Lost For Words

Oh my...I don't even know where to begin...

The season finale for LOST was incredible and, as is typical for this show, it left you with more questions than answers. Why 325 degrees? What happened to Locke and Mr. Ecko? What is the connection now between Pen and the Island? Who were the foreigners at the very end of the show? Will Walt and Michael really be rescued? What is going to happen to Jack, Kate, and Sawyer? The Others are the Good Guys? What's Hurley going to do when he gets back to camp? What are Sayid, Jen, and Sun going to find when they figure out what has happened? Are there going to be more stranded people because the electro-magnetic contraption was allowed to run down?

So many questions with no answers forth-coming until the Fall. And even then, who knows what will and won't be answered and what other multitude of questions will arise when one answer is given. This is, by far, the best show on TV right now. Yeah, I know, I'm a huge 24 fan - but this show is on such a different level - an entirely different league. I'm exhausted after watching it.

I can't wait for the second season to be released on DVD - I've got to see it again and see what other clues can be pieced together.

On a totally different note (uh, yeah, pun intended) my boy Taylor Hicks won American Karaoke...err...Idol. Yay for him - he's awesome - he's got such a terrific voice - just a wonderful tenor and a fantastic attitude that should carry him quite far in the music business.

Finally - the Suns beat the Mavericks in the first game of the round tonight 121-118. Yeah baby!!! I hope they can out last them for this series. I think if they can get past Dallas then they have a really good chance at winning the Championship this season.

Shawn

It's Official

The "Old Boss" is making the move to our company - he will start on the 31st of this month. The California trip is postponed because my grandmother's buyers pulled out at the last moment. It's been a busy but enjoyable week - still having a blast with the new job and my prototype is very close to being completed - Yay for me - lol.

Shawn

A Turn of Events

While I was watching the Suns beat the Clippers last night and reading The Beatles biography during commercial breaks, I finally received the call that I was hoping to get. My buddy, John, from work called around 9pm to tell me that Randy (our V.P. of Technology from the previous job - Assist) has officially accepted his offer letter from our current company (Webacuity) and that he will be joining us. Webacuity is wanting to break into the area of Medical Trials like Assist is in. They also have some great vision on other aspects of the medical field that we can work in - much unlike Assist who refused to look at anything outside of their decided singular niche. Now that Randy is joining us, I gave my boss one other person that we ought to get from them to help us achieve that goal quicker. Not sure if they are going to pursue that person or not, but it would be good to have their experience on our team.

Basically though, things will shake down in one of two ways - 1. We will build a product and compete head-to-head with Assist in the Medical Trial field, or 2. our company will attempt to buy Assist, remove senior management and then put us in charge back over there. I know that they are pretty serious about pursuing both of those lines because I've been working on a prototype of the new software for nearly the entire time that I've been there - that's been my first project. Also, they've been doing a lot of research to see how viable the option of buying the old company is as well and seeing what is going to be most cost effective and if Assist's reputation is worth the money.

We'll see what happens in the next few weeks - either way, ah...the irony.

Shawn

Testing for Muppets

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Not surprised...

Shawn

Go Team!!!

Yay - Dr. Antony Flew received the Philip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth today on the campus of Biola University in California.

For those who are unfamiliar with Dr. Flew and his work - he was the voice for the athiest community until December of 2004. After several years of building a relationship with Dr. Gary Habermas (a recognized expert on the topic of the Resurrection) through public debate and private correspondence, Dr. Flew announced in December 2004 that he was switching positions from being an Athiest to being a Deist. The outcry, ridicule and fallout from the skeptics has been ongoing ever since. He has received much scorn over his change in position. He has written many books and papers on the topic of both Naturalism and Atheism since the mid-60's. Born in the early 20's in London, he attended University at St. John's College, Oxford and as an undergraduate he attended regular meetings of C.S. Lewis's Socratic Club. Dr. Flew received his degree in Philosophy and spent the majority of his professional career as a Professor of Philosophy.

The Philip E. Johnson Award is given to those who show a lifetime of commitment to free and open inquiry and to standing fast against intolerant assaults on freedom and thought and expression. Dr. Flew is the second recipient of the award. Dr. Philip E. Johnson - for whom the award is named after - was the first to receive the award in 2004 for recognizing Johnson's pivotal role in advancing our understanding of design in the universe by opening up informed dissent to Darwinian and materialistic theories of evolution. Dr. Johnson is legal scholar and Berkeley law professor.

Today's presentation was attended by well-known Scientists, Theologians and Philosophers.

Shawn

Something Funny I Came Across

AT A RECENT CABINET MEETING

Bush: Well then who's the Chinese President?
Rice: Yes.
Bush: I mean the fellow's name.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The Chinese President.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The President of China.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The guy leading...
Rice: Hu is China’s President!
Bush: I'm asking YOU who's their President.
Rice: That's the man's name.
Bush: That's who's name?
Rice: Yes.
Bush: Well go ahead and tell me.
Rice: That's it.
Bush: That's who?
Rice: Yes.
(PAUSE)
Bush: Look, they gotta president?
Rice: Certainly.
Bush: Who's president?
Rice: That's right.
Bush: When they pay off their president every month, who gets the money?
Rice: Every dollar of it.
Bush: All I'm trying to find out is the fellow's name.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The guy that gets...
Rice: That's it.
Bush: Who gets the money...
Rice: He does, every dollar. Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it.
Bush: Whose wife?
Rice: Yes.
(PAUSE)
Rice: What's wrong with that?
Bush: Look, all I wanna know is when the Chinese President signs an order, how does he sign his name?
Rice: Hu.
Bush: The guy.
Rice: Hu.
Bush: How does he sign...
Rice: That's how he signs it.
Bush: Who?
Rice: Yes.
(PAUSE}
Bush: All I'm trying to find out is what's the guy's name.
Rice: No. Watt invented the steam engine.
Bush: I'm not asking you who invented the steam engine.
Rice: Hu’s the president of China.
Bush: One person at a time!
Rice: Well, don't change the names around.
Bush: I'm not changing nobody!
Rice: Take it easy, buddy.
Bush: I'm only asking you, who's the Chinese President?
Rice: That's right.
Bush: Ok.
Rice: All right.
(PAUSE)
Bush: What's the Chinese president’s name?
Rice: No. Watt invented the steam engine
Bush: I'm not asking you who invented the steam engine
Rice: Hu's the Chinese President.
Bush: I don't know.
Rice: Eyedunno’s the Prime Minister of Toga, we're not talking about him.
Bush: Now how did I get to Toga?
Rice: Why you mentioned his name.
Bush: If I mentioned the Toga Prime Minister’s name, who did I say is Prime Minister?
Rice: No. Hu's the Chinese President.
Bush: What's President of China?
Rice: Watt invented the Steam Engine.
Bush: I don't know.
Rice: He's Prime Minister of Toga.
Bush: There I go, back to Toga again!
(PAUSE)
Bush: Would you just stay on Toga and don't go off it.
Rice: All right, what do you want to know?
Bush: Now who's Prime Minister of Toga?
Rice: Why do you insist on putting Hu in Toga?
Bush: What am I putting in Toga.
Rice: No. Watt invented the Steam Engine.
Bush: I don't want to know who invented the steam engine.
Rice: Hu is the Chinese President.
Bush: I don't know.
Rice & Bush: TOGA!

Shawn

First Week In The Books

Ah - what a fun first week. Busy, busy, busy - but pretty rewarding as well. As my little test - I had to write a blog application last week - I have it about 90% complete right now - it's saving and updating - now I just need to get it to delete old posts and display all the posts which shouldn't be too difficult. I'll finish that up on Monday and then get on to real work. :)

Well - Joyce (Davina's mom) got on the plane Tuesday morning and made it to Kansas successfully. We have no idea when we will see her again - probably in a few months when her house sells. For those who don't know, Joyce moved back to Kansas to take care of her mom who is elderly and needs assistance. Joyce used to work as a nurse and a homecare person for elderly patients. So she will be out there until her mom passes and then she'll move back out here.

My grandmother arrived in town yesterday afternoon. She always drives here from California and we have always tried to discourage her from doing so because she too is up there in age and shouldn't be attempting it. We are constantly asking her to fly instead. Well, she tried to drive out here on Wednesday, but by the time she reached LA she was entirely too tired and so she turned around and went back home (in Oxnard). Thursday, she tried to drive again and she fell asleep at the wheel and had a fender bender with a car in another lane - apparently she drifted over and ran into another car. She said it wasn't bad at all - no one was hurt - so that's good. She went back home that day as well. We finally got her a plane ticket and so yesterday she flew out here and today Davina and I are driving my mom and grandma up to Flagstaff to visit Shamar's gravesite (Shamar is my little sister - she died a few years ago). It's been just over a year since my mom has been able to visit it - she hasn't been back up there since she moved down here in February of 2005. Looks like it will be a full day. I think we are going to take our digital camera with us and take some photos while we are up there.

Tomorrow is Sunday - always excited about attending church and class. Hopefully we will have another good class session - tomorrow is discussion regarding the video we watched last week and that's always a good time. I like hearing other peoples thoughts and insights on this stuff - it helps me sort out my view at times as well.

Shawn