [What? Why haven't I heard about this!!!]
5. You listen to good music. [Well its good to me.]
4. Geek humor is the best humor. [Is there any other kind?]
3. You geek out on more than just your computer. [comics, sci-fi, coins, stamps...]
2. It's hip to be geek. [I knew it, now where's my money!!!]
1. You're probably very smart. [Not smart enough to get my money!]

I would believe this list if it were true.
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This is a very clever web ad called 'Vote Different'


I geeked out over this all day!
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I have seen several works of art by Jen Stark over the last few months.



I love the way she uses everyday objects to make art.


[peek-a-boo]

Check out some more of her work on her website!
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It has been a while since I have posted clever ads I have come across. But today I have a few that are worth mentioning.

First is a series called 'Rock Legends by Mini'. Can you tell what they are saying?


[My Favorite]


[They're getting back together!]


[My mom saw his butt at Lagoon. Yes, bare!]
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I felt this next ad was worth posting but I think I will leave the comments to you.


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The last item for this pre-vacation post is a sort of follow-up to a few guys I blogged about before Christmas. Without further adieu, 'SpiderSpud'.



Yes, our favorite neighborhood tuber has more than just angry eyes in his back pocket!


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That's all for today