o l d b e n k e n o b i

Racing!

2010-04-12T09:58:00.002-06:00

Took Harper out to see some racing. We had us some fun.

Talkin Bout My Generation

2009-07-16T10:04:00.007-06:00

I'm slowly figuring out how to get yourself out there on the webnets. My cousin Dylan (aka BigRedRobot) is pretty much a master of it. You can find him here, here, follow him here, and even check out his group here (although that last one seems to be taken over by a porn bot named Lavenia, which could result in some raised eyebrowage).

Every month he makes a mixtape. Most are great. The rest are super great. So, I'm all like reading his blog and stuff and he's all like whoever will put up a link to my new mixtape so lots of people will listen to it will get a magical link to my other mixxes. This is a perfect summer night with the windows down mix. I always equate music with driving, so it might be a perfect mix for summer lawn mowing. All I know is that it's a summery one. If you like it, let him know! If you don't, well, what I'm supposed to do about it? You gonna need some new taste in music, man.

Now, I'm pretty sure I already have the super master link to all his mixxes, because I used to work for the internet. The real internet, not it's inventor Al Gore. Although I would work for Al if he'd change his last name from Gore to Gory.

But how does this all relate to me? Well, I can be found here, here, and have a LOST group here. And if I actually update this stuff sometimes, maybe more than my brother(s) or cousin(s) will read it...

San Diego 2009

2009-06-06T14:29:00.006-06:00

She Wins

2009-01-06T10:33:00.002-07:00

Honestly

Not Really Normal, AMIRIGHT?

2008-12-22T12:35:00.001-07:00

taken from the lost tapes of when "they" were creating the American-English language:

" 'i' before 'e' except after 'c'. Oh, and also in the word 'weird'. because let's face it, that word is strange."

My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Momma

2008-12-10T18:32:00.003-07:00

How trivial can you get? I always complain about my work. I always stress out about school. I get all worked up about my calling at church. I worry about scratches on my car. I need there to be the right amount of Chunky Chips Ahoy or I'm all bent out of shape. If my Xbox won't play my latest torrented download of Fringe I have a minor conniption fit.

People, what the heck? Is this what life is? I know many people who are going through far worse than me. I myself have gone through worse. What is it about us as humans that make us forget what's really important unless we're faced with some sort of tragedy? How can we get out of this mess? How can we subvert the dominant paradigm? How can we truly be spiritual beings going through a mortal existence?

Of course I know the answer to this. Really, there are multiple answers. Prayer, study, meditation, contemplation. Take a step back, Jack. I don't want to be trivial. I don't want to be boring. I don't want to be that broken record when someone asks "How you doin'?" I say "Oh my back hurts and my studies are hard and my job sucks." I want to say "I was thinking that it's so cool that Nephi thought he was such a bad guy, man I want to be like that." Or "Dude, seriously, why did we have to lose Frank Zappa so early?" I want cool, random, meaningful things on my mind. If I ever get around to making a new year's resolution, it's going to be just that.

Umm, Here You Go

2008-10-22T20:30:00.000-06:00

Lost: Season 5 Trailer

Yer Welcome.

Because Dylan's Post Made Me Think

2008-10-08T17:21:00.001-06:00

Dude I dreamed last night:
*First it was plugging Obama's name and McCain's name into various programming equations

*My dad needed my help getting his new earbuds out of the package. I used my mouth.

*I hung out with Bob Dylan. He had one really deformed foot. He was really funny and pretty weird. He also reminded me to fast for the month of Ramadan. I have no idea where I heard about Ramadan before this dream.

*I helped some dude fill up his truck with gas. Which ended up being an ambulance. And when we jacked it up to fuel it (yeah, seriously), we found it only had a tank of about 3 U.S. gallons. When I asked him if that was the whole gas tank, he said "No way, this thing has 4 to 5 psi of boost, man!" The dude turned out to be Ryan, Suzanne's son.

*What the heck.

The Blue Eyed Bubble

2008-09-09T18:55:00.004-06:00

Attn: Everyone

My beautiful wife has created a blog titled Blue Eyed Bubble. If you go there, you'll find family updates as well as pictures of the kids. I highly recommend it. Check it out here.

Filling the Void

2008-07-29T08:04:00.005-06:00

A grave disturbance was felt in the force. An announcement was made that BigRedRobot was going to stop blogging.

My heart dropped. Down to my shoes. And then fell out. Because I was wearing open toed sandals. With no socks.

And then he said it was just a "blogcation". Is that even a real word? Can you just go around making up words now? What is this world coming to? I've got news for you, bigredrobot, I've been on a blogcation since freakin March, man. Beat that! (please don't)

But I've got some stuff to say. Like how the new Beck album is really good. And how nobody knows the second verse to the Star Spangled Banner. Like all those people who say "In God We Trust" got started like 50 years ago or whatever. I can't think of the argument, but it stumped me for awhile. Anyway, it's in the second verse of the Star Spangled banner, people. Wait, is that our national anthem?

See? Things like that I've got to get off my chest. Also, I've made a new Internet friend. His name is TCH and he's got something to say. I'm pretty sure he draws stuff too. And he's got cooler tattoos than I do.

Also, I'm on the cusp of finishing this bastard of a semester. Physics II (y'know, calculus based physics all about circuits and electricity and magnetism and refraction of light and crap) and General Chemistry (take two). Here's to hoping I pass physics. And speaking of which, I've got four pages of notes to write for my final. That's right. The final is four questions, and he's allowing us one page of notes per question. And the average will still be in the mid-50% range. Stupid higher maths and stuff. That said, I think that this may be the hardest class I have to get through for my major (Mechanical Engineering, I'm going to build the Mach 7 for Emile Hirsch) so I'm pretty excited to get to the meat and potatoes of this major.

Now if I could only quit my jeorb.

And in case you were wondering, here's what our Professor told us about the first question of said Physics test:

Problem 1
Finding the electrostatic potential V and the electric field E for a given charge distribution using calculus. (It would be helpful to study Examples 25.5, 25.6, and 25.7 on pages 704 – 706 of the textbook.) You will also need to use the work-kinetic energy theorem for a charged particle accelerated from rest through a given potential difference. In addition, you will need to make use of the binomial expansion.

I'm Voting for Obama

2008-02-25T06:45:00.001-07:00

Because he's left handed.

And honestly, who needs a better reason than that?

Mars Ain’t The Kind Of Place To Raise Your Kids

2008-01-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

You need to see this. I mean it. And not just watch the beginning... You've got to see the WHOLE thing. I promise, it will help you in your life.

I hear the call of a lifetime ring

2007-12-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

Cooler Than You'd Think At First Blush

2007-12-28T12:30:00.001-07:00

Oh No You Din't

2007-12-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

2007-12-24T08:04:00.001-07:00

It's Over!

2007-12-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

I passed all my classes for last semester. That's a big Phew. I have bested all of the Calculus classes. I was looking forward to some rest and relaxation, when I got a call from the Bishop.

That's right, you're looking at the new Ward Mission Leader.
Oh Geez, that's a busy one.

The Doctah Is In

2007-12-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.

So You're All Excited

2007-12-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

'Cause I'm bringin' it with the posting and whatnot. But it's all a sham. I'm telling you that my work is stupid. It has now cracked down on internet and messenger usage. I won't be on messenger for a while.

I hate this place.

Managers at my work

In other news, I have one week plus one day until I take my last final for the semester. Excited.

Oh, and this. Peace

I Ne'er

2007-11-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Update my blog anymore. I've lost the urge. I'll be back sometime.

I love you, internets. I really do.

Update

2007-10-25T09:31:00.000-06:00

Monday I took a Statics/Strengths of Materials test. Wednesday I took a Math test. I've been slammed trying to study for those. I'm breathing again.

I've been to the room at the top of The Dark Tower. Holy Smokes, what an undertaking. I'm talking about a 7 book set by Stephen King. He started them in 1970 and finished in 2006. It's a fantasy western. It's the very definition of Stephen King. If you only know him as a horror writer, this may be a surprise. Even if that's how you know him, you will remember that his books are usually about Ultimate Good vs. Ultimate Evil. That's what this is. And it has ties to all his other books throughout the years. Some I remembered, some I picked up from wikipedia along the way. The last time I read King before this was just after high school...I don't think I'll read him again, there's too much that conflicts with my (for lack of a better vocabulary) morals. Great pulp writing though, and a great epic from one of the biggest popular writers of say, all time? Now it's on to Conference talks. Ha Ha, what a switch.

Brandon, Natalia, and Kai are coming next weekend. I can't wait to see them all.

The baby is getting sick we think. Her nose is all stuffy. She's so rad though. She tries and tries to be happy. I swear it's night and day from how Harper was. I know she's being so good because she's trying to trick us into having more children. I love my girl, that's the truth.

It's snowed here all ready. It's a toasty 48 degrees right now, though. The house was 77 degrees when I got home at 9 last night. HOLY SAUNA.

I love 30 Rock. This season is better than ever. Steve Buscemi as a Private I? Hands down the best comedy on TV. And, until Lost comes back in February, it's the best show on TV.

If you haven't heard Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha, you need to. Thanks for pointing him out, Jesse.

I'm drinking caffeine again. Lots of it. It's the school year, man. My brainz needz foodz.

Here's pictures of the kids for you Lurkers who never comment but tell me I need more pictures of the kids. I would like a comment this time.

A Real Dream I Had Tuesday Night

2007-10-19T15:09:00.000-06:00

Fade In.

I'm in my parent's house. The one we lived in as kids, circa 1985. I'm upstairs in the hallway, and I open the door to the room that my little sisters share.

In it is my cousin Dylan. We're adults, not children. I sit on a bed adjacent to him, and from directly behind me I hear his younger brother Huston say, "Dyl, I'll give you a hundred dollars if you push him onto me." It sounds like the brothers have been planning some sort of ambush. Sensing that I'm going to get attacked, I fling myself back onto Huston and start crushing him. Then I realize I just gave him what he wanted and I get off. He says something to the effect that I got away just in time. We three start laughing, then there's some big ole stinking feet in my face.

It turns out that Huston's on the bottom bunk (as am I) and on the top bunk is the middle brother, Bryan. He's sticking his feet in my face and laughing. The four of us are having fun, joking around with each other. Me and my cousins. It's cool. Reminds me of summers long ago.

Then Bryan jumps down to show me his iPod. It's no version that's ever been made, but it looks like some industrial variation, with rubber corners and extra protection. In size, it's about halfway between the Nano and the Classic iPod. It's white and gray. Then Huston starts talking about how Dylan always has the best iPod (Dylan's got a black video iPod), but how if Dylan got the Video iPod that would be a different story. He then explains that just about anything will be better than his iPod, which has only 2 gigabytes of memory. We laugh.

Fade Out.

My Thoughts On The TV Season

2007-10-19T13:54:00.000-06:00

So, I watched the fourth episode of Bionic Woman last night. I'm off of it. Kicked it like a bad habit. I've tried Reaper and Life, and while they both have their merits, they don't warrant my time. I'd rather get through the virtually limitless library of great movies I haven't seen than try to glean some sort of, well, anything out of this silly TV season.

So, it's going to be Survivor, BSG, Lost, and Heroes. Geez, that's plenty. Of crap. Seriously. Chewing gum for the brainz.

I almost forgot... and 30 Rock!

Disclaimer: The only series we watched before Lost was Survivor. And we didn't start Lost until the middle of the second season. So, I'm no big fan of the Big Blue Screen.

Crazy Spooky Half Spider Half Men

2007-10-16T11:58:00.000-06:00

I Got My Shirt!

2007-10-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

You may recall my desire to lose 15 lbs. My brother Jesse and I came up with a little competition to make it "real". We bet a t-shirt to whoever gets there first. Well, I ran 3 miles a day for 6 weeks and I ate on a strict diet and made it. I won! Then school started and I haven't worked out since. I'm staying right around the weight I got to at the height of my workouts, but I'm yearning for some muscles. Anyway, I won the contest, and Jesse got me a shirt. Pics below.

Yay Threadless!
Thanks, Jesse. I'm wearing it today!