Tuesdays with Muerte

I'm not super impressed with any of the new shows this fall .  I may not end up watching more than the pilot episodes of each, but I will limit myself to watching the full season of one TV show per genre.  Here are my results: Ben and Kate (maybe) Vegas (tremendous potential) Maybe others (depending on school) Comedy—Ben And Kate (FOX, Tuesday 8:30-9pm) Kate (Dakota Johnson, ‘The Social Network’) is a single mother with two children in her life: her daughter, and her older brother Ben (Nat Faxon, ‘Zookeeper’). When Ben gets a call from his ex-girlfriend he immediately goes to his sister for advise. When he discovers his ex is getting married he thinks of an elaborate plan to stop the wedding. When he finds out the man his sister has been dating is seeing someone else as well, he sacrifices his plan however, so he can prevent his sister from making a huge mistake. After this, he decides to stay with Kate and help her raise her daughter.   Tu...

As I drove along Utah's I-15 today, only 1 out of every 2 business flags were lowered to half-staff.  It was bizarre to see the mixed opinions illustrated by the various business owners as they each decided to commemorate or not commemorate Patriot Day and the attacks of September 11, 2001. What ever happened to "Never Forget 9/11?"  Is America over it?  Who orders U.S. flags to be flown to half-staff anyway?  Then who determines when it is appropriate to move on? Who has the authority to order an American flag to be flown at half-staff? In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a result, there were many conflicting policies. But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times . This legislation regarding the U.S. flag, which continues to be amended, is referred to as The Flag Code . Today, only the President (federal mournin...

Today, I made the terrible decision of which Apple laptop to purchase: The  13" Macbook Air , the  13" Macbook Pro , or the  15" Macbook Pro (Retina Display) .  I looked into WinOS laptops and none of them stood up to my choice. Air Pros: Light, forward thinking, fast-ish, less expensive ($1600), less guilt in 3 years when I want to upgrade. Cons: No ethernet port, no optical drive, slow for video and heavy graphic design, can't upgrade without voiding warranty. Pro Pros: Ethernet and optical drive in addition to legacy ports, slightly more powerful and upgradable than the Air Cons: Heavy, 2x more expensive (The one I want would be $3K.) Pro (Retina) Pros: Sexy beast! Most powerful laptop on the market. Most-stunning visual display. Cons: RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Specs not necessarily needed right now, but will be normal in 2-3 years. Only for people with money to burn. Click Image to Enlarge The Comparison The Air was cheap.  Inex...

I just finished watching Snow White and the Huntsman—Absolutely loved it!  I thought the whole thing was incredible; one of those wait-for-the-dollar-theater-then-be-completely-taken-by-surprise situations.  In order to share my joy in watching this film, you must manage your expectations.  First, you must get over the fact Kristen Stewart is the star. Also, in order to fully appreciate this film, you must accept that Stewart is not intended to portray the most superficially stunning character in all the land. The director chose to emphasize a different kind of beauty. The weight of ‘Huntsman’ relies on Greig Fraser’s lavish and stunning cinematography and Colleen Atwood’s fanciful and stark costume design. A great example of the cinematography is found during a shot of Ms. Theron hunched over, with her frail boney back facing the camera which happened to be perfectly framed. Rarely can I say that every captured angle from a film engrosses, if not overwhelms, the ...

As soon as Vibram offers this shoe at 40% off, I’m buying it—size UK 41, Brazilian colors. Although the shoe is not built for intense sports, it is the most comfortable of the FiveFinger shoes.  It has laces for dressing quickly.  (The others take me 2 minutes/shoe to put on.)  I plan on using the Speeds  for frisbee-disk fishing in the river, outdoor  volleyball  on the grass, and walking around outside. How to Run "Barefoot" If you’re interested in trying out barefoot (or nearly barefoot) running, keep in mind that it will take your body some time to get used to it. Here are some tips from the experts to get you started. Start slow, with quarter-mile runs at most, and build up very gradually. Listen to your feet. Don’t try to run with the same gait you use in shoes — shorten your steps and land on the forward part of your foot. Keep your head up and your body vertical. Your feet should be hitting the ground almost directly underneath ...

WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO? DO DO I WHAT?! The girl I've been dating just texted me and asked if she can come over for a "chat," and I'm trying not to freak out. I'm pretty sure I'm heading into yet another breakup conversation. This girl is such a sweetheart, so I shouldn't feel nervous, but my adrenaline is pumping and my mind is racing. I don't have a terrific track record of performing well in high-stakes, emotionally-charged situations like this. It's like I go temporarily insane, unable to perceive anything going on outside of my own wild and disconnected thoughts. Every time try to DTR (define the relationship), it turns into a "destroy the relationship" conversation.  I AM BAD A BREAKUPS I am haunted (motivated) by the memory of a notorious breakup I had about ten years ago. As a recently-returned missionary, I lived at BYU's FLSR (Foreign Language Student Residence) and had little-to-no dating experience. At the end of the s...

I'm getting a little antsy.  At work, I'm considered a Developer .  Everyday, I am told what do by Designers who share the same Master's degree in Instruction Design as me.  And even though they try to make me feel like my ideas carry weight with them, they really don't.  Basically, I feel frustrated developing a project someone else's way when I want to do it my way.  I want my opinion to carry more clout. So, I was thinking... I could get the respect I crave one of two ways. 1) work for 3-4 years and earn people's trust that way.  Or 2) I could get a PhD and the inherent trust that comes with those extra letters behind my name. Maybe if I go back to school for a Doctorate, I'll have the clout to start my own consulting firm, or at least get a job as a designer right off the bat, instead of having to work my way up for a few years. Here's one idea:  The University of Phoenix's   Doctor of Education in Educational Leadersh...