Study Guides

Since I teach an adult institute class in our stake, I decided to create a blogspot to facilitate access to study guides. I email these to class members each week as a way of helping them get more out of the class, but sometimes even though I send my original (mac) version and a translated (windows) version they are hard for people to open or print out. Perhaps this will help the class access past study guides and print their own. I end up copying 12-15 per week on the church's copying machine for those who need hard copies. You could say the new blog is my attempt to save the stake money on copying costs - but really I just thought it would be cool to tell the class they can find the study guides at my blogspot. They seem resistant to looking for them on the stake website, so it may or may not work.
The new site is http://bomstudyguides.blogspot.com. So far I have posted the study guides for 1 Nephi 2 through 2 Nephi 19. If it catches on, perhaps we could have a "virtual" class for people who can't attend for some reason. Cutting edge? Or an invitation to trouble? Time will tell.

Video Games and Earthworms

I ran across a couple of interesting items on the science page of our local paper. One article claimed there would be a minimum of 10,000 PlayStation 3s whose spare processing power will be used next year for biological research. Further, it was reported that the interconnected game systems will be five times faster than the world's most powerful supercomputer. The first question that came to mind was, "Are there biologist standing in line at Target Stores all over the world to collect 10,000 PlayStation 3s?" The next question: "What do they mean by 'spare processing power'?" Is that whatever is left over after the so-called researchers are done playing Zelda? Surely Sony won't make the biologists stand in line when their game system is getting such good press as a research tool. Heck, they probably donated 10,000 and wrote them off! Next question: "Why didn't I think of this before Christmas?"
The other article explains that Charles Darwin was an authority on earthworms. Apparently, he even went so far as to calculate the number of worms in his garden ("53, 767 pre acre, on average". What? 53,767 is an average? Does this mean some days there were 53, 766 and other days there were 53,768?). Mr. Darwin also subjected his earthworms to many experiments, including several to test their hearing. He placed them near a piano and then in the mouth of a bassoon. Given their lack of response, he concluded they were deaf. Or at least unappreciative of the music. Kind of calls all his other scientific theories into question, doesn't it?

Valentines

Check out the Valentine pictures of Lynlee and Gavin at my flickr! I am still trying to figure out how to use the flickr site. I opened the account because I don't seem to be able to upload photos to Blogspot. It may be a Mac thing. Whatever the reason, the blog will not publish my photos. And I can't figure out how to reorder the photos on flickr. It is sounding more and more like a user problem. Nevertheless, the grandkids are adorable and hilarious. Jana is here with Lynlee and Sherman asked us to watch Gavin last week, so we dressed the two up and gave them a box of chocolates - then took a boatload of photos, only five of which I have posted so as not to appear overly doting. Even if I am.

Haiku

Morning

Dawn melts maroon skies
Filling anew God's pallet
Painting life with light

Two in one day

Two posts in one day. Amazing. Just wanted to mention the new sites in my favorites list and note that I have fixed the link to Attack of the Sprouts - which I had somehow managed to goof up when I set up my list. Of the new additions, one is to Rob's band's MySpace, where the actual band can be seen and heard. Rob is the one with the big hair. Another new site is one I have loved for a long time, American Science and Surplus. It is a retail site, but very fun to read. Plus it carries items you can't find anywhere else which you suddenly and desperately need. The last new site on my list is a link to Richard Thompson's blog. Thompson is a musician who lives in the bay area. I think he is originally from Scotland??? His blogs are creative and hilarious - they can be found under Catch of the Day. The other reason I like Richard Thompson is that he writes even less frequently than I do. Check it out.

Another possibility

Shannon and Clark have covered almost all the possibilities as to why I have not kept up with posting on this site. Almost. Here are another few possibilities. First, blame the Chargers. I was going to post something the day after the first playoff game, but there had to be a proper period of mourning. Every time I thought I might be able to talk (blog?) through it, the whole thing fell down around my ears like an over-heavy helmet of disappointment. Overdramatic? Did you see the game? Healing began when the Patriots lost last Sunday, but it is still a sore subject. I am currently trying to work up a fondness for the Colts. You see my dilemma?
Another possibility: I have had a cold. Pretty weak. In and of itself, this would not hinder my typing.
Another possibility: Rob has been in the throes of finals. He is a senior in high school and was not taking any challenging classes, so finals should have been a breeze - except he failed to realize that even in Design and Mixed Media he had to actually turn in projects in order to pass. We have been in high production mode. We are talking Andy Warhol recreated in food sculpture. Which brings me to:
Another possibility: Jana and Lynlee are here for a few weeks. It is too cold in Utah, so they are basking in our 76 degrees today, happy to be out of the snow. With the joys of the toddler come the extra responsibilities. Lucky for me, I get to play with Lynlee while Jana works on Design and Mixed Media, as well as Photography 3-4. In fact, we have all worked hard with the exception of Lynlee, who prefers to line up her plastic "dinassey's" (dinasaurs) and watch Mickey Mouseclub.
But you should know that as I visited my long lost blogspot today in order to put a couple of favorite websites on the list I noticed I had LOTS more comments - and that is what ultimately drove me out of the Charger funk and pushed me to write again.
Is the block over? Maybe. But Jana and Lynlee are here until President's weekend - and the beach is calling. Thanks, Shannon and Clark, for your clever and uplifting posts. I appreciate the connection! And it is helping to read about basketball.

10

A few years ago I had the interesting opportunity to host Carol Lynn Pearson for an evening and then drive her from San Diego to Los Angeles. She is a fascinating character, warm and full of energy and ideas. She spoke enthusiastically about "synchronisities" in our lives - she defines them as "meaningful coincidences." Have you every heard the same new word three times in the same day, or randomly picked up on a concept from three or more remote references over a short period of time? That is what she meant, and she tracks them religiously. Get her book on butterflies if you think I am kidding.
Of course, she was happy to admit that the more we become aware of synchronisities the more we see. Well, I had a great one yesterday. First, I found this fantastic site where there is a short video attempting to explain the ten dimensions. I won't pretend I get it all, but it was quite a trip. Mind bending. Later the same day I was doing some research for my institute class and came across an article by John Welch called "Counting to Ten." He gives a very thorough explanation of the significance of the number ten in the scriptures. So now I am seeing tens everywhere. It's a good thing.