Trojan Basketball...

I have never been a huge basketball fan. I suppose it is partly because I'm no good at it, but it's also possible that the foul system bothers me. It makes it very hard to defend someone when the slightest contact trying to prevent a basket results in a foul.

Last night however, I found it remarkably easy to dismiss my belief that the game is fundamentally flawed. Last night, the USC Trojans came from about 15 points behind to put on the fiercest defense I recall watching. Further impressing me was the fact this was the third game this week they have played, and they don't have a deep bench to allow for resting talented players. The men of Troy were exhausted, but you would never have been able to tell by the amount of effort that they exerted running up and down the court to harrass any effort Arizona State made to shoot, pass, or advance down court. Their offense was able to make just enough plays and sink just enough free throws to not only overftake a 15 point deficit, but to earn the first PAC-10 tournament victory, and earn USC a place in the NCAA tournament.

I shouted with excitement; I jumped around with anticipation as the end of the game drew near; and I played "Conquest" on my PC to commemorate this amazing show that proved the Men of Troy know how to Fight On!

Good luck in the tournament Trojans!

15000 Words Too Many

I have been working on my favorite project, and managed to chop about 15000 words out of my screenplay.  It was really difficult to part with scenes that I had spent so long working on.  Also, after evaluating the script, I realized this is not the type of story that can be made into three separate movies.  There is plenty of material to market this as two movies however.  I'm thinking of a two part movie, kind of like how Kill Bill was made, or how they will do the last Harry Potter.  This obviously requires a lot more risk for whoever will end up producing the film, but I am confident it will pay off.  

My other problem is that I still have to take out another 15,000 words to make it into two really long .  I am really struggling to try and figure out how to combine events and consolidate the plot without losing too many character-defining moments.

Since getting into such a Zelda mood, I've also started replaying Twilight Princess on the Wii, trading off with my wife.  It may not be the most plot-impressive of the Zelda franchise, but the gameplay is just fantastic!

January is over at last!

 Some people enjoy the coming of a new year.  For many, it is a time to reflect on life, and to resolve to improve.  

I am not one of these people.  For me, January is like the Monday of the year.  It means the holidays are over, and it's back to the grindstone.  In my profession, this means a larger and more impatient group of people are seeking help with a variety of technical questions.

Don't get me wrong, I find it extremely rewarding after spending some time on a computer issue to discover the real problem and deliver a solution.  I do not enjoy listening to people complain about how they have to wait forever and all of the techs they talk to are idiots.  

To make this January even worse, we exchanged one President that did not keep his promises to adhere to conservative principals for a President that made so many promises it is not humanly possible to keep them all.  Barack Obama has started his tenure as commander in chief by trying to persuade America that in order to get out of recession, we should spend our children's money.  

I can't help but wonder where are all the Democrats are that told President Bush it was irresponsible to spend a lot of money on war when the deficit was so large.  Can't they tell President Obama that it's irresponsible to spend a lot of money on banks and businesses when the deficit is so large?

I was also underwhelmed when Obama showed his willingness to reach across the aisle and work in a bipartisan effort to fix problems by meeting with Republicans and telling them they need to stop listening to Rush.  Don't get me wrong, I don't subscribe to everything the EIB network endorses, but it seems like the only reason Obama reaches across the aisle is to slap conservatives.  Not quite the bipartisan effort I expected.

I have also been repeatedly shocked by the dissent among members of my own faith concerning the role of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in supporting California's Proposition 8.  Some of these individuals were also firm believers in Barack Obama, who said the following in his famous interview with Rev. Warren "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian, it's also a sacred union. You know, God's in the mix."

It seems like it shouldn't be too outrageous for a Church leader to promote this view if it is not too extreme for the President of the United States.  I fear that even among conservatives, the number of people that define their political views based on good and evil is waning.  Is it so hard to see that God gave men freedom so that they could choose good over evil, not so that they could have civil liberties?

To top off January, the check engine light in my car came on, and my wife and I have struggled dealing with transportation in nasty weather while hauling our surprisingly cheerful one year old boy all over Utah County.

Now that January is over, all my problems will be solved.  The weather will warm up to a comfortable 75 degrees, I will finish my screenplay, my son will potty-train himself, Barack Obama will stop spending government money on worthless leftist programs, homosexuals will realize that homosexuality is evil, and all the terrorists that are trying to kill Americans will catch the bird flu and die.

Probably not.

But perhaps January being over helps me remember that it wasn't all gloom and misery...  My son had his first birthday, USC won in an amazing Rose Bowl performance, Taylor Mays is staying for next season, I realized that Boston wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, I read some of the most awesome Naruto chapters ever, I still have a job, we learned we will be getting a 2-bedroom apartment for a great rate, and Barack Obama has not pulled a Palpatine and eliminated congress... yet... :)

One way or the other, I am looking forward with cautious optimism to the rest of February!