Heaven's Gate, Zune style

Wow, glad I didn't buy a Zune -- apparently last night all (?) 30GB models all simultaneously died at midnight.

I know there's a lot of pressure out there, but come on, Zunie, you've still got a lot to live for!

25 Man Skills

Just for fun, in the spirit of the last list, here's another.

Popular Mechanics published a list of 25 skills every man should know. Here's what I've got, in bold:

1. Patch a radiator hose (um... cut-up inner tube and radiator clamps, maybe?)
2. Protect your computer (pretty easy on a Mac =) -- I think I can hold my own on a Windows box too)
3. Rescue a boater who has capsized (somehow I don't think the answer is "throw him a rope", so I'll hold off on taking credit for this one)
4. Frame a wall (never done one, but I'm still claiming credit because it's easy)
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer (oh yeah.)
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet (I don't know what's wrong with it, but the answer's still yes)
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR (they taught us as boy scouts, does that count?)
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid (and have!)
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data (in my sleep!)
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle (it's been awhile)
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV (um, why is this on here?)
22. Bleed brakes (I get the concept, at least)
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network

Thanks, Dad, you get credit for teaching me most of this.

---

ps. Mom, you get credit for pretty much all the stuff I can do on the "25 skills every woman should know" list. =)

(Not quite) tagged!

Stuff I've done in bold:

1. Started your own blog (woohoo!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (go Leonids!)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (sort-of)
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (doesn't having 3 of my own count?!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (been there, but the top was closed!)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight (now ask me if I won =)
22. Hitchhiked (all the time in Ecuador)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (does sick-of-school count as ill?)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (do my grandparents count as "ancestors"?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (is this different from "being taught" a new language? or does perl count? =)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (has anyone been "truly" satisfied ever? isn't that what heaven's for?)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (does a crayon drawing by your daughter count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing (how deep does it have to be? 300 yards offshore? Did that...)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (a real movie?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (sort-of, but no license so I'm not taking credit)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (1/2 donation twice!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (laid-off...)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (30 in a 25, seriously)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (ouch -- but who gets through Deuteronomy and Numbers?!)
86. Visited the White House (not inside)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life (umm... drove responsibly?)
90. Sat on a jury (told them I was a religious engineer, and I was the first one kicked out)
91. Met someone famous (are astronauts famous? that's the best I've got.)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (in a way)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (can you swim in it? didn't know that...)
97. Been involved in a law suit (thank goodness)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (I think -- or maybe that was Scott?)

That was kind-of fun, thanks Shells.

2008 in Photographs -- wow.

2008 in Photographs.

Yea, [the Book of Mormon] shall come [forth] in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands; and there shall also be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places. Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations...

- Mormon 8:29-31

"One weekend messing with perl"

From xkcd:



I'm slow, it took me a lot longer than just one weekend to figure out what was going on, but it was totally worth it.

Apple, i.e. Steve Jobs, pulling out of Macworld Expo?

Yep, but if you're worried, read John Gruber's take.

Curiously Apple has never been in a stronger position than it is now. They have *tons* of cash, no debt, impressive sales numbers especially in this economy both of iPods and Macs, and they have an impressive iPhone platform that's just barely out of the gate (making some developers millions of dollars!). They are not idiots, I can't imagine they would pull out of Macworld unless they had something bigger/better planned.

(That or Charlie Greco threw his last straw at Steve Jobs, what do I know?)

It looks like their after hours stock price has lost a couple percent, might be a quick way to make a few percent on my money... =)

"Most beef is tough."

Jenkins Lloyd Jones:

Anyone who imagines bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts: interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

Truth prevails, but when?

Max Planck, via wikiquote:

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.

Portable HDD prices down

This is the lowest price I've ever seen on a drive like this: $79 for 320GB portable USB2 drive, free shipping. If you have a MacBook, this is a terrific Time Machine drive, especially one you can leave in your desk at work.

Protection in case your home gets burglarized (hmph!) or burns down.

Moses' disciples

The Pharisees interrogate a blind man who Jesus had just been healed:

Then they reviled [the man who was healed], and said, Thou art [Jesus'] disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: [as for Jesus], we know not from whence he is.   John 9:28-29

Odd that the Pharisees' faith had become so centered around tradition and scripture that they couldn't recognize their God when he was standing right in front of them.

How funny that churches today preach heavily the New Testament, yet just exactly like the Pharisees they tie their faith so tightly around the scriptures that they refuse to acknowledge the prophets and apostles sent to us in our day.

Pretend to be carefree

When asked about the responsibility that comes with being someone who has changed the world, Steve Jobs offered this interesting sidenote:

... I tend to like to on occasion pretend I don't have any responsibilities. I try to remember the last day when I didn't have anything to do and didn't have anything to do the following day that I had to do and I had no responsibilities. It was decades ago. I pretend when I want to feel that way.

Basically, he just pretends to be free and carefree for a little while.

After reading this, I thought I'd try it, and have been doing it ever since -- especially when things start getting crazy or I'm under a big deadline. Sometimes walking into work I'll pretend that I have nothing to do but enjoy the sights and fresh air. It usually only lasts a minute or two, but it's really relaxing and in a way, kind-of fun.

More on prop. 8

LA Times commentary on the anti-Mormon backlash after Prop. 8 in California.

iPhoto and your hard disk

If you use iPhoto, and your disk space is running low, check its trash (from Macworld).

Joseph B. Wirthlin has passed away

One of the truly great men in the world, Apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away last night.

My favorite talk by him is titled "Band of Brothers", a great tutorial on leadership.

(I probably need to read it again.)