The Weekend Before Finals

The weekend before finals is an interesting time of year for students in colleges around the country, probably world at that. It comes down to the time when you can't procrastinate any longer, and you have to start studying for those dreaded finals that you aren't prepared for. I know that I have been in this spot for a few semesters now. But, I always think it is interesting to see how students cope with this time of year. A select few, the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before their finals start, feel that if they study that they will be able to do well on their finals. Me, personally, I don't think that this is a very good thing to do. I am in that 90% who take this rare opportunity to play and stay up really late. My first semester up at college some people in my apartment building and I figured out that we all played DotA, so we got together on the lan network and played it for hours, even during finals week. It was amazing. I have found that even if you do study that your brain won't retain all of the information that you pump in to it anyways. I figure it's either you get it or you don't. So my approach to taking finals is to study a couple hours before by going over my notes that I have taken all year. For the most part this strategy has worked for me. There have been a few classes where studying wouldn't have helped out at all because I would have done poorly anyways. That's the way it goes sometimes.

I try not to make this time of year stressful for me, because stress just makes everything worse. That is why I take the time to play instead of locking myself in the library mulling over books and notes. First off, I try to avoid the library as much as possible because to me it symbolizes focus and study, two things which I don't like to do at all. I'm glad that I have a semi-photographic memory, so I remember a lot of the things that I learn in class which really helps me out a lot. But I am just one person among the sea of kids who call themselves students. Each person has their own system that works for them. If that system is to study the weekend before finals, then that's the way it is, as flawed as it may be. Also, I just think it is an excuse that girls use to get out of dating guys that they aren't really interested in. Just an observation that I'm throwing out there, but it is true, I think.

So here's to you college students who have to put up with this dreaded time of year. Don't sweat it, if you fail you can always retake the course next semester with a different instructor. Remember, don't stress out about finals, because that only makes your situation worse. Take time to go outside and play. Throw the football around with your buddies, or if you aren't in to that, stroll around the mall with you gal pals. Whatever you do, don't waste a perfectly good weekend studying, or cramming at the very last minute. The best thing you can do is study the night before. Your brain will remember more. So there are just a few tips of how to study for a final. And remember, this time of year only lasts for a week, so it gets over pretty quick. And there is always a bonus at the end of it, either winter break, or summer vacation. Good luck to you all!

A Class Worth Mentioning

This semester at college I took a course that was, well let's just say that it was fun. I had a really good time in it because basically all I had to do in the class was work with computer applications. The name of the class is "Communications in Geology" (seeing as geology is my major), but I just think that it is a front for geology majors having a good time. The real title of the class should be, "Having fun with your tuition dollar" Seriously, if you don't have fun in this class you are a boring person. If anything learning how to use Adobe Photoshop so you can do practically anything you want to a picture is one of the most useful skills you learn in the class. Yea, we went through basically all of Microsoft Office apps, but there were some pretty neat shortcuts that I learned that will save me a lot of time, plus I learned how to make a 4 1/2 page paper be 5 pages.

I also got to work with a beast of a program called ArcGIS. It is basically a mapping program that lets you do some pretty amazing stuff. At the beginning when I was learning it it was like I was learning a second languauge, well third actually because I already learned how to speak cambodian as a second language. But once you start getting it down you can make some pretty cool maps. The map over to your left is one that I made using the program. Pretty sweet huh? Don't you just wish that you were a geology major now?

I think one of the best things that I learned in the class, though, is something that my instructor told us, "If you don't feel like swearing, you aren't learning anything." Very practical knowledge that I am going to take with me to my grave. It was those times that I felt like ripping my hair out and screaming at the top of my lungs where I learned the most. The things you figure out of frustration are the things that you are going to remember most. I speak from personal experience. I am a delivery boy for Pizza Hut, and those addresses that I get lost trying to find are the ones that I will never forget. During the times of me letting out a few choice words and trying to reorient myself so I can deliver the pizza, I am remembering every turn so that it will never happen again.

Overall I would like to say that it was a very good course. The structure of it was very organized, and it provided me a basic knowledge of some of the programs that I will be using as a geology major. I am very excited now that I am more prepared to be able to write and publish research papers . And what makes it even better is the fact that my instructor plays WoW. I love video games! So props to you Kirsten, job well done.

Thanksgiving Break

There is one word that describes my Thanksgiving break, "lazy." I did absolutely nothing for 10 days, and it was amazing. I was supposed to write a paper during the break, but I got an email from my professor saying that he was setting back the date a week, so I happily went along with my break. The drive down wasn't so bad because I didn't do it alone this time around. We left just a little after 6 in the evening and arrived home just before 2 in the morning. Passing through Las Vegas at night was pretty cool, I've never seen so many lights in such a concentrated area, and I now understand how you can see them from space.

At around 6 I had to wake up, meaning I only got 4 hours of sleep, because I had an event that I needed to attend. One of my brother's friends got married so that night I went to his reception. After that I went with my best friend to go to a surprise birthday party. It was a pretty chill time. I always enjoy partying it up. I spent a good deal of time at my best friend's house, and for the most part we just played DotA. During the week I went to another birthday party for another friend. This one happened to take place at Chuck E. Cheese's. Even though everyone was older that 18 we all still managed to have a fun time. Just goes to show that you don't have to be 4 years old to act 4 years old.

Other activities included spending time with my brothers. It has been awhile since all four of us have gotten together and done something. Thanksgiving morning we went and played in the turkey bowl. Unfortunately not many people showed up this time so we only had a 4 on 4 with two little kids. It turned out to be pretty fun, but if there had been more people like there have been in years past I think that it would have been better.

Thanksgiving dinner was fun. We got together with my mom's side of the family and ate at my uncle's house. It was good to see my relatives again seeing as I don't have much opportunity to see them much. I also got to see one of my cousins whom I haven't seen in over a decade. It was a good dinner too. The turkey was deep fried, and the beans had bacon. I got my fill of food, plus I got the honor of eating one of the drumsticks. It was huge. My mom got a picture of it, but she hasn't sent it to me yet. So that is what Thanksgiving is all about. Being with the family and eating a good meal. If you take one thing from this blog, that should be it.

The rest of the week went well. Saturday is always a good day in the fall because of college football. My brothers and I got our fill of football that day, especially the Auburn vs Alabama game. Auburn won which was good. Later that night we chilled in our spa and watched a movie. Then on sunday we made our triumphant march up to school again. I hated leaving SoCal behind because it is such a wonderful place. The whole week had been going well until we got about 30 miles outside of Las Vegas heading towards Mesquite. All of a sudden I heard a noise and the car started to swerve out of control. I quickly got control and for a split second I was in denial that I had a blown tire, but I put that aside and decided that it was a blown tire. I pulled over to the side of the road and we proceeded to change the tire. This was the first time that I ever had to change a tire, but it really isn't that hard. The bad thing was that it made our trip a whole lot longer because we had to drive over 300 miles on the donut spare going 55 mph. It was really hard for me to drive that slow. It was just the ending I needed to a perfectly wonderful week. But that's the way things go sometimes. Now I am back at school having to do school related stuff, plus work. I'm just glad no one got hurt and we made it safely back. That is what really counts.

My Dream Car

Ever since I have been a little kid, my dream car has been a Lamborghini Diablo. I have always been fascinated by this car because it is fast, and it has a unique design. When I was younger I bought this Hot Wheels Lamborghini Diablo, and it was one of my prized possessions. I love the scene in Dumb and Dumber when Harry and Lloyd pull up to the hotel driving a Diablo. I love how the car doors go up, and not out.

Of course the chances of me ever owning such a car is pretty slim. I don't see myself making enough money to support me getting this expensive luxury car. Even though I am a pretty good saver I am sure that other expenses would supersede the funding that I would have to put in in order to purchase a car of such magnitude. If money were not an issue though, I would buy one in a heart beat.

I know that it isn't a practical car to own, but it would be a pretty safe car to drive in terms of it having a small chance of being stolen. I heard a story of how in England there are only 2 in the whole country, a black one and a red one. This meant that if one ever got stolen it wouldn't be too hard to find it. I have told my best friend that when we are old farts that I would buy one and we would cruise around in it just for fun. What a wonderful dream it is. I'm sure that by the time I reach "old fart" status they won't make Diablos anymore, and I would have to buy one on Ebay or something. I have already looked at some on Ebay already just in case you wanted to know.

I love to drive fast, and this car would definitely satisfy my need for speed. I would have to learn how to drive a stick, but if I had this car I would expend all the energy I had to become the master of manual driving. It would have to have a spoiler because Diablos without one look crappy. I am fond of the purple paint job with yellow racing stripes. Either red or black would suffice as well. So there may be a day that I get to sit in the driver seat of this awesome beast and rev that v-12 engine sitting at my back. What a thrill that would be.

Christmas is Starting Earlier Each Year

I have noticed over the years that as soon as Halloween is over you start to hear advertisements for Christmas and radio stations start to play Christmas songs. It has always puzzled me because you haven't even hit Thanksgiving (which is practically a full month away) and there is already pushes for people to spend money on the Christmas season, which is still two months away. Commercialism has really taken the holiday season and condensed it down. For me I wish that they would spearate the two seasons again because they both have their unique aspects, and of course they are both times to sit back and relax for a bit. I am a huge fan of the holiday season, and like most people, it is my favorite time of year. It isn't because of the gifts that I receive or anything like that. No, during this time of year I see a general shift in the personality of people going towards the good side. People are more kind and giving this time of year. I don't know exactly what it is, but it always causes me to smile inside when I see acts of charity being done. I wish that people would be like that the whole year round, but that's not the way it is.

The Christmas season has always been an anticipated thing in my family, but we have usually abstained from doing anything Christmas-like until after Thanksgiving. We enjoyed both holidays to their fullest. On Thanksgiving we would go over to our grandparents house and have Thanksgiving dinner. That was always fun to have the family together. I never really had opportunity to see my extended family much, and this was a time that I could. The day after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas season started in my family. That is when my dad would break out the christmas tree that we had (it was fake because my mom was allergic to the real thing, and it was more economical) and my brothers and I would participate in decorating the tree. After the Christmas decorations were set up around the house is when you would start to hear Christmas music playing throughout the house. Within a few weeks of this my dad would put up the Christmas lights around the house.

Growing up this way I felt a greater appreciation for the holiday season. It is a great time of year, and I think that commercialism has rushed this feeling for most people. They don't get to enjoy the full aspects of Thanksgiving, and they are rushed into thinking about what they are going to get their friends and family for Christmas before everything is sold out. To me, that is not what the holiday season is about. Of course I didn't always feel this way. I was a little kid once, and I couldn't wait for Christmas, but now being older, I see the bigger picture. I still anticipate the holiday season, but I have a greater patience now for it. If we as a nation would just sit back and let it come then I think that it would help us all to appreciate better what this time of year really means.

The Weekend

What is the weekend for? Well according to a paper that I just wrote for my Greek and Roman Mythology class, the weekend is the time for people to unwind from the structure of the work week. I hold fast to this principle, even though right now in my life I don't really have any type of weekend because I am working as a delievery boy at Pizza Hut. But during the day on saturday I get to enjoy myself for a couple of hours. For example, this past saturday I went with some friends and played mud football. It was really fun running around bare foot in the mud tackling people. Although my body is still pretty sore from the intense exercise.

So what am I getting at with this? Well, seeing as I am in college some people would say that I should use the free time that I have to study and get homework done. I say that is a horrible idea. I hate doing anything school related on the weekend because I get enough of it during the week. I need that special time to relax from the everyday and do something unique and fun. That is why I usually get the stuff I need to done before the weekend, or I wait until sunday night to do whatever it is that I need to do. So far it has worked out pretty well for me.

So my message to all of you out there is to find a way to have some kind of weekend that is not plagued with homework, or work in general. Sit down and watch a good college football game or just get out and do something. We need that time to unwind from the stresses of the week. If we don't then eventually we will break and something unwanted might occur. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and it is supposed to be fun.

Pranks

One of the cool things about being creative is coming up with ways to pull pranks on people. I find this to be a fun thing to do because it allows me to express myself in a way that most people have a hard time doing. Of course there is a fine line between having fun and crossing the line into the extreme where people might end up getting hurt. I'm not for that, but a little harmless act is fair game.

When I was younger my brothers and I had an interesting prank that we pulled on each other multiple times throughout our childhood. When we were younger there were two rooms and four of us, so there were two of us in each room. Usually it my younger brother, Brenden, and I that slept in the same room, and my other two brothers slept in the other one. At night Brenden and I would sneak in to the other room and put up toilet paper all over the room so that when Garrett and Dustin woke up they would get all tangled up in toilet paper. A couple of nights later they would retaliate back with the same gesture. My parents were not fond of this exhibition of brotherly love since it was a "waste" of toilet paper. It was fun while it lasted though.

Over my college career I have had some pretty fun room mates and we have come up with some pretty fun ideas for pranks. One time we took around this blow up cardboard things of George W. Bush that was sitting in our apartment hall and we took it around sticking it up in people's windows. It was a fun time until someone asked us for the blow up back. Another prank that we pulled was popping a whole bunch of popcorn and spreading it on someone's floor, and to put the cherry on top of the cake we put a goldfish in their toilet. Good times had by all.

One of the pranks that I have been wanting to do for the longest time is getting a duck, putting it in a box, then placing that box on someone's door and when they open it up the duck runs into their house. That, to me, would be amazing. I have so many opportunities to catch a duck as well since every time I walk up to school there is a slew of them at this pond. A man can dream.

So as long as you are having some harmless fun go ahead and pull a prank on someone. It is a creative art that not many people like to explore. Life is about having fun, and what's the use of having fun if you can't drag some other people into it as well?

The Love of a Mom

If there is one thing that I can say it is that my mom loves me. I know that whatever I do that my mom will stick by me until the bitter end. It is a special love between a mother and her child, and I think it comes from the fact that we are born from our moms. There is some inherent bond that is forged that is very hard to explain, but is such a unique type of love that it can't be described either. Mom will always love you no matter what you do. Whenever you do something wrong and dad wants to give you a spanking, you run to mommy to save you from his palm. She is the one person who understands you the best. Of course there are those rare times when even mom is disappointed with you actions and will not side with you.

There has only been one such incident in my life where my mom was ready to give me the punishment of a lifetime. I was a junior in high school, and I fell prey to the wiles of my friends at the time. We had come up with the great idea to pull a prank on one of the girls on the cross country team. She had been parking in the senior parking lot (she was only a junior) and we thought that we would teach her a lesson. Her car was parked near a curb, so we decided to pick up the back of her car and put one of her rear tires on the curb. It was a harmless thing. Unfortunately I and a couple other friends got caught, and we had to put the car back into its original position, then go to the principal's office to receive our punishment. We all had to call our parents to tell them what had happened. I remember that when it came to my turn I was very scared because I had no idea what my mom would say or do to me when she found out what I had done. We ended up having to serve a saturday (spending 4 hours at school on saturday basically just sitting in a classroom).

This was probably the worst thing that I have ever done in my life. I am a pretty good person, and I haven't done anything to rash, but this one time I made the mistake of following the crowd (something I usually don't do). Of course we all make mistakes in life. It is about learning from those mistakes that is the real key. In the end my mom didn't kill me, but she gave me a good talking to. That is one thing that my brothers and I dreaded as kids, our mom's lectures.

There was always one thing that I knew if I did that my mom would come close to wanting to kill me. When I was younger, in elementary school, there was an incident where we had had the day off and we were out in the yard with my mom. I think my brothers and I were playing and she was doing some yard work, when we saw a few high schoolers from our church walking down at the end of the street. Apparently they had ditched school and were just wandering around. Well they ended up being at the wrong place at the wrong time because my mom recognized them and called them over. She then had them march into our house and call their moms. After that she gave them a good lecture until their moms arrived, and then the real lecture began. I don't really remember what happened during that time because I was probably occupied with something else. All I remember thinking is that if I ever ditched school, my mom would kill me. So I never missed a class, and still haven't to this day. But in the end, I know that despite the wrong things that I have done, and will do, that my mom will always love me. And I love her for that. So here's to you mom, you're the greatest.

A Few Costume Ideas

Halloween has always been a fun time of year for me. I especially have always enjoyed getting tons of candy that I usually never ate and just kept for the year until next Halloween rolled around. One of the fun activities that is associated with this holiday is dressing up as something you aren't. Applying knowledge from my Greek and Roman Mythology class, the Greeks would view this "pagan" holiday (as my Mythology professor pointed out to us) as a Dionysian holiday seeing as Dionysus was not just the god of wine and partying, but of the theater, liminal abandon, and pretending to be something you aren't (that is where the theater comes in).

Over the course of my life I have had many a great costume ideas. When I was really young I remember one year I was a bumble bee. I think that was my mom's idea, not mine. (Hopefully)
A few years later when I was in elementary school I remember being an astronaut. It was a pretty sweet outfit, including a helmet with a visor that you could lift up and down. Although I think I looked more like a future spaceman than a real astronaut. That one lasted for a couple of Halloweens. The next costume I remember was my grim reaper costume. It was just a black robe with one of the hoods that had a mesh where I could see out, but people couldn't see my face. I think that i used it for 3 years. Then when high school rolled around I think is where I got a little more creative. A couple years in a row I dressed up like a fat hobo (because somehow that makes sense). I even had a little sack on a stick. One of those years I pulled this one off I ended up passing out candy to the kids on the block. I remember having an old plaid shirt with a pillow stuffed inside of it (to make me look fat of course) That's about all I remember of this particular costume. My senior year my friend and I went around the neighborhood together getting candy. I wore my lettermans jacket and had a plush alien on my shoulder, and my friend had aluminum foil on his head like from the movie Signs. We went around to peoples' doors telling them about how there was an alien invasion, while at the same time trick or treating. It was pretty brilliant.

The next two years I dressed up as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course that's what I was for those two years anyways, so I don't think I can really count it as a costume, plus I didn't even go out to get any candy. When I got home the next Halloween I dressed up as a cambodian. I had a sarong (it's basically a piece of cloth that looks like a dress) and a cambodian shirt. I went trick or treating with my nephews as well. That was a lot of fun. So that brings me up until the present. For this year I'm not sure what I am going to dress up as. I have been thinking about being Fry from Futurama. I just need to buy a red jacket and some how get orange hair. It's in the works, but I think it would be fun. If I could get someone else to be Bender that would be awesome. I think that my inspiration comes from the fact that I am a delivery boy right now. If this idea fails I guess I could just put on my pizza hut uniform and do that. But that would be lame. Maybe I'll come up with something else. For now, though, Fry it is. I'm sure I'll have just as much fun this year as I have had in the past. And once Halloween is over the holiday season is just right around the corner. Man time flies.

If They Laugh, It Was Worth It

In life there are times when we say or do something that we wish that we could take back. These are the embarrassing moments that others love to use to make fun of us when they need to lift their self-esteem a little bit. (I could go off on a random tangent with that thought, but that could be the focus of another blog) Personally I feel that these moments help to humble us a little so that we are forced off of the "high horse" that we like to sit on all the time. Luckily, for people like me, I am pretty much immune to public embarrassment because one, I really don't care what other people think about what I do (even if it is a little retarded) and two, I like to make other people laugh, and if the only way to do that is do something stupid, so be it. I have a high enough self-esteem (at least I like to think so) that I can take public embarrassment. Heck I say and do stupid stuff at work all the time, but it gets my coworkers laughing, and that makes me smile.

I can't say that there are many defining moments where I have just been totally humiliated in public. There are just the little things that people forget over time. The ones where people remember forever is something that I don't really think I have ever experienced (either because they haven't happened, or I have subconsciously buried them in my brain). I mean there was a time when I was in third grade where I got hit in the head by a loose baseball bat flung by a sixth grader. I think that that hurt more than it was embarrassing though. I think most of my embarrassing moments have been personal ones where I was the only one around to witness it. I guess if I asked my brothers or parents they could tell me a few things. I do remember one time when I was little where I really mix and matched my wardrobe. I have no sense of color coordination even to this day. So one day I decided that I would wear plaid pants with a checkered shirt (see what I mean) in public. I remember going to the store with my mom, and when we were in the parking lot she saw what I was wearing and told me that my sense of dressing myself was way off. I think she was probably more embarrassed than me though because I had no idea what I was doing.

There was one experience that I had recently that was pretty embarrassing for me. I share it only because I figure that there isn't anything I can do to change the past now, so why worry about it. So I laugh it off, and learn from it. That is why we have those kinds of experiences anyways. Well, getting on the the story I had taken a girl out to dinner and we had walked to her door, (and now to show how completely ignorant I am to the dating process) we stood there for a second, and I said, "I don't know what to do now." She replied, "well you can either walk away, or hug me and walk away." Then I said, "I'll choose the latter." I gave her the hug, said "have a good night," and went home. I look back on that and think of how stupid I was, but I was only being honest. I really didn't know what to do. I guess it will be something that I can look back on when I'm older and tell my grandkids about. Even though it was an embarrassing moment, it really wasn't that bad for me. So if that is the best I can come up with, I'd have to say I haven't gotten above a 4 on the embarrassment scale (on a scale of 1-10 of course). But there are many years left in my life (hopefully) so I'm sure there is plenty of opportunities for me to make a fool of myself in front of others. But hey, if they laugh, then it will all be worth it. So that is my point of the day. If something embarrassing happens in your life, just let it be an opportunity to make others laugh, and roll on. Besides, no one is really immune to a slip up or two. They are bound to happen eventually, so learn to live with it.

Reading Rainbow

One of the recreations that has been on the decline lately is that of reading. More and more kids are turning to videogames and other sources for entertainment. This is a sad thing because there are a lot of good books out there to read, and they are very stimulating to the mind. It has been awhile since I made it through a book, but I did start reading one over the summer. Unfortunately I couldn't finish it because I had to head up to school before I was even a quarter of the way through it. I am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy novels because that is what I feel stimulates my mind the most.

As of late, since I haven't really had much time to read anything (seeing as I am reading my textbooks and studying) I have taken to reading online walkthroughs on gamefaqs.com. Right now I am reading some walkthrough facts on sidequests to Final Fantasy 12. It is quite amusing to see how the writer did certain things, and my strategies for the same thing. One day when I was at work I was so bored that I read the whole walkthrough for Super Metroid. It was fun, but I wish that I had had something better to do.

So what I guess I'm trying to get across is that we as a society need to read more. I have read many books over my life (mainly because in high school I had to read 1,200 pages a semester) but it was good for me. I feel that every time that you open a book it should be like you are starting (or continuing) an adventure. The one thing that makes a good book for me is if I can relate to the character, and get in their shoes for a bit. That is why I like playing RPG games because for most of the ones that I have played it actually feels like I'm right there alongside the characters experiencing what they go through with them. It's fun for me at least. And who knows, maybe if you read a book, you'll get an idea of your own that you will publish someday.

My First Crush

Life is always full of little surprises. One of those surprises happens to be when someone walks in to your life and just totally blows you away either by how beautiful they are, or with their awesome personality. People tend to use the phrase "first love" to describe the first person that they felt could be with for the rest of their life. Unfortunately not many people end up spending the rest of their life with their "first love." Sometimes that is really hard because that person comes really early in their life and it may just be puppy love.

For me, I don't think I have ever had a first love. I have never really made an effort to ever get involved with the opposite sex, mainly because I am only mentally four years old. But that hasn't stopped me from having "crushes" on the female sex. It was early on in my life when I figured out that girls were actually nice to get to know. When I was in second grade I developed my first crush on a girl. Her name was Jennifer. I don't remember too much from these years of my life because they were so long ago. I just remember playing with her at recess sometimes and it was fun. She ended up going to a different school, so I forgot about her and moved on.

During my life I have had a number of girls that I have liked, but I have never really put forth an effort to go any farther than the like stage. Up until this point in my life I have been in the mindset that getting involved with a girl took too much effort, time and money. The money was the main issue for me since I am not the richest person in the world (actually I'm in the poor college student bracket right now). But now I am beginning to break out of this mindset and actually get myself out there. I am not the most outgoing person in the world, but I think that it is time for me to get out there and experience this important aspect of life. There is much to be learned in life, and there are many things you can't learn by yourself. That's the way I see it. Life is an experiment of gathering information, knowledge, and experience. The person with the most of these things, I feel, will be better off, because they can contribute more to society.

Memories That Happen Twice A Year

This past weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seeing as I am a member of this organization I took 8 hours out of my weekend so that I could watch it and be edified. There are always good messages that are given, especially by the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. He is such an amazing man, and I hope that one day I can be a little bit like him. During the first session I was very moved by many of the talks that were given, especially the one given by President Monson. He is such a wonderful speaker, and his words touched my heart. The other sessions of conference were just as good, although by the time the 5th session rolls around it is a little bit harder for me to stay focused. But as usual I hung in there and made it to the end. Unfortunately I had to miss one of the session because of work (I hate work). But twice a year I get to look forward to what the leaders of the church have to say. It is always a good experience, but it hasn't always been easy for me to sit down for 10 hours and listen to "old guys" talk for a very long time.

When I was younger it was a bittersweet thing to watch conference. It was nice because I could sleep in a little bit, and wouldn't have to get dressed up in sunday attire for church, I could just stay in my pajamas. I also liked the idea that I didn't have to go to church, but I didn't like the fact that my parents had my brothers and I sit there for the whole time watching. It is hard for a young kid to sit in one place for 2 hours 5 times in a row. Sometimes I'd fall asleep just because I was bored and didn't really understand what was being said. And as usual I'd be counting down the minutes until I'd be free (I still do that to this day) so that I could go out and play with my friends. The two hours that I had between sessions was a nice break from the long two hours of sitting, but it was always too short lived because when you are having fun time flies by.

I also remember that before conference started I'd be up in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and I would finish it just as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was starting to sing the opening hymn. These are the good memories of youth. For the past couple of years before I went on my mission I would skip the 3rd session and go with my best friend, Scott, to a Japanese community center. It just so happened that on the first saturday of every october and april there was held an event called aki matsuri. It was always fun to go to it. But I digress. On my mission is where I think that I gained a real appreciation for General Conference. I was out teaching people that there was a prophet on the earth, and that twice a year we had an opportunity to hear from him. Although the weekend of the first general conference on my mission I happened to get an ear infection. That wasn't fun, but I was still able to enjoy conference anyways. Towards the end of my mission I watched some of the session in Cambodian. That was always neat. And since I have been back I have had the same opportunity as well. It helps me to keep up on my language skills.

Now at this point in my life I try and apply the things that I have learned from the talks that are given so that I can better myself. It is a quest that I am on, and it always helps when you are given a few pointers. I know that we have been given a prophet and apostles to guide us to know what it is that we can do to become better people. Life is hard enough and we aren't expected to do it alone. I am grateful for the fact that I can receive guidance from one that is chosen by God to lead His children back to His presence. It makes me smile just thinking about it. I love President Hinckley and all that he does. He is a spiritual giant, and we can all learn a thing or two from him. Those "old guys" really know what they are talking about, so we should give an ear to what they have to say. Who knows, maybe you might learn something.

Battle Wounds of Life

Life is full of small adventures (especially when you are a little kid) which sometimes leave marks on us. These marks (I will to refer them as "scars") can sometimes have good stories behind them. I like to think of them as my battle wounds of life. Most of the scars that I have are on my hands, and many of them I don't know where they came from. I have a couple of scars that are pretty big that don't have that great of a story to them, but I am a pretty careful person, and I am not very accident prone.

One of the scars that I have is on my right thumb. I got it when I was around 5 years old. My brothers and I were with my dad while he was helping someone to move. We were sitting in the van that we had at the time (it was a brown Toyota van) and I decided to get out. Then after I had gotten out my brother decided to close the door while my hand was still in the van. I managed to get most of my hand out, but my thumb unfortunately got caught in the door. All I really remember is that my thumb really hurt, the fact that I was crying was a good indicator, and that it was purple and blue. I also remember that my dad put ice on it to keep the swelling down. As for the rest of the story, I can't recall any more since it was so long ago. But it did leave a nice little scar that I get to look at multiple times everyday of my life.

I also have another scar that isn't as visible, and isn't the most interesting of things, but it is still a scar. It is along my abdomen, and it is just a line. I got it when I was born because I was six weeks premature and I needed an operation where they cut me open. So it is a pretty cool scar, but I never really get to show it off since it isn't in a very visible spot, and it is hard to see anyways.

One of the coolest scars I know of isn't one that I have, but that my youngest brother has. My brothers, my best friend, and I were on a camping trip with my dad and we had climbed up a pretty steep hill just for the fun of it. Unfortunately the coming down part was more dangerous because the dirt on the slope was very loose. Two of my brothers and I managed to get down safely, but as I was going down my youngest brother slipped and fell off the slope, somersaulted in the air, and hit his head on a rock. I remember walking him to the van where my dad was, all the time blood was pouring out of his head. My dad took him to the hospital leaving the rest of us at the tent. That night was particularly windy, and our tent eventually caved in due to the force of the wind. My dad came back with my brother around midnight and set the tent back up. The next morning we saw the damage. He ended up getting 16 stitches. Today the scar that was left makes him look a lot like Harry Potter, but it is on the opposite side of his forehead.

So scars are pretty cool things, and I wish that I had more to show off, and good stories to tell. I think it helps to make life a little more interesting and fun. If you don't have any scars, you really haven't lived. It is just a part of life that we have to learn to deal with. All of those who are striving for perfection, and perfect whatever are living in a false reality. Nothing is perfect, and being perfect is boring. You don't have any cool stories to tell. So if during a time in your life you manage to get a scar, let it be, and allow yourself the opportunity to tell a good story.

What's For Breakfast?

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. At least that's what people say. I guess I would have to agree because it is the meal of the day that gets you going. If you don't get the necessary nutrients in the morning you won't have enough fuel to get you through the day, and you will burn out. I've been there. Even though I never have time in the mornings to cook anything elaborate, I like to dream of the things that I could eat. Usually I just have a bowl of cereal. The type of cereal is always changing because I like to eat different things at different times. You could say I go through phases, but those phases are always random. Right now I'm in the Fruity Pebbles phase. And I have to say that there are some pretty amazing cereals out there. Raisin Bran Crunch is one of my all time favorites. Frosted Flakes came out with a cinnamon kind, but they have discontinued it. Very sad. Anyways, I pretty much like all cereals, except the super healthy ones (Shredded Wheat, All Bran, etc.). The only cereal that I really don't like is Golden Grahams and I don't know why. But I definitely prefer cereal to oatmeal, bleh.

There are those mornings though where I feel a little inspired to cook up something nice. One of my favorites is french toast with bacon and eggs. So good. I love bacon with anything. I also like pancakes sometimes, but they are messy so I don't bother with them all that much. I have made breakfast burritos with my friend a couple of times, and I have thanked myself many a time for it. This is one reason why I like to go eat at Denny's, because they offer such a plethora of breakfast options. One of the things that make up a good breakfast is eggs. You gotta have eggs. And it doesn't matter how you cook them, they will go with practically anything. They are a beautiful thing, and they make me smile just thinking about them.

So go out there and experience breakfast the way it should be experienced. There are so many choices to satisfy the desire of you stomach. Just listen to what it wants and you can't go wrong. I often find myself following its commands and I always thank myself later. To be able to feel your stomach "smile" is a good feeling. And believe me, you will thank yourself for it too.

The Food of Champions

Growing up as a kid I had the opportunity to participate in the Boy Scouts of America. I learned many valuable skills and lessons that I still utilize to this day (you never know when you will need to tie a bow knot). One of the most important lessons that I think that they instill your young mind with is the motto of "be prepared." I think that this is a very useful piece of information because you never know when something is going to happen. It's not like we have to be like a mom and carry everything but the kitchen sink in our purse, but it is always good to have something up your sleeve in case a random event happens to take place. Let's have some fun and create a scenario where such an event takes place. I'll go with an easy one and say that a major earthquake has just rocked the earth, how can you be prepared for something like that?

Well, growing up in southern California it is a good idea to be prepared for an earthquake because you will never know when the San Andreas fault will feel like shaking itself up a bit. My parents made sure we were prepared for such an occasion. They had a food storage in the garage of different things that would last us for awhile just in case worst came to worst. I always enjoyed the idea of a food storage because I'm a man that likes to eat what I want when I want. I usually find myself at the store buying things I don't need, but that I just want because there might be a day when I crave that certain thing. On my mission I was known as the food storage elder in my apartment because I stored up a whole bunch of food. Right now as a poor college student it is harder for me to do this, but every other week I give in to my indulgences.

If said earthquake were to ever happen though, I would probably find myself in a world of hurt because the microwave is my best friend. I practically eat every meal out of it. Hot pockets and tv dinners make up the bulk of what I eat. So how can I prepare myself for an earthquake that is going to wipe out the usage of electricity? Two words. Top Ramen. Those wonderful noodles would be my savior. And they aren't half bad either. I actually enjoy them. And all you need is a little bit of hot water and you are set. Maybe if I were a little more well off I could buy stuff that is actually good for my body, but at this point in my life I can't afford to be a spender. That is another wonderful thing about Top Ramen. It is almost as cheap as dirt.

So there you have it. That is how I would prepare myself for the earthquake of the century. It isn't high class, but it will get me through. Of course if I were to get my own generator I could get some power to a microwave, but the fridge would be a different story. So I think I would still go with the noodles. In the end I guess that my advice would be just to have an ace up your sleeve just in case something happens. Life is one big random (for me at least) and I never know what to expect. But that is what makes life fun. So go out there and do the best you can to prepare yourself for whatever will come down the road, but always be wary of the fact that there are some things that will just come out of the blue. It is learning to roll with those kinds of things that will make life more enjoyable.

The Better Side of Me

Last time I wrote about some of the traits about me that I need to improve on. I figured I needed a self esteem boost, so today I'm going to write of those qualities that I feel are my best (of course there are many, but I won't bore you with the never ending list). First off, I feel that one of my best personality traits is that I am a very loyal person. I would do anything for anyone that is in my circle of friends or family, and maybe do some stuff for people that I don't even know. I love to share of myself and give service to those who are in need. There is a sense of compassion that I feel for the human race, and it drives me to help out those who are less fortunate. Whether it be a donation, or just a smile, I am always willing to brighten someone's day. I am a shoulder to cry on and a friend that gives an ear when you need to get something off of your chest. I also enjoy imparting of the wisdom that I have learned in my years of life to other people. That is just part of my loyalty to the human race.

And that is just the beginning. Over the years of my development of this characteristic I have found that perserverance has grown alongside it. When I set my mind out to do something, I don't finish until it gets done. I don't like to leave any job unfinished, it doesn't sit well with me. I am a person who likes to look back on my accomplishments and revel in them. I also feel that the more things I can accomplish, the more experience I will gain, which in turn will help me to share that experience with other people. I am always looking for opportunites to improve myself and to gain a deeper knowledge of different subjects.

Another quality that I feel is one of my best is that I am a person who just likes to have fun. I am a laid-back individual who does not like to be bored. Even though I don't leave a job unfinished I do those jobs quickly so I can move on to the next one. I am very active in this sense. I also like to get together with my friends and do whatever. In the past few years I have had some really good times with them, and I have learned a few things during that time as well. If the action is stimulating to my mind, I will probably pursue it. It helps to keep my brain going, because if I left it alone it would completely shut down (it's almost at that point already).

So there you have it. The good and the bad about me. As you can see I am just a normal (if there is such a thing) person who is trying to live life the best that I know how. That is all that I can do. I am not expected to do anything more. The most important thing is that I know that I'm not perfect and that there are things about me that I need to improve. But I don't let that get me down. I use the aspects of my personality that are good to help improve the bad ones. I feel that I am reaching a balance in my life which helps me to experience more happiness and joy as each day passes. Life is good, and I hope that it will just get better. I know that there will be bumps in the road, but that is to be expected. They provide and essential experience that can't be learned any other way. What is important to me is that I am striving to improve myself each day, and help out other people along the way.

One Step at a Time

I was asked a question in one of my classes, "what is the worst thing about you?" When I first heard this I thought to myself how hard a question this was to answer. It is always hardest to look at yourself and pick out the bad qualities. And as for myself, I enjoy the person that I am, and I am comfortable with my personality. But since I am not perfect, there is always room for improvement. So to set out to answer this question I had to solicit the help of my mom. The reason for that was because everyone knows that their mom knows them the best. The problem is that mothers tend to safeguard their children instead of telling them how it really is. Thankfully my mom is not one to mince words or beat around the bush. She will tell you like it is. Thanks mom, you're awesome.

When I asked her what she thought was the worst quality that I possessed, she was pretty quick to answer. At first she paused to think about it, and then told me that there really wasn't anything "bad" about my personality, but then the light came on and she gave me an answer that satisfied me. She said that one of the things that I wasn't very good at was being a social person. And I agree. I am not the kind of person to go out of my way to introduce myself to someone. I am an introverted kind of guy. There is a whole other story about how I became to be this way, but it is long, complicated, and I'm still figuring out the pieces to it.

She also pointed out that I am a pretty passive person as well. I am not one to go out and get myself in to the middle of an argument. I also have a high tolerance for things that people do (at least I think so). I don't let little things get to me. If it becomes a persistent problem I'll put my foot down, but it would have to be something significant. I take life as it comes, and roll with whatever comes my way. I don't like to add more stress on top of the amount that I have already. It's not good for my health.

So those are the answers that she gave me. Now when you look at it, they don't seem that bad. But to me they are areas for improvements. Up until now I haven't had any problems with these aspects of my personality, but my mom pointed out to me, that in the future when I go to have meaningful relationships with people i.e. girlfriends, wife, etc. that these traits might not be so favorable because they don't really allow for connection in a relationship. My mom is a psychologist, so she knows what she is talking about. And I agree with her 100% because I have seen things in my life that back up her statement. Luckily for me I have been aware of these "flaws" for awhile now (it isn't the first time that I have discussed this with my mom) and have been trying to improve them. I feel that I am doing a good job. It is a slow and steady process, but I have made steps within the last few years. I have become closer to my family and friends, and I am coming out of my shell a little bit more each day. I know that I still have a long way to go before I become a "social butterfly", and maybe that day will never come, but I will strive to do my best to improve myself. That is one thing that we as human beings have that other animal species don't. We have the ability to make ourselves better. We have great potential lying inside us. We just have to find the key to unlock that potential.

Geology Fun Fact No. 1

I am a huge fan of rocks (that's why I am studying to be a geologist) so I decided that I'm going to share facts about geology in random blogs that I write. For most people when they look at a landscape they don't realize the real beauty of what they are looking at. I love learning about how landscapes have come to be in their present state. There is so much history that can be gleaned from just looking at something. I'd have to say that one of my favorite geological structures are sink holes. They are really cool to look at, and it is pretty interesting, to me at least, how they are formed. It is a simple process that takes time, but what it produces is amazing. You start out with groundwater running through a layer of limestone. The water erodes the limestone and it creates holes in the ground. Eventually those holes form caves, and when the roof of that cave collapses you get a sink hole. But that is just the beginning. Over time the land is eroded and you eventually get karst towers along with underground springs coming out to the surface and other cool features. These formations are really cool to look at. I think karst topography is a sight to behold. So for those of you who plan to visit southern China anytime soon, you should go look at the wonderful karst topography in that region.

And that is just the beginning of how cool geology really is. But the reason I'm studying it isn't so that I can know about rocks, I want to go a little bit off the path and study the coolest kind of rocks ever... fossils. That's right. Not one person can tell me that fossils aren't cool. When you find one you become like a little school kid, and you get all excited and you want to show everybody. I have been fortunate enough to do some fossil digging in my life. It was for trilobites down in Delta, Utah and it was one of the coolest adventures I've ever been on. I even named the trilobites that I found. I look forward to the day when I find a dinosaur bone. That will be a highlight of my life. But finding any kind of ancient life is a thrill. One of the most awesome things I have learned about as a geologist is the Burgess Shale up in Canada. Now there is some pretty bizarre lifeforms that were buried in it. Look it up if your interest has been peaked. Anyways, I am really stoked for what I get to look forward to in the future. Look out fossils here I come! So that's it I guess. Rocks are cool, but fossils are even better. I might write a book about it someday. There is so much to look forward to in life, and it's even better because you don't know what to expect. Randomness in life makes it all the more fun.

Public Announcement No. 1

One of the fun things about life is that you can pick up some pretty cool hobbies. It is just one of the things that makes life worth living. I know if it wasn't for my desire to collect Transformers action figures, or play videogames, I wouldn't have much to live for (that is just a sarcastic statement, I don't mean it literally). One of the more classy hobbies that people have developed is the talent of music. Now not everybody is musically inclined, but for those people who are, thank you for sharing. I love to listen to music.

When I was eight years old, like many moms out there, my mother decided she wanted me to learn how to play the piano. At first I thought it would be a cool thing to do, but after my first lesson I decided that it took away from my play time (something I still don't like to happen to me even in the present). But for five years I made the choice to tough it out. Once I reached thirteen I stopped taking lessons. But that Christmas I asked my parents for a keyboard so that I could keep up on my skills. I tinkered on my keyboard for the next few years, but really didn't do anything with it. I think the only reason I didn't get really in to playing was the fact that I wanted to play cool songs (like from videogames), but I could never get a hold of any. While serving my mission in Massachusetts I had the opportunity to expand my piano playing skills a little bit. One of my companions taught me a couple of things and I proceeded to increase my prowess as a pianist. This I am grateful for even to this day. I can just sit down and put something together and make it sound kind of nice to hear.

One of the best days of my life was when I stumbled upon a website that had nintendo sheet music that I could download for free. Thank you internet! I don't know where I'd be without it. (A testament to how we as a society have become dependent on certain things that we "can't live without" i.e. cell phones, computers, etc). This sparked my interest in playing the piano again. I sat down and began to play the songs that I have loved since I was a little kid. It makes me so happy because I have been dreaming of playing songs from games like Legend of Zelda and Earthbound ever since I started learning how to play.

I continue to seek out music that I find stimulating to my mind. I am a fan of complicated music because it gets me to sit down and figure out how to play it. It may take me hours on end to eventually get the song down, but I enjoy the challenge. I am one who loves a good puzzle. It is also amazing to me because music notes are like a different language waiting to be heard. When you figure out how to play the song well, it's like speaking that language. Nice imagery huh? I'm not sure where I am going with this blog, but I just thought that I would get there out in to the public that there is a website that has nintendo sheet music. In case you're interested it's www.ninsheetmusic.net (This may be the first of many "public announcements" that I choose to proclaim in my blogs). So go look at it those of you who like to play the piano and love videogames. You won't be disappointed. The music there isn't easy though, but it makes for a great adventure.

Can I Have Fries With That?

America is the land of many choices. One of the great privileges of this wonderful society is to choose among the many places to dine and fill your stomach. Although this has led to an increase in American obesity, it is still nice to be able to go with your gut and go to the place that is going to satisfy the hunger that rumbles in your tummy. We are blessed as a nation to be able to have such an overabundance of places to go and receive the necessary nutrients that our bodies need. (Maybe not all of those nutrients are necessary, in fact according to national health scholars many places do a disservice to the good of our body).

When I am feeling hungry I always enjoy going to Carl's Jr. to go get a Double Western Bacon Hamburger (I don't like cheese) with some criss-cut fries and a drink. To me, this is the best meal in the entire world. I could never get enough of it. I went on a mission for my church to Massachusetts where they didn't have Carl's Jr. After two years the first thing I had when I got back to California was a nice hot double western with some criss-cut fries. It always makes my stomach smile as it hits the spot. I also enjoy Wendy's. The Jr. Bacon Burger and the Crispy Chicken Nuggets are bomb, and you can't beat a frostee. They are so good. There is another place in my hometown called Bravo Burger. They make some good burgers there, but what most people go there for (I think mostly the high schoolers in the area anyways) is the breakfast burrito. Oh man, they are so tasty. A huge flower tortilla with egg, bacon, and hash brown. You can get other varieties of it, but that is my favorite. They also have a mean breakfast menu as well.

Yea, I know fast food isn't the best, but I always say the worse it is for you, the better it tastes. Maybe nowadays they have healthy food that actually tastes like what it is mimicking, but every healthy thing I've eaten has tasted like cardboard. Sorry to all you health nuts out there, but I don't agree with that healthy lifestyle stuff. It's not how I roll. I digress. Now that I have covered the topic of fast food, it's time to move on to the actual dine-in restaurants. I actually have many favorites, but I'd say at the top of my list is Applebees. The one thing that I really liked there was the teriyaki steak with coconut shrimp. Mmm mmm good. Makes me salivate every time I think of it. They have some other good stuff one the menu, but I like to stick with the steak and shrimp. I am also an Old Spaghetti Factory fan. Can't ever get enough of the Italian pasta. One of the places that I enjoy the most to eat at though is Denny's. Give me a Grand Slam and I am a happy camper. I know it isn't classy, but hey, I don't care. I like to eat good food.

So now you know about a few places that have some good food to eat. Now maybe you will actually go out and experience the wonderful world of food. I know there are many other places that are spectacular, but I've given a list of some decent choices (If health isn't an issue for you). I encourage people to go out and put their money in to the economic stream so that these 50 great states and flourish. And hey, maybe that money will go to someone going to college and opening up a new food chain that makes some delicious meals. I'd be ever grateful for that. So go on America, eat up (but don't overeat, it isn't good for your health).

When I Grow Up

When you are a little kid a teacher will always ask you what you want to be when you grow up. This is a pretty simple question to answer for one so young an age with limited knowledge of the plethora of jobs out there. Mostly you will hear the boys say that they want to be a fireman, or an astronaut, and the girls would answer that they want to be "mommies". (I'm sure it is a little different today since more and more women are enjoying the benefits of the work force, but for all intensive purposes I will go with the answer I have given). There is also another answer that is common among youngsters, and that is wanting to be a dinosaur hunter (we all know this translates into "paleontologist"). And, of course, when I was that age, that was the answer I gave, except I actually told my teachers I wanted to be a paleontologist. Many were surprised that I even knew such a "big word" but that's the truth. Ever since I was yea high (around the height of your average kindergartner) I have been fascinated with dinosaurs. That is why I choose that answer, and I have stuck to my guns ever since. Sadly not many children get to live out their childhood dreams.

Seeing as studying dinosaur fossils would involve me having to acquire and intimate knowledge of geology and biology, I have set out to earn a degree in geology. So far the trip has been a lot of fun, and I am enjoying gaining more and more experience in the field, and learning more about the earth and different geological structures. It is the beginning of my adventure to one day be a paleontologist. I have always planned on being in school for a long time, but I foresee a great future ahead of me. I have even set some goals for myself for when I become a paleontologist. One of them is to find a complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It is a lofty one, but I think that it can be done.

I know that this has been one of my shorter blogs (maybe someone will actually read this then), but it is about something that I care a lot about. I'm not sure what else I would be if I couldn't be a paleontologist. I'm really interested in ancient Egyptian culture, so maybe I'd take that route, but I'd still rather look at dinosaur bones than mummies. I think it is amazing that I have stayed with it all this time. I'm not sure why, but maybe it is part of my destiny (I use the term lightly) to be one. And I feel it is important to do what you love. I spent a summer at a desk job, and I hated it. Never again will I be confined to a computer and a desk. I will be out in the field banging rocks and looking at some pretty awesome stuff. It is a beautiful world that we live in, and there have been some pretty amazing creatures that have walked the face of it. I am excited to study about what came before us, and how they impacted the world that we live in today.

The Power of Change

One of the things that I find to be a saving grace among the human race is our creative abilities. If it wasn't for that, we would be pretty boring people. And with this creativity comes imagination of things that could be. One such avenue of imagination has been that of the creation of superheroes with powers beyond that of a normal human being. Now seeing as comics are just fiction, we know that they aren't real. But wouldn't it be cool if one morning you woke up with a super power? It would be fun to speculate about it. The question is though, what super power would you like to have?

I have often liked to delve in to this question. In my digging I have come up with a few thoughts that I would like to share. First off, I believe that most people would answer, "I wish I had the power to fly." Now that is a pretty cool power. But in my quest for an answer, I have decided that the power to change in to anything I want would be something to marvel at. And seeing that I could change in to any form, I could become a bird, and fly to my hearts content (thus covering the power to fly). I find it to be a pretty useful power because it allows me to express myself as freely as I want. If I felt like being a lion, bam, I'd be a lion. Or even better, I could be a dinosaur (probably an ankylosaurus because it is one of my favorites). Now isn't that cool? I can just imagine a little boy saying, "look mommy, dinosaurs are still alive!" and the mom wondering what she is doing wrong in the education of her child (she obviously didn't see me as the dinosaur).

Now that I am on the subject of imagining what super power I would have, lets come up with a name to go along with that super power. (I might as well write my own comic book) Coming up with a name for someone that can alter their form has been a tough thing for me, but I believe a suitable name would be Quick Change. I'm sure there are better names, but I can't think of any right now. I would probably be a good guy, but I could see the possibility of me being on the darker side. I am always torn on this subject because both sides offer different perks. Although in most stories the good guys are able to thwart the bad guys. There are those times where I find myself identifying with one of the bad dudes though. Like I said, it's a hard decision to make, for me at least.

So that is the super hero I'd be. I know that it isn't an original super power that I would have, but that's not the point. The point was to explore what super power I would like to have. I have also thought about the power of teleportation. There are moments in my life where I get lazy, and I wish that I could just teleport myself to the location I would like to be at. That is one thing that made Nightcrawler in X-Men so sweet. Another choice I've explored recently would be the power to turn vehicles in to Transformers that would obey my command (I'd be able to change them back if they got out of hand). That is just a fanatic power though, but it's original. So how about them apples? What a journey this has been, but I love to imagine my life having the power to change in to anything I want. I've even written my own cartoon/comic about me being part of a super team and having that power. It is just one of those fun questions that people often like to ask, and I love to think about what my answer is. See it is that creativity that I mentioned before that keeps life interesting. I hate being bored.

"Parts" of a Whole

In the world that we live in today there are many things that we see which stimulate our minds. The beauty of nature is something that can always take our breath away. I love going up on top of a mountain and looking out at the grandeur of this world. It is the colors of nature that cause us to take a step back and ponder on what those colors really mean. In psychology people are assigned a color according to their personality type. White is often assciated with peace, and red with power. Although one might think that they are just one color type, to me, I believe that we are all made up of different color personalities that like to shine at different times. We as human beings can't define oursevles as just one thing. There are many aspects that make up who we are. I am of the belief that we are all "schizophrenic", being that we all have different "parts" that are within us. At one time one "part" is dominant, and at another time a different "part". I believe that this hypothesis would rock the pshycholgical world, but I haven't done enough research on it to fully explain what I mean by it. So bear with me, in the future I may come out with more findings on this subject. I just wanted to throw the idea out there to get you thinking.

Anyways, going on with this color identification, I would say that the most dominant color that would describe me would be midnight blue. It is a mysterious color that evokes awe and wonder. You look up at the midnight sky and it speaks to you of calm and mystery. It is a color with dual meanings. In the darkness of night you never know what is going to happen. The world is a different place at night, and it is wonderful to explore. It is the sense of adventure and unkown that causes me to put this as my dominant "part" because that is what I love to do. I am one who loves to explore and think about things that haven't been discovered yet. I believe myself to be a mysterious person as well because there are things about me that I still have yet to discover. It is my life's adventure to figure out who I am and what makes me tick.

Another color that I think would describe another "part" of me is red. Red represents many things, one of which is perserverance. At least that is what I feel it personifies. There are many who would tack the description of power, dominance, etc to it, but I think that all of that boils down to one word, and that is perserverance. You can't have power or dominance without the desire to keep pushing forward. There are many points of my life where this "part" of me has taken over and pushed me to do some pretty great things. I ran cross country in high school, and I can say with a surety that from the starting line til the finish line there was something driving me that usually isn't there. There are times in my life when I am given something to do, and I finish it with an intense focus. But this isn't always the case for me. It is a rare occasion when I find somthing that I am determined to finish.

There are many other colors that I would use to describe the other "parts" of my personality. One of which would be white. I am always trying to find ways to compromise in heated situations. I am not one who likes to make confrontation. My mom is always saying if I had been born in the 60's I would have fit right in. I also think green would describe another "part" of me. Green, I believe, represents a hunger for knowledge, in other words, curiosity. I am always seeking to learn new things. I am always experimenting and observing other people to see what kind of person they are. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, and I have only partaken of a small portion of it.

So I believe that I have begun to make the point that I made earlier. I can't just pinpoint one color and say, "that's me." One, that would be too boring, and two, we aren't built as robots. We have different aspects to our personalities, and at times other "parts" are more dominant. There are even random, or unkown "parts" that pop up occasionally to say hi, and cause other people to wonder where that "part" came from. These are my favorite "parts" because I am always of the mindset to keep other people on their toes. We are changing beings, and some "parts" will fade, and others will appear over time. We are a species that is continually evolving inside ourselves. We can't be complacent with just one color to define who we are. The colors should be many, and should be changing over time. This is what makes life fun. Trying to figure out what your different "parts" are, and what "parts" you could potentially have in the future. This is what keeps people interesting. It is those people who don't want to search out new "parts" that will find life to be boring. Life is a rollercoaster, and it is to be enjoyed. My advice would be to make it one of your life's experiements to seek out what "parts" make up you. Without a doubt I know that it will be a journey that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

O.G. or New Age?

I was asked a question today, "what was the worst movie you have ever seen?" Now I have seen a lot of movies in my life, most of them have been to my enjoyment, but on a rare occasion I see a movie that leaves me with the feeling of "why did I ever waste my money on that?" We all have had this wonderful experience with Hollywood, and we can never know when to expect it. Now I don't want to focus so much on the crappy quality of a movie. I want to dig a little deeper and explore the avenues of how Hollywood has totally destroyed the awesomeness (I know this isn't a real word, but the rules of American English allow for it) of old school cartoons and comics. Yes, it is a touchy subject, and I know there will be few that agree with what I have to say, but this needs to be said. If you have any objections feel free to comment.

Going on, this summer has been a huge let down, for me at least, when it came to those movies that decided to try and emulate the beauty and prestige of the cartoons and comics that I grew up with as a kid. Let me just list a few: Spiderman, Superman, Fantastic Four, Transformers... you get the idea. Now many people thought that these movies were huge blockbusters of the summer, but in my minds eye, they were totally out of sync with the original versions. Take for instance Spiderman. In the second one they couldn't even get Doc Oc's outfit right. Come on yellow and green spandex may look tacky, but it was priceless. You can't take that away. And to say the least, Tobey and Kirsten weren't exactly the best Peter Parker and Mary Jane.

I could go on about each movie, but I wanted to focus on one in particular, and that is Transformers. Most of you are wondering what I could possibly have against a movie that did so well in theaters. There is a lot that was wrong with it, and I'm sure that any hardcore Transformers fan will say the same as I, that it didn't live up to its potential. I mean, yea, you have the characters and all, but they weren't the same. The personalities of the decepticons were way off (i.e. you never saw Starscream's desire to take over decepticon command) among other things. My list is huge. The autobot's personalities were a bit closer, but still off. Jazz was the only one I think that was even remotely close to his original character as portrayed in the 80's cartoon series. Even still I think they went a little extreme with him, and they even killed him off...lame. That was another thing that I wasn't to keen on was how easily everyone was dying. And come on, how utterly unclimatic is Sam (Shia LaBeouf) pushing the all spark up in to Megatron instead of Optimus? One more thing, his name is Spike, not Sam. And another thing, what is this all spark? There was no such thing in the original. Yea, the Transformers parallel to a soul is called a spark, but that's it. No one thing that creates stuff. Besides the Transformers were created by the Quintessons, not an all spark.

Another beef I had with the movie was how they used names of Transformers that didn't even fit. To name a few, Devastator was the six construticons put together, not a tank. And Bonecrusher was part of the constructicon team (the bulldozer), not an army transport vehicle. And where do they get off making the police car a decepticon???? That persona is for Prowl, an autobot. I was really disappointed with that one annoying little decepticon Frenzy. They totally yanked him off the pedestal that I had him on. In the original cartoon frezny is one of my favorites, and the movie just ripped him to shreds. Oh and another thing, Megatron is a gun, not a "cybertronian jet." Also, they messed up Optimus Prime's face. You never saw his mouth in the original. Come on it's not that hard.

I could go on and on with the never-ending list of hatred and utter disappointment that I have with this movie. That is why I am placing it as the worst movie I have ever seen. Not because it was just a waste of film, but because of the name that it didn't live up to. I will always hold forever in my heart the original Transformers movie. It is my top movie of all time. To think my favorite movie, and the one I hate the most, are about the same thing. Ironic. So in the end, we see how Hollywood perverts the true character of the comic/cartoon genre. The only movie in this category that was any good was Batman. Now there was a great movie that the director did a good job on. I want to give him props, and I hope that the new Batman movie coming out next summer is just as good. If there were ever to be a sequel to the Transformers movie, I don't know if I'd go see it because it might just destroy the images of some of the greatest heroes of my childhood. Some may say that I am clinging on to something of the past, but I believe that the old school will always beat out the new age stuff that is coming out these days. I feel sorry for what kids have to view these days. But that is an argument that can be saved for a later time.

Life

Life is an interesting thing. When you start to figure out what life is all about suddenly you find yourself trying to fit everything into a nice package. My view on this is plain and simple (of course in reality that simplicity is very complex). I've decided that life can not be put into this nice box where everything is defined. Life is an experiment, and that there is no right answer to any one problem. During my journey that I call this mortality I have come up with a few hypotheses that have yet to be proven wrong. (Of course there is always the chance that they could be since a hypothesis is just a theory waiting to be proven wrong. And for the sake of my optimistic side, which is highly overridden by my pessimistic one, it hopes that these few thoughts are wrong).
First off- people are stupid. Yea, I know that this is harsh, but you see it everyday. Human beings, despite all that they have acheived, make the dumbest of choices everyday. Take for instance the person who gambles. No I don't want to impose my moral values in this blog, so I'll do my best to separate the two. Going on, gambling is almost a very fruitless act seeing as probably around 90% of the time you come away losing money. There is always the chance you will walk away with more than you came in, but that chance is very small. So is this an intelligent thing to do? The odds would suggest no. And there are many more examples I could provide, but I think that I have started to paint the picture.
We as humans are always trying to reach higher, and in some cases we have. I mean outer space was no small step. But there are other things that we do that seem a little absurd. Like man's desire to control everything around him. It is a natrual thing that we all do. It has brought about amazing advances in thought and technology, but there are certain limits that we miss when we are striving to have mastery over everything. I mean nature isn't going to bow down and say, "yea, I'll be subservient to you little human." So why do we all feel that we must be the one in charge. From my personal view it is better in the back seat. I mean the other week I was riding in a van through very bumpy terrain, and I was having the time of my life. People need to learn that there is a balance to all things. It's hard to find it, but it is there. It is those people who disregard this balance that ruin the lives of many around them. To summarize all of this, we need to slow down and take life as it comes. It is good to be prepared, but there are certain "random" (I love that word because it describes my life perfectly) events that we will never see coming, and will totally catch us off gaurd. Roll with it. That is a small piece of life.
So this has been fun. I'd love to share more of my hypotheses and insights in the future. I hope that you have started to see what kind of person I am from the things that I have said. (If you haven't I'm a pretty sarcastic, possimistic (in the middle between pessimist and optimist), and I love to have fun. You'll probably see more of my personality as I write more. Please feel free to add your comments about what you think life is about, and what you have discovered while walking the streets of this wonderful world.