Scoutmaster Nik

I have been a lame blogger lately. While many of you already know this I have been called as the Scoutmaster in my Ward. It is one of those callings that I always knew I would receive one day I just did not think it would be till I was in my Late 30's or 40's.

When I was young scouts was one of my favorite times, days spent playing football in the snow and making ice caves. Another time I remember was down in San Rafael when all the trees were so dry and we broke all the dead branches of pretending that we were knights or ninjas. I will stop there with the lame scout stories.

My Scoutmasters name is Steve Marshall. He is one of the most brilliant men I know. I learned a lot from him. He used to read us Pat McMannas Stories. He is also a master scriptorian. He would tell us stories of the Prophets and Pioneers that he has read is some pioneer journal or vague reference. I learned a lot from him.

Also all of my greatest childhood friends were scouts with me. I had 3 friends in particular that we all had our birthdays within a 2 week span of each other. We got baptized, received the priesthood, got our eagles scouts and went on missions all together. It was fun to have such close friends.

Well I hope and pray that I can be even close to as cool as my scoutmaster was.

Happy Anniversary to Calvin and Hobbes!

Happy Anniversary to Calvin and Hobbes! It was November 18, 1985 (I know, I’m a few days late), that the precocious little boy and his sage stuffed tiger/real tiger first hit comic pages across America. So, I thought I’d hit you guys with a little C&H trivia… I know, it’s not nearly enough to fill the void Bill Watterson has left us, but it’s a little something.


Bill Watterson
Ever since he retired from Calvin and Hobbes, Watterson has been painting and “studying music”. He’s notoriously private and apparently hasn’t changed his lifestyle much. Up until fairly recently, he still lived in his hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Now he lives in Cleveland, not too far away. He doesn’t do pictures or autographs, not for anyone, although he used to sign copies of his books and slip them into a little family-owned bookstore in Chagrin Falls. He found out that people were eBaying them instead of tucking them away in their own private collections, though, and stopped that practice.

Calvin’s Older Brother?
Originally, Calvin and Hobbes were supposed to be minor characters in the strip Watterson was trying to syndicate. They were both the same as they are now – a little kid and his tiger – but were supposed to be only occasional characters. When he sent that strip to United Features, they suggested that he rework the whole thing to center around Calvin and Hobbes. So Watterson did. And United Features rejected the strip anyway. It was eventually snatched up by Universal Press Syndicate instead.


Licensing
You know those decals you see on trucks sometimes that have Calvin taking a whiz on the Chevy logo (or the Ford logo, or the BMW logo, or whatever)? So not legal. Actually, almost anything you see with Calvin and Hobbes on it is copyright infringement. Here is the complete list of things Bill Watterson has approved for mass production:

Books
Two calendars (1988-1989 and 1989-1990)
A textbook called Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes
One t-shirt for a traveling art exhibit
Watterson issued a cease-and-desist. Some of the makers complied and substituted a different (but similar) boy for Calvin, some replaced him with a female Calvin, and some just ignored him altogther. “I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo,” Watterson once said. Go here for a rather comprehensive site of all of the fake Calvin logos. It’s pretty impressive.

Namesakes

You can probably figure out where Calvin and Hobbes come from (I’ll go over that in a second) but lots of the other characters are inspired by real-life people too – or not-so-real-life people.
Calvin, of course, is named after John Calvin, the 16th century theologian who was a huge proponent of predestination. We don’t know Calvin’s last name. Watterson has said that people often assume that Calvin is based on his own childhood, but he disputes this fact and says that he was actually a very quiet, obedient kid.

Hobbes is named after Thomas Hobbes, who said that the natural state of humans was to be at war. Watterson has said that he feels Thomas Hobbes had a “dim view” of people. Hobbes’ feline characteristics were based on Watterson’s cat, Sprite.

Miss Wormwood got her name courtesy of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. In the C.S. Lewis tale, Wormwood is the nephew of an experienced demon and is being advised by his uncle on how to damn men to Hell.

Susie Derkins received her distinctive last name because “Derkins” was the nickname of Watterson’s wife’s family’s beagle.

America's Treatment of George W. Has Been a Disgrace

Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.

AP
According to recent Gallup polls, the president's average approval rating is below 30% -- down from his 90% approval in the wake of 9/11. Mr. Bush has endured relentless attacks from the left while facing abandonment from the right.

This is the price Mr. Bush is paying for trying to work with both Democrats and Republicans. During his 2004 victory speech, the president reached out to voters who supported his opponent, John Kerry, and said, "Today, I want to speak to every person who voted for my opponent. To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support, and I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."

Those bipartisan efforts have been met with crushing resistance from both political parties.

The president's original Supreme Court choice of Harriet Miers alarmed Republicans, while his final nomination of Samuel Alito angered Democrats. His solutions to reform the immigration system alienated traditional conservatives, while his refusal to retreat in Iraq has enraged liberals who have unrealistic expectations about the challenges we face there.

It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.

Yet it should seem obvious that many of our country's current problems either existed long before Mr. Bush ever came to office, or are beyond his control. Perhaps if Americans stopped being so divisive, and congressional leaders came together to work with the president on some of these problems, he would actually have had a fighting chance of solving them.

Like the president said in his 2004 victory speech, "We have one country, one Constitution and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."

To be sure, Mr. Bush is not completely alone. His low approval ratings put him in the good company of former Democratic President Harry S. Truman, whose own approval rating sank to 22% shortly before he left office. Despite Mr. Truman's low numbers, a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll found that he was ranked the seventh most popular president in history.

Just as Americans have gained perspective on how challenging Truman's presidency was in the wake of World War II, our country will recognize the hardship President Bush faced these past eight years -- and how extraordinary it was that he accomplished what he did in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The treatment President Bush has received from this country is nothing less than a disgrace. The attacks launched against him have been cruel and slanderous, proving to the world what little character and resolve we have. The president is not to blame for all these problems. He never lost faith in America or her people, and has tried his hardest to continue leading our nation during a very difficult time.

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty -- a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

I really thought I should post this.

Politics in the Newsroom...and Family Guy?

If you are like most Americans last night, you probably tuned in to CNN, analyzing everything that you saw—even those television screens about the Magic Wall. And if you're looking over the wall, you might catch Family Guy running on screens above all that red and blue. It wouldn't be the first time we'd catch these guys goofing off during politics. I wonder if this episode is the one where Peter becomes the president of his own nation? If so, it’s certainly fitting.

Why Men can not trust Women!

I am a Lame Blogger Lately so here is a comic to appease you all for a while

Joke of the Week....

I thought I would Post a Court Joke because of my last post :)





A man called to testify at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), asked his accountant for advice on what to wear.

"Wear your shabbiest clothing. Let him think you are a pauper," the accountant replied.

Then he asked his lawyer the same question, but got the opposite advice. "Do not let them intimidate you. Wear your most elegant suit and tie."

Confused, the man went to his Priest, told him of the conflicting advice, and requested some resolution of the dilemma.

"Let me tell you a story," replied the Priest.

"A woman, about to be married, asked her mother what to wear on her wedding night. 'Wear a heavy, long, flannel nightgown that goes right up to your neck.' But when she asked her best friend, she got conflicting advice. Wear your most sexy negligee, with a V neck right down to your navel."

The man protested: "What does all this have to do with my problem with the IRS?!"

"Simple", replied the Priest...

"It doesn't matter what you wear, you are going to get screwed!"

Nik goes to Court

Funny thing that....

Lets start from the beginning. As most of my blogger friend know I work at a Apple Computer store called Macdocs. We have a lot of unsavory characters that always try and take advantage of the small business that we are. As try to get things for free. We take a lot of measures to make sure that we don't get ripped off.

When I first started working at Macdocs there was a Gentlemen that came into buy a few things....about 6k worth of things. He wanted to pay with an Out of State check so I went to my Manager and asked him what to do. He said just take the check and everything will be fine. Well it was a bad check. We both got written up for it and well if caused a lot of heart ache.

Unfortunately stuff like this happens a lot. But because this was a first offence and they made such a big deal out of it I have always remembered this specific case. I will not say his name or anything in fairness.

Well about 2 weeks ago my boss Russ opened some mail and I have been sapena'd and I have to appear in court. He commented that it was for Mr. Criminal and I immediatly said I think that was the guy from when I first worked here. He agreed and I did not think much more about it.

When I got to work today bright and early for the meeting I recieved a call from Russ. He said "Nik I am down at the court house and they lawyer said he wants you to come down here and testify." I mentioned my concern that I need my hours to get paid but if they want me to I will. He called back to say that I have a Sapena on me as well but they sent it to my old address. He came a picked me up and I went a few blocks down to the court house.

After we got through Airport Security I went to the Court Room and waited for the trial to start. It was like a fast food court process. There was maybe 3 other cases that the Judge did quickly. One dude pleaded guilty to charges of having Child Porn on his laptop. There was a Woman who wanted to change her name and another woman for something I could not hear. At that time the lawyer came over to us and mentioned that had plead no contest and that we could go home if we wanted we decided to stay and see if.

He came out in his Shackles and it gave me a small sense of pleasure to see him all tied up and in a prison jump suit. The judge said that they would schedule another hearing and that was the end.

The lawyer said the Defence was going to try a defence that stated he was "insane and could not write good checks" but I think they are grasping at straws with that one.

So I may need to appear in court later this month but I thought I would share my entertaining day with you all!

Feliz 18 de Septiembre!

Today is Chilean Independence Day! It always brings joy to my heart. I will be wearing my chilean soccer jersey and going to the chilean deli here in Salt Lake in Celebration. It is always fun to remember the people dancing the Cueca and eating Empanadas. It was such a fun experience to see all the flags and banners covering the streets and showering us with its glory. In 1810 Chile joined other Spanish colonies in breaking political ties with Spain. On September 18 of that year, celebrated thereafter as the Chilean independence Day! Bernardo O'Higgins was a nationalist rebel that fought for independence from Spain. He is a National Hero in Chile



If you look at last years post you can see videos of people dancing the Cueca!

VIVA CHILE!!

Joke of the Week....

A beautiful young girl is about to undergo a minor operation. She's laid on a hospital trolley bed with nothing on, except a sheet over her. The nurse pushes the trolley down the corridor towards the operating theatre, where she leaves the girl on the trolley outside, while she goes in to check whether everything is ready. A young man wearing a white coat approaches, lifts the sheet up and starts examining her naked body. He puts the sheet back and then walks away and talks to another man in a white coat. The second man comes over, lifts the sheet and does the same examinations. When a third man does the same thing, but more closely, she grows impatient and says: "All these examinations are fine and appreciated, but when are you going to start the operation?"

The man in the white coat shrugged his shoulders: "I have no idea. We're just painting the corridor."

I died a little inside today!

The USANA Amphitheatre show in West Valley City, UT, originally scheduled for August 27, 2008 has regretfully been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone and appreciate everyone’s understanding during this difficult time. Refunds will be issued to all ticket holders at the point of purchase.

http://www.usana-amp.com/events/2008/8/27/36

In a world of movie trailers, Don LaFontaine was king

Don LaFontaine, the man who provided the sonorous voice for more than 5,000 movie trailers, died Monday at age 68.

LaFontaine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications from a collapsed lung. He had been taken to the hospital Aug. 22 with a blood clot in the lung.

LaFontaine was known as the "king of the movie trailers," having done the trailer voiceovers for films such as Terminator, Fatal Attraction, Cheaper by the Dozen, Batman Returns and his personal favourite, The Elephant Man.

His baritone voice and melodramatic delivery are famously associated with the oft-repeated movie trailer phrase, "In a world…"




Here is a video about him....it is long...but the first part is really awesome!

Michael Phelps Wins Olympics, Still Can't Beat Dolphins

Michael Phelps has won the Olympics. Not just swimming events -- Michael Phelps has won the entire Olympic games (even badminton).

OK, maybe he didn't win badminton, but his accomplishments are still outstanding. However, Phelps has yet to best man's real competition in the water. That's right -- it's time to take on sea life.

FACT: Michael Phelps swims at approximately 6 mph.

FACT: Dolphins can swim up to 33 mph.

CONCLUSION: There are still hurdles to be cleared, Mr. Phelps (though we're pretty sure he won the gold in the 100m hurdles as well).



Enjoy your victories while you can, because if dolphins have their way, they'll be waiting to see you in 2012 with Team Atlantis tattoos on their backs.

Someone Built the Batmobile, Batty way to spend £150,000

This Man is Nuts!

Entrepreneur Paul Garlick brought a touch of Gotham City to an East Yorkshire village this week when his £150,000 custom-built Batmobile made its first public appearance.

The 130mph car is one of just three working models and it stunned passers-by when it was road-tested in Holderness.

The vehicle took 18 months to build, is 6.5m (21ft) long and 2.5m (8ft) wide, and has a fibreglass body moulded from the original used in the 1989 Batman film.

It took 500 man hours to paint and needed 50 tins of body filler, said maker Z Cars. 'It's stunning,' said Mr Garlick, from Cheshire, who plans to cash in on the success of current film, The Dark Knight, with a string of VIP appearances.



P.S. It gets 2 Miles to the Gallon :)

LeRoi Moore we will miss you!

Today I give Tribute to a Great Musician! LeRoi Moore Saxophonist for The Dave Matthews Band! He died yesterday at the age of 46. He was initially hospitalized in late June after the accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va. He had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin physical rehabilitation when complications forced him back into the hospital July 17.

It was not immediately clear what the complications were.

The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, Va., when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums, and other musicians.

LeRoi was part of the heart and soul of DMB! and will be greatly missed!

Lego Olympics!

300,000 Lego bricks and 4,500 Lego people were used to create the display, by the Hong Kong Lego User Group. This stuff is awesome! Bask in its glory and creativity!!!

Top 10 Cell Phone Etiquette Rules People Still Break

1. Talking too loudly.

“YES! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW!” For some bizarre reason people feel the need to raise their voices while on their phones. I think we’ve come far enough, technologically speaking, to trust the phone’s microphone to adequately amplify and carry your voice. Your mouth couldn’t physically be any closer to the microphone, so unless you’re talking into it from a Captain Kirk distance or calling in an airstrike while under heavy machine gun fire, there’s no need to yell. Hell, even Kirk never raised his voice and he was communicating with an alcoholic Scotsman on a space ship!

Note: There are attention-seekers out there who speak loudly on purpose to “show off” recent accomplishments and victories to impress surrounding strangers. Do not hate on them too much, they were probably adopted and are cursed to constantly seek approval from anyone within earshot.

2. Holding inappropriate conversations in public.

No one needs to hear how wasted you were last night, or what color your boyfriend’s boxers were on the night the two of you, um, “played Scrabble.” Keep your personal conversations personal. If you don’t want people to see you crying in line at the bank or while ordering a stuffed-crust pizza, refrain from having emotional conversations in public. Offer to call the person back, step outside, or find a quiet place where you can openly and unabashedly describe your new foot fungus.

3. Rudely interrupting conversations.

Have you ever felt the only way to maintain a conversation with the person right in front of you is to give them a call? Ever arrive at the climax of a hilarious story, only to have the momentum ruined by “Sorry, I gotta take this”? Why is the disembodied voice of someone else more important than the flesh and blood standing before you? It’s very frustrating to stand around waiting while your “friend,” date, or family member gets into a phone conversation on your time. When this happens, I recommend simply walking away. Even when you’re sitting in a restaurant, if your date would rather chat with someone else, then you should get up and leave immediately to find someone else. Or, as I mentioned earlier, call them on their other line. “Hey, how’s it going? How’s your sea bass? Isn’t the wine delicious?” If you can’t beat ‘em, call ‘em.

4. Checking your phone at the movies.

Movie theatre announcements and people who are quick to “shhhh” have done a decent job of reducing reducing cell phone rings over the years. But people are still checking their calls and text messaging rfiends, silently, but equally annoyingly. There’s a reason why we spend an arm and a leg to watch movies in the theatre. When the lights go out and the screen lights up, we try to forget our everyday troubles and we submerse ourselves into whatever the hell world we bought tickets for. We escape. But when out of the corner of our eyes we see someone’s entire face light up while they check their phone messages, we’re yanked right back to reality and are reminded of how many jerks per square foot there are in the world. Turn your phones off, have a little consideration for the people around you. The world won’t stop spinning if you’re unavailable for 2 hours. “But what if there’s an emergency?” The odds of an actual emergency occurring are astronomical. Besides, if there was an emergency, it already happened. You already weren’t there, and chances are the people who could actually do anything about it, already have.

5. Texting while driving.



Somebody please get the “Darwin Awards” on the phone. Of course, if you’re driving when you do, make sure you’re on hands free or have pulled over before you start explaining how there are people who send texts while behind the wheel of a vehicle. According to a Harvard University study, cell phones cause over 200 deaths and half a million injuries each year. And that’s with eyes on the road! Laws are in place to make sure people aren’t talking on their phones, and yet people are typing?!?! (I very rarely use the double question mark with the double exclamation point at the end of sentences, but this is ridiculous) I would love to see the tombstone: Was LOL when he WCTTFW (Went crashing through the freaking windshield) Anyone caught texting while driving should be stripped of their driving license forever.

6. Texting while talking.

You ever have someone try to listen to your story while text messaging someone else? You want to give them points for making the effort as they clumsily insert “oh yeahs” and “un huhs” at all the wrong moments, cutting you off mid-sentence with a “no way” as they furiously thumb type in your face, but at the same time you want to volleyball spike their phone to the ground for being unbelievably rude. A third option is tell better stories.

7. Texting small talk.

Does our friendship mean nothing? Have we become so lazy and disinterested in each other’s lives that we’re asking people to sum up their days with a text? “How r u?” “What’s up?” “What’s new?” These arbitrary questions are annoying enough when asked in person, but at least we have the ability to fire back equally insignificant responses in one second or less. But expecting people to waste their time typing “not bad, u?” or “same sh*t” or heaven forbid “let me tell you about my day” is about as lame and pointless as your appendix.

8. Loud and annoying ringtones.

I was riding the bus to work one morning, when out of nowhere the silence was shattered with screaming. It was the type of scream a frat boy lets out when a serial killer is in the process of gutting him with a fountain pen. I just about had a cardiac arrest and many of the people on the bus jumped out of their seats. It was only when the repetitive screaming suddenly tripled in volume that we all discovered the culprit: a cell phone. Some jerk pulled the phone out of his pocket, embarrassed at how loud it was, and accidentally dropped it on the bus floor. The joke now on him, the whole bus watched in amusement as this dude’s face grew redder and redder, scrambling to pick up and silence the screams coming from his phone. While there are far too many stupid ringtones out there to mention here, the story makes the point: turn down your stupid ringtone! No one thinks you’re clever, or funny, or musically savvy when you’re little pocket jukebox interrupts their thoughts. That guy on the bus probably thought his scream-tone was hysterical, but the looks on everyone else’s face read loud and clear: “What a douche bag!”

9. Disturbing live performances.

Comedy shows, concerts, plays etc…Nothing boils my blood more than having art ruined by a ringing cell phone. I nearly gave a security guard a standing ovation when he grabbed a gentleman by the collar and escorted him out of a show for having his cell phone go off. You ruin someone’s comedy act or interrupt an actor on stage, in turn spoiling the experience for everyone around you who’s spent their hard earned money on a night out, and you’re an arrogant douche-monkey who should be put in the corner with the rest of the 5 year olds. But when you disturb a performer who’s very life depends on needle-point focus and concentration, you should be put in jail.

10. Location location location

There are countless locations where “taking the call” is inappropriate and extremely annoying to those around you. The first two off the top of my head as the most frustrating are in libraries, and fast food restaurant lines. One of the last places on earth, aside from an empty church or your own bathroom, where people can go to read, think, and study in silence, is under attack by people who refuse to disconnect from the outside world. Does the word SSSSHHHHH mean nothing to you? Take the call outside, before someone throws “War and Peace” or Stephen King’s “It” at your head.

While ordering food, there’s no need to explain how annoying a phone call can be for both the restaurant staff and for the customers in line behind you. Or any place OF BUISNESS FOR THAT MATTER!

I had to post this!

Bucket List

So last weekend Lena and I went up to the Cabin. Wonderful weekend of relaxation in the beautiful Heber Valley. I have a good friend that has a plane. He keeps it down in the Heber Airport. He is very gracious and a wonderful person. Well because we were down there he invited us to go flying again. So we headed down early and went flying. It was pretty windy and it is a pretty little plane so Lena decided not to go up....due to my warning that is was really bumpy up in the air. I think her nerves would have been shot after the flight and I want my wife to be happy.

Well the whole reason for this post is I got to cross something off my Bucket List in doing this. As we were up in the air Mike asked me...."Hey Nik do you want to fly the plane?" Um yeah that would be awesome. So he folded his arms and I took control. Yes I flew the plane. I banked a couple times and flew around. He commented that anything I did from this altitude he would not be able to recover from. It was about 5-10 min I was flying. The he took control again and said...."you want to do a Barrel Roll" That was pretty cool too. They we got closer to the airport and I text Lena saying..."we are going to do a Loop" She went outside and we did a loop as well. It was a really cool experience for me. I will forever be grateful to my friend Mike for taking me up there.

So now I can take "fly a plane" off my bucket list.

Joke of the Week

A big corporation recently hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR rep during the welcoming briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised they would not. 4 weeks later their boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm quite satisfied with you. However, one of our Secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads no. After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals asked the Others, "Which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals continued, "You fool...! For 4 weeks we've been eating supervisors and no one noticed anything, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important!

Joke of the Week....

A Texas Department of Water representative stopped at a ranch and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation.

The old rancher said, Okay, but don't go in that field over there.

The Water representative said, Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered.

Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?

The old rancher nodded politely and went about his chores.

Later, the old rancher heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the fence and close behind was the rancher's bull.

The bull was gaining on the Water Rep with every step.

The Rep was clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and shouted out.....Your card! Show him your card!!

Cleanse your Sins away!

this is just silly! I would not want a holy old man rubbing up against my naked body...

Funny thing happened on the way to the Forum....

Sometime in the last week there was a very interesting woman that came in to the store. She was very dolled up for a 65+ year old woman. You know the kind that is still trying to look young by putting on a lot of make up and wear a lot of jewelry. She was the typical millionaires wife from Park City. We deal a lot with yuppies from Park City that think they own the world and we should be able to fix there problem right now....mainly because they believe they are entitled to anything they think should happen. This woman was no different. We are always really nice and try to help them understand what they can expect from us. But sometimes you just want to slap them across the face and say. "Look here senorita, you will get the same service as everyone else that comes in that door." Needless to say she was not happy with the fact it would take 1-2 days to diagnosis her computer. She decided to make and onsite appointment for someone to come to her house and fix the problem. This is the type of house call no one ever wants to go to, very demanding and unreasonable. Well Russ was the lucky winner. When he came back he had some interesting stories to tell. She had a huge wall of pictures and things she has done in her life. The one he started right of the bat was she was Playmate of the Month June 1959....WHAAAAAAAAAAT???? That was just funny to me. What a small world. She also was in the old 1960's Batman TV Series with Adam West. WHAAAATTTTT? Once I found that out I found the episodes she was in and knew exactly who she was. She was also on Bewitched. Russ said she was very nice and he was really surprised about that. One of the best is that she was in the movie The Brain That Wouldn't Die. There is a MST3k about this movie...and it is a big joke in our family. AWESOME!!! She married a Oil Tycoon here in Utah and he has since passed. But we had a little celebrity come into the store. She was not very nice to us....but still pretty funny. I will post pictures but not names...if you want to look up a name you can Google any of the info...

Lena Posted this without Telling me

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Free genealogy websites - Free genealogy

Mission Impossible

As most of you know I work at a local apple reseller. iPods are gold to most hoodlems. They are easy to move and there are millions of them all over the place so they are hard to track.

Well yesterday our Orem location got robbed. This is not the first time this has happened. About every year someone smashes the windows, runs in, hears how F***ing loud the alarm is and takes maybe one or two things and runs out.

Well this was not the case yesterday. This was like a freaking Mission Impossible heist. They cut the glass really low on the window and crawled under the sensors. The man must have been a really skinny batch and went to the back room and cut just the right wire to turn off the alarm which never went off. Then they proceeded to put anything they could fit in the small hole they cut and take it away. Needless to say they took all the laptops, including demos....and ipods....We got lucky they could not put all the computers through the hole or we would have gotten cleaned out.

So in the end....we have decided to close the Orem location. We were planning on moving it to American Fork any way. So this was just an excuse to do it a little earlier than planned.

CURSE YOU STUPID ETHAN HUNT....STOP STEALING OUR COMPUTERS!

Black Cab Sessions

This is a awesome website that I found. They hail a cab and have the band play one song with one take in the back of the cab. It is pretty creative. It is called the Black Cab Sessions.

This one is with a band called Death Cab for Cutie

http://www.blackcabsessions.com

The Best of TV News Lip Slips

I thought it was really funny thought I would share!


http://gawker.com/tag/clips/?i=396651&t=the-best-of-tv-news-lip-slips

Have You?

Lena did it! So I did it! Here is a list of 200 things, bolded are the ones I have done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without knowing their native language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite (I am sure that Cabo was a 5 star)
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog (duh!)
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Guilty Pleasures

This is a tag from Lena's Blog I thought would be fun.

We all have them. Things we don't tell our friends or family that we do, or watch, or read, or think about. He are mine:

CARTOONS!



Duh Nik that was stupid! Yes I know I have already said something about this it a previous post. But I really love Cartoons. Mostly those of the superhero variety. See previous post!


WWE Wrestling



This is one that I hesitate to disclose. There is something about this that brings back memories of hanging out with my friend Blake in his basement cheering for Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Now it is just silly to watch and I love watching new stars like Rey Mysterio, John Cena & Finlay. It is like a soap opera for guys. Yes, yes, I know it is not real! But i still like it anyway! In fact I know all the in's and out's of how they do it. It is not previously choreographed...if you want to know the secret come and talk to me.

Wrestling with my Nephews and Nieces



I don't know if I really would call this a Guilty Pleasure but I love Wrestling with them. We have a whole competition going on. At first I started wrestling with little Spencer because he was being a really picky eater. We would tell him that he would not get super strength if he did not eat his food and I would win. Well it worked really well. We got him to eat many a vegetable that way. Now is has extended on to others in the family as well Noah, Kristin, Allie, Kara (a little bit) & Christopher. We all have finishing moves and special moves we use. We bought a belt at Toys are Us that we compete for. It is quite the involved event now. I look forward to any family party we attend that we will have a match and we prepare for them all week.


Christmas Lights



I have always loved christmas lights. When I was a young lad my parents did not catch the christmas light bug. I think it was mainly because the did not want to take the time to put them up. When I turned 13 or so I took it upon my self to get it done. I told my dad if he bought the lights I would put them up. He agreed and I came up with a system. I measured each strand and made sure they would fit on out roof. I labeled them and packed them up in a special way so it would be easy to put them up. Every year I would celebrate Christmas Light Day! After a few years other people on my street started catching the bug as well. Then there was a friendly competion that brewed between myself and a couple others on the street. Namely Steve Walker and Steve Ostler. It does make me sad that I can not put up lights anymore. Someday I will have a home of my own! For now I enjoy the lights at Temple Square!

if I think of some more I will add them at a later date!

The New Lappy!

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I am fortunate enough to have a wife that love me so much and bought me a computer. But not just any computer! A Macbook Pro 15" the Zeus of Mac Laptops. It is so pretty and shinny and I just can not say enough nice things about it. I was so gitty when I got to take it home and looks at all the pretty button. How could we afford such a purchase do you ask? Well as most of you know Lena now works for Granite Credit Union. They have lots of little perks that make it so awesome to work there. One of them is a no interest computer loan. So when we found that out we both jumped at the chance. Lena got to upgrade her little lappy as well. We got her some ram and a new battery. I am so grateful we have been so blessed with good jobs and each other. Yeah for new toys!




Here are the specs for anyone that can understand them!

2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
3GB (two SO-DIMMs) 667MHz DDR2 memory (PC2-5300)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM and dual-link DVI
250GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
One FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, two USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard/34 slot
Built-in iSight camera, DVI, VGA (DVI to VGA adapter included)
Combined optical digital input/audio line in, combined optical digital output/audio line out, stereo speakers, microphone
Full-size, illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor; Multi-Touch trackpad
15.4-inch (diagonal) antiglare widescreen TFT LED backlit display with support for millions of colors

Another "Great Kissing Versary!" 2 Years

Lena and I were married 2 years ago last sunday. We had a celebration this weekend.

While I will leave the good part of the story to Lena. I will comment on a few things that stood out in my mind. We had a lot of Adventures this weekend. I have told Lena that she married me because she likes adventure. She quickly responded "that is true, but it is also because you are such a good kisser" So that sounded pretty good to me. So that is why we called this the "Great Kissing Versary!"

Lena also gave me some cool stuff for our celebration. I got a book (wink wink) and something for Lena to wear (wink wink) I think there is some other stuff...but I am sorry sweetie I can not remember what it was...GIfts are not the most important thing that happened....or the first thing on my mind. Oh it was an awesome picture frame that had a picture of us in it and Lena etched on the glass "Always" it was awesome!

Happy Kissing Versary Sweetie!

End of the Semester! And start of a new one!

So it is the end of the Semester so I thought I would post a couple of the paintings that I have done over the past school year!

I added the one of Malefient and the Star Night in Gotham just because people love those ones and they are hanging in my home. The rest I did during this semester. All of the landscapes were done on location, Also the Darth Vader was done from life. The rest where still life photographs. The comic book page is not my favorite because I had to rush that project quite a lot but it is of 2 of my best friends. They posed for my and I was very grateful. The last one is from when we went to Zion National Park about a month ago.

Tell me what you think...and which one you like the best!