Well, I will admit it, I have neglected to continue this blog for the remainder of my tenure as an undergraduate, and now I am living life beyond graduation with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science from Brigham Young University, given that now I am no longer a continuing college student, but rather am currently engaged in the world of job searching.  Don't worry, I had plenty of employment, and quite the ride along the way, but nonetheless, it's time to upgrade my blog entries to a new blog, Life in the Big World, in the next week, and this one should be a weekly, as it's really time to publish articles and bring them up to date.  For whomever actually bothers to look up this page, it is not dead yet, for those who just came across a first glance, this will be a new, better, blog coming up.

Theory: The Meaning of the Word

Just recently got to watch "An Inconvenient Truth". In the film, Al Gore mentions that supposedly ciritcs dismiss global warming as a theory. In all truth, I will admit that I understand that this film was designed for a political, more than a scientific, audience. But one has to ask, is theory really that bad of a word? Is it really the new curse word amongst political and scientific groups? IMO, it does not need to have a bad connotation at all.
A theory is an explanation in science. It is an explanation that has been repeatedly tested and proven. Then what makes it not a law? The key here is that a law has needed little modification over such a great time. But that does not mean the general idea or principle of a theory is false, it simply means that the theory can become more refined over time as increasingly accurate and precise methods of testing come along. Most of what we are taught in science, and accept as proven truth is theory.
Now I probably sound like a global warming critic to some of you, but I am not. I am just here to say that theory doesn't have to become the new dirty word, nor do we have to let it be that way. We just have to realize that a great deal of useful scientific information is contained in theory, from Natural Selection to Relativity, and the word deserves to be treasured rather than shunned. Anyways, that's my two cents for today.

My thoughts on "Life Without Cars"

I just recently read "Life Without Cars", an essay by science fiction writer Orson Scott Card. Though I disagree with a great deal of what he says, I honestly feel that he stole my words on this one. The primary outlook and idea of his essay is the suggestion that we redesign how we work the housing developments into a more efficient, more communal design, that requires less use of the automobile.
I personally enjoyed this essay by Card, especially because it is thought-provoking in suggesting, as well as pointing out, the resources involved in not just running the car, but also thought-provoking to me, given that sooner or later, an automobile and its use might be something I will be assuming full responsibility over, and should keep in mind? What resources went into the making of a car? What ways can I reduce my own car use, much less remain conservative in my use altogether.
In addition, I also enjoyed the essay for its candid nature, as well as listing of various reasons for why a different design on neighborhoods and reduced car use might actually be helpful, including if it makes the far out alarmists about the environment a little happy, it's not all that bad to consider.
Either way, I found it a thought-provoking and interesting piece worth my relaxation time after finishing a term paper's rough draft. I would recommenf reading it. It can be found at:

http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2007-04-08-1.html

A great moment

What is the value of Five Years?

That's a good question I ask myself when I join the other members of my class for a High School Reunion coming up next week.  What have I learned in the past five years from school?  What important matters have I learned in being a more trustworthy, more courageous, more charitable person?  What is the value of five years?

What could be the value of one year?

What could be accomplished in this period of time, and what great differences and changes could come in this period of time, in learning and turning around from past impressions or doubts?  What new decisions or goals could be set?

I could go on a rant about the days, the hours, the minutes, or whatever seemingly small space of time mentioned out of a book, but the point is there, and so it seems, when its passed, it really asks for a good reflection to be made.

Random Thought

There's a new B-Ball player out there, and he's huge, towering at about 7'9''.
The story is here.

News for Summer '09

Well, the news is that, in the light of what's going on, as well as my own personal decision, I'm setting out to school for the summer term. I'm also having my sister come along as a visiting student for the time, hopefully for a reunion with plenty of those friends and relatives of mine as well. Well, I'll admit that discussion about the economic situation is currently long overdue, but I came to realize that over the course of this time, when some of the things which are occurring are occurring, that I was actually led to think about what really mattered to me, much less my life. During so much of the time when everything was prosperous, or seemed so prosperous, it seemed so incredibly distracting with all of the emerging technology coming out such as the cellphones, with their long list of possible uses, from the regular phone to the GPS, or the ipod, or the computer, and the like. But now, with the cheaper budget on the line, I come to have a moment of sense, a moment in which I can just get to grips, and understand what I can buy with preferably little cash, yet what holds possibly the greatest value. In this break, I also see a break to consider and set aside plenty of the great rules for using them as well.

So, for whomever is reading this, I offer the same challenge, as a rhetorical question: try and list what is truly important to you, and how you can reconsider the value of something else for it. Or better, what is something that you can learn to budget more wisely?

New Wolverine Movie

Finally, a movie that gives tribute to the real star of the live action X-Men movies: Wolverine (a.k.a Hugh Jackman). a trailer(real) can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeP8Vf0gYq4

Check it out!