Ponderings from Idaho by P3t3rson

Brothers- The whole story.

2012-02-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

We all have families. I am the oldest of five children. I have two brothers and two sisters. I recently watched the film 'The 5,000 Days Project: Two Brothers'. (Click the link to watch the film) The film follows the lives of two brothers for ten years. It was interesting to see the parallels with these two brothers and the relationship that I have with my siblings.

Cort is two years younger than I. Many times growing up there were little conflicts between us. We'd fight and argue. We'd try to annoy each other- get under one another's skin. But we also played together. I remember many times organizing all our He-Man toys out on our bedroom floor. We'd set them up like a village. Then we'd have our parents get out the old movie camera and film it. Like we were making our own live-action version of the cartoon. Then it was G.I. Joe or Transformers. We were able to play together. We shared a room until I was 12.

Even though we had our own rooms we were still together. Our family built an addition on our home that gave us an upstairs. Cort and I had bedrooms next to one another. We were the only ones upstairs. So were just shared a larger room. A room that had a pool table, hide-a-bed, and a bathroom.

I remember in school we always rode the bus together to and from school. I remember we had an minor earthquake. We were waiting at the bus stop in the fall, Cort had run home quickly to take care of some "business" and the quake hit. I was sitting on the side of the road shivering in the early morning. Cort came running back to the bus stop and asked me if I had been at our house shaking the lights. I told him that I had just been shaking with cold there at the bus stop. Only after we got to school did we find out there had been an earthquake. Then in sixth grade Cort and I were no longer in the same school. It was interesting not having him around or riding the bus home together.

We'd end up at home at different times and then argue about who was going to do which chore or what T.V. program to watch. Other times we'd work together to get his newspapers folded and then deliver them for his paper route.

In junior high we were in school together again. I was in ninth grade and Cort in seventh. By now we had acclimated to not being together. We each had our own friends that we hung out and walked home with. We'd still see each other at school though, occasionally.

In high school we were together for the last time my senior year and Cort was a sophomore. By this time we were very different people. I was in the Jazz, Concert, and Marching bands; Cort was in Cross Country and Track. Although we had separate lives at school we had something that we always did together at home. We mowed lawns. So even though we might not see each other much during the school day, we'd be ready at home to load up the Datsun pickup and cut grass. at the peak we had roughly 25-30 lawns that we tended to each week.

Then after graduating I went to college. I moved three-hundred miles from home- across the state to Ricks College. It was the first I'd ever lived on my own and it was exciting. Going from living with my parents and siblings to having five roommates was a change. Talking to my family by phone a few times a week instead of multiple times during the day was a change too. While I was away Cort became the oldest brother. I remember my mom commenting on the change that seemed to have happened. My dad and Cort would argue sometimes, but after I moved away his countenance changed and there wasn't the same level of conflict, like before.

I was in college for a year and then I left for a two- year mission for the LDS Church. For his junior and senior years Cort was the oldest at home. While serving as a missionary I only communicated with my family via letters and the occasional phone call on Mother's Day and Christmas. I noticed a change happen to Cort during this time. He was no longer my little brother, he was becoming my friend. A friend that had been there with me from the beginning. Through the letters we shared I saw the little brother I remember maturing into a fine young man. Cort continued with Cross Country and Track in high school and then attended a year of college while I was a missionary.

One of the most memorable experiences I have of my time as a missionary was when Cort, while on tour with a performing group from Ricks College came to California where I was serving. I was able to visit with him and then stay for the performance that evening. This was a little less than three months before I returned home.

The summer I returned home Cort was working earnestly to save for his upcoming mission. He had finished one year of college and in September he was leaving to serve a mission in the Philippines. That summer he was in and out leaving town to visit friends going on missions and it was the first time in a long time that I felt alone. Even though I was in the same upstairs that he and I had shared for those many years, when he was not there I was alone in my own room for the first time.

I returned to college the fall after coming home from the mission. Cort left to the MTC soon there after. He was in the MTC for over two months for intensive language training before leaving to the Philippines. Before Thanksgiving I learned that my parents were going to separate and later divorce. A few days after Thanksgiving we were meeting Cort at the Salt Lake Airport on his way to the Philippines. At the airport I was under strict instruction not to talk to Cort about what was about to happen. I obeyed my parents, but I was not happy about it. Cort and I shared letters while he was in the Philippines, but I must admit that I was not the best pen pal. Especially during this time, I was engulfed in my own feelings about the breakup of my family and didn't think about how it effected Cort. I tried to support him as best I could, I remember making a mix tape for him - I called it "Marinduque Blues"- Marinduque was an island where Cort was serving at the time.

While he was in the Philippines I graduated from Ricks College, returned to a very different home than the one he left and I met, dated, and married my wife; Tammy. When Cort returned home from the mission Tammy and I were there to help him adjust to life. He wasn't home too long and he was back at Ricks College. But when he'd come home to visit we always made it a point to spend time together. Cort then continued on to BYU in Provo, UT. Still a good distance away, but he'd visit from time to time. We'd go out Cort, Tammy and I for dinner or spending time together. (Sometimes Cort would forget cash- at that time not all locations accepted debit cards-). While at BYU Cort spent at semester interning for UNICEF in the Philippines. When 9/11 happened that is where he was. He was far from home, but we kept in contact.

In January 2002 Cort was back in Provo at BYU. I was working for HP and attending graduate school at Boise State University with a wife and a small child. January 29, 2002 our mom died. I rushed to meet Tammy and our eleven month son at my mother's home where my youngest brother Clark and youngest sister Carley lived. The ambulance was still there when I arrived. Along with the neighbor from across the street and my dad who came. With our parents divorced Cort and I took to planning the funeral and making other arrangements that were daunting to anyone- especially a twenty-seven and twenty-five year old. This experience; as had others, brought Cort and I closer as brothers.

When Cort married and started a family it was great that we could still be so close and live near each other. We see each other regularly and our kids play together all the time. We both have four kids and they know what it means to be friends with your cousins. When I think back to the times that we argued growing up if you'd told me that we'd be as close as we are today, I would have said you were crazy. But now I know that we're more than family, we're brothers.

From Boise State vs. Utah State

Brothers... (Part 3)

2012-02-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

(Continued from Brothers (Part 1 & Part 2)

While Cort was in the Philippines I graduated from Ricks College and returned to a very different home than the one he left and I met, dated, and married my wife; Tammy. When Cort returned home from the mission Tammy and I were there to help him adjust to life. He wasn't home too long and he was back at Ricks College. But when he'd come home to visit we always made it a point to spend time together. Cort then continued on to BYU in Provo, UT. Still a good distance away, but he'd visit from time to time. We'd go out Cort, Tammy and I for dinner or spending time together. (Sometimes Cort would forget cash- at that time not all locations accepted debit cards-). While at BYU Cort spent at semester interning for UNICEF in the Philippines. When 9/11 happened that is where he was. He was far from home, but we kept in contact.

In January 2002 Cort was back in Provo at BYU. I was working for HP and attending graduate school at Boise State University with a wife and a small child. January 29, 2002 our mom died. I rushed to meet Tammy and our eleven month son at my mother's home where my youngest brother Clark and youngest sister Carley lived. The ambulance was still there when I arrived. Along with the neighbor from across the street and my dad who came. With our parents divorced Cort and I took to planning the funeral and making other arrangements that were daunting to anyone- especially a twenty-seven and twenty-five year old. This experience; as had others, brought Cort and I closer as brothers.

When Cort married and started a family it was great that we could still be so close and live near each other. We see each other regularly and our kids play together all the time. We both have four kids and they know what it means to be friends with your cousins. When I think back to the times that we argued growing up if you'd told me that we'd be as close as we are today, I would have said you were crazy. But now I know that we're more than family, we're brothers.

From Boise State vs. Utah State

Brothers... (Part 2)

2012-02-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

(Continued from Brothers... (Part 1))

After graduating high school I went to college. I moved three-hundred miles from home- across the state to Ricks College. It was the first I'd ever lived on my own and it was exciting. Going from living with my parents and siblings to having five roommates was a change. Talking to my family by phone a few times a week instead of multiple times during the day was a change too. While I was away Cort became the oldest brother. I remember my mom commenting on the change that seemed to have happened. My dad and Cort would argue sometimes, but after I moved away his countenance changed and there wasn't the same level of conflict, like before.

I was in college for a year and then I left for a two- year mission for the LDS Church. For his junior and senior years Cort was the oldest at home. While serving as a missionary I only communicated with my family via letters and the occasional phone call on Mother's Day and Christmas. I noticed a change happen to Cort during this time. He was no longer my little brother, he was becoming my friend. A friend that had been there with me from the beginning. Through the letters we shared I saw the little brother I remember maturing into a fine young man. Cort continued with Cross Country and Track in high school and then attended a year of college while I was a missionary.

Brothers... (Part 1)

2012-02-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ten Years

2012-01-13T15:08:00.001-07:00

"Today would have been Mom's 60th Birthday. Ten years ago they had a big party for her @ work-black streamers & all. She was so surprised. Happy Birthday Mom! I know your watching over the grandkids. We talk about Grandma Lynn all the time. We love you!"

This is my facebook status right now. I both can and can't believe that it has been ten years since Mom's death. This week the death of Roger Kotter from the same thing that took Mom. Life seems shorter. I think about my own mortality. What have I given my kids to remember me by. Have I taught them enough? Do they know I love them. Does Tammy know how much I love her?

The only way to answer these daunting questions is to act. To do something. Play a game. Read a a book. Read a story. Spend the time. Together.

"No. Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.".- Yoda

"As I have loved you, Love one another"

Election... blah blah blah

2012-01-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

It's 2012 and election new is starting to pick up even more. Today I read the following story:

Georgia Lawmaker 'Afraid' of Romney's Mormon Faith

01/04/2012 |

Sigh. Here we go again. A Georgia state legislator says Mitt Romney's LDS faith makes him wary.

The Marietta Daily Journal spoke with a number of Georgia legislators about the 2012 field. Republican Representative Judy Manning went off about Mitt and Mormons in general.

“I think Mitt Romney is a nice man, but I’m afraid of his Mormon faith,” Manning said. “It’s better than a Muslim. Of course, every time you look at the TV these days you find an ad on there telling us how normal they are. So why do they have to put ads on the TV just to convince us that they’re normal if they are normal? … If the Mormon faith adhered to a past philosophy of pluralism, multi-wives, that doesn’t follow the Christian faith of one man and one woman, and that concerns me.”

Romney is also a flip-flopper, Manning said.

“When he was the governor of Massachusetts he performed 100 — and I’m not sure this number is right, but my mind says it’s about 180 gay marriages — and now, when he is running as president on the Republican ticket, he says that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Manning said.

Read more: Utah Policy
http://utahpolicy.com/bookmark/16986285

Here is my response:

Representative Manning,

I wanted to pass some information on so that you could educate yourself on The Mormon faith espoused by Governor Romney. The church is named: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can find much information regarding this religion on http://mormon.org/ Please take time and learn a little more about this faith. Ignorance is cured by education. You may also view online videos on the life of Jesus Christ from the Church here- http://lds.org/bible-videos/?lang=eng

I am trying to convert anyone just pass along information

Thanks for your time.

Chris Peterson
--
BroncoP3t3
http://flavors.me/broncop3t3
broncop3t3@gmail.com

What happened the year you were born?

2011-12-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

I found a site that told me what happened the year I was born. whathappenedinmybirthyear.com Give it a try. I was born in 1974. Here's what happened (according to that site).

--
In 1974, the world was a different place.

There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Stumbleupon, for that matter.

In 1974, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was The Godfather Part II. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.

Remember, that was before there were DVDs. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And mostly all of that without 3D computer effects.

Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to The Godfather Part II. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Amarcord. The top actor was Art Carney for his role as Harry Coombes in Harry and Tonto. The top actress was Ellen Burstyn for her role as Alice Hyatt in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The best director? Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part II.

In the year 1974, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time wasCentennial by James A. Michener. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!

In 1974... Charles de Gaulle Airport opens in Paris, France. West Germany beats the Netherlands 2-1 to win the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Stephen King publishes his first novel, Carrie, under his own name. A Japanese World War II soldier, Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, surrenders in the Philippines. A coup in Portugal restores democracy. Most OPEC nations end a 5-month oil embargo against the United States, Europe and Japan. Ceefax, one of the first public service information systems, is started by the BBC. WIPO becomes a specialized agency of the United Nations. Japanese Red Army members seize the French Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status. The Arecibo radio telescope sends an interstellar radio message towards the M13 Great Globular Cluster. The message will reach its destination around the year 27,000.

That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.

The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Eyvind Johnson. The Nobel Peace prize went to Seán MacBride and Eisaku Sato. The Nobel prize for physics went to Martin Ryle and Antony Hewish from the United Kingdom for their pioneering research in radio astrophysics: Ryle for his observations and inventions, in particular of the aperture synthesis technique, and Hewish for his decisive role in the discovery of pulsars. The sensation this created was big. But it didn't stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn't it?

The 1970s were indeed a special decade. Women's liberation continued. The hippie culture faded. There was an opposition to the Vietnam war, and nuclear weapons. The environmentalist movement began. Tom Wolfe coined the decade the "Me decade" due to a new self-awareness. Mao Zedong died and the market began to liberate in China. There was an oil crisis. After the first oil shock, gasoline was rationed in many countries. In Eastern Europe, Soviet-style command economies begin showing signs of stagnation. The Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, witness the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by Palestinian Arab terrorists. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Who, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Bee Gees, Abba and others play their music. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison all die at the age of 27. The space mission Apollo 13 nearly ends in disaster. Egypt signed the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. There was a revolution in Iran. The world sees its first general microprocessor. The C programming language makes its debut. Consumer video games show up on the scene. Microwave ovens become commercially available. Margaret Thatcher was victorious in the UK elections.

Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15?Dead Poets Society. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was Two Hearts by Phil Collins. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?

In 1974, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.

Ain't it good
Ain't it right
That you are with me
Here tonight
The music playin'
Our bodies swayin' in time
...

There's a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn't care about time. It doesn't know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.

When you were 9, the movie The Man Who Wasn't There was playing. When you were 8, there was The Dark Crystal. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Fox and the Hound. Does this ring a bell?

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... it's 1974. There's TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV isLand of the Lost. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There's Rhoda on now. That's the world you were born in.

Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1974. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? Microfinance. The Rubik's Cube. The Hybrid Vehicle.

Cigarettes and sweets
Feel it coming on
Bloody as the day I was born
It's 1974
Just like the day I was born
It's 1974
...
That's from the song 1974 by Ryan Adams.
In 1974, a new character entered the world of comic books: Deathlok. Bang! Boom! But that's just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1974,Alanis Morissette was born. And Kate Moss. Leonardo Dicaprio, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.
It's 2011.
The world is a different place.
What path have you taken?
--

I remember some of those things. I remember going to The Fox & The Hound with my Brother and Mom. Never read those books, I don't remember those songs. But a lot has happened since 1974.

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (Tracks 25-29) The END Finally!

2011-12-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here it is the end of the marathon that has been the tracks from Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape. If you've been reading and following along you have got a glimpse of what music I was into my senior year in high school. At least the start of my senior year.

Track 25: Is It Me: Huey Lewis & The News. From the album Picture This. This is another tape I WORE out playing in my walkman. Looking at some of these songs; this one, a couple Chicago songs- I was wavering with my self esteem. I guess all teens go through that. Mine had to do with trying to be more than friends with girls. Thank goodness I conquered that fear. It would have been hard to meet Tammy and have the wonderful life we have, if I was too shy.

Track 26: Every Breath You Take: The Police. I have always liked this song. When I added it to this play list I don't think I was paying attention to the lyrics. Not quite the song you want to hear on a date.

Track 27: Waltz Of The Flowers: Fantasia Soundtrack. Being in concert band and jazz band I developed an eclectic taste in music. Here is where shines through. There is awesome music in Fantasia.

Thanks for tagging along on this musical journey from 1991. That was a long time ago, but a part of my life that I never want to forget. I was lucky to have a lot of good friends. We had a lot of fun. When else would just hanging out in a deserted hallway before class been fun. (Right guys!). Thanks to all the people who made that fall fun! Dain Johnson, Robert Weaver, Darin Turpin, John Shumate, Joe Lammers, Athena Stallcop, Janel Kirkman, Laurie Hawkins, Megan Curtis, Bill Hankins, and many others...

And I can't forget BOLT! Ray Sagarik, Rob Kennedy, Rob Pearson, & Shane Blacker. The lunch in the 500 BLDG hallway that started it all.

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (Tracks 21-24)

2011-11-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

More tracks from the 1991 Homecoming mix tape. It's funny to see what I listened to then and that many of those same songs are still on my iPod.

Track 21: Slipping Away: Information Society. This debut album from Information Society is great. Good tracks that keep you moving. This one, however is more of a ballad.

Track 22: Song For George: Eric Johnson. I don't really know who George was, but I like this song. This album did win the Grammy in 1992 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Track 23: If She Would Have Been Faithful: Chicago. Another Chicago tune. I always liked this song. Not that I ever really had someone be unfaithful. I did have a friend date a girl that I really liked, and he knew it. I was too chicken to make a move, so he took her out- they hit it off and dated. What could I have done. It's water under the bridge now. I'm a different person than I was in high school... aren't we all!

Track 24: Repetition: Information Society. More Information Society. Kevin Kahle would love this tape. He loves Information Society.

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (Tracks 17-20)

2011-11-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Now we're well into side two of this mix tape that I made for Homecoming 1991. This dance I went with Athena Stallcop, a cheerleader that I had know for a while. We had a good time.

Track 17: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: Micheal Bolton. Another Mad About The Mouse track. I've mentioned it before. I just liked this tape. Probably the same reason that I find myself watching Disney Channel with my kids more frequently than I'd like to admit.

Track 18: Clancy's Theme: Man From Snowy River. This soundtrack is so relaxing. Maybe I thought it would promote conversation? I'm not sure.

Track 19: (Everything I Do,) I Do It For You: Bryan Adams. This song was everywhere. Bryan Adams gravely voice on this ballad made all the girls melt. If you couldn't get a girl to dance with you on this song... you have problems!

Track 20: World To Me: Huey Lewis & The News. From the Small World album. I wore this tape out. I listened to it all the time- mowing lawns, driving to school, anywhere. It was a departure from their other songs, a strong ballad. I knew that it was a lesser known song.

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (Tracks 13-16)

2011-11-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

To continue on the trek of Homecoming songs...

Track 13: Chasing The Wind: Chicago: Uncle Danny was a huge Chicago fan & so am I. So when this album came out I bought the tape. This is the only song that I can remember from it.

Track 14: Kiss The Girl: Soul II Soul: Another song from Simply Mad About the Mouse. A great rendition of The Little Mermaid song. I just liked it.

Track 15: Beat 70: Pat Metheny Group: Uncle Danny was also a huge Pat Metheny Group fan. I bought this tape at his recommendation. I don't know where it went, but it was good to listen to when I mowed lawns.

Track 16: Trademark: Eric Johnson: Another track from A Via Musicom. My introduction to Eric Johnson. I think Uncle Danny would have liked him too.

Family Pictures...

2011-11-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

We recently had some family pictures taken. It has been a long time since we had done that. I mean we have been in pictures together as a family, but not with a REAL photographer (Sorry, Jyl). We went out to an abandoned farmhouse with some out-buildings to take the pictures. Here are some pictures that I took with my phone as Stacey took the REAL pictures.

Ali is so cute!

She loved to play in the weeds.

Gabe posing it up! If his friends could see him now.

Stacey getting the boys to smile for a picture.

Here's a preview of what the pictures will look like. See, doesn't Stacey do great work? We think so!

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (Tracks 12-14)

2011-11-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Homecoming mix tape cont'd- Continuing on our walk down memory lane. At least my memories.

Track 12: Song For My Father: NHS Jazz Band
In 1990 the Nampa High School Jazz band competed at the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. This song was recorded from one of those performances. Mr. Kennedy & Mr. Stone were the band directors at that time.

Track 13: Bear Necessities: Harry Connick Jr. This is another track from "Simply Mad About the Mouse" the Disney tribute album. It's a good track. I listened to that tape a lot.

Track 14: Bizarre Love Triangle: New Order. This is the original version from "Brotherhood". It's a classic.

Homecoming 1991 Mixtape (Tracks 9-11)

2011-11-04T21:30:00.000-06:00

So on this homecoming date. I started driving a restored "Model T". My grandfather had restored it and it was the first time that I was going to drive it myself (no Dad tagging along). Well, after dinner it died. There was a problem with the battery. So I finished the date driving the family station wagon; a caprice classic. It was still fun though...

Back to the songs...

Track 9: Who Do You Give Your Love To?: Michael Morales. This was a track that I just really liked. I can't find it anywhere. I did just find a youtube version.

Track 10: MotownPhilly: Boyz II Men. This is an awesome song. It's hard to imagine a world without Boyz II Men. This was their first hit! I love the A Capella break in the middle.

Track 11: Think: Information Society. This was the first single from "Hack".

I couldn't get enough of it. I'm pretty sure that I wore my tape out listening to it.

Homecoming 1991 Mixtape (Tracks 6-8)

2011-11-02T18:00:00.000-06:00

This is the third installment of the mixtape from Homecoming 1991. Did I mention that the girl I took to the dance was a cheerleader? That's right, a band geek (1st Trombone) took a cheerleader to homecoming!

Track 6: How Long: Information Society. This was from the newest album at the time: Hack. I think I wore that tape out listening to it so much.

Track 7: Hit Me Like A Hammer: Huey Lewis & The News. Hard At Play was the album this song was from. I listened to it all summer mowing lawns. It only made sense to include it on this mix tape.

Track 8: Walking Away: Information Society. From the Information Society album Information Society. This track was played at the stake dances all the time. Kevin Kahle loved spinning this record. Yep, we had the 8 in single that we'd play at the dances.

Homecoming 1991 Mix Tape (tracks 3-5)

2011-10-29T22:30:00.000-06:00

On the way home I listened to the next few songs from the mix tape that I made for Nampa High Homecoming 1991.

Track 3: When You Wish Upon A Star: Billy Joel. This was from a tape I bought "Simply Mad About the Mouse". It was a compilation of artists covering Disney songs. A lot of differing styles. I remember listening to then... not sure where that tape ended up.

Track 4: Can't Stand Losing You: The Police. I had recently purchased a copy of "Every Breath You Take: The Singles" and this was from that tape. Not sure what this has to do with Homecoming or dancing.

Track 5: Man From Snowy River: Main Title. I really like this soundtrack. It relaxes me. It lasted me through two years on a mission in Southern California and I still listen to it today. Like I said before I have very eclectic musical tastes.

Homecoming... 1991

2011-10-27T08:59:00.000-06:00

I found a tape this week. Yes, a cassette tape. This is not just any tape that could be purchased at Sam Goody. No, this is a mix tape. I made this mix tape in October 1991. I made it to use as background music for my Homecoming date. So I popped it into the cassette player in my car on the way to work this morning (yes, I still have a cassette player in my car). I listened to a couple songs on my commute to work this morning and thought I'd share them. As I listen to the rest of the tape I might share those songs too. And, you might get some details about my homecoming date as well.

Track 1: Cliffs of Dover: Eric Johnson

I had recently been introduced to Eric Johnson by a friend in Jazz Band (Dain Johnson) so it was something I was listening to a lot. Not sure why I thought it would be good for homecoming, but I have always had eccentric tastes in music.
Track 2: What's On Your Ming (Pure Energy): Information Society

This was my groove. (depending on the day) I have always liked (and still do like) synth-pop. In fact I just picked up the most recent Erasure album "Tomorrow's World" ; another time perhaps I'll share that. Anyway, Information Society was one of those groups that if a song of theirs came on I had to move-dance! The version I included on the mix tape is actually a remix from a cassette single I owned.

We'll see what the drive home and tomorrow mornings commute will bring...

By the way, I took Athena Stallcop to the dance... In case you wondered.

McCall in Summer...

2011-09-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

At the end of summer I was able to go to McCall, ID for work. We opened a location there and I went to provide training to our members. As I was leaving I turned around and snapped this photo from the sidewalk.

fall

2011-09-01T15:53:00.000-06:00

fall. No I didn't fall. That was a couple years ago off a ladder at a church orchard. But that is another story for another time. Now is the time to think about fall. I was in school for many years. Elementary school, Junior high, High school, enough college for three degrees. Plus fourteen years of marriage. Every year when fall rolls around I get nostalgic.

I remember what it was like to lay my clothes out on the floor the night before the first day of school. The excitement I felt waiting for the bus to take me back to Centennial Elementary and the friends that I had not seen all summer.

I remember what it was like preparing for that first football game of the season. I was in the marching band, so we had a lot to learn: formations, timing and of course music before that first home game. I remember looking forward to hanging out with my friends after the games. Picking up a pizza and congregating at someones house until we thought of a video to watch or "something else" to do.

I remember the first time on my own in an apartment in Rexburg. With five other freshmen, loving our new-found family-less freedom. Freedom to not have chores on the weekend (like stacking wood, mowing lawns, or cleaning up the garden spot). Freedom to turn on football all day Saturday and again on Sunday.

I remember coming home before Tammy to the little green house and raking the leaves. (It seemed to be a multi-week process) Opening the window and letting that crisp, autumn breeze cool the house. I remember friends coming over and playing games until all hours of the night.

I remember taking an eight year-old boy to a college football game where we were soaked due to all the rain. And having to explain to his younger sister that she did not want to get wet like we had just done.

I can close my eyes and I'm there. I can't wait for my kids to have those memories too.

Pocatello...Again

2011-08-19T18:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a month. I'm still here. Looking forward to college football starting up!

We went to Pocatello for a family reunion earlier in the month. It was a good time. The kids had fun. We bowled, watched a meteor shower, and went swimming.

Walker Cousin Picnic

2011-07-20T19:07:00.001-06:00

Walker Picnic. Every month or so we get together with the Walker Cousins (my wife's family). It's always a fun time. There are many around the valley and it's a chance for the little kids (2nd cousins) to play together. This past Tuesday we had a gathering and many people were there. Uncle Robin runs Jukebox Party Express and brought some of his toys too. There was a Jump House, a Merry-go-round, and a rock wall. All the kids had a good time.

Jump House, Merry-go-round, & Rock Wall

Ali loved the Merry-go-round

Reece climbing the rock wall.

A close-up of Reece.

Birthdays (No such thing as a free lunch? I beg to differ)

2011-05-26T09:13:00.000-06:00

I had a birthday this month. The first of the month to be exact. I turned an age in my 30's. As I have gone through adulthood one thing I have really learned to appreciate is good value. For my birthday 'good value' is a good birthday benefit. There are three that I received this year that I specifically want to mention. Red Robin, Wheeler's Handout and Souper Salad! . Sometimes I scan social media and blogs and I came across birthday specials that both these restaurants made available.

Red Robin- The birthday club from Red Robin is a free burger for your birthday. I was emailed a coupon that I could use the week of my birthday. So I had a $10 burger for free (with bottomless fries)! I can't complain about that. It was a nice lunch treat for my birthday. (@RedRobinBurgers)

Wheeler's Handout- Wheeler's is a Treasure Valley institution! They have been in the same location in Nampa since the 1950's. They even survived a car crashing into their small building. The birthday benefit at Wheeler's is a "Wheeler's Special" the week of your birthday. Like red Robin this is a burger and fries. To join this birthday club all I had to do was "like" them on facebook. Then on your birthday they post it on their wall and give you a week to use it.

Souper Salad!- This was the best one. They have everything at Souper Salad! and the birthday meal is good for lunch or dinner. Souper Salad! has a lot of choices which makes this such a good birthday treat. But the best part is that I had twenty-five days to use the birthday special. I didn't have to worry about trying to get it in the week of my birthday, I had plenty of time. So I used it today. (@SouperSalad)

Birthdays are great, but they can be even better with free stuff! Who says "there's no such thing as a free lunch"? I found some... I hope you can too!

Instant re-visit: Twitter connecting us all!

2011-05-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

Looking through some posts in the past and I thought I'd revisit a post from last fall. There power of social media is amazing! Enjoy~

From October 03, 2010....

When I was in high school one of my favorite bands was Huey Lewis & The News (still have them on my iPod). There are many groups that I listen to and have ripped onto my Mac and then to my iPod. One artist is Michelle Branch. A little background. Michelle Branch released The Spirit Room in 2001. I had no idea who she was or anything. Spring of 2002 my brother-in-law, Tim moved in with us for a few months after moving to Idaho from Arkansas. One of the many CDs he brought with him was Michelle Branch The Spirit Room. I really liked it and wanted a copy myself.

Fast forward to 2010. My daughter Selah is 8. Earlier in the week we went to Grandpa & Grandma's and they had purchased a new karaoke machine. Guess who was on the demo cd- Michelle Branch "All I Wanted" from The Spirit Room. Selah listened to it, sang it and loved it. So later that evening we went on YouTube and searched for Michelle Branch songs. A few days ago she asked that I put some Michelle Branch on her iPod, so I did. Later that night she was at the kitchen table listening to her iPod and copying down the lyrics to "All I Wanted". Then she sang it to me. Then she sang it to Tammy & I.

The next day I went on to twitter and sent the following message to @michellebranch (I already know I put the wrong age for Selah)

This is the response I received.

In Junior High I wrote a letter to Huey Lewis & The News. A month or so later I got a post card back with their signatures on it and a form letter thanking me for being interested. That's how it was THEN. Now I send a message to the artist and within a few hours she wrote back. Thanks Tim for introducing me to Michelle Branch & thanks @michellebranch for the music that connected me & my daughter!

Twitter. Connecting us all. Who knew.

Where has the time gone.

2011-05-06T13:06:00.000-06:00

This is not the place to discuss where the time has gone. I will share an interesting time lapse video. Watch it in full screen if you can!

Timelapse - The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.

It happened to me...

2011-03-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

If you know me you know that I have kind of a lead foot. From 1995-1997 I received enough speeding tickets to get me one point away from having a problem with my drivers licence. I mean, I was attending school in Eastern Idaho my family lived in Western Idaho- between was just desert. After driving it once, you've seen it enough. Anyway, after being married for almost fourteen years there have been ups and downs with my donation to the police quota fund. But there was this one time...

I was driving on the highway from Interstate 84 to Twin Falls and the speed limit is 60 MPH. I thought I was going that speed, but apparently I was not. I was pulled over just before crossing the Perrine Bridge into Twin Falls. I guess I should also explain, that I was talking to my wife the entire time. I didn't have time to hang up and once the office had left me with my ticket to the policeman's ball (wait, policeman don't have balls. They have galas!) Tammy asked me, "What was that?". even though she had just listened to the entire conversation.

Here is my word of warning: If you get pulled over TURN OFF THE PHONE!

One month... I know I updated!!!!!

2011-02-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

I can't go a month and not post. Much of the sharing and overexposing tendencies that I have I get out on twitter and facebook now. But this blog is not dead. I am just more deliberate with what I choose to share here.

Travel.
We went to South Jordan, UT and visited by brother-in-law and his family. It was fun. Great weather driving there and back. While we were there it rained and snowed. But we had some In-N-Out, Firehouse Subs, and Albertos! The kids also had fun playing the Wii.

Bball.
Gabe played basketball from the beginning of January through February and just finished this past Saturday. He really enjoyed it and improved every week.

Phone.

So I have used my EVO since August. I like it. It is no iPhone. The iPhone just works. The battery lasts. Those things aside. It's fun. More fun since I rooted and have installed various ROMs. Right now I am using a nightly build of CyanogenMod 7. I like it. I zips along, when the stock EVO kind of dragged at times. Now I am interested to see how the stock EVO software will work if HTC and Sprint ever upgrade it to the current Android 2.3/2.4. That should make it snappy. Not sure I'll switch back, but we'll see.

Response to Superintendent Luna

2011-01-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

I tweeted in response to @TomLuna 's new proposal for Idaho schools. You can see his response (if he tweets - I think it is a staffer)- his response above. I read http://bit.ly/aU8WaY and here is my stream-of-conscience-esque response. Take it as it is...

Students Come first(?) Specifics?
Laptops for HS students- I like the idea. I have a couple observations. First, what good are the laptops without broadband internet access? There are still places in Idaho that do not have the infrastructure to bring broadband access to the home, let alone the schools. Second, assurances need to be in place that the program will continue regardless of who the superintendent is. In four years if there is a new Superintendent of Public Education they need to keep the program in place, not cut it at the first sign of budget crisis. Moreover, do not reinvent the wheel. There are many states and districts that have done similar programs with success. We can use the models that they have used to meet the needs. In the past Idaho (in general) has had a history of going it alone… That does not have to be the case. Technology changes so quickly, does Idaho have the fiscal desire to keep up? State of the art technology is not 5-year-old tech! (Businesses replace computers every 3-4 years. The public school where my children attend are not upgrading in that fashion)
Teacher accountability/ responsibility- Do we not have this already? Using student test scores to judge teacher performance does not show how good a teacher is doing. That is not how student-teachers are evaluated! It can be a small component, but supervisor evaluations should bear more weight than a test. That supervisor should be evaluated as well to ensure that there is not bias. In the business world, workers are evaluated on many components not just one, especially one where they are not the sole disseminator of the outcome. Where is parental responsibility? Without parental support to their children outside of the classroom students have a lower success rate. Where does that fit in to the equation? If a teacher has a majority of students from a lower-income area, there will be less parent involvement (both in school and at the home) and those students will, (in most cases) perform lower than others that have the parental support. Or what about a charter school that can choose/ limit the students it enrolls versus a normal school that MUST take those that reside in the boundaries? There are many charter schools in the Treasure Valley that are not representative of the communities they are in. For example, in Nampa the Hispanic population and the percentage of Hispanic students at the charter schools is not equal. That gives those charter schools a different set of students and parental support than the normal schools.
Last you cannot run government like a business. A great explination of that comes from Lee N. Howell.

Why can't gov't. be run like a business?
By LEE N. HOWELL (April 12, 2000 The Citizen Online)
Politically Speaking
One of the favorite expressions of the verbally challenged political hacks in this country — the ones who can't think of anything original to say and figure that any trite phrase which sounds good on the stump will do — is, “Why can't we run government like a business?” We have all heard it said — we may have said it ourselves — for it does seem that this is one thing that some of every political stripe can agree upon.
But, the bottom line is that government can not run like a business.
The main reason is that government is not a business.
For starters, businesses are supposed to make a profit — and none of us really want government to make a profit.
(Of course, there is some difference of opinion on that point, depending upon whether you are looking at the state or federal government and what your partisan leanings are: In government, profits are called surpluses and, at the state level, Republicans tell us they are bad because they fund all those “pork” projects that Democrats believe are really the “meat and potatoes” their constituents demand; at the federal level, the Republicans and the Democrats, while differing on the specifics, both tell us they are good because they fund the projects we need but can't justify during the years and years of deficits we have struggled through.)
Then, there is the fact that in most businesses — especially the “Mom 'n' Pop” operations which make up the vast majority of America's small businesses and were the beginning of most of the big ones that exist today — the top level management is fairly stable while the employees come and go, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes not.
In government, though, the executives (read that the politicians) are elected for set terms and may be voted out of office on a regular basis, while the employees (read, civil service bureaucrats) are on board for the long haul and can just thumb their noses at the politicians with a
“I'll be here after you are defeated” attitude.
(One of the more controversial elements of Gov. Roy Barnes education reform package — the elimination of the so-called “teacher tenure” law — was aimed at combating this problem: Good teachers — like good administrators who gave up their tenure protection several years ago — don't need the crutch of tenure to succeed, while bad teachers can't survive without it.)
Now, some people who say “government should be run like a business” are probably sincere, and there are some tools used in business that could be useful in government.
But, many people who say it are simply voicing their frustration with what they perceive as a government grown too big. What they overlook, though, is that government is still charged with the
Constitutional responsibility of “creating a more perfect union, insuring justice, promoting the general welfare, providing for the common defense, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our
posterity.”
That is a big job — one which could sometimes be done more efficiently and more effectively, to be sure — but still a big job that demands big answers.
In the late 1970s, there was an argument in this country over returning control of the Panama Canal to Panama. The same conservatives who argued the loudest against big government were the same people who were most vehement about the U.S. keeping control of the Canal argued the loudest against big government were the same people who were most vehement about the U.S. keeping control of the Canal. What they overlooked was the fact that it took a pretty big government operation to defeat yellow fever, strong-arm local entities who objected, clean out a rain forest, and build the Canal in the first place.
Businesses had dreamed of a “pathway between the seas” — but, if it had not been for government which overcame many of the problems that businesses could not address, there would never have been any Canal to argue over.
Why can't government run like a business? Probably because they are not the same and never will be.

Government is not a business. Schools are not trying to make a profit. Kids WILL suffer. If @TomLuna 's plan was as good as he hopes it is, where are the troves of educators (both in Idaho and outside) applauding it?

LOST: The Numbers are REAL!

2011-01-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

I do not play the lottery. In fact I remember going out with my parents when I was a kid distributing anti-lottery flyers. Hmm. Anyway, that's not important. But what is important is that if you play the lotto USE HURLEY'S NUMBERS!

Two tickets matched all six numbers in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing.
The owners of those tickets, purchased in Idaho and Washington, will split the estimated $355 million jackpot.
The winning numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, with 42 being the Mega Ball number.
It also paid to be a fan of the TV show, "Lost." Four of the six numbers drawn in the Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery matched the numbers immortalized by the Lost character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, who hit a $114 million jackpot off them - only to be haunted by the same numbers in later episodes.
If you played Hurley's numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42), you won $150, according to a payout table on the Mega Millions website, though the same table noted that fixed prizes such as the $150 one "may be paid on a pari-mutuel basis and (be) lower than" that amount.
Courtesy: http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2011/01/it-pays-to-be-lost-fan-4-lost-numbers.html

Now you know what numbers to always play!

White Christmas?

2010-12-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining the grass is green (sort of)…Wait this isn’t L.A. and I’m not singing the intro to White Christmas (if you haven’t heard it before it gives context to the song). Irving Berlin wrote it and then dropped it from the original recording to give the song more universal appeal. This isn’t about a song though, it’s about what is Christmas anyway? Where I live we are not always guaranteed a white Christmas. In fact it can be January before we even get a good snow. This year I thought that we might have a chance; we’ve had more moisture than usual. We actually had some snow for a few days, but the last three days rain and about 38-42 degree temperatures have melted most of the snow, save the piles made from the snow plows. But as for a white Christmas, we didn't have one here.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was written during the Civil War and it always gives me hope that through whatever the world throws at us that there can always be Peace on Earth.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play,And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,The world revolved from night to day, a voice, a chime; a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;"There is no peace on earth," I said;"For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Back to Christmas…For me Christmas is a time to reflect on the past year, what has transpired and what I have been blessed with. I have been blessed with so much…I have a loving wife, three great kids and a home. What more can I ask for? But I also have a job that allows me to have a house and doesn’t take me away from my family too much. I have a great extended family my in-laws are wonderful and my dad could be the biggest Boise State fan since…Me! My family is so important to me…and knowing that we can always be together makes me feel so fortunate. This season where we celebrate the birth of the Savior helps to bring out the best in everyone. Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.

2010-12-08T17:40:00.003-07:00

It's December already! More than one week into the twelfth month. So many things happening this time of year hard to stop and catch your breath. I wanted to share something I read about today. If you have kids that write letters to the Man in the Red Suit (I mean Santa Claus), then this tip is for you. Google Voice is sponsoring Send a Call from Santa. Just fill out some info... I'll let Google tell you.

Well, this year he can—with your help. If you know a kid (of any age) who’d like to hear from Santa, create and send a personalized phone call from the jolly man in the red suit himself at sendacallfromsanta.com.

There are hundreds of options to choose from, so you can send unique, customized phone calls to anyone you know, from your nieces and nephews to old college friends, over the phone (to U.S. numbers only) or via email, Facebook or Twitter.

If you or your kids have a special request or message for Santa, you can leave him a message at his Google Voice number: 855-34-SANTA. Although he’s too busy to return messages himself, you can always create one on his behalf at the Send a Call From Santa site.

Ready to spread some holiday cheer? Listen to a sample message, and visitsendacallfromsanta.com to send a message of your own.

So click ovet to their site and make someones day. Be it your child, a friend or CoWorker. Everyone loves calls from Santa!

The Aftermath....

2010-12-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

I had to take a few days to digest my feelings after the Nevada loss. It was a hard loss. We Boise State fans are spoiled. We are not accustomed to losing. That is not the norm in college football. Teams have ups and downs. We have had ups for a while and with growing pains come the downs. Moving into the Mountain West Conference will not guarantee unbeaten seasons and it shouldn't! for Boise State to build the kind of program that we want and they need, challenges have to happen and at times you grow by not completing the challenge.

That being said I think that Boise State was robbed in the BCS Standings. It just goes to show how rigged the BCS system is. So much so, that TCU, BYU, & Utah are leaving their NON-AQ conferences to try to get a piece of that pie. Other teams and conferences were jostled around this year for that same reason. $! MONEY. it's too bad that college football has turned it's focus to only $ so that all programs in all parts of college sports are focused on how to get more $. I don't have an answer, I just hate the problem!

SNOW

2010-12-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

It Snowed. I got home from work on Tuesday and the snow was falling. Then I woke up this morning and the world was covered in a blanket of white wonder. I woke up early to be able to clear the driveway before I headed in to work. It was very peaceful at 6:00 AM shoveling snow. Remember it's December 1st! I wonder what the rest of winter will be like?

I took these before heading into work Wednesday AM.

Those are snowflakes streaking across the picture. (These photos were taken with my EVO)

Boise State Rivalry Week!!!!

2010-11-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

A revisit to last years preparation for the rivalry!

Originally posted 11/13/09

This is the week of the game that saves the career of many a football coach, Rivalry Week! Boise State plays Idaho this week and last I checked Boise State was 31 point favorites. So I am not sure if you can call that a rivalry or not. There has been a lot of talk this week in the media from both Vandal and Bronco fans. But the funniest bit of press that I have seen this week has to do with the University of Idaho Athletic Director refusing to ride on a Horizon Air plane from Moscow to Boise because the plane was painted Orange and Blue for Boise State. He decided to waste money and drive to Spokane and then catch a flight to Boise. What a dope! Good thing Horizon Air listens to whining and took care of the Vandals.

Go Broncos!

Go Orange, Go Big Blue!

2010-11-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Boise State Vs. Hawaii. I can't think of anything better to do on a November Saturday. The weather was great. So much better then the previous year when we froze! We started our quasi- tailgating like last year- at Perkins. No waiting outside with food getting cold. No looking for something edible that hasn't been out all morning. Oh and if you eat there- then you get free parking on game day!

When we arrived Tammy and I waited in the car for a little while, we were early. We watched ESPN College Gameday on my EVO (there is a Sprint Football App). Then we headed in to get our names on the list. When I gave him my name, I gave my full name: Chris Peterson. The manager responded, "That's a pretty important name around here!". After my dad, his wife, my sister and brother arrived the manager announced, "Chris Peterson party of 6!". You should have seen the heads turn! As if the coach of the number 4 team in the nation would be eating at Perkins on the morning of a game. But people did look! Another benefit of being me!

Game time approached and we headed over to the stadium. My dad sold his usual season tickets to be able to sit with the rest of us a few sections over. My brother-in-law and his wife bought tickets and came up from Utah to watch the game and amazingly they were only one row down and two seats over from where we were seated. It was a packed stadium (as it should be!). A great game by a great team. It feels like we're watching history in the making.

Fall in Boise. Boise State Football.

Word Cloud...

2010-11-09T17:35:00.002-07:00

I did a word cloud before on what my this blog contained. Today I did one for my #tweets for the last year or so. Here is the result.

On twitter I am BroncoP3t3_ so I am not surprised to see that I tweet about Boise State Broncos!

BCS...Who programmed theses computers???

2010-10-26T04:14:00.001-06:00

Thanks to twitter and facebook I can take out my BCS frustration in a more instant manner, but I can't ignore sharing frustration in this space as well.

We are in the second week of the BCS standings and Boise State is continually rebuffed! How is Oregon ahead of us! Rick Reilly from ESPN put it great and I'll quote part of his article here:

It's the biggest rip-off since the Nigerian prince scam. It makes you wonder why you watch college football at all. What Boise State is being asked to do isn't doable. It's like trying to win a Cuban election. Or break into the Genovese family.

The Broncos are 6-0. They've won 20 straight games, the longest streak in the country. They've beaten two BCS automatic qualifiers -- 6th-ranked Virginia Tech and 24th-ranked Oregon State. Doesn't matter. BSU could whip the 103rd Infantry and it wouldn't get a sniff. The computers are in charge. The pod bay doors won't open.

Boise State is going to get seated at the kids' table again. The Broncos will go to some pointless bowl and beat somebody like they always do -- they've already bested Oklahoma and TCU in bowls like that -- and they'll come home with a win and a hatful of "You kids sure play with a lot of heart up there" put-downs from the BCS blazers.

Amazing, isn't it? NCAA Division I football is the only sport in the world where continued, uninterrupted, hats-in-the-air winning doesn't mean you keep progressing. For Boise State, it gets you a squirt of vinegar in the eye. It's a three-card Monty game and all they get is two cards. OK, here it comes. Say it: Boise State doesn't play anybody.

Boise State plays -- and beats -- whoever they throw at it. It thumped San Jose State 48-0. Wisconsin, which beat No. 1 Ohio State and No. 15 Iowa, only beat SJSU by 13, at home!

Boise State smashed Wyoming 51-6. Wyoming nearly beat Air Force and Air Force nearly beat Oklahoma. You're telling me Boise State couldn't beat OU? Oh, wait. It already did.

Boise State whipped Virginia Tech on the road. VT is undefeated in the ACC. Are you telling me Boise State wouldn't be carving up the ACC?

Am I bitter? No. But I like many think that Boise State is not getting fair or objective treatment from some in the press (i.e.- Craig james & Mark May) or fans of other teams. So if you know someone that hates Bosie State, ask them why? Is it because the Broncos beat your team... or because their afraid and know that we would beat them!

Go Broncos!

Walkman...

2010-10-25T18:50:00.002-06:00

I heard on the radio that Sony was retiring the cassette walkman. This is a sad day for portable music enthusiasts. I got my first walkman in Jr high. This was a sony walkman (remember Mega Bass). Previously I had a couple other portable cassette / radios that were ok, but they were always wearing out. I listened to them alot! In Jr high I lived too close (less then 1 mile - .8 miles) to ride the bus so I walked. Many days I got dropped off by my parents on the way to work, but when the bell rang to end the school day at 2:25 PM, I was on my own and walked home. That walkman was a great walking companion.

During this time I didn't have a drivers licence so the easiest way to independently go to a friends house was on a bike or hoof it! Many nights I remember walking home in the twilight listening to my walkman. Whether it was Huey Lewis & The News, Information Society, or Jimmy Smith... I never walked home alone. I could picture myself in another place listening to that music. I was not in a quiet Idaho town... I was in Chicago listening to Count Basie or Wes Montgomery...or watching Bono belt out With or Without You.

I stopped using my aiwa iteration of the walkman in college. The library would have been too quiet without it. Since then I've had a few iPods and I love 'em, don't get me wrong... But there is something with the hum of the tape motor and how when the batteries got low your favorite song would play just a little slower, letting you know it was time for new ones. walkman you were a good companion and you'll be missed.

Talk about instant...

2010-10-03T12:56:00.022-06:00

This is the response I received.

Twitter not for all, but I like it!

2010-10-01T17:03:00.002-06:00

Twitter is not for everyone. Just like facebook is not for all. There are many people that have been 'pressured' into joining facebook and/or twitter by well intentioned friends or family. I think twitter is fun. It is also informative. On that twitter is fun is when it is embraced by other sources of media. My favorite funny one is Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Every week he makes up a hashtag (#) that can then be used by people who want to respond. It's like making a worldwide list on a certain topic. This past week he did #ifihadonewish (if I had one wish) and people responded. Here's the clip:

It's pretty funny. I love the interaction. Just another way the internet has brought us closer.

ESPN College Gameday - Images

2010-09-30T18:11:00.001-06:00

I took some of the pictures that I took at ESPN College Gameday and at the Boise State / Oregon State game and put them together and thought I would share them.

Boise State History

2010-09-29T20:06:00.001-06:00

At the end of ESPN College Gameday they paid tribute to the school who was their host and presented a video history of Boise State Football.

Enjoy!

Live From Bronco Stadium

2010-09-27T18:18:00.001-06:00

Four-thirty AM is pretty dang early on a Saturday. You know what's earlier? Three AM! Sent the kids to bed early (for a Friday) then I went to bed knowing that 4:30 AM would be here soon. My mind had other plans. I woke up at 3:00 AM unable to return to my peaceful slumber. I quietly showered and dressed and then I waited. I played on twitter for a little bit. You know, there are not many people tweeting about Boise State or much of anything at 3:00 AM. At least not the tweeters around here.
At 4:15 AM I woke up the kids. If you want to see something funny wake up a nine year old and an eight year old at 4:15 AM. I had to help them so much to get them out of pajamas an into their Boise State t shirts and jeans. I was a puppeteer with marionettes. We gathered out previously organized 'on the road' breakfast and headed to pick up Uncle Clark.
4:30 AM and we picked up Clark, who was waiting in the driveway and headed to Boise State - Bronco Stadium for ESPN College Gameday!

We arrived just before 5:00 AM and there were so many people already lined up. We quickly found a parking place and joined them. Within fifteen minutes 1/4 of the line was behind us due to the number of people lining up after us. Then we snaked our way around Bronco Stadium until we were able to enter and find our seats. We still had an hour until Gameday started after we took our seats. But as time grew close the ESPN personalities began to arrive and things started hopping!

After the first hour of Gameday Gabe and Selah were starting to get bored. So Clark, being the great uncle he is; took them for a walk around the stadium. They walked to the upper deck and got a bird's eye view of the happenings. When they got back to me they also had treats! They had found a concession stand and they brought back donuts.

Their attention span is still very short so it didn't take for them to get antsy and want to leave. So Gabe and Selah with Uncle Clark took a walk to the Boise State Student Union.

They met back up with me with about ten minutes left in Gameday. Then we headed out of the stadium and back home.

We did make one stop on the way back. The Apple Store. It recently opened in the Boise Towne Square Mall. The kids had fun. Driving home they asked when they could go back. I said, "Back to Bronco Stadium?" "No Dad, back to the Apple Store!", they replied.

Fun times.

Some facts about Gameday in Boise:
Attendance: 13,200 (Gameday runs from 7 AM - 10 AM in Boise)
First time Gameday was in Boise
Boise State Football is Ranked #3 Nationally Highest Ranking Ever

ESPN College Gameday!

2010-09-24T18:19:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the day! Boise State versus Oregon State. I am getting pretty excited. I am going to the game with my dad. Using his season tickets, of course that he has has since I was in pre-K. It is also the first time that Boise State will be on national network TV for a regular season game. Also, ESPN College Gameday will be broadcasting their show from Bronco Stadium! Since I can't take the kids to the game with me (tickets are pretty spendy and the game is sold out!) We are getting up at o-dark-thirty and heading to Bronco Stadium to be in the crowd for College Gameday! So Uncle Clark, Gabe, Selah & Dad will be up early to have some college football fun!

(Check out the gameday crew on the blue-below)

It should be a good game and if you tweet you can see a lot of action on twitter with #boisestate #gobroncos #bsufootball #smurfturfshowdown and of course you can see what I might say at http://twitter.com/BroncoP3t3_

Go Broncos!

Wyoming highlights

2010-09-20T17:30:00.001-06:00

Here are highlights from the Wyoming game!

Week three!

2010-09-20T12:45:00.004-06:00

Hard to believe it's week three and I have yet to blog about the Boise State football season!!! So much to say...

#3 in the Nation! WOO-HOO! If you didn't already know this then you must not pay attention to college football. This past week Boise State played Wyoming in Laramie! Game one was in Washington D.C. against Virginia Tech! Two hostile environments in a row and the Broncos were successful.

This was only the Broncos second game, Wyoming had played two games up to that point. The previous week they played Texas, against whom they seemed have an easier time than they did with Boise State. Here is an interesting comparison:

The score tells the story. Boise State was the visitor and handled their opponent.

Go Broncos!

Here is some news re: Boise State

Pocatello Adventures

2010-08-26T22:11:00.002-06:00

Whew! School starts and things can finally slow down and look back at what has gone on...

In August we went to Pocatello for a Marshall reunion. It was great to see the cousins on the Marshall side of the family. We stayed with Tammy's uncle Bob. On the way down Gabe said that we weren't camping or hoteling, we were Bobbing!

Bob and his wife Janet live just down from Alameda Park in Pocatello, so one evening we took the kids down to play. They had a lot of fun (as you can tell).

(Oh yeah... Ali is walking!)

We also hit some Vintage Pocatello hangouts. While driving around with the kids (showing them Tammy's old stomping grounds) we stopped by the Ross Park Drive-In and got Taco Spaghetti. It was Yu-MMY! (So much that Tammy recreated the recipe last Friday night!) On Saturday we went to Tastee-treet and got a space-burger!

We had family and culinary fun!

iPhone envy? I EVO (I don't know)

2010-08-13T19:23:00.006-06:00

EVO. Have you heard of it? It is the latest and greatest phone from Sprint. I just got one through work. Didn't he have an iPhone? Yes, I did. But Having an iPhone and an EVO didn't make too much sense. So I don't have an iPhone any more. Tammy has an iPhone and I have the EVO. What are my impressions. I have been using the EVO exclusively for a little over a week and I had the iPhone for almost nine months. So there are some things that were second nature on the iPhone that I am still learning on the EVO.

Differences:

Carrier- EVO is Sprint- iPhone is AT&T: AT&T calls were clearer- Sprint has 4G in Boise. Getting used to Sprint
Media- iTunes doesn't really work with the EVO. I did find a way to sync a playlist and then get the songs over to the SD card. I can use any song as a ringtone on the EVO, a lot easier than on the iPhone.
Google Integration- EVO runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) and as Android is Google things are tight, Gmail contacts almost instant updating. iPhone wasn't as consistent.
Battery- iPhone battery was not the best, but it lasts longer than EVO. I have to remember to shut stuff off on EVO as to not drain the battery too soon. Hopefully with updates the battery life will improve.

Overall- I am getting to like EVO. iPhone and iTunes App store integration is great and hopefully the Android Marketplace will be comparable soon. But as a phone and internet device it works pretty good. As time goes on I am sure that I'll like it more. I just have to learn it- more of which I do each day I use EVO.

So if you are on Sprint EVO is a good choice.

My EVO.

GO BRONCOS!

Happy Weekend Everybody!

450

2010-08-11T23:59:00.017-06:00

Yep that last post was post 450. Hard to believe. I sure have said a lot. My wife tells me that I talk too much! Well I am still not done. There is more to come about my life, family, friends, technology and much, much more. Here's to 450 more!

One more thing...

2010-08-11T19:51:00.000-06:00

One more thing that came up when we were swimming...

My Dad told us about an indecent that happened at my grandmas house. There was a man that took down the for sale sign and pulled out a patio chair and was sitting in the driveway telling the neighbors that he had purchased the home. The manager of the community called the listing agent wondering what had happened and why she had not been notified of the house selling- why was she left out of the loop! The listing agent was just as confused as everyone, because she did not remember selling the house. She was sure she would not have missed that detail! Then after some investigation- turns out it was a transient person 'pretending' that they bought the home.

That man is gone, the sign is back out- all is well.

Swimming... Fun!

2010-08-10T21:35:00.000-06:00

Grandma Peterson passed away in 2008. Since then her house has been for sale. A long time, right. I think so at least (and I work in the Real Estate Industry). Anyway, her house is located in an over 55 community where you lease the land your home is on. So there is HOA fee that my dad is paying every month, as he now owns her house. In her community they have a pool.

When Grandma was alive we would go swimming in the pool and she would meet us there and come down and talk to us while we swam. Now that Dad has the house we just swim whenever we can get together.

It's fun to swim in a private pool, where only residents or guests are allowed. The only caveat is that no 'diaper-aged' children are allowed. (They don't have problems with diaper-aged adults though). So that can sometimes be tricky, but we usually work out something.

This summer we have gone a few times. One time we took Tammy's dad and one of the community residents came in and started talking to him trying to see what part of the community that he lived in and getting other details, then he told her that he was with us. She had met us previously.

As long as you have a place to keep wet- that's all that matters. Enjoy Summer!

Summer goes!!!!

2010-07-28T17:57:00.005-06:00

Wow! Summer goes fast! Time, I mean. I looked and saw that the last post was from 4th of July and thought "What happened?". Summer happened, that's what. After the 4th there was a scramble at work to get as much done as I could. Because we were on vacation from July 16 - 24th! Yeah- a nice big chunk right in the middle of the month. It's ok, though I planned for it. But the week before we left I was feeling like a headless chicken.

Then getting back this week meant Monday and Tuesday on the road doing classes, so I really wasn't 'back' until Wednesday. (unless you count the 5:45 AM trip to pick up computers for my Twin Falls trip on Monday). Wednesday still felt like a hamster on a a wheel, but getting better.

Our vacation. We went camping in three places. First to the Augustus Peterson Reunion in St. Charles, ID. We went to Bear Lake twice with the kids. Bear Lake is great because you can walk out for over 60 yards from shore before you have to swim. It starts out very shallow. Then we packed up the tent and sleeping bags and headed to Island Park, ID (Henry's Fork of the Snake River/ Henry's Lake). We met up with my in-laws there. We camped at Lower Flat Rock Campground- it is across the highway from Mack's Inn. We camped for five days then we packed up and headed back to Nampa. One night at home then we headed to Owyhee Reservoir for a church overnighter. We went to Camp Hycliff. It was an interesting drive, Tammy drove and does not like driving close to rocks (we were right against a high cliff) or close to water (we were along the Owyhee river the last part of our drive). It was nice. Grass to camp on, lots of trees for shade and a water slide for the kids.

Here are a few pictures from the Island Park section of our trip.

July 2010

A fun time had by all. It's good to be home.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

2010-07-04T06:55:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday America! What a great day to celebrate the Red, White, & Blue. This spring we watched America, the story of US on the History channel with the kids. It was a great way to have them learn a little more about US history at home. You can watch episodes online if you're interested. It's not as dry as you might think and they have some good re-enactments.

I hope that everyone has a great 4th of July. This is America. It doesn't matter if you watched fireworks on the 3rd or the 4th you can be American just the same.

Here are the words to the National Anthem... All verses!
Have a great 4th of July!

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

...Can you see

2010-07-03T10:32:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe that the 4th of July is here already. The on true month of summer vacation is here (the only month without a school day). The 4th makes me think of cook outs, hot dogs, fireworks and heat.

I remember many 4ths of July going to my grandma's house in the south part of town off of South Powerline and celebrating 4th of July and my uncle Randy's birthday (it's on the 4th as well). We would have a cook out on her patio in the shade. Great Uncles and Aunts would come to enjoy the company. Uncle Danny would pull out the GOOD* fireworks that he had purchased in Wyoming while visiting his college friends. Cort and I had just mowed her lawn so it looked great!

We would shoot bottle rockets out of actual glass bottles. (I know- soda actually came in glass bottles!) It was great because we were on the edge of town and there was plenty of room that no neighbors complained. Then of course the smoke bombs came out and the tossed them into the grass and watched the smoke snake around in the grass- then rising to the surface. Red, blue, orange, puke yellow. It was good fun. Then of course if we had a little green army man, who could make the ultimate sacrifice. He could join the space program and go up on a bottle rocket. Never to return.

Now I get to share these same types of memories with my kids. I haven't made any trips to WY, but I still know where to get the good fireworks!

Happy 4th of July!

*GOOD means illegal!

Growing up and keeping cool!

2010-06-27T11:55:00.001-06:00

Idaho in the summer is hot. Growing up keeping cool was pretty important (not just in the yearbook- 'Stay Cool for the summer' way either). We moved into our house on W Hudson in 1978. I was 4 Cort turned 2 that summer. The house had no lawn, so we planted one. Growing up in that house was a lot of fun. Plenty of room for us and room to play. But the heat... We had A/C in the house, but outside it was warm.

One of the ways that we cooled off was swimming in the canal or ditch (whatever you want to call it). There was a canal that ran just behind our street, the Phyllis Canal. Our dad bought life vests for us and we all used to tube down the canal along about a quarter mile stretch. Then when we got older and were good swimmers we would go there on our own. It was a great way to keep cool. I know that canals are dangerous and I do not take my kids floating, like my dad did. But, when I was growing up- it was fun- we were safe- and we were smart.

There was also a place called "the ropes" a mile or so from our house where a few irrigation ditches converged. The trees had grown over and shaded it perfectly. It was only four feet deep or so and all sand on the bottom. It made the perfect place to swim and swing from the ropes that people had hung there. It was just the way you imagine it. Cool water- a shaded area - great summer fun.

Enjoy the hot days!

FYI- for disclosure sake- here is a PSA about canal safety

Where are you? Where have you been?

2010-06-25T19:59:00.001-06:00

Where are you? Where have you been? You O.K.? The answer to this and many other questions is...

I am here. It's been a busy June. As you can tell by the lack of posting. Just a note about what is to come; posts. Bike riding- trips to KC- Train rides. But first let's just talk about Summer.

June is the first month of Summer. I know that it doesn't officially begin until June 21, but every since I was a kid in school June was the beginning of Summer. June, July, and August. Three months of freedom.

Growing up my parents worked. So from a young age my brother and I were alone in the Summer. Not totally alone, my parents weren't neglecting us or anything. While we were young they would get someone to sit with us during the day, when they were at work. I remember for a few years it was Cindy Ashcraft. We rode our bikes to Woodside Racquet Club for swimming lessons. One of the summers when we rode to lessons they were widening Midland BLVD, in Nampa. I think it was in 1984, or so. If you were in Nampa then, you might remember it. It was a nightmare to drive/ride through- people even had bumper stickers that read "Pray for Me- I drive Midland BLVD". It was a pretty big project, they went from two lane, to the wide three lane road that it is today.

When we were a little older we were able take care of ourselves. They would take our baby brother to a sitter while they worked and then we stayed home. Our parents would leave us chore lists that we were expected to finish by the time the returned or we would lose privileges. Our list might include weeding rows in the garden, picking beans or snapping beans. We also might have to clean certain rooms in the house- so that mom & dad did not have to later. So we did our work and then played.

One summer I remember that we spent a lot of time with Ryan and Josh Wilhelmsen. This is the summer that we learned about warming up hot dogs in the microwave and then eating them with BBQ sauce. They lived just up the street so it was easy to run up and play for a little while and then be home for mom & dad.

Summer was fun. I guess that's why working all the time makes me long for the days when choosing where to ride my bike to was a major decision.

iPhone 4...iOS4.. Some Thoughts

2010-06-08T11:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Apple unveiled the new iPhone 4. It looks like a magnificent device. Redesigned- updated components and thinner to boot! Apple lists a lot in the tech specs on their site. There are many new features, too many for me to list them all, but I wanted to share the one that I think will change personal communication forever: FaceTime.

FaceTime is the video calling feature that Apple has added to the iPhone 4. It was Steve Jobs "...one more thing". This is revolutionary because it is the way that we have all dreamed of calling since we first saw Star Wars or whichever science fiction franchise was your favorite. Real-time video calling with no set up just two people with iPhones and *boom* they're talking face to face. In his presentation Steve Jobs talked about making this technology open source... this means that Google, Microsoft, or anyone who makes phones could incorporate it into their technology and suddenly there is a large group of people that are able to video chat. Or better said; communicate face to face.

Why does this matter? It matters because it does what technology is supposed to do. Make life simpler. You can make video calls now, it is just cost prohibitive to the average person and not too easy to set up. It's not too hard these days to see a Cisco ad with Ellen Page as she appears amazed that people are communicating with video across the globe. Well, iPhone 4 does the same thing without having to be a Cisco Admin.

Do I want an iPhone 4? Darn tootin' I do! Will it happen, that I can't say. Per AT&T I am not due an upgrade until next year. So probably not anytime soon. But I can dream!

Here is the iPhone 4 clip that was shown at the Apple WWDC (WorldWide Developer Conference) on June 7.

iPhone Day!!!

2010-06-07T06:55:00.000-06:00

Today is iPhone day! What is that you might ask!! Well today is Apple's WorldWide Developers Conference. WWDC 2010 and on Monday morning Steve Jobs will give the keynote. There has been much speculation on what will be announced from iPhone 4.0 to the iPhone 4G or an update to the Mac or even Apple TV. I don't really have a prediction, I am just excited for new info from Apple. I have to admit that I am kind of a fanboy. If money was no object I would have a few more Apple products in my house for my wife and kids.

I won't get any new info until this afternoon. (I do work, you know!) So here is Apple's Steve Jobs talking about the iPhone & iPad not having flash- to wet your whistle.

Memorial

2010-05-28T16:31:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to give thanks to those who have gone before. Many have gone before to pave the way and create the life that I have now. Memorial day is a time for us to remember. For me it was my sister Catherine, my mother Lynn, both sets of grandparents Keith & Harriett Peterson & James and Irene Crummett, and an uncle Danny. Many memories that made me who I am. I am thankful for their example and the time that I had with them.

This weekend, and always we celebrate their lives and remember the good times by fighting the good fight. We keep on keepin' on! So throw another steak on the grill and down a cold Dr. P for your loved ones. I know I will!

The End.

2010-05-24T18:06:00.003-06:00

Lost. Finale. I loved it! I thought it was a great way to end this chapter in the lives of the characters that we have grown to love theses past six seasons. I thought that the way the Island time line was completed was great. (I would love to see a story on Hugo and Ben’s time as island caretakers.) I think it would have been a different place than the island that Jacob ran. Hurley would help people in a different way.

I’ll jump right to the part that gave a lot of people trouble; The end. The final 20 minutes of the episode pulled all the characters together in the flash-sideways timeline. There are many interpretations to what is represented when the characters reunite. Here is my take.

The flash-sideways/ alt timeline was not a timeline at all, but another step in the process called existence/ life. After their time on the island (which was real) they all live their lives and died for who knows how long. Jacob was on the island for centuries, how long was Hugo there? Upon dying, then they were in a place where the plane landed in LA and they did not have the memories of their time on the island. Little by little through contact with one another they see small glimpses of the lives that they had and the people they were with. Then when they find someone with whom they had a significant relationship all the memories come rushing back. Then they are ready to move on. And they know. So they want to share their knowledge with the rest of the people they shared a life-changing experience with.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end, then to remember all the good times, be reunited with people I love and move on.

Thanks LOST.
*FYI I was listening to “Tricia Tanaka is Dead” while I wrote this!

The Final LOST Untangled...

2010-05-24T06:51:00.000-06:00

Before I share my thoughts on the LOST finale... I thought I'd share the final LOST Untangled. In case anyone needs some clarification...

2010-05-21T17:51:00.000-06:00

Jerry Seinfeld was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the other night and was hilarious! The talked right through the commercial break- so online they included that footage too!

Here is the part that aired-

Here is the un-aired clip-

Yet again... more LOST

2010-05-21T12:38:00.002-06:00

This comes from NPR. Proof that you can listen to NPR AND be part of POP culture!

Another LOST song!

2010-05-20T18:27:00.000-06:00

Another LOST Tribute song. Next week we may not remember these, but LOST will always be with us.
"ANSWERS" by Jesse David Weeks

"ANSWERS" by Jesse David Weeks from Jeff Hammond on Vimeo.

Hip Hip Tribute to LOST

2010-05-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a hip hop tribute to LOST. The lyrics are all about LOST and how it made the singer feel. I love how you can hear the LOST musical score in the background. Thanks to Nik at Nite for sharing this. Best part:

This is brilliant, from the LOLs at 2:30 (seriously, I laughed out loud) to the sadness I felt when I realized they were pretty much explaining exactly how I felt: "Just like Sawyer loved Juliet but had to let her go/ Man that’s sorta how I feel when I think about this show..."

Lost Cast Says "Goodbye"

2010-05-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

The Cast of LOST says "Goodbye"

This is the week

2010-05-19T16:28:00.001-06:00

This is it. The last week of regular LOST episodes. This Sunday is the series finale. It's bittersweet. It will be great to see many questions answered, but when you are invested in certain characters it's hard to see them go. There have always been shows that I have liked. I would much rather see them end like LOST, where the writers and creators get to end it on their terms- versus the network canceling it without a proper ending. A few shows that I think of when I reminisce about LOST are: Alias- although since I own the DVDs it never really ends. Friends- We bought the DVDs as they were released and yep we have all ten seasons. Friends was another that ended on their own terms. Then Quantum Leap. In high school I'll admit that I was a little on the geeky side, I liked my weekly dose of Dr. Sam Beckett. QL was cancelled before the writers could work it out the way they wanted.

LOST is going out in style. If you haven't heard (or you've been living in a cave). Sunday on ABC is all about LOST. The finale will be 2.5 hours long. Plus a Jimmy Kimmel special later that night. So get ready! To wet your appetite, here is the latest LOST: Untangled.

Read all the LOST Posts Here

Wow. Only one more real...

2010-05-12T15:43:00.002-06:00

Only one more real episode left until the finale. The 2.5 hour finale! We have to wee how many people tune in. Anyway... "Across the Sea" was more about Jacob and the Man in Black... Who it turns out, was Jacob's brother! LOST Untangled does a good job of clearing up the mess....

El Fin Se Acerca! The End Is Near!

2010-05-05T14:27:00.000-06:00

The End of LOST, that is. Only two more episodes until the season finale on May 23! Until then... Get Untangled!

The search is over!

2010-05-04T16:15:00.000-06:00

For those who keep up with facebook, twitter and the occasional blog post you, no doubt have seen that I have been on the hunt for a new car. Well, not a new car. But a gently used car that didn't have too many miles on it, that was built after I graduated high school (early 1990's) preferably in this decade, and one that I liked. Well it finally happened...

Two weeks ago we were looking at cars and had the experience noted here. This past Saturday we were at it again. This time we started by checking out a car found on Craigslist. This was a private owner so we met at a public location. Walgreens, by Albertsons. In Nampa that could be one of TWO places! What are the odds? In Nampa, apparently pretty good. (There is a Walgreens on 7th and 12th and 12th and Greenhurst both also have Albertsons). After getting the location straighted out we checkout A Toyota Avalon, it was ok. It was obvious that it had been in an accident, the owner had really broken English and an a strong accent. So there was not a lot of sharing of vehicle history, which does not instill confidence. Neither did the bumper with a different color than the body of the car. So we told them we'd think about it.

Then off to a dealer. This time it was Tom Scott Honda. We had dealt with them in past working on our Honda Odyssey, so we felt they would treat us fair.I usually drive by their lot coming home from work on a regular basis and I had seen some of their used inventory. We looked at a few cars and then we saw one that we thought would work. However it was a little above our budget. I was thinking, "great! Just like last week!" So we made the same offer that we had at Bronco Motors. But this time the car was newer, with less miles and a higher book value. A better car than a 1994 Pathfinder. I looked at Tammy and thought, 'Why are we making an offer again? They'll never accept it." The salesman came back and confirmed my fears. He told us that we were crazy to make an offer like that. Then he said, "Crazy because they accepted it!". Happy Birthday to ME!

I am now the proud owner of a 2002 Saturn L300W. I like it! It will work great for commuting and making my trips to Twin Falls for work much easier. Also, the kids think it's cool. They are already asking to ride in it whenever they can.

Hiatus.... Schmiatus

2010-04-28T12:38:00.000-06:00

Where have I been? Nowhere really. I've been here. I was unable to make any long transmissions and have really been communicating in short burst transmissions. It is that reason that I did not make contact sooner.

That means that between tweets and facebook status updates I kind of neglected the original way that I shared my opinions and ideas. It's so quick and easy. My bad blogger! Sorry.

Cars, Soccer, Work, & Cars. Busy. Busy. Busy. Reece has started soccer. He has had three games already. He and his cousin Gavin are on the same team. Reece is two months older than Gavin, so they have fun. Sometimes Reece could be a little more aggressive towards the ball. But he'll grow into it. He has fun!

In November on the way to Twin Falls I ran over a deer (I didn't hit it, just ran over it. The truck in front of me hit it). I have been looking for a replacement vehicle. Been searching Craigslist, cars.com, autotrader.com, driving through lots, even checking the newspaper. There are some that will work, then there are the scams! Like the one that was a 2000 Honda CRV for $2900- not a huge stretch of what could be available. I emailed the seller and then I get some mumbo jumbo about sending my shipping address and going through ebay. (If I wanted to buy a car through ebay I would- and I don't!). After weeding those out there have been a couple that I have looked at.

We drove through a dealer lot in Nampa and saw one that looked promising. A 1994 Nissan Patherfinder that was in good condition. Unfortunately there was no price on it, so I flagged down a salesman. They were asking $6995! A sixteen year old car! It has 131,000 miles on it! Kelley Blue Book value is only $3800! But whatever! We made a fair offer OVER BLUE BOOK and they didn't want it. So we walked away. Not sure what they are trying to do at Bronco Motors Nissan, but it is not trying to sell 16 year old cars. It was a frustrating process... so I voiced my frustration on twitter...

Hopefully here in the next few weeks we'll get the car situation remedied.

No New LOST this week....

2010-04-27T21:23:00.003-06:00

There was no new LOST this week. The episode the re-ran was Ab Eterno- a Richard centric episode that gave a lot of back story on that character. A top quality LOST episode. Catch it if you can!

There was however a new LOST: Untangled. Get Down!

Wii...Wii

2010-04-18T12:03:00.001-06:00

Have a Wii? We bought one a few years ago and the kids (yeah the KIDS) still love it. We recently got something that makes Mom and Dad like even more. We got our Netflix streaming disc for the Wii. I mentioned before our on-again/ off-again relationship with Netflix. Well, the Wii streaming disc may keep it as an on-again relationship for a while.

It's great so that when we want to watch a movie or a past season of a TV series we can just pop in the Wii disc and it's there in living color on our TV. Now it's not HD quality, but it looks good. Tammy has used it to watch the past seasons of LOST and get caught up for the final season (Happening NOW if you didn't know or have lived in a cave).

We have shared our enjoyment of the Wii disc with our friends and family and I just found out that my brother and his family got theirs and are enjoying movies streamed to their Wii today!

So if you're like me and you don't have a PS3 or an Xbox, but you have a Wii; join Netflix, Order the Wii disc and enjoy!

Parks...Boise River Festival

2010-04-15T19:14:00.003-06:00

You can find parks all over the valley. The parks I grew up with in Nampa are still around. Lions Park, Lakeview Park, and West Park. Now there are other parks, but these are the ones that I remember going to as a kid. I remember my parents taking us there to picnic, play and enjoy the outdoors. Then at West and Lions parks I participated in sports baseball as a young man. When Tammy were dating and first married I recall going to Lions park and enjoying picnics in the shade of the trees. As a parent I have taken my children to these parks for the purposes. Parks are an integral part of a thriving community.

The Boise River Festival was another event that utilized the parks extensively. What a great way to spend a hot summer day- wandering through exhibits and booths in the open air. Then in the evening a concert under the stars with the cool summer breeze in Ann Morrison Park. The Boise River Festival was a great way to be outdoors and experience the parks.

Colin Mansfield for his Eagle Scout Project created a video highlighting the Boise Parks. What a way to share the appreciation we all have for our parks.
Thanks Colin!

Thanks to Treasured Valley and Dennis Mansfield for sharing this with us all.

Boise Parks from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

LOST... The FINAL SEASON... Get understanding with LOST UNTANGLED

2010-04-14T18:11:00.000-06:00

With the final season of LOST upon us, it's important to keep up and keep the story straight. With two timelines it can be tough. This weeks LOST: Untangled includes a special guest... enjoy!

By the by... Something I enjoy while watching LOST is to check twitter and see if LOST is trending (being commented on frequently). If you tweet look for #LOST while watching the episode.

Daydream... or Google dream?

2010-04-12T19:43:00.004-06:00

Do you ever daydream? I do. When I was a kid in school I did a lot. Sometimes it meant that I didn't get all my work done in a timely manner. As an adult I have got control of this. But sometimes it is still fun.

Have you ever Googled something just to see what it would cost. Or what it would be like. I do that quite often. We don't even have phone books at our house (the tables were already level), we Google the phone numbers and addresses. Google introduced ads during the Superbowl about searching and now you can create your own "Google Search Story" and share it. It's always fun to see what you can come up with.

Our fourth child was born this past September, so it will be a little while until my wife and I can really "get away", but no harm in trying! I created mine, now you can try and create your own: http://www.youtube.com/searchstories Good Luck!

Another week... Another LOST.

2010-04-07T15:20:00.000-06:00

That's right last night was another new episode of LOST. This episode featured Desmond. It was a great to see Desmond again. Remember... the rules don't apply to him. I am not quite sure what that means... But I am pretty sure that's why he can stand up to the extreme electro magnetism. Let LOST Untangled clear up the plot for you!

The last NCAA March Madness Weekend...

2010-04-03T07:28:00.001-06:00

This is it. Saturday and Monday are the last NCAA men's basketball games of the year. What a crazy year for basketball it has been. By the end of the third round just about everyone's brackets were busted. My Dad loves going to the games. This year he went to the NCAA Men's first and second round in Spokane WA and saw some good games. We saw him on TV.

Tammy and I went down for the third and fourth rounds in Salt Lake City. They were some good games. We saw a #5 Butler take out a #1 Syracuse. Then we saw #2 Kansas St squeak out a win in double overtime against #6 Xavier, just to be upset by Butler in the next round. It was a lot of fun. From our seats we could see it all... (They were that high, just look)

I'm rooting for Butler on Saturday against Michigan State. Then we'll see who plays each other on Monday night. GO BULLDOGS!

Still need untangled?

2010-04-01T18:49:00.001-06:00

Over half way through the season of LOST and more details are added to the plot that will lead up to the finale. Thankfully LOST: Untangled is here to explain it all!

April Fools!

2010-04-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

Remember April Fools Day when you were a kid? Everyone trying to think of the most clever thing to try and trick everybody else. Like the teacher who gave you a pop quiz with nonsense questions. That happened to me in eighth grade. Mr. Beal at West Jr. High. He was a cool teacher, so for him to just 'spring' a quiz on us was unheard of. Then he was so serious as he handed out the quizzes. This was eighth grade English class, so a quiz could be intimidating. Then he gave it to us. Now I don't remember all the questions, but here are a few.

If a plane crashed on the border of the USA and Canada, as cooperating nations, where would the interment of those not dead occur?
Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
What day is today?
If you read through the quiz first; then you don't need to answer any questions.

And many more like this. After a couple minutes some kids started to snicker and giggle at the ones who were still filling out the quiz. Then we all knew. Mr. Beal has us going. We were fooled.

Well online April fools takes on a whole new life. Just look around today and see what there is. Google had one this morning that I thought was clever.
Google changed it's name.

Then ABC created a spin off from LOST - already!

Happy April Fool's Day!

LOST... Tonight!

2010-03-30T07:18:00.000-06:00

To add more content for fans ABC has been replaying the previous episode of LOST, but the enhanced version. This version includes tidbits of information and background about the episode. So tonight is the enhanced version of Ab Aeterno. If you are still wondering here is something to clear it up for you.

Fact-check Friday! It's the census...

2010-03-26T16:08:00.000-06:00

Confused about the Census? I was a little too, until I got mine in the mail a week ago. I happily filled it out and I think of it like I do my right to vote. Some don't see it that way. Luckily the folks at factcheck.org help clear things up.

It's a madness!!

2010-03-20T11:30:00.000-06:00

With March Madness upon us something I wanted to share was that you can catch all the action online... FREE! Just go to http://mmod.ncaa.com/ then you can watch all the games. Even better you can watch games that you might have missed. You better bookmark it so you're ready!

Something new to wear...

2010-03-18T17:47:00.000-06:00

Like the new look? I thought I would update the theme just in time for March Madness! What is March Madness you ask? Well it is one of the most exciting times in College sports... strike that! ...the most exciting times in ALL OF SPORTS! Different from college football where teams go where they are picked to go, even if they have lost a quarter of their games; NCAA basketball takes all the conference champions and then the teams deemed top performers. March Madness has been a part of my life since I was a boy. I remember going to the first and second round games when the tournement came to Boise. When the teams come, on their off day the practices are open to the public. When I was a senior in high school (1992) I remember coming to the Boise State Pavilion (that's the name I'll always call it! Sorry Taco Bell) and watching the teams practice. Here are the teams that played:

Georgetown
South Florida
Florida St.
Montana
Indiana
LSU
BYU
Eastern Illinois

The winners from that year are not important. What is important are who was part of those teams. Indiana was coached by Bob Knight and Shaquille O'Neal played for LSU. Both pretty big names in basketball. Well, on the off day my friends and I went over to watch Indiana practice and on our way out of the Pavilion there was this very large basketball player signing autographs out in the foyer by the outside doors. It was Shaquille O'Neal. We walked right by him on our way out. What I can remember is that he was tall! 7'1'' is pretty tall.

So when March Madness comes around I get pretty excited even if the Boise State Broncos aren't playing in the tournament.

LOST. Are you?

2010-03-17T19:28:00.000-06:00

Here is another LOST: Untangled to clear up the confusion from this weeks episode. Only 8 episodes left!

Confused by LOST (again)?

2010-03-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Chang is back again to help "untangle" the most recent LOST episode.

source:http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2010/03/lost-untangled-episode-607-dr-linus.html

Rental? or by mail?

2010-03-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Netflix? They have been around a while. I just found out the company was founded the same year Tammy and I got married, 1997. Over the years we have been in and out with Netflix. We always ran out of movies that we wanted to see, then we would cancel our membership. An email would come offering a free trial so we'd sign up and then work though the list of movies that we wanted to see then find ourselves not using it. But now things have changed. They offer streaming over the internet. So you can watch a selection of movies and TV programs online. And soon you'll be able to watch then on the Wii (since we don't have an Xbox or PS3). We have really liked this part of a Netflix membership. The kids have liked it also. They can find programs that we would never rent and stream them.

How long will we stay with Netflix... I can't say. But we are definitely getting our money's worth this time!

Has it sprung?

2010-03-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Spring here? It sure feels like it. It's hard to believe that March is barely here and the weather is no nice. It makes it difficult to work inside. These are times when I envy people that work outdoors. Hopefully it'll stay this nice for the weekend!

Here is a view from the back of my office from Friday. Look at the blue sky!

Need to get found on LOST?

2010-03-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

You can get a quick episodic overview from LOST Untangled!
Tuesday will be here soon. You better get caught up! Get Found with LOST Untangled!

Top of the list!

2010-02-25T13:17:00.006-07:00

Just had share with all ya'll that I made the top of the list! The number one local blog/local news site/ aggregator chose my blog/post as the top of the list this morning. I just thought I'd share. Click here to view.

If you don't frequent Treasured Valley, I recommend that you do. It's the best way to keep on the up & up in the Treasure Valley!

They're into it... are you?

2010-02-23T19:01:00.010-07:00

Have you ever gotten in to something for a friend? I mean you actually learned about something, researched it, and studied it; because someone close to you was interested in it? Have you been the person whose friend was such a good friend they wanted to share an experience with you that they learned about what YOU liked? I have been in both of these situations.

Got in to it! When I was in high school I had a friend who I really liked spending time with and this friend liked country music. In my house we did not listen to country music, not one bit. The closest music that even sounded like country would have been my Dad’s Kingston Trio LPs… not country at all. Well during my junior and senior years in high school I started to listen to some country music. There were some artists and songs that were a little too twangy for me. But when Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, or Garth Brooks came on the radio I would have to turn it up. I have some country on my iPod thanks to this time in my life. Later on I made another friend that also liked certain country music artists and because of the first friend I was ready to listen and share this not immediately belittle it. Made for a much better experience with the second friend and our friendship was better because of it (I even went to a Shania Twain Concert with this friend).

They got in to it! I like LOST (You can probably tell that by some of the posts here). My wife really never has. For the past few years she would suffer through me watching each episode. She never complained, she just watched the episodes with me and when I offered commentary she listened. Even though she didn’t care about LOST or my opinion on the episode I was watching. The final season of LOST recently started and around the same time I was talking to my wife on IM and she mentions to me that she is going to watch an episode of LOST online. She watched the pilot episode. Why did she do that… because she wants to take interest in something that interests me. What a great wife I have. She is willing to take an interest in something that I like in order spend more time with me. She must really love me.

Good thing I love her too!

Fact-check Friday!

2010-02-12T19:32:00.001-07:00

It's been a little while but they're back. The Annenberg Public Policy Center has returned with another installment of "Just the Facts". As a non-partisan group they do a great job of presenting the truth in a sea of fiction from all parties.

Enjoy!

What old emails say...

2010-02-11T06:44:00.001-07:00

Have you ever come upon old emails and tried to remember what you were thinking at the time. Or what was going on in your life? Sometimes you might find one and wish that yo hadn't sent it. Or maybe your opinions have changed since you wrote the email. It happens to the best of us.

I came upon an article in All Things Digital (http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com) that outlined a situation where this occurred... to Bill Gates. Yes sir, the king of all geekdom has an email that he may have wished he'd not saved. You can read about it below.

Source:http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100211/bill-gates-on-itunes/

I also heard on the radio the other day about the lack of privacy that exists in the digital world. The right of privacy is not the same as it is with physical communication. I guess someone forgot to tell Microsoft.

Today is the Day!

2010-02-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the day many people have waited for. Tonight starts the sixth and final season of LOST. I will admit that I was not a viewer from the beginning. When LOST premiered I was well into an addiction with Alias. So I didn't want to get into something else. But once Alias ended LOST was there to fill the void. There has been a lot of coverage the past few weeks regarding LOST and I am not going to rehash it all here. But one thing that I want to chime in about is the genius of having a time-line for the show. In 2007 the producers of LOST and ABC decided that 2010 would be the final season. Why is that important? Because it allowed the creative team behind the show to develop things in their own way not dictated by ratings or a network executive. If there was an issue with the way Alias ended it was that it was too rushed. So I am relieved to see LOST go out on a high note.

So get out your flip flops and Hawaiian shirts... Tonight is LOST night!

Here is a story that captured much of what I think is great with LOST.

5 Ways 'Lost' Changed TV

"Lost" began life as ABC's attempt to capture some of the magic of Mark Burnett's Darwinistic reality phenom "Survivor." It's ending its run as something far grander.
Put plainly, "Lost" will go down as one of the most important scripted shows to emerge from the millennium's first decade -- and a template for what broadcast networks need to do to survive the new world order of unlimited viewing options and decreased ad revenue.
With the final season of "Lost" kicking off Tuesday, TheWrap tallies up five ways "Lost" changed the game:
-- IT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR A TV SHOW TO DIE WITH DIGNITY
Letting showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (left) put an expiration date on the series back in 2007 was brash, ballsy -- and a complete paradigm shift for network TV.
Pre-"Lost," programmers in the network world operated under the Supreme Directive that longevity was the end all, be all. Change the cast, shift showrunners -- but damn it, once a show clicked with viewers, keep it on the air by any means necessary.
Lindelof and Cuse (known by Internet groupies simply as Darlton) knew that rule was a recipe for the creative implosion of "Lost." The storytelling had become too complicated, the entire premise of the series too narrow to support an open-ended run.
If "Lost" were to be a show for the ages, a series that lived on in other ways 20 years from now in the same way "Star Trek" has survived, it simply couldn't be allowed to linger on indefinitely, all of its mysteries hastily wrapped up six months after some future ABC suit declared it was time to move on.
And so producers began lobbying ABC to declare a date certain for the end of "Lost." The network agreed, wisely realizing that less of a great thing was better than more of an OK thing.
By limiting "Lost's" lifespan, Darlton gave fans a reason to stick by a show that was getting increasingly complex and in danger of losing all but its die-hard core. Ratings still fell, but like the Obama stimulus package, it's likely the decline would have been far worse had viewers not been given a reason to stay invested.
-- IT PROVED THAT SERIALIZED STORYTELLING CAN BE GOOD BUSINESS
TV cynics will insist that procedurals such as "CSI" and "Law & Order" should always be the goal for broadcasters, since they repeat better and generally make more money in syndication.
That's true -- but "Lost" has shown that there's also a very healthy 21st century business in high-quality dramas that require viewers to pay attention. Buzzworthy series such as "Lost" or "Heroes" or "Glee" help a network stand out amid the thousands of programming options out there for viewers, sparking online and mainstream media attention in a way the average procedural just can't.
What's more, syndication is no longer the slam-dunk payday it once was. Serialized shows also offer more opportunities for ancillary profits and have demonstrated far more appeal via electronic sell-through services such as iTunes.
None of this is to suggest that networks don't need a base of broad appeal procedurals to thrive. But giving up on serialized shows just because they're tough to execute and offer less obvious financial upsides is equally foolish.

-- IT NEVER UNDERESTIMATED ITS AUDIENCE
For decades, programmers operated under the assumption that the least objectionable programming made for the biggest success stories. That may still be true (four letters: "NCIS"), but "Lost" has shown that challenging fare need not be limited to cable.
Sure, there's no doubt "Lost" gave back more than a few eyeballs when it began delving deeper into mythlogy and away from the grown-up "Lord of the Flies" the series could've easily become. But what was sacrificed in terms of tonnage was replaced by something even more valuable to advertisers: an engaged, passionate audience that felt compelled to tune in every week.
The current issue of Entertainment Weekly has Darlton noting that they've been writing the show they wanted to watch, rather than the show they (or ABC) thought viewers wanted to see. By staying true to an artistic vision, and giving audiences credit for being able to handle something a bit more complex, "Lost" proved that networks could be both smart and successful.
"The TV business has become more like the movie business," former Disney chief Michael Eisner told Fortune just a few months after "Lost" premiered. "It's no longer the least objectionable program that wins the day. The excellent program wins the day."
-- IT SET A NEW STANDARD FOR TV MARKETING
From the way ABC hyped the original pilot, to the carefully-orchestrated campaign for the final season, marketing has been crucial in ensuring the success of "Lost."
One of the first big moves ABC boss Steve McPherson made when taking over the network was deciding to devote virtually all of his fall 2004 launch effort to just two shows: "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives." Instead of giving other newcomers like "Rodney" and "Life As We Know It" equal time, McPherson ordered the network's marketing team to focus like a laser on the network's prettiest babies.
It worked: Both "Lost" and "DH" opened big and became lasting hits. But to keep up the momentum, McPherson and his marketing team realized they needed to treat every new season of "Lost" as almost a sequel -- complete with fresh ad themes and new hooks to lure in viewers.
Marketing also served a dual role in the case of "Lost." In addition to figuring out ways to let viewers know the show was on, ABC tried to make sure audiences kept up with what was going on -- helping viewers track the increasing layers of mythology producers erected around the series.
Stunts such as "Pop Up Video"-style "Lost" repeats, stick figure episode summaries and cell-phone webisodes kept viewers informed and engaged, even when the show wasn't on the air. And is some cases, they even generated revenue for the network.
-- IT PROVED THE VALUE OF DEVOTED, FOCUSED SHOWRUNNERS
During TV's first 50 years, success in TV for executive producers was often measured in how many shows they had on the air at any one time.
Norman Lear virtually owned CBS at one point. ABC became known as Aaron's Broadcasting Company during the 1970s, thanks to the prolific nature of the Aaron Spelling fluff factory. Ditto folks such as Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley and Jerry Bruckheimer during the last two decades.
Such producing promiscuity seems outdated, post-Darlton.
The two producers could have easily translated the early success of "Lost" into more pilots or series. Instead -- with the financial support of ABC -- they chose to stick with their baby throughout its entire life rather than go off and sire more offspring.
While there will always be non-writing producers such as Bruckheimer able to juggle multiple shows at one time, Dartlon have proven the value of obsessive, almost geek-like showrunners willing to go cradle-to-grave with a concept.
Source URL: http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/5-ways-lost-changed-television-13764

Questions Answered! #LOST

2010-02-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Get your Questions answered tonight!

The Best of 2009... Boise State Football

2010-01-31T15:45:00.001-07:00

Almost a month since the great victory in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl by the Boise State Broncos. I wanted to share the highlight reel from the past season. Here's to another great season in less than eight months!
Go Broncos!

What is speed...

2010-01-29T18:15:00.004-07:00

What is speed? What is my concept of fast? It all depends on what I am talking about. This time I am talking about my browser. It is probably the most used application on my (or any) computer. For years I have used Firefox and I still like it. Recently the computer I use most (my work PC) was upgraded to Windows 7 (64-bit). I really like it. 64- bit uses all 4 GB of RAM that are installed on this PC and it works really well (for a Windows PC, it's still no Mac). Ever since upgrading though, Firefox has had some issues. It can be slow to respond, videos are very choppy. IT's just not what I have been used to.
I have a few different browsers on my PC for various reasons so I thought I would give another one a shot as being my "Default" browser. I tried Safari; I like it. But Safari likes to open links in new windows and I would really like them to open in a new tab... So Safari just doesn't cut it. Internet Explorer is just bulky and slow. If I didn't have to use it for work I might not use it at all. Then there is Chrome. Chrome is the browser from Google. All the other Google stuff I use; I like. Gmail, Web Search, Google Voice, Google Reader, so I thought I would give Chrome a shot as my default. I already know that it handles videos great, not choppy like Firefox has been.
So right now Chrome is my default browser. Who knows how long that will last. A day, a week, two hours? But for now it is what I'm using.
More info on Chrome is available here:http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/features.html
Here is an informational video about Chrome (Facebook users view the original post by clicking the link below)

The Captain has spoken...

2010-01-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Captain has spoken. The man that a majority of our people deemed MOST CORRECT to lead us, has given his view of what has happened on this ship and how to proceed on the correct course. You may not agree with the captain. You may have hoped that another was our captain. That is not the reality. Could've, should've, would've... What is important that we have a captain on our ship. He is our captain, whether you chose him or not he is YOUR captain. By the simple act of being the CAPTAIN he deserves ALL our respect.

Last night was the State of the Union Address. It was President Obama's first. Whether or not you like or approve him. He is the President of The United States of America. The peacefully elected President should be given the chance to lead. Constant fighting between people and parties only makes it more difficult to really help people; OUR PEOPLE. AMERICANS.

Just like you can't complain about the elected officials if you don't vote- you can't complain about what was said in the State of the Union, unless YOU listened/ watched it. Sound bites from talking heads on TV news or talk radio does not absolve a person from actually reading/ listening to the address themselves. Media whores from both sides will take snips of what they like an dislike and use it to prove their point. Take the time to learn for yourself. Do your own homework, we demand that of our kids. Listen with an open mind, just like you would want to be listened to without prejudice.

You can watch it below. Then entire speech, not just a snippet!

What a way to sign off!

2010-01-24T20:58:00.010-07:00

Friday night was Conan's last "Tonight Show". Whether or not you were a fan or watched the recent situation with Conan and NBC, he was very insightful and gracious on his last night. He took a few minutes to make a serious statement to those watching. I'll post the videos in it's entirety after this. The statement that meant the most to me was the following: "if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen".

I'll miss you Conan. See you in September!

Here is the text of the statement.

Source:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/22/conan-obriens-heartfelt-f_n_433954.html

"Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.
Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I've had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we'll find a way to make it fun.
And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.
To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.
Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

An opinion on the Tonight Show Battle

2010-01-21T23:09:00.001-07:00

Much has been said on the Tonight Show battle. Today news about how it would all play out was released. Talking to a friend today this situation reminds me of how actors were slaves to the studio system, like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Leno and O'Brien are by contract, slaves to NBC. At least Conan gets to leave. Leno has to stay and try to bring his show back after losing all his viewers.

Conan will be alright. He has built up a fan base that will follow him. NBC gets to try to figure out what to do next.

Go Team Conan!

Dont' you know... Have been on a deserted island? Or a LOST one!

2010-01-15T19:34:00.003-07:00

Hard to believe that 2010 is here. The last season of LOST will start soon. If you haven't watched LOST before, you still have time. ABC and HULU are streaming ALL episodes for those who want to get completely caught up before season 6 begins. You might as well watch. You are going to hear so much about it before February 02, 2010 and after as the final season progresses. You'll hear about it at work from your coworkers or spouse. So here are a couple of clips to wet your whistle...

Have you seen this on the side of the blog?--->
LOST is what it's all about!