tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44876901378826201232024-02-18T21:13:18.812-08:00Where am I going, and why am I in a handbasket...stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-52745335104200418292014-08-11T21:42:00.002-07:002014-08-16T18:54:13.151-07:00Questivus for the rest of us... [Pt. 1]A few <strike>weeks </strike> months (I'm bad at posting regularly) ago I participated in an event called "<a href="http://cotopaxi.com/pages/questival">Questival</a>." It was an epic 24-hour adventure race/scavenger hunt -OR/AND- a brilliant marketing ploy for a new outdoor gear company, but either way, it was a lot of fun. <a href="http://cotopaxi.com/">Cotopaxi</a>, is a new company that claims that it does, "Gear for good." That is to say, for what you buy of their products, the donate to NGO's and Charities around the world. Anyway, I've already provided enough free exposure for them, myself and over a thousand other participants, so if you are curious as to the particulars, then go ahead and click on the hyperlink above.<br />
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On to our team, and the fun times we had. Our team consisted of 4 Men (although some might dispute that distinction for some of us), Alan (AKA: Old Man Beardsly), Shawn (AKA: Potato Biker), Gluch (AKA: in-it-to-win-it) and ME (AKA: Mr. Plantastic). (Not actually known by any of these nicknames, but I feel A-Team rip-offs are in order). <a href="http://cynicpicnicrevisited.blogspot.com/">Politicchic</a> picked out a swell name, #atdawnweride for us.<br />
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Alan is my brother-in-law, and Gluch is my main villian from mission days, and Shawn is Alan's friend and grabbed the whole family and drove down from Idaho, he's that hardcore. We had a few overly long planning sessions before the race actually occurred, because the list was released before hand. What list you ask? The list of tasks. The big draw for a lot of participants was that you got a $30 backpack for the sign-up cost of $10. This was incentive to participate, as well as a way to ensure that the tasks were completed properly with members of the team present (I'm pretty sure there was some egregious cheating going on, but who cares? the rules were ambiguous enough and you can only do so much for people's honesty).<br />
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Enough of that, the quests: <a href="http://jasonsweat.weebly.com/blogs.html">Click Here</a> (It was easier to put it on my old portfolio website then anywhere else, just scroll down, its all there)<br />
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As you can see, there is quite an extensive list. I'll chronologically list out achievements over the course of questival.<br />
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Friday April 11th at 2 PM: Alan arrives at my apartment, and we await the arrival of Shawn. Gluch was at class or something, so he was meeting up with us later.<br />
Previous to the competition, I had made Llama rights signs and a brownie shaped like a llama. I was terribly proud of both, but sadly the challenge involving picketing for llama rights was stricken from the final rules list. We did it anyway, as you will see later.<br />
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Somewhat before 3, Shawn and his wife arrived, and he jumped in with us and we headed down to the start off point, South of BYU. (Since I had the best vehicle for the adventure [a Ford Escape named "Bruce,"] and no smart phone, I was the driver for this escapade.)<br />
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3 PM: We arrived to a good line, that grew very quickly. We were lucky to get in when we did, because in no time at all, the line stretched around the block. There were some real go-getters that sold lemonade as per a quest item to the people in line as soon as they got their backpacks. Alan and I betrayed the team and bought lemonade from them.<br />
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We got our Backpacks, Mine was blue and white, and ran to go do our first task.<br />
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3:15 PM- Took a picture with Professor McKonkie, a really cool guy. Also thanked him.<br />
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3:20 PM- Alan, Sean, and myself then went to the Food and Care Coalition to perform an hour of service. Gluch met up with us there.<br />
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4:20PM- We then hustled to the Provo High Track to run a mile. Which I did while the rest looked on. Gluch ran a lap, but was in jeans and street shoes, so just waited for me to finish.<br />
Before:<br />
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After (Note Gluch's feigned exhaustion):<br />
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While there, we also threw a sticker on my vehicle, whose name is Bruce, and took a picture of my Llama cake/brownie.<br />
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4:45 PM- We booked it on over to the Utah Valley Conference Center to shake the Mayor of Provo's hand. Apparently, he got an tsunami of requests to do this, and so set up to 10 minute periods to get it over with, at his leisure. Smart guy. We also "clocked", and "planked" there. I had no idea what "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVxhTPWI_fNU&ei=FQGSU9jhE8OlyASp8oHoCg&usg=AFQjCNFfu0YPtGWNxPYWt5bf8w4kixn8KA&sig2=BMWDyIzAlVKB5AgG4SU-Ow&bvm=bv.68445247,d.aWw&cad=rja">clocking</a>" was. Apparently, you hold your hands out like the hands of a clock in some diverse location... and "planking" is laying prone somewhere. These are stupid trends. But alas, they were tasks to complete, and so we completed the hell out of them.<br />
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Somewhere around 5 PM, we rushed to perform the task of eating a hot dog with hot sauce in a hot tub while wearing hot pants.<br />
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Sorry.<br />
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Anyway.<br />
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Gluch also seized the day and planted a flower in the planter outside the apartments where the hot tub was located.<br />
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5:30 PM- We drive down to Spanish Fork to visit the Krishna Temple.<br />
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There we do the following: selfie with a llama, yoga pose in a scenic location, and best of all, we shoot a sweet little training video with my camera that I had planned previously. Gluch (Dave) really rose to the occasion. =<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMylaA2XKaOKfiLDiydGh8qacQZKJf8s9_J2dWbNwIfL9a7HnvnD0ele5L8Vq5Pjv8qh-grOlJgdt6lheEUT-rPefXlKCwi0h84q-NTOVoSARdfQHQnhWjuxmhSSs9KjqeS2kJSUuB1uLl/s1600/Photo+Apr+11,+7+35+16+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMylaA2XKaOKfiLDiydGh8qacQZKJf8s9_J2dWbNwIfL9a7HnvnD0ele5L8Vq5Pjv8qh-grOlJgdt6lheEUT-rPefXlKCwi0h84q-NTOVoSARdfQHQnhWjuxmhSSs9KjqeS2kJSUuB1uLl/s1600/Photo+Apr+11,+7+35+16+PM.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the Video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/k5ckCLSH3m8" width="480"></iframe><br />
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At 7:15 or so we watched the sunset.<br />
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<br />
We will continue the tale on the next few posts.<br />
<br />
And at the conclusion of Each I will include the following:<br />
<a href="http://cotopaxi.com/pages/questival-raw-unverified-scores">http://cotopaxi.com/pages/questival-raw-unverified-scores</a>stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-75499675803548021612014-03-25T12:54:00.002-07:002014-03-26T09:31:05.845-07:00Some of the Ugliest Vehicles on the road today... (in my humble opinion)Not need to beat around the bush. These vehicles are hideous. Sorry if you like some, but they really are. <br />
<br />
<b>1)Pontiac Aztec</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvwy3pZGeX587WygWSdZmbo5VRCcBxpxJpOgZhUtoCmwqfTE_kOmXGYFAj49nsQFL4P3dnTjRQa7rESLhiJNUfgd4rz43iJ94iasCUT1cEV5pc4fTgZ6O1uvHSv2ivs75vbFShthzmExP/s1600/aztec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvwy3pZGeX587WygWSdZmbo5VRCcBxpxJpOgZhUtoCmwqfTE_kOmXGYFAj49nsQFL4P3dnTjRQa7rESLhiJNUfgd4rz43iJ94iasCUT1cEV5pc4fTgZ6O1uvHSv2ivs75vbFShthzmExP/s1600/aztec.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the car on Breaking Bad... I know. Good for it. Still hideous. I imagine the writers for that show sat down and asked each other, what is the ugliest, non-gangster car that we can get on the cheap for this low budget series? Someone timidly raised their hand and proffered.... "How about an Aztec?" They then were subject to much ridicule and people probably swore at them. But alas, when they looked at their budget, they had to go along.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>2) Chevy SSR</b><br />
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Not much to say. The picture speaks louder than words. Fails as a truck. Fails as a car. Succeeds as an instant wrath generator.<br />
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<br />
<b>3) Nissan Cube</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCdYrru_fpgBzLW_QUiUuHcs5PX08kHEZ7I67J-9dA1XsK3PiUaUEI-x2Ga7pLVvsTQ3I-Pn83D1Rm2jc0dP3ukAitU3rcWmPYrmtkD4N11eJOgmOmSMzyf8N62MGdK5Et4nNKj4u-tYK/s1600/cube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCdYrru_fpgBzLW_QUiUuHcs5PX08kHEZ7I67J-9dA1XsK3PiUaUEI-x2Ga7pLVvsTQ3I-Pn83D1Rm2jc0dP3ukAitU3rcWmPYrmtkD4N11eJOgmOmSMzyf8N62MGdK5Et4nNKj4u-tYK/s1600/cube.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nice back windows... NOT! The wrap around was surely some designer's hope that a trend would emerge. That trend didn't catch on because it is stupid and ugly.<br />
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<b>4) Toyota Prius</b><br />
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Many kinds of Prius, all of them ugly. If this is what it takes to save the environment, then maybe we should consider if the environment is worth saving...<br />
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<b>5) Chrysler PT Cruiser</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABvO4W2LzRx3K1hngsnvhHM0xrPNxBTjXitAWuOYd4xKC0kh_R6mduJdFM5IDHgYbv9lA1Dhv_BIbDUfoddxuTv7uPE1QuAJWZFqfGTbwMKo1ctS8mUHNaKedq0c7MVwEFvWA4vyUZVDs/s1600/pt-cruiser-gt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABvO4W2LzRx3K1hngsnvhHM0xrPNxBTjXitAWuOYd4xKC0kh_R6mduJdFM5IDHgYbv9lA1Dhv_BIbDUfoddxuTv7uPE1QuAJWZFqfGTbwMKo1ctS8mUHNaKedq0c7MVwEFvWA4vyUZVDs/s1600/pt-cruiser-gt.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eggplant on wheels? It would probably look better if that were the case. I like to think that it was this car that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler">caused Chrysler to declare bankruptcy in 2009</a>.<br />
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<b>6) Mercedes (I think?) Smart Car</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbcEGGwwZWweNiZcxCKmGs1bzPKZTj_jZeOYGgz2og2KdVzoY3lInX7tfGJYS3smbP3dIUAuHqYMltYvPRUq1VxmMXeWVB76vLwQM2AnQA7Y_5N04YZljsVOnbPI11fZKbje8GKWGuWlX/s1600/smart+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbcEGGwwZWweNiZcxCKmGs1bzPKZTj_jZeOYGgz2og2KdVzoY3lInX7tfGJYS3smbP3dIUAuHqYMltYvPRUq1VxmMXeWVB76vLwQM2AnQA7Y_5N04YZljsVOnbPI11fZKbje8GKWGuWlX/s1600/smart+car.jpg" /></a></div>
I admit, it would be a dream to park. However, so are bikes, and a bike would provide marginally better protection if you were to collide with another vehicle while using one.<br />
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<br />
<b>7) Subaru Outback</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0xewRgOVGfRo7nIjdlzzNEksYEXD8Neo4O6ydbf-ov5yhSJ8z6PPaP1FhY9TvSrwwdNP-c7wA0GzVffOil7eXQr6Lxgp88ixDve8le7FkMOhV23FXI4w6UyEDR8ZpLpsmujM-snT9_8n/s1600/subaru+baja.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0xewRgOVGfRo7nIjdlzzNEksYEXD8Neo4O6ydbf-ov5yhSJ8z6PPaP1FhY9TvSrwwdNP-c7wA0GzVffOil7eXQr6Lxgp88ixDve8le7FkMOhV23FXI4w6UyEDR8ZpLpsmujM-snT9_8n/s1600/subaru+baja.jpeg" height="155" width="320" /></a></div>
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See the SSR's comment.<br />
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<br />
<b>8) BMC Mini-Cooper</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvFvXe864zSsRsGT7koI9xDsDvBzzPMM37k-RDiDpC4Oy93ZeVxGEe8mTaIykXohpN4O_iIsGt2fvOx6EgNXMPsXpLwI4haIWR2urq3YMuUshxjmQDHCdaZQsqwcBaWHUnQJDPH4BiDU6/s1600/yellow-mini+cooper.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvFvXe864zSsRsGT7koI9xDsDvBzzPMM37k-RDiDpC4Oy93ZeVxGEe8mTaIykXohpN4O_iIsGt2fvOx6EgNXMPsXpLwI4haIWR2urq3YMuUshxjmQDHCdaZQsqwcBaWHUnQJDPH4BiDU6/s1600/yellow-mini+cooper.jpeg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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Featured prominently in "The Italian Job." Is that a plus? I don't know, but these are ugly.<br />
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<b>9) Chevy Avalanche</b><br />
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Super ugly.<br />
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<b>10)</b> Not a car, but rather what people do to their cars. This could be its own post, but the thing I hate most is a dropped pickup with skirting...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBAXpJF5UfTqLjocPy1MuoQWd8lPxOmgPOdF3iN8ydP9F_eKfHsn5dTAdvN6LdXe7ZEzUZhKIqV2i_TcdTYA7mUSU4DK_LA_N1DzNxdmuwPmyUfd5zGb4EMP7AfXD_Wn-Ll16krVMqIrh/s1600/f-150skirting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBAXpJF5UfTqLjocPy1MuoQWd8lPxOmgPOdF3iN8ydP9F_eKfHsn5dTAdvN6LdXe7ZEzUZhKIqV2i_TcdTYA7mUSU4DK_LA_N1DzNxdmuwPmyUfd5zGb4EMP7AfXD_Wn-Ll16krVMqIrh/s1600/f-150skirting.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6CCA43kqnbpP3tBzwJG9uo61Ky5_3HDMb4M6HSfJuF8y4k7QGklCxmbaqMjrhs7-yxtfDHv7seDD75_BhDN5Q9Df0pPB_3aFcX3HGWIL9gMC2m7SoNbJbiIUGka3K_Hu7lZDh5oHOKfz/s1600/s-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6CCA43kqnbpP3tBzwJG9uo61Ky5_3HDMb4M6HSfJuF8y4k7QGklCxmbaqMjrhs7-yxtfDHv7seDD75_BhDN5Q9Df0pPB_3aFcX3HGWIL9gMC2m7SoNbJbiIUGka3K_Hu7lZDh5oHOKfz/s1600/s-10.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This hurts my soul.<br />
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And for your amusement:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGVryQqG3NP1pH9NBlde3JHNxDH5zLAC3B8TLGnCKBS3QL27gGveUukIhftbfSl5CwKAkEKM1TM9ZWIMNpzJv9XcY9JdkMqX-vlbAWwHBla8WtClhdyNmQaIMyFYaV9yr9quBIhD3EjfA/s1600/funny-crash-smart-car-bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGVryQqG3NP1pH9NBlde3JHNxDH5zLAC3B8TLGnCKBS3QL27gGveUukIhftbfSl5CwKAkEKM1TM9ZWIMNpzJv9XcY9JdkMqX-vlbAWwHBla8WtClhdyNmQaIMyFYaV9yr9quBIhD3EjfA/s1600/funny-crash-smart-car-bike.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>*Addendum:</b><br />
No sooner had I completed this post when I drove across town and saw more ugly cars. This is actually a whole subset I'll call "tacky futuristic SUV's". Category includes: <u>Nissan Murano</u>, <u>Dodge Nitro</u>, and the <u>Ford Edge</u>. There are a whole bunch of others in this category (some already listed above), but it is past time to stop thinking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwjSk8NkviUkpN42mEVuuYF8GIz82TdbHpouly_cW-_e-Gk9f0iW6zsMv4Jy_ru-B4yxHX3bYqXyUP4iOpKFLmUYue27-jvqfuXKFRbypS4F7eM4wHb4YGwfmLTiGqwFb9aRaB8FVVwXc/s1600/dodge-nitro-detonator-630-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwjSk8NkviUkpN42mEVuuYF8GIz82TdbHpouly_cW-_e-Gk9f0iW6zsMv4Jy_ru-B4yxHX3bYqXyUP4iOpKFLmUYue27-jvqfuXKFRbypS4F7eM4wHb4YGwfmLTiGqwFb9aRaB8FVVwXc/s1600/dodge-nitro-detonator-630-main.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-92175441482805808522014-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:002014-02-28T15:34:42.981-08:00My new roommate: Why we are the odd couple.My new roommate... *sigh.<br />
<br />
Nice guy.<br />
Divorced with a 7-year-old daughter. That is no problem. He is fine with sharing, and largely occupied with his own life.<br />
So wherein do we become the odd couple?<br />
WELL.<br />
I am cleaner than pretty much everyone that I have ever lived with. This includes every mission companion that I have ever had and a slew of roommates over the years. (Joe is also pretty clean). The current roommate, who we will call "T" is not clean. He is not filthy, but it swiftly became apparent that I have different standards of clean then he does.<br />
My first hint were the shoes that appeared by the door.<br />
I didn't find this an issue initially. Some people get into the happen of removing their shoes upon entering their house to protect the carpet. We don't have nice carpet. BUT, before he came here, he MAY have had nice carpet, so I was willing to overlook it.<br />
Until they never moved.<br />
They just sat there. One week. Two weeks. A month went by before something happened. What happened you ask? Not removal, no no, it was joined by a pair of jeans with the belt still in them. Seriously as if they had been removed upon on entering. They ALSO didn't move for several days.<br />
THEN, to round out the party: a grocery bag full of what appeared to be dirty laundry. WHAT?!<br />
So that continued for a few more weeks. And finally, all disappeared. More mystifying than crop circles.<br />
<br />
He also sucks at doing dishes. I detest pulling out a cup or bowl only to discover that there is a film of SOMETHING coating a part of it. It makes me wonder about the cleanliness of all of the dishes in the cupboard. This is obnoxious. Also, the penchant for washing only HALF of the dishes, and never cleaning the counters or the floor. This is something that I am used too, but still annoying. Particularly because of this other trait that T has: he fancies himself a health eater.<br />
<br />
SO! Constantly scraping flax seed gunk off of the stove top. There is a myriad of blending devices and juicers cluttering up an already crowded counter space. The man doesn't exercise much, but he buys a ton of fresh vegetables and things and makes a LOT of smoothies and other things that make a mess. Which he infrequently cleans. (You can say what you want about my diet, but pop tarts, cereal, and hot pockets do not make much of a mess). This brings us to yet another annoyance: the 3 week old chicken. You know those rotisserie chickens you can by at Smiths for around 6 bucks? Imagine 3/4ths of one sitting on the second shelf of your fridge for a month. Guess what? It stinks. I nearly get up the nerve to chuck it, when it is magically replaced with yet another rotisserie chicken, and thus the cruel cycle begins anew...<br />
<br />
He just started the #*$@ing horrible practice of burning incense. I am neither a hippie, nor trying to cover up the smell of pot, ergo, I am not an incense fan.<br />
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And then there is his girl friend.<br />
She seems nice, but crazy clingy. He will NOT do better, but he wants to dump her for some reason. This has led to a series of loud, LONG, DTR's (determine the relationship) until all hours of the morning. The walls of this fine apartment are (shocking, I know), thin. So I get to hear about how he doesn't seem to care, and how he is mad at her judging him, and bla bla bla bla bla.... bla. I never thought something was worse than having that conversation. I was wrong. Listening to it ebb and flow for hours as you try to drift off into slumber every day for most of a week is worse. ALL THE TIME WITH THIS. Now they are in my living room, monopolizing my TV, with a TON of dishes and whatnot dirty from their Valentines dinner. I am not passive aggressive, merely a jerk, so it has been difficult for me to not let fire fly forth. Thankfully, because he usually corrects the mess eventually....<br />
<br />
And then there is his daughter. She is not really loud, but I'm not a huge fan of kids. I like some, but by and large, I prefer when they aren't in my living space. So, every now and then, I am surprised when I awake or come home to find one underfoot. I want to eat, but she's coloring on the table. I want to watch TV, but she's watching cartoons. Strange world I live in. Oh, and T usually uses the kitchen table as his laptop viewing area, so eating there is rather uncomfortable. Can't talk, he is watching stuff on his computer, so rather than doing that, I eat in my room.<br />
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He also runs the heater WAY more than I ever did pre-T entering the picture. Granted, I liked to keep thinks about 62, which to some people is unreasonable, but I pay the gas bill straight up for simplicity's sake, and last month I was appalled.<br />
<br />
I use a lufa in the bathroom. I love lufas, not one of my more many admissions. He has no lufa. He has no rag. Unless he just squirts bodywash directly on his body, he must be using my lufa. ...<br />
...<br />
I want you to think about that.<br />
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Lastly, and this isn't so much a negative: he currently has a 2 year supply of food storage. We don't have a lot of storage space, and what we have is now filled to the brim with food storage. If the apocalypse happens, I will simply poison him and then be set.<br />
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So there you are, I am the clean, organized one, he is the other one. Together, rather than hilarity ensuing, I just spend more time than usual cleaning. At least I spend the bulk of my time at school.<br />
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*Much later note by me-- The guy isn't that bad, I just use this blog as a platform for venting, as I am sure you have noticed by now.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-42799688524725069822014-01-18T16:16:00.001-08:002014-01-18T16:16:47.354-08:00I was born in the wrong era...I love adventure stories. I am currently reading a book for my Water Law class that starts out with a huge and probably unnecessary story about mountain men and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley_Powell">John Wesley Powell</a>. He was so hardcore, he explored the Colorado river with 4 wood boats in a time when nobody had a clue what was there, and he did this with only one arm. Reading this reminded me of some other cool explorers, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goddard_(adventurer)">John Goddard</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Fawcett">Percy Fawcett</a>. Also Marco Polo, and Lewis and Clark. There are too many to name, but something occurred to me. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME. (Exploring the unknown, that is).<br />
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Today, there is no place on Earth left to explore except maybe some of the deep rain forest of S. America or the bottom of the Ocean. The former might work, but the latter doesn't really do it for me. And our space travel options? Nill (or is it?, see below). So here I am, born in the age of satellite imaging, and instant communication, and I feel like I would have had a real nice time shoving off into the unknown.<br />
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I recently heard about something that I regret that I did not have a chance to sign up for: <a href="http://www.mars-one.com/">the Mars One mission.</a> The sign up process ended last year in August, so I guess I missed that boat. But here is the kicker, there will be subsequent missions. Maybe I should try to go? It is a one way ticket, and as of right now, 8 Utahns passed the first round of screening to go on the first trip. Lucky bastards.<br />
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Way back when I began my undergrad, I took archaeology, geography, world history, etc. Kind of dreamed of becoming Indiana Jones I guess.<br />
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(Thanks<a href="http://jas-tham.deviantart.com/art/Indiana-Jones-257927345"> jas-tham</a>)<br />
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I feel like Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon, which you need to watch if you never took the time<br />
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I need to get moving on my bucket list. If I haven't gone to Australia and Brazil in the next 5 years, be a darling and put me out of my misery.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-51487472854344888692014-01-14T12:10:00.000-08:002014-01-14T12:11:14.269-08:00So... long break, but oh well. Lot happened, too much to recap. But bullet point:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y05HnXomG88">Law School happened</a>...<br />
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Ok, maybe not so much to recap. I worked in Chile for a firm, that was fun, then for the 4th District Court here in Utah. Also fun.<br />
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Came back to school, <strike>less</strike> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvG8FLNPVFE">(no) fun</a>. Ok, we are up to date. (Also got a roommate, <a href="http://alekseyb.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ad-s1-e11.jpg">whom I seldom see</a>, so he is great).<br />
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Things you should check out on the internet if you enjoy wasting time as much as I do:<br />
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1) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL86F4D497FD3CACCE">Honest Trailers</a><br />
2) <a href="http://www.howitshouldhaveended.com/">How It Should Have Ended</a><br />
3) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/CGPGrey">CGP Gray</a><br />
4) <a href="http://www.reddit.com/">Reddit</a><br />
5)<a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/aww/"> Especially Reddit/awww</a><br />
6) <a href="http://www.schlockmercenary.com/">Schlock Mercenary</a><br />
7)<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/"> Apple Trailers</a> (better than watching the actual movie 90% of the time<br />
8) <a href="http://www.spotify.com/">Spotify</a><br />
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There are many more, but that is enough to get going on.<br />
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-81845573793378010582013-05-13T18:10:00.001-07:002013-05-13T18:10:09.544-07:001 year down. Gone down south. This year has passed quickly. I was really happy to say that I have finished a year, but I don't feel special about it. It was a year. Not really much more. I learned a lot, and that was nice, but I am glad to say that I am still the same old me. Right now, I am in Chile, munching on some awesome cookies that I discovered today: Rigochoc. I will have much more to say about Chile on my <a href="http://peaksandpitfallsinperu.blogspot.com/">Travel Blog</a>. I had grand ambitions of writing a lengthy, impacting blog post. But it will have to wait. Until next time.<br />
stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-80147332654691102902013-04-03T16:23:00.000-07:002013-04-03T16:28:24.380-07:005 Reasons new technology is making us worse, 5 Reasons new technology is making us better<b>5 REASONS NEW TECHNOLOGY IS MAKING US WORSE:</b><br />
1) <i><span style="color: red;">Memes.</span></i> These are sometimes funny, usually stupid, and have become so prolific on Facebook feeds that I wonder if anyone ever posts things about themselves anymore.<br />
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2) <i><span style="color: red;">Political Passive Aggressivism</span></i>. I don't think that is a real term, but it certainly expresses one of the most irritating things I have experienced lately. Anyone seen this lately?:<br />
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That is what some (thousands) people have thrown up as their FB picture to show support for gay marriage. While I don't support gay marriage, I have to wonder if any of these people have actually done anything to support what they so publicly support on FB. Ever wrote a letter to your senator? Ever donated to a campaign? Ever subscribed to a pro-LGBT publication? Did you even vote in the last election? How about your State elections? I have a sneaking suspicion that many more people threw up the "equal sign" then did any of the other things. FB also allows people to take positions and assert theories without having to actually engage anyone directly. Sure there are LONG comment lines over controversial subjects, but no one is really 'discussing' anything, it is just ignorant statement making at its finest (THIS GOES FOR BOTH SIDES, RIGHT AND LEFT).<br />
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3) <span style="color: red;"><i>Twitter and FB feeds</i></span>. WHO CARES?! Obviously lots of people, otherwise they wouldn't be so popular. Here is where a balance must be struck. I am as guilty as anyone with obsessively logging on to FB and frequently posting asinine updates, but where this has made us worse is that we never feel the need to actually talk to people anymore. This goes for Texting as well. When we have 3 message exchanges with someone, it negates the need to actually call that person and to discover what is going on in their life. <br />
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4) <i><span style="color: red;">TIME DRAIN</span></i>. I wonder how much time I spent watching YouTube videos or just cruising around on Amazon in the last year (or checking FB). I probably could have lost 5 pounds if I'd have exercised instead. I probably could have mastered a complicated song on the guitar. I probably could have written half of the book that I am trying to write. When you think about how little you accomplish when you are trying to do something on a computer, it is sad. Right now I'm in law school, and I have to think that the poor people to attended law school 30 years ago learned a great deal more, even though they didn't have the wealth of information, because they likely focused on learning law without wondering what new phrase the "grumpy cat" has been assigned or checking out the "100 most epic fails of 2012."<br />
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5) <span style="color: red;"><i>Stunted Social Skills</i></span>. To make this point, I shall use an image and one of the aformentioned 'memes' (What?, am I not human?)<br />
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I am a little surprised at how often I'll be in a group of people, and yet alone. See, I don't have <a href="http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/apple/iphone/5-64gb-black-refurb.html?WT.srch=1&cagpspn=pla#fbid=2qHId_mjSbo">a</a> <a href="http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/DROID-RAZR-M-BY-MOTOROLA/m-DROID-RAZR-M,en_US,pd.html?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cpc">nifty</a> <a href="http://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/cell-phones/samsung-gsII-phone/features/?cid=ppc_google_pla_virgin_mobile_pla_brand_dummy_kws_samsung_galaxy_s_ii_4g_exact">phone</a> with internet access, and so I cannot ignore everyone around me to see what my 600+ "friends" are up to or peruse the dozens of twitter feeds that I follow. Sometimes, it is hard to even talk to these people, because the second you turn your back, they are playing BEJEWELED on their Ipad or looking at pictures of LEGOS on PINTEREST on their Iphone. (You know who you are). I find it a little unsettling that everyone with a 1-2 year old gushes about how they can operate their _________(Insert random Apple product here) already. This is cool, but it worries me as well. As these kids grow up, are they going to be able to articulate in more than 150 characters at a time? Are they going to be able to focus on reading a whole book? Are they going to care about what happens in the world? Their own government? I think that my generation is sliding pretty badly, and I see no improvement with the next crop. I myself cannot function without music. Studying, working, etc. I probably listen to an average of 8 hours of music a day. I am not certain that it is bad per se, but this behavior and its possible impacts should be considered.<br />
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Quick recap: Weaker relationships, less ability to concentrate and accomplish, less time spend on producing valuable things (marketable skills/products), less thoughtful discussion, more bandwagonism (less individual/original thought), the fact that "tweet" is a word, the fact that the word "google" is a verb, over-dependence, and Creed and Nickleback (Ok, so maybe they are unrelated but they are so bad I've decided that every negative list that I make will, by necessity, include them).<br />
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<b>5 REASONS NEW TECHNOLOGY IS MAKING US BETTER:</b><br />
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1) <i><span style="color: cyan;">Interconnectivity</span></i>.<br />
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In all honesty, this can cut both ways, and there are plenty of negative aspects. But upon thinking about it, I would have to consider this a net positive. I would say that it is a good thing that we are more globally connected. This enables us to broaden our frame of reference and to be more understanding of other people's perspectives. It is a lot harder to hate/demonize/ignore other countries/people/cultures when you know things about them and have talked to them. Like I said, there is a flip side. Knowing more about Hugo Chavez and Kim Jong Il did not make me love/understand them more. BUT, I would point out that being aware of these people and knowing them for the threats to society that they were was valuable, and knowing about some of the difficulties that their subjects faced does make me more concerned about them. Being able to perform family history research and keeping in touch with people that you normally would lose contact with are other ways in which this is beneficial. Currently, I still have an idea about what most of the people I met on my mission are up to. Also people from high-school/college.<br />
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2) <i><span style="color: cyan;">Educational Opportunities</span></i>. Sadly, I doubt that new technology is used principally for this, but it is a nice feature. Do you want to know how to do something? "Google it." -or- "Watch a YouTube tutorial." This is one of the greatest things about living in this day. I learned <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK6iQj-I_0w">how to iron shirts</a>. I learned the quick and perfect <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An0mFZ3enhM">T-Shirt fold</a>. I learned how to make Tartar sauce. I learned how do edit a photo to achieve the '<a href="http://forums.creativecow.net/archivethread/2/461496">Gatorade sweat' effect.</a><br />
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There are lots of cool things to learn. I can currently access pretty much any Case/Regulation/Legislative History in the US. That is amazing. <a href="http://jgluch.blogspot.com/">My friend</a> is building a 3D printer from scratch. I have learned various Chile and Latin American Folksongs by looking up tabs and finding the music on YouTube/Itunes. The list goes on and on. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page">Wikipedia</a>. You can find out anything you want about most businesses, including reviews (although usually the only people who comment on those are people who have had negative experiences, so they aren't as helpful as one would think, but that could be a post of its own). Want to learn how to write code? Want to know where to eat in a foreign country? Want to take a practice LSAT? All of this information is found in nifty things called books, WHICH I LOVE!, but when you need to know something and don't have the money to buy a book or the time to find one, the internet is amazing.<br />
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3) <i><span style="color: cyan;">Access to AMAZING CREATIVITY</span></i>. Every now and again, I am glad that I monitor thousands of stupid and pointless status updates/posts when I find the proverbial needle in the haystack. Here are a few nifty things:<br />
<a href="http://www.wimp.com/bestcoin/">"Best Coin Ever Spent"</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3oem-M2tQU4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4B36Lr0Unp4" width="560"></iframe><br />
Side note: I feel bad for the guy who died trying this a few weeks ago.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d_z2CA-o13U" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xsF5CchOnhc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2_HXUhShhmY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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There are many other things, but that is what your 'search bar' is for. I have seen awesome art, heard great music, etc, etc.<br />
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4) <i><span style="color: cyan;">Improved Networking</span></i>. This is no small shakes. I firmly believe that:<br />
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This has never been easier. You can find people all OVER. <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">Linkedin </a>is based solely on this concept. But it is not just networking, it is professional facility. It is so easy now to communicate. You can e-mail a college, create a PDF or word document, you can use Google Docs to organize signups and do mass scheduling, you can scan anything you need and send an electronic copy wherever, you can pull money from virtually anywhere in the world, and spend your $$ without ever seeing Washington's face. This is great for business. Like anything, there are dangers and negatives galore, but in my own relatively short life, I have seen the benefits and blessings in being able to become aware of, and apply too, a myriad of opportunities while never having to leave your chair. This was not possible 30 years ago. And lets not forget initiatives like <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/hello?ref=nav">Kickstarter</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing">crowd-sourcing</a> in general<br />
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5) <span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://sleepmuch8.blogspot.com/"><i>Blogs</i></a>. </span>I'd be a fool to not include blogs, wouldn't I? Obviously I see negatives in blogs as well, but I enjoy the idea that if you feel like you should have your own editorial column, no you have one.<br />
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Here are 2 Things that I honestly can't decide are good or bad: GPS on mobile device and Sheer Mass of Info.<br />
GPS Pro: People can locate places easier and even share pictures and information as easily as pushing a button and swiping a screen. Con: people are becoming blind to what isn't on the device, and often suffer if there is a glitch or for some reason they are without the device. This is in the vein of over-dependence.<br />
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Sheer Mass of Info Pro: There is anything you would want to know. You can investigate agencies, check out salaries, etc, etc. Con: There is so much, that people often don't know where to begin, or if they try, sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the porn ... I mean trees. (seriously, Porn must be about 2/3rds of the internet, and FB probably is the other 1/3rd). But this is a serious problem, people seem to be less educated than ever, and yet there is such a surplus of information, I think we are trained to just skim upon the surface.<br />
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And to close, why the H*** not? MORE MEMES!<br />
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One last Negative for Big Steve: Blog Writing Negative: No grammer/spell checking, generally hasty and poor righting. I KNOW!<br />
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(And I know that "grammar" and "writing" is misspelled, I am just keeping you on your toes and making a point :) )<br />
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OH! I forgot about <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=emoticons&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS490US491&aq=f&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=-bpcUabON-KEjAL054GACQ&biw=1600&bih=732&sei=_bpcUe3yNYa7igKSm4HwBw#imgrc=_">emoticons</a>... oh well...<br />
<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-8266351847973420422013-03-26T10:20:00.003-07:002013-03-26T10:20:53.509-07:00New thing I will be doing: Movie Trailer ReviewsThat is right. I have no time these days. I cannot get to the theaters very often and the list of movies that I would like to watch grows longer. Since I can't watch the real movie, I have over the last year or so become more and more obsessed with watching movie trailers (previews for you old-timers out there). I feel like this is often just as good as watching the movie, and so I will start a recurring post theme where I review the a few trailers, since I will likely never see the movies. The criteria you ask? I'll keep it simple: Would watch based on trailer (WW), Would not watch based on trailer (WN), or "I already hate this movie" (AH). So, WW = +, WN = -, and AH = --.<br />
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First movie: "<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/turbo/">Turbo</a>"<br />
This warmed my heart. It seems at first brush a re-do of "Cars," (which is already in the works with "Planes," but that is not at issue presently). Seems like a snail who wants to go fast gets some kind of magical transformation when he falls into the Nitrogenous Oxide and there seems to be the typical crew of buddies that he meets in realizing his dreams. Pretty standard cartoon movie stuff. Looks funny enough: WW<br />
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Second movie: "<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/bloodrunscold/">Blood Runs Cold</a>"<br />
I don't mind horror movies. I think they have a time and a place. I am not into gore movies, and that is what this is. There are some gore movies that may have a plot (haven't seen that many) but this one seems not to have one. For those that like these kind of movies, you'll probably enjoy this. I thought it looked stupid already. I do not like trailers that exhibit zero imagination. This one was typical cut shots of a scary slasher closing in on victims with a idiotic sounding phrase slowly spelled out in between. Cue the loud breathing/trembling hand holding lighter scene where you get one last look at the 'scary dude.' Looks even less worth seeing then others of this genre: WN<br />
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Third movie: "<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/worldwarz/">World War Z</a>"<br />
I enjoy end of the world science fiction, hence, I like zombie movies. However, there is a certain love/hate with zombie movies. I can't stand movies that are super silly. the 'slow zombie' is pretty lame, because, unless the story is clear about how things fell apart, I assume that slow zombies wouldn't have much chance against modern weapons. This movie is a 'fast zombie' movie it would seem, and therefore much more believable/scary. I like Brad Pitt generally, and so this seems like an interesting flick. The trailer has enough zombie hoard shots to let you know what it is about, but it thankfully hints that there is an actually storyline. I think this movie would be something like "I Am Legend," which I enjoyed: WW<br />
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Fourth movie: "<a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/theangelsshare/">Angels' Share</a>"<br />
I like accents from the UK, don't we all? This is supposedly a comedy, but it didn't seem very funny from the trailer. This seems to be a story of a kid who is on the wrong side of the law who is trying to reform who then has the opportunity to pull one last heist, seemingly to redeem himself and to allow himself a 'second chance' or the ability to 'give up on crime.' These movies can be really good, or really crappy. I get the impression this is the low budget Brit film that gets tossed over to the states every now and again, and I am not really impressed with the trailer. Even if it is about the whiskey industry: WN<br />
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-69756591971108770472013-03-17T14:35:00.001-07:002013-03-17T14:35:58.246-07:00Bet you thought that I would never post again...Well, you thought wrong. I will post again.<br />
I should really be reading law, alas, I cannot force myself to at the moment. I am unsure of what to write about, since I am mostly involved in school, and that would be excruciatingly boring to all parties. Therefore, I guess I'll reminisce about something funny that I saw lately, that made me (surprisingly) miss my high school days. For those of you who don't know, I hail from the amazing "unincorporated community" called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitland,_Utah">Fruitland</a>. The school that corresponded to my home was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchesne_High_School_(Utah)">Duchesne High</a>. What I saw that made me go all nostalgic was my homecoming king competition video. While embarrassing, it was fun to see the silliness of our tiny school and the ineptness of the competition. (I won, so that should give you an idea of how silly it really was). (No offense Joe). But, lest I continue down a path of trashing little ol' Duchesne, I will instead laud the virtues of that institution of mid-level learning. Firstly: Duchesne was no limiter of the things that a person wanted to do. You could pretty much do whatever extracurricular activity that you wanted. For example, I was involved in the following activities: Extemporaneous speaking, Lincoln-Douglas debate, FHA (Which was changed after little before I got there from Future Homemakers of America to the lest sexist and exclusive Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), Humorous Interpretation, School Musicals, Academic Decathlon, the Golf team, Geography bowl, <a href="http://www.sterlingscholar.org/">Sterling Scholar</a>, and hell, I even subbed in on FFA once (I wish I could have kept the sweet blue cordory (sp?) jacket they lent me for the competition)<br />
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Anyway, the idea is that students in our small school had opportunities to pursue what we wanted. I didn't do basketball, so I never attempted to do an activity there that might have led to a rejection of participation. (Basketball being the only thing in the town sacred and exclusive enough to merit tryouts where people actually got cut). <br />
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Anyway, it was easy to be involved at DHS. Another nice thing about growing up in this area is that people are generally pretty nice and understanding. This was fortunate for one of my friends, who will go un-named, one particular Halloween. He thought it would be funny to dress up as a KKK member. While this type of thing can be a <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/04/parents_think_racist_incident_at_alta_high_is_overblown.html">big deal</a>, at our high school, a teacher merely told him that it was idiotic and inappropriate and that he would need to take the hood off. Instead of scandal, a news story, and a wave of discussion about how potentially racist our school/students were, the student was admonished and it was over. Instead of being expelled, etc, the student went on with life and is a pretty normal guy. I appreciated that aspect of my small school. I can imagine that this situation would have played out quite differently at a larger school.<br />
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Finally, in a small school, most people had lifelong nicknames. In my school, we had Sid, Scro, Gig, Bri, Frank (real name Richard), Bubba, Heed, Wiener, Meyer, and so forth. My name was "Fro", which is cruel irony these days. And <a href="http://cynicpicnicrevisited.blogspot.com/">politic chic </a>(the only person who reads this blog) used to be known as "Zo". It is a funny small town quirk that the community feels the need to rename all of its members.<br />
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I could write more about the joys of Duchesne, but I think I will leave it to a future post. Also, I think that I will start blogging more frequently. I know that the masses are cheering in joy right this instant.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-77712871857088065292012-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:002012-11-02T09:50:02.829-07:00Law School and such.Well friends, it has been a while since I have posted anything, and I am sure you area all bursting with impatience to know what is going on in my life... (**crickets chirping).<br />
Law School. That is what is going on. Basically all that is going on. If you don't care about law school, stop reading now, because I have nothing more to offer. Anyway, Law School at J. Reuben Clark is good times. Granted, it's a lot of work, and I find myself reading and going to class and then reading some more, but it is interesting stuff. My classes as a first year are Torts, Contracts, Property, and Research and Writing. I also have 'professional seminars' where once a week a lawyer or a judge or someone will come and tell us about the world. I like these spiels, and most recently there was a pair of attorney's who thought that, it their law careers were to fail, then they could make it in the world of stand up comedy. Sadly, I thought they were hilarious. It was all law jokes, so I won't burden you, but trust me, they were funny guys.<br />
In any event, for the first time in my life (except for when I'm around politicchic) I am around people who want to talk as much or more than I do. It is weird to be the stoic one in the group often times. Frankly, law students are annoying. I am one, and so yes, I am also obnoxious, as I'm sure you may have heard from the aforementioned politicchic. All that aside, there are a few good peeps here, and there are a few that I would rather not have to listen too. There are two people in particular who I consider 1) Arch Rival, and 2) Nemesis. The former is a woman, who I shall code name Cheshire from here forward (because she grins like a psycho) and the latter I shall code name Woody (because he is reminiscent of a woodchuck). Just to be clear<br />
1 =<br />
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and 2 =<br />
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And so, reasons that I dislike this folks is because they are those law students who try to comment ALWAYS about EVERYTHING. This includes (in fact, seems to require) times when they haven't fully formed what they wish to say and so the class is treated to an intimate view into the inner working of their thought processes. It depresses me to waste my time writing about these people, so I will stop.<br />
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Lets see. Torts, I like reading the cases, class is somewhat boring. I like our Professor, she is a genius... BUT, her voice makes me want to open my veins. She has a high, breaky voice, and she tries to project to the back of the class. Since I sit in the very front in that class, I often feel as though little sharp hammers are stabbing my eardrums. But alas, at least it forces me to pay attention. <br />
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Property, I started out loving this class, now not as much. I like property and have strong feelings about it, but our law is grounded in all of these ancient feudalistic ideas that we inherited from Mother England, and so there is a lot of areas where the old system clashes with new practicality, and it is complicated. The worst part is, you still need to know the old system rules because property has the annoying tendency to stick around for a long time and old deeds and whatnot are still valid. Also, our professor is brand new and it kills me to be a Guinea pig. He is still ironing out time management and all that, and we suffer as a result. <br />
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Contracts is much like a game with complicated rules that I don't know. It is a bummer now, but as one masters the rules, it makes sense. It is steadily getting better, and at least our professor is highly entertaining, since this is a class that might have been REALLY painful with a boring professor. <br />
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And research and writing. This class will give me an ulcer. I don't want to write more about it, since this class has already caused me to write a lot. <br />
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Apart from classes, life is pretty good here at good ol' J. Reuben Clark Law School. There are clubs that I enjoy, one of which is sending me to Denver for giggles. That is the Energy, Environment, and Resource Student Association. I also helped out with the Law and Region Symposium which took place about a month ago. I even met the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of Peru accidentally, which was a perk. All in all, Law School is hard, but good times.<br />
stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-27115188627037366422012-09-15T11:24:00.002-07:002012-09-15T11:24:41.785-07:00Heh heh heh. I put this together in honor of the coming election.<br />
This is for my dude friends who have recently revealed that they are <a href="http://utahutenut.blogspot.com/">shameful liberals</a>.<br />
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-78060926527779649862012-09-02T20:24:00.000-07:002012-09-02T20:24:02.251-07:00Time to post.Things have been pretty busy since Law School began. I wish I could write up a long detailed post, but you will just have to be content with this lame short post.<br />
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Here are some <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com/unusual-and-interactive-business-cards/">interesting business cards</a>. I found these while I was looking for examples for my own. Turns out, if you have no business, and no degree (while still studying), you really don't have much to put on a card. Who knew?<br />
<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-74994628040369773742012-08-07T11:56:00.000-07:002012-08-07T11:56:16.529-07:00Cool Video: Camera Warfare.Go watch these videos. They are sweet. I'm looking at you Gluchifer and Alan. <br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gYZmFo3_F1g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-19270156545081696692012-07-31T17:37:00.000-07:002012-07-31T17:38:03.688-07:00Look what I can doI was recently playing around with Adobe Illustrator, and I decided to take a stab at vector graphic drawing. I suck at it, but after a few hours of persistence, I finally created these two drawings of my favorite superheros: Batman and Wolverine.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLTKAMtf9rz-TayClSxIYdUlmTVnf3Cu57KMyAv4crcQ-xuuq9TV1imVxT-uok9gxu8dUvQ_infdSLk5IpjOKDnawmWAArQVokTLv5O1IrAAULfyvxtrEA9f-1QiP_gZsgDp44Ty-Lnmg/s1600/BadABatman.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="266" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLTKAMtf9rz-TayClSxIYdUlmTVnf3Cu57KMyAv4crcQ-xuuq9TV1imVxT-uok9gxu8dUvQ_infdSLk5IpjOKDnawmWAArQVokTLv5O1IrAAULfyvxtrEA9f-1QiP_gZsgDp44Ty-Lnmg/s320/BadABatman.tif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH5pOU50_GsEr4LKiNlHo2pk3gHPSIglYUi2MvXk6Rp8D_sIQmegBzzvqY7sctz4qFh-ULcVR8-ix7lx33E4o12L8X5GCYteORb8i5AKSnmWTefqJPZjwM_IiZXfrkysbD2e3EZrLGzan/s1600/BadAWolverine.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH5pOU50_GsEr4LKiNlHo2pk3gHPSIglYUi2MvXk6Rp8D_sIQmegBzzvqY7sctz4qFh-ULcVR8-ix7lx33E4o12L8X5GCYteORb8i5AKSnmWTefqJPZjwM_IiZXfrkysbD2e3EZrLGzan/s320/BadAWolverine.tif" /></a></div><br />
I know there are people out there with vastly more skill, and I invite those people to engage in similar projects and to share. <br />
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In other news, last night was my last at <a href="http://heritagertc.org/">Heritage Schools</a>- I'm done for now, and likely will not be going back. It would be possible one summer I suppose, but after the Law School track begins, it doesn't leave much room for such things. Two weeks left with Orem City. I was recently switched from weed abatement to parkways, which means now I mow and don't spray. It's even more of a slow pace city job than my other one was. Alas, only a few more days roasting in the sun and then I'll be free to enjoy only dealing with school. Hurray?<br />
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-80496336227295659032012-07-10T12:23:00.001-07:002012-07-10T12:23:13.827-07:00Orem... How you task me.Dear City of Orem,<br />
<br />
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<br />
I am writing this letter to inquire as to why there are no 7-11's in your city. Is there any particular reason that this is the case? I LOVE 7-11. Sure they buy their gas from that socialist hole Venezuela, but lots of gas stations do that. And besides, who goes there for the gas? I am very irate that I have to go to either Provo or Lindon to procure a glorious Slurpee or a Bahama Mama, not to mention Taquitos. As a city employee, but more importantly as a concerned citizen, I demand to be heard. There is no way a Holiday, a few Cheverons, or even the poor man's 7-11 known as Maverick can replace the "Sev". Basically, you suck Orem. I am daily in your streets, boiling in 95+ degree weather, and with which icy and delicious beverage am I to quench my thirst? To what delightful green, orange and red sign am I to look too, gleaming on the horizon, as a beacon of hope? None. No 7-11. The shame. There are places in Salt Lake where two 7-11's share a parking lot. State street in Salt Lake is a literal gauntlet of 7-11's, and it offendes to the core that U of U fans cheerfully slurp away at their Slurpee's while I must make due with ICEES! I will not stand for it! WE will not stand for it! We demand that you bring 7-11 back. (Consequently, I know of a prime abandoned spot on Orem Blvd and Center St. that would be GREAT, the only thing there right now are weeds). Measure not the quality of life by the number of parks, schools, police stations, or museums in your city, but rather by the number of 7-11's. By this standard, even PROVO is <br />
3 times > Orem. How do you sleep at night knowing that? I close this epistle with one last humble appeal to your empathy: Please, for me, for the people, for the betterment of all, do what is right and put a 7-11 in sight. <br />
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Dry throated and hungry,<br />
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Stewedslacker<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-11749628808357595392012-06-03T14:22:00.000-07:002012-06-03T15:20:44.168-07:00In retrospect…Summertime is here, and the current job (Weed Abatement) has given me a ferocious farmers tan and a healthy dislike of certain kinds of weed (I’m looking at you Bull Thistle… AND you cheat grass). I passed my sprayers certification test with flying colors and little difficulty. Rather than this being at testament of my genius (which I could use some more of… testaments, not genius), this is a demonstration of how easy the test was. <br />
Example Question.<br />
When spraying undesirable weeds, where should you point your spray wand? <br />
A) At your own eye.<br />
B) At your co workers eye.<br />
C) At the weed you wish to be killed.<br />
D) Puppies.<br />
Hint, it’s not D. <br />
Anyway, working for Orem City and breathing in a manly dose of 2 Cycle engine exhaust and weed pollen has made me recall my Redneck, earthy roots. Let us all take a minute and I will regale you with my favorite Hillbilly memories:<br />
<br />
<b>1) Demolition Derbies:</b> These are pretty awesome. There is nothing like the roar of 20 dangerous old beaters as they rev across a muddy rodeo ground to pound each other into even MORE useless hunks of scrap metal. For those of you who don’t know about this blessed event, it entails the purchase of an old heavy bodied vehicle, such as an 1970’s station wagon, then busting out all of the glass, moving the gas tank into the middle rear of the vehicle, chaining/welding the doors shut, and then wildly spray-painting the most horrendous home-style camouflage design or eye-jarring florescent. Sadly, this is a dying sport. There is a finite number of old cars to waste in such a venture, and a few years ago, a stupid piece of government pandering known as “cash for clunkers” was initiated which decimated possible derby candidates. Now there is an older foreign cars section (btw, the various rounds are called “heats”, a little hick vernacular for you there), but it’s just not the same. If you have a chance, go to a derby THIS YEAR. It may be that we soon will have no derby.<br />
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<b>2) The Fruitland Cook Out:</b> There was once a time when Fruitland was a neighborly magical place where every year the town would get together for some good eatin, scones, and general gossip. This took place at various locales, but my favorite was always up Red Creek (or crik if you want to be authentic) Here, there were sack races, singers of country songs, tug of wars, and water fights. My favorite event and something I think everyone should do when they are young involved the adults throwing a couple of bucks worth of change into a pile of sawdust and letting the youngsters go ape trying to find the money. It had all the blood lust of Roman Gladiators, mixed with the addictive thrill of Vegas gambling, and a dash of Indiana Jones treasure hunting. People died in that sawdust pit. I was quick and had a good eye, which latter advantage was slightly diminished by the large amount of sawdust that inevitably entered into them. There were only a few kids in Fruitland who were my age (there was enough of the fine sense of justice prevailing in Fruitland that the littlest kids were allowed to go first to pick up the obvious loot and so they wouldn’t be sacrificed in our Hunger Games). The only rule in the Sawdust money hunt was that there were no rules. I would elbow people wherever they needed to be elbowed to get to my shiny preciouses, and someone, we’ll just call her Relly Kobinson to preserve her anonymity, had a bite to avoid, especially considering the crookedness of her teeth. <br />
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<b>3) Shooting Cans:</b> It is a time honored tradition to not only own a gun, but to shoot it regularly. Stray nuisance animals, magpies, cans… it is all fair game. This is the blessing of having no close neighbors. Here’s a fun tip- if you fill a pop can with water, it will explode when you shoot it. Our old bolt action .22 rifle with its 7-shot clip has provided hours of fun. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8-UteHEM6fNJn9lDcucUfIpc2sqGFOd5sC2QC7o0MZD8KduvmxN2YPr_IfDRDCCR1-Mqvz-1VnbWPtOR1cTWj1WTL5vzZytXVraclMv9GNbbNArxsBUBZNi1_-jT8eg_bvTVT82tCYB6/s1600/jason+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8-UteHEM6fNJn9lDcucUfIpc2sqGFOd5sC2QC7o0MZD8KduvmxN2YPr_IfDRDCCR1-Mqvz-1VnbWPtOR1cTWj1WTL5vzZytXVraclMv9GNbbNArxsBUBZNi1_-jT8eg_bvTVT82tCYB6/s320/jason+093.jpg" /></a></div><b>4) Home-made Slip ‘N Slide:</b> We either didn’t have the money or access to a real slip ‘n slide, but we did have a sprinkler and a few blue tarps. What more could you need? So every summer, we’d lay out a few tarps over our lumpy lawn and have ourselves a grand ol’ time. <br />
<b>5) Swimming in the Pond:</b> Ponds happen in the farm/irrigation world of rural back road places. They are likely riddled with mosquito larvae, tetanus, and the special type of foam that occurs then water runs through dusty culverts and ditches. And they are awesome. I don’t know why, but nothing feels better during a scorching summer day than a dip in the pond. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4iLOplqSuuCAs1b7ld3yXM54Up8tGYS2Qejxu0RKmBJj53XJgbUl6lwD-Vetc1ANUH3JsPMK2h7n8aD7d_ZilPxJLOnEmNbpjUjZM9ulXpcIsxtx4EKuL2yoHwwmLPSry5ydaeLBo-Y/s1600/blue_album1_stevenJ_0090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="238" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4iLOplqSuuCAs1b7ld3yXM54Up8tGYS2Qejxu0RKmBJj53XJgbUl6lwD-Vetc1ANUH3JsPMK2h7n8aD7d_ZilPxJLOnEmNbpjUjZM9ulXpcIsxtx4EKuL2yoHwwmLPSry5ydaeLBo-Y/s320/blue_album1_stevenJ_0090.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>6) Arrowhead Hunting: </b>This is now against the law, but back in the day, it was a delightful way to get out and around. My dad is something of an amateur pro in finding worked stones, and I have admired his ability to meander out into a sagebrush field and locate old campsites for screening. All his time out in the mountains cutting logs has given him the uncanny perspective that enables him to find sweet arrowheads and other cool worked rocks. <br />
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<b>7) Goin’ to the Store:</b> There were only two gas stations in my “town” when I was growing up. Now there is only one store, with no gas. But when I was young, a good reward for doing chores was a trip to the store. The store trip would be an excuse to get away from the house for a little while. It was a chance to pick up mail at the post office. And it was a good way to pick up a pop or a Carmello. And hey, when 14/15 years of age rolled around, it was a good way to practice driving.<br />
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<b>8) Playing on the Slab Pile:</b> Already established in this blog was the family wood cutting enterprise. But what you may not know is that we had a saw mill set up in our field. This was a truck (semi truck) bed that had been converted into a piece of machinery that had a 40+ inch circular blade and a sliding frame that enabled logs to be cut into cants. (Cants are square logs). The excess wood that gets cut off are called slabs, and they make for a large hill when stacked up year after year. (A quick aside, I think that my dad provided the sawdust for #1 on this list). Playing on this pile may have been a tad dangerous, but slabs could be broken into excellent swords and who can resist climbing a sketchy looking hill of wood? Along this same thread of thought are the thrills to be had on a massive pile of firewood.<br />
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<b>9) Hikeing up Gray Hill:</b> This was something that was really good times, despite my sister’s best efforts to sour the experience the experience for my brother Cheek (Jonathan) and I. Apperantly, there was an old man who killed people up on the mountain, and he collected a bunch of dolls heads. Why? I don’t know, he just did, probably in an effort to solidify his creepiness. Along with him was a villainous murdering type named Eddy Bo Beddy, who only killed people named Jason Earl Sweat … which was obviously of great concern to me. But even these stories couldn’t keep us from exploring this hill/mountain near our house. There are many cool parts of Gray Hill, some of which may not exist anymore. There was the junk filled wash. There was the natural dirt arch that spanned the junk filled wash. There was the cave that was in the sandstone boulders. There was the TV substation. The oak brush grove. The windy roads, and also lots of honeysuckle flowers. <br />
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Looking back, I had a pretty great childhood. There were lots of other summer events, such as family reunions, house building projects, wood hauling trips, garden planting, etc. One thing I like about Fruitland is that it is sometimes so quiet, the silence itself makes a noise. While I don’t think I’d live there forever, I really hope that there is always a member of my family living in the house we built so that I can visit.<br />
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<br />stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-58240324659417674202012-05-22T04:53:00.001-07:002012-05-22T04:55:17.697-07:00NEW BAD VIDEOIn keeping with this bloggers desire to bring you truly "good" music with really BAD music videos. This posts feature was recommended by my dear friend, <a href="http://jgluch.blogspot.com/">Gluchifer</a>. *Pronounced- Glue- si- fur* This is Holy DIver, by Dio. And yes, it rocks. A few comments, first of all, the 1 minute 20 seconds of wind blowing shaky zoom intro, classic. Then, I have to say, nice sword. At one point I found myself thinking ... rats? But hey, it is good times otherwise.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i7_OEh9oHPY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-50900417600069797672012-05-22T04:27:00.002-07:002012-05-22T04:27:38.029-07:00Time is precious... wish I had some.Well WE (and that is the Royal WE) are back. Malu and I roaming the mean streets of Provorem once more. There has been a lot of excitement in the last few weeks, so let me catch you up. First order of business, I HATE UNITED AIRLINES. Without belaboring the point too much, we basically got bumped from a flight, then made to wait an hours, then we were delayed from the second flight, (both of which were for mechanical checks that took too long BTW) and then we had to wait another four hours. Turning a 4 hour layover into a 9 hour layover. But me made it back to Utah in good order, and, miracle of miracles, our luggage somehow made it there hours before we did. So... If you have a choice, fly anything other than United, although if you are poor suckers like us, you will likely not have a choice. This is what I think of UNITED AIRLINES:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJ1YwKLkX3bVoqnUSPrMgjO3uRYIi2goC6DKq8DAg5lYQq6t_1k9t3jXbpaM06VaClNEqugRkXnAuYXsj5p81c4kyQqCO2OOkWDwoWszQnhhyphenhyphenXV0L7bePo-UfbYQLXUHJRHGxEwBUQea/s1600/calvin+pee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJ1YwKLkX3bVoqnUSPrMgjO3uRYIi2goC6DKq8DAg5lYQq6t_1k9t3jXbpaM06VaClNEqugRkXnAuYXsj5p81c4kyQqCO2OOkWDwoWszQnhhyphenhyphenXV0L7bePo-UfbYQLXUHJRHGxEwBUQea/s320/calvin+pee.jpg" /></a></div>
In addition to that excitement, we have been constantly engaged in the following activities:
1) Looking for an apartment.
2) Looking for Jobs.
3) Looking for a second car.
I had things to say about each of these activities, but I haven't been able to sit down and write anything for a week so, I'm just going to super sum:
Moved into old fourplex, now nicer setup, I have 2 jobs and so does Malu. And we bought a Dodge Stratus, that works well.
There you are, that's what's up.
PS. Saw the Avengers, it was sweet.
PPS> Law School will be hard. Oh, in case I never mentioned it, I got into Law School. (BYU)stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-80637453591835753402012-02-29T19:40:00.003-08:002012-02-29T20:05:12.869-08:00It's time!For an update here!, <br /><br />I have been regularly updating the <a href="www.peaksandpitfallsinperu.blogspot.com">peru blog</a>, but here I haven't said anything for a while. SO, I figured I would continue with the segment "Great Song, Bad Video". Today's video is by one of my FAVORITE bands, Diego's Umbrella. Little known group from San Francisco who mix a mariachi/rock/Jewish Bar mitzvah flair together for some good songs. Here is what is obviously a really low budget video, Enjoy:<br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aTiBN1U9pjY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-18623310792439497732011-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:002011-12-22T16:26:24.024-08:00SUIT UP!Well folks, it's that time again. Time to go to Peru. I love Peru, and am excited to go. But guess what, next time I travel someplace, it better not be Peru. In any event, we are all excited. Don't forget to follow my adventures in Peru at www.peaksandpitfallsinperu.blogspot.com<br /><br />It's been hectic getting everything together for the trip, not to mention getting Malu through finals and moving out of our apartment. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-WZjJiGgwn6_V0tEdNKDpjjj6Tr9SQgNsKTMr7ch0SLNOHBxcinEMzeZgXi4NoJCjD8HhG-jOpyo2Xwak7-bXredt6CV-siw9sWz0AMTVgsvgjGpd9wWzQkNvPLbgWFhzjWbjqt_ul3p/s1600/suitup.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 384px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-WZjJiGgwn6_V0tEdNKDpjjj6Tr9SQgNsKTMr7ch0SLNOHBxcinEMzeZgXi4NoJCjD8HhG-jOpyo2Xwak7-bXredt6CV-siw9sWz0AMTVgsvgjGpd9wWzQkNvPLbgWFhzjWbjqt_ul3p/s400/suitup.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689113267329861826" /></a><br />AS fun as this post is, halfway through, I ran out of time and moved to Peru for four months, just go to my other blog. This was just going to talk about a show that I started watching that I like called "How I Met Your Mother".<br />I just thought it was interesting that a few months ago I mentioned my casual interest in the show and my intention to watch it eventually to both my sister and my buddy Shane, neither of which had watched it. These were isolated and fleeting instances. Then a few weeks ago, seemingly simultaneously, we all watched all of the seasons on netflix. Interesting no?stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-18140461421344180632011-11-09T16:27:00.000-08:002011-11-09T18:07:27.439-08:007 Guilty PleasuresLife is been good. <br />The Peru trip is upon us, and that means that I'll soon be shifting back to the <a href="http://www.peaksandpitfallsinperu.blogspot.com/">PERU BLOG</a><br />and lets face it, you would all prefer that anyway. <br />The night job will end in 12 more working days.... sweet. I like my job, but it messes up your life when you can't sleep when everyone else does. <br />Having to leave this apartment is a bummer. It was big, it was cheap, it was good times. <br />bla bla bla, on to the meat of the blog,<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Guilty Pleasures</span><br /><br />1) The Voice. This show has such important personalities as Christina Aguilera and Carson Daily. (That WAS sarcasm). But I couldn't help myself. Malu started watching it for some reason, and the first few episodes I found heavy on the gay personalities and was not really that impressed with some of the contestants. But somehow, I was drawn in. There was the seemingly necessary token person from Utah, there were some people I loved to hate, and the judges were funny and sniped each other. I found myself rooting for Javier Colon, a guy who sang an amazing version of Time After Time. (I have dubbed him, Javier, "El Angel" Colon). <br /><br />2) Gangsta (you know I'm legit because I don't spell it 'gangster') music. (Or rap, or hip-hop, or whatever). I admit. I like it. I blame Shane R and Casey Harrison for corrupting me at a vulnerable and easily influenced period of my life ;). In any event, there it is.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kl7sXPYRcrP6rapK4b9183pY72O0ID085m0QHb1kjmVdOzQnZnxptfevb31vjfgfUubNn6tJpqJwQF344xSMavsTkIdISHfQ1ttuwDpNLx1xrJyW8JNb-eyiH1Uod1jcQBQMQrhaD48W/s1600/gangsta.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 325px; height: 325px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kl7sXPYRcrP6rapK4b9183pY72O0ID085m0QHb1kjmVdOzQnZnxptfevb31vjfgfUubNn6tJpqJwQF344xSMavsTkIdISHfQ1ttuwDpNLx1xrJyW8JNb-eyiH1Uod1jcQBQMQrhaD48W/s400/gangsta.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673180548161216642" /></a><br /><br />3) Ceviche. It's raw fish, in lemon juice. Don't ask me why it's delicious, it just is. Now the real question is this: How did the Peruvians find a way to ruin the ever glorious potato by turning it into chuno, which is disgusting, but also manage to make something gross, like raw fish, palatable? It beats the heck outta me. <br /><br />4) Techno. I really can't explain this, moving on. <br /><br />5) Dragon Ball Z. This is like a really long, really repetitive, soap opera geared towards children and with all of the protagonists having ridiculous hair. All the same, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Vegeeta. And Piccolo. It may have taken several episodes for anything to happen, but as a 13 year old, I had plenty of free time weekday afternoons in the bustling metropolis of Fruitland, so I didn't mind. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwCSbFhVqLQFVMZk5M7uc9UePx0wHsQLdK-Zhf5xT1d1REE0r86Pev2N2C6Nv7LhrZf17tCiIa47vbjHE2QprnV3PuVgVmjcXreekqNSjW3ixl1yq3mhyxGBgHFsHnAqpRBl3Wfz0L2L2/s1600/dragonball-z-pencilboard-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwCSbFhVqLQFVMZk5M7uc9UePx0wHsQLdK-Zhf5xT1d1REE0r86Pev2N2C6Nv7LhrZf17tCiIa47vbjHE2QprnV3PuVgVmjcXreekqNSjW3ixl1yq3mhyxGBgHFsHnAqpRBl3Wfz0L2L2/s400/dragonball-z-pencilboard-3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673180285026400850" /></a><br /><br />6) Kittens. honestly, they are sooooo cute. I can't deny that I am basically unable to resist petting them and using a cute voice with little cats. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFElvCeSpgH7ptFmj320fTGSIueugaRrCTmYTfUPpgeyVcvP58opq1gts8i78PVFGd1AALqvv5uM0GeV4xhtKSr3LhQi4G1AMpvaeeKha_F7f4UAG2bnG8SQJxBbUxjPQJPNC3qBenHWOk/s1600/funnykitten5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFElvCeSpgH7ptFmj320fTGSIueugaRrCTmYTfUPpgeyVcvP58opq1gts8i78PVFGd1AALqvv5uM0GeV4xhtKSr3LhQi4G1AMpvaeeKha_F7f4UAG2bnG8SQJxBbUxjPQJPNC3qBenHWOk/s400/funnykitten5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673180902652747954" /></a><br /><br />7) The Vagrant. This movie is pretty bad. Just ask The Rage and Politicchic. It is an early 90's movie. It is something along the vein of <span style="font-style:italic;">The Burbs</span> or <span style="font-style:italic;">Beetlejuice</span>, except arguable worse than either of those classics. I forced my group of peeps to watch it this Halloween and it was not too well received. I like it anyway. <br /><br />Well, there you have it, some guilty pleasures. I have more, and will likely share them at some point. I think that you should post a few of your own guilty pleasures in the comments. (Those 2 of you who read this).stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-70433333646966556212011-11-01T09:31:00.000-07:002011-11-01T10:17:18.880-07:00I prefer to think of myself as a book terrorist...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4z_zK3nvto4DJb5G6cq3tqujJ9f8BVo3TNKg3aznwRZx-i9sYbIMZu_rXMn5zg5s6CgSIKAASbnsEMRSAO9JZ72kSyhxXf8lvxfj1e8p5BG-Bht7e9b9Qlb5cOcj7ujVjmYXB764K2ds/s1600/maluvictim.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4z_zK3nvto4DJb5G6cq3tqujJ9f8BVo3TNKg3aznwRZx-i9sYbIMZu_rXMn5zg5s6CgSIKAASbnsEMRSAO9JZ72kSyhxXf8lvxfj1e8p5BG-Bht7e9b9Qlb5cOcj7ujVjmYXB764K2ds/s400/maluvictim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670077530249709906" /></a><br />If you know Michele, you probably get her update. If you get her update or follow her facebook status, you will know that I have been accused of engaging in Halloween mischief in leaving random books around her house. If you know either of us, you will easily believe this is something I would do. And yes, it is true. However, I am not a fan of her new term, the "book fairy". I would like to think of myself as a book terrorist, or even a book freedom fighter. It was a fun joke, but I can't lie to Michele very well (as she pointed out) so I merely had to be asked by her to be caught. In any event, the prank was supposed to be much better, but I misheard when they were going to church, and so instead of finding an empty house at 10 am Sunday morning, imagine my chagrin at finding Alan and little fatty awake and alert. It wasn't a total loss, however, because Alan likes mischief also and so we were able to give Michele a few moments of confusion for my trouble. For those of you who don't get Michele's update, this is what she had to say about her suspicions:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Book Fairy<br />Yesterday the most interesting thing happened. I had my quarterly stewardship interview with the Bishop and when I got home, I noticed there were random books on the bookshelves that weren't there previously. These books were as auspicious as a Ted Kennedy biography and some crazy African American books (black lit, if you don't want to be pc about it), and upstairs new books (one of them a spiritual diet manual... a hint?) of a similar caliber. Immediately, I demanded to know how these books appeared. Alan wouldn't budge, but his twinkling eyes revealed that he knows more than he is letting on, though he claims he isn't responsible. I often state that with my interest in true crime and mystery novels, I could have been a detective... so Alan challenged me to solve the case of the Book Fairy. Unfortunately, my only witness has a limited vocabulary. I can't wait till Squirmy can talk and tell on his dad! But here is what I have so far. Jason and Malu... with Alan's help. Jason is the obvious choice because he has motive (the constant desire for pure mischief), means (I'm actually not sure about this, but judging from the titles, these must have been books that Border's decided to give away because they couldn't sell them at 90 % off), and opportunity (Alan took Jason and Malu home one evening from an outing and there could have been a book hand off, very easily). If it WASN'T Jason and Malu... I have a few other options, but I will be seeing Jason this evening, and he is a horrible liar, so it will be quite easy to tell if he is the Book Fairy.</span><br /><br />Anywho, Halloween was a good time this year. Malu and I accompanied Alan to his work party at Adobe, which ended up being a really long haunted house type affair where there were really nifty sections that depicted things like Harry Potter and Narnia. It was cool. The line to get in was long, but while in line I got to touch two seperate boas and hold a big tarantula and a huge emperor scorpion, plus I got two eat two large things of cotton candy, so I can't complain. We also went to the Mesa Vista Halloween party, and it was good times. We took 70 Frankenstein cupcakes that Malu got from work, and made a huge mess, but it was fun nonetheless. <br />And finally, I convinced Rage, Michele and company to watch "The Vagrant", a quirky comedy horror from the late 80's that was GREAT. They all hated it, but oh well, I got a kick out of it. <br />Malu and I dressed up as a Vampire and his victim, a maid. I thought it was pretty good for a total of 30 bucks for both of us. Too bad my teeth are too little for my fangs to stick to:(.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-69601350605553268892011-10-15T15:27:00.000-07:002011-10-22T13:16:03.141-07:00I thought this was cool...<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4PF0h7oqUEQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I like the Killers, so this was enjoyable.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-20573175818499606652011-10-09T20:55:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:57:34.028-07:00I've been a slacker.Folks. <br /><br />I'm sorry. It seems like I don't hardly blog anymore. <br />This is true. I have been preoccupied with the LSAT up until a week ago and now I'm scrambling to get my applications in. But let me tell you what, you haven't been forgotten. I will post more. I'm sure of it. Finishing the LSAT was like turning the pillow over and laying my head upon the cool side. It's a relief. I will likely take it again in December, and I won't know my score till the end of the month. But it's behind me. Thank goodness. <br /><br />I'll actually write something semi entertaining next time.stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4487690137882620123.post-8550794053585222272011-08-23T20:49:00.000-07:002011-08-23T21:01:10.171-07:00Where have I been?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LQtz1j-vonTNKbBLRSIMQchDmWM2-DLC5_e36bEheLLOVnUseucD7GKxRr8CMyfn_8FPzCQ6fvQ6Mq8iVcU9FkLQm7d_fEMeobS43C-YnN3OELacUlgaZozsVYV2VahB0iLgZwuJH7K1/s1600/Panorama_grandaddylakesunrise.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LQtz1j-vonTNKbBLRSIMQchDmWM2-DLC5_e36bEheLLOVnUseucD7GKxRr8CMyfn_8FPzCQ6fvQ6Mq8iVcU9FkLQm7d_fEMeobS43C-YnN3OELacUlgaZozsVYV2VahB0iLgZwuJH7K1/s400/Panorama_grandaddylakesunrise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644266144283055634" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4IRZN3QZIc9AIhUUG2rBJCeKFz3HuScm1nMpmp_koHm8AUKfjMId12XDrqf_HRXYuoy1GpbvJillNK23xnaptDemdXzhGndf_hQXN0dLj9nj8IpZYgKomcbcgCO9LaIKw49LuCKZEZhu/s1600/46crupose.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4IRZN3QZIc9AIhUUG2rBJCeKFz3HuScm1nMpmp_koHm8AUKfjMId12XDrqf_HRXYuoy1GpbvJillNK23xnaptDemdXzhGndf_hQXN0dLj9nj8IpZYgKomcbcgCO9LaIKw49LuCKZEZhu/s400/46crupose.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644266138639700082" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAaXrRFKXHoHTF1VH4Qk5crZLF5qM7KQC8J-LImbppeqxFrRBXNwHSkYK3Q8hyphenhyphenAUu1xC8nAZ1-EAnl_ktMaZWzhdJKw3Ci7QO90wh5q3qbvO4Od0SdMyU375Yd8LkOrsSc0wQPq767gd5/s1600/Panorama_CastleRocks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAaXrRFKXHoHTF1VH4Qk5crZLF5qM7KQC8J-LImbppeqxFrRBXNwHSkYK3Q8hyphenhyphenAUu1xC8nAZ1-EAnl_ktMaZWzhdJKw3Ci7QO90wh5q3qbvO4Od0SdMyU375Yd8LkOrsSc0wQPq767gd5/s400/Panorama_CastleRocks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644266149853403506" /></a>
<br />Well folks, it's been a long time. What have I been up too you ask?? Well, mostly studying for the Law School Admissions Test... otherwise known as the LSAT. It's not much fun, and frankly, I'm going to need a ridiculous score to get into the school that I want to, so no worries.
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<br />Also, I went on an overnight backpacking trip with Malu, Zack, Shane, and my former employer Mike and his dog Blue. As you can see from the photos. It was awesome except for the mosquitoes. They were not fun. Malu claims it will never happen again, we'll see. The Uintah Mountains really are my favorite mountains.
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<br />And what else? well, every spare moment I've had online has been devoted to something pretty awesome. If you've never heard of <a href="http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-06-12">Schlock Mercenary</a> , you're missing out on some pretty awesome webcomic action. It's self described as a "Comic Space Opera" and it is written by a fellow named Howard Tayler. He's from Utah, surprisingly enough, and another thing of note is that I believe it is the longest continuous running daily webcomic in existence. That's over 10 years of daily comic genius... so hats of to Mr. Tayler. Do yourself a favor and invest countless hours clicking your way through the tales of Schlock, Cap. Tagon, and Company as they kill, extort, and blow up many different wonders of the galaxy (all for a fair price of course). stewedslackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06995821449638090025noreply@blogger.com1