WELL, today was certainly an interesting day. I woke up, didn’t eat breakfast as Doctor’s orders, went to the Doctor’s office/Surgery place, paid the people, and watched family feud in the waiting room while we waited for the Nurse to call us in. Then we went in for a blood pressure check and a post-op video of instructions such as how to fold this gauze to suck up the blood and spit from the operation area. Also I cannot spit, drink from a straw, and (sarcastically) by golly I can’t smoke. Yeah the last one isn’t too bad, but I’ve been in discomfort all day.
Anyway, then we waited in the lobby for about 10 more minutes before they brought me into the operation room. They sat me down, hooked me up to a blood pressure monitor and gave me an extremely comfortable blanket because it was going to be cold, then after about 15-20 minutes of waiting like that, they came in and started the procedure, hooking me up to the analgesia (anesthesia) while distracting me with talking about weather and school and such. I was completely out cold just after I finished saying that I went to SPC. The next thing I know is I woke up; Dad was in the room; and they were asking me how I was doing. I wasn’t actually too sure at the moment because I didn’t know what just happened, so it took me a second to respond. “Fine” I said, then immediately fell back asleep. This happened several times, after which I was woken up by the nurse giving me a drink of some fruit juice. We then proceeded to see how good I could stand up. I wasn’t bad the first time, but my operation areas (for I know not what else to call them) were killing me. Within seconds the doctors had come back in and were giving me several shots, numbing them completely. Then more falling asleep and waking up to get a drink. I think it was about Noon before we came home, but I can’t be sure AT ALL.
We got home and I just held ice to my cheeks while taking a nap for a little while. Then I was trying to get something to drink but my tongue and lips and chin were still numb so it was hard to find where the juice was once it entered my mouth. Pretty soon Spencer got here, so he and Dad gave me a blessing. It pretty much immediately got better. After my tongue woke up, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the day.
It’s amazing to see how Heavenly Father blesses me sometimes. Today COULD have gone horribly, but that wasn’t His plan, so it went perfectly, and I am so thankful for that.
The big challenge now is keeping the operation areas undisturbed so that the scabs don't break. Also, I have a project that I need to basically finish by Monday.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Inception
"What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere."
- Cobb, in "Inception"
As it turns out, school takes up A LOT of one's time, eliminating chances of activities such as blogging or going to see movies. Of these movies, included was the movie Inception, one talked about among the community in a level that was aggravating and annoying because I hadn't seen it yet. Well, I'd just finished this semester and I FINALLY got to see INCEPTION. I’d have to say it’s one of the greatest movies of the year.
It was about specialized thieves going into dreams and stealing an idea (extraction), or placing one there to make it seem like one’s own idea (inception). The focus of the movie was on the sharing and manipulating of dreams but the idea that I got from it, was inception, real inception: promoting an idea through subtle, repetitive influences.
It’s cool, because by simply making the movie, they’re performing the only currently possible way of inception. By explaining the concept through media to the people, a few who watch it understand that it’s possible, not through dreams, but hints and little impellents in the persons day. If planned intricately enough, one could change anything in politics or the community. You could koine a word (make a word commonly used), convince someone to work towards inventing a new… thing by showing them the need for it.
Now that I think about it, there was a magician who did it by having yin-yang’s placed all around this lady’s hotel, bus, cloths, and such in very extremely subtle ways, then by surprise, he called her on stage and had her draw something at random. She drew a yin-yang just before he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a yin-yang on his arm.
If you understand this at all as you read, then I, in fact, have performed inception by giving you these ideas. Then you, by
This actually also kind of reminds me of a book called “Pastwatch: the Redemption of Christopher Columbus” by Orson Scott Card. They have machines that can view an event in history as it actually happened. He talks a lot about tracing things back to the cause. Such as: If this man is afraid of crows, then something must have happened to cause that. Then tracing back, you would see that the man was attacked by crows as a child, or something like that.
Here's another strange thing about it. The word 'inception' actually means "to begin" or a commencing of sorts. Starting a snowball rolling down a mountain to become a colossal boulder of frozen water particles. An idea, evolving into a revolution.
Here's another strange thing about it. The word 'inception' actually means "to begin" or a commencing of sorts. Starting a snowball rolling down a mountain to become a colossal boulder of frozen water particles. An idea, evolving into a revolution.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Weaponry Fetish
I have always been fascinated with weapons. Guns, knives, swords, bows, bludgeons, staffs, anything with a blade, etc... I would never consider using one against anybody, but my inner child comes out when I see something with destructive capabilities (Naturally, I'm a fan of action movies.) If this isn't enough, My Dad, Brother and I all collect weapons of every type, so my inner child doesn't really ever stay "inner". In fact, as I look around my room, in plain sight, I can see six pocket knives, three sheath knives, a rusty machete, an Excalibur mini-replica, an ancient Chinese sword (also a replica), an empty(disarmed) grenade, and four BB guns (though three are air-soft).
Now, that inner child I was talking about is only a child as long as I'm not allowed to use said weapons... such as when there is a target in the backyard. Then, he becomes a warrior. Untrained and possibly lacking in necessary skill, but determined and a warrior nonetheless. (Ok, so maybe it's a little bit nerdy and narcissistic to call myself a warrior, but it's fun.)
I've just finished reading a book series that deals some with specific types of weaponry that are rarely brought up in modern society and media. Such as the guisarme (a spear-type weapon with a second blade curving perpendicular to the primary blade), the chakram (a circular projectile with blade all 360 degrees around the outside), and I'm pretty sure the Kanabo was in there somewhere.
Side Note: The book was OK, but was a little too mushy-talk-too-much-about-feelings for my taste. Plus it provoked no thought whatsoever, only action and story.
But weapons, however destructive (albeit incredibly amusing) can teach valuable lessons, which leads me to this next book that I've just started. One that I will mention and possibly quote more than once in later posts. It is called the Book of Five Rings, written in 1645 by Miyamoto Musashi. It is about battle strategy and the life of a Samurai warrior. He presents vast amounts of wisdom and life lessons through his "Way" of battle and living. ex. The way of the architect is someone who plans everything they do with "a true measure" and then carries it out. He then relates it to a military commander who goes into battle with a plan and executes it with perfection and success. One thing he writes that I thought was interesting, is when one fights, he should not use both hands for one sword, but rather a sword in each hand. It was interesting because although it was more strategy, it seemed he meant more for honor. If you died fighting with two swords, rather than one, at least you gave it everything and used absolutely all of your advantages. On that note, he suggests to the reader to train with two heavier swords (one in each hand) so that you can use normal swords easier during battle.
But for those who take the time to pay attention, you can learn a lot about yourself when you use weapons. Whether with the Bow and arrow or Sword, or Gun. When I am preparing to shoot bow and arrow, I think about technique and what's the best way to aim, etc... However, when I pull the string back, whatever plan I had goes out the window, and instinct kicks in. I don't actually think about what I'm doing, I just do it. The same goes with sword fighting (Usually with sticks, or Nerf's ingenious foam sword) There's no conscious strategy, just doing: dodge, slice, vertical block, sidestep, make your way around your opponent so the sun isn't in your eyes. What this tells me is that I am a person who, often times, I actually have somewhat of a plan, but most of the time, when it comes down to it, I go with instinct.
The only problem is, my instinct doesn't know how to write closing articles...
Amen?
Now, that inner child I was talking about is only a child as long as I'm not allowed to use said weapons... such as when there is a target in the backyard. Then, he becomes a warrior. Untrained and possibly lacking in necessary skill, but determined and a warrior nonetheless. (Ok, so maybe it's a little bit nerdy and narcissistic to call myself a warrior, but it's fun.)
I've just finished reading a book series that deals some with specific types of weaponry that are rarely brought up in modern society and media. Such as the guisarme (a spear-type weapon with a second blade curving perpendicular to the primary blade), the chakram (a circular projectile with blade all 360 degrees around the outside), and I'm pretty sure the Kanabo was in there somewhere.
Side Note: The book was OK, but was a little too mushy-talk-too-much-about-feelings for my taste. Plus it provoked no thought whatsoever, only action and story.
But weapons, however destructive (albeit incredibly amusing) can teach valuable lessons, which leads me to this next book that I've just started. One that I will mention and possibly quote more than once in later posts. It is called the Book of Five Rings, written in 1645 by Miyamoto Musashi. It is about battle strategy and the life of a Samurai warrior. He presents vast amounts of wisdom and life lessons through his "Way" of battle and living. ex. The way of the architect is someone who plans everything they do with "a true measure" and then carries it out. He then relates it to a military commander who goes into battle with a plan and executes it with perfection and success. One thing he writes that I thought was interesting, is when one fights, he should not use both hands for one sword, but rather a sword in each hand. It was interesting because although it was more strategy, it seemed he meant more for honor. If you died fighting with two swords, rather than one, at least you gave it everything and used absolutely all of your advantages. On that note, he suggests to the reader to train with two heavier swords (one in each hand) so that you can use normal swords easier during battle.
But for those who take the time to pay attention, you can learn a lot about yourself when you use weapons. Whether with the Bow and arrow or Sword, or Gun. When I am preparing to shoot bow and arrow, I think about technique and what's the best way to aim, etc... However, when I pull the string back, whatever plan I had goes out the window, and instinct kicks in. I don't actually think about what I'm doing, I just do it. The same goes with sword fighting (Usually with sticks, or Nerf's ingenious foam sword) There's no conscious strategy, just doing: dodge, slice, vertical block, sidestep, make your way around your opponent so the sun isn't in your eyes. What this tells me is that I am a person who, often times, I actually have somewhat of a plan, but most of the time, when it comes down to it, I go with instinct.
The only problem is, my instinct doesn't know how to write closing articles...
Amen?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
iThink
Muse, Brood, Contemplate, Ponder, Analyze, Cerebrate, Cogitate, Ruminate, Meditate, Speculte, Reflect, Study, Stew, and last but not least "Put the ol' gears to use."
Thinking is something that most people do, some (and I can't name names) don't, and few act upon. That's why I love reading and writing blogs, people write out their thoughts, and I think it's fun to see what those are. I like to think about stuff, but I do have to be careful about what I let people know about. The stuff that I think is more interesting, I write down, because I don't remember all of my thoughts. But here's a few things that I did remember/write down that also are not embarrassing or offensive.
1. What if the color blue to me, is what I would consider pink to you?
2. What if this was a very minor side effect of eye color?
3. What if the elements could think?
4. What would they think?
5. How boring would it be to have that sort of existence?
6. What makes bones, trees, etc... fossilize?
7. If someone lived to be old enough, would/could they fossilize?
8. Why do our bodies need sleep? (Other than just to give us rest, more on a molecular level)
9. If our cells die and regenerate, how many have I gone through in my life?
10. If sound and light both travel in waves, how does smell travel?
11. How do our noses work to sense smells?
12. How do our brains work? (I know, something about electrical signals and each side of the brain works differently, bla bla bla. I mean thoughts and memories.)
13. If we supposedly use only about 10% of our brain or something like that, when/how do we get to use the other 90% of it?
14. What will we be capable of with that other 90%?
Anyway, I'd better stop now, I meant to stop at 10. But the last one made me wonder a little bit more. These are things where I don't have "The Answer" so if you do, feel free to share.
...I wonder how they make the "ship in a bottle"...
Thinking is something that most people do, some (and I can't name names) don't, and few act upon. That's why I love reading and writing blogs, people write out their thoughts, and I think it's fun to see what those are. I like to think about stuff, but I do have to be careful about what I let people know about. The stuff that I think is more interesting, I write down, because I don't remember all of my thoughts. But here's a few things that I did remember/write down that also are not embarrassing or offensive.
1. What if the color blue to me, is what I would consider pink to you?
2. What if this was a very minor side effect of eye color?
3. What if the elements could think?
4. What would they think?
5. How boring would it be to have that sort of existence?
6. What makes bones, trees, etc... fossilize?
7. If someone lived to be old enough, would/could they fossilize?
8. Why do our bodies need sleep? (Other than just to give us rest, more on a molecular level)
9. If our cells die and regenerate, how many have I gone through in my life?
10. If sound and light both travel in waves, how does smell travel?
11. How do our noses work to sense smells?
12. How do our brains work? (I know, something about electrical signals and each side of the brain works differently, bla bla bla. I mean thoughts and memories.)
13. If we supposedly use only about 10% of our brain or something like that, when/how do we get to use the other 90% of it?
14. What will we be capable of with that other 90%?
Anyway, I'd better stop now, I meant to stop at 10. But the last one made me wonder a little bit more. These are things where I don't have "The Answer" so if you do, feel free to share.
...I wonder how they make the "ship in a bottle"...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Names
I've always thought it was interesting how names tell so much about a person if it suits them. For instance, my name is 'Nathan'. It's simple, easy to remember, but has a deeper meaning. It literally means "Gift from God". This is me because I am simple, easy to remember, but there is more to the story, if you look into it, and when you do, you'll find that I try to be a gift from God to my fellow men. Now, I'm not trying to be self centered. I'm just trying to use what prestige I have to build up to my main point.
As you can see, names can mean a great deal. So, as I was starting this blog, I thought "Maybe I'll let someone else choose the name." (My sister wants to give all of us siblings nicknames) But then I came across a scripture in the book of Moroni. (9:2) It wasn't a great scripture; it didn't blow me away with a great prophecy of the end of the world; at first glance, it didn't contain any muse inspiring principle. It simply tells of a "sore battle with the Lamanites," and then it goes on to tell of a few generals and men who had fallen during said battle. The name 'Archeantus' was among these. He was not a huge name in the Book of Mormon, rather a small seemingly insignificant name. But Archeantus was a military commander fighting with one of the greatest of mankind. More importantly, he was a man of God, fighting for his family, liberty, and beliefs. He is who I consider myself like the most in all the scriptures. Obviously, I hope and try to be like my Savior, Jesus Christ, but it's as the saying goes "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
So, Archeantus won my vote, and since it's the only one that counts, it also won the competition. I like how it sounds, I like how it looks, and I like how it is at a deeper inspection. It helps that my alternatives were a bit sophomoric in both origin and meaning. I mean it was this or: Crimson Shadow, Redampano Rojo, Nate the Great... we don't need too go to far into it.
Now, for a good sign off line...
As you can see, names can mean a great deal. So, as I was starting this blog, I thought "Maybe I'll let someone else choose the name." (My sister wants to give all of us siblings nicknames) But then I came across a scripture in the book of Moroni. (9:2) It wasn't a great scripture; it didn't blow me away with a great prophecy of the end of the world; at first glance, it didn't contain any muse inspiring principle. It simply tells of a "sore battle with the Lamanites," and then it goes on to tell of a few generals and men who had fallen during said battle. The name 'Archeantus' was among these. He was not a huge name in the Book of Mormon, rather a small seemingly insignificant name. But Archeantus was a military commander fighting with one of the greatest of mankind. More importantly, he was a man of God, fighting for his family, liberty, and beliefs. He is who I consider myself like the most in all the scriptures. Obviously, I hope and try to be like my Savior, Jesus Christ, but it's as the saying goes "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
So, Archeantus won my vote, and since it's the only one that counts, it also won the competition. I like how it sounds, I like how it looks, and I like how it is at a deeper inspection. It helps that my alternatives were a bit sophomoric in both origin and meaning. I mean it was this or: Crimson Shadow, Redampano Rojo, Nate the Great... we don't need too go to far into it.
Now, for a good sign off line...
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