Eli's Digital Rubbish

I'm on a clip of the Jonathan Ross Show in the UK

2012-02-05T01:56:00.002-07:00

Remember that Chad Hogan party we quickly pieced together a full band for? It's about to hit the air in the UK. It'll be on BBC One and will air as a 6-part mini series. To prep for the show, Kevin Bridges went on the Jonathan Ross Show - and you'll see a clip of us playing at the party.

Start watching from 4:00 in...

I'll post again and let you know when they air the full episode. You should see a scene where he introduces our band. The bass drum head has Bryce's old band name on it - as we hadn't swapped out the head back then - so Three Weeks is his old group. Wood is the new group: www.WoodLiveMusic.com

Wood - Music Videos

2011-12-15T14:06:00.002-07:00

Ever since Al Gore created the internet, we've been able to reach audiences that would have otherwise been impossible. So our new quest as Wood is to produce some quality videos of originals, cover songs, and even proper music videos of the originals we plan to put on our upcoming albums.

Here's our first cover video - an acoustic version of The Killers' "Human"

We have another video that just needs to be edited - it's an old spiritual song called "Goin' Up A Yonder". And we'll be shooting our first music video for our original song World of Ashes this Saturday in an abandoned factory in Idaho. We have to get a lot of videos online before February - as that's when we'll air on BBC One as part of the series on Kevin Bridges.

Other than playing guitar for Wood, I've been writing my final for my Numerical Methods I class, preparing for my PhD classes, and gearing up for Christmas and New Years. We're playing a full-band show for New Years in a local pub. The goal of that show is to come away with some sweet footage of the full band so we can create an introductory DVD in the form of a press kit.

I'll keep you posted on the band and the rest of my life here, and if you want more blogging details of the band, feel free to follow the blog I created for it on our website.

TV in the UK

2011-11-16T09:47:00.001-07:00

This week will be one for the record books.

Last Saturday I got a message from my friend Jason Hogan. He mentioned some strange thing about his younger brother Chad Hogan and about a Scottish comedian named Kevin Bridges. He asked if I wanted to be the band for some party...

Here's the connection between Kevin Bridges and Chad Hogan:

"Chad Hogan" is just a name Kevin came up with. But after he did that show in Glasglow for over 10,000 people, the ripple started. Chad Hogan (the one living here in Logan) got pummeled with Facebook invites and emails from people in Scotland. Hundreds each day. So he emailed Kevin's producer, and let him know what was going on.

The producer got a kick out of the online attention, and suggested to throw an actual party at Chad's house, here in Logan. He called for another producer (affiliated with VH1) to fly in from LA and scope out the place as well as to interview Chad.

Kevin's producer is creating a TV series - behind the scenes, type of thing. They're recreating some of the events from Kevin's jokes too, and apparently the comparison of Chad Hogan's American party to Scotland's "Empties" is one of the biggest gags.

One thing led to another, and tomorrow Kevin and his crew will fly out to gear up for Chad Hogan's party.

Part of the joke is that Chad Hogan "booked a band for his living room". Chad didn't know anyone who plays, so he asked his brother Jason. Jason knew me, and that's how it all got set up. So we're booked to play at the party. It will be aired as a TV series across the UK. Kevin Bridges will be there, though I don't think he's planning to do any stand up. It's more of a filming thing.

We're pulling out all the stops: fog, lasers, lighting, live audio recording, video, stills... I'll be on an electric guitar with a couple pedals to mess with and I'll be singing back up, Bryce Wood is lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Bryce's brother Austin is also singing back up and playing the keys, Skyler Smith on bass, and Kent Scott on the skins. We'll have Stuart Olsen running the live audio recording, and Mark Lusk will be manning the light board and helping with the live mixing. John Poppleton of Poppleton Portraits will be doing the video and photo work. Justin Wasden may be present to help with some still photos too. Callee Christensen is working on a banner for us to put up behind the band.

Just in case we make it big in the UK, I bought a new domain for the website: www.WoodLiveMusic.co.uk

Mo-(tiva)-tion

2011-11-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

When I was but a lad, Mamma Sweet used to encourage me to hurry up by using the phrase, "come on! Motate!".

As it happens, "motate" is not a proper word. It exists in the urban dictionary nowadays, but not in any classical one. I always took the meaning of "motate" to be of the same root as "motion" or "move". And that seemed to be the same thinking Mamma Sweet had in mind, because only motion would appease her encouragement.

I never moved out of my own will back then. I was compelled to move. I was going to be late for church, or we were going to miss meeting dad for lunch, or I wasn't eating my cereal fast enough to catch the bus, etc. In my "motating", I was only going through the motions.

Going through the motions has been on my mind a lot lately. And I believe I've sufficiently pondered the concept long enough to systematically dock it into some doctrine. The doctrine is more easily understood if contrasted with the concept of being truly motivated. So begins the analysis of Motion vs Motivation...

Motion

Motions, or the things we do, can be incredibly hollow. Revelations 3:16 tells us that such an uncommitted lifestyle is displeasing to the Lord, and if we're only "lukewarm" in all we do - He'll spit us out of his mouth. But going through the motions can be worse than neutral too. Consider the scripture Moroni 7:8...

"For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God."

Let "grudgingly" be synonymous with "going through the motions". Thus we see that having no real motivation or desire in the work we do can cause that work to be counted evil unto us. We must have the heart involved in our work in order for it to mean anything both to us and to the Lord. The late Elder Maxwell furthered this thought in his 1996 Ensign article, "According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts":

"The absence of any keen desire—merely being lukewarm—causes a terrible flattening (see Rev. 3:15). William R. May explained such sloth: “The soul in this state is beyond mere sadness and melancholy. It has removed itself from the rise and fall of feelings; the very root of its feelings in desire is dead. … To be a man is to desire. The good man desires God and other things in God. The sinful man desires things in the place of God, but he is still recognizably human, inasmuch as he has known desire. The slothful man, however, is a dead man, an arid waste. … His desire itself has dried up” (“A Catalogue of Sins,” as quoted in Christian Century, 24 Apr. 1996, 457).

This sad condition is yet another variation of the “sorrowing of the damned” (Morm. 2:13)."

And so acting without desire, or "only going through the motions", is a form of damnation. Our progress is stopped. Living this lifestyle involves only fulfilling one's basic needs to exist. Scraping by, if you will. It's the notion of "just enough to get by" motivated only by a deadline, nagging, or some physical ultimatum. Doing only out of necessity: the notion of only motion.

Motivation

Contrast the aforementioned empty lifestyle with the lifestyle of one who is truly motivated. How do we define motivation? In essence, it is desire. To back up this concept - consider Alma 15:17. Alma, after having established the church in Sidom, saw that it was a "great check", or that it "checked the people as to the pride of their hearts". This scripture echoed in my mind after I included a bit of unnecessary information in my testimony this past Fast Sunday. I caught myself reviewing my words and realized that I only said some of those lines to sound smart. Some nonsense about working in a lab. So what was my motivation in saying what I said? Did that one dumb bit of information trump all the use out of my testimony? Maybe it did.

Analyzing our motives can stimulate great personal growth - usually through the shadows of depression. We tend to be turds. It's that "natural man" clamoring through. And when we objectively examine ourselves, particularly our motives, we come away humbled and wanting to change. Elder Hugh B. Brown had an excellent quote on such a self-examination:

“Every man is a diary in which he writes one story while intending to write another. His humblest moment is when he compares the two.”

Such analysis over time produces purer desires. As the boy prophet once put it, a man arrives at that point of faith where he has "lost every desire for sin".

What effect does pure desires have on us? Well, for starters, we obtain doctrine readily. The Doctrine and Covenants suggests this correlations at the end of the "leadership" section, namely section 121.

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to thehousehold of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."

But this is not all. When a person is filled with desire and is truly motivated by pure intentions, his life takes on new meaning. His soul is enlarged and his joys grow in proportion to his personal progression. He begins shaping his "wants" and lives after them. No longer is his life governed by physical needs, but he reaches past the mortal clay and lives for the progress of the spirit. No righteous goal seems out of reach, as his abilities grow and his gifts increase. His capacities are enlarged, and charting such progress feeds his righteous desires. The process is perpetual. He begins living within the sphere after which he was made.

Needs vs. Wants

On one hand, we discover the emptiness of going through the motions. The literal damnation of the spirit as a result of living life need by need. On the other hand, a perpetual progression springs forth rich with increased joys and fulfillment: the lifestyle of converting one's wants into pure desires and reaping the benefits of increased capacity and knowledge.

What makes the difference? Scrutinizing one's motives. Am I going through the motions, or am I truly motivated? Are my motives pure, or do I need a humbling examination?

Why People are Neat

2011-11-04T02:02:00.001-06:00

So I've been told recently by kid sister that one of the reasons I might actually marry some lovely girl is because I "see why people are neat".

"Seeing why people are neat" isn't listed on my resume. And to be frank, I'm not sure I understood it when she told me that. I probably don't now - but I've been pondering it over the past few days.

Here's what I've come up with:

Everybody has an interesting background
Everybody is generally good

Only two points. And yes, I used a list for only two points. But I want to emphasize the simplicity of the theory. Let's examine the first point...

Interesting Backgrounds

The people who I find most interesting are the ones who don't think they are. I'm surrounded by international students. They tend to think their lives are boring because they only study and many of them don't understand the social norms enough to blend well with college kids in Northern Utah. But here's the kicker - these people have traveled! They've grown up in crazy places. Places where you can scam cops for a $5, write up your own birth certificate, or get chased by real lions! And a lot of them have not had much to start with. They're young, and everything they have in their lives comes from their own work ethic.

The more I understand the guys in my lab, the cooler I think they are.

General Goodness

The second point comes in the form of yet another assumption. Hey - I'm an engineer, remember? We thrive on assumptions.

What I mean by general goodness is that once people put down their facades, they tend to be good-hearted. It might be difficult to see past the projected image, but once the walls are down, and the person in question knows their real character has been exposed - the humility of them causes their goodness to glow.

One friend of mine who has a gift for getting past the facades is Brandon Hill, a.k.a. "The Bull Rider".

The Bull Rider

I first met the bull rider after teaching a lesson one Sunday where I mentioned my dad. Brandon came up afterward and just started asking me about the old man. So we became acquaintances of sorts. Later that week, we hit up Carl's Jr. (because that's what manly men do when they're hungry) and we got talking with a few other buddies. I realized that I didn't know much about Brandon, and once I started asking questions, I discovered what he does for a living: mechanical bulls.

Brandon is a year younger than I am - and he's had this company for four years. Meaning, he must have started it when he was pretty fresh from his mission. Who does that?! Starts up a mechanical bull company in their early twenties?! I got a kick out of him. And the more I got to know him, the bigger the kick. He's getting married tomorrow - by the way.

Either through his diverse background of mechanical bull crowd control or just through some God-given gift, that old Bull Rider has a way of making you feel like you're having a "real" conversation when you talk with him. I think he's one who sincerely believes in the general goodness of strangers.

Dialing in Perspective

By believing that people are neat, our perspectives change.

I have some friends that don't understand this. They still view the world as a scary place - that strangers are to be feared, not approached for random conversation. And the effect this mindset is that it turns one excessively introspective, anti-social, and timid. The world becomes dark to those who assume it is.

To those who assume otherwise, however, the opposite is true: the world is full of opportunity.

Take for example one of my favorite movies, Secondhand Lions. When Walter first meets his two uncles, Garth and Hub - he expects to be unenthused. But as he learns who they are and the backgrounds they have, he begins to love them. His love for them is only reinforced when he sees how they generally try to be good. The second point is even quoted in the script of that movie:

Hub: "Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in." (underline added for emphasis)

I particularly like the last phrase - that "those are the things worth believing in". The concept that things can be "worth believing in" means that certain things have a worthy effect when we chose to believe them.

When we believe that people are interesting and generally good, three things happen: our lives becomes more enjoyable, our relationships thrive, and we approach the future with confidence.

So why are people neat? Because it's worth seeing them that way.

Working at Night

2011-10-27T20:13:00.001-06:00

Some of my favorite moments in my life are when I discover things about myself through passive pondering. For example, I discovered one night that I like watching "feel good" movies late at night - because when I do, usually I'm the only roommate who lasts through them. So when they're done, I can ponder the message of the movie without being disrupted.

Through reflection, I've identified another thing I like to do: work at night.

There's something about a quiet lab that suits me. Take right now, for instance. It's nearly 8pm. Everyone is gone except James Dayie - my Ghanaian coworker who is quietly typing. There's some sort of mutual agreement this late that goes without being said. Something to this affect, "I won't say anything unless I need your help. Expect keystrokes and the noise of a chair shifting until I'm ready to clock out, then I'll give the conventional 'See you tomorrow. Have a nice night.' bidding."

It's calming to have that understanding late at night. And it's refreshing to leave the lab after accomplishing a solid amount of work, especially when I notice that my car is the last in the parking lot. Nobody is on campus when I leave, so I can hear my own footsteps echo through the dugway as I walk out to my car. The nights in Logan tend to be clear at this time of year, and once I'm far enough away from campus, the stars seem to pop just right. It's as though the heavens smile upon a good day's work run long.

It might just be that I enjoy the quiet moments of productivity. If I ever wake long before I need to be up, and spend my morning reading scriptures or just quietly sitting after I eat breakfast, I get the same feeling.

There exists a peace about moments like these. A peace that soaks up the mind with correct perspective. It's as though the world is zoomed out to the size of a tiny speck, and my life is drawn up against the cosmos to discover that "yes, I am on course". And then everything zooms back into me walking out of the dugway, leaving the empty parking lot and getting home - just to start it all over again tomorrow.

At times I've wondered if I've been in school too long, if I'm turning into one of those people who never really helps the economy - someone who never really faces life. But when I have moments like these, I figure: I'm doing just fine.

The Human Mind

2011-10-24T23:02:00.000-06:00

"...the things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God."

- Joseph Smith Jr.

The development and capacity of the human mind has been on my mind (no pun) as of late. It seems the process of deepening thought, sharpening focus and extending one's attention span involves more than simply the brain.

We often hear the chain: "sow a thought, reap and idea; sow an idea, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character trait; sow a character trait, reap an eternal destiny". Thus controlling one's thoughts ultimately determines one's eternal status. According to this philosophy, determining an eternal state is a simple as controlling one's thoughts.

However, it may not be that simple.

Consider what Elder Oaks said in the most recent April Conference:

"Let us remember that desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. In addition, it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life."

And so it seems that desires dictate more than thoughts do. But how do desires (of the heart) and thoughts (of the mind) cooperate? I have an idea of how they do. I refer to it as the "turning lone and dreary worlds into gardens of Eden" pattern - an analogy I'm borrowing from an institute teacher wiser than I.

Consider the following talk I had with my boss, Dr. Heng Ban, just two days ago... He taught me that many graduate students fall into the depressive thesis trap where they lack motivation to do anything productive. They're stuck, per se. But they have a deadline. So they're compelled to be productive. If a student merely meets the goal and finishes without ever gaining motivation - he receives only a sheet of paper. But if a student synthesizes as he focuses, he will develop a liking to the task at hand. What was once his burden is now his joy. He has turned a "lone and dreary world" into a "garden of Eden". And how did he do it? He kept his mind focused until his heart followed. Thus the desire developed from a steady mind. Desires and thoughts support each other when accompanied by patience and diligence.

Consistent focus can develop desire - which is supported by 3 Nephi 19 - where the consistent focus is in the form of prayer. If such desires can be dialed in and brought inline with the plan of happiness, then a person has the ability to choose their happiness. It evolves from second-guessing/excessively-worrying-about a good choice, to accepting that choice, to loving that choice. The mind's perspective changes and the heart is filled with desire. The person truly lives. And their life is enjoyable. They have reached a state of happiness in the one decision that was made with the mind - and the heart followed because of the faith they put in during the initial stages of living through that decision.

Too often we second-guess ourselves out of good decisions, exercise no faith, and wonder why we're unhappy. If we would just learn to "pick and stick" to a good decision - we would soon learn that we have the ability (through our faith) to turn that decision into an excellent one. As we "stick it out" with faith, we abide in the truth and our souls absorb the ever-present light of Christ. Our lives are fulfilled in this manner, we grow within our sphere, and we rejoice in tracking our own progression. Such is the pattern of godliness. We increase our faculties through faith. To keep things symmetric, another quote by the boy prophet will conclude this post:

"We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment: he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same."

Web Design: Weebly vs WordPress

2011-10-08T17:01:00.000-06:00

Since creating the acoustic duo, Wood, I've had to learn all sorts of web design tomfoolery.

Weebly

The website for the band was initially created using a tool called "Weebly Drag and Drop Editor". It makes for incredibly easy building of pages - but it doesn't allow for much customization. For instance, you'll need to use one of their pre-designed templates, color schemes, etc. And while there are a whole lot of templates, it would sure be nice to be able to change the background color easily or adjust the height of a banner.

www.WoodLiveMusic.com is currently built using Weebly.

Part of the trouble with Weebly is that it isn't completely free. You'll keep running into messages like "upgrade to premium to use this option".

WordPress

WordPress on the other hand, is completely open source - meaning there are no price tags associated with it. WordPress is a bit harder to understand than Weebly, but that being said, once you get used to the interface, it's quite simple. And it's much more customizable.

WordPress started out as a blog editing tool - but as blogs have become more and more complex, eventually WordPress became capable of designing any webpage.

www.WoodLiveMusic.com/WordPress is a page I use to test out scripts and play around with mp3 players, slide shows and the like before I incorporate them into the proper site.

Conclusion

The more advanced I become at web design, the more I prefer WordPress over Weebly. I, however, haven't spent as much time as I would like to spend - and am still using Weebly as a crutch. WordPress is one of the most popular website building tools for commercial builders.

WordPress can be found here: WordPress Site
Weebly can be found here: Weebly Site

Elder Bednar's Q/A and a New Semester

2011-08-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Elder Bednar came to Logan. He held a fireside in the Logan Tabernacle with neighboring stake centers connecting in through video conference. It was interesting to see him reply to college aged questions. He's a class act, that Elder Bednar. His main principle (and also his apostolic blessing) dealt with understanding moral agency. He taught the concept under the principle of obedience and how every choice we make reduces or sustains our agency.

This is the last week I have to prepare to teach my class. I need a lot of preparation still. And I'm a bit worried about finishing my thesis. I need to focus like crazy. Grind it out. I'm sick of it, but I have to clear it out of my way before I can do other things.

There are a couple of projects I'm working on that might change what my life consists of over the next year or two. I'll elaborate more later though. For now I should head to bed.

An Interesting Sunday

2011-07-31T14:19:00.000-06:00

Ahoy team!

So today in church we learned to be courageous. This track star who had to have his leg amputated spoke to us about it. Nifty guy.

I'm waiting for my home teaching companion to schedule visits (it is the 31st after all), and so I figured I'd drop a line or two on the old blog.

This past week, my boss talked with me about time management and accountability. When he was a young engineering professor, he had to bill his time to several different accounts. So he kept a journal and made notes to what he was doing down to 15 minute markings. I'm supposed to start doing that this week too.

Leah played guitar with me up here at Pier 49 Pizza last night. She did really well. I had a handful of buddies come give us a listen - no video though. The Preston Rodeo was going on last night too, so a lot of my good-camera owning friends were there. I swung by the rodeo after we played. It's a strange land, that rodeo. But I got a kick out of it. Saw me some bronc riding, barrel racing, calf tying, and bull riding. One guy got stuck over the horns of the bull for a while. Another guy got crushed against the fence. Crazy cowboys!

Bryce Wood and I are a little musical duo. We play acoustic shows at various places, and once he gets his stuff moved into the new studio, we'll have a nice place to work up new songs and to do our professional recording. He writes most all of the songs. Lately, though, I've been helping his with the most recent two numbers. One is called "Valley of Empty Shells" and the other one is more of a comedic one called "No Rum" - it's about a pirate. I'll also be playing with his full band called Three Weeks, assuming the keyboardist gets back online.

I've started weekly tennis and guitar teaching days. Tuesdays at 4, and Saturday mornings, I'm out there popping strings on my racket, trying to teach others how to play. I run them through drills and teach them proper form. Also on Tuesday nights around 9pm, we have people come around the house and we'll project up tablature and lyrics on the big screen. I'll use that to teach some basic songs. Sometimes we'll have 5 or more guitars in the living room all at the same time.

Anyway - that's the update for now.

Moose Stress

2011-07-17T19:49:00.000-06:00

I lay here on the floor of our poorly-carpeted living room. Sunday afternoon. The sound of fans purchased from Walmart years ago is drumming away the day. The obnoxious roommates have all dozed off or retired to their rooms, and the rest of us are quietly typing/reading having ran out of offensive things to say to each other and embraced the calm.

The show that caused the rest to zonk was a Netflix documentary about Stress. As I listened to the show, I realized that the Moose lived a life overwhelmed with stress. Consider the effect chronic-stress has on health:

Hair loss - this is more evident in us who don't have AWG 18 thick hair like Moose did. But he did thin out a bit as the company went under.
Metabolism - increased cortisol leads to slower metabolism.
Cravings - how often did Moose wander the kitchen out of shear boredom rather than nutritional need?
Fat Storage - here's the clencher: chronic-stress not only adds fat, but determines particularly where that fat is located. It adds fat to the abdominal region. Dangerous fat. Fat there tends to cause more health problems later in life than anywhere else.
Emotional Eating - how often Moose would say something like, "if we could just get this company to turn the corner" before stacking up a few avocado sandwiches?
Fast Food - when the Moose doesn't have time to make healthy food: "We've reedee got to crank this business. Where will it be Al? Upchuckarama? Ruby Tuesdee's? Costco squirt dogs?"
Too Busy to Exercise - remember those days when Moose went out to do laps in the pool? I don't either. I remember just the steaks and hamburgers he'd cook before lounging on a couple of pool noodles.

So now think of us Wilson boys. Silhouette us in your mind. We're all becoming little replicas of the old Moose's silhouette. Legs? Decent. Arms? Decent. Shoulders? Maybe better than decent. Double chin? Sneaking into existence. Butt? N/A. Gut? TERRIBLE.

My gut is the worst of the three of us. Adam's is blatantly shameful. Luke's is an absolute joke considering how in shape he used to be. And I'm the worst. Compound that with the fact that I'm yet to be married, and you can see how this stress-fat concept is a real problem.

So how does a person remedy this Moose Stress? There are several options. None of which Wilsons are known for... healthy snacking, yoga, journaling, active lifestyle, turning off the TV, etc.

So here we sit. Over stressed because we've gotten into too much debt, stayed in school for too long, guiltily eaten ourselves into sloppy shape, put off adult responsibilities for years on end, and failed in minor diverse ways (consider Beth's "snake and vacuum" poem).

The trouble is that we err in philosophy. We feel like we're really grabbing life by the horns if we give the illusion of business. Adam would love it if those Californians could see him cruising in a Corvette convertible looking the part of a CEO, on the cell phone while listening to NPR and Michael Jackson simultaneously. A package of something important-looking sitting in the passenger seat, all while oscillating his left hand in the wind while driving with his knee. Luke purposely leaves rolled up construction plots in the back of his Lex to give the same illusion: I'm dynamic! I'm gettin' it! I'm on the ball! And Moose would have loved it if he and Roger could have ridden horses to work everyday driving cattle to boot.

The irony of our sorry illusions is that we're not CEOs, we're seldom organized, we (Luke) never clean the inside of our cars, and we're definitely not cowboys. We're lazy. We don't have self-control necessary to hold off on that last twinkie.

The solution is to value a balanced life over that of one which falsely projects the notion of being the world's greatest multitasker. Lower stress, healthier body, healthier eating, more fulfillment, less nonsense. It's a recursive win/win.

PhD and Bass Guitar

2011-07-15T17:03:00.000-06:00

So I realize that nobody in the family ever knows what I'm up to. For example - how many times has mom spread rumors about me being: a) engaged? b) graduated? c) employed? d) enlisted? e) in shape?

In light of the lack of information known about me (not that being anonymous really bothers me), I figure I'll update a few big decisions I'm making as of late...

PhD
Yes. More school. Yes. Still in Logan. No. Not Mechanical Engineering. I'm currently standing with one foot in Mechanical Engineering while I finish my MS and one foot in Engineering and Technology Education while I begin my PhD.

This past couple of months has been one filled with pondering and self discovery. I like teaching. I don't particularly like engineering, and the common motivators to stay in engineering - money, prestige, complete absence of social normality - don't affect me enough to want to stay there.

My original plan was to work in industry for a while, then "semi-retire" to teach. By "semi-retire", I meant to leave industry after approximate 15 years, while I still have some spring in my step. As for the teaching, I intended to aim for a community college, or some type of non-researching school. In a nutshell - my plan to teach has simply been bumped up to now.

I'm going to teach a course this Fall semester called Numerical Methods I. It's a programming course for sophomores. I just met with my department head to finalize it. Teaching this semester will help fortify whether or not I can deal with a class full of zit-infested aspiring engineers. I get the feeling that it will be really fun.

Getting a PhD in Engineering Education means that I can teach at a community college still, or that I'll be able to teach/research at a larger university with an engineering program. Many of the larger schools are discovering that their first two years' worth of engineering can be better taught by engineering educators, which in turn frees up their researching engineers for those upper-division courses they prefer to teach. It's sort of a two-birds-with-one-stone type of thing.

Bass Guitar
I'm learning to play the bass guitar so I can help out my friend Bryce with his band Three Weeks. They've been a local band in Logan area for a number of years with several members coming and going through their history. Bryce has built up his band equipment over the years, and will be moving into a nicer recording studio soon. He writes all of his own music. He was in my ward before he got married, and after I musically threw him to the wolves (I volunteered us to play for a Christmas party), he and I started playing small local shows together.

For the smaller stuff, I've been accompanying him with my acoustic/electric guitar and singing backup vocals. But as Leah still has my guitar (I'm predicting it to be covered in a musty reek upon return), I've been mooching instruments from others in Logan. That mooching, along with the tonal needs of Three Weeks, has caused me to jump from guitar to bass.

Bass theory is an interesting idea. It's equally associated with the drums and the guitar, because it needs to drive the rhythm and steer chord changes. Sting is actually a great guy to study when learning bass. Particularly when he played with The Police.

Google+ and the Glory of Group Video

2011-07-15T11:59:00.000-06:00

What is Google+ ("Google Plus"), you ask? Why it's the latest, greatest, not-yet-fully-accepted social networking site.

What does this mean for you? It means you no longer need to send 18 texts to you buddies to figure out where you're going to eat, you can just do a "huddle". See this demo.

More importantly and to help sustain our family's laziness, it means we can group video chat. (Same demo as above - use the tab called "hangout"). So if Adam and Punjab have their computer on video chat, Luke and Piemer have it on theirs, Con and Rob (who's combined age is nearing 150yrs - the equivalent of almost six of me...) are online with cameras, Mary and Min repent of their no-technology stance and turn back on their computers, Beth and Joe turn theirs on, Sarah and MC do as well, and Theo and I each have our respective camera-enabled computers on... WE CAN ALL SEE EACH OTHER AT ONCE. There will be one big screen (displaying the loudest of us - probably either Luke or Kate), and all our little videos below.

In order to have Group Video a.k.a. "Hangout", you'll need to have: 1) a computer with a camera, microphone and working speakers (most of us can check this item), 2) a decent connection speed (Wireless N or hardwired in would be ideal. Wireless G would be wanting.), and 3) a Google+ account. If you don't have a Google+ account (currently Mom and I are the only ones), you'll need to be invited. It was open to everyone for a while, but it became so popular that it bogged down Google's servers. They're handling the traffic by having invitation-only adds for a while. You'll also need to add the rest of the family into your social circles.

Once we're all to that point, we can argue just like the good old days - face to face.

Web Apps

2010-12-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

So remember last post how I mentioned that I keep my budget online using Google Docs? Well, today there's a lot more you can do online.

Here's what I'd recommend: switch your browser to Google Chrome (here's the link). It's generally faster and less cluttered than even Mozilla Firefox. The only tricky thing about Chrome is that you type your search in the same spot that you'd normally enter a URL - so there's not two bars at the top. The latest Google Chrome is version 8. Version 8 has access to something called the Chrome Web Store (link).

You'll basically find everything there. For instance, Leah can give up mathematics and go back to designing houses and rooms with Autodesk's Homestyler. It's free, and it lets you create cool images and designs of your rooms like this:

There are tons of apps and they're easy to sort though. You can find shopping ones, productivity ones (basically all of your Microsoft Office type of stuff), photo editing, video editing, blogging, games, etc. Most of them are free.

Google has been pretty sharp lately. It's not going to have too many of its aces land before Christmas, but you'll see a lot more about Android (especially tablet computers that compete with the iPad), and a fair bit about Chrome OS notebooks.

Technology Update

2010-11-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

So as I peruse through this family's blogs, I'm rather aware of a handful of recent advancements that we all probably don't know about. So as I'm lunching at work, I'll jot down a few things that technology lets us do here in the 2000's.

Motive: Within a couple of years, we're going to see the way we use devices change. And since our family falls behind in everything, I figure it'll take a year or two to get us ready.

WiMax
This is the buck nasty baby of WiFi - that term mentioned at every hotel, etc. WiFi is simply a wireless connection - like the one your router sends out. WiMax is a standard that will increase the range of those from about 30-40 feet to 3-4 miles. It'll be available in two or more years.

Application - Luke will be able to use the wireless from his house to check deals on ebay while sitting at Taco Bell.

"The Cloud"
You may have seen Windows 7 ads say "to the cloud!" and wondered what it means. The cloud is an imaginary place where all the stuff you'd normally save on a computer gets saved and accessed online. That means it doesn't matter if you're using a library computer or your cell phone, you can pull up whatever data you saved. Decent nerds are concerned about this currently - seeing it as a form of Big Brother trying to steal our identities and data. Expect paranoia to become widespread.

A good way to test this out the cloud in a wimpy fashion is with Google Docs. You can save a document online and access it from anywhere. I have a ongoing budget sheet I keep in Google Docs. Note that you can also set permissions - so if Leah is working on a paper, we could all chip in/tease her for her inabilities.

Application - mobility and connectivity. Think of it as a way to link all your electronics together.

Media Storage/Playback
You may have heard of some reference to set-top boxes or media boxes. These little babies are replacing mom's storage room full of DVD's and VHS's. They hold the data at a high quality, and output it with HDMI - so you can have BluRay quality shows all saved on a dinky little device meant to sit on top of your TV. The set-top boxes also act as a cable/satellite provider through your internet connection. Some new TVs come with this stuff built in - like Google TV, etc.

Every movie (DVD and VHS) mother owns could fit on about 2TB of data.

Application - less clutter, higher quality movie nights.

For now that's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Plus I should get back to reading papers and writing code.

Hold Off the Fake Santa Nonsense

2010-10-28T18:37:00.000-06:00

I'm jotting this post down due to Beth a.k.a. "the problem child" (I don't know why mom always calls her that behind her back. Seems a little mean...)

As per a phone call this morning (I'm using a light definition of 'morning' here - 3:30pm.), I realize that the upcoming generation are starting to be lied to earlier than normal this year. Mino must be in need of behavior-enhancing motivation because Beth called me up wanting to do the typical "Fake Santa" routine.

This troubles me. We're not even through Halloween yet. I have to go buy yellow socks tonight to complete my Penguin/Linus-Torvalds costume. But here I am being plagued with Fake Santa calls? Gadzooks!

Be it known across our lie-to-my-kids-for-fun family that I will not participate in the role of Fake Santa until after Thanksgiving.

I suggest calling uncle Roger upon the next need of behavior motivation, or just spank the crap out of them.

Youtube Channel...

2010-05-22T19:42:00.002-06:00

So I actually got bored enough at work (Saturday at 7:30pm) to do a little blog scanning. Here's what immediately struck me:

Jana never updates her blog
Beth is funny
Mary always tries to out do Beth
Punjab is a blogging warrior

I need to do this blog scanning stuff more often. It's nice to not actually have to drive to see that the family is still crazy.

As per my recent craziness - I tend to not upload pictures or videos on here. For whatever reason, the blog uploader is highly unoptimized and I can't stand waiting. So for pictures - most of them are fairly well organized on facebook. For videos - I have a youtube channel. Type in "kaumatuaeli" and you should find me.

Here's one of the latest tid-bits of nonsense I uploaded. It's from a ward talent show. Chandi and I played "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Falling Slowly

WingMan helped break my camera on our last repelling trip - so this is just from my phone. Adam will say I'm too pitchy, but I don't mind the performance overall.

6 Months to Freedom??

2010-02-03T02:30:00.002-07:00

Don't get excited - I don't plan to post any pictures as my cyber-singlehood requires that I post everything via facebook first - and as I'm yet to be impressed by the uploading speed of www.blogger.com, I can't be bothered to regularly post anything more than text here.

So earlier yesterday (2am last night), I finished my thesis/project scheduling. If all goes according to plan - slim to none chance - then I'll be sussing out a masters come August. The scary thing is that a lot of academic convergence needs to take place within six months. Fingers crossed!

By all other accounts, my life has been the Eli-typical. I sleep more than I should and whenever I want, and I try to minimize my exercising. (Though I have given up pop - how's that for a resolution!) While the world and cosmos generally look down their noses at this lifestyle, I'll continue to keep it up so long as it pays dividends...

I had three classes last semester: Composites II, Design for Thermal Optimization, and Controls. I went to Composites II for the tests and about half the time the homework was due; Thermal Opt I only attended the first week and the tests, and Controls was too early to fathom - so it was tests only. All in all, I believe I attended less than 1/3 of the scheduled class lectures (I had a running record of 42 missed classes in a row). What's the moral of this laziness, you ask? I had an interesting email last week. It told me that I had been awarded a scholarship for my good grades last semester, and would be reimbursed for all three classes. :) And so the laziness will continue so long as it produces decent results.

This 6-month countdown ("The Final Countdown" by Europe should be playing as you read this next part) is not thesis-only however. It also includes the ever-annoying job search. February has long been my planned month of job searching. And so far I've hardly lifted a finger. I had one company contact me earlier last month though. Naval Reactor Facility. It's in Idaho. They tear the reactors out of submarines and aircraft carriers and pick them apart. I'll most likely skedaddle up there for an interview here in a bit. Maybe that will jump-start me into interview-mode...? Hopefully.

On a more techie note - I'll be upgrading my phone this week and also Adam's laptop. I grew tired of my old wireless keyboard and mouse - so I upgraded. Adam gets the hand-me-up. He usually manages to take all of my good shoes when I've warn them in as well. Phone-wise, I'm thinking the Droid. Sure - the data plan costs more, but as nerdy as I am - I'd use every penny. I'll go swindle the local Verizon boys tomorrow. I'm a bit excited for the versatility of the Android 2.0 operating system. And I'll make it a point to moon anyone who has an iPhone or an iPad for that matter - Apple's latest bad idea. Actually, we should all moon anyone who has an iPad. Write that down: moon iPad users.

Youtube and USU Guitar

2009-11-14T01:23:00.004-07:00

Over the past couple months, I've been adding videos to my youtube channel. They're videos from the tribute concerts we've been doing up here with USU Guitar. My channel is listed under "kaumatuaeli". And if you're lazy like me, this should send you right there:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kaumatuaeli#g/u

The two songs I played in are "Gravedigger" (Dave Matthews Tribute) and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Beatles Tribute). Some sound balancing was off here and there, but overall they sound alright. It's just my camera's recording, so it's not that fancy (Gravedigger had some great bass guitar that my camera hardly picked up).

So there you have it. I'm alive. Still goofing around and getting through school.

Sussing out the Summer

2009-08-02T23:09:00.003-06:00

Watching tennis.

Spike and Mandy's wedding receptch.

The groomsdudes!

Getting tired of picture taking.

Water Canyon - WingMan wore us out.

Water Canyon - the only part with actual water.

Jake's endowment.

Landing on Angel's Landing.

Jake and I tested out his grandpa Eli's old canoe. This is up at Tony's Grove - it's way pretty up there, but the water is WAY cold. Canoe leaks.

See - this is the original paddle that Jake's grandpa made. I strapped the canoe to the top of my Volvo. Scratched it up a good bit. :)

Kubuntu

2009-03-16T19:19:00.002-06:00

So I'm overdue for a post. Heck - if Beth has figured this stuff out, I've got to at least keep a little ahead.

Let's see... the past 8 months. Hmm. I've hardly played the guitar or the piano. I've been skirting my time between graduate stuff and homework. And believe it or not, the climax of nearly every week is the ill-fated bowling night. I bought a see-saw and ball polish to help the cause.

I have managed to use my time for some typical Eli objectives, however. I was able to make 4 or 5 boomerangs this past week. I'm trying to get ready for a ward activity. I'll need about 20. Right now I'm up to 10 (plus the remains of the "giga-rang").

Speaking of remains - I've got the hard-drive of Rachelle's dead laptop sitting on my desk. I'm becoming less and less convinced that Hewlett Packard knows how to make a decent product beyond printers.

My thesis is coming along slow and steady. I've spent about $5000 of the school's money trying to outfit our lab so it can do what I need it to. I've got a pretty sweet laptop coming for that same project. It should hit this week. I've been up to my elbows in thermocouples, data acquisition, power supplies, heating wire, thermal epoxy, hypodermic tubing, and thermostatic baths. Everything costs way too much. It's ridiculous. And everywhere I turn, I'm surrounded by Chinese people who are several times smarter than I am. Slightly crazier, each of them, but smarter nonetheless.

So to keep a little ace in my back pocket, I've been brushing up my linux skills. I finally cleaned off my old drive (accidentally deleted about 1000 photos and a good 50 or more movies - oops. I was tired of fighting admin rights with multiple operating systems.) I installed a debian based OS on my old IDE drive called "kubuntu". It's the KDE interface of ubuntu. It's not too shabby. And the nice thing is, the nerdier I get, the more I can take advantage of all those programmers who hate all things Microsoft. What does that mean for the average bloke? About $6000 of free software. For instance, linux programmers have two different open-source math programs to compete with MatLab. A MatLab license is roughly $3000. It's just nice to learn a little of what gets used a lot behind the server scenes as well.

Speaking of Microsoft - I was on the phone with them for 4 or more hours the other day. I finally got my OEM issuses resolved by their Indian department by a tech named "Prasad". I was also on the phone with MathCAD - more licensing activations. It's all behind me now, though. I'm running a decent speed on my SATA drive, and all programs are properly maintained. I bought a new desk chair to celebrate. The old one I had was nothing more than a camping fold-out chair. Try getting 8 hours in on one of those!

So I'm supposed to be at FHE right now, but my diet of granola bars and Dr. Pepper has let me down. Funny how you can't last long on whatever tastes good. And a test I thought was set for Friday was bumped up to Wednesday. If I'd attend class more, I wouldn't have the syllabus rug pulled out from under me so often...

So Luke kindly let me know about his most recent fatherhood the afternoon of the 11th. That rat told me twins. Leave it up to a podunk to come up with some nonsense during life's most precious moments. It was actually pretty cheeky, though - I'll give him that. I'm calling her "Pete" from now on.

So incase you're wondering - no, there won't be any pictures or videos on this post. I've got a gig or so of new stuff on my camera, but I just can't be bothered to upload. That'll be next Spring Break's agenda.

Anyway - I've got to get ready for that test, and get ready some homework that's due on Wednesday as well.

I'll throw some photos up here another time. I'd hate to think that I've disappeared off the family radar. Heaven knows Theo thinks of me at least bi-weekly.

A few photos from the past 6 months...

2008-11-19T13:54:00.005-07:00

So I figured since I haven't posted any pictures for a long time, maybe I was due. I'm at the school right now. Not the nerd lab - the normal lab. Someone around me was farting up a storm just moments ago - but since she left, and the serenity returned, I figured I'd use the high bandwidth to post some pictures that are already floating around the internet...

There's some of my grad project - or of a similar project anyway. A lot of bowling, and a couple from the river trip we took in August.

Dr. XianRong Zhuo - he's on my project. Jon Bingham is on a similar project.

White-water rafting at Snake River - the end of the summer.

This guy was so drunk! He was bowling next to us. Crazy.

My Halloween costume. Yep - wore it at the basketball game.

248

2008-11-17T21:41:00.002-07:00

So I bowled a 248 the night of the GRE. I had a Turducken with garnish. A "turkey" is 3 strikes in a row, so I figure a "duck" can be 2, and a "chicken" a single strike. I had 7 in a row - which is a full Turducken (a sixth) plus garnish (the seventh).

My last high score was a 191.

I'm planning to come down to a friend's wedding reception this Saturday in Salt Lake City - and to stay with the Punjabs. I've got to be back to Logan by 6 on Sunday.

Next week, I can leave as early as Tuesday. Provided I get my homework done, it should be no problem to be ready to try out Noah's new pimped ride Wednesday morning or afternoon.

Work is going fairly well. Boomerang production is down.

I found a girl with a small nose and a good chin. We'll see if she can stand meeting the Punjabs this weekend.

GRE and Turducken

2008-11-13T13:20:00.003-07:00

So I just left the testing center.

I didn't have to do the essays (which are scored 1-6) in order to get into the graduate program here at USU. I just had to do over a 440 Verbal and something decent (probably 600 or 650? -I forgot what the bar was set at) Quantitative.

I got 450 Verbal - and 790 Quantitative.

The 790 isn't bad - as 800 is perfect. So from the ACT's 33 in math, I've improved. 790/800 is higher than a 33/36. My reading is still piss poor though! Ha!

I'll start posting pictures up here soon. Typical nonsensical stuff.

I graduate with a bachelors in a month. I'm not walking - since I'll be back in this same lab mid January. I figure there's no real celebration if I'm going to stick around. I think the grad life will fit my lazy-through-and-wing-it lifestyle better than the undergrad.

Also - I've become an advocate of Turducken. Google search it if you need. Chicken in a duck in a turkey.

The Big (not who to marry) Decision

2008-10-10T23:44:00.002-06:00

So I got my answer - I thought it'd require more work, but it came rather readily.

I'll decline Autoliv's offer. This upcoming week I'll need to be signing forms and whatnot to get ready to work with Dr. Ban and Dr. Nielson. It makes sense in that I'll be in Logan - not driving Sardine Canyon during the winter months. Also - I'm sure Autoliv would require a certain number of hours per week - 30 +, I'd wager - that I won't be able to do during a masters... if I'm to continue any socializing.

So that's the story for now.

Winnie the Pooh is a Taoist.

2008-10-08T14:15:00.004-06:00

So among other things, I've learned that Winnie the Pooh is a Taoist. There's a book about it, apparently. "The Tao of Pooh". I think I'll buy it soon. -Taoism is a Chinese Philosophy. I learned about it in my Gospel and World Religions class.

I've got a symphony, girls soccer game, hockey game, boomerang club, and quartet concert to attend this week. It'll be rather knarly.

I got a job offer from Autoliv yesterday. I gave them my two-weeks notice last Thursday in order to start working on my thesis project/job. I've got until Tuesday to come up with my answer.

No wife yet.

I need to cut my fingernails.

Summing up September...

2008-09-29T23:55:00.003-06:00

Well, there's but one day left in the tenth month of the 2008th year.

I'd bother putting pictures up, but as explained, I hardly take my camera to the school, and the transfer rate of this connection isn't good for my patience.

I've been reading Brisingr - the 3rd Eragonner. I finished Breaking Dawn and figured they're all a bunch of rubbish. Though I've been told to read The Host by several.

In two weeks, I'll switch jobs. I'll wrap up the tricks I've been doing at Autoliv's Brigham City plant - namely their Environmental Lab. (I've often thought to paint over the first 7 letters of that name.) It's been good. I'll begin working with a Chinese professor named Dr. Heng Ban, and Dr. Beth Nielson - she's an environmental engineer. I'll be working on rivers. Heat transfer from the bottom of the river to the streambed. The Blackfoot river (up here in Cache Valley), and the Virgin - yep! The Virgin. But don't get excited. I doubt there would be any point in me working on site until maybe next summer. Theoretical experiments first...

I'm not married. I know a lot of you have probably figured that I must be - but it's all a hoax. I've taken after the terrorists, and have created doubles. Who knows how many of them have gotten hitched - but the origin has yet to tie the knot.

I'm the ward clerk - which translates to a 7:30 am start to my meetings, and about a 3 pm finish - then a 5 pm start and 9 pm: making Sundays my longest day. But I actually enjoy it.

Dumbo has been seeing a lot of action - as I've been printing sheet music like mad. It's a good way to soothe. I bought a spiral bound hymnal as well - just so I can feel like I'm productive in my tickling of the ivories.

I'm planning to head to Marvin's for turkey day - provided Noah makes room. My rackets are being re-strung, but that's not to say I've been playing enough tennis. I was the 8-ball tournament champion in my billiards class, but am currently in the losers bracket for 9-ball.

I remain a general slacker in school. My reputation for "never going to class, and somehow sliding through by the seat of my pants" is holding up quite nicely. I may have to start attending math, though - I get the feeling like we should be having an exam soon. Crazy lady never posts when things are coming. It's rubbish.

I've also been attending a healthy dollup of shows/plays/exhibits/concerts/what-have-you. I have to acquire 20 performances this semester - as to earn 2 credits for a depth-humanity requirement. So I've seen everything from High School Musical to Portraits of the Book of Mormon to a rock-inspired opera to a spoof on Catholic humor entitled "Nunsense". Most are longwinded, but entertaining.

So that's the rundown. Last week I bowled a 172. If I keep at it, I get the feeling like I'll break 200 before the year is out.

That's about it - oh, and once Beth can get her greedy little paws on me... I think I'm due for some new fashion. Floods and suspenders apparently just went out...

Oh- and I may grow a mullet by the time we head for Cali. Just to fit in with the West Coast nonsense.

Black Mages

2008-09-20T16:59:00.003-06:00

This video basically sums up my life:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1z3n4_black-mages-feat-nobuo-uematsu-ffvi_events

This is a band that plays songs from the Final Fantasy series - hardcore Japanese rockers. Notice the bloke with the moustache on the organ - that's Nobuo Uematsu... the composer.

Mind you, this particular number comes from a game that I refuse to play because the company (Squaresoft at the time) started making games for Sony. I dust off myself of the evil of that decision.

The delights of sleeping through class...

2008-09-14T00:04:00.002-06:00

So - I figured I'd drop a note or two. I'd upload pictures too, but at 40-70% connectivity on a 5dB antenna, I hardly have the patience.

Alas, you find yourself reading my blog instead of looking at the crazy pictures of bowling night where we found a drunk guy that wanted to bet against us.

So here's my schedule:

MWF - 8:30am: Math 5610, 10:30am: MAE 5300, 11:30am Religions of the World, 12:30pm Preparing for Celestial Marriage, 2:30pm Beginning Billiards
TR- 7:30am: ENGR 5500, whenever I get there am/pm Autoliv's Environmental Lab

The institute and billiards classes are only MW - not Friday. I've slept through each class that ranks 5000 or above. I've gone to billiards and institute each time, though.

The math one is "Computational Linear Algebra" - what happens when you google-search. The MAE one is "Mechanical Vibrations" - why your car shakes at 73mph and not 77mph. The ENGR 5500 one is "High Performance Computing for Engineers" - the meaning behind the stickers on your computer (or those ones at Costco) that say "quad-core: do more" or "Core-2 Duo"...

Tuesday night is Jamba Juice night. I've taken a couple of different girls there. Wednesday night is boomerang club - sometimes it's something else. Thursday night is bowling night. I bowled a 187 two weeks ago. And at least once a week, I have to attend a concert for my Art Symposium (USU 3330) class. I'm going to "Little Women" sometime this year.

I've just been called as the Ward Clerk - to make sure I don't get my nap in on Sunday.

My keyboard has a stand now - so I don't hurt my back when I play songs. (Before I had it on my bed, and I had to hunch.)

I go to Carl's Jr or Arby's or Wendy's at least once a week. And have started doing push-ups of a sort... My shower takes a while to warm up, so I've devised a work-out plan while I wait. I've also started reading the Book of Mormon backwards (chapter at a time).

I read that last vampire book, and have to say that most of the 2800 pages in that series were pure rubbish. I bought "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith" compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, and am searching for a quote concerning 2.2 billion years...

My latest ambition is to learn some songs from Michael Huang's Fantasy Reborn series. It's a spoof of Nobuo Uematsu's classics.

Speaking of people who's names you can't pronounce - I interviewed for 2 hours with Dr. Heng Ban. He has a project that I may end up working on. It deals with heat transfer from rivers to the stream beds below. The Blackfoot river - up here in Logan, and the Virgin river. So if I get to it properly - I may end up taking a trip down south to collect data. That won't be for quite some time, though.

I bump into Caitlyn up here every week or so. I've exposed her to some of Logan's low-lifes. She takes it all in swing, naturally.

My roommates are all pretty good. Each is distinct - like one raisin from another, but they're all decent (unlike raisins).

I haven't snogged a girl for a while... going on 4 1/2 months. <-- Which I take as a sign of my maturing. Or a general increase in apathy, but as I'm dating often, the former makes more sense.

Words concerning Logan.

2008-08-28T11:14:00.003-06:00

So now that I'm back where I belong, I thought I'd jot down a note or two. No pictures yet - I still haven't finished unpacking my room. Those will come once I get all my techno stuff organized accordingly. With some help from WingMan, I should be up and running on my SATA drive soon, and then I'll really be able to lock myself in my room and save the world simultaneously.

So to answer the questions that everyone has - due to my single status, no - I'm not married. I've got my eye on a certain sheila who will remain anonymous at this time (as this blog is referenced from my other accounts - don't want to prematurely scare anyone).

I'm now in the 54th ward instead of the 59th. I'll be heading to Brigham City to do some work in an environmental lab today. I'll work there Tuesdays and Thursdays until I get on doing research for a professor named Dr. Ban - most likely. Again, premature. The research from what I hear has to do with radiation heat transfer through rivers including the Virgin. So if I get it, I may be heading down to Southern Utah to run some tests.

I have already slept through 3 of my classes. Math 5610, MAE 5300 and ENGR 5500. Not that big of a deal. I went on the first day, so I caught the syllabus, and know the jist of them all. I'll catch up this weekend if I need. Beside those classes (Computational Linear Algebra, Mechanical Vibrations, and High Performance Computing respectively), I have Beginning Billiards, Art Symposium, and two institute classes: The Gospel and World Religions coupled with Marriage Prep.

So that's the main story. We broke most of my favorite boomerangs at our opening boomerang toss off yesterday. I'll repair the good ones and make more.

Upgrading an IDE compatible DVD-RW...

2008-07-22T23:10:00.004-06:00

This one's for the Piemer:

First off- the gameplan:
The idea is to pull the cover of your computer off - and pull out your CD drive to replace it with something better. Here's a good site of what you should probably buy:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228

-See, about $20.

There are two kinds of disc drives. One plugs into your computer's motherboard with a cable called an IDE. It's an older kind of cable - but still in a lot of computers. The newer ones use a SATA cable. And they can get more expensive - $40 or so. Mine was still only $20 and it's a SATA. I understand that Lite-On makes pretty good ones too. You don't have to buy the one above - the key thing is that you buy one that is an IDE- not a SATA. Check the reviews if you want to get picky.

If you look at the back of this disc drive - you'll see why you need to be IDE:
Hopefully you can see the line where it's pointing to the IDE/PATA connection. The SATA connection is dinky and kinda "L" shaped. So if you buy the wrong one - you'd know it.

Notice also the 4-pin power connection. You'll need to worry about those two plugs. The stuff on the left is just fancy - and I don't think I'd even plug it in - unless it's obvious where it goes.

Secondly - the process:

Removing the case:

Since your case is exactly like mine - this should be easy.

You'll see four little screws holding in the two side-plates of the computer. You'll want to remove all four and take off both plates.

This is the plate most nerds take off - because this side faces into the motherboard (not the back of the motherboard). It will just slide out.

Locating the Drive, Power Converter, and Connection to the Motherboard:

Here's the target. Think of where the disc drive opens from - this is the whole thing. In my picture, it's a lighter gray box with two wirings coming out of it. The banded wire that's red is my SATA. And the other bundle is my power supply. See- only two wirings to worry about.

Here's a closer look at those two wires. Instead of the red (kinda looks pink in this photo), you'll have a wide band of wires. (Look at the picture of the drive from Newegg up above- see how wide the IDE port is?) But the other colored bundle will plug into yours just like mine. That's your 4-pin power. Most of those power harnesses are white, though. Mine is just black and fancy looking because I actually had to buy another power converter.

Which is what this is. See the box with the slots in in and a whole bunch of wires coming out of it? That's my power converter. Yours will be slightly smaller and probably have white ends to the bundles instead of black ones like mine. When you wire things - it's a good idea to get those zip-ties. Loose wires can foul things up if the fans can move them. Also - anything that has fins on it is going to be hot. (I recommend you pull yours apart with the power off - I screw around with mine while it's on all the time - but that's because I'm an idiot.)

Switching out the disc drives:

If you look closely in this photo - you'll see two tiny screws that hold the drive in place. You'll have to take out the two on this side and the two on the other.

Then you'll have to flip up the plastic tabs on each side (3 per side) and slide the front cover off. It's not too tricky. With the front cover off and the side screws out - you can unplug your disc drive and slide it out.

This would be a good time to use some computer-cleaner. It's usually compressed air with some type of nonsense that will freeze your hand and turn white if you flip the bottle up-side down. Tetraflourethane is the common chemical - but they're using other ethanes now. Anyway- you can find this stuff at Lins or anywhere. You'd probably want to pick some up while you're waiting for your Newegg part. You can spray anything with it and it won't hurt it. It's made mostly for the fans and fins. When they get older, they build up dust and don't cool as well. So blast away!

Once you slide your new one in - you'll have to plug it in. Mine plugs in as seen above. Yours will be different - mainly because you've got an IDE port instead of a SATA. See those two red bands? That's my DVD burner and my hard-drive. (I've got two empty slots under those two that are filled.) The big ASUS band that's black and blue is the old drive that you had in this computer. It's an IDE drive. So yours will clip in to a longer slot like the blue plug I've got now. You'll probably have a few slots. If there's more than one - you'll probably want it in a #2 or so. Typically your hard-drive is in the first slot so it can more easily boot first. -Sorry, lost control of the nerdliness. One other thing to notice in this picture, is that the band in the blue plug actually has a plug half-way down the band. It's reflecting light and has the tag attached to it that says ASUS. These bands used to have one plug that would connect to your motherboard, and then TWO other ones (sometimes called the slave and the master, or the slave and the primary) - anyway, where you're only plugging one drive in - just use the two plugs on the ends of the band. Skip the middle one.

(The easiest way to make sure you've got things plugged where they need to is to just use your old wires. You don't have to use the new ones unless you notice a vast difference [some of the 40-wire bands are now 80-wire for better speed]. The power cable will probably have a plug along the middle of the wires. Really, either of them will work. I think I've got a couple drives plugged into the same power bundle in mine right now.)

Piecing it back together:

When you're connected to the power (remember the photos above?) and your motherboard, you should put the front plate back on and slide up your drive to where you want it before you tighten your side screws. Make sure all loose wiring is taken care of.

I'd turn the sucker back on, and make sure you can read a cd before I'd put the whole case back on. There's a chance you may have it plugged in wrong or so. It's better to check before you put all the cosmetics back.

So after that, just put the two sides back in, and screw them in the back. Don't give the old drive to the duffer - it has a laser in it that can be focussed for longer-distance destruction. (Ask Alex Chamberlain about popping balloons with a CD laser from across the room.)

Finally - the burning:

By now you should have an operating DVD burner (it does CDs too- it's kinda implied now) for your computer. There might be a disc that it comes with that will install the software. (Each new piece of hardware has a "driver" that tells the computer what it is, and how it works. So the driver for your DVD burner will need to be installed.) Sometimes Windows XP will just find the driver it needs, and you're sweet. Other times, you've got to put the disc in. No big deal.

After it's done installing the software (it will usually ask you to restart your computer once or twice [this has to do with the booting - something called the computer's bios]), you should be able to burn. It might come with a fancy burning suite or it might not. Either way, you should be able to right-click the drive and tell it to set-up to burn. Or most likely - just plop an empty disc in there, and it'll know what to start. Drag, Drop, Click "Burn". And you're done.

Oh - one side-note about burning discs. Most of the music ones are done with a "close" option set automatically. A disc might not play in your DVD player or your CD player if it hasn't been "closed". It'll work on a computer - and seem like it's burned fine, but it won't work elsewhere. Closing is like sealing the disc - meaning that you won't add any more to it. Even Re-Writable discs can be closed - then they can't be re-written to. So keep an eye out for that if you start having problems with them playing in different places.

Ya! Reedee Romp.

Who's the nerd that...?

2008-07-21T00:58:00.003-06:00

So since I'm still partly living a college lifestyle, I happen to be awake at 1 in the morning. Typical, really. But don't worry- I napped after church from approximately 2:30 to 9. So I'll be fine.

Anyway, the point of this blog is to complain. It seems ridiculous to me that the nerds who created Blogspot have not created a comment notice. Meaning that someone may comment on a picture of mine from two months ago - and I'll never know it unless I sort back through prior rubbish. Needless to say, all the questions we ask in comments are really lame (Beth, yours in particular come to mind). Why? Because the person you ask the question of will probably never notice it. And if they do - are they supposed to comment back on their own blog (which is a weird concept) or comment on the blog of the commenter (assuming they have a blog) answering the question and seeming all too unattached to whatever the subject of the commenter's blog?

Read that paragraph again, and it will make sense. If you must - grab napkins and scribble down "Blogger A" and "Blogger B" and try to imagine the typing interaction. Visual aids.

So in retrospect, I'd like to announce a cyber-service project to everyone who reads this. Which is: go back and read through the comments of your lastest 3 blogs. I've commented on some of them, and since you won't know it - here's your flashing red light.

As for those of you who will actually fulfill this odd request and happen to find nothing, go ahead and feel excluded. That just means that I didn't find anything cyber-gnarly enough to the point where I felt the need to comment. Or it could mean that I just don't look at anything you write.

So due to the programming and internet protocol nonsense that we as lazy Americans (the one's who don't visit each other, but just sent a quick note on occasion) put up with, I surrender to the point of assigning each of you a task. For those who are quick to forget, I repeat the cyber-service project: go back and read through the comments of your lastest 3 blogs.

And being the author of this idea, I hereby declare myself immune to any such requests from any of you. As with playing tag in elementary school - there are no "touch backs".

An update.

2008-07-10T22:57:00.005-06:00

So, I realize that it has been an entire month since my last tid-bits. And so an update may be appropriate. Mind you, most of the immediate fam has seen me in the last couple of weeks, as I had a factory shut-down break from work.

Alas, as we all continue our semi/psuedo busy schedules, it behooves us to write. And so I do.

Firstly, work: I've been dipping in and out with stranger hours as I realize what tasks need to be done. I don't like it when I have nothing to do - so I try to create and plan ahead. Today, for example, I finished defining a test matrix that we will run in about a week. It will confirm some of the correlations that I've been working on in the past two months. Bungee stretches and bar bends. Also, I designed something out of 1018 alloy steel (heat-treated and cooled to Rockwell 50 hardness) which I tenderly call a "hook release". Our bungee sled had been released with a ball-bearing a groove (like an air-hose), but that would slip on occasion, and scare the daylights out of us. We have blocks in place for such an occasion, but we wanted to re-design the release - in a way that we could view the fatigue of the steel. Anyway, that became my errand, and it's getting priced and fabbed this week. I'm guessing it'll run them $2000-$3000, but I could be off. Other than that, I've just been doing some analysis of the data we get, and a few cosmetics of it so we can present it to the big wigs.

This is called an MDB (Movable Deformable Barrier) impact. This picture is actually for a curtain airbag - but you get the idea.

Secondly, school: I'm still debating whether to plan for an escape this December with my bachelor's (technically it'll be a bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering with a Computational Emphasis and a minor in Mathematics) or to continue on to a master's. I think it will most likely be a decision I make this upcoming semester. Which means, I better study and take the darn GRE. I've nearly completed my FAFSA, and I'm wondering how much school I can afford, since I've spent more this summer not living at home.

Big Blue the Aggie.

Thirdly, spending: I just bought a digital keyboard (not for a computer, but a digial piano keyboard) so I can keep up my fun. I know there was talk of snagging one for my birthday - but since I already have one coming, scratch that. I wouldn't mind a cheap printer, however. So there's a tip.

This is the one I have coming. I think it'll work alright for me.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=706117V

Fourthly, wife: I was recently hounded by my bishop - who also happens to be the institute director, about dating girls just so they know that there are good guys out there. I think nearly every card has been played to try to motivate me into a marriage. I'm not dating anyone at the moment, mind you I'll be taking a damsel to listen to Elder Hales this weekend. The funny thing is, one of my buddies called me up the other day, just to catch up - and he gave the typical casual nonsense topics, which at the college level include the topic of dating/marriage, and he seemed to think that I sounded like it won't be long for me. Weird. Mamma Sweet says this is the year of the ring for me as well. We'll see.

I'd have to die my hair.

That being said, I figure you know enough of what's going on with me.

The Haps

2008-06-10T11:28:00.013-06:00

So since I haven't put anything up here lately, I figured I was due. It's the least I could do after all the duffer-Lake-Powell pics.

Here's what I've been doing in the big O:

1 - Hiking up Waterfall Canyon with the ward.

2 - Rigging a pinewood derby car:

3 - Bowling:

4 - Visiting the Punjabbers:

More Pictures...

2008-05-21T22:13:00.004-06:00

So I snagged some pictures of Noah while I swung through.

He found the sprinkler outside. Crazy duffer. Wouldn't come in from the cold.

These are my new quarters. Room's dinky, but the house is big.

Every good nerd leaves his computer to pack last. That way you can crank your tunes or whatnot. Notice the camera, day planner, and DS left for the end...

Operation: Autoliv

2008-05-16T21:50:00.002-06:00

So here's the low-down on Autoliv...

They do airbags mostly. Some other restraining stuff for car safety, but mostly airbags. There's a few of us who're interning there. I drew the long straw. I'm in the dynamic lab module. For laymen, I'm working on a sled that gets pulled with some 77' bungee cords (we use 14 of them), and smashed into random objects - poles, deformable barriers and the like. We use two high-speed cameras to record the action, and about 12-15 accelerometers. I take the data and integrate it to something useful to figure out our braking system. Which consists of a huge metal battering-ram (called the "thorn") that smashes through a whole bunch of steel bars. The bars end up getting shaped like "U"s (or omegas- for the greek). The sled weighs a little shy of 4000 lbs when it's fully loaded with the dummy.

Here's the thing I though was funny - we had to have another dummy shipped from Detroit. It came in yesterday, and it was all sorts of packaged up with bubble-wrap, plastic coating, protective foam... I stood there and thought "Were they afraid the truck hauling this thing was going to wreck? It's a crash-test-dummy for crying out loud!" Anyway, those things can cost anywhere from 80-200 grand depending on the instrumentation - so I guess it's a good thing to protect, eh?

So far, they've been having me work on the bungee acceleration (so we can hit target speeds of 20mph, 25mph, 35mph depending on the test) and the brake bars. The bungee acceleration should be a simple force balance F = m*a = k*x. The nonsense they teach us in school - the "k" is called the "spring constant". Problem is, from our data, it's not really a constant. No biggie, we're just going to have to make a chart and correlate it, right? Cinch. The brake bars on the other hand, would mess with the minds of many a professor. They're not too bad when they're supported with only two points and the thorn hitting the center, but they're not. They're wedged between four points - which takes the "simply supported beam" theory (the only stuff they teach in school) and screws it all up with some crazy physics. So I decided I'd forget theory and just use our data to get some correlation. I'm currently hunting down the relationship between bar thickness (when stacked or staged) and average bar energy absorption rate. Sounds fancy, but all it means is that the bigger bars bend less and slow down the same.

So there's a tid-bit of the nonsense I do. I've also made a few boomerangs in strange shapes. One is shaped like the Aggie "A". It works. I'm that good.

I've been running. Slow and short.

Haven't married yet.

Operation: Ogden

2008-05-02T10:48:00.002-06:00

So the new plan is to survive the Ogden-ites. I'll be moving my stuff out of Logan this Monday. I'm going to live in a place ran by a guy named Ron Perry. It's right by Weber State Uni. I'll room with 5 people, one of which is another good nerd who'll work at Autoliv with me as an intern. His name is Jeff White. He's from West Valley.

This Saturday I'm going to the Red Head and Brittany's wedding reception. I'll swap Adam vehicles and pack up a little uhaul or the like for Monday's move. I'll start at Autoliv Monday the 12th. I'll be working on airbags and seat belts mostly, I think.

So that's the update. There's a good place to eat in Ogden called Jim's Burgers, and I've found a park near the university that is big enough for some dangerous boomerang experiments.

College life in the small L.

2008-04-21T15:20:00.013-06:00

So I figured since Marvin is putting up all sorts of weird pictures of her innerds, I may as well type a few jots about life in Logan. Most podunk students use facebook for all their online-journaling/stalking needs, but to follow the trend of this family, I'll comply to the blogger.

Most of these photos will be snagged from my facebooking.

This was our first attempt of boomeranging. The aggie A and American flag counteract the aussieness of the pic. I'll put in some pictures and video regarding the boomers in another blog.

Baby-sitting WingMan at the lake - Spring Break.

This was at a Ward Prayer. We played a song together and all (except WingMan) dressed up. Spike and I played guitar, Dan on the harmonica, Rich (brown suit) played the tin whistle, and Wing spoke the lyrics in his deep voice. We're supposed to get ready a little somethin'-somethin' for the upcoming talent show...

My buddy Scott Klein and I played in a wee tennis tourney last semester before the snow hit. We lost.

I had just bowled a 160+ at the lanes. Mandy started this weekly bowling night of which I am typically the champion. Last week, I threw down a 167 with the two-finger spin.

This was a girls soccer game that we got duded up for. Face-paint and sombreros made a difference in the second half - if we'd arrived earlier, we could have guaranteed a win.

This was a 70's party at my buddy Blake's (he's in the yellow sweater) house.

Bowling night - that's Patrick (Patty-cakes) on the left. My shirt says, "This is how I roll".

Building a computer - that's an ASUS videocard I'm putting in on the top, and I'm showing off the guts of the beast on the bottom - an Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core 3.0 ghz processor. Notice that we had to upgrade the power converter, which is what's about to fall off the box.

Old Main Hill - we built some sleds using some DI skis and some old kitchen swivle chairs. I'm on the front about to go 6' in the air, and Dan's on the back. Kyle is in the background taking pictures from the otherside.

So there you have it - incase you've been wondering what the life of a nerd in college is all about. I'm probably getting worse grades than I should for this nonsense, but I'll graduate.

Boomerang Club...

2008-04-21T15:13:00.007-06:00

So I've got back into somewhat of my Austral-asian roots and have become the Vice-President (we call it Vice-Bundy) of the newly founded USU Boomerang Club. Included are some nonsensical pictures (and maybe videos - once I get the hang of the blogspotter) of our weekly throwing, manufacturing, broken 'rangs, funerals for broken 'rangs, and of course - the sweatshop where we make the boomers.

Nate is our Ballistics Coordinator - he's incharge of making sure people get hurt. Notice the boomer he has has been through some rough days - we've been working on repairing them. We've broke a good 30 or more.

Spike's the President (Chief Bundy) - and he's also our teacher. I'll go recruit and direct them to Spike - some of the people we've found are naturals, catching a 'rang within their first fifteen minutes.

When we throw on Wednesdays, we usually pick up 10-15 new people. Our club has 70 members right now, and we're about a month old. The good weather helps.

This was some night-'ranging we tried out in the snow. We had glow-in-the-dark paint, gitd stickers, glow-sticks, and finally LEDs. It's been a rough development. We searched forever in the snow and finally Claire came up with it.

Rich is incharge of "Keeping it real". He's got game with a boomer, but we mainly promote him due to his gnarly humor.

We were out there in the snow once - this was a dry day, but probably a cold one.

Matt likes to do the multiple throw. We're trying to get to the point where we can catch 2 at once. It needs a little tweaking.

This was during our night-'rang quest. We haven't had much luck with the night. It's just too hard to see them when they take off.

This was that same night - we had a bunch of glow stuff and paint. I'm putting glow-in-the-dark stickers and the goop from a glow stick on a couple of our rangs. We've actually gone to a smaller design now. They don't kill people when we mess up the throw, and because they spin with less energy (1/12th - 1/3 of the mass, and 1/2 the velocity [velocity is squared in an energy equation]) they don't break as often.

We get them stuck in the trees a lot.

We get them to peg into the ground when we throw them wrong, but sometimes it looks cool.

I'll have to add some videos later - they can't be pulled from facebook, so I'll have to snag them off my hard-drive when I get home.

Here's a few videos of the nonsense. I've got a normal catch, and two foot-hackey catches. Google search "GLORP" if you want to see where I got the idea.

This is the normal catch. Mandy did most of the video-ing for these clips.

Here's my first foot-hackey catch.

Here's my second foot-hackey. I'm holding another boomer in my right hand. We were working on getting the double-catch. You throw one right after another and snag them both...

I couldn't get up another video that I wanted to work - it was just too long I think...

First

2008-02-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

I just created this after seeing how Marvin made her update of the growing Korean family. I figured I better show face as I don't consider that Marvin (savvy as she is) to be the top tech in the family. Grateful, mind you, we all are that she created something, else Adam would think himself king...