YA.

Soon, We Shall Exchange "Pleasantrees"

2012-01-16T12:04:00.003-07:00

Thank You & Nos Vemos

2011-03-27T22:45:00.017-06:00

Many of my friends and family know how excited I was to study journalism at Utah State University. Three years after graduating I took what appeared to be a bit of a detour in my career path to do do community outreach, marketing and public relations for a non-profit called the National Ability Center.

While Megan and I were starting our family, I admit that I was looking for something that didn't have me working twelve hour work days, six days a week. I wouldn't have left television for any simple nine-to-five job. This place mattered. It was different. It was special. It was unique. And I felt I could make a difference working there.

The National Ability Center is one of the nation's largest providers of adaptive recreation. That means we help people with disabilities by getting them involved in activities that aren't available exclusively in rehab facilities or an OT or PT's office. We help thousands of people every year to find enjoyment in life. Whether they were born with a disability or came upon one later in life, we have something for them. Whether that disability is physical or cognitive, we have something for them. Whether a doctor has told someone they can or can't do something because of a disability, we have something for them. Last year we had something for people with more than 100 unique disabilities.

I have seen people do things in the last three years that I never thought possible. I can't tell their stories nearly as well as they can. Luckily, I don't have to try. Part of my job was to give them an outlet to share their successes. With the help of some very talented friends who I met at the NAC, we created a few video productions about how the NAC has helped people overcome the odds to find success and happiness in their personal and family lives.

I will say that nearly any of these individuals and families could be featured in a movie. I hope you'll bookmark this post. If you're ever having a bad day, these stories are likely to make you happier with what you have. They'll inspire you to help others. They'll make you appreciate the blessings you have received. Some of these individuals have won Paralympic medals, others have redefined how others with the same disability are treated. Some are happy just to be doing the things they want to even after doctors said they couldn't or wouldn't be able to. Each of them has helped make me a better person.

Teague Cowley lost a leg and an arm as a boy when his car was hit by a drunk driver. Joe Johnson was an Apache helicopter pilot who was left paralyzed on one half of his body because of a brain tumor. Claire Phippen was born with Porencephaly. Sarah Barber has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Their four stories are told, in part, in Discovered Abilities II.

Talan Skeels-Piggins shattered his spine and fractured his neck in a motorcycle accident. Ben Stephens has Arthrogryposis. Nicole Roundy's let was amputated because of bone cancer. Erik Bayindirli was paralyzed after a roll-over car accident at age 19. Greg Shaw has sacral agenesis. Each of these competitive athletes was featured in Discovered Abilities III, "Leaps & Bounds".

Allie Schneider has Spina Bifida (and a bad case of ihatederonwilliamsitis!) and has skied, cycled, ridden horses, driven a bobsled, climbed a ropes course, water skied and a million other things over the last 23 years. David Stott has Autism. While he may not understand it right now, his parents have made many sacrifices personally and professionally because of the progress he's made at the NAC. These two were featured in Discovered Abilities IV.

The highlight of my summers at the National Ability Center came with the last week of our Discovery Camps. Camp Xtreme is a week-long overnight camp for teens with physical disabilities. Last summer the camp was featured by the Deseret News by Amy Donaldson and Keith Johnson (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700060181/Xtremely-able-Camp-promotes-kids-self-esteem.html). Rockstar AmeriCorps member Libby Falck put together a fun video about the week's adventures, as well.

The National Ability Center was started to help veterans of the Vietnam War learn how to ski after suffering injuries from land mine explosions and other unimaginable war experiences. With recent wars, we have been fortunate enough to host groups from the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Some of the groups have included veterans working through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Others have been couples retreats to help couples after military service has ended. We also hosted one of the first retreat exclusively for female veterans (http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=7175035). Outside of our work with the WWP, we've also hosted groups like Team Semper Fi and the Community Based Warrior Transition Unit - Utah (http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=13687662).

These three years have passed quickly. I hope the memories won't do the same. Tuesday will be my final day as an employee at the National Ability Center. I'm moving on to a new and exciting opportunity in April.

I owe a personal thank you to a lot of people, and a blog isn't the place for that. Saying, "Thanks, everyone!" just doesn't seem right. So I'm going to toss a few names out there of people who have made a difference in my life through the NAC. Thank you Teague, Meeche, Allie, Larry, Ben, Ben, Tim, Libby, Jenn, Jen, Marla, Michael, Mike, Scott, Ellen, Kristi, Rena, Tracy, Kristen, Kim, Abby, Jan, Rae, Kim, Jess, Dave, Dave, Dave, Rich, Shane, Jen, Sarah, Nate, Claire, Erik, Arly, Tomasz, Tom, Danelle, Rob, Stephani, Marcel, Talan, Nicole, Travis, Greg, Ben, Julie, Barb, Paula, Mauricia, Evan, Pelle, Joe, Sadie, Rena, Scott, Hans, Sally, Joy, Jack, Seamus, Alan, Heather, Brian, Ben, Jeff, Mark, Chris, Adena, Andrienne, Anna, Barb, Bob, Brett, Jeff, Brian, Erica, JC, Jim, Heidi, Jonathan, Kami, Laura, Lee, Lynanne, Pablo, Marylin, Sam, Meg, Michelle, Andy, Sally, Fred, Molly, Muffy, Jeff, Oz, Rick, Bayrd, Rip, Sue, Ryan, Stan, Tom, Mike, Dylan, Eric, Monte, Ralph, Miles, MaryLou, Jim, and Don. Did I get everyone? No. Like I said earlier, the NAC helps thousands of people each year. This list is barely the tip of the iceberg, but each name here has a story (or a few) that help me be a better man. For that, I truly am thankful to each of them.

If you know someone with a disability, get them up to Park City. Take a tour of the National Ability Center. Learn how the NAC is providing opportunities to discover abilities.

If you would like to learn more about what is going on at the NAC, "Like" it on Facebook at Facebook.com/NationalAbilityCenter.

Dear Papa Jon

2010-06-20T23:02:00.002-06:00

Dear Papa Jon,

Today is Father's Day, and I miss you. This is the fourth year you haven't physically been here to celebrate with us. It's still strange to me. I know where you are, but that isn't here with us. Yes, it's comforting to know you're in a better place without the pain and suffering you endured all too well for 14 years. No, it isn't easy to say, “Happy Father's Day,” to a slab of granite. Stone is so cold. It doesn't fit you. You were always so warm, so kind, so gentle to us. Stone just doesn't seem to be the way to memorialize you. Maybe next year I'll dig a spot for a tomato plant on top of your plot. I'm sure the cemetery people would love that! I think I'll still give it a try.

Ty refers to Mom as Mama Linda. I wish he could get to know Papa Jon, as well. I'm sure he knew you before he came to us. I'm sure he'll remember you when we meet again. I'll do my best to teach him the things you taught me because you taught be a lot, and you taught me well. Even if I acted like I wasn't listening, I was. When you didn't think I was watching, I was. When you didn't think I was learning from you, I was. You were everything everyone thinks you were. You were a friend to everyone. You were a gentleman. You were a hard worker. You were creative. You were loving. You were fun. You were a Boy Scout. You were a disciple of Christ. You were a great dad. I hope I can be all of those things, and I hope Tyler will become them too.

This evening we enjoyed Father's Day the way you probably would have preferred. We sat on the front lawn and talked. Mark and I tossed a frisbee and kicked a soccer ball. Tyler tried to humorously join in both of those activities. He's getting better. He also picked some of Mom's flowers right out of the garden and took them to her and Megan. The clumps of dirt still hung from the roots as he handed them to his grandma and mom. I could almost hear your unmistakeable laugh as he did so. I know you'd get a kick out of watching your grandkids grow up. I'm sure you are still enjoying it from your perch in heaven.

Thanks for being there for me, Dad. I love you. I miss you every day. I'm trying to be the man, the dad and the son you'd want me to be. I still want you to be proud. I want you to have a legacy that is passed from generation to generation. I know you wouldn't have asked for a legacy. You would just want me to be the best I can be. And that's what I'm trying to do. It's what you did, even as your physical abilities changed. You were always trying to be your best. Thanks for never giving up – not on me and not on yourself. Your example showed me how to get through some of the roughest spots of my life, and I'm better for having overcome them. You helped me see the light when I refused to recognize it was there. You helped me walk the path that would show me true hope and help me find true love.

Maybe I'm making you out to have been perfect. Maybe that's what I choose to remember. As I look back, you were perfectly what I needed. Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day!

Love,

"Good if It Goes" Is Gone

2010-01-29T23:15:00.008-07:00

Tonight the Utah Jazz honored Hot Rod Hundley for his 35 years of calling the Jazz games. At least, they told everyone they were honoring Hot Rod Hundley.

With all due respect to Greg Miller, I don't think Larry would have waited half a season after Hot Rod's retirement to honor him. I sure don't believe he would have had him honored on a night the Jazz played Sacramento. I think the Lakers' last championship rings were bigger than the crystal plate the Jazz gave Hot Rod. The video piece with some of Hot Rod's peers and great plays had too few great plays and not enough members of the sports commentating community. The pre-production quality was lacking. The in-game production was sad. And the only players you could round up to come and thank Hot Rod were locals? Did the players not like him? What am I missing here? Greg, did you not remember that tonight was a big night? You showed up in a 1/4 zip sweater - not even a tie. You are not Mark Cuban. And he would have done a better job. Just like Kobe did a better job after beating the Jazz to end last season when none of the Jazz players so much as gave Hot Rod a smile.

Maybe I just expect too much out of my team and the rest of the organization.

Hot Rod, I can't change your official ceremony, so this will have to do.

I loved listening to your games for most of your 35 years. I'm only 29, so I missed out a few years at the beginning! I remember my dad tuning in on the radio to listen to the games before many were broadcast on television. He also took me for rides in the car (I'm sure he told my mom he was running errands of great importance) to listen to the games. I didn't know it was weird to turn the television volume down and the radio's up when my team was playing on national television. We always did that.

When our family moved to Las Vegas, I made a shot playing ball on the playground and called out running back down the court, "With a gentle push and mild arc, the cowhide globe hits home." I think the whole playground came to a stop. Some white bread kid from Utah shows up on the first day of school and trash talks about cowhide? It might have seemed weird to everyone, but basketball wasn't basketball to me without Hot Rod Hundley. For four years I was treated to the sounds of Hot Rod's friend, Chick Hearn, as he called the Laker games I had to endure just to get a basketball fix in a town dominated by a corrupt (but fun to watch) UNLV basketball team.

My family later moved back to Utah, and I once again was blessed to hear the soothing southern tones of Hot Rod's voice calling out assist after assist from Stockton to Malone. Once again I got made fun of on the playground for calling my own plays. Now I would do it before the play was over, and that usually meant I didn't accomplish the feat I had set out to. Amazingly, dribbling the ball down the lane and saying, "fakes left, dribbles right," didn't open the door on my right to head toward the hoop. It took me a while to figure out why my 'faking left' wasn't working.

In junior high school I listened as John Stockton became the all-time assist leader. In high school I listened as the greatest point guard ever broke the all-time steals record. In college I studied broadcasting to have the chance to imitate you more than just on the playground.

Hot Rod, you were more than the voice of the Utah Jazz to me. You're the voice that narrates my life's story. You not being there is still hard to swallow. I'll bet it is for you, too. But basketball is just a game. And while life's roller coaster rolls on, I will forever hear you screaming, "You gotta love it, baby!"

Thanks, Hot Rod.

With Challenge Comes Opportunity

2010-01-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

"These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman." -Abigail Adams

• Thanks to Wes and Rachael for this quote from their blog.

Does the News Lie?

2010-01-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

A site I frequent for some of my tech news published an article yesterday about the "news" knowingly lying about science. You can read John Timmer's article here. This came on the heels of a new study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism that print journalists are more likely than other sources of news to publish a story with new news. At the same time, the study showed that broadcast entities were more likely to produce more news content.

Ironically, how many times does your local or national newscaster say, "This morning the Acme News reported..."? While they produce more content, they get much of it from the newspapers doing the research. But if Timmer is right, the newspapers get stuff intentionally wrong which then leads the broadcasters to get it wrong, too.

Let's just take a moment to remember how important it is to check a variety of news sources when we form our opinions. Your opinion on politics, science, sports, education and the environment may finally have a solid base if you pay attention to more than just one specific newspaper or news broadcast each day. Mix it up. For you in Utah, listen to KUER in the morning when you head to work. On the way home, switch it over to KSL. They're different animals. You probably find one of them more cuddly than the other, but you can't know the whole story when you only get one side. Feel free to watch Fox News for a bit tonight. But grab a few stories from CNN, as well. Both are right, and both are wrong. Both have facts, and both will skew them and skewer them.

Like my mom used to explain when my little sisters and I would fight as kids, the truth is always somewhere in the middle.

Did Not Graduated

2009-11-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Nice job, Adobe.

Hennessy On The Money

2009-04-21T08:06:00.002-06:00

I won't plagiarize by copying this article into my post, but it is interesting stuff. Click on the post's title to see the article. It's a little geeky, but it pertains to all of us. Thoughts?

Water Coaster

2008-06-05T08:01:00.001-06:00

Rollercoasters are a tough deal for me. Sometimes I like them (or the idea of them), and sometimes I don't want to even hear them when I'm at an amusement park. Waterslides are the same. They look like fun. People go on both many times over. Entrance to the parks that have them is more than I'm willing to shell out to be scared half to death. The Germans, however, have taken this to a new level. I'm positive that this waterslide would not scare me half to death. I'd be dead once the door opened. Considering that the ride does involve water, I'm not sure an EAD would help at the bottom to revive me. Count me out. Thanks, Germany.

Jaycee for President

2008-03-08T22:02:00.001-07:00

Jaycee Carroll would make a greater president than the options currently in the lead from the two main parties in the United States, but he is not running for president. He's not the kind of guy who would lobby for any position of authority. He is, however, a potential All-American and has been nominated for the NCAA's Senior Class Award.

By clicking on the name of this post, you will be taken to the official site where fans can vote on the classiest senior in both men's and women's college basketball for this year.

I met Jaycee when he was a freshman at Utah State University. I was at every game nearly two hours early, and I don't think I ever got to the stadium before Jaycee was in uniform and practicing his shooting. He is always smiling. He is always happy. He is always in charge on the court.

Jaycee is certainly not like some of the other stars of college or professional basketball. He doesn't have tattoos over ninety percent of his body. He doesn't have the attitude that makes him need everyone's attention. He is a baller. He plays basketball for the love of it. That is what this award is all about. It is for the player who puts off the dream of professional basketball to help his team and his own education by staying at school through his senior year. Jaycee didn't use a red-shirt year. He has used his four years to become the Aggies' all-time leading scorer. He has used his four years to gain a degree. The award may not be a service-oriented one, but Jaycee is the kind of guy who should get that, too. He helps out his teammates, his classmates, and kids in the community he doesn't even know. He doesn't need to know them. That's just how he is.

So while you may not be able to vote for Jaycee for president, you can still vote for him as a classy guy. Vote Jaycee Carroll for Lowe's Senior Class Award!

If You're Going to Leap

2008-02-29T20:20:00.003-07:00

Happy Leap Day!
The 29th of February has always been a bit of an enigma to me. If we're going to have this make-up day every four years, why don't we celebrate it as a holiday? For me, the word "leap" has a connotation of jumping forward or getting ahead, not making up. Still, if it is a make-up day, why can't I use the entire day to finish some of the things I haven't done in the last four years? I can think of some things I'd like to do. I'd like to sleep in next to my wife. I'd like to enjoy some quality time with a basketball. I'd like to visit Logan. I'd like to get in at least one day of skiing this year. I'd like to enjoy a walk around the Provo Temple with Megan and Ty (I understand they even saw some grass!). I'd like to cook the turkey that has been in my freezer for the last two months. There are a lot of things I could do with an extra day, but instead I went to work. I missed the walk in Provo. The turkey is still frozen. Maybe I'll get to play some basketball tomorrow. The point is, though, that I wish this day wasn't another work day. A vote for Ryan is a vote for Leap Day as the next national holiday. Election Day is right around the corner. Keep me in mind!

As a side note, the title of this post is a link to something else I'd like to do on my Leap Day. It might take me more than a day or a week or a year to get the hang of it, but it sure is cool to watch. And I believe the picture above is of Sebastian Foucan, but I'm not positive. And, yes, he is jumping the gap of an open roof of a stadium in France.

Volunteering About Volunteers

2008-02-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

It's not quite March, but I have to chime in on the Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt game I just watched. Bruce Pearl (above, with the big "V" on his chest) is a good coach, but he made some bad decisions tonight. It was driving me crazy! The Commodores deserved the win, but not for the reasons Brad Nessler would have you believe.
Let me set this up for you who haven't been paying attention to the Vols in the last week or so. This past weekend the former number one team, Memphis, played the number two team, Tennessee. Memphis can't make free throws, and that will doom most teams trying to make a title run. Pearl's team won by putting the Tigers on the line and watching them fail. I digress, though. That's not the game in question right now. Right now I'm bothered by Pearl's decision to go with a press defense with more than eight minutes left in the game when only losing by a half-dozen points. That's still a two possession game with an eternity left to play! I understand that Pearl loves to play defense the entire length of the court, but this was not the time. The players were coming off an emotional high with the win against Tennessee and its new number one ranking. They were going into the house of a team that had historically beat the last three number one-ranked teams that had played on that court. I understand that those were different teams from different eras under different circumstances with different uniforms and different haircuts under different coaches under... I don't care, and Bruce Pearl should have. He should have understood that his players were going to need their legs in the last few minutes of the game. You can't waste your players energy with eight minutes left. Losing their energy at that point lead to missing free throws and not being able to foul when it really counted. His team had a chance because they played good half-court defense, not full. Defense wins championships, right? In football, a prevent defense is the quickest way to lose a lead. In basketball, a full-court defense is the fastest way to lose a lead or dig a deeper hole. If you don't believe me, go back and look at the Chicago Bulls. How often did they use a full-court defense? What about the Lakers' Showtime? They didn't. I didn't see John Wooden coach, but I don't see him being the kind of guy that would waste energy on such a thing, either. The lesson to be learned is simple as we head into March Madness 2008. Don't use the full-court press. Just don't do it.

Time to Whine (again)

2007-11-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

Every year around this time, my friends and I pick up where we left off last January--fighting about the bowls. No, it's not the battle for the leftover icing bowl, cookie dough bowl, or cake batter bowl. I'm talking about the college football bowl games, the Bowl Championship Series, the biggest joke of the sporting universe.
Aren't we past the question of, "Why does the BCS exist?" It doesn't even matter why it exists. What matters is the fact that college football fans DO NOT like it. Go ahead, do a poll. If you can find a fan of the BCS who is a fan of football, have him give me a call. I'd love to know what benefit he thinks it has to fans or teams.
March is the best sports month of the year because of the college basketball tournament. If Americans are so involved with March Madness that CSTV had to come up with a fake spreadsheet to cover their online game broadcasts, why does football not get such treatment? I just don't get it. I went to a school (Utah State University) that switched conferences admittedly to get more money from the football games. If basketball brought in all the money, I would understand why you would want to give it the tournament and the special name, but it doesn't. Football brings in the most money of any collegiate sport. That is why schools like USU keep it around. Honestly! Why else would schools that have their first snow in October keep sponsoring a sport that carries into January? It's all about the Benjamins.
The title of this post links to an article by Dan Wetzel. He becomes the millionth writer to propose a solution to the tournament-less world of college football. He is the first I've read who convinces me why it is possible to eliminate the bowls from the tournament scenario while still letting them exist, benefit the schools (monetarily), let the fans see their teams without traveling all over the country every week, and end the year with A champion.
Last year, I worked a scenario that allowed the bowls to be the homes of the tournament themselves, but it did lead to a lot of travel every single week. While the basketball teams (with twelve players on a roster) can do it for their tournament, it is a bit more difficult for football teams (with more than one hundred players on a roster) to do the same thing. Add to that the fact that you have a potential group of thirty thousand fans needing to travel for football instead of five to ten thousand for basketball, and you can see how this could be a problem. Besides, I like Wetzel's idea of giving teams a couple more home games.
Just like in basketball, I like the thought of my Aggies having the chance to play in a tournament if they win their conference. I like the fact that the Utes under Urban Meyer would have had a chance to prove themselves. I like that this year's Hawaii team wouldn't be snubbed for being from a small conference or having a poor strength of schedule. They win the conference, they play in the tourney. I like that Kansas has to prove itself for the same reason--poor strength of schedule. If you are good, prove it in the tournament. There is no less importance put on the regular season. There are only sixteen teams, so you don't have six bids from the ACC like in March Madness. I love a Final Four that gets played in four cities. What is there not to like about all of this?
While college basketball will always be my favorite, football fans should be screaming for something like this to come about.

Not Forgotten

2007-11-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

One of the most memorable moments of my college life came on this day four years ago as a memorial was dedicated for veterans of the United States of America. Two things make that day stick out in my mind. One is a veteran who recited the poem, "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (actually from the Canadian Army). It was touching to watch these veterans with their silver hair covered by 50-year-old military hats and tears welling in their eyes as they listened to the words of that poem. The second thing that stands out was another veteran of World War II who sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" a capella without missing a note or a word. While we hear this tune at every sporting event from high school football to the Super Bowl, you can't compare those versions to the one I heard that day. It was a version sung with conviction and understanding of what Francis Scott Key was feeling as he penned the words to the United States' national anthem. That veteran did something you will not likely ever see at a sporting event, though. He sang all three verses to the hymn. The crowd of veterans and their families stood. No one coughed, no one sneezed. Many saluted, and a few shed tears. Certainly, there was a special feeling being there with those veterans that day. To them, I give humble thanks on this Veterans' Day. Thank you to all veterans of the past two-and-a-half centuries who have defended the land I call home.

Think on the words of those two works as you go about your business today. Remember, the first verse of the anthem is a question, and the answer is found in the second, a prayer of hope is the third.

In Flanders Fields, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The Star-Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key
Oh 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.
Oh 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 thru 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 on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r 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!

Go Pack!

2007-10-29T22:04:00.000-06:00

Can I just mention how much I love the Green Bay Packers? I do. Utah has no NFL team (no, the Broncos don't count just for being close, and a bigger NO to the San Francisco 49ers because of the Steve Young connection). For some reason, my uncle was a Packer fan when I was a little kid, and it stuck. I love Lambeau Field and its frozen tundra. I think Jim Cramer missed the boat when he told people it was a waste of money to invest in Packer stock. I love that the Packers have not sold out to change their colors (BYU theives) or logo. They are the Packers. They don't need to be anything else.
Thank you Brett Favre for beating the Broncos tonight. You made my Monday so much better.

What month is it?

2007-03-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that March sneaks up on me, but this year was an exception. I didn't even see it coming. January was full of Sundancing, but February flew by without batting an eye. It was crazy. Now, we're more than a week into March, and I find myself not knowing who to pick in my brackets for March Madness. I haven't paid attention to anything outside of my Aggies this year! To be honest, I've had better things to do. I warned Megan before we got married that March Madness was the only real sporting event that I HAVE to watch, but I find myself looking at scores instead of planning my game-watching to the exact minute. Things change, I know. But I never thought March Madness would fade like this. Crazy? I call it Madness.

Unveiled

2006-11-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

After Megan and I got married, she didn't understand why it is that I was always writing or reading on different blogs. I tried to explain how nice it is to be able to share feelings on the web, but she thought it was all a bit silly. Why don't you use a phone? Why don't you write an email? Why don't you use Messenger? These were her questions. Did my answers satisfy her? Not at the time. Luckily for me, some of her friends (including my dear sister) let her know about their own blogs and *presto*! We now have a blog for the two of us. Five Years Later is now on the web for your enjoyment. Megs is responsible for the first two posts on the new blog, as well! I'm so proud of my wife. So, for those of you who are looking for something more interesting than my endless rambles, go check out what Megs and I are really up to in this frozen wonderland of Park City.

Thanksgiving Salutations

2006-11-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

The 2006 Thanksgiving holiday brings with it a number of new blessings to be thankful for in my life. It has certainly been a crazy year full of big events around every corner.
The biggest event of the year for me was my wedding to Megan. She is my best friend. She keeps me going when things get tough. She is by far the biggest blessing not only of this year, but she is the biggest blessing of my life.
Another blessing the family received this year was the addition of another member of the family--Addie! She can't read this, but apparently she shares my love of weather. Though she is on the east coast, I love her much. She is another great blessing in the family.
Sadly, two other blessings came as the result of sicknesses. It might seem odd to see these as blessings, but I feel they are.
Papa Jon passed away early in the year after more than a decade of battling with Huntington's Disease. While it has been hard to have him gone, it was good that he could escape the suffering that came with his illness. The holidays are certain to be different with Dad gone. Some blessings are harder than others to understand or deal with. Dad, I miss you. I hope you have a good Thanksgiving with Nana and Grandpa Ray.
The other hard-to-understand blessing came with the passing of my uncle Mike. As the oldest grandchild on my dad's side of the family, I was the one who got to nickname Mike as Uncle Muck. Muck was a great uncle to me. He didn't live far from my home, and I was a frequent visitor to the Uncle Muck couch of counsel. Like Dad, Muck was sick and battled with an illness for the last few years.
Both Dad and Muck fought as long as they could, and now they have been taken away from their pains to a better place. While we will miss them for the holidays, I'm sure they will be in good hands where they are.
At church, Megs and I have been blessed to be able to serve with the Hispanic people of the area. That has been a bigger blessing than I ever could have imagined. Last night I had the chance to play some ball with some of the young men we serve with. Megs went out with the sister missionaries.
With work, I got the chance at the beginning of the year to move from my director and editor position to one in front of the camera with production responsibilities.
Megs will soon have one last blessing for the year. In December she will have her degree from BYU. Hooray for her!
It has been a great year. I hope all of you have had such a great one, as well.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during the holiday season. May it be wonderful for all of you.

Church Fun

2006-09-10T16:02:00.000-06:00

Megan and I both speak Spanish and had been debating whether or not to attend church with the Hispanic majority that lives around us. We attended church with them two weeks ago and really enjoyed ourselves. Still, we wanted to give the English-speaking a chance as well. When we went there today, we were welcomed with open arms and met many great people. While in Sunday School, the bishop of our ward asked us to chat with him in his office. As it turns out, we are going to have the chance to be involved with both groups. The bishop asked us to attend the Spanish branch of the church as missionaries to help organize the branch here in Park City. We are both excited for this new opportunity. The people are wonderful. The chance to keep up on the language is great. We are also certain we will have many experiences that will remind us of our missions to Colombia and Brazil. Our first big activity will be next weekend when we participate in the "Gran Fiesta" with different Hispanic countries being represented in a cultural celebration (er, really big party). Surely, God has a sense of humor and now needs another good laugh after having seen my dancing skills at the wedding reception.

25 hours

2006-08-04T06:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, I'm getting married in 25 hours! Oh, man! I can't wait to see you all there. Please be safe in driving. I will see you soon.

Golden Countdown

2006-07-18T20:58:00.000-06:00

It's July 18th and there are 18 days until the wedding! That's a fine bit of information for the day, don't you agree? Most of the invitations are out. I say "most" only because I remember someone else every time I turn around. I'm sorry if the invitations haven't been the most prompt in arriving. If you are a friend or family member, you are invited. I am twitterpated and unorganized in general, so please forgive any oversights on the invites. Really, I do love you all! Please, come celebrate with us! I have decided not to post all of the information on the blog, but you are welcome to post for the info. I will gladly email, snail mail, call, or send out homing pigeons to get you the information.

Now, for the more fun side of things. I am trying to create some fun and romantic CD's for the honeymoon. We are going to be gone for a couple of weeks, and I am not just looking for the sappy love songs. I want to know what some of your favorite love songs are. Heck, if Adam Sandler can make the cut, I'm not ruling anything out. Two weeks calls for a lot of CD's (or iTunes playlists). If I don't already own the song, I'm sure I can get a hold of it. However, I'm proud that my lists include everything from the aforementioned Sandler to Louis Armstrong, and Eric Clapton to Josh Kelley. One potential problem is the lack of female artists on the list. There are a few, but I like to sing and accordingly have a lot of male artists. Come on, you know you have that song that makes you think of the one you love! Let me in.

Happy 4th!

2006-07-04T06:36:00.000-06:00

Here's hoping you all have a fantastic Fourth of July this year! I will be enjoying festivities in Park City as I broadcast PC's annual parade down Main Street. Megs and I took in some fireworks at Eaglewood GC last night. It was fantastic. Whatever you do, please be safe.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." - Thomas Jefferson

First-time Uncle!

2006-06-29T14:20:00.000-06:00

Congratulations are in order for my sister and brother-in-law! They are the proud parents of a new baby girl. Born on this 29th day of June in 2006, she weighed in just under eight pounds with lots of dark curly hair. The best part is that I am now an uncle! Well, maybe the whole miracle of birth part is more important than me becoming an uncle, but I'm stoked to have that title. I'll toss you more information as it comes to me. Hooray for nieces!

Welcome to the World Cup

2006-06-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

Me, oh, my! This is the day of days for football fans around the world. Welcome to the biggest sporting event on the world level every four years. It far surpasses the Olympics. Everyone stops to support the one team representing their country. There is no medal count. It is all about the one team on one field. It does not get any better than this. I implore all of my friends who may not have much interest in soccer to take the time to check out at least one game. I don't care if it's the U.S. or not. Just watch a game. Watch the tens of thousands of fans chanting in unison. Watch the precision of the passes. Watch the athleticism of the keepers. Be warned, however, that there is no such thing as a media timeout. Commercials only come at halftime and the end of the game. You will get hooked. I promise. This game is great!

'Sup Y'all?!

2006-06-03T22:28:00.000-06:00

Those of you who are familiar with KSL-TV in Salt Lake City may remember a thin, gray-mustached man with glasses who used to deliver the KSL editorials after the evening news. That man's name is Don Gale. While Gale is no longer the calm, unwavering voice behind those editorials, he continues to make his opinions known through the occasional editorial page article in the Deseret News.

I would include a few links to Gale's witty articles, but they are not posted on the D-News site. I could possibly transcribe today's article, but I feel as though that is not quite right. Instead, I will quote and paraphrase so you may enjoy Gale's comments as well. Be warned, though. This may cause spontaneous laughter. At least I hope it does.

Gale begins his article by congratulating the U.S. Senate for having passed a (toothless) bill naming English the official language of the United States of America. Immediately, Gale calls for Americans to go after those who don't really use English.

Who was first on Gale's list? Hispanic restaurant workers? Japanese software developers? Pakistani cab drivers? No, no, and no. The first group to be targeted by Gale was the fine people of Texas. Example? How about the word "y'all"? Is that really a word? Did that get used in any preliminary round of last week's National Spelling Bee? I think not.

Gale next took on the lawyers of our litigation-happy country. When I was in college, a roommate of mine was called to translate at a local court for a man from Italy who spoke no English. That roommate spoke English and Italian. No problem, right? Well, it wouldn't be a problem if lawyers spoke English, but they don't. They pretend to speak Latin with the occasional interjection of "objection". Isn't that how the legal system works? We have a system of laws so complicated that we have to revert to an ancient language no one speaks to get our point across in some super-efficient manner? Sure it is.

How about the doctors? Gale took his stab (pun intended) at them too. While lawyers are busy learning how to use old Latin phrases out of context, the doctors are in classes where they learn to pull letters out of the Scrabble bag and create new words to name your most recent ailment. Go ahead and try it for yourself. Next time you feel ill, grab your Scrabble game out of the closet. Pull out a handful of tiles. There is no limit to the number of tiles you need to use. I would personally suggest pulling out the biggest handful you can. This will make your word that much more believable when you call the doctor with a self-diagnosis. This method will suffice until the doctors learn to say, "The reason you hurt is because there is something in you that I need to take out." What's so hard about that?

Gale also devoted a few paragraphs to the words used on menus. There are laws in the U.S. requiring truth in advertising, but it seems interesting to me that companies seldom have to explain what it is their product actually is. We all know what a Big Mac is, but what is it really? Then there are the non-branded names that Gale points out; souffle, pasta, crepe, and burrito. Mark Cuban's favorite mystery food is the chulupa. At Wasatch Bagels in Park City, I enjoy eating muffletta. What kind of a name is that? Gale points out that if we referred to foods by what they were made of, we would probably all eat a lot healthier.

Anyway, I deduce that Gale's point involves the fact that Americans don't really speak the purest form of English. The Senate's latest bill does nothing to improve the parent-child, male-female, or boss-employee communications. That is the bill that I believe would be much more worthwhile. As for this waste of time, I'm glad the Senators had time to fit it in to their busy schedules--right after the unresolved immigration debates and before figuring out the solutions to Social Security, Medicare (plans A, B, C, D...), and Iraq. Way to be, Senators. Consider this your pat on the back.

Engaged!

2006-05-28T19:38:00.000-06:00

Nearly five years after our first date, I have finally proposed to Megan, and she said yes! We will be getting married on Saturday, August fifth in the Salt Lake Temple.

The whole story will have to be saved for another time. The web hardly seems the place to give details on our relationship. I will say that we are as happy as can be and hope to see all of you at the reception in about seventy days. We want this to be a big party. There will be lots of fun and dancing at the reception, so please plan on staying for a while if you desire. Official invitations will be mailed soon, and I will be calling/emailing those whose addresses I need.

On a not-so-intimate side of the story, I would like to relate one little part of this saga. Apparently, many people think this story is funny. Heck, I even laughed when it happened. But that was mostly out of fear. Anyway, I asked Megan's dad if I could marry her. He and I chatted for nearly an hour about things. Her father is a man much like my own--hard working, loving, funny, kind, and honest. At the end of our talk, he did give his official consent for me to propose, and then he pulled out a machete. Yes, that's right. He pulled out a machete. He pulled it out of the sheath and admired it as he warned me against ever hurting his daughter. With a bit of a nervous laugh (what are you supposed to do when your girlfriend's dad has a machete in his hands?), I promised I would never do anything that would knowingly cause Megan any pain. I intend on keeping that promise because I love her, not because her dad has a machete. Still, it was inspiring to see how much he cared about her to threaten my life if I ever did anything to his daughter. I'm not a dad yet, but I can only imagine how it feels to allow a daughter to marry some one of her own free will. I don't know that I will pull a machete on my daughter's boyfriend, but there's nothing wrong with a little drama every now and then, eh? It makes me wonder if my brother-in-law will be the type who cleans out his sniper-rifles when his daughter's boyfriends come to pick her up for dates. Luckily for me, Megs' dad did renounce his request that I vote Republican the rest of my life. Otherwise, none of this may be happening! At least that part of my free will will remain intact after marriage.

I apologize for not writing much recently, but this has been consuming most of my time for the last few months. That is the main reason for so few other posts. I make no guarantees as to the amount of posts I will be making in the next couple of months, either. With the addition of an editor-in-chief to my life, I have to be more careful about what I say and how I say it!

Seatbelts are fastened. Here we go...

Catching Up

2006-04-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

Everyday I see things and think that I will write about them as soon as I get home. The problem is that I get home late and have to go to bed early for my 4:00 am alarm that always comes too early. My opinions are longer than I seem to have time to voice. I know this comes as no surprise to most of you. In an effort to clear my mind of some of the things I've been thinking about, here comes a bunch of random thoughts. Ahh, ha, ha!!!

Larry Miller, please find us a winning team in time for next season. If you need some suggestions, please feel free to call me. I love the Jazz, and I want them to be good. It is always more fun to watch a good team than a bad team. It would also reduce your risk of a heart attack. Maybe we could talk while sitting at a Bees' game. I'll even buy a hat and bring my glove and bubble gum.

For as hard as this year has been on the Jazz, Real Salt Lake is off to no rousing start this season. Did anyone else see that first game? Wow. Not impressive, Mr. Checketts. Good luck with that new stadium.

Wheat Thins should not be flavored. Powdered, icky flavoring on the newest of my beloved Wheat Thins should not continue. The regular, reduced fat, and low sodium varieties are the only ones that deserve to keep the name. Any other flavor that is added to such a wonderful cracker owes it to Wheat Thins to be called by another name. Do not taint my crackers.

Happy birthday, Apple. Woz and Jobs, I love you guys. Thank you for a bunch of wonderful computers. The first one we had in my house was an Apple IIe. Now, I am using a PowerBook G4. OS X is the greatest. Final Cut is the best video editor in the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Congratulations to the Maryland Terrapins for a well-fought victory in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Thanks to you and the Duke Blue Devils (no, I will never thank Duke for anything ever again, so enjoy it while you can), the college basketball fans of this world were treated to a true championship game--emotion, grit, angst, suspense, and the love of the game. I wish the young men of the basketball world would all pay attention to that game and the attitudes demonstrated there instead of the haughtiness of the NCAA men's games. The Terps and Devils are not alone in receiving my admiration as fun teams to watch. The Tar Heels (again, this is a one-time praise), the Utes, the Cougs, the Vols, and LSU all were fun to watch. No, they don't dunk like the men, but they play the game like it was meant to be played--as a team. Thank you, ladies. My hat is off to you.

I hate cell phone companies. I do not want to renew my contract with Verizon to change my plan or my phone. I've been with you for long past my original contract. You have the best service where I live. I have no reason to leave you, but if you are going to bully me, I will be done with you. I lived without a cell phone for decades. I have no problem leaving it behind. To the rest of you, I am open to options. If you have something to offer that could keep me in the cell phone world, I'm listening.

I love Mother Nature in the spring. Winter is not my favorite. Frankly, it is my least favorite of the seasons. Summer holds down the number one spot for me, but spring is pretty fun in my new locale. Last week, it was nearly seventy degrees. Today, it snowed all day. By Sunday, it is supposed to reach the mid-sixties again. Tuesday it is going to snow again. I love it. And by the end of next week, I'll probably be wearing shorts again.

Mad props to Katie Couric for heading to Les Moonves' CBS. Jeff Zucker and NBC tossed a few extra million dollars at Couric only to be turned-down. Too bad for them. I'm not saying that I'm going to buy a whole bunch of Viacom stock on this one move. Heck, I don't have quarters to put my laundry in the drier, but I digress. As a media geek, this is going to be fun to watch. Couric is going to be the managing producer (I think that is the title) for the evening news. That means she gets to choose what stories will be covered during the 22 minutes of news in the broadcast. Maybe things won't be much different than they are now. Then again, maybe things will change a lot. No one knows. It is the first time a woman has held the two posts. It will certainly be interesting to watch. CBS has put a whole bunch of marbles in this bag, and it hopes Couric will pan out and bolster its shows the way she did NBC's.

As a side note for Jeff Zucker at NBC, I am happy to offer my services for much less than many of the people rumored to be on the short list for your new positions. Shuffle where you wish. I would take whatever is left. I don't think it is legal to be paid less than I am right now, so don't worry about that part of things. We can negotiate later. Just give me a call. Heck, let's do lunch here in Park City--my treat. I'll see you soon.

Superman Matt

2006-03-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

So little brother Matt has started his new high school soccer season with a bang--or boo boo, I suppose. And this is going to have to replace the fun post I had planned for the day. Maybe tomorrow.
This is what happens when you make awesome saves as a goalie on a horrible field.
The first is in the emergency room. The second is after the x-rays had been taken. The good news is there were no breaks. It was just a fun little separation. Matt handled things well. He didn't yell when it happened, and he tried to convince the doctors to let him go back to play in the second half. Nice try, Mateo.

Much Thanks

2006-03-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

"YA." In Spanish, it can mean "enough" of something. I haven't known how to write about the last fifteen days, but it is time for me to say, "ya", and get on with it.
It was two weeks ago this morning that my dad passed away, and I have not quite been able to get through anything but rough drafts of a thank you post for all of the people who have expressed their condolences to my family and me. At an emotional time like this one, I probably shouldn't expect to write something fluid. That being said, I can't go any longer without saying thank you to everyone out there. I didn't check my email in the days following my last post. Remarkably, I had more than 130 emails from friends, family, co-workers, and professors who had heard of my families loss. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My family needed many of your shoulders to lean on during this difficult time, and there were plenty to choose from. My mom's house now reminds me of a small portion of the Amazon. My brothers will have to eat leftovers for the next year. I still don't feel like it has all sunk in quite yet, but I am grateful for the knowledge that I will see Dad again. I'm glad he doesn't have to hurt anymore. I am happy to have had his example to guide me for twenty-five years.
For those of you who traveled back to the neighborhood to attend the funeral, my family and I thank you very much. It was wonderful to see so many people. It was especially wonderful to meet a bunch of the friends of my dad who took part in the record-setting, 16-people-in-the-Mustang, crowd. I'm sure you have inspired my younger brothers to attempt to break that record and keep Dad's legacy alive!
For those of you who couldn't make it to the funeral, know that it was much like my dad--funny, emotional, loving, honest. There were a lot of great stories told. Kelly did a great job of explaining what Dad was like as our dad. Jules spoke great things of Dad as a brother and friend. Tom did a fine, fine job of talking about Dad in Australia and beyond.
I promise that the coming days will see a different kind of YA. Dad wouldn't want us to mourn forever, so it is time to be a bit happier. Here we go, again...

In Memory of Dad

2006-02-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Shortly after two o'clock in the morning, my dad, Jon Brett Jensen, passed away.
Thank you to all of you who have been there for the last fourteen years of his battle. Thank you for your prayers and service for him. I will get information about the funeral services as soon as it is finalized.
Sir, I love you. -ry

Sundance hangover

2006-02-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Where did January go? I'm telling you--wait--I can't tell you. I have written and rewritten this post, and there is just no way to do it. I don't want to get dooced, so I will refrain. I can say that I worked 208 hours in the last two weeks. Other than that tidbit, I will withhold my work-related opinions about the last month from this public forum. (Soapbox dismounted.)

Working that many hours doesn't leave one with much time to catch an actual movie, but I can say there were many which I do hope to see. Politically, there are two movies I hope to see. One is a movie with Al Gore called "An Inconvenient Truth". It talks about the global warming phenomenon. Another was a biographical movie about Ralph Nader called "An Unreasonable Man". There were also two Hispanic movies I would like to see. One is called "Quinceanera", and the other is "De Nadie". Really, the list of movies I want to see isn't realistic. Honestly, I haven't seen more than three movies in a theatre in the last couple of years. Still, I have to name the rest of the movies I would have liked to see. I also include tidbits for you.
"God Grew Tired of Us"--If you are going to see one movie from Sundance, this is the one I would have to recommend. It is the story of a few of the 27,000 Sudanese refugees known as the "Lost Boys". Christopher Quinn helps us see the great story that has unfolded without much acknowledgement from the more developed countries. This film earned both the Grand Jury Prize for a Documentary and the Audience Award for a Documentary.
"Wordplay"--This one may not be for everyone. No, it's not risque or vulgar. It is about crossword puzzles, and it looks great.
"No. 2"--The cultures of the pacific islands have always fascinated me. This is a comedic look inside on family from New Zealand. The few clips I saw had me rolling around hysterically in the control room of my station.
"Iraq in Fragments"--Agree or disagree with the war, I don't care. This movie is beautiful enough to have earned two awards for James Longley's spectacular cinematography and documentary directing.
"American Blackout"--This movie talks about two of my loves, politics and the media (I hate the term "media", but that is another story for another day that most of you probably don't care about).
"Dear Pyongyang"--This is a documentary about a Korean family in post-war Japan. It does not have the look of a visually stunning movie, but it still peaks my interest to here the family's story.
"Black Gold"--I want to do the sequel to this one. It is about the trade of coffee--not oil--as black gold. The movie explores the exploitation of coffee workers in Ethiopia. The push is made for fair-trade coffee. The Colombian side of the story needs to be better told.
"The Illusionist"--Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti battling for world domination (and Jessica Biel) in 19th Century Vienna.
"Lucky Number Slevin"--I've never been a fan of Josh Hartnett, but I am a fool for the whole mistaken-identity-leads-to-lots-of-fighting-and-cute-girls thing. Plus, you get Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu, and Bruce Willis involved in the whole thing. OK, so it's not the deepest movie of the lot, but this is a full disclosure posting.
Speaking of full disclosure, I have to admit that I did meet quite a few of the actors, directors, and/or producers of these movies. Yes, I may have been swayed by my association with some of them. Trust me, though, there were plenty of movies I heard great reviews about which I could care less to go see. Unfortunately, a bunch of those are going to make it to theatres, and I will have to hear about them again (Darwin Awards, Stay, Friends with Money).

Even though I didn't get to see any movies, I did meet some cool people who will probably never remember me, but it was still fun to meet them. I have promised multiple people that I would list those people on my blog at some point, so I will give it a try. I met Robert Downey, Jr., Dito Montiel, Shia LaBeouf, Chazz Palminteri, Good Charlotte, Sting, Amber Tamblyn, Kristin Hoffman, Lyfe, Terrence Howard, Hadjii, Roger Ebert, and Lisa Guerrero. The guys from Good Charlotte were genuinely nice to the whole crew. I talked to Terrence Howard a couple of times during the festival, and he was probably the nicest star I met. Of course, Amber Tamblyn could be nice, but I was to busy trying not to make a fool out of myself to really talk to her. You may not recognize the name of Kristin Hoffman, but she is a wonderfully talented musician who you will be hearing from within the next year.
No, I didn't meet a million people or see any of the 120 movies, but I did have a job to do. I feel I did it well. If you look around, you could even see some of my stuff on the web, but I'm not giving out the links. Frankly, my assignment was pretty boring.
Now that everything is done, I'm glad to have seen what I did. I'm also glad it only lasts for two weeks. If you were able to be here for any of the festivities, I hope you enjoyed yourself. As for me, I hope my next Sundance experience comes as a spectator.

Disarray of Newspapers

2005-12-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

The following is the copy of an email I sent to my friends at the Newspaper Agency Corporation. For those of you who do not know, the NAC is responsible for the "advertising, printing, circulation and business functions" in the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News newspapers. The quotes are attributed to the NAC website. For me, the NAC is responsible for lots of headaches. I hope you enjoy reading my rant as well as I enjoyed writing it.

Dear NAC,

I am appalled at the way you do business. A couple of years ago, I was given a subscription to the Salt Lake Tribune for Christmas by my girlfriend. As a college student studying journalism, it was a great gift. Sadly, things did not work out with my girlfriend, and we went our separate ways. Unfortunately for me, the newspaper subscription was put in my name when she "gave" me the Trib. I had never subscribed to a newspaper before that, and I never supposed that you would bill me for something I had been given. To my ex-girlfriend's credit, I don't think she had any idea you would do this, either. After all, what other business is allowed such a practice? Nearly a year later, a bill collector contacted me and sucked a chunk of money out of my bank account. I was more than displeased. My exchange with the bill collector ended with him saying that he was sorry about my girlfriend, but the newspaper was in my name. Fine. So I paid the bill and moved on--I thought. During my last semester of college I had a class that required that I read the paper every morning before attending. Reluctantly, I subscribed again. Both of the papers allowed by the course guidelines are yours, so there wasn't a way around it. So I subscribed and even enjoyed a good deal of the things I learned. I have met some of the writers for the Trib and DesNews. I have found most of them to be engaging and dedicated. I feel bad they have to work under your umbrella, though. This summer I cancelled my subscription and moved to a new city. I made the choice not to get the paper anymore. I was done with school and didn't need it. I paid my last bill, and washed my hands. Apparently, this wasn't enough for you. Tonight, I got a call from a young man asking me to extend my subscription. What subscription? I don't have a subscription! He informed me that I did, indeed, have a subscription, and he wanted to know if I would like to keep receiving the newspaper. I was partly amused, partly confused, and really angry. I cancelled that subscription months ago. Why was this young man calling me? When I explained my situation to him, he apologized and explained that he could not cancel my subscription. He was kind enough to give me the customer service's phone number, and I decided to give that route a try. When I called the first time, I heard the menu options and wasn't sure which one to choose. Instead of letting me hear the options again, the computer system waited for a selection to be made and hung up on me when I didn't choose anything. Growing more frustrated, I called back again and took my chances with one of the choices offered to me. After a short pause, that blasted computer voice let me know that I would need to call back during business hours (it didn't say when those hours are, but I digress). I certainly hope this email is responded to more quickly than the phone service could because if I call back in the morning, there are going to be some unhappy people after they hear what I have to say. NAC, your business practices disgust me. I am through with you. Stop wondering why your readership is shrinking. Everything I just wrote is good enough for me. I wonder how many of the other cancelled subscribers have had similar experiences. When will you learn? Good riddance.

I feel better, now.

2005-11-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

I am not going to explain why I feel better, but I will tell you what it is that makes me feel better.
My little mountain dwelling has access to one lone radio station on the AM dial and one other on the FM dial of my radio. Yes, I spend a lot of time on my iTunes, but I do like to hear the news or whatnot every once in a while. So, this evening I was listening to KSL 1160 and the funniest thing happened. The commercials (yuck!) were chugging along, and all of the sudden--nothing. That's right, nothing. The commercial abruptly ended midstream. Suddenly the announcer came back and bantered with his cohost about the window that had just popped up on his computer screen, "You have just committed a fatal error." The cohost started rambling about some other poorly-constructed gargle to fill the time until the computer could reboot. Computers aren't perfect, and neither are manually controlled tapes. Mistakes are bound to continue in even the most automated system. Why I bother to bring this up is between me and my roommateless walls. Just know that it makes me feel better. :-)

UPDATE:
On the way to work this morning (6:19 AM, to be exact), KSL's precious computers went down again! I just can't stop laughing about this. It is great.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from sunny Las Vegas! I am with my family in LV for another Matt soccer tournament. The tournament hasn't even started, but this has already been a good week for him. Yesterday, he was officially named to the Olympic Development Program's Region IV (the western US) team. Congrats, my brotha!
Ryan's Blessings: '05 Edition
1) Another great year with the best family in the world! The biggest event of the year has to belong to the newest dynamic duo. Kel and Scott got married and moved to Tampa and then Baltimore. They aren't able to be with us in Vegas, but we love them anyway! I miss you two! Keeping with twenty-three years of tradition and twin-like behavior, Chelsie got married less than a month after Kel. Clark, welcome to the family, as well.
2) I started my first job outside of the college sphere.
3) One of my best friends got married and had his first kid. Ben and Charity, you are the greatest. Thanks for all you do for me.
4) Lots of work with ATV News at USU paid dividends with an award from the Society of Professional Journalists. And more great work with USU earned us another round of Telly Awards.
5) I was able to watch my Aggies play in the first round of March Madness against another favorite team of mine, the Arizona Wildcats. The Ags fought hard, but the Cats were too much. Maybe this year...

Potter & Friends

2005-11-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a picture of Hermoine from Harry Potter. Why? Because as with every Potter movie to this point, she has been the best part. Her accent is the best. Her witty quips are the best. Her intelligence surpasses anyone else in the movie. And, frankly, I'm not about to start posting pictures of Harry or Ron. Sorry, guys. I must give a big round of thanks to the Park City Education Foundation. They hosted the early release party in PC, and it was a blast. This is the only event of its kind in the United States. The PCEF and the merchants at Redstone did a great job creating their own Diagon Alley. The entertainment before the show was enough to keep a thousand kids and parents mesmerized in the freezing cold for the couple of hours prior to the showing of the movie. Every penny spent on tickets for this event will go straight to the schools in PC. Again, I have never seen parents who work so hard to fund extra programs for their kids. This is a great example for the rest of the country. It also proves, in part, why PC High School is ranked in the top 100 in the country.
As for the movie, I don't want to give anything away. I hate seeing previews of movies or reading about them before seeing them, so you are out of luck if you want an in depth review. It is sufficient for me to say that I enjoyed the feel of this movie more than the others. It had a lot of elements that showed a bit more creative diversity than I expected. The movie, however, is a bit more mature in theme than some of the others. These guys are, after all, growing up. I don't do the thumbs up or down thing. Nor do I care much for the star rankings. The bottom line is this is one of those great movies to see in a theatre. It is not likely to make it to my DVD collection (it takes quite a bit to be included there), but it may warrant another trip to see on the big screen.

iPod Video, come to me!

2005-10-12T15:52:00.000-06:00

Oh, my friends, I can't tell you how excited I am! Today, my good buddy (at least, I wish we were buddies) Steve Jobs announced the arrival of the iPod Video. The biggest question surrounding this device's arrival was what kind of content would be available for it. Well, this is the part that excites me. I am not into the music video scene, though they are available for purchase. I am not even really into ABC's Lost. Still, the fact that Apple has been able to score a contract with ABC Disney is huge. For those of us who do not want to pay Comcast or Dish Network or DirecTV or any other money-hungry service provider, there is finally another option. I can now legally download shows I want to see. I can play them when I want without paying TiVo (a digital VCR, for those of you who don't know). Most importantly, I don't have to have stuff I don't want piped into my house. Goodbye, Magic Bullet infomercials. Goodbye, beer commercials. Goodbye, channel surfing.
In my mind, I would hope that the contract with ABC would soon extend to such things as college football on Saturdays or Sportscenter each night. Granted, I am not going to pay the same two dollars wanted for a download of Lost just to watch a nightly show like Sportscenter. The cost would have to be less. It would cost me a minimum of forty dollars a month to get satellite TV at my apartment. That's a buck and change each day for fifty channels. Let's say I'm able to watch an hour of news before I go to work, one primetime show after work, and Sportscenter before bed. On the weekends, there is usually at least one football or basketball game I would like to see--two if it's rivalry week or the playoffs. Roughly, this puts me at about three hours per day (this is in line--good or bad-- with the national averages according to the National Center for Educational Statistics). That means I'd be paying about 44 cents per hour of television watched in a given month. Apparently, Apple and ABC have come to the conclusion that it is worth another $1.54 for an episode of a popular show without commercials. That's a 350% increase in price. Is it's value that high? I guess that is going to be up to consumers to decide with their credit cards. I have to admit that I would probably be willing to buy the basketball or football games I miss for a buck or two. It would sure beat having a bunch of VHS copies laying around.
On a different side of this issue, what about my cousin Josh? For those of you who don't know, he is going to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Central American country of Honduras. I did the same thing a few years ago in Colombia. In my experience, we had a few occasions when we took a VCR in a backpack to the homes of people we were visiting, so we could show them some Church-produced videos about Christ and His teachings. Carrying that backpack probably contributed a bit to my losing fifty pounds over two years, but I digress. What if Josh were able to carry an iPod Video with 150 hours of content on it? The thing would be a million times less noticeable than some 6'6" white kid carrying a VCR on his backpack while riding down the street on a bike. Of course, VCR's cost $50, while the iPod Video is going for a few hundred today. But, what if? Even if they don't start passing out iPod Video's to the missionaries, I would still like one, and I want to be able to have those Church videos for myself. The Church's semi-annual General Conference is already podcasting, now let's take care of the VODcast, too!

More apartment pics

2005-09-30T15:36:00.000-06:00

Only five pics at a time, my friends.

My Apartment

2005-09-30T15:30:00.000-06:00

This is my new place. It isn't home to the best looking decor in the world, but it will work for now.

Unusual Fetish

2005-09-26T22:40:00.000-06:00

When I was a little kid (I know, I know. I still act like a kid. blah, blah, blah), both of my grandmas had special chairs that had been made for children. My mom's mom had a little tan rocking chair in the basement. I loved sitting in that chair. I didn't fit in the chair for long because it had arms on it, and I was a bit chubby. I digress. My dad's mom had a dark wooden table and three chairs that accompanied it. The table is no more than two feet tall. As the story goes, Gram bought the set with only two chairs. Gram was quick to point out to the salesperson that she had three grandkids who needed chairs, not two. The salesperson obliged to my grandma's pleas and gave her another chair. Thus, Kel, Chels, and I all had chairs to sit in as we ate our mac and cheese. Once again, I digress.
The point of this story is that I have a fetish for chairs. My mother can attest to the fact that I have saved multiple chairs from a trip to the dump. I have two bright red chairs on golden casters that were once permanent fixtures in one of my grandma's homes. They are comfy and have a lot of meaning for me. I have another chair covered in white vinyl with black, wooden legs and no arms. The back of this chair is not flat, but rounded. It is both inviting and cold at the same time. I love it. When I worked in Sugarhouse for a time, I often visited a small shop that was home to many unique items from decades past. It wasn't an antique store. The things there weren't that old. It was full of what I would consider to be "original" items. I call them original because they weren't part of box sets. They all had character. There was a jewelry box with a hand-etched mirror inside the lid. I really liked it, but I didn't have the need or the money. One day, I had a bad day at work and went into the shop to relax. There was a chair for sale, and the my neighbor sales woman asked if I would like to sit down for a minute. I did, and I fell in love with the chair. All of my troubles sank into the soft, wide seated chair. The blue and mauve colored fabric had a unique woven texture. The seat's bottom was not supported by metal springs or a wooden plank. It was cradled by a crisscrossing series of half-inch thick, frayed rope. The back was low. The arms were long and tall compared to the back. It invited me to sink into it and slouch while my tired limbs rested on the smooth, cool, medium-toned, wooden arms. The rest, though, could not be sustained because I had to return to work. A couple of days later, the owner of that little shop began packing her goods to move to a larger location around the corner. She asked if I was going to buy the chair before she moved. I chuckled and told her that I didn't have enough money to buy anything in her shop, let alone that chair. Not ten minutes after that conversation, she entered my store while I was busy attending to a customer. She talked for a moment with my manager and then brought the chair into our electronics show room and then left. When I finished helping my customer, I was told that our neighbor had decided to give me the chair. Apparently, she felt I needed it. It was a gesture I am still grateful for.
Today, a coworker heard me talking about how happy I was to have both of my red chairs in my new living room. She said she had a chair in her truck that she had planned on giving to a local charity after work. She still liked the chair, but her husband did not. She seemed reluctant to be giving it away in such a manner and asked if I would be interested in having it. I was a bit skeptical, but when I saw the chair, I again saw a great deal of character. It has a warm, cushy look to it. The chair is wrapped in a leafy fabric with mostly olive green colors and hints of yellow and brown. The front is supported by casters almost identical to the red chairs. The rear is anchored by dark wooden blocks. I graciously accepted the chair from my coworker. Officially, I bid it welcome to my otherwise white-as-a-sheep apartment. Color and character will always be welcome here. Long live my fetish for chairs.

Two weeks of fun!

2005-09-23T08:01:00.000-06:00

I haven't written for nearly two weeks, now. There has been a lot going on for me.
On Wednesday I took Matt to his first concert. We went to Green Day's SLC stop on the American Idiot tour. (Thank you, Stanton!) The music was great. It is fun to have a band that both of us like. My ears are still ringing.
Also, I have just finished moving in to my new apartment. If I had a camera, I would post the pictures of the chaos. Unfortunately, I do not have such a luxury. Fortunately, I am currently posting from someone else's wireless router (why don't people encrypt these things?). Really, the views are spectacular. I am on the north shore of Jordanelle reservoir. I'm sure there will be great views 365 days a year.
Last weekend, work was a bear. Our video server didn't like something in our encoded video, so it started to erase entire show play lists (kind of like iTunes for TV stations--except for the crashing part ;-) ). All weekend, various programs had the same problem. It was not fun. The best part was being yelled at for something I hadn't done. Welcome to the working world? I suppose so.

I take back my vote.

2005-09-11T20:05:00.001-06:00

Dear President Bush,

When I was trying to make a decision about who to vote for in the elections one year ago, I tried to weigh the issues I found important. I worry about civil rights, terrorism, the environment, religious freedom, and the economy. After studying the platforms of the two leading candidates, I realized that neither was going to do a thing to help the world with any of those issues. That's right. I didn't think you would do anything to help, and I was right. You are a politician. Therefore, you are not human. You are greedy and selfish. I believe John Kerry has many of those same characteristics. The deciding factor that lead me to vote for you was the realization of the inevitable future of the Supreme Court. At the time, many friends of mine laughed at that reason. Now, you have two vacancies on your hands. John Roberts doesn't impress me as the choice to head the Court. I didn't mind his nomination as a member of the Court, but I don't like him being at its head. Only time will tell if this is a good or bad decision.
Most recently, I have been horrified by your response (and the government's, in general) to Hurricane Katrina. The title of this post, er, letter, leads to a video that makes me cry. It makes me sob. It makes me mad. It makes me hurt. You landing in a helicopter and not picking up a shovel or sand bag makes me irate. Way to use the press to give you some more positive spin. You are a jerk. You make a mockery of the hard work and integrity this country was founded on. Despite all of this, I wish you no ill nor harm. In fact, I hope you live long enough to repent of your ways. Stop playing to the cameras. Be a president. Be a leader. There are enough talking heads on TV. You actually have some power to do something positive and make a difference. So do it.

Sincerely,
Jon Ryan Jensen

First Impressions

2005-08-24T16:03:00.000-06:00

My first week at PCTV is now over. The first few days were rough, and I'm sure this weekend will be similar. The first half of this week has been great. I feel as though I am learning how things work here. The people I work with have been helpful in every way. By the end of this week I'm positive they'll be sick of all my questions. Well, I'd better ask them while I can.
This week I will be in Logan for the game between the LHS Grizzlies and the PC Miners. I'm hoping to be able to get up there early to do lunch with some friends. We'll have to see how that works out.
The picture above is a shot from the halftime show of the Cedar City game last weekend. It was crazy, stressful, hard, and super enjoyable. My announcing partner is Scott Verrone. He is a PC native. I hope to be calling games with him for the rest of the season.

Another Beginning

2005-08-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

Today I began another leg of this big journey. I have been hired by Mr. Stanton Jones to work at Park City Television. There are not enough words (spoken or typed) to express my gratitude for this chance to advance my career in broadcast television. As far as first post-graduate jobs go, this is a tremendous opportunity. This job will require me to use everything I learned at USU's University Media Productions, USU's A-TV, and the Utah Jazz. It won't require a little bit from each of these jobs. It will require everything I have learned in each of these jobs. A big thank you to all of the people who have helped me get to this new starting point.
This weekend I will begin working with the broadcasts of Park City Miners football. We will be making the trip to Cedar City for the first game of the season. I will be shooting the game, doing interviews, editing the game, designing graphics, and doing a little bit of color commentating. While this may seem like a lot of stuff, I feel like this is what I need to be doing right now. I am excited and anxious to get going.
If my posts come sparingly for the next little while, know that I am hard at work in a good place.

Opinion: NCAA Drops the Ball

2005-08-08T00:10:00.000-06:00

The NCAA has long pretended that it has some kind of governing power over universities in the United States. It would, however, be prudent of the NCAA to realize that it is not in charge of our fine academic institutions. Colleges and universities do apply to be a part of the NCAA, but I do not believe that gives it the right to cry foul when it does not agree with a school's choice of mascot. If it didn't want schools with "racial/ethnic/national origin references in their intercollegiate athletics programs," it should have denied the application of those schools to its athletic association.

The argument may be made that most of the schools have had mascots that may be found offensive longer than ethnic sensitivity has been an issue. Fine. But what is it that makes the NCAA decide how to drop the hammer on this issue? The Univeristy of Utah has long had a great relationship with the Ute indian tribe. If there were some kind of dissent coming from the Ute tribe, I can see how the school would need to look at changing its mascot. That isn't the case, though. The NCAA has tried to make a blanket statement, but they have failed. Besides the Utes in Utah, the Seminoles in Florida have also had a working relationship with Florida State University. FSU has had some different challenges than Utah, but there is communication. Neither school arbitrarily uses the name of an indian tribe in disrespect. Of the original 33 schools put on alert by the NCAA, 18 were put on the final list as offenders of the new policy. Fourteen schools were excused from the ruling. I find the explanation from the NCAA to be lacking in substance. Upon examination of the 14 schools removed from scrutiny, eight of them use the name "Warriors" and three more use the name "Braves." The last was San Diego State and its use of the Aztec mascot. I looked at the websites of each of these fourteen schools. I still found various arrows, spears, and feathers in logos for a bunch of the teams. Where is the line? Why do the schools with relationships with their tribes get punished while teams that use vague references to indians get a nice wink from the NCAA?

The president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, Vernon Bellencourt said he feels the NCAA has gone halfway on the whole issue.

That being said, it would appear that this NCAA ruling has done one thing-- confuse everyone. Fans are confused and angry. Teams are confused. School administrators are confused. The native americans are confused. And I believe the NCAA has effectively confused itself. Proof? The NCAA's press release.

"[M]ember institutions are encouraged to educate their internal and external constituents on the understanding and awareness of the negative impact of hostile or abusive symbols, names and imagery, and to create a greater level of knowledge of Native American culture through outreach efforts and other means of communication."

Communication? How about talking to the Ute indian tribes about their feelings? Wouldn't that have been a good idea before kicking the Utes around in the national media for using a "hostile" mascot? Now, the Ute indians are being pegged as unable to fend for themselves. The school looks insensitive. And the NCAA looks like a bunch of selfish and spotlight-starved idiots. Fortunately, the Ute indians and the University of Utah have done nothing to be ashamed of. The NCAA, however, just found itself with more mud on the face.

I am an Aggie, but on this issue--GO UTES!

RIP: Peter Jennings

2005-08-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

Peter Jennings has died of lung cancer at the age of 67.
It was only four months ago that Jennings abruptly announced his diagnosis. He left his post as the news anchor for ABC World News Tonight with the hope of returning. Now he will be able to take his seat behind the news desk in heaven. There, cancer slows no one.
God bless the Jennings family. Thank you, Peter, for your many years of respectful reporting.

Not My Pastime

2005-08-01T22:42:00.000-06:00

Today was another sad day in what has been a sad decade for Major League Baseball. Today, 19-year veteran, Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for a whopping 10 days for having violated the league's drug policy. The issue I have with all of this does not have much to do with the individual as it does with the sport.

I have enjoyed backyard baseball games with my neighbor kids and professional games in huge stadiums. Still, my heart sinks to think about the potential of any of my brothers or cousins using drugs so that they could be better athletes. I don't want them seeing players and creating heroes out of athletes who are secretly destroying their bodies. I don't want them to see these athletes lying on television and in the newspapers and in front of Congress. Lying is wrong. Cheating is wrong. Winning is not that important. Money is not that important.

Professional sports in general has skirted around this issue for a long time. In Major League Baseball, players are suspended for ten days when a player is caught the first time. Depending on the schedule, this could mean the offender misses between one and ten games. Palmeiro will miss nine games (if my math is correct). His nine games will mean he misses under six percent of the season. In the National Baskeball Association, first-time offenders are suspended for five games. The percentage is almost identical; six percent. The National Football League goes farther than basketball and baseball. The rules for its offenders mean a player could miss a quarter of the season. Just two weeks ago, the National Hockey League ended its work stoppage, and players agreed to random drug tests twice every season. Here, first-time offenders are suspended for 20 games. Those first-time offenders are going to miss almost a third of their season. The NHL has the stiffest rules for offenders. The second offense will lead to a player being suspended for sixty games, and the third offense will get a player kicked out of the league forever.

Ironically, hockey has seen the least amount of the spot light for drug abuse among its players. Why do I think this is ironic? Baseball knows it has a problem, but it won't do anything significant about it. Hockey knows it doesn't want the problems baseball has had, so it created a preemptive policy. Baseball is going to have to publish two record books. The first will be the pre-1970 records. I propose the title of this book be "Records from America's Pastime" The second will have to be "Baseball's Drug Era Record Book" or "Baseball Records by Dummies" not "for Dummies." That second book could probably have an entire section dedicated to "Games Missed Due to Drug Suspension" or "Games Missed Due to Injury Rehabilitation Because Drugs Destroyed My Body and I Couldn't Heal."

Baseball may be called America's pastime, but I disagree. Professional baseball has embittered me toward the game. Basketball, soccer, football, hockey, cricket, polo, and quittage all rank higher than baseball right now for my preferred sports. Goodbye, baseball.

I finish now with two quotes from this spring's congressional hearings.

"This is like the theatre of the absurd, here," Rep. Tom Lantos (D-California); House Government Reform Committee; 17 March 2005

"I am in favor of eliminating the problem completely," Rafael Palmeiro, Baltimore Orioles.

Lucky 113?

2005-07-29T18:19:00.000-06:00

With a freshman coach and a sophomore AD, maybe I shouldn't be surprised about this.
Every year, before the college football season begins, College Football News releases its rankings of every football team in the NCAA Division I. This year, there happen to be 119 teams. My beloved alma mater, Utah State University, found itself ranked near the bottom (or at the bottom, but not last!). I think the relative strength of this year's team, as addressed by CFN, does lie in its secondary. The relative weakness, on the other hand, is a hard one to take.
Linebacker, Kelly Poppinga, became a traitor. He left the Aggies one year after begging other players to stay and help the Aggies rise from the dust. The remaining Aggie linebackers would do well to use this act as motivation.
Leon Jackson III showed moments of brilliance a year ago. This is his sophomore year, but it will be the first for the whole team under Brent Guy's watchful eyes. Jackson can throw and run, but he will need support from the actual running backs and receivers who are supposed to catch those throws. Kevin Robinson, this is largely your responsibility. Grab that ball, and run, baby!
The coaches from the WAC have picked the Ags to finish in the eighth spot out of nine teams. The media picked the same. The past few years haven't given Aggie fans much of a reason to believe otherwise. Fans, though, are still fans. A rank of 113 will not keep fans out of their frozen seats in two months. This team will provide some fireworks. This team will give fans something to cheer and sing about. This team is not going to finish in the bottom three of the conference. WAC teams, beware. The Aggies are coming.

Be Prepared?

2005-07-27T22:20:00.000-06:00

Please understand that I was once a scout. I never earned my Eagle rank, but I worked hard as a scout for six years. Most importantly, I suppose, is that I still remember some of the most essential things my leaders ever taught me. You know, Be Prepared, as the motto of the group. The Scout Law does mention something about bravery, but not stupidity. Three hundred scouts had to be treated for heat related issues at the freaking National Jamboree. What the crap is that? Seriously. Can anyone explain this to me? It's like no one realized it was the middle of the freaking summer. Hello! It is the end of July, and this is an outdoor activity. Now, I understand that our little Boy Scout friends might be too proud to use water bottles, but there was no lake, ocean, or river to purify from, so... What were they planning on doing to keep themselves hydrated? Was each kid supposed to have enough water in their canteens for an entire day's worth of activities? Were they collecting sweat? Were they doing rain dances? What?
Memo to the BSA, being a scout is not the same as being in the military. These are kids. They are trying to be tough. You are the ones who need to teach them with prudence. There is no excuse for this.

Cough update

2005-07-25T17:44:00.000-06:00

My doctor took today off because of the local celebration of the arrival of pioneers to the Salt Lake valley in 1847. After almost suffocating last night, my lungs didn't care who was celebrating what. I needed to see someone. I went over to the local Instacare and waited for more than an hour for my chance to visit with the doc. The good doctor asked the normal questions, "So you're coughing?", "Does it hurt?", and "Can I shove some pointy objects in your ears, nose, and mouth?" Of course, none of these were actually supposed to help anything. After all, I was coughing. Ears ache, but they don't cough. A nose may run, but it will not cough, either. The mouth is where a cough leaves, but it is not often the place of origination for such an ailment. So after we went though all of these fun games, the doctor wisely decided to have an X-ray taken of my chest. One quick look at the X-ray, and the diagnosis came. Pneumonia and bronchitis. Both. The new drug cocktail includes a week of antibiotics, narcotic cough syrup, and a steroid inhaler. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

¡Campeones!

2005-07-24T16:15:00.000-06:00

¡Somos los campeones! Felicidades a nuestro equipo Estadounidense por haberse ganado la Copa Oro hoy en Nuevo York. Tuvieron que hacerlo por medio de los penales. Ambos equipos tuvieron muchas oportunidades para meterse un gol, pero nadie podia encontrar la red. Mas importante es el hecho de que ganaron sin unos seis jugadores normales del equipo. Falta un ano para el Mundial del 2006 en Alemania. El mundo debe de tener cuidado porque nosotros ya estamos listos para traer el premio mas grande del mundo futbolista a los Estados Unidos.

Cough, cough, cough...

2005-07-23T22:08:00.000-06:00

So I just spent two weeks in Cedar City with some of my mom's side of the family, and I have returned home with some nasty stuff in my lungs. I don't know if it was the smoke and ash from nearby fires. I don't know if it was the climate, the vegetation or what it could have been. I do know that my ribs are killing me. Blasted allergies! The good thing for those around me is that I can't talk much without having coughing fits. Thus, I talk less. No rants about Greg Ostertag, George Bush, or Karl Rove. In short, here goes the typed version: One of the three was given a pink slip but then rehired, and the one who can't be rehired should be doing the firing of the last. Get it?

Hastily Begun

2005-07-09T11:41:00.000-06:00

Ya. In Spanish, the word "ya" (which rhymes with the English word "jaw") is one of many uses and meanings. It can mean "already", "now", or "sure" to name a few. While those few translations may mean little to you, they mean a lot to me. The word itself is short and concise. I have never been either of those two things, so don't expect my ramblings to resemble the title.
Nothing I've ever created has been perfect on the first try, so this should be no different. Still, there is so much happening in my life and in the world around me that I had to have a way to talk about it. Maybe no one will read what I have to say, but that isn't really the point. The point is that you could know what's going on. If you do stumble upon something you like or don't like, please feel free to comment. If you are a blogger with some experience and suggestions, I am open to your help.
Well, that's it. Game on.