Merry Christmas!

First of all, let me just say, Merry Christmas!!


With that said and a couple weeks off from school, I will probably be putting up a lot of posts for your glancing enjoyment.

As a delicious appetizer, I'd like to start off with some fun videos of of our daughter.

Hope you enjoy them!

(It's our daughter's gift to you.)

BYU Gives OR State a Beat Down

That's right, folks.  You see that poll at the right?  I'll take the shame and admit that I was the only one who voted on my own poll . . . but I did call the victory.

If you didn't see this one, let me say it was almost over before it began.  Sure, it started pretty slow and technically BYU came out down 7-0, but after Quiz dropped a backwards pass and BYU's Bauman returned it like 30 yards for a touchdown, the flood gates broke.

This was one of those bittersweet games where the beat down was so sweet but the nagging commercials and gasping commentary made the thumping so painful to watch.  I'm almost grateful the score was as close as it was because OSU was simply embarrassed and that's got to be rough in the final game of the season.

Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah!!!


Go Utes(?) and Horn Frogs.

Oh, I almost forgot, here's to Max Hall (the man the F-Word calls the psycho ex-girlfriend) for redeeming himself again (this time in a bowl game) and ending his career as the most winning QB in BYU history.  Cheers.

Ode to Law School Finals

Have you ever studied like mad for an exam, gone into the exam, dumped your brain all over the paper, left and wondered what it was you spilled all over the test materials?

Enter law school finals.

Each of my four exams (not including my crazy-difficult lawyering memo) lasted from three to four hours.

I probably enjoyed my Torts (the branch of law, not the cake) final the most; it included torts ranging from Santa screaming profanities, battering a young girl, throwing her deaf father into a Gingerbread house and locking him in, and melted candy cane lights.  And you thought physics were fun!  I do have to say, however, that after two hours of analyzing whether or not Santa's shouting at a four-year-old constituted assault and if some company were liable in strict products liability for the lights melting, my brain felt like the one in the image above.

Here's to law school finals:  As painless and full of nostalgia as a frontal lobe lobotomy.

It's all over! It's all over!!

Yes, folks, my first semester of law school is all over.  Can you believe it?

I can't either.

To many of you, this picture to the left and its attendant sound bite will be utter nonsense.  You need only listen to understand why I put it in.

For those of you who are familiar with the history, can I get a witness, please?

Cracker Barrel

Our daughter says it all on this one.



Okay, except for the biscuits, you can't top biscuits.

CHROME OS: Imagine a world with my nth love.

This post will likely start the F-Word raving and for good reason.

For the past so many days, I can't get Google's forthcoming operating system out of my brain waves.

It will have no local applications. NONE.

Why on earth would I subscribe to such a spartan monstrosity whose sole aim is to galvanize my letharghy, wash my brains out, and fill them with ads?

Speed, simplicity, and security.

Imagine a world where your computer would boot up in 7, count them, 7 seconds and you could be online, zooming away in just three more.

Imagine a world where your system resources aren't bogged down by SVCHost or who knows what other meaningless background processes.

Imagine a world where you don't have to worry about throwing the computer at the wall because Vista told you for the thirtieth time that you don't have permission to access files on your own computer.

Imagine a world where you don't have to update, monitor updates, check Windows update, or even run virus scans or spyware, not to mention random utilities like disk defragmenter.

Imagine a world where you don't have to worry about losing your data through a system crash or a good ole fashioned mugging.

Imagine a world where you can access your data, the same data, where ever you have an internet connection.

Finally, imagine a world where your OS is so self-reliant, that if it ever gets corrupted, etc., it will automatically re-download and fix itself.

It might sound Orwellian, but imagine a world with Chrome (OS).

If you'll excuse the inherent and outrageous blashpemy, this scripture comes to mind: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/36/22#22

Cool Iris in Chrome

If you're like the CA, you love Chrome and you love searching Google Images.

Unfortunately, Google Images is pretty spartan when it comes to picture count on a page.

To fix this problem, install the Cool Iris extension. It lets you display scores of pictures all at once and you can scroll through hundreds/thousands by simply dragging the screen to the right.

Here's where you can get the extension: http://www.cooliris.com/beta/chrome/

Please note that you'll need to be running either the beta or developer builds of Chrome: http://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel (Look under "Subscribing to a channel")

Finally, if you'd like a super cool search-from-your-omnibox in Cool Iris search engine, right click in your Chrome omnibox (address bar)>edit search engines>add.

Next, choose a name and shortcut of your choosing (e.g., I use ci for Cool Iris).

Then paste the following into the URL box: http://www.cooliris.com/tab/#url=jsfeed%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fimages.google.com%2F%23%3Fcisearch%3D%s%2520

This way, whenever you want to search Cool Iris, you can just go to your omnibox, type in your shortcut (again, mine is ci, for exampe), hit tab, and you can search Cool Iris straight from your Chrome omnibox.

Please hold your applause. I accept cash, checks, credit cards, and pay pal. Whichever you prefer.

Mr. Potter goes Trunk-or-Treating

Now what you've truly been waiting for, some pictures not necessarily of Yours Truly.

Way back in October, Ginny, Lily, and I went to our ward's trunk-or-treat.

Ginny is a little OCD about projects and so she put together the most impressive trunk-or-treat trunk I have ever seen.

Apparently, the judges thought the same thing because our trunk won first prize!

Yes, I've had to bury my head in the sand on this one since it would seemingly be some kind of "man project" (to win glory, fame, and honor for his family).

Thankfully, Ginny doesn't gloat as much as Malfoy used to.

F-Word, eat your heart out.

Yen

Speaking of words, yen is not only a form of Japanese currency, it also means to pine for something.

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS342US342&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=define:yen

Maybe it's a yearning to spend money?

I love those ducks/geese/birds/whatever, by the way.

Logorrhea

Yet another post I've been meaning to do for a while.

Like the geek that I am, I subscribe to a nifty word of the day feed.

This was on it one day.

Excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness.

I don't mean anything by this picture, it's actually just what came to mind.

However, "talking heads" do seem to have a bit of logorrhea, come to think of it . . .

Locked Out

I won't give you all the details on this one, but I'll just say that a while back, my wife, our daughter, and I were locked out of our apartment for a substantial period of time.

Locksmiths were called, hair was pulled out, and lives were changed. Maybe I'll write a Conference talk about it one day . . .

Too bad our apartment isn't closer to the ground or maybe I could have pulled a stunt like that seen in the picture on the left.

Downloadable Videos: Too Cool for School

Anyone who knows me from Adam will corroborate the submission that I am loathe to praise the ivory kingdom of Steve Jobs.

However, let me just say that while RedBox ($1 movies) is nice, being able to sit on my pants, click a button, and have a movie playing for a slight markup (yes, I know that $3 is three times $1) is joyous.

I'm also an enthusiast for renting in general. There are few movies that I want to watch every other day, so being able to pay a few GW's every time we want to watch a descent flick (which isn't all that often to begin with) is no sweat off my back, especially considering we'd have to rent the movie like four times to equal the purchase price of a DVD.

Some movies are good, but most are not four-times-in-the-same year good.

Here's to the man in the black turtle neck and jeans for making it easy on me (even if I'm loathe to admit it).

BYU beats Oklahoma??

I've been meaning to post on this one for a long time.

Of course, I couldn't watch the game (or, rather, I hadn't figured out how to tap into my school's VPN yet) . . .

Anyway, just because a lot of people often hold BYU football out to be the Boise State of the Mountain West (good record, no real opponents), I had to post on this one.

Too bad they had to get pummeled by the Florida State criminals and rebeat (as in beat down) by the Horned Frogs. At least TCU seems like a legitimate contender.

Ah well, if my research is correct, BYU hasn't gone undefeated since, you guessed it . . . 1984.

Maybe in another quarter of a century we'll pull it out again off again.

Kentucky Temple

These pictures are from a while back, but given their star, I think you'll enjoy them.

Blocking Ads in Chrome: Host Files

Are you die hard about Google Chrome?

Would you also rather die than surf the Web with never-ending, pernicious ads?

First of all, welcome to the club.

Second, I have a potential solution for you: Use a host file.

I strongly recommend http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm with a few caveats:

a) It's not for the faint of heart (if ads don't bother you very much, this solution will probably be a little over the top).

b) It's kind of complicated.

c) It may block services/functionality you don't want blocked.

d) It sometimes looks goofy (note image).

With that said, I do strongly recommend it (until a true adblocker, not AdSweep, comes out for Chrome).

Cheers.

Contact me with any questions.

Red Neck Joke

Speaking of Provo-Orem, had to share this one:

Craig's List

I can't remember if I ever posted on this, but my wife and I posted about a million things on Craig's List and a large portion of them actually sold.

Craig's List, and to maybe even a greater extent the Provo-Orem area, this one's for you!

To The Gypsy

I should have posted on this ages ago, but I owe someone a great deal of thanks for helping us get across the country without losing our sanity.

Gypsy, this one goes out to you.

(Note: This is not what our GPS looks like.)

Architreks

Back in the first week my wife and I got here, we took a cool tour around downtown Cincinnati (don't go walking around there alone, especially at night . . .).

I won't flood you with anything but photos.

Provecho.

Our Apartment

I've just about said everything there is to say on this one. I almost assembled it all, single-handed.

Here it is in all it's glory.

I'm pretty sure it was built in the 1920's and other than a few interesting "features," it's more than any jolly bloke could ever hope for!

Enjoy.

NowUCmeless

This is the title I adopted for my NFL Pick'em league with my brothers and some others (I am tied for first place, BTW, your K-ness).

In case it's not readily apparent, I chose the indicative appellation due to my disappearance from anything not related to reading/studying for class all day every day.

Law school isn't rocket science or anything, but it's not playing WOW either. Okay, that was a little too harsh, let's say it's not like playing Super Mario Bros. Happy?

I'm really enjoying everything from foreseeability in tort liability (my brother's all-time-favorite), Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Contracts, to even Lawyering.

I always knew I spoke in code, but now I really do speak in Code (e.g., the Uniform Commercial Code, etc).

Anyway, while my brain hasn't been this tired in quite a while, it's been quite an experience. But let's just say I'm glad it's FALL BREAK!

BTW, that's William Howard Taft, ICYWW.

IKEA

I'm getting back in the game. As you know, I've been MIA for a while, so I've got some catching up to do.

I hope you won't try to read everything all at once, you will likely develop a nasty case of mental indigestion.

Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of photorials for you, but I do have a lot of memories.

For this lovely post, I take you back to the first days of our existence here in Cincinnati.

My wife and I had next to nothing as far as furniture is concerned so we turned to . . . you guessed it, IKEA, that harbinger of furnishing bliss.

I'll try to summarize things briefly.

My wife and I visited IKEA probably 5-8 times.

It seemed like each time our daughter conveniently needed a serious diaper change as we were leaving . . .

It also felt like we had to rush out the door each time before the kicked everyone out.

On numerous occasions, we could barely fit everything on the cart -- or in the car, for that matter. In fact, on one occasion we had an employee help us out and we had to rip some of the boxes open and stick part of our bed frame out the back window. Good times, trust me.

Basically, almost anything not a computer in our apartment that isn't inside a closet was assembled by yours truly.

Tim Taylor would give me a hearty ho-ho at my uncanny ability to wield an IKEA wrench (as shown). After many hours, many mistakes and much scratching of my head, it's all in place.

That's probably more detail than you bargained for, so if you want more, either fill in the blanks or petition for a furtherance of information, the CA is not unsympathetic, your pleas will not fall upon deaf ears.

THE FINISH

Seeing as I currently go to school in Cincinnati, watching this video (thanks to my brethren of the same mother) was especially sweet for me.

If you haven't savored it yet . . . you will.

Provecho.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsKKUhSuZIY

On second blush, it looks like the stingy NFL may have claimed a miserly copyright . . . Sheesh, who has those anymore?

If it doesn't work, I guess you'll just have to go out and find it.

Officious Inter-meddler

What's that? you say.

Well, my wife once told me about a guy who showed up at her place back home, mowed her family's yard, and then insisted that her father take pictures of his daughter or something as a form of repayment.

The law has a term for such miscreants!

Officious inter-meddler

Thought you ought to know.

THE TRIP

Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for:

OUR TRIP FROM OREM TO CINCINNATI!

There are a lot of pictures, so I won't be offended if you zip through them quickly.

Make sure you pause on the ones with our daughter in them, though, my wife snapped some classics.

You should more or less be able to feel out the various regions we drove through.

Can anyone guess where we took the picture of the run-down DQ combined with some random restaurant?

Oh, in case you're interested, I almost left off the story about Arches.

We planned on driving through there on our way to CO. Once we neared the park, I saw a tiny little sign with an arrow which read Arches National Park.

Hmm, I though to myself, it must be coming up soon . . .

Needless to say, we didn't figure out we had missed it until we were driving out of Moab. :'(

The park was awesome, but I was a little deflated, so we made it somewhat of a drive-by-shooting.

I think my wife's shot of me with our daughter in the Visitor's Center parking lot exemplifies how the rest of the day went.

After we left Arches, our daughter could barely last five consecutive minutes on the freeway and we threw in the towel once we made it to Grand Junction.

The rest of the trip was pretty much driving with Jim Dale.

Good times.

Good Bye, Orem

For my wife, our departure couldn't come soon enough.

For me, it's still kind of crazy to think we're more or less done with Yogurt Land . . . forever.

Be sure to note the super full car (please hold your applause until after the slide show is over) and fun wasp/hornet's nest.

Bridal Falls

I still have a lot of catching up to do, but here are some family pictures of Bridal Falls from last month.

Gotta love our daughter's hat.

And yes, Cecil is still my homeboy (even though I'm not longer at BYU).

Remembering 9-11

It's been eight years, today.

How much do we remember? How much do we care?

What have we learned?

The following video is about a 9-11 survivor. He talks about his survivor's guilt and how a renewed focus on his family and relationship with God have changed his life for the better.

BYU Walk & Old Times

Here're some more photorials for you.

The apartments -- The Downs, Monticello & The Shingle House -- are places where my wife and I both lived back in the day (my wife only lived in The Downs).

It was crazy hot, but a lot of fun.

Enjoy.

Hangin with #2

Some of these pictures are pretty old news but hopefully enjoyable.

Yes, that drool did fall on me, and yes, that really is my hair.

Coming Back Online

Yes, CA fans, I know many of you have been pondering -- perhaps even shouting -- WHERE IN TARNATION IS THE CA!!??

For now, let's just say you'll soon find out where I've been.

But never fear, because I'm back and prepped to hit you with about 2,000 posts in the next day or so.

There will be a lot of updating to do, so if you're like the F-Word, you may want to just print a bunch of the posts and read them in a more quiet and relaxing location (F-Word knows what I'm talking about), where you can give the veritable novel your full-fledged attention.

I thank you for your patience and want to let you know how excited (stoked even) I am to start blistering you with stale news and random insights [again].

Today's Spiritual Message: Secret Combinations

22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not (Ether 8: 22).

I presume you are familiar with the mass arrest of a week or so ago codenamed Operation Bid Rig.

Talking about secret combinations, I usually make jokes. However, there are so many out there in today's age who are grubbing for money, power, and influence. These combinations are no laughing matter. Their purpose is to exalt themselves, as they unlawfully take away from others.

How can we trust leaders, groups, and governments who are rife with corruption, intrigue, and scandal?

Obviously we can't.

How can society function with such people at the helm?

It can't.

Until the scheming members of this nation and the world turn from the greed of money, power, and numerous other vices, we can expect to see things get worse and worse.

One of the biggest alarm bells on this topic: These are only the guys who got caught . . .

How do we combat all of this?

24 Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do (3 Nephi 18: 24).

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness (John 12: 46).

The Countdown Begins (if it Hadn't Started Already)

Yes, in case you hadn't noticed my little countdown clock on the right, it has officially begun -- as per my blog

It's pretty crazy to think we only have a few more days left on the Wasatch front.

I don't think I'd ever be inebriated enough to call Utah home (especially since I don't drink), but it does make me a little melancholy to think I'll be leaving a place where I've spent essentially 1/4 of my whole life.

I've had some of the most special memories of my life here: meeting and courting my wife, welcoming our first child into the world, and earning my undergraduate degree, to name a few.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm writing this at almost 12:30 in the morning (we just put our daughter down, officially), but I think there'll be a lot I'll miss about Utah.

And, without going into detail, there will also be a need to wash some of that vapid taste out of my brain. Kind of like Hawaiian Punch, ya know?

L'chai-im! TO LIFE!!

A Bunch of Pratts and Gits

Today at work, I stumbled across a dude whose last name is Git (I can't remember if it's one t or two).

Seeing as I've spent many hours of 2009 re-listening to the Hairless Potter series, I had to pause when I came across this interesting surname.

Interestingly enough, one of the most famous pioneers (although not of the handcart variety) in LDS lore is Parley P Pratt . . . Am I missing something?

Well, I guess not, seeing as I've come across about 1 million + hilarious names at work this year.

Please chime in with one of your favorites.

For your edumucation, here is some background on prats and gits. (Don't forget to listen closely for their widespread and uproariously funny usage in HP -- if simply for nothing more than its being uncommon Brittish cheek. I don't get enough in the States.)

Schadenfreude

Boy, those Germans have a word for everything.

I can't remember exactly why this one came up at work, but one of my colleagues, whom I refer to (upon his instance that I not call him Drago, because he's German, not Russian) as the Kaiser, absolutely loves it.

Needless to say, my immediate family will appreciate its historical significance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude

The Inner Circle: Conspiracy Theories

If you frequent the comments section of my blog, you're familiar with how the F-Word regularly accuses me of illicit Google impropriety.

However, today I turn the tables and insist his wife is secretly the narrator's voice in BE's Baby Van Gogh (thanks to the R+H Factor on the DVD).

Yes, Google may fatten my coffer on a regular basis, the F-Word, but how long have you been fraternizing with the Walt Disney?

Put that paint brush in your mouth and chew it!

Ireland and the UK

STOP!!

BEFORE READING ANY FURTHER, TAKE THE POLL AT THE RIGHT.


Okay, now that you've taken it, read on.

I consider myself a generally knowledgeable, well-rounded person. Today, however, seriously jeopardized this mediocre status.

You remember my post about Ireland's LASER debit card? Well, today, I had a followup meeting with that same Irish client.

First of all, just let me say that I LOVE non-American, native English-speaking accents!! I felt like I was eves dropping on a conversation from Far and Away, playing the role of Tom Cruise.

Anyway, at one point I said, "I'm actually going to law school, but I don't know what you guys call it in the UK . . ." This was not the right thing to say.

You see, Ireland has been independent, at least according to my friend, since 1916!

Two things give me consolation on the matter:

1. None of my gamma team members knew either (no matter how they vote in the poll).
2. Some clown back at BYU insisted that Reno, not Carson City is the capital of Nevada. "I've lived there for like 15 years," he sneered, "I think I would know." Indeed . . .

Shameless Promotion

I often reference and revere the F-Word (the man, not the expletive) in my posts, but yesterday he put together an absolute gem which everyone, including and especially my coworkers (and one in particular) will enjoy.

NOTE: If you're not LDS, the post may seem very strange indeed; if this is the case, my recommendation is simply to smile and nod. (Ask me for clarification if you're a little too puzzled.)

The Madness of Mr. Crouch, er, the Cougar Abogado

Well CA fans, it's official, my descent into the legal realm has begun.

"What's this?" you say.

Well, today, when I came home from work, I was greeted by an over-sized package, stuffed in our little mail flap.

Employing my cat-like reflexes and Jedi intuition, I quickly recognized the characteristic red UC insignia, flush with the white parcel and knew it could only mean one thing: LAW BOOKS. (Cue dreadful shock music.)

My wife sweetly cajoled me into a cursory overview of the texts.

I leaned over them, feeling like Hairless Potter at the foot of the pensive, mysteriously diving into its glistening contents . . . Only I didn't see a young Tom Riddle or hear a wise old Dumbledore call me back into his office.

But I did find some rather intriguing legal thought and illumintation.

To be Scott with you, I don't know which is more disturbing:
1. The fact that I received class assignments before ever stepping foot on campus.
2. The fact that I am considerably interested in their portents.

Yes, I truly must be going mad to even consider I might, dare I say it, enjoy my coursework!

(Isn't graduate school ironically refreshing on many levels?)

(And an extra hearty thanks to my wife for fanning my intellectual flame instead of smothering it with endless leisure and irresponsibility.)

150th Post!!

In honor of my 150th post, I made an intricate and highly delectable cake.

Wouldn't you like a piece?


Okay, so I just lifted the image from some other dude's blog.

Can you blame me?

Sound off below on your favorite CA memories (i.e., those which come to mind without scrolling through my blog archive . . .).

REGRETS

I saw this one at work and had to share it.


I especially love the subtle nuance of the remote control on the table. Good times.

Life's Hard

Yesterday's Spiritual Message: Consider the Lilies

Having been married a little over two and a half years, my wife and I are still very young chicks (birds).

As such, we have been very used to having worms lovingly placed in our mouths for most of our lives.

However, as we have ventured farther and farther into the world, we have come to the realization that we need to depend on one Source for our benefit and welfare: Our Heavenly Father.

Recently becoming a father myself and recognizing all expenses that come with it makes me think of this scriptural verse, "Consider the lilies of the field . . ." The Savior goes on to explain how our Heavenly Father is very aware of our most intricate needs.

Having this calming reassurance over the past few months and years has been an incomprehensible blessing.

I invite you to ponder these lines of scripture and the invitation the Savior gives us to work hard and then trust in God.

We firmly testify that, "[He] knoweth that [we] have need of all these things."

Finally, click here for a stirring rendition of Consider the Lilies.

Awesome Web Site

I believe it was Friday when I looked over Smiele's shoulder to witness this artistic masterpiece:


I mean, just look at the thing, you know that beaver means business.

And with a subtitle like "Home of Champions," who could go wrong with that?

I particularly enjoyed the quasi-rippled-water effect. Simply unprecedented (at least in 1994).

Thinking this banner had all but quenched my thirst for hilarity, I was delighted when my wife later turned my attention to the true diamond in the rough. Have a look at this "history" teacher:

Indeed. No words.

Trying to be polite and find any fathomable reason for this, um, interesting display, I can actually muster one word: WOW.

If you're interested, here's the Web site link.

ENJOY!