Chatty Chaddy

2009-02-25T20:40:00.001-08:00

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The Last Post

2009-02-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

It's true...

This is my last post...

At least for two years...

I had planned before I left to basically tell all of my thoughts and feelings on Politics, the Economy, and life in general, but I could never quite do it. I've started a few of the posts, but none of them felt right. Anyway, I'm going to lay out my thoughts on everything in list form. I know it doesn't leave room for much expansion, but at this point any post is better than none.

1. Barack Obama: He is a politician to the core. I know the media and his PR department like to portray him as the crusader for the people, but he is just as power hungry as any corrupt politician. Example: Fairness Doctrine. It is a section of the media he doesn't control, so he wants to get it.

2. Martin Luther King Jr's Dream: It has not been fulfilled. Because I know that people only voted for Obama because of the "color of his skin," and not his "character." People don't realize that what King wanted was for people to vote purely on the issues rather than color. America gets a FAIL on this one.

3. Socialism: BAD, BAD, BAD, oh and did I mention BAD! Look at it's track record. It had ruined economies and it will ruin ours. I see this as a grab for power by the government. For some reason they think they know what should be done with money and resources rather than letting it be done by the market. A market driven system is not perfect, and it never will be, but these economies thrive compared to others.

4. Fishing: Everyone should do it. These days people want instant entertainment and action, but when is it ever enough? Sure thrill sports give adrenaline bursts and such, but then you have to try something new until that gets old and then something newer. Does this cycle ever end? No. Fishing on the other hand is calming and soothing. I can't tell you how many good days of fishing I've had and not caught anything. It is a break from the fast paced world. We as a people need less thrill and more soothing activities.

5. BYU: I know my sister is totally going to roll her eyes at this one, but I'm going to do it anyway. There are reasons that I am a BYU fan other than that's what I've always been. BYU is an amazing place. I think going to school there can change your life. It did mine. The whole school, and that includes football, stands for something. They let the gospel into everything even athletics. A lot of people really don't like that, but isn't that they way it should be. No God does not make anybody win, but the team can carry itself in a way that represents the Church in a good way. At any other school kids can go get drunk and do what they want because nothing is expected of them, but at BYU you can't do that because you represent things more than yourself. Anyway, that's why I love BYU sports. These are, for the most part, good kids and it's easy for me to cheer for good kids.

6. Bear Grylls: I wish I could be him, except for some of the things he eats. I define this as a man crush. Man crush is nothing romantic, but is really just wanting to be someone. Yes I have a man crush on him. Some of the things he does just rock. Have you ever tickled trout? Have you ever killed a wild chicken with a stick, or bow fished for piranha? I didn't think so.

7. George W. Bush: I started political, so I'm going to end political. He was not a bad president. I think he will be one of those that history will vindicate. You could argue that Iraq was a bad war, but this president led us out of recession after 9/11 and gave tax cuts. Sure we went into another recession, but that wasn't his fault. That was because people were stupid and took stupid loans, and banks were stupid enough to give out those loans. He had no major scandals! That's amazing considering the media outlets were scouring for any sort of anti-Bush news.

Anyway that's my opinions on a few things. I could keep going for a while, but I've got to start packing. For those of you in Michigan, look out here I come!

P.S. I'm giving control of this blog to my sister, so any new posts will be her doing and not mine. Blog you in two years!

A shout out to my alter-ego

2008-12-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Literary Monday: The Christmas Sweater

2008-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Title: The Christmas Sweater

Author: Glenn Beck

Copyright Date: 2008

Summary: Eddie is a boy in small town Washington. He has lost his father to cancer, and his mother is raising him by herself. She works four jobs just to provide. Nearby lives his mother's parents. They spend time there a lot. One Christmas all he wants is a bike. When all he gets from his mother is an "ugly" sweater he is ticked. Due to his attitude he ends up wanting to go home rather than sleep over at his grandparents. On the ride home his mother falls asleep and they crash. From that moment onward he lives at his grandparents house. His attitude is very negative and ornery. What could turn him around?

Chaddy's Rating: 4 out of 5 (in the Christmas book department)

Chaddy's Comments: I loved the book. Glenn Beck is a very good writer in that he is able to bring the scenes to life. The deeper part of the book is what really got me though. Eddie's attitude was making the difference and he had to make the choice on what he was going to get out of life. Good message. Great Christmas read.

P.S. Chaddy will try to get Literary Monday going again, but no guarantees.

Lincoln on Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

"It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.
Know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."
- Abraham Lincoln

A cry for help!

2008-11-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Ok people I need help!

I'm having problems with food!

No I have enough!

I just eat junk all of the time!

So I'm crying for help!

Help me get some recipes that are healthy and fast! I'm talking about 30 minutes for the whole meal and something that I can at least say is healthy. I'm calling to my loyal female readers for help! Don't let me down!

couragecampaign.org goes too far!

2008-11-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

The Church that I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, (commonly known as Mormons) has recently thrown it's favor behind proposition 8 in California. Of course whenever a religion gets involved in politics they are bound to get attacked.

But CourageCampaign.org goes too far. I will not show the ad here on my blog because it is highly offensive and completely wrong. Just let me explain that they attack missionaries of my church. In the ad they basically depict missionaries going into a lesbian couple's house and going through their stuff until they find a marriage license. Then they rip it saying that they are taking away all rights.

My problem with that is the way missionaries are depicted in the video. I have several friends and I am soon planning on becoming a missionary, and these young people are there to serve. Basically we believe that homosexuality is a sin. We believe in loving the sinner, but not the sin. As members of the Church we "love all men" as Christ taught. Just because we love them does not mean that we love what they do.

As missionaries we serve everybody. Two years of our lives are dedicated to the Lord. We preach to those who will open their doors and are willing to listen. In no way do we force our beliefs on anyone. These young men/women are giving up two years, so please don't tear down these people. All they do is serve.

The interesting thing about this ad is the point it tries to make. It seems to be saying that my Church wants to limit personal rights. This is far from the truth. It almost always stays out of political debates. In this case the Church gets involved because this is about the degradation of the family in our society. To us the family is very important. We believe that every family consists of a mother and a father. When this pattern is not followed society breaks down. The break down of society limits freedom.

Please stick to the facts rather than stooping to taking swipes at personal character. This is not about the integrity of our missionaries, which is impeccable, it is about political and ethical beliefs.

How to be cool...

2008-10-29T10:19:00.003-07:00

Here at BYU I've noticed a formula that is always the way to be cool.

First Root Beer...

Sasquatch (Love Sack)...

Sweet TV set up...

Sweet action wooden models...

Muscles

Popularity

Now if I could just get some muscles...

The BYU experience...

2008-10-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Many of you, my loyal audience, may wonder what things are like here at BYU. Considering none of my family (which makes up most of my readership) has never attended BYU I think I will divulge a list of things about BYU...

Unique things (not good or bad)...
1. Mothers pushing strollers- I don't think I can ever get used to that
2. To bring a caffeinated drink onto campus is bootlegging- if it's not sold here...
3. Words like 'Flip' and 'Darn'- you move away and your language goes down hill...

Bad things...
1. People pushing the PDA (Public Display of Affection) limit- I mean I even see some people with interlaced hands...
2. No "YouTube"- but I just wanted to watch some Brian Regan...
3. Being a pre-mi (that stands for premission)- I feel like I was born early or something
4. Missing out- I totally miss out on everything at home

Good things...
1. The Honor Code- I mean hair touching your ears is considered pushing it...
2. The tying everything to the gospel- my archaeology teacher even bore her testimony...
3. The Creamery- fattening food just a few steps away...
4. Religion Classes- and you thought Sunday School was intense...

P.S. if any of you can think of anything else please leave a comment.

A curse?

2008-10-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

I for one believe in curses.

Why?

Because I have been cursed!

I have what is called the flat tire curse.

Yes my presence in cars causes flat tires.

This all began last early spring when I was driving back from painting one saturday night and I got a flat.

Then about a month and a half ago I was riding up to Boise with my sister driving and we hit road kill and we got a flat tire.

Then about a month ago I was dropped off here at BYU and my roomies parents left and got a flat tire on their way back to their house. (OK so I didn't ride in that car, but I think I touched it or something)

Then last night I was driving back from enjoying conference with my family when my car hit a routine bump in the road. You know the kind that you drive over everyday. Well as you can guess I got a flat tire.

If I'm not cursed I don't know what cursed is!

College students with spare time...

2008-10-01T10:04:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder what we college students do with a little spare time? Maybe not, but you may have wondered what BYU students do with a little spare time.

We do constructive things...

Check out this...

2008-09-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Due to my overall laziness when it comes to blogging, I've decided that I'm not going to post the same thing on two blogs. So, if you would like to see my lastest post please check out my home ward sunday school blog at
http://upadeuelcreekysa.blogspot.com/
to see my latest addition in my dorm adventure...

P.S. I would have posted it here, but that blog is seriously lacking in posts so I thought I would help it out a little.

I all growd up!

2008-09-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've done it.

I've done my laundry!

Here are my nicely folded pants,

and hung shirts!

Not too bad I say!

Tour de bathroom

2008-09-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Due to some confusion about the overall size of my room (it is smaller than it looks), anyway i decided to make a video of the bathroom so that you could all look at it and understand how small it is...

I know probably the last thing you wanted to see, but I needed to continue the tour...

Meet the Kitchen

2008-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

We shall continue the tour of the dorm with the kitchen.

This is the south side of the kitchen with the sink and fridge. The door is just off the right edge of the picture.

This is the west side of the kitchen.

This contains the essentials: microwave, stove, and toaster.

Notice the nice tinfoil wrapped ranges.

This is our table. The picture is facing north.

The table divides the kitchen from our pad...
which has a 20" hdtv, playstation 3 and cable.

Not bad I say. (thanks to my roomie from colorado for that stuff)

Now you've met the kitchen.

A New Beginning

2008-08-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well for those of you who don't know, I moved to BYU today! Pretty cool huh!

My roomate Phil Dog!

This is my side of the room. Already messy I know!

This is his side of the room (a lot cleaner too)!

Sorry that this post is so short but I've got to get my books and other stuff, but I will keep you updated on my journey as a college student.

An Olympic Comparison

2008-08-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love the Olympics. I love seeing my country whoop other countries. I love seeing the underdog come through with a clutch victory even if for bronze. I love seeing other countries fall flat on their faces shortly after trash talking (see http://biohazard-blog.blogspot.com/2008/08/french-smack-down.html.)

I've had a hard time with this Olympics however because of the host country. We all know of the abuses in a communist or totalitarian system, but why do we not see them? Why does it seem that they are putting on a great show and all of the Chinese seem courteous?

Then my history came back to me. The 1936 Olympics were held in Berlin. For those of you who didn't make the connection that means Nazi Germany. The main purpose of the 1936 games was to show the world how wonderful Germany and Germans in general were. Doesn't this sound like the Beijing Olympics? The Chinese are using the games as a sort of cover up (Even though they still can't cover up the smog :)

Should the Olympics be used a tool of politics? The sad reality is that many countries it is. They are so focused on winning and making their country look better that they forget that it is just games. They (The Chinese) are even willing to cheat just to win.

Literary Monday: Man's Search for Meaning

2008-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Title: Man's Search for Meaning

Author: Victor E. Frankl

Copyright Date: 1959

Summary: The book is a autobiography of Frankl's experience in the Nazi prison camps of Auschwitz and a smaller one in Austria. The horrifying experience of constantly know that at any point he could be gassed, or beaten, or worse, and malnourishment, and sickness taught him valuable lessons into attaining happiness in life. He learned that happiness wasn't in money or even art, it was in the meaning of life. The meaning of life is different for every person and every moment. The key to living a full, happy life is finding the meaning in it.

Quote: "The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.
"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

Chaddy's Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Chaddy's Comments: I thought this was a really DEEP book, but I came to find that that was what I liked about it. Victor Frankl's observations in his psychiatric practice and his camp experience were wonderful. Just plan on spending time with this book!

See Ya...

2008-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've had some good times with my buddies, but now one of them is leaving for two years to serve the people of Nebraska.

He's the one in the center.

Yesterday was spent with my family and their families talking about all of the crazy stuff we have done, and all of the good times. It made me sad to know that the fun times are on pause until he gets back.

I'm going to miss you man!

Literary TUESDAY: The Last Lecture

2008-07-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Title: The Last Lecture

Author: Randy Pausch

Copyright Date: 2008

Summary: Randy Pausch is a professor at Carnegie Mellon when he is diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. He is asked to give his last lecture, which is an honor given to professors usually before they retire. The book basically contains his thoughts on life and how to achieve your childhood dreams. He lays out his entire life from his understanding parents to how he met his wife to his three young children.

Quote: " A lot of professors give talks title "The Last Lecture." Maybe you've seen one. It has become a common excercise on college compuses. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. Ane while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?"

Chaddy's Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Chaddy's Comments: I thought this book had some very good insights, but it didn't get me overly excited. Towards the end I found myself counting the pages left because it seems that it sort of drags on. I do want to go online and watch parts of his acutual lecture to see how good it is.

P.S. Sorry that this came a day late! I guess that I decided to hang out with my family rather than read this week. Next week will be on Monday.

Literary Monday: The Great Divorce

2008-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Title: The Great Divorce

Author: C. S. Lewis

Summary: It begins with the narrator in a dim town that seems deserted and it is raining slightly. He finds himself in a queue waiting for a bus with several other people. The get on the bus and find it flying. During the trip he meets many people who are taking this trip for various reasons. He finally learns that the trip is taking them to heaven. When they arrive they find that they are transparent ghosts. The elements in heaven seem as hard as diamonds and heavier than expected. Next some of the residents of heaven come out to meet the group, and they are described as bright as can be. One by one these 'spirits' come to the ghosts and try to get them to come join them in heaven all they have to do is change their ways. The narrator is met by George MacDonald, one of the angels. The narrator asks his 'Teacher' many questions about heaven, and the teacher answers by telling him that we must give up everything that we love and know for Jesus and we can be saved, the town he came from was hell, and what it is to truly love.

Quote:

"Nothing, not even the best and noblest, can go on as it is now. Nothing, not
even that what is lowest and most bestial, will not be raised again if it
submits to death. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.
Flesh and blood cannot come to the Mountains. Not because they are to rank, but
because they are too weak. What is a lizard compared to a stallion? Lust is a
poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy
of desire which will arise when lust has been killed." George MacDonald to
narrator

Chaddy's Rating: 4 out of 5

Chaddy's Comments: In the realm of religious literature C. S. Lewis cannot be surpassed, and The Great Divorce is a classic. C. S. Lewis wrote this book is response to William Blake's The Great Marriage. In his book, Blake writes about the great marriage of Heaven and Hell. Basically how they are one and the same. Lewis disagreed, and his book is basically his rebuttal and the difference between Heaven and Hell. It is a short book, and a surprisingly easy read (it took me about 2-3 hours). I would recommend this to all religiously inclined person who wants something easy to read, but enlightening.

To the Bones

2008-07-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've all heard of the saying "worked to the bones." Well I wouldn't say I made it all the way to the bones but it felt like it.

And they say I don't work hard!

Literary Monday: The Christ Commission

2008-07-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Title: The Christ Commission

Author: Og Mandino

Copyright Date: 1980

Summary: Matthew Lawrence is the most celebrated detective writer of his time. His fame has brought him to the "Carson Show" as a guest. During the discussion Johnny asks him if he has any books that he hasn't been able to finish. That's when Matthew Lawrence explaining a book that he wants to write called "The Christ Commission." Based in ancient times, the book would explore whether or not Jesus' body had been stolen. The book would end with the Commission discovering that the body could not have been stolen, but Matthew has come to conclusion that the body was stolen. He claims that if he was given a week in ancient Jerusalem that he could prove the body was stolen. Soon he is given his chance as he it taken back to meet all of the infamous men of the New Testament. His adventure heats up as he has to dodge Romans if he wants to make it out alive.

Quote: "I haven't been able to finish the book for one simple reason. The more I studied the events of the last week in the life of Jesus, the more I tried to wrestle with and resolve the strong inconsistencies one finds in the four Gospels, the more I searched the writings of far wiser men than myself who have struggled with this enigma for over nineteen hundred years-the more I became convinced that Jesus never rose from the dead!" -Matthew Lawrence on the Carson Show

Chaddy's Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (good read)

Chaddy's Comments: It is definitely a good book. It is non-denominational yet provides clear insights into the New Testament. It was a good book, but what really got me excited was the historical depth of the book. Og Mandino does his research! Good book.

Happy July 4th!

2008-07-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my life I didn't spend Independence Day with most of my family, at the Centerville Parade, or at a Barbecue. This year I spent the 4th fishing at my favorite place in the entire world. Pelican Lake. I'm going to take you through that experience.

Thursday at three PM, my father and I left for Pelican Lake in time to get the evening fish in. Boy, am I glad we did. That night I caught several nice fish using this lure:

That night I caught the next several fish:

This one was about 2 pounds

This one was the biggest one that trip. It was around 6 pounds!

And this one around 3 pounds

This was the last one that night around 2 pounds.

The next day I used this lure to catch some smaller fish...

And this 3ish pounder

Later in the day I used another lure to catch the next two, but I lost the lure after a fish broke it off so no picture, but you can see it in my hand in this picture of a nice two pounder.

An almost 3 pounder

I missed you guys, but we had a great time fishing!

Literary Monday: Speaker for the Dead

2008-06-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Speaker for the Dead

Author: Orson Scott Card

Copyright Date: 1986

Summary: The world of Lusitania is not only a colony for the humans, but also inhabited by a race called "Piggies." Xenologers study their culture, but disaster strikes when Pipo, the head xenologer, is ritualistically killed by the creatures. Thats when Andrew Wiggens, the Speaker for the Dead, is summoned to Lusitania to speak Pipo's death. Things take off from there as the Catholic colony is turned against him, and he begins to crack the mystery of the piggies. Is this the place for the new beggining for the Buggers.

Quote: "It was a lonely, tortured young girl named Novinha that he thought of, wondering what the twenty-two years of his voyage were doing to her, as you can only love someone who is an echo of yourself at your time of deepest sorrow."

Chaddy's Rating: 3 out of 5 (good book)

Chaddy's Comments: I thought this was a good book and I still loved Ender. I did not however like it as much as the first, "Ender's Game." I loved Ender's war strategies and stuff, but this book is devoid of that, and he has in fact turned into a humanist. Oh well, still a good read.

Literary Monday: Ender's Game

2008-06-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Ender's Game

Author: Orson Scott Card

Copyright Date: 1977

Summary: Andrew "Ender" Wiggen is a childhood prodigy bred for one thing, to be commander of an intergalatic fleet bent on the total destruction of an alien species, the "buggers." Due to his destiny as "the one" his training begins at age six, and from then one he is constantly being trained for his mission. Ender's ability to use stratagem and analyse his enemy and find the weakness makes him excell through Battle School and Commander School. Behind the scenes the entire time is the IF watching and manipulating him to create the perfect soldier.

Quote: "Ender Wiggen must believe that no matter what happens, no adult will ever, ever step in to help him in any way. He must believe, to the core of his soul, that he can only do what he and the other children work out for themselves. If he does not believe that, then he will never reach the peak of his abilities."

Chaddy's Rating: 4 out of 5 (I recommend this book)

Chaddy's Comments: Two things about this book totally enthralled me. First, Ender's ability to analyse the enemy and find a weakness so easily. It makes me want to sit back and analyse things a little bit more. The way that we could pick anybody apart was awesome. Second, the technology, especially since this book was written in the 70's, seems oddly familiar to ours! The net, they use this to communicate on public forums (or what we might call blogs), and their "desks," which are oddly familiar to our laptops, and even computer games! Seriously this is a good book.

Next Week: Speaker for the Dead (Sequel to Ender's Game)

Elder Johnson's Cooking Abilities?

2008-06-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

What a wierdo!

Literary Monday: Angels and Demons

2008-06-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Angels & Demons

Author: Dan Brown

Copyright Date: 2000

Summary: Robert Langdon is a religious symbology professor at Harvard University when he recieves a fax from "CERN" showing a murdered man bearing a brand from an ancient satanic group called the "Illuminati." He is swept into an aventure that takes him on the ancient Illuminati "Path of Elightenment," in order to save the Vatican city from an "Antimatter" explosion. Is the Illuminati real? Who is Janus, the leader of the Illuminati? Needless to say in the end Robert saves the day.

Chaddy's Rating: 3 out of 5 (good but not wonderful)

Chaddy's Comments: I thought the plot original and I definatly felt the supsense, but the academic side of it lacked a little. Overall I would say it was a good read, but not a must-read.

Next Week: Ender's Game

Top Ten Reasons...

2008-06-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Some months ago I posted the top ten reasons that I ran... Well something has happened since then; I ran a marathon and haven't run a step since then. So I thought it would be appropriate to list the "Top Ten Reasons I Haven't Run Since My Marathon."

1. Inertia: I have no motivation and I'm out of the habit

2. My Mother doesn't make me do it: enough said

3. Knee Pain: My knees just stopped hurting during everyday activities why would I want that to stop.

4. I've learned how to tell Lindi "no": I'm sure she will comment on this one

5. Running just isn't fun enough: Pain and tiredness...

6. Not enough time: enough said

7. I'm too slow to go running with any of my friends

8. I'd rather be fishing

9. I don't have money for new running shoes.

10. Why? When I could be eating or sleeping.

Literary Monday

2008-06-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

Title: 1776

Author: David McCullough

Copyright date: 2005

Summary: Basically this book is a summary of George Washington's army throughout the pivitol year of 1776. It begins with the successful siege of Boston, the crushing defeat at New York, and ends with his crossing the Delaware to defeat the Hessians at Trenton.

Favorite Quote: (Speaking of Washington) "He was not a brilliant strategist or tactician, not a gifted orator, not an intellectual. At several crucial moments he had shown marked indecisiveness. He made serious mistakes in judgement. But experience had been his great teacher since boyhood, and in this his greatest test, he learned steadily from experience. Above all, Washington never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up."

Chaddy's Rating (Out of five): 4.99 (I am totally against giving perfect scores so there you have it)

Chaddy's Comments: I seriously loved this book. As I state on the right of the screen I love history and this definatly has history in it. The best part about the book is that it is totally honest. It does not paint a perfect picture of Washington, but that just made me admire this man more. I suggest this book for anyone who calls themselves American!

Next Week: Angels & Demons

Literary Mondays

2008-06-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite blogs (Lindi and Jason, Momzoo, and Biohazard) feature special days like "Wordless Wednesday" and "Video Fridays." So i've come up with "Literary Monday!" Basically my goal this summer is to read as many books as possible and every Monday I will post my book review on the book that I just read.

This first Literary Monday does not feature a book review however, this version is more of a plea for my loyal readers to submit some books for me to read over the summer. My goal is to read one or more books a week. I want a variety such as: religious, thought provoking, just darn entertaining, but the most important part is that it must be stimulating! Please comment and give me a list of books!

P.S. It would be even better if you could lend me the book as well! :)

The next two posts...

2008-05-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

The next two post concern my graduation, so please read both of them.

All Night Party!

2008-05-30T16:54:00.001-07:00

Probably the most anticipated part of graduation is the all night party that night! Well it was pretty much awesome!

I think this picture is self explanatory.

Anyway is was so much fun. We played the wii, volleyball, various games, and a blow up obstacle course. Seriously is was way fun.

P.S. Thanks to "Big Daddy and Bek Bek" for the ice cream machine. It was way sweet!

Grad-gi-cation

2008-05-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was graduation for Viewmont! Yeah! Those thirteen years of schooling finally coming to an end! School was a wonderful experience for me and I'm going to really miss my friends and teachers.

Here's me wonderful family that came to endure the graduation ceremony for me! You guys are the best!

Here's my parents who are now done with public school forever! Thank to both of them for making me do my homework and waking up for school.

Here's my friends: (Left to Right) Me, Whitney Ricks, Chad Duncan, Kjarinda Lambert, Danny Toney, Stacey Graham, and Philip Lemperle! Thank you guys for putting up with my wierdness and being there for me.

Superior Fashion!

2008-05-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

For our "Spring Fling" Viewmont reserved the Rec Center for the night, and we had intramural sports. My team, the Mooncalves, participated in volleyball, and we made these wonderful uniforms. I'm pretty sure that we started a fashion trend.

Marathons!

2008-05-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so most of you know that I ran a marathon over the weekend, so I'm going to focus more on my thoughts and feelings on marathons in general now that I've experienced one.

Many years ago I was under the impression that marathons were totally bad for your body. Then after training for my two half marathons I thought, "this is easy I'm half way there and I hardly hurt at all!" Oh how wrong I was! You see I'm technically in the prime of my life, and I shouldn't have knee problems right? Well about a month ago both of my knees started experiencing pain and a "popping" sensation everytime that I took a step. Not a good sign. The wear and tear took such a toll that it seemed that my legs were never not sore no matter how much ice or stretching was involved.

Then there was the time commitment. Being a senior in high school (I know many of you are rolling your eyes thinking how "stressful" my life is compared to yours but for me it is stressful) I have a lot of things going on and people who depend on me to do things for them, and taking that much time to train for a marathon is just plain hard.

Thats not to say that it was all bad-up til this point I'm guessing that Lindi was feeling kind of bad-I formed some great bonds with family members that wouldn't have exhisted. Getting to know my cousin Drew better, growing closer to my uncles Larson and Benson, and last, but certainly not least, forming a stronger friendship with my sister/running buddy Lindi. You guys are the greatest. Really the entire reason I kept doing it was because of you guys.

Editors Note: Although it may not have seemed clear, Chaddy was giving his "farewell to longer than 10k runs post."

Why?

2008-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen someone running with some sort brace, and asked yourself 'why would that person keep running with that injury?' I know the reason. Because they have a crazy sister coupled with a pride issue. Ok thats just my excuse, but I can't think of any other reason why I would keep running.

Prom!

2008-05-10T16:13:00.001-07:00

Yes prom was wonderful. I case you were wondering. I went with Kennedy Gerber. Here we are.

She is laughing because we had valet parking and she thought that was quite clever.

Here is the church that we went to. All of us guys decorated it ourselves. Pretty good huh!

While we were there we put on a talent show...

Here is my talent.

Pretty much studly I guess. What was with the laughter in the bakcground? That was a totally serious face melt.

Anyway Prom was fun and I will post more pics when they become available.

Roll out the red carpet...

2008-05-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

As you can guess this isn't Chaddy, but I couldn't resist! Chaddy was voted for and won prom royalty! He was the first attendant {really the king in our book, but being Jr Prom, whatever}

Doesn't Chaddy look hot?! :)

Meg escorted Chadd down the isle at the assembly announcing his His royalty!! What a cute little girl! Man, I love the hair!

Chaddy, feel free to comment but don't you dare delete this...

Love you, Lindi!

Happy Birthday!

2008-04-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were wondering today is the universe's birthday!

Kepler calculated that the universe was created April 27, 4977 BC. Just thought you would all like to know so that you could throw a cake together and candles.

P.S. Happy Birthday to "Momzoo" as well.

Which One is Bigger?

2008-04-24T15:09:00.001-07:00

Dad and I had a discussion about which of our fishes was bigger. I told him my fish was much bigger. What do you think?

Now tell me honestly which one looks bigger?

P.S. You should pull out a ruler and measure them on your screen.
P.P.S. By the way I did nothing to enhance mine.
P.P.P.S. Ok maybe a little cheating on the picture size...

1984

2008-04-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

In English we just finished the book 1984. The book was not an enjoyable one, but definatly made some serious points. While I don't think that the scenerio is ever possible, I took these points away:

1. Government intervention is a bad thing all around. When the government starts controlling everything is when things really start going down hill. Freedom, absolute and uncomprimising, is more important than maintaining order and "equality."

2. Division in governement is a good thing. As much as I would love a Republican controlled government, it would not be good for the people. As soon as a party starts to take over abuses begin.

3. People should not get caught up in political fads. In George Orwell's time communism was popular in England and he was worried about. His fear was that people would not see the end to what they had started. In todays political atmospere I say stay away from ideaologies and politician that are the fads of today. Barrack Obama is just a fad in my eyes. Because he is young and black many of the younger generation is fired up over him, but they fail to see what sort of man he truly is.

Please leave your comments regarding the book. I know many of you have read it and I wanted to know what you thought.

Politically Correct Crayons!

2008-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our crayons aren't even safe these days.

In case you can't read that...

Yes our crayons can't be normal anymore. All of the crayons inside represent the skin tones of every race on the earth.

Even albinos are represented with the white crayon.

Dang LIBERALS!

P.S. On an administrative note my blog has hit 1000 hits!

It's Done!

2008-04-07T17:31:00.001-07:00

Here she is!

For those who don't know this is a scorpion holding a bowl on its back.

This is its butt. Overall I was pleased with it, but the bowl was supposed to be "candy red", but my teacher didn't tell me before hand that the glaze was a little thin and so it needed and extra coat of red. I'm not bitter though.

My Niece?

2008-04-02T15:14:00.001-07:00

Who knew that Lindi had a little girl? He/she sure makes a cute girl though.

Caucuses

2008-03-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took part in my first official political experience. Yes, I went to the Republican Precinct Caucus. It was an enjoyable experience for several reasons and I am now officailly registered to vote. These are my thoughts on the matter:

1. The thing that I noticed as soon as I walked into the school, it was held at Centerville Jr. High, was the age desparity. I swear that the average age of these people had to have been around fifty. This my not seem that old to many of you, and this is not the problem that I have with it. The problem I have is that these caucuses control who will be delegates and in turn who will make it past the primaries. Thus this age group controls policy completely. The candidates are going to cater to this age group who are worried about things like social security and medicare. This means that the problems that my age group and on up through the thirties are not going to be focused on. So what I am saying is that we all should go!

2. The total lack of people there. Ok since I'm in Utah that means that once these candidate get past our primary they are practially a shoo in. That means that these caucus meetings are controlling who will be the next office holder. In my precinct represents around 500 people. You want to know how many were there? About twenty. That small group pretty much speaks for all of those people. That also means that if you feel very strongly about a certain issue it is easy to get people to hear your views and make a difference as a delegate. We had six delegates chosen out of the twenty. It is pretty east to get chosen as a delegate and that means you can have power to influence policy.

3. The make up of the people that were there was mostly teachers and some with extreme views, along with a few people who were either curious or just felt it as our duty. Do we really want these people with that much power? No we want a good representation of the views of the people. Go to the caucus meetings and let your voice be heard.

I know that it is too late this year, but I challenge all of you to go in two years when they happen again. Seriously they are wonderful, and they only last for an hour.

You Know Life Is On Its Way When...

2008-03-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

YOU GET PLASTIC DISHES FOR EASTER!

That doesn't mean that I have to use them when I get to college!

By the way this is my Easter spread and I think I did pretty good.

The underwear is running compression shorts (you know for chaffing and sweat).

You Know You Need To Lose Weight When...

2008-03-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

YOU SPLIT YOUR PANTS!

Am I really that fat? The picture speaks for itself, but all I'm going to say is that it happened in ceramics class.

Bad Attitude!

2008-03-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know I had a bad run on Saturday. After I posted my (pretended) happy post-see below; I knew that I needed to explain to you all why I was disappionted with my performance. It was not because Andrew did so well, no I was quite happy that Andrew did so well, or not so much my time, but the biggest thing was the fact I had to stop and walk. As both of my running partners know I never walk! Never never never ever! Even if I feel I can go no further I don't walk. In the latest half marathon though, I got the mother of all side aches. Now I'm not complaining, but that side ache was the worst pain I have ever felt while running and I had to stop. I was so disappionted with that! That is why I was not happy.

P.S. Sorry for the bad attitude because I feel that it might have put a damper on things there for a little while.

The ATSrs (And Then Sommers)

2008-03-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

You all know about the Half Marathon over the weekend; I just wanted to post the picture my mother took and let you all know how I felt about the whole ordeal...

In first place we have Andrew! He did a wonderful job and we are so proud of our number one ATSr.

So next in line we have myself! Not too bad considering the competition.

Notice that the shot is from behind (I am the one on the left). They always seem to get these weird shots of me. Maybe it is because I am too fast...

After that we have Larson. Very nice work Lars!

After Larson came Benson. He is the rock of the ATSrs and we couldn't do it without him.

For those of you who are wondering that is Rachel next to him, but no she didn't run the whole thing.

After that comes Lindi and Julie. These are my running companions so I'm so proud of them for sticking through the race. Way to be.

Way to go team ATS! I had a wonderful time down there with all of you. Despite the pain, I had an enjoyable time with all of you.

All of you supporters are the best for going down with us and being there to take pictures and give us motivation to do our best. You guys are the best.

Pottery

2008-03-03T14:45:00.001-08:00

The more I think about the more I feel that I like pottery. Not looking about pottery, but making it. It is so fun to know that from a lump of clay I can make anything that I want. It is very freeing (is that a word because I don't think that it is). Really it has become a hobby that I hope that I can keep doing forever.
P.S. I have decided that I am going to take a picture of all my projects when they are completed and post it here. That way you all can know what I am doing in Ceramics class.

Commenting Contest

2008-02-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

As many of you know my family is quite competitive. Everything we do is all about beating each other. Even if it means that I have to fun 5 steps ahead of Lindi and Julie so that I finish before them. In this spirit of competition I confess my and Lindi's "Commenting Contest." The whole point is to see who gets the most comments on any singular post. I have to say that I have been doing quite badly because frankly Lindi has quite a few people reading her blog, but I now proclaim to you that I am winning! Yes my blog tothegirlsinourlive.blogspot.com has gained 19 comments on one post. That right there is a feat. Of course I give this winning about 5 weeks until Lindi finds more friends of hers to comment, but for now I will enjoy my lead.

Me and My Crazy Friends

2008-02-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

Ok so I guess that I am really wierd, and this is compounded by my wierd friends. They are so wierd they convinced me to record a song. Not something that I would normally do. So I, along with Philip and Kendall, made music videos for Valentine's day. These videos can be viewed on http://tothegirlsinourlives.blogspot.com/ Enjoy!

Who To Vote For!

2008-02-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

What is this world coming to. Since the dawn of my life I have always held the belief that no matter what happened I could always vote for the republican candidate, because come heck or high water I would always go with the conservative candidate. This year I don't know what to think! Not only do we have liberal demos to worry about (Hilliary and Barack), but we also now have a liberal repulican to worry about. Yes John Mccain is totally liberal. Now if you were to look at any other source they would say that he is "moderate," which is a fancy term for "middle of the road." That is true, but the "middle of the road" is way to liberal for me, so he is liberal. I guess what I am saying is that I can always write in Mitt. Because I would much rather do that than to vote for any of the liberal candidates.

I am the champion!

2008-02-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

So just to let you guys know that I won! You are probably thinking what the heck is he talking about. Well, I won the prestigious Viewmont Badminton Intramural. Yes I know pretty big. I just wanted to let you know that so when you see it on the news you won't be too shocked. Kendall and Philip were on my team and we won the semi-finals against he best team. The games are played to 25 and you have to win by 2. The final score was 26-24. It was way fun, then we just coasted in the finals to a 25-13 win. It was pretty intense.

Why I Fear Romney Has No Shot!

2008-01-29T15:10:00.001-08:00

Today I was looking for updates on the Florida Primary, and so I decided to use MSNBC.COM as my guide. To my disappointment they had no update. That was OK, but then a link caught my eye. It was an article by Tom Curry, and it was titled "It's all or nothing in Florida." The article was basically talking to voters in Florida. It was quite interesting, but then the most discriminating thing that I had ever heard was said by some obviously oblivious person. She said this:

"Sheridan Kernop, a legal assistant, said Huckabee “was absolutely the best choice. I’ve been researching my candidates pretty well and (Mitt) Romney was in the running when I thought Huckabee was not going to be an issue. I always liked Huckabee, but I didn’t think the country would get behind him. But now that the country is starting to get behind him, I think that is the way to go."

Asked whether she’d considered voting for Sen. John McCain, Kernop replied simply, “McCain’s too old.” The Arizona senator is 71.

She also rejected former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. “His views on same-sex marriage -- it’s just completely killing him,” she said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled out of the race this weekend.”

Huckabee “has good Christian morals and that’s the reason I’m voting for him,” said Ann Heath, who works at the driver’s license bureau. Why did she not choose Romney instead of Huckabee?

“The honest truth? Because he’s a Mormon.”

She says a little bit more about other candidates, but that is enough for what I want to say. Could this lady be even more less informed. Last I checked "Mormons" have "good Christian morals." These people have no idea about Mormons do they? Often people should just research something that they don't know about, and then they can draw real conclusion rather than acting upon cultural bias.
This is why I think Romney is going to have a hard time. I obviously don't think he has no shot, but unless people open their eyes he will never be elected president.
P.S. Anyone who might want to read the article the URL is http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22896871/

My Top 10 Reasons For Running

2008-01-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

Honestly after running that half marathon I have been wondering "why do I run?" This question came up when the "Prancing Pony" asked me why I ran. I had no answer and I have been thinking about it and this is what I came up with...
1. Some ever so gentle nudging from the "Prancing Pony", the "Cumbersome Clydesdale", my mother, and uncles.
2. To be able to say that I do something. Because doing nothing is just way too lame.
3. The T-shirts I get at the races we run.
4. The company that is there when you run.
5. The taste of Gatorade (or water) after a good hard run.
6. To keep from being considered for "The Biggest Loser" although I know my mom would be cheering for me if I was.
7. Because it is something that I can beat the "Prancing Pony" quite handily at.
8. So that I can go over the "Prancing Pony's" house for running and when it just happens to coincide with a sports game.
9. Because talking about running is a good conversation starter.
10. So that I can see my name on the Internet. You know when they post the results.

Those are the reasons that I could come up with if you can think of any others please let me know, because I was really struggling by numbers eight and nine.

The Half Marathon

2008-01-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

We did it! Most of you that read my blog also read the Salmonds blog so you already know about most of this, but I'm going to give my take on it. We; Mom, Rachel, Benson, and I, left Friday for St. George around 2 p.m. We arrived around 6:30, and dropped our stuff off at the hotel. Then we went to the local recreation center to pick up our numbers, sweatshirts, and other freebies. We were joined by the Salmonds and the Larson Alders. That night we gorged on pizza. Not exactly the best carb load. Oh well! The next morning we left the hotel at 8:45 since the race started at 9. We walked to starting line with all of us getting excited yet nervous. Right at 9 the race started. The first couple of miles are always hard for me. With that it took about 3 miles for me to get going and to feel really good. After that I slowly got feeling better and better until it peaked around miles 6-8. During those miles I felt wonderful. After that though I didn't feel good. We entered this neighborhood in Bloomington and I could have died! As we entered I could feel my energy start to wane. Then I got a side ache. My arch nemesis hit me around mile 9.5 on the left side. It took me about half a mile to get rid of it when I got another one on my right side. Needless to say I was not feeling good about the run at this point. Soon I got rid of that side ache I was starting to drag a little. So I decided to pull out what I considered my last option. I used what is call carb boom. It is like a goo that feels like you are drinking snot! Many of you know that I struggle with textures. The first time I tried similar stuff I felt sick for the rest of the run. I used it and gagged a little, but I did not get sick to my stomach. After that I was feeling slightly better, but still waiting for my last wind to kick in. It finally did when I realized that the finish was just over the hill. As I crossed the finish line I heard someone say that they had timed around 1 hour 54 minutes. I had beat my goal by 6 minutes! I guess, despite the aches and pains, it was a good experience.
P.S. Just a shout out to the "Prancing Pony" for coming in around 2:30. Just weeks after appendix surgery.

The wonderful holiday spirit!

2008-01-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

Here comes my bah humbug moment. Think of when you were in school in the middle of december. All you can think about is the christmas break. Nothing could be better than the wonderful holiday break. While this is true for most people it wasn't true for me this one. Why? Well it had to do with my wonderful brother and a beautiful kitchen. Yes, my brother leaving ruined my christmas break. Now I am not saying that I did not want him to go or that I think he did the wrong thing, but I am saying that it made it miserable. To start things off we had about 1 month to make cabinets, paint, and put new laminate on. Not hard you say, well lets just say that we did it in about 2 weeks. Craming all of this into 2 weeks eats up all of a guys spare time during the break. Needless to say that I spent most of my time working in there. I gladly helped every step of the way. It looked like we werre goingto get it done, and then it happened. My dad lopped off his finger 3 days before the farewell. All the rest of us could do was make it look presentable, which I am happy to say we did. Some of those night were long. The night before the farewell many of us stayed up til 4 in the morning.
Now of course you are thinking that I had the next 3 days to relax. Not true. I had help get marc ready to leave, and then there was new years eve. Lets just say that I never got that rest.
Don't you think that I should get some rest? Me too!
Wow I feel much better after that rant. I think I'm going to take a nap now!

Match Rockets

2008-01-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

Ok so i guess I just want to share a wonderful past time of mine that you guys might enjoy. They are tinfoil match rockets. The pasic physics of it is to use the high flamability of the sulphur on the end of matches. When the match heads light they light quickly to make the lighting explosive. The explosiveness will then be directed down an exhaust shaft to give the rocket thrust. Anyway this is how it is done: Supplies: tinfoil, matches, lighter, nail, tape, scissors and pin. Directions: 1. The first thing you want to do is make the launch pad. This is done by taking the pin and pushing it through a double layered piece of tinfoil(to prevent it from burning) at the angle you want the rocket to launch, and tape it so that it won't move. 2. Now that you have the launch pad the next thing to do is to build the actual rocket. Do this by cutting a strip of tinfoil 2 inches by 5 inches. Then cut off 5-7 match heads( cutting it just below the red sulphur) and place about 1 1/2 inches up one of the 2 inch sides. The next part is crucial. Making sure that the match heads stay put throughout the rest of the process take the nail and place from the match heads down the 2 inch side so that it hangs out but also is in contact with the match heads. Next roll the match heads and nail up the 5 inches of tinfoil making sure that the nail stays in contact with the match heads and the match heads don't come out the top. When the rolling is complete make sure that the tinfoil is tight around the nail and pull it out. Then twist the other side (from the hole left by the nail) so that it is air tight. The rocket is complete. 3. Next take the launch pad outside in an area that won't catch on fire. Place the hole from the nail over the pin. It does not need to be pushed down. Then hold the lighter while lit under the rocket so that the flame is hitting right where the match heads are. You might have to hold it for a while, but it should light. If it doesn't try using less tinfoil. Try that and if you have any questions just put them in the comment section.
P.S. it sounded kind of vague, so just to clarify the rocket should end up being about 2 inches long.

The B(C)S system

2008-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well I warned you guys that this might come up. A sports post! I guess with the college bowl season wonding down and only a couple of games left that something has becomevery apparent to me. Every major sport has a playoff system does it not. Hockey; Pro., collegiate, high school, Jr. High, and pee wee basketball(women's and men's); pro. and high school football; for goodness sake even tennis. I ask you then why does college football have one then? The answer is a simple yet sad one, money. That is all there is to it. The bowl executives have a monopoly on the system that is elitist. Many proponents of the B(c)S system say that well the better comferences kind of play a playoff in the regular season and then the 2 best play in the championship. That is a nice thought, but how often does this actually happen? it is a rare occurance. Take a look at this years set up. Ohio State and LSU in the championship game. Now I am not saying that these teams don't deserve to be where they are at, but why couldn't a team like USC, who many are saying is playing the est football right now, be there also. Another team, Kansas, has a legitimate claim. They performed well in their bowl, and they only have one loss. Now I could go on for hours about how many teams have a claim, but the point is that all of the top 10 teams have some sort of claim. Another problem with the system is that it is exclusive. Any team that is not a member of a B(C)S conference has no shot whatsoever at making the title game. Look at, am I really saying this, Utah in 2004. They were undefeated yet they got stuck in the worst of the B(C)S games against a mediocre Pittsburgh team. Why did they not get a chance to play for the title? The answer to all of these problems is a playoff. Just a 16 team playoff that would prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that the team that wins the title is the best team.

An only child!

2008-01-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

For any of you that don't know I am now officially an only child! My big brother Marc left on his mission today! I wish him the best of luck, but I guess that is not really what I am blogging about today. Today I get to test which is better to be an only child or the youngest. Many argue that being the youngest is the best because you get spoiled and you have lots of friends that are your siblings. While that may be true, and I don't think that I have been spoiled myself, other people argue that being an only child is the best because all of your parents attention is focused on you! I have always wondered which side was true. I had tried the youngest thing, so now that I get to try being the only child for a while I will let you know how it is and which one is best.

Mission Statement

2007-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

I am totally new at this blogging thing. So, I guess first I am just going to say why I am blogging. There are three main reasons. First, minor peer pressure from my wonderful sisters. Second, because I want to share my thoughts and feeling that might not be possible to share other ways. Thus letting me be honest and truthful. Third, so that when I go away to college my mother won't have to call to check up on me she can just look at my blog, and see how I am. That basically covers why I blog, but I am sure you are all dying to know what I will talk about. The main goal will be to share my thoughts, as I have already explained, but the secondary goal will be to just let you all know what is going on in my life.

P.S.
A few BYU sports posts might pop up so be warned.