Chrome = Samus (Metroid)?

Am I the only one seeing the similarity here?

I think my wife has it right: the Chrome team knew that most of its initial users would be men who are very familiar with the pirate-defeating heroin, Samus Aran of Metroid.

So, any takers?

Today's Spiritual Message: Until We Meet Again

This 3:40 video is especially pertinent to Yours Truly, having lost a loved one (my father) at 7. What a wonderful story of service, dedication, and reunion on the day before Memorial Day.



I too know that because of Jesus Christ, a physical resurrection is real for all of us:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.  (Job 19: 26)

Newest Poll (form, actually)

Would you rather . . .? Results

take a law school exam (2 Responses)
29%
give birth (3 Responses)
43%
go back to middle school (0 Responses)
0%
watch the broncos lose to the 49ers 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV (2 Responses)
29%

I'm convinced of at least one thing:  I don't think any of you take these polls seriously!

I especially know that one mother chose "give birth" and that answer seems highly suspicious to me.

Ah, well.  Hope you enjoyed it!

ScanDrop: Scan Right Into Google Docs

Speaking of Google Docs, I found a small download that lets users scan items right into Google Docs (so they don't have to upload it later from the hard drive).

It's called ScanDrop.  It's pretty spartan, but for the time being (until Google adds it in by default), it's the best I know of.

Oh, and if you like the little screen shot I took from inside the browser, look into the Chrome extension Webpage Screenshot.  Also fairly spartan, but the simplest, quickest type I could find.

Happy Doc-ing.

Google Docs and the Internet - My New Home

Okay, it's truly begun.

I'm tired, very tired, of seeing this screen staring me in the face, when ever I try to work on an online Word Doc (or I should say, hoped to one day be able to work on):

Over the past few days (that's right, just this week), I've been really looking to Google Docs.

Up until now, Google Docs was cute and a fun idea, but it was, IMHO, about as useful to me as Open Office.  It was pretty much PowerWheels v. BMW.

However, Google Docs is getting to the point where it's seriously almost as good as the every-day features of Word (click here for latest feature updates) and the collaboration is amazing:  If you've ever used Google Wave (back in the day), the "real-time" editing is truly real time.  So if Person B is typing on the doc, Person A will see the changes as they happen.  Straight up.  You're talking to someone who used to live in MS Office.

Yes, the new improvements have even spurred me to finally start uploading most of my files to the cloud (Google Docs will automatically convert docs, spreadsheets, pdfs, and powerpoints and will store anything - to my knowledge) in anticipation of Web OSes such as Chrome OS.

For a better idea of what Google Docs does, watch the fun 2.5 min. video below (no I didn't make it).

Also, here's a very interesting, very quick read (about 5-9 sentences) from back in November (I remembered reading it):  Google says Docs to catch up to Office next year

Welcome to next year!!



Oh, and in case you're still wondering what this whole "Chrome OS" thing is (and the "cloud" for that matter), here's a welcome to, if not modern, upcoming computing:

Today's Spiritual Message: Kirtland Trip Pictures

I will post as they upload.

Enjoy!

HURRY!! Google's got Pac-Man in 30th Anniversary Celebration Today!

google.com

Pretty cool, eh?  Note that you can actually play.

I imagine it will be gone after today . . .  So probably a few days ago.

UPDATE:  Google went all out on this one!  Turns out this simple home page game has 255 levels (like the original), employs a number of quarks like being able to tell where the ghosts are going based on where their eyes look (like the original) and actually allows for two player (like the original)!  Wow.

Read this for more:  http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20005528-52.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Oh, and it turns out that it will actually be up for 48 hours.  But man, people had better be pretty dang, uh, skilled to pass all 255 levels and still carry on normal human functions in that time period!

F-Word, Stmad, Ren of the Wolves, are you up for the challenge?

The "Messiah" Strikes Again

"In a way Obama is standing above the country, above the world. He's sort of GOD. He's going to bring all different sides together."  - Evan Thomas, on Hardball

Indeed.

With in-your-face healthcare (unless you're too old for anyone to care about you anymore) and now this, I'm starting to wonder if he and the liberals don't truly "believe" he is.

Jacques Chirac must be gushing tears of joy for our new found state religion (but did France ever worship him?).

Just what everyone needs, says Harry Reid.  "Simply, the American people are saying, 'you've got to protect us,' and we didn't back down from that."  No indeed, you paved the way for the patron saint to deify himself even further, as Father of the $1 trillion dollar foist as well as the "most extensive overhaul of financial-sector regulation since the 1930s."

I'll be the first to congratulate President Roosevelt and shed an American tear of gratitude for his being a captivating leader who overcame great tribulation (paralysis and WWII).  I will also be the first to point out that while achieving little (if anything) beyond contrived success, most (if not all) aspects of the New Deal far overreached the bounds of the federal government, beyond even Jimmy's wildest dreams (commerce clause power, anyone?) and that his effort to rule, err, govern, by "packing the courts" does not strike me as bi-partisan "democracy."

Are you noticing any similarities here?  Oh wait, no one ever thought of FDR as "sort of God" (even if Thomas "was not being literal"(?)).

While my liberal friends are probably "dancin' in the street," I feel wont to moan, as the bigots (Malfoy/Dursley) of the Hairless Potter series, "this place is going to the dogs."

Yes, in a few years, when most successful businesses have waived bon voyage to US and moved to China, when, thanks to the great Comrade and his cohorts, our economy sinks below Europe's (I shudder to think it) and maybe even the Asian Tiger's, we will be able to pat ourselves on the back and say, "Hey, at least we haven't had a natural downturn in the market because there's no where to go but up!"

To verify that the Messiah conversation stories are genuine, I suggest visiting this site:  http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/

Please note (in the messiah blog) the conversion story of Jesse Jackson, who also once complimented President Obama for "acting like he's white."

More Insomnia . . .

NOTE:  These are actual (not stock) family photos; you may not get a chance like this again.  Also, I won't be offended if you don't read my play-by-play commentary and instead simply post something like, "Oh, how cute!!" in the comments section.

To be truthful (because I'm usually not), this first picture wasn't taken last night (or this morning), but I remembered it after Stone took the second and thought it looked fitting.

Okay, so I'll try to be brief in my insomnia recap.

Maria sometimes wakes up at night and won't be consoled unless we hold her with us in bed.  We wouldn't do this if our floors and ceiling weren't incredibly susceptible to sound penetration and we didn't have neighbors all around us who work.  Yes, in our next apartment (I'm trying to find a good countdown widget), the floors are CARPETED and underlaid with CEMENT.  The wait, oh mercy, the wait!

Sadly, in bed, she rolled around, tried to climb the head board railing, and toddled around aimlessly as she mumbled politely, "Oh, did I just step on your face?  Sorry 'bout that, nuttin' personal!"

So Christy and I capitulated and busted out a bottle of some whole milk.  This calmed her down until she quickly drained it with the skill of the seeker, and it was back to "roam if you want to, roam around the [bed]."

Next, we cracked out some BVG (Baby Van Gogh) and placed her in her crib, naively imagining this might calm her down and that she'd drift off peacefully off to sleep.  *Raised eyebrow.*

Getting desperate, we next whipped out her high chair, some baby orajel (she loves that stuff, btw), some graham crackers (no chocolate or marshmallows though, Hershey's must be heartbroken) and, later, some PJ (prune juice . . .).  Nothing doing.

By this time, it's like 5 in the morning, so Christy and I reckon it's safe enough to stroll out to the unlighted parking lot, 100 yards from our apartment, and go for a calming drive; why are cars the ultimate passie (insert preferred spelling) and why can't we park one in our bedroom!?!  (She always, well 99.99% of the time, wakes up the second we take her out of her car seat or, unsurprisingly, at the latest, as we're sneaking away from her crib).

So yes, we went on a pleasantly prolonged drive (I'll spare you the details unless you request them - maybe you shouldn't, I'd probably die of shock), and, yes, Maria woke up as I tried to skulk away from her crib.

Yet again, we scooped up the beast and made for car solitude, as Stone mumbled to me from her coveted slumber in the other room.

To be short in writing (too late), Maria's been awake ever since.

You'll be happy to know that, as the piece of Grade A sleepless Father that I am, I sanctioned Christy's barricading of the bedroom door (to prevent intrusion) and supplied her with a pair of my finest law school exam ear plugs.

In case you were wondering, the paint on Maria's hand is from our bedroom door (now does the intrusion bit make sense)?

You've gotta love brief, summarized posts.  

You may now applaud, send commiseration, or feel free to one-up me in the comments.  Heck, I'll probably still be awake by the time you do . . .

Today's Spiritual Message: Go to the Ohio

Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the ^acommandment that ye should go to the ^bOhio; and there I will give unto you my ^claw; and there you shall be ^dendowed with power from on high;  D&C 38:  32

Over the past few days, my mother, wife, daughter, and I had the fantastic opportunity to visit three main church history sites:  a) the Newel K. Whitney Store, b) the Kirtland Temple, and c) the John Johnson Farm.

Newel K. Whitney Store

Here, there were at least 20 revelations received in the upper rooms of the store, including the Word of Wisdom.

Kirtland Temple

Here, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by at least the Savior Jesus Christ, Moses, Elias, and Elijah.  http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/110/

John Johnson Farm

Here, the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon received, among many other revelations, the 76th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, which bears testimony of Jesus Christ, explains the three degrees of glory, and discusses the plan of salvation.

These were not the only special locations we visited, but each had a very special spirit about it.  I feel so privileged to have walked where the Savior communed with His chosen servants.

There is so much more that happened in these locations and the others that we visited, but there simply isn't time or space to relate it all.

But this I can relate:  I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called by Jesus Christ to restore His church on the earth today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I hope you enjoyed the small sample of scriptures above and encourage you to visit mormon.org or scriptures.lds.org for more.

I will promptly post the pictures we actually took.  Stay tuned.

OVERPOPULATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These videos are very entertaining and, more importantly, are succinct and factually based.

ENJOY!







If you'd like some references, you can find them in the PowerPoints here.

How big is the Deepwater Horizon oil spil?

Go to this Web site to have a look.  http://paulrademacher.com/oilspill/

It's pretty big . . .  If you really want to appreciate the size, be sure to enter your home city on the left of the page.

Yeah, I think this will have people SCREAMING for an end to oil/gas much sooner than the market would have taken it.  And rightfully so (?).

I Called It

In case you hadn't noticed:

Barack Obama picks himself for the Supreme Court

:)  Okay, so he didn't pick himself, but I was right about whom he would pick.

Note:  I didn't actually read the article above, I just liked the title.

SCOTUS Watch Poll

In case you're feeling utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs, SCOTUS stands for Supreme Court of the United States.

Whisper passes through manor-hall and market place:  The Pope, er, President Obama, is considering backing . . . for the throne!  (Okay, in case your head is spinning, this is basically a quote from an old family computer game favorite - Castles)

I've included the following article as I think it gives some interesting commentary for you to mull over before casting your own guess, unless, of course, you've already done so.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gyYMkZtDcZy_r_8-CnaGwUPFOdZAD9FIM3F80

Whom will the audacious one choose?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Good Little Soldier (Revisited)

So you remember this guy?

At the end of the school year (exams are over, for everyone not taking one on a deferred basis -- that's good enough for me), our little trooper is hanging strong.

(Note, this is a stock photo, or at least from the same post as before.)

Sadly, SOMEBODY HAULED AWAY MY FLIPPIN STUDY TABLE!!!!!


WHO ARE THESE SICK PEOPLE???

I seriously consider this vandalism up there in disrepute with when some thugs literally stole F-Word's car, and took the time to scamper off with his Nuggets license plate cover, after leaving the car behind.  http://fletchword.blogspot.com/2008/12/stolen-memories.html  (My apologies, F-Word.)

Along with finding out my final grades, may there be swift justice in this most horrendous of crimes.

Dark Alley Poll Results

For posterity.

In the poll, "Whom would you be most nervous to encounter in a dark alley?" the results were as follows:

4 Mike Tyson
0 Sylvester Stallone
0 Arnold Schwarzenegger
0 Al Pacino (Just now recognized the spelling error)
4 An Attorney

In the spirit of law school final exams (which, by the way are the only exams), we will now undergo a highly polished, intellectual, and detailed analysis of the results (did I mention it will have a 150 word limit which no one will read one word past?).

*This is all assuming none of you cheated and voted more than once, which, knowing some of you, I admit, is a rather rash assumption*

What this tells me is that you are all very wise and practical.  Sure, Sly, the Governator, and Scarface are all scary on the silver screen, but in real life, they either wear 10-inch platforms, have shrunk into politics, or are 70 (which isn't to say senior citizens can't necessarily pack a punch - remember the athletic dad from Seinfeld?).

What it also tells me is that half of you are realists:  you're afraid of physical pain (getting your ear bit off in a dark alley).

The rest of you are cynics:  you're afraid of reality (attorneys).

But don't worry, in the Millennium/afterlife you won't have to worry about either of these.  If I'm wrong, I owe you a Coke.

Trials Ahead: Too Touching Not to Post

My wife often reads/refers to this woman's blog.  What an amazing story and example.  I'll get out of the way now.

It Takes a ConLaw Exam to Raze a GPA

*Remember, its pronounced raise, not razz (like jazz)*

Quick update:  With a very intriguing CrimLaw exam in the books (a four hour CrimLaw exam), I've just got ConLaw left . . .  Which was far and away (no, not like the Enya tune) my worst class last semester.  But I take solace in the knowledge that Justice Blackmun did worse in ConLaw when he was in school than I did last semester.

Yep, so I've just got to study a few lovely, back-and-forth areas of Constitutional Law, and the final (final) exam will be in about 24 hours.

Wish me luck, karma, pray for me, or send me positive energy.  Oh, cash, checks, and paypal are also not turned away.

Insomniac(s)

To be frank, the eye-ball image more accurately depicts the Wife than Yours Truly, as I can sleep through just about anything, including the Beast's screaming.  However, Maria seriously had us up (at least Christy) for over 7 hours last night . . .  For full details see the Wife's published works.  (Like the HP reference, there?)