Thanks to Steve for showing me this.
Awesome.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Evolution
I'm a Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward. Today, we were discussing Alma 30, reading about Korihor. While we were discussing the false doctrines he taught, one of the members of the bishopric brought up verse 17, and proceeded to go off on how Charles Darwin must have been inspired by the same spirit that inspired Korihor (the devil), and that every facet of the theory of evolution is false. Because arguing that point would have been useless, I made no comment and moved on, but I was very, very pissed.
Why is evolution such a hard pill for Christians to swallow? If your religion tells you that one part of it inaccurate, fine, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water! Evolution is the principle upon which all of modern biology rests. I sure wish the uninformed would stop attacking it.
Why is evolution such a hard pill for Christians to swallow? If your religion tells you that one part of it inaccurate, fine, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water! Evolution is the principle upon which all of modern biology rests. I sure wish the uninformed would stop attacking it.
The One Good Thing About Provo
It's no secret that Lauren and I don't really love living in Utah. Cultural/religious homogeneity leads to a social climate that we just don't care for all that much. Provo is a nice place to go to school and all, but we could never live here. There is, however, one thing about Provo that we just LOVE.
Provo is a sort of haven for people who've recently returned from missions around the world, and it caters to this unique demographic with a wide array of ethnic food. Do you miss the cooking of your converts and fellow Saints in Peru? We can help you there. Want some delicious Thai? We're saturated with Thai places. We even have four Indian places, including a buffet, situated in a building that used to be a 50's style diner (A former Winger's, for you locals).
Two of mine and Lauren's favorite places:
-India Palace, located at 1st West and Center. It's like the Bombay House, but cheaper. We go enough that the owners recognize us when we come. When Lauren graduated from BYU, we went there for dinner, and we got free chutney and samosas. I LOVE the Mulligatawny (Kramer's favorite soup from the Soup Nazi), the Chicken Saag, and the Peshwari Naan (a sweet naan with golden raisins and cashews baked into the dough, served with honey on top).
We went last night and shared a delicious Chicken Dhansak. This picture came from the Internet, not us, but it still illustrates the deliciousness.
When we don't want to try something new, there's always the Chicken Korma, Saag, Tikka Masala, or especially Makhani (also known as Butter Chicken). Come visit us in Provo, and we'll go here.
-Gloria's Little Italy, at 3rd South and 3rd East (in the same building and right next to the Thai Kitchen, formerly the Thai Pepper, formerly the Thai Chili Garden). An Italian restaurant owned and operated by Italian people. I've had three things there that have made me want to die, they were so good: pesto (freshly made, of course) with spaghetti, lasagna raqu (the sauce was the most delicious I've ever had), and most recently eggplant parmesan. The only problem Lauren and I have with this place is that she gets embarrassed being there with me because I often can't help but moan, "Mmmmm!", often quite loudly. They make their own gelato, and have a variety of fresh European pastries. My favorite place in Provo. Next time we go, I'll try to remember to take pictures before stuffing my face. If you're not in the mood for Indian, we'll go here instead.
Provo is a sort of haven for people who've recently returned from missions around the world, and it caters to this unique demographic with a wide array of ethnic food. Do you miss the cooking of your converts and fellow Saints in Peru? We can help you there. Want some delicious Thai? We're saturated with Thai places. We even have four Indian places, including a buffet, situated in a building that used to be a 50's style diner (A former Winger's, for you locals).
Two of mine and Lauren's favorite places:
-India Palace, located at 1st West and Center. It's like the Bombay House, but cheaper. We go enough that the owners recognize us when we come. When Lauren graduated from BYU, we went there for dinner, and we got free chutney and samosas. I LOVE the Mulligatawny (Kramer's favorite soup from the Soup Nazi), the Chicken Saag, and the Peshwari Naan (a sweet naan with golden raisins and cashews baked into the dough, served with honey on top).
We went last night and shared a delicious Chicken Dhansak. This picture came from the Internet, not us, but it still illustrates the deliciousness.
When we don't want to try something new, there's always the Chicken Korma, Saag, Tikka Masala, or especially Makhani (also known as Butter Chicken). Come visit us in Provo, and we'll go here.
-Gloria's Little Italy, at 3rd South and 3rd East (in the same building and right next to the Thai Kitchen, formerly the Thai Pepper, formerly the Thai Chili Garden). An Italian restaurant owned and operated by Italian people. I've had three things there that have made me want to die, they were so good: pesto (freshly made, of course) with spaghetti, lasagna raqu (the sauce was the most delicious I've ever had), and most recently eggplant parmesan. The only problem Lauren and I have with this place is that she gets embarrassed being there with me because I often can't help but moan, "Mmmmm!", often quite loudly. They make their own gelato, and have a variety of fresh European pastries. My favorite place in Provo. Next time we go, I'll try to remember to take pictures before stuffing my face. If you're not in the mood for Indian, we'll go here instead.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Anthrax!
So on the 4th of July, Lauren and I did what nearly everyone in Provo does--- we tried to find somewhere convenient for watching the Stadium of Fire fireworks. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but Lauren enjoys fireworks, so whatever.
We found a spot just east of the temple (a little bit farther up the hill) and watched it all. During all the pops and explosions, Lauren saw a little dog scurry scared across the street and hide under someone's car. Worried that he would be lost and could get killed while navigating the terrible traffic that would follow the end of the fireworks, Lauren got him out from under the car. When we saw that he had no identifying information on his collar, we took him home, planning on taking him to the animal shelter the next day.
Now, I hate animals. Basically all of them. But Lauren loves basically all of them, so to help me warm up to him, she let me name him. What else could I name him, but something that I like and that truly fascinates me: Anthrax!
Look at the little guy. I almost liked him, he was so cute.
Any animal can be cute, but for me, all cuteness ends once you start having to walk them multiple times a day and you're picking up their droppings. Cuteness ends abruptly.
The shelter was closed for the weekend, but Anthrax's family had posted signs in the area of where he was lost, so we were able to return him to his family quickly. Turns out his real name was Peeko. My name for him was MUCH better.
This got me to thinking about other great names for pets. Lauren wants lots of pets in our home, once we live somewhere that allows pets. I gave up the possibility of vetoing that idea long ago, so rather than be miserable with the idea, I'm trying to warm up to the idea by brainstorming for good names. Infectious diseases have inspired me.
Are these or are these not great ideas for pet names?
"Anthrax"- From the disease of the same name, caused by Bacillus anthracis
"Tula"- Tularemia, Francisella tularensis
"Botchy"- Botulism, Clostridium botulinum
"Bruce"- Brucellosis, Brucella abortus, B. melitensis, B. suis
"Sinia"- The Plague, Yersinia pestis
"Tuber"- Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
"Melio"- Melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei
"Campy" or "Juni"- Food poisoning, Campylobacter jejuni
"Shiga"- Food poisoning, Genus Shigella, especially S. dysenteriae and S. flexneri
"Nella"- Food poisoning, Salmonella enteriae
"Pappy"- Warts, any of the papillomaviruses
"Ebo"- Ebola, Ebolavirus
"Rick"- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Rickettsia rickettsii
"Typho" or "Typhus"- Typhoid Fever, Salmonella typhi or Typhus, Rickettsia prowazekii
"Brio"- Cholera, Vibrio cholerae
"Dippy" or "Coryne"- Diphtheria, Corynebacterium diphtheriae
"Tella" or "Tussis"- Pertussis, Bordetella pertussis
"Q"- Q fever, Coxiella burnetii
"Coccidio"- Valley Fever aka Coccidioidomycosis, Coccidioides immitis
"Lepra"- Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae
"Cantha"- Amoebic keratitis, Genus Acanthamoeba
"Plasmo"- Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum
"Elia" or "Dorf"- Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi
"Simplex"- Cold sores and genital herpes, Herpesimplexvirus types 1 (cold sores) and 2 (genital herpes)
"Enza"- Flu, Influenzavirus
"Iola"- Smallpox, Variolavirus
"Dengue"- Dengue fever, Denguevirus
"Polio"- Poliomyelitis, Poliovirus
"Thrush", "Albi" (the racist dragon) or "Candy"- Candidiasis aka Thrush, Candida albicans
"Seria"- Gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae
"Rhino"- Common cold, Rhinovirus
This could keep going for a while. I like the idea of a pet with a name that begins with "The", a la The Cheat, like "The Plague" or "The Legionnaire" (Legionnaire's disease, Legionella pneumophila). We'll see what Lauren thinks.
We found a spot just east of the temple (a little bit farther up the hill) and watched it all. During all the pops and explosions, Lauren saw a little dog scurry scared across the street and hide under someone's car. Worried that he would be lost and could get killed while navigating the terrible traffic that would follow the end of the fireworks, Lauren got him out from under the car. When we saw that he had no identifying information on his collar, we took him home, planning on taking him to the animal shelter the next day.
Now, I hate animals. Basically all of them. But Lauren loves basically all of them, so to help me warm up to him, she let me name him. What else could I name him, but something that I like and that truly fascinates me: Anthrax!
Look at the little guy. I almost liked him, he was so cute.
Any animal can be cute, but for me, all cuteness ends once you start having to walk them multiple times a day and you're picking up their droppings. Cuteness ends abruptly.
The shelter was closed for the weekend, but Anthrax's family had posted signs in the area of where he was lost, so we were able to return him to his family quickly. Turns out his real name was Peeko. My name for him was MUCH better.
This got me to thinking about other great names for pets. Lauren wants lots of pets in our home, once we live somewhere that allows pets. I gave up the possibility of vetoing that idea long ago, so rather than be miserable with the idea, I'm trying to warm up to the idea by brainstorming for good names. Infectious diseases have inspired me.
Are these or are these not great ideas for pet names?
"Anthrax"- From the disease of the same name, caused by Bacillus anthracis
"Tula"- Tularemia, Francisella tularensis
"Botchy"- Botulism, Clostridium botulinum
"Bruce"- Brucellosis, Brucella abortus, B. melitensis, B. suis
"Sinia"- The Plague, Yersinia pestis
"Tuber"- Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
"Melio"- Melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei
"Campy" or "Juni"- Food poisoning, Campylobacter jejuni
"Shiga"- Food poisoning, Genus Shigella, especially S. dysenteriae and S. flexneri
"Nella"- Food poisoning, Salmonella enteriae
"Pappy"- Warts, any of the papillomaviruses
"Ebo"- Ebola, Ebolavirus
"Rick"- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Rickettsia rickettsii
"Typho" or "Typhus"- Typhoid Fever, Salmonella typhi or Typhus, Rickettsia prowazekii
"Brio"- Cholera, Vibrio cholerae
"Dippy" or "Coryne"- Diphtheria, Corynebacterium diphtheriae
"Tella" or "Tussis"- Pertussis, Bordetella pertussis
"Q"- Q fever, Coxiella burnetii
"Coccidio"- Valley Fever aka Coccidioidomycosis, Coccidioides immitis
"Lepra"- Leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae
"Cantha"- Amoebic keratitis, Genus Acanthamoeba
"Plasmo"- Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum
"Elia" or "Dorf"- Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi
"Simplex"- Cold sores and genital herpes, Herpesimplexvirus types 1 (cold sores) and 2 (genital herpes)
"Enza"- Flu, Influenzavirus
"Iola"- Smallpox, Variolavirus
"Dengue"- Dengue fever, Denguevirus
"Polio"- Poliomyelitis, Poliovirus
"Thrush", "Albi" (the racist dragon) or "Candy"- Candidiasis aka Thrush, Candida albicans
"Seria"- Gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae
"Rhino"- Common cold, Rhinovirus
This could keep going for a while. I like the idea of a pet with a name that begins with "The", a la The Cheat, like "The Plague" or "The Legionnaire" (Legionnaire's disease, Legionella pneumophila). We'll see what Lauren thinks.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
OOOOOOOOOOh, yes
I love James Bond movies. LOVE them. I'm not really sure why. Most of them are some of the most cheesy, unrealistic scenes you can find in a movie, his approach (and success) with women is ridiculous, and the majority of the things he does are just what a real spy would NEVER do. Still, I love those movies. If I had them all, I'd be a happy man.
Naturally, you can imagine my excitement to see this posted on Apple's website. Oh, yes. I can't wait.
I wonder what a "Quantum of Solace" is.
Naturally, you can imagine my excitement to see this posted on Apple's website. Oh, yes. I can't wait.
I wonder what a "Quantum of Solace" is.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Okay, okay, I'll blog again
Some of you time-Nazis out there have been whining at me because I haven't blogged in a while and you're griping at me for not keeping you informed with what's going on in my life. Well, fine. Here's what has happened since I last blogged...
I've seen a lot of movies. Some of the ones I liked:
Across the Universe
Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
Spirited Away
Waking Ned Devine
...and others.
Harry Potter finally defeated Voldemort, but I guess everyone knew that.
I went to the zoo in Washington, DC, and saw all kinds of animals.
I went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a great portrait of one of my favorite musicians, Dizzy Gillespie. Sadly, Pat Metheny is yet to be featured at the gallery.
I stopped wearing my hair in a faux-hawk. It was for some occasion I had to attend this past May or something. I can't really remember what.
After taking two courses in immunology, I decided that the activated macrophage is my favorite leukocyte. If it's around, then you know some kind of crazy inflammation crap is about to happen, and some pathogens are about to get seriously MESSED UP.
That's about all I can think of that's happened in the past fifteen months, though it DOES seem like I'm forgetting something.
I remember there was cake.
There were flowers.
Almost sounds like a wedding. Did I marry myself?
Hmmmmmmmm...
Oh YEAH! I met, dated, fell in love with, got engaged to, and married the girl of my dreams, LoLo!
Apparently, I've also gained a lot of weight.
So there, that's what you've missed!
I've seen a lot of movies. Some of the ones I liked:
Across the Universe
Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
Spirited Away
Waking Ned Devine
...and others.
Harry Potter finally defeated Voldemort, but I guess everyone knew that.
I went to the zoo in Washington, DC, and saw all kinds of animals.
I went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a great portrait of one of my favorite musicians, Dizzy Gillespie. Sadly, Pat Metheny is yet to be featured at the gallery.
I stopped wearing my hair in a faux-hawk. It was for some occasion I had to attend this past May or something. I can't really remember what.
After taking two courses in immunology, I decided that the activated macrophage is my favorite leukocyte. If it's around, then you know some kind of crazy inflammation crap is about to happen, and some pathogens are about to get seriously MESSED UP.
That's about all I can think of that's happened in the past fifteen months, though it DOES seem like I'm forgetting something.
I remember there was cake.
There were flowers.
Almost sounds like a wedding. Did I marry myself?
Hmmmmmmmm...
Oh YEAH! I met, dated, fell in love with, got engaged to, and married the girl of my dreams, LoLo!
Apparently, I've also gained a lot of weight.
So there, that's what you've missed!
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