Okay...  I think it's time I wrote something.  The last everyone knew, I was jobless, on welfare, losing hope in humanity, depressed, bordering on despair, and a little bit sad, too. Well...  Although it's not perfect, I do have a job now.  My wonderful long-time friend Scott Morris happened to mention to his boss that ...

Since I've been job-hopping for the last bit, I've had the chance to install fresh gentoo builds on quite a few 64-bit computers in the last couple of months. I've also been looking at different IDEs for PHP development.  After using jEdit now for close to 5 years, I've gotta say the one which impresses me the most is Zend Studio for Eclips...

Cecilia graduated from Preschool last month, but I finally am getting around to posting the pictures of it.  She absolutely loved her graduation.  She felt very special.  This is her Preschool class singing songs for us for their graduation ceremony.  The little boy in the yellow shiny shirt is Owen's little brother.  ...

I wasn't in the best of moods while reading this, this morning, but I must say that it helped me gain a bit of focus for the job hunt this morning. The principle that jumped out at me this time around was that of humility.  Going through the pain that is sometimes required to bring about humility just might be the thing that saves your soul....

Interesting Alma used the phrase "my heart began to sicken" when he heard about what the Zoramites were doing.  That is such a descriptive word, and I can almost feel what he described as I read... I also find verse 5 interesting at this point in my life.  It seems that Alma confirms that sometimes, when moved upon by the spir...

Man...  When, at the beginning of this year, I wrote that 2009 was gonna be a doozie, I didn't know the half of it. After having been employed for only a month, two days ago, Monday, at 5:00pm, my superior came in to my office and told me, with a red face, that they had to let me go.  The red face was undoubtedly due to the fact that nob...

Beginning this chapter, another testament to the correlation between peace and keeping God's commandments is apparent.  Giving "strict" heed to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel undoubtedly brings peace. Now, on a totally different note, I wonder where Korihor came from?  It just says that he came into the land.  Was ...

The MOST ridiculous trial bike video I've ever seen. More than half of what this guy does shouldn't be possible. A-freaking-mazing. http://www.flixxy.com/inspired-bicycles.htm...

I recently bought a Toshiba Laptop (a Satellite A305-S6916), and with it, came Vista Home Premium. I, of course, immediately wiped the hard drive clean, took a shower for having touched a computer with Vista pre-installed on it, then proceeded to partition it, and install gentoo Linux on it. The compatibility with Linux of the peripherals on th...

Chapter 29 of Alma is such a good chapter - on so many levels, too. How would it feel like to want the good of mankind so badly, that it caused you to take time to carve your feelings out in brass plates?  Putting all the doctrine of this wonderful chapter aside, the beginning verses give me a tiny glimpse into the type of desires living a p...

Growing up, I used to have a mis-conception that those who erred against God in their ways were best suited for rebuke the way God gives it in the scriptures.  I was ignorantly judgemental, and for a long time, couldn't understand why people tended to shy away from my tactics. Reading the beginning of this chapter brings back a lot of those ...

To write... Feeling as though worthlessness is she who has found me... The block of feeling sinks deeper into an endless ocean... of creative decay. Yes, to write is to live. But to live defines my weakness my misunderstanding my inadequacy my wretched mind my life. nevertheless! to write... ..is to live... ...and I shall live....

I believe that Sherem is the first "villain" of the Book of Mormon after Laman and Lemuel, who could be considered an "anti-christ".  Not 100% sure, but I don't remember anything standing out in 1st or 2nd Nephi.  This guy reminds me of Nehor, Korihor, and Amalickiah. Some points of interest this time around are: ...

After months of waiting I finally got internet so I found this journal site...and I must say it is pretty good. I place that I feel at home. I am a convert to LDS but I have never felt so accepted by so many people. Thank you all...

This is an audio recording of tonight.  FHE is included. That's about it....

Playing this song was a joy, until I realized I'd been playing wrong for so many years. Trying to do the cover as a true cover was freakin' hard for this song.  I hope I did it justice, though. There were a few points where I totally fubbed hits, but there were only a few. So... Here it is.  Let me know what ya think....

Man...  It's been months since I wrote about the Book of Mormon.  I will finish it, though, and I will write about each and every chapter therein. So, about this chapter. Nothing really jumped out at me as being extraordinary, and I didn't expect it to be so short.  It seemed like this chapter was just a wrap-up chapter for the a...

Okay...  So Advanced Budget Studios had the opportunity last weekend to record a group which came from the Springville's Art City Music Fest, and due to time constraints, we really didn't get a very good tracking session.  We got some of Bethany's vocals, JT's acoustic guitar, Jake's bass, Dan's shredding guitar solo, and a very rough scr...

Concerning world events, I'll be the first to say that I'm a pretty naive guy.  I keep up on stuff that's important to me, but not too much more.  I realize that this is somewhat of a flaw, so I am trying to involve myself much more with the world. That said, on the morning of Sept 10, 2001 - if you asked me what the "world trade ...

 When I first installed the 64-bit version of gentoo on linode, everything looked good - except I couldn't get apache to send email.   When I emerged PHP, it pulled in ssmtp by default, but that didn't seem to be sending mail at all.  So, I emerged sendmail.  That got me a little bit further, but the logs were giving me an error...

It's good to be back.  I feel like I really got a lot out of this chapter.  It could be simply because this chapter has a couple of verses which always seem to prick my heart.  Maybe, maybe not.  Anyway... It seems this chapter is all about love.  One of the verses found here is so poignant, it pricks my heart every time...

I wrote for 2nd Nephi 6, that I was having a hard time understanding Isaiah.  Well...  This chapter is nothing but Isaiah, and I thought it was very beautiful. Verses 1-3 are poetry. I immediately thought of a person asking the question: "Where is the Lord now, during my time of suffering and trial?"... ...and this chapter...

Two days ago, after I got done with the Salt Flats, Steve and I went over to something which previously I had never even heard of before.  It's called the "Dew Tour". The event is in Salt Lake City and runs for 4 days during which the best skaters and bikers in the country come and compete. I was only there for maybe 4 hours, but...

First off...  I'm beginning to understand just how much of  a camper / outdoorsman I really am not.  We brought the family up to a water park for a vacation yesterday and Monday, and I tell ya... on Monday, I had an absolute blast.  On Tuesday, it was all I could do to keep from just hopping into the car, and driving home the mo...

Wow...  It really is amazing what a good night's sleep can do to one's attitude.  I don't know if everyone is affected this way, but man...  Yesterday, it was all I could do to keep myself from just walking away from everyone and going to sleep.  I was irritable, quick to frustration, and a general jerk to pretty much everyone. ...

So, we've been considering how to best improve the studio in recent weeks, and have decided that our complete lack of guitar amplification needs to be taken care of.  We looked at all sorts of amps and decided that one which could possibly provide the most diverse sounds would be a wise choice.  We've recorded pretty much everything here ...

Wow...  3rd Nephi 17.  This has been one of my top 5 all-time favorite scriptural chapters since I first read it when I was 14.  I love it. The first 6 verses, to me, envelop the love Christ has for us, and the appreciation He must feel when we show our grattitude toward Him.  There were no words uttered by his audience, yet H...

The first six verses of this chapter talk about performing your "alms" without fanfare.  I'm caught wondering why this is important.  What's the concept behind the action? Well, I think that's the very essense of it. - "Why are you giving?"  "Why are you charitable?"  Is it so you can appear to be...

I just finished reading the first talk given during the Priesthood Session of conference. Elder Cook talks of the need to give heed to the words of our prophets. I think of the things in my life I'm doing wrong, and I feel the truth in his words.  I need to heed the prophet's counsel more earnestly in many areas of my life. I think of th...

Hmm....  I can't help but contrast a note like this one being sent between friends today.  Holy cow. If I were to send a message like this to any one of my friends (Pahoran was a good man, and a friend to captain Moroni), I'm fairly sure I would at very least offend them to the point of damaging the friendship, and at most, cause them t...