Space the Final Frontier

New low-cost space deployment is a reality in part to the recent success of the private venture SpaceX. With a potential price tag of 7.9 million US dollars (or 85.3 million Mexican pesos) this reusable launch vehicle promises to shorten the gap between the cosmos and mankind. But what does all this cheap space talk mean to you and me average Joes and Janes (or Juanes y Julias)? If I am correct in my thinking it means we have very little time before we start seeing Nike Ads visible from Space. Can you endorse a planet, or a moon? These questions and more will become reality thanks to overly eager advertisement firms wishing to brand the final frontier with "Your Ad Here."

I call this one "matching my socks."

I'm still waiting for something major to come up and bite me but until then here's another minor minute to chew on.

Got Guanabana?

As I was strolling down the international food isle at my local grocer I happened upon a promising quart of tropic fruit refreshment to quench my thirst. Later I discovered what looked so tempting really turned out to be a bona fide trip down corn syrup lane. In my defense it looked so tasty. Even the warm colors on the label which first caught my eyes seemed to draw me in closer with its siren song. Let this be a warning to all athirst and adventurous beverage bibbers; make careful inspection the ingredients label and if you see corn syrup simply walk away. If only I remembered my Indiana Jones quotes then I wouldn't have made such a poor choice. Choose wisely!

My proton can beat up your proton

Did you hear the news? The one about setting the stage for the re-enactment of the so called Big Band? Well thanks to the science of high-energy particle collisions - and no we're not talking about the aftermath of eating Taco Bell - it may be conceivable to unlock the great mysteries of the big wide space we call the universe. The makeup of the universe - and no we're talking about my sister's bathroom countertop - has been a subject upon many a geek's mind ever since the first erector set debuted in 1911. This news has also brought to light the possiblity of creating microscopic black holes and spawning droves of badly made sci-fi hollywood movies. So according to columnist Barry Bateman, "If you find yourself fighting the gravitational pull of a black hole some time on Wednesday[Sept 10, 2008], you will know things went horribly wrong with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)." I have yet to feel any backward gravitational effect but if anyone is in disagreement than do share. With the recent news of colliding protons and theoretical black holes I thought I'd pose the question: what do you think it would be like to fall into a massive black hole? For myself I think it would be like the yoga session from H E double L O. I'm still recovering from an overly ambitious work out last Friday and if its anything like what my pectorals are feeling right now then beam me up Scotty.

Musicana

Lately I've been composing short blocks of music based upon improvisatory musing between practicing awfully boring orchestral excerpts. Since starting this activity I've payed greater detail to what I hear on TV and movies soundtracks and it's incredible how well the composers can story tell along with the video. So I've decided to pick everyday subject material and write music tracks to go along with it. My last attempt to write a waltz came out really quirky. So far the only things that have sounded decent have been string orchestral sequences all in the key of g minor. What could possibly mirror this musical key you ask? It makes me think of driving to work or tying my shoe laces. Yeah, I'm pretty intense. My goal this week is to break into the happy friendly major keys.

Do I really want to be a fireman?

Lately I have been watching PBS documentaries, a favorite pastime of mine. I now have a greater appreciation for fire fighters who risk all, face the the enemy head on, and battle the scorching elements - all out of a true sense of duty. I wish I could say I had the same kind of motivation in my job. Now something very interesting came to mind as I watched the show. A lead fire fighter spoke about the occasional use of planned burns in order to "choke" the onslaught of the approaching blaze. This sacrifice of charred timber and brush would later serve to shield the fire from advancing any further out of control and into surrounding communities. Just at the moment it was as if a light switched on in my head and a passage from the Book of Mormon suddenly came to mind. In the 4th chapter of 1 Nephi the young obedient son of the prophet Lehi, Nephi, is given a commandment to obtain the plates of brass which contain the word of God from the wicked man Laban. To summarize Nephi comes upon a drunken Laban outside of his house and is then commanded by the voice of the Spirit to slay him with the following counsel found in verse 13: "Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." This may sound drastic to the reader as I am comparing Laban to a controlled burn practice, however, it suffices me to say that by this single event a nation has been preserved with a greater knowledge of their God. How do I know this? The Book of Mormon. Pondering over this chapter it has become more clear to me that the Lord God knows and loves each of us intimately - without bias or reservation - and will deliver us from the flames of affliction we experience in this life according to our faith in Him.

A fool uttereth all his mind.

"Hey I hear Dallin's pretty good at ping pong. Why don't we go school him?" This was some of the talk from my co-workers that I just let roll off my back. Intrigue-peeked and armed with my Carlos Chiu paddle I took their challenge. Over the next work break I proceeded to pummel and spin my opponents into a slurry of submission until it was unanimously agreed who among us geeks was truly one with the ping. Or was it the pong?