Classes are over, no more assignments until September, and no more lab reports ever! I purposely did not choose any classes that have lab componetents. I don't need any more for my degree, and I don't want to take any more! Ha ha! The year did seem to go out with a bang though. Or a thwack, however it sounded when Cam kicked me during our project demo. I was the only one who could wear the protector, because Joey was taking care of starting the program, and Cam was the only black belt, and Nafiz is too small to wear the protector.
I wasn't sure how it was going to feel, but I didn't think it was going to be that bad. I was half right. I did my best to relax, even after Cam did his Kai to psyche himself up, but that was a strong smack to the chest! I groaned but I was able to straighten up from my slightly leaned over position so we would get the maximum force into the sensors. Apparently they had quite a high threshold. This doesn't sound that bad, but as I said I was only half right. This is because I didn't anticipate Joey or Nafiz missing the confirmation window. We had to do it again. With my new knowledge of how it feels to get a foot buried in your chest with only some foam and leather between you and the incoming foot, I braced myself for the impact. I don't know if it was wise to do or not, but the second hit took me a bit more to recover from, in regards to both standing and breathing.
Thankfully, that time it did work. Whether it worked or not, I wasn't going to get kicked again! I was done. Yet after the presentations, Cam and Joey rushed off to the IEEE competition, which was at 5pm, but didn't get started until about 5:45pm. I helped move everything to the competition room, and told Cam how to use the dolly that I borrowed from the machine shop. I'm guessing that not many people are familiar with moving dollies, because someone made the comment that it wouldn't hold the water base punching bag, since the metal base was too short. He thought the base would break off. Uh, no. The dolly was designed to carry refridgerators, I'm sure it could handle the bag. I was right. :)
I also went and had a visit with the bishop on recommendation from Caitlin, and it was for the best. I have been really stressed these days, and it felt good to level with him. He confirmed what I've been considering, and now it's just a matter of personal effort.
My final lab report was a bit of a tough one to assemble. Aside from the fact that we had not yet completed the lab (there was still one more simulation to complete), we had already written the final for the course. Hence it was a matter of, why do we need to do this? After two and a half hours of trying to get the simulation to work, we wrote up the report, and then it was off to get taxes filed. Or so I thought. It's hard to file taxes if you don't have any T4's or any other documents. So Caitlin and I made a trip home, and then went straightway to Ron Graham's office. The sad thing, is that it was the first time that I had seen the Graham's for close to a year. This was further revealed when I saw a Christmas present from William and Heather. I had no idea who Heather was. William has a girlfriend now, and he lives with her. Out near Pigeon Lake. Since November. I really need to keep in touch with my relatives more!
And finally, we have our printer working again thanks to Dave, who disassembled Chantal's broken printer, which happens to be the same make and model as the one we own. Since Chantal's printer is now inoperable, and the new one she bought uses different inkjet cartidges, she gave us the old ones. This was quite a good thing for us, since our previous cartridge blew up. Too warm in our apartment, and we haven't used the printer that much. Inkjet will do that. Use it or lose it.
Now all I need to do is find a job. That shouldn't be too hard, all I have do is polish up my resume, and send that off to my father-in-law, who will forward it to the proper people, and I might have a job for the summer doing artwork moving. Who knows.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Grant Me Peace
One hour until I get to see if the past two days of preparation have been enough for the EE 460 final. It will all be over by 8pm, whether I finish it or not, and then there's not much I can do except get the last lab report done! Oh, the irony! Not only is the exam today, so that would be the offical end of class, but the last day of classes is Wednesday, and the report is due Thursday.
I think the stress is getting to me. I find myself wishing that I could be somewhere else, and not having to worry about these things. The rub is that I'm sure I would have a different set of worries to replace those I have now. :)
Over the weekend I was able to participate in some relaxing and uplifting events. One was a production of "Liken the Scriptures", a dramatization of the story of Nephi and the Brass Plates (1 Nephi 3-4). My brother-in-law was in it, and Caitlin and I were able to get free tickets since her mom works for the LDS bookstore in town, where the tickets were being sold. I think they were also available through the Millwoods Stake, but I'm not sure. The show itself was a little campy, but had a youthful charm to it. The music was well done, especially the last number were the entire cast sang. It had an interesting mix of spiritual music combined with humourous numbers, and there was even a boy band act. Throughout the play, one boy is understanding how the story has a personal application to himself, just as we all can.
Saturday I was studying for a good part of the day, but I did take a break to visit with the Calgary Choir and go on a brief easter egg hunt. Of the 900 eggs that were on campus, only about 600 were recovered. There was one egg that had gummy snacks, and entitled the founder to a special prize which was never found. Oddly enough, it was hidden somewhere around ETLC, which is where I ditched my group to go back to studying! If they had followed me, or if we took a different path... Eh, nothing I can do about that now.
The choir performance was amazing. I could have participated, because I knew the music rather well, and there was only 13 men to the 41 women in the choir. One more male voice would have helped! However, I had missed practise for the past month, including the practise previously that day. Nevertheless, I was able to follow along in every song, except the last one, which Caitlin told me they had praticed every week since I left! The Calgary Choir had more of a balance with 23 men to the 21 women, but together, the 98 voices were... wow. I have to remember to go next year.
I am still really nervous about the exam at 6pm. Perhaps if I pray for strength, the Lord will see fit to answer my prayer, and at least let my mind be at ease so I can focus for two hours. I'm not a perfect person, not in the least. I have a hard time dealing with stress, and I'm still working on controlling myself, but I still fall short. I just need to remember that I've worked hard to get were I am. I've been pouring over the assignments, sample final, and course notes. I've discussed with my classmate, and... I should probably eat before I go in.
I end with what I started with.
Lord
Please
Grant me peace
I think the stress is getting to me. I find myself wishing that I could be somewhere else, and not having to worry about these things. The rub is that I'm sure I would have a different set of worries to replace those I have now. :)
Over the weekend I was able to participate in some relaxing and uplifting events. One was a production of "Liken the Scriptures", a dramatization of the story of Nephi and the Brass Plates (1 Nephi 3-4). My brother-in-law was in it, and Caitlin and I were able to get free tickets since her mom works for the LDS bookstore in town, where the tickets were being sold. I think they were also available through the Millwoods Stake, but I'm not sure. The show itself was a little campy, but had a youthful charm to it. The music was well done, especially the last number were the entire cast sang. It had an interesting mix of spiritual music combined with humourous numbers, and there was even a boy band act. Throughout the play, one boy is understanding how the story has a personal application to himself, just as we all can.
Saturday I was studying for a good part of the day, but I did take a break to visit with the Calgary Choir and go on a brief easter egg hunt. Of the 900 eggs that were on campus, only about 600 were recovered. There was one egg that had gummy snacks, and entitled the founder to a special prize which was never found. Oddly enough, it was hidden somewhere around ETLC, which is where I ditched my group to go back to studying! If they had followed me, or if we took a different path... Eh, nothing I can do about that now.
The choir performance was amazing. I could have participated, because I knew the music rather well, and there was only 13 men to the 41 women in the choir. One more male voice would have helped! However, I had missed practise for the past month, including the practise previously that day. Nevertheless, I was able to follow along in every song, except the last one, which Caitlin told me they had praticed every week since I left! The Calgary Choir had more of a balance with 23 men to the 21 women, but together, the 98 voices were... wow. I have to remember to go next year.
I am still really nervous about the exam at 6pm. Perhaps if I pray for strength, the Lord will see fit to answer my prayer, and at least let my mind be at ease so I can focus for two hours. I'm not a perfect person, not in the least. I have a hard time dealing with stress, and I'm still working on controlling myself, but I still fall short. I just need to remember that I've worked hard to get were I am. I've been pouring over the assignments, sample final, and course notes. I've discussed with my classmate, and... I should probably eat before I go in.
I end with what I started with.
Lord
Please
Grant me peace
Saturday, April 08, 2006
The gloves come off
It was a matter of time, like a time bomb or a lit fuse on a huge powder keg. The members of my EE 401 Project group have been habouring some animosity towards one another for quite some time now. Difference of opinions, strong personalities, and just the amount of stress we've all been under finally came to a head yesterday. The thing that pushed us over the edge was the peer evaluation. With 300 marks to divide amoung 4 people, you're bound to get some difference of opinion. Cam and Joey had done a lot of work, but so had Nafiz and I, and hence we would understand some adjustments of the marks accordingly. Instead of everyone getting 75%, I figured that Cam and Joey would get 80% each, and Nafiz and I would split the remained 140 marks evenly, receiving 70% each. Cam disagreed. He wanted the same marking scenario we had last semester. Cam 90%, Joey 80%, and Nafiz and I 65% each. Eventually, Cam agreed to the 80-80-70-70 distribution. But the fire had been lit, and Nafiz and I had a bone to pick. An hour and fifteen minutes later, after only one death threat, we had cleared our plates of all thoughts, evil and benine. Surprisingly, Joey was the one who spoke the least, yet understood the most. He caught on that Cam was joking that he wasn't going to finish wiring the display board since he didn't get 90% in the peer evaluation, but was subtle and let us vent. It's not a pretty thing when people get angry, I'll tell you that. Hence I don't let myself do it. Very often. I'll admit, I had my own dark thoughts, but I did my best to keep it under control.
After my episode last year, I'm much more careful about how I conduct myself. I like to think anyway.
Only two more days until my EE 460 Final, and I still need to get that aid sheet completed. I'm learning a heck of a lot more than I did when I was doing those assignments. Mind you I'm also taking my time, and not rushing like a madman, doing things rushed and sloppy. I hope I'll do well on that exam, because it's only two hours, but there is going to be 5-7 questions. This could be a "sprint" exam, which I hate.
After my episode last year, I'm much more careful about how I conduct myself. I like to think anyway.
Only two more days until my EE 460 Final, and I still need to get that aid sheet completed. I'm learning a heck of a lot more than I did when I was doing those assignments. Mind you I'm also taking my time, and not rushing like a madman, doing things rushed and sloppy. I hope I'll do well on that exam, because it's only two hours, but there is going to be 5-7 questions. This could be a "sprint" exam, which I hate.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Crazy stuff
I had a good sleep in today, because I have no classes, hence when I woke up at 11am, I felt refreshed. Something I haven't felt for a long time. Need to get my application off for that summer job, and also need to work on the final report. But as a break, I did some quizes to find out stuff about myself.
Here's the first one.
Here's another.
It said it wasn't that accurate though. So I suppose there's some comfort in that, since it says my logical inteligence is Below Average. I'm not that good in english, so that might have done it too.
This next one is a little disheartening, because according to this, I've spent the past five years in the wrong program!
Hmmmm... This is an interesting result. I guess my roommates were right when they said I would be a nice wife to someone as I was vacuuming the apartment for the first time in two months.
This one was only three questions, but seemed to hit the nail on the head!
This next one was a bit of a no-brainer.
Okay, that's enough distraction for one day I think! Time to get some work done before the day goes to a complete waste!
Here's the first one.
| Your Birthdate: October 9 |
 Your strength: Your go-with-the-flow flexibility Your weakness: Your flair for the over dramatic Your power color: Pine green Your power symbol: Circle Your power month: September |
Here's another.
| Your IQ Is 115 |
 Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Exceptional Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Above Average |
It said it wasn't that accurate though. So I suppose there's some comfort in that, since it says my logical inteligence is Below Average. I'm not that good in english, so that might have done it too.
This next one is a little disheartening, because according to this, I've spent the past five years in the wrong program!
| Your Scholastic Strength Is Evaluating |
 You are great at looking at many details and putting them all together. You are talented at detecting subtle trends, accuracy, and managing change. You should major in: Statistics Speech Conflict studies Communication Finance Medicine |
Hmmmm... This is an interesting result. I guess my roommates were right when they said I would be a nice wife to someone as I was vacuuming the apartment for the first time in two months.
| You Are 20% Boyish and 80% Girlish |
Even if you're not a girl, you're very feminine. You're in touch with your feelings, and your heart rules you. A bit of a emotional roller coaster, one moment you're up and the next you're down. But no matter what, you try to be as cute and perky as possible. |
This one was only three questions, but seemed to hit the nail on the head!
| Your Personality Is |
You are a passionate, caring, and unique person. You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideals. You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily. Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings. You seek out other empathetic people to befriend. Truth and authenticity matters in your friendships. In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily. At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career. With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone. As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style. On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours. |
This next one was a bit of a no-brainer.
| You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer |
 Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world! |
Okay, that's enough distraction for one day I think! Time to get some work done before the day goes to a complete waste!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Riding on Fumes
One of my classmates when to the doctor today, and had a conversation that went like so:
Doctor-"Is it normal for your eyes to be that red?"
Classmate-"Well, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately since classes are almost done."
Doctor-"Okay, you're in school. What are you taking?"
Classmate-"Engineering."
Doctor-"Oh. I'll give you these eyedrops and that should help a little."
That's how it is right now. Just going and going and not much time to stop. Even though I'm only taking 4 courses right now, I'm starting to feel it. I might sleep in tomorrow, recover from the lack of sleep I'm getting. However, some of my classmates are getting less than me, but they nap during the day, and some don't. Frankly, I'm surprised that some people haven't fallen over dead due to the amount of blood in their caffeine system. I don't drink coffee, or any other energy drinks.
Oops, this lab is full and I'm being kicked out.
Doctor-"Is it normal for your eyes to be that red?"
Classmate-"Well, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately since classes are almost done."
Doctor-"Okay, you're in school. What are you taking?"
Classmate-"Engineering."
Doctor-"Oh. I'll give you these eyedrops and that should help a little."
That's how it is right now. Just going and going and not much time to stop. Even though I'm only taking 4 courses right now, I'm starting to feel it. I might sleep in tomorrow, recover from the lack of sleep I'm getting. However, some of my classmates are getting less than me, but they nap during the day, and some don't. Frankly, I'm surprised that some people haven't fallen over dead due to the amount of blood in their caffeine system. I don't drink coffee, or any other energy drinks.
Oops, this lab is full and I'm being kicked out.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Back on the saddle
I know that should be back in the saddle, but when you're riding a bicycle I would think that the proper term would be back on the saddle. But that's just me. Nevertheless, it felt good to be riding again after nearly five months, or was it longer than that? For all I know it was shorter. Anywho, one of the prime reasons I'm doing the bicycle commute is due to the fact that we only have enough money for one bus pass, rent, and a payment to the ELoC (Educational Line of Credit). Aptly named, it does feel a bit like a lock (and chain). I should make that payment before I go to class! With my bike it'll be a breeze to get around campus in time to do it too. :)
In other good news, I finally picked up a book, or rather a collection of comic books, that I've been waiting for a few months. Normally, I'm not a big comic book collector, but this series is written by Orson Scott Card, one of my favourite authors. Plus, I've really liked other Ultimate Marvel series, so I don't see how this will let me down. I'll post some reviews later, as I have yet to read it. Got to get the project done! Oh, and assignments, labs (one report I finished today, last one in that class!), and that final report for the project, not to mention studying for a final one week from today!
On a side note, I ordered this book at a Chapters store, and I was told that I could have it delivered to any Chapters affiliated store in the city. It would be sent from the Chapters warehouse in Toronto, and arrive with the usual store shipments, in about ten days. That was a month ago. Turns out that it did arrive, but when they called to tell me that, there was no answer. They could have left a message or called back, but sadly they did neither. Why? I don't know. They just opened their temporary relocation while their primary store is renovated, so my order might have got shoved on the back burner during the move.
Time to go and do some banking before class. Bikes away!
In other good news, I finally picked up a book, or rather a collection of comic books, that I've been waiting for a few months. Normally, I'm not a big comic book collector, but this series is written by Orson Scott Card, one of my favourite authors. Plus, I've really liked other Ultimate Marvel series, so I don't see how this will let me down. I'll post some reviews later, as I have yet to read it. Got to get the project done! Oh, and assignments, labs (one report I finished today, last one in that class!), and that final report for the project, not to mention studying for a final one week from today!On a side note, I ordered this book at a Chapters store, and I was told that I could have it delivered to any Chapters affiliated store in the city. It would be sent from the Chapters warehouse in Toronto, and arrive with the usual store shipments, in about ten days. That was a month ago. Turns out that it did arrive, but when they called to tell me that, there was no answer. They could have left a message or called back, but sadly they did neither. Why? I don't know. They just opened their temporary relocation while their primary store is renovated, so my order might have got shoved on the back burner during the move.
Time to go and do some banking before class. Bikes away!
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Share the beauty
A picture that tries its best to capture my wife's beauty, but only succeeds in displaying a fraction, since the camera would spontaneously explode if it got it all. Besides, she radiates enough sparkling sizzle that anyone within 50km of her presence would acknowledge that they are in the presence of a true woman. Anyone who thinks otherwise must be jealous of the fact that I'm married to her. :)
Annual General Conference 176
Some notes about the speakers from the Sunday Morning session.
James E. Faust
Mostly a historical recount of the ecclesiastical state of the world from the time of Christ until now. Addressing the Dark Ages, the time where there was no power of God given unto men on the earth, and the restoration that occured in the early 19th century.
Although we have great truth in our church, the light of Christ shines in many other religions, and their great leaders brought enlightenment to man.
I should read this one again.
Jeffery R. Holland
Christ knows the way, because he is the way. Anyone who is struggling with problems, whether they be physical addictions (alcohol), or things that will destory a marriage and family (porno), or even if you're in a muddle of gender confusion (the second time I've noticed that mentioned), is invited to come unto Christ and find peace through the gospel. Should've taken notes.
Earl C. Tingey
Five things that the gospel has taught him:
Anne C. Pingrey
Growing up unto the Lord would be the title of this talk. I would think. She mentioned the way that we "grow up" is to "put away childish things" (as Paul said in the New Testament), which we do when we choose to serve others (do as the Lord would have us do), and press forward in faith (even if we don't know what we're doing). Oftimes, in serving God (and our fellow man - Mosiah 2:17), we are asked to do all that we can do, and sometimes more than we think we can at the time.
I suppose that I still have some growing up to do.
Dallan H. Oaks
I remember when I was at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) back in October 1998, and this man, Dallan H. Oaks, came and spoke to us. One of the things that I still remember from that address was that he challenged us to take one roll of film (for taking pictures) and make it last one year. Not only did I go through more than one roll of film over the next year, I also went through three cameras. He also compared missionaries and how the Lord wishes to use us, as how he would use a pen. I should be able to do the work he wants it to, should be able to respond when he needs it, and also write what he wants it to. He doesn't expect the pen to talk back, or write something entirely different that what he wants.
What does that have to do with what he said today? I'm not sure. I just wanted to mention that to give you the idea of what my paradigm was when I heard that we was speaking next.
He spoke briefly about President Hinckley's challenge to read the Book of Mormon, and mentioned that what people got out of the reading depended greatly on what they brought to it. He then shared some of the things that he gleaned from his study, one of such pearls or wisdom was that Christ invites all to come unto him. Male and female, black and white, bond and free. From there he delved into what it means to be bond. It can mean that you are bond, or under oppression because you're in slavery, or that you're under a powerful addiction (again the mention of the evils of the world eg. alcohol, porn), or bond by a misconception or even a false tradition. But the gospel is for everyone to hear, and to liberate all from bonds.
Tales from around the globe of how the gospel had changed lives where then shared. These stories ranged from a doctor in Nigeria who went to hear his friend (who was the bishop of the ward) speak to a congreation, to a man in India who read the name of Jesus Christ on a calendar, to a powerful manifestation of the spirit to a man in Mongolia.
I'm a little fuzzy on the next part, because my notes aren't that good, but there's something about the Abrahamic Covenant, and how we shouldn't believe that we are better than anyone else. In the Book of Mormon it states that we should not esteem one flesh above another.
His concluding remarks revolved around future scripture that will be from the Lost Tribes of Israel, and that he hopes that it will not be rejected since "we already have a bible."
It's odd how we can read dozens of blogs and newspapers, view many television reports and dramatizations, even different films, all about the same subject and respect the persectives of each one. It could be about politics, biographies, industry, or economics. But when it comes to the life and teachings of Christ, there seems to be very stingent opinions. Again, something for another time
Gordon B. Hinckley
One of the most publicly known presidents of the church, and the most travelled president in the history of the church gave a very interesting address. He spoke mostly of his works and how he has met the aquaintance of many dignitaries and presiding authorities of numerous countries around the world. Yet he's also met with the impoverished and downtrodden. I remember a time when he went to Honduras and helped in the clean up of a hurricane. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Although most of his talk was reminiscences of his life (including his marriage, not just his work in the church), he unabashedly stated that this was not an obituary, and he looked forward to speaking again in October. He then closed with his testimony that First Vision is a real event that took place in broad daylight, and that the Book of Mormon is what it purports to be.
Great men are not always those that conquer nations or govern peaceful lands. Most of the great men and women of history are known because of the great contributions they made to society and humanity as a whole, both good and bad. What's termed as good and bad is often in the eye of the beholder. I would rather believe in something strongly, and hold that to be true, rather than change with what stays popular for five minutes. It's best to be a standing wave instead of noise.
Now the real test is how long I'm going to feel like this. How long I can hold at this frequency that has a strong Q factor. Time will tell, and time will test.
James E. Faust
Mostly a historical recount of the ecclesiastical state of the world from the time of Christ until now. Addressing the Dark Ages, the time where there was no power of God given unto men on the earth, and the restoration that occured in the early 19th century.
Although we have great truth in our church, the light of Christ shines in many other religions, and their great leaders brought enlightenment to man.
I should read this one again.
Jeffery R. Holland
Christ knows the way, because he is the way. Anyone who is struggling with problems, whether they be physical addictions (alcohol), or things that will destory a marriage and family (porno), or even if you're in a muddle of gender confusion (the second time I've noticed that mentioned), is invited to come unto Christ and find peace through the gospel. Should've taken notes.
Earl C. Tingey
Five things that the gospel has taught him:
- God exists, and He's a personage of flesh and bone, as is his son Jesus Christ
- Purpose to life on earth. Physical experience for spiritual beings
- Come to know the Law of mercy, oppurtunity to repent
- Two types of death: Physical (seperation of spirit and body), and spiritual (seperation from God)
- Life of Christ gives us hope of the Resurrection
Anne C. Pingrey
Growing up unto the Lord would be the title of this talk. I would think. She mentioned the way that we "grow up" is to "put away childish things" (as Paul said in the New Testament), which we do when we choose to serve others (do as the Lord would have us do), and press forward in faith (even if we don't know what we're doing). Oftimes, in serving God (and our fellow man - Mosiah 2:17), we are asked to do all that we can do, and sometimes more than we think we can at the time.
I suppose that I still have some growing up to do.
Dallan H. Oaks
I remember when I was at the MTC (Missionary Training Center) back in October 1998, and this man, Dallan H. Oaks, came and spoke to us. One of the things that I still remember from that address was that he challenged us to take one roll of film (for taking pictures) and make it last one year. Not only did I go through more than one roll of film over the next year, I also went through three cameras. He also compared missionaries and how the Lord wishes to use us, as how he would use a pen. I should be able to do the work he wants it to, should be able to respond when he needs it, and also write what he wants it to. He doesn't expect the pen to talk back, or write something entirely different that what he wants.
What does that have to do with what he said today? I'm not sure. I just wanted to mention that to give you the idea of what my paradigm was when I heard that we was speaking next.
He spoke briefly about President Hinckley's challenge to read the Book of Mormon, and mentioned that what people got out of the reading depended greatly on what they brought to it. He then shared some of the things that he gleaned from his study, one of such pearls or wisdom was that Christ invites all to come unto him. Male and female, black and white, bond and free. From there he delved into what it means to be bond. It can mean that you are bond, or under oppression because you're in slavery, or that you're under a powerful addiction (again the mention of the evils of the world eg. alcohol, porn), or bond by a misconception or even a false tradition. But the gospel is for everyone to hear, and to liberate all from bonds.
Tales from around the globe of how the gospel had changed lives where then shared. These stories ranged from a doctor in Nigeria who went to hear his friend (who was the bishop of the ward) speak to a congreation, to a man in India who read the name of Jesus Christ on a calendar, to a powerful manifestation of the spirit to a man in Mongolia.
I'm a little fuzzy on the next part, because my notes aren't that good, but there's something about the Abrahamic Covenant, and how we shouldn't believe that we are better than anyone else. In the Book of Mormon it states that we should not esteem one flesh above another.
His concluding remarks revolved around future scripture that will be from the Lost Tribes of Israel, and that he hopes that it will not be rejected since "we already have a bible."
It's odd how we can read dozens of blogs and newspapers, view many television reports and dramatizations, even different films, all about the same subject and respect the persectives of each one. It could be about politics, biographies, industry, or economics. But when it comes to the life and teachings of Christ, there seems to be very stingent opinions. Again, something for another time
Gordon B. Hinckley
One of the most publicly known presidents of the church, and the most travelled president in the history of the church gave a very interesting address. He spoke mostly of his works and how he has met the aquaintance of many dignitaries and presiding authorities of numerous countries around the world. Yet he's also met with the impoverished and downtrodden. I remember a time when he went to Honduras and helped in the clean up of a hurricane. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Although most of his talk was reminiscences of his life (including his marriage, not just his work in the church), he unabashedly stated that this was not an obituary, and he looked forward to speaking again in October. He then closed with his testimony that First Vision is a real event that took place in broad daylight, and that the Book of Mormon is what it purports to be.
Great men are not always those that conquer nations or govern peaceful lands. Most of the great men and women of history are known because of the great contributions they made to society and humanity as a whole, both good and bad. What's termed as good and bad is often in the eye of the beholder. I would rather believe in something strongly, and hold that to be true, rather than change with what stays popular for five minutes. It's best to be a standing wave instead of noise.
Now the real test is how long I'm going to feel like this. How long I can hold at this frequency that has a strong Q factor. Time will tell, and time will test.
Not too lazy Saturday
Big day today with General Conference, working on the project, and... well I got some sleep that I've been missing. That was refreshing to wake up with out feeling that I was going to fall over because my head was off balance due to the weight of my eyelids.
It was also refreshing to listen to great men and women who invigorated me and reminded me why I'm glad to be a part of the Mormon church (or rather, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I did miss about three quarters of the first session, and I missed the Priesthood session completely, but it's all archived online at www.lds.org, both the audio, video, and the text of the speakers. Watching the full session includes the music though, and I do love Mo-Tab. The bulk of what I learned from the second session was that we need to nuture our family relations, specifically marital relations and not just in the physical sense. Of course we need to spend time together, but doesn't mean we have to be naked 24/7. Strong marriages require romance, communication, learning, and appreciating each other.
I headed off to the LRT (Light Rail Transit a.k.a. the train) around 5pm. It's handy having an LRT station so close to where we live. It makes travelling to the University a lot easier, because I just have to hop on the train, and in 10 minutes or so I'm there! However, we're having a bit of a budget strain this month, so I'll be riding my bike to the U now. Well, classes are done in a couple of weeks, and the snow is melting too, so the ride shouldn't be that bad. It takes about the same amount of time as taking the train too. At least I think so.
I digress. The important thing is that I finally left the apartment and went off to school to work on that blasted project that we have to demo on Thursday. We seem to be limping towards somthing, and whether that something will be exactly what we wanted to make, that's debatable. We discovered that the inputs weren't working properly, and now we have most of them working, but only one works completely. Not to mention that we don't have the display wired up yet, and it hasn't been tested. I tested that all the LEDs work, and one didn't (oops), but apart from that, we just need things to be hooked up so we can get on our way. I really hope those display chips work, because we had ordered three, since we needed two and we would have one as back up. Only one of those three worked. We order two new ones, and we haven't tested them. Of course by we, I mean me. Maybe they have been tested, but I don't know anything about it. I just hope we can get this together, because we only have five days left.
One other big event today, which did and didn't involve me, was the Iron Ring ceremony. There were a few people who were in the lab who went and had the gleaming ring on their pinkies, indicating that they had proved that they could be a productive member of society worthy to wear the visible mantle of the engineer. At least a Canadian engineer. I'm not going to get mine until December, because I still have four more courses before I can apply for graduation. That happens when you reduce your course load from the prescribed six per semester to four, and have to repeat three courses.
Crumbs. I just realized that I should have applied for that summer postion today. The job was just posted yesterday, and the closing date is April 7, but that doesn't mean that I should dawdle. Last time I did that I missed out of a kicking job. What do I know? I might have hated it, so I should consider myself lucky. Bleh. Nevertheless, I should get on top of that, because I need to have a job this summer, or else I'm going to be in serious trouble come September.
It was also refreshing to listen to great men and women who invigorated me and reminded me why I'm glad to be a part of the Mormon church (or rather, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). I did miss about three quarters of the first session, and I missed the Priesthood session completely, but it's all archived online at www.lds.org, both the audio, video, and the text of the speakers. Watching the full session includes the music though, and I do love Mo-Tab. The bulk of what I learned from the second session was that we need to nuture our family relations, specifically marital relations and not just in the physical sense. Of course we need to spend time together, but doesn't mean we have to be naked 24/7. Strong marriages require romance, communication, learning, and appreciating each other.
I headed off to the LRT (Light Rail Transit a.k.a. the train) around 5pm. It's handy having an LRT station so close to where we live. It makes travelling to the University a lot easier, because I just have to hop on the train, and in 10 minutes or so I'm there! However, we're having a bit of a budget strain this month, so I'll be riding my bike to the U now. Well, classes are done in a couple of weeks, and the snow is melting too, so the ride shouldn't be that bad. It takes about the same amount of time as taking the train too. At least I think so.
I digress. The important thing is that I finally left the apartment and went off to school to work on that blasted project that we have to demo on Thursday. We seem to be limping towards somthing, and whether that something will be exactly what we wanted to make, that's debatable. We discovered that the inputs weren't working properly, and now we have most of them working, but only one works completely. Not to mention that we don't have the display wired up yet, and it hasn't been tested. I tested that all the LEDs work, and one didn't (oops), but apart from that, we just need things to be hooked up so we can get on our way. I really hope those display chips work, because we had ordered three, since we needed two and we would have one as back up. Only one of those three worked. We order two new ones, and we haven't tested them. Of course by we, I mean me. Maybe they have been tested, but I don't know anything about it. I just hope we can get this together, because we only have five days left.
One other big event today, which did and didn't involve me, was the Iron Ring ceremony. There were a few people who were in the lab who went and had the gleaming ring on their pinkies, indicating that they had proved that they could be a productive member of society worthy to wear the visible mantle of the engineer. At least a Canadian engineer. I'm not going to get mine until December, because I still have four more courses before I can apply for graduation. That happens when you reduce your course load from the prescribed six per semester to four, and have to repeat three courses.
Crumbs. I just realized that I should have applied for that summer postion today. The job was just posted yesterday, and the closing date is April 7, but that doesn't mean that I should dawdle. Last time I did that I missed out of a kicking job. What do I know? I might have hated it, so I should consider myself lucky. Bleh. Nevertheless, I should get on top of that, because I need to have a job this summer, or else I'm going to be in serious trouble come September.
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