Happenings…

So, sorry the site’s been down (to all 2 of you who read it regularly… :-P). Yahoo! Domains has been rather obnoxious in keeping the IP address updated of my server…oh well…

Regardless, things have been good recently. A quick run-down:

1). Last Monday was my last day of rotating through Dr. Macarthur’s lab. Seeing as I had a good time whilst there, I’ve decided to stay there on a permanent basis for the remainder of my Ph.D. Therefore, I’ve added a new page to the site dedicated to the shenanigans that will be my research and related experiences. I plan on keeping it updated with what I’m up to on that front, for those who care…otherwise, for now, I’ve got a basic description of what I was up to during the rotation posted; after I figure out what exactly I’m doing for my project, I’ll get that up there…

2). We went up to Louisiana, MO this past weekend after finding out that Brooke’s grandma was moving. She’s moving from the house that Brooke’s Mom (and Aunts…) grew up in into a trailer in a nice park (not a “white trash” park…a nice park…). Overall, it’ll be a lot easier to maintain and to get around in, so it’s probably a good idea. Ma’s gonna have back surgery this coming Thursday in Columbia, so B and I are going there on Friday to see how she’s doing.

3). I’ve got an exam this coming Friday…thankfully, I’ve got my afternoons off, so I’ve got plenty of time to study. This exam is over pharmacology and neuroscience, so it’s most definitely along the lines of nifty things I want to be learning. On the other hand…I’ve got a lot of memorization to get done before then…grrrrrrrrr…

4). Anything else? Not that I can think of… Oh, the band at church is making me sing now. Hopefully not often. …’cause I suck, certainly when compared to my younger sibling… 😛

Yeah, that’s good for now. w00t. Actually…one last thing:

5). Officially, Brooke, Sharon, Missy and I are coming up to Kirksville for Maundy Thursday…primarily so we can go to the Dukum, ’cause we miss it terribly and none of us have anything to do on Good Friday. They’re still doing the $5 deal, yes?

Alright…for real…nothing else going on…really… 😛

Ouch…

So, Brooke and I drove up to St. Charles, MO today to go biking on the Katy Trail, in preparation for our trip this summer.? For those who don’t know (or don’t remember…), we’re planning on making a “vacation” out of biking the entirety of the Katy Trail, ~265 mi from end-to-end, starting near Sedalia, MO and ending in St. Charles.? So yeah, we went biking today ’cause a). the weather was gorgeous, and b). we hadn’t gotten to use Brooke’s new bike for an extended period yet, so it was about time to take ‘er out for a spin.

Anyway, we started at 1:20ish…got done around 4:20ish, so we spent about 3 hours…and biked for 30+ miles…and damn, does it hurt.? We weren’t really planning to go that far on our first outing this year (and I haven’t done a 30 mile-er since 2002…), but it was one of those “oh, we aren’t tired yet, so we’ll just keep going” situations…of course, just after we turned around, we were tired…and our butts hurt…

Regardless, it was a good trip and well-worth the pain to enjoy some good weather.? Needless to say, however, we’ve got some work to do before biking 265 miles…? 😛

Review: V for Vendetta

Brooke, Josh and I saw “V for Vendetta” today…and yes, it was a damned fine movie… It’s based on a graphic novel from the 80s that follows a man codenamed “V” who fights against a totalitarian government set in not-so-distant future England after a war had taken place, leaving the people vulnerable to take-over and control by “Big Brother”-esque leaders. V executes terrorist actions to overthrow the government while trying to get the civilian population to not be so constricted by fear, uttering such prophetic words like: “The people should not be afraid of their government; the government should be afraid of their people.”

The movie, produced by the Wachowski Brothers (of “The Matrix” fame, of course…) is quite well done. It’s a very different movie with some of the same themes. The effects are top-notch, as expected, yet nothing that says the Wachowskis were going for a Matrix re-do; “V” is a completely different movie while still keeping some of the good aspects of the original “Matrix” film.

The especially cool part about the movie is that, while there’s some action (not non-stop, mind you…), the movie is basically one big “The Patriot Act is Bad” statement, having a very clear message to those who watch.

Hopefully, viewers not only keep their eyes and ears open to this excellent film, but also keep their minds open to the ideas it puts forth. Well worth listening to…

Backpacking=schweeeeeeeet…

So, Nathan and I made it back alive from the backcountry in North Carolina…here are some pictures

Overall, the trip was really fun.? We made it in on Saturday night and camped at the park…took about 10 hrs to get there…? We got started on Sunday morning and made the ascent of Mt. Sterling…6.2 miles and 4100 feet up…and it sucked…? Believe you me, I almost didn’t make it…and once I sat down at the top, I couldn’t walk for a good 10 minutes…? The descent was split between the next two days, so I got some blisters on the way down…but the scenery was unbelievable, from scenic overlooks to waterfalls…everything was gorgeous…? The weather was generally 75 F for the first few days, but a T-storm came through on Monday night and cooled things down, yet it was still in the mid- to upper-40s for the remainder of the hike, so it was still quite comfortable.

Regardless, it was a great trip…thanks for going, Nathan…

So, I was driving on I-64…

…and I saw a billboard.? I’ve actually seen a similar billboard somewhere else (I-44, I think), but it was this one that caused me to go by their website.

“Question homosexuality,” says their slogans.? “Freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ,” says their website title. Their website continues to explain their position as such:

“…Christ offers a healing alternative to those with homosexual tendencies. EXODUS upholds redemption for the homosexual person as the process whereby sin’s power is broken, and the individual is freed to know and experience true identity as discovered in Christ and His Church. That process entails the freedom to grow into heterosexuality.”

So, overall, what have we learned here?? This group, Exodus, says there’s a “cure” for homosexuality.? They say that homosexuality “is a choice” and that homosexuals can be “reoriented.”

Well, geez, while we’re at it, do you think Exodus could “cure” the Communists?? How about the Jews, or Muslims, or Hindi, or any other religion that isn’t Christian?? Why not Cubans, Iraqis, Chinese, Bosnians or Mexicans?? I mean, these are all “choices” that take them “further from Jesus Christ” and that “reorientation” toward Christianity will solve all our world’s problems.

…pity there isn’t a “cure” for so-called “Christians” that persecute people they don’t understand, rather than simply trying to promote Christianity as the loving and understanding religion it’s supposed to be…

X3

The X3 Trailer is online…apparently premiered on Fox last night…? Needless to say, I’m rather excited for May 26, 2006… :-P? Although, this one doesn’t have Bryan Singer directing (…since he’s directing Superman Returns…), but damn if Kelsey Grammer doesn’t look awesome as The Beast…w00t…

I guess I’ll just have to pass time time with V for Vendetta, coming out next weekend… 😛

Review: Ultraviolet

So yeah, I went and saw Ultraviolet today, a movie that wasn’t screened for critics in advance. Normally when this happens, it’s because the movie companies hope you’ll go see the movie without hearing what the critics had to say (since they didn’t have time to write a review). Well, here are a few reviews off of Rotten Tomatoes on this movie:

“Great action… but unfortunately, the characters had to open their mouths. That’s when Ultraviolet becomes ultra vapid.”

— Staci Layne Wilson, ABOUT.COM

Ultraviolet will be studied with great interest in the future – not for its quality or its artistic merit, but rather to discover how a turd like this was made.”

— Kevin Carr, 7M PICTURES

…and overall, it’s all true. The movie was pretty bad…like…B-movie on Sci Fi channel on a Saturday night… The acting was terrible, the effects were dumb, and the story made no sense… But the thing that really got me about this movie: their police cars were Buicks. Seriously. They are in the future…where we use 2004 Buicks as police cars. They have anti-gravity belts. And they ride elevators.

I just don’t get it. Regardless, terrible movie. Don’t go see it. Not that you were going to, anyway…