I saw Star Trek this weekend with my son.  As a mild Trekkie, I have to say it rocked.  It had suspense, action, humor, lots of explosions (which made my son happy), and lots of the human element (which made me happy).  The opening scene had me in tears, because of the sacrifice and heroism depicted.  And just a few scenes later is the classic man-up-and-take-responsibility-for-your-destiny challenge, but still made my heart swell.  It made me want to go bust some Romulan heads.

Karl Urban completely nailed Bones.  Zachary Quinto was a better Spock than Leonard Nimoy.  And Chris Pine’s Kirk is exactly how I imagined Kirk at that age.

Of course, there were a few timeline flaws.  We know from all the other Star Trek shows and movies that Romulus and Vulcan still exist, so their annihilation here is a little problematic.  But as long as you don’t stick too closely to the Star Trek mythology, this is a kick-butt movie.

“Comparison is the root of all misery.  That and intestinal parasites.”

My company is looking for a sales person.  We are an industrial manufacturing facility, and we sell our product to shops, schools, industry, and an occasional private party.

Key requirements for the position are trustworthiness, high integrity, mentally sharp, and teachable.  Experience in sales, manufacturing, metal work, welding, or engineering (any kind) will be looked on favorably.

The job is full time, on site in southern Colorado.  Denver and Colorado Springs are too far to commute from, you’d actually have to move down here.  But that’s OK, because we have the most amazing views and outdoor activities on the planet.  You’ll never miss the big city.

Compensation is base plus commission.  Existing sales staff have a contagious energy and are fun to be around.  Contact me with questions, or apply at www.socojo.com

This is from a brief bio of AC/DC:

AC/DC’s mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the ’70s. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early ’70s. AC/DC’s rock was minimalist — no matter how huge and bludgeoning the guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint.

I have no idea how music can be pompous or lumbering.  I also can’t tell you what art rock is, or what arena rock is.  Furthermore, I don’t understand the use of the words minimalist, huge, bludgeoning, space and restraint.  I hope the critic is proud of himself.

We had some trouble paying the mortgage this month.  No, really.  I don’t mean that we didn’t have the money, I mean that the mortgage company rejected electronic payments from my bank — three times!  The first time I tried to pay was well before May 1st.  The second time I tried to pay was on May 1st.  The third time I tried to pay was at the beginning of this week, but still in time to arrive at the mortgage company before the May 16th deadline.  And all three times the payment was rejected.

To make a long story short, the payments were being rejected because my mortgage is going through the modification process.  And while that’s happening, all mortgage payments must be in certified funds.  For some reason, electronic money knocking on your electronic door isn’t good enough.

I guess this story isn’t getting much shorter.

My bank is an online only bank (INGDirect).  Normally that’s not a problem.  But this time it was a problem because I couldn’t get a cashiers check and send it to the mortgage company in time for the late payment deadline.

So, I called a friend and asked him for enough money to make my mortgage payment.  I would deposit his check in my local bank, which would write me a cashiers check for the amount, which I could overnight to the mortgage company, and then write my friend a normal check from my online bank to pay him back.

My point is, isn’t that a great friend?  How many people do you know who would loan that much money on just your promise that you could pay it back?

I wound up paying the mortgage company with a check-by-phone, which they previously told me couldn’t be done.  So I didn’t need my friend’s check.  But man, I’ll do anything for him and his family now.  Thanks guys!

Google has a built in calculator, so if you search for “2+2″ in Google, it will solve the math problem for you, rather than give you a bunch of websites that have “2+2″ on them.  That’s a pretty cool feature.  But Google has some problems when it comes to queries like “800 PSI converted to MPa”

I just ran into a new “fact engine” that is absolutely amazing.  When I ran the above PSI query at www.wolframalpha.com, I got exactly what I was looking for.  It even shows me the interpretation of my query, so I can be sure it’s thinking the same thing I’m thinking.

Play around with wolframalpha for a while.  It has promise to be exactly the tool I need in many situations.

I’m finally done.  It took four years, but I did it.  I endured mountains of scorn heaped upon me by people who are dear to me, and now it’s finished.

Tonight, I said goodbye to Sam, Norm, Cliff, Carla, Rebecca and Woody.  Tonight, I finished the last episode of Cheers.  My life is complete; I can die happy.

Reading is priceless.  Books can take you anywhere – to new lands or new planets, in the past, present, or future.  You can experience more adventures than possible in real life alone.  Try sailing the seven seas, or exploring the center of the earth, or navigating the intricacies of Martian society.  Conjure up spells, ferret out unknown truths, or simply discover our own historical past.

I have run into variations on this idea countless times.  Every time someone is extolling the virtues of books, something like the above quote will come out.  Recently I heard it again in the movie Inkheart.  (A great movie.  See it.)

I too am a lover of books, and of reading.  But I shudder everytime I hear books beatified in this way.  It seems escapist, overly entertainment-oriented, and artsy-fartsy, all at the same time.  The purpose of reading isn’t so you can get away and have fun in la-la land.  These things are secondary to the real purpose of reading.  There is much more value in reading than travelling and having fun experiences.

• From Frodo (Lord of the Rings) I learned the importance of diligence and a sense of mission.
• From Ben Franklin I learned how far a person can go when given so little in life.
• From John Grisham I learned the importance of being able to spin a good yarn.  And the futility of trying to live outside the law.
• From John Carter (A Princess of Mars) I learned the value of superhuman strength and devastatingly good looks.
• From Hester Prynne and Arther Dimmesdale (The Scarlet Letter) I learned the importance of staying within sexual norms.
• From Mr. Wickham (Pride and Prejudice) I learned the value of social skills and norms and the danger inherent in transgressing them.
• From Edmond Dantes (The Count of Monte Cristo) I learned how gratifying revenge can be, and how hollow.
• From Jason Stevens (The Ultimate Gift) I learned that it’s not about me.  Nothing is about me.  And the sooner I can grasp that truth, the easier things will go for me.
• From Stephen King I learned the value of following my imagination where ever it leads.
• From Laura Ingalls Wilder I learned the vital importance of a strong family surrounding me, and the value of providing a strong family to surround my kids.

I could go on, but I hope my point is starting to emerge.  The value of reading is not in travelling to exotic lands.  The value in reading is how the story affects me.  How am I different – better even – for having read that story?  I have lived the lives of many people, just in the short amount of reading I’ve done.  I’ve learned something from all these lives, and I can apply these things to my own situation.

In short, I am a better person (I hope) because of the experiences in these books.  I do not have to make all the mistakes these characters have made, because, in a sense, I have already made them.  I can see the damage those mistakes have caused.  I can see the immediate and future effects of decisions those characters have made, and I can use that knowledge when I come to a similar decision point in my own life.

The fact that I got to travel to exotic lands is just icing on the cake.

If you’re discouraged because you can never seem to save enough money, or if you’re tired of everybody telling you how you can save a few pennies and retire rich, Trent has an interesting analogy you should check out.  It helped me.

Yesterday, Sunday, we were sledding down by the lake.  My eight year old son ran into a tree, head first.  He was going full speed, hit the tree with his head, and he and the sled recoiled a good two feet or so.  He was able to wiggle his fingers and toes when we asked him to, but he didn’t move of his own will, he just laid there.  To make a long story short, we took him to the ER, they did x-rays and CT scans, but found nothing wrong with him.  Whew!  There’s nothing scarier to a parent.

The Sunday before last we were having a Super Bowl party at our house.  It was a great game.  A friend of mine was driving home afterward and got pulled over, ostensibly for not stopping at a stop sign.  He was discovered to be driving with a suspended license, and now he has some ’splaining to do before a judge.  And no, he wasn’t drinking.  There is never any alcohol at my parties.

The Sunday before that, as I’ve already explained, was a bad day for my dog.

So the last three Sunday’s have been less than ideal.  Mr. Suspended License and I decided to see if we can continue the streak.  We’re going to take next Sunday off and just drive around until something happens.