Truck Update. V.2.0

The truck is back together, and probably better than it was before. Well, i guess the fan assembly and the air cleaner would beg to differ. But I am planning on getting an air cleaner soon, and the fan assembly works fine, it just isn't the same. Ok, so it's not better than it was. But it is shiny! Ooooooh!

Tank Troubles.

There was a small problem on the way to Arizona tonight.

Semester winding down...

Well, I have decided to abandon the cell phone. I don't really use it that much, and my contract is ending. It's been really handy, but I think I'd rather be saving the money I'm forking over to Verizon. I'm not sure when I am going to shut it off yet, but it probably be in the next few months.

apes, knaves, and rogues

While I was at the bookstore today, enjoying the heck out of some tea (of which i have an ever deepening appreciation for, thanks to the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) I saw some interesting books.

• Acorna’s Revenge Rebels by Anne McCaffrey

Seriously! After seeing the subtitle, i thought for sure that this book had been written by my friend Rocky:

• The further adventures of Unicorn Girl? Unicorn Girl Strikes Back?
• Unicorn Girl goes to Washington? Unicorn Girl and the Temple of Doom? Unicorn Girl rides a bike?
• The Neverending Unicorn Girl? Unicorn Ninja!
• American Unicorn 3!

She doesn’t even look like a unicorn girl in on the cover! I mean, where’s the horn, eh?
then, i chanced immediately upon another book, and thought for sure it was a Hegaman conspiracy...

• Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card. 

Recreational Coffee

Yesterday, was the first recreational use of just your old straight coffee for me in quite some time. ages really.
And I’d like to note how the strongest of emotions goes with the impossiblest of situations.  Perhaps I will be able to reconcile the two together, but as always, it seems impossible.
I picked up the works of Jonathan Edwards, and will be enjoying those next summer. I also picked up the three set work of N.T. Wright.
Those should keep me busy when I find some time to read.
I’m probably going to go back to Idaho after I graduate. Although I am desirous to go to Salem.
Then sometime in the future I will go back to school. 

The Burnination is over!

The two week spree of victims charred by the spa of 112° has finally come to an end.
Onlookers noticed the swath cut by the 'spa of total devastation,' as a line of charred, burninated, scathed, and scalded spa-goers.
One brave spa goer attempted to withstand the ever-heated waters, but all accounts of that individual seem to indicate that he ended up in the sanitarium.

Pyromania

There was this awesome sunset last thursday. It was by far the best sunset I have seen in Kalifornia. It was great, the whole sky looked like it was on fire. Perhaps it was some sort of foreshadowing of the aweful fires that are now raging across upperclass hillside neighborhoods.

The fires here in California are approaching the valley where I live. They are about to crest the hill that surrounds our valley. It reminds me alot of the foothills fire in Boise back in 1992. It is pretty interesting, as this fire has burned around the valley almost a third of a circumference.

I feel happy...

 There is a pile of laundry that has taken over my bed. I am kindof tired, and would like to go to sleep, but i am scared of making any sudden movements that might otherwise spook this gentle giant. I have been sick for the last couple of days. I initial thought it was a food allergy, then I thought it was bronchitis. Then i moved on to pneumonia, and SARS, and now i think it's a hybrid mix of cold/bronchitis. I'm feeling better, although i occasionally have headaches, and my head pretty much is on the verge of spontaneous explosion. Well, it's not that bad, but i'll be happy if I get better.

The manager finally had the people that lived in our spot before us move out. How's that work? Well, they switched apartments, see... but they kept their parking spots. So, for two years, we've been hoofing it from the far end of the garage... until now. However, we needed to move our stuff that was in our storage to the new one. Well, someone else at our complex mustof notice that the aforementioned people moved out, and they slapped their padlock on it (it was not left there, but appeared). Anyway, the manager made it disappear, and i moved all the stuff today, since the replacements for said people move in this weekend.

There is a universe burning down next door to me

There was a big fire in the apartment building across from ours on monday. I heard the ringing of the alarm out of my window and thought it was a car alarm. As I walked around to our porch to investigate, i mention to my roommate that 'the building next door was burning down.' As it turned out, I was correct!

Anyway, I took some photos of the whole ordeal. Complete with two movies. One was of the firetruck's ladder extending. The other was smoke pouring from the building. Everybody was safe, in the end. Although I am now feeling sick (probably unrelated). It could be smoke inhalation, but i think it is more along the lines of a cold.

Testing... Testing... 1... 2... 5...

Welcome to the new Website!

After our beta test trial period, we are pleased to announce that the balm has gone digital, err... entered a new phase of development. With the magic of mySQL and php, and programs such as postnuke and gallery, the Balm has entered into an era of personal webspace hereto unknown.

If it bleeds, I can kill it...

So, I got home from school today, and there were police with cones and stuff everywhere! I thought something big had gone down in front of our apartment building. There was a fire- engine in the middle of the street and ambulances. I pulled up to the cop, and he said there was going to be a political rally. I went and parked my car, and got my camera and headed down to see what all the hub-bub was about.
It was Arnold! Arnold came to my apartment complex! And I got movies

• Total Recall 9.4 Mb mpg The tour buses had names, such as: Predator 1-4, and Total Recall. 
• "Villages and towns." 9.57 Mb mpg Classic Arnold: "Villages and towns, I’ll burn them to the ground!" (Ok, maybe i added a bit there)    
• Hahahahahahahaha! All I can say about the California Recall is ’Vive La Idaho!’ 
• Some news site photo.

Some photoshops i had found on the internet and hastily printed up to wave about.

might I suggest...

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas 

Vineyard

On the way to school this morning I had the most intriguing sensation. I guess that my toothpaste reminded me of it. As I was driving along at sub-sonic speeds in the morning rush, I remembered the grapes which we used to grow on the vines at our old house back in Idaho. How I would pick them off and they would be so sour. And this morning I had a strange desire to own my own little vineyard. 

Dealing With Irrational People

I snarfed this off the web back on July 24th, 2000. I was searching for something else in Tim’s archives, and found it, and decided to postify it. 

1.  AMAZINGLY BAD ANALOGY
• Example: You can train a dog to fetch a stick. Therefore, you can train a potato to dance.
2. FAULTY CAUSE AND EFFECT
• Example: On the basis of my observations, wearing huge pants makes you fat.
3. I AM THE WORLD 
• Example: I don’t listen to country music. Therefore, country music is not popular.
4. IGNORING EVERYTHING SCIENCE KNOWS ABOUT THE BRAIN
• Example: People choose to be obese/gay/alcoholic because they prefer the lifestyle.
5. THE FEW ARE THE SAME AS THE WHOLE
• Example: Some Elbonians are animal rights activists. Some Elbonians wear fur coats. Therefore, Elbonians are hypocrites.
6. GENERALIZING FROM SELF
• Example: I’m a liar. Therefore, I don’t believe what you’re saying.
7. ARGUMENT BY BIZARRE DEFINITION 
• Example: He’s not a criminal. He just does things that are against the law.
8. TOTAL LOGICAL DISCONNECT
• Example: I enjoy pasta because my house is made of bricks.
9. JUDGING THINGS WITHOUT COMPARISON TO ALTERNATIVES
• Example: I don’t invest in U.S. Treasury bills. There’s too much risk.
10. ANYTHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IS EASY TO DO
• ExampIe: If you have the right tools, how hard could it be to generate nuclear fission at home?
11. IGNORANCE OF STATISTICS
• Example: I’m putting ALL of my money on the lottery this week because the jackpot is so big.
12. IGNORING THE DOWNSIDE RISK
• Example: I know that bungee jumping could kill me, but it’s three seconds of great fun!
13. SUBSTITUTING FAMOUS QUOTES FOR COMMON SENSE
• Example: Remember, “All things come to those who wait.” So don’t bother looking for a lob.
14. IRRELEVANT COMPARISONS
• Example: A hundred dollars is a good price for a toaster, compared to buying a Ferrari.
15. CIRCULAR REASONING
• Example: I’m correct because I’m smarter than you. And I must be smarter than you because I’m correct.
16. INCOMPLETENESS AS PROOF OF DEFECT
• Example: Your theory of gravity doesn’t address the question of why there are no unicorns, so it must be wrong.
17. IGNORING THE ADVICE OF EXPERTS WITHOUT A GOOD REASON
• Example: Sure, the experts think you shouldn’t ride a bicycle into the eye of a hurricane, but I have my own theory.
18. FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF KNOWN IDIOTS
• Example: Uncle Billy says pork makes you smarter. That’s good enough for me!
19. REACHING BIZARRE CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION
• Example: The car won’t start. I’m certain the spark plugs have been stolen by rogue clowns.
20. FAULTY PATTERN RECOGNITION
• Example: His lust six wives were murdered mysteriously. I hope to be wife number seven.
21. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT’S IMPORTANT
• Example: My house is on fire! Quick, call the post office and tell them to hold my mail!
22. UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT OF SUNK COSTS
• Example: We’ve spent millions developing a water-powered pogo stick. We can’t stop investing now or it will all be wasted.
23. OVERAPPLICATION OF OCCAM’S RAZOR (WHICH SAYS THE SIMPLEST EXPLANATION IS USUALLY RIGHT)
• Example: The simplest explanation for the moon landings is that they were hoaxes.
24. IGNORING ALL ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
• Example: I always get hives immediately after eating strawberries. But without a scientifically controlled experiment, it’s not reliable data. So I continue to eat strawberries every day, since I can’t tell if they cause hives.
25. INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOME THINGS HAVE MULTIPLE CAUSES
• Example: The Beatles were popular for one reason only: They were good singers.
26. JUDGING THE WHOLE BY ONE OF ITS CHARACTERISTICS
• Example: The sun causes sunburns. Therefore, the planet would be better off without the sun.
27. BLINDING FLASHES OF THE OBVIOUS
• Example: If everyone had more money, we could eliminate poverty.
28. BLAMING THE TOOL
• Example: I bought an encyclopedia but I’m still stupid. This encyclopedia must be defective.
29. HALLUCINATIONS OF REALITY
• Example: I got my facts from a talking tree.
30. TAKING THINGS TO THEIR ILLOGICAL CONCLUSION
• ExampIe: If you let your barber cut your hair, the next thing you know he’ll be lopping off your limbs!
31. FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND WHY RULES DON’T HAVE EXCEPTIONS
• Example: It should be legal to shoplift, as long as you don’t take enough to hurt the company’s earnings.
32. PROOF BY LACK OF EVIDENCE
• Example: I’ve never seen you drunk, so you must be one of those Amish people.

From: The Joy of Work: Dilbert's Guide to Finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-workers. By Scott Adams

Seminary Education

Some facts about this particular seminary education:

• 98 Credit hours 
• 35,000 pages of reading 
• 91,000 minutes of class time 
• 850 pages typed of Masters level work

And I am on the downhill half! yay! 

War and Peace

R.I.P.
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy 2/14/3 - 3/23/3 

List of good time syncs

Apple ][
Artillery
Castle Wolfenstien
Beyond Castle Wolfenstien

386/486
F-19 Stealth Fighter
Scorch
Rampart
Wolfenstien 3D
Police Quests / Space Quests 
X-wing
Eye of the Beholder 1-3 
Sam and Max
Warcraft 2

Pentium
Dark Forces 
Starcraft
Ages of Empires 1-2 ...

3d Acelerated
Everquest 
Jedi Knight 
Jedi Knight 2 
Warcraft 3

Rain in the desert

We went boating on the colorado river yesterday. It was nice and warm yesterday, and sunny. Perfect boating weather. Incidentally, one of the funnest times I ever had was jet skiing up the river. There are sandbars in the river, just below the surface (although right now, because of the spring runoff, they are about 10 inches underwater), but on a jetski, you plane up enough to fly right over them. But, if you slowed down, you would get stuck on them. Anyway, that made for a fun time, and we might bring the jetskiis down to Arizona next spring. Yay! 

Utopia - Vacuum Brewer

Well, I broke down and bought one. After watching prices fall from 175 to 129 to 89, I found out that they have pretty much discontinued selling the Utopias. After looking around the internet and finding none to buy, and two on eBay, they might be an interesting investment for future sales on eBay. Anyway, after visiting my friend Matt last week, I realized it was a good coffeemaker, with a timer. And it made a good cup, very similar to a french press.

• "While it’s not for everyone, true coffee freaks will get a kick out of the mad science experiment known as the Starbucks Barista Utopia. Looking like a melted iMac, the Utopia is perfect for entertaining or brewing your most valuable stash of smuggled Jamaican Blue Mountain. Based on an old concept of brewing, the Utopia heats hot water in its clear bot- tom reservoir. Once boiled, the pressure forces the water up a tiny test tube to the top bowl where the coffee grounds await. The boiling hot water slowly steeps the grounds of coffee on top, returning the finished brew back down the tube for serving. The Utopia method truly delivers a better cup of coffee than drip coffee makers, but unless you have a cleanup elf in the house, Utopia is more for entertaining than everyday use."  Link