Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

This is the trailer to a new movie coming out this February entitled, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. It is Ben Stein’s story of how scientists today are discovering that the age-old belief that our world was formed over millions and billions of years may be wrong. They are finding signs of intelligent design in creation, yet they are being silenced. Their studies are hidden, their lives threatened, and their thoughts silenced.  Yet if these findings are supposed to be false, why are the “science heads” trying so hard to cover them up. Could their be truth in it? Could they have been wrong all these years? See for yourself.

Daylight Saving Time

No, I didn’t misspell the title to this post. Just read on.

This past Saturday I kept wrestling with whether or not this was the week that we all roll back our clocks. It seemed to me that we always changed our clocks on the last Saturday of October, making last Saturday the day in question.

I had heard conflicting reports of friends who were rolling their clocks back and others who were still at the same time. I was confused until I read this article. It explained that a new law was in effect in the United States this year. It seems President Bush signed a new bill back in 2005 that pushed Daylight Saving Time back a week. (That would explain the conflicting reports from friends…some were from Europe which still observe the original date.) This change is hoped to help conserve energy and whatnot. Whatever. It just means we have to wait another week to get that extra hour of sleep.

So while at the website, I decided to read around a bit and see what else the site had to say about DST. Well, it seems we all have been saying it wrong. Most of us have referred to it as Daylight Savings Time. This is not grammatically correct. It is Daylight Saving Time–no ’s.’

Saving is used here as a verbal adjective (a participle). It modifies time and tells us more about its nature; namely, that it is characterized by the activity of saving daylight. It is a saving daylight kind of time. Because of this, it would be more accurate to refer to DST as daylight-saving time. Similar examples would be a mind-expanding book or a man-eating tiger. Saving is used in the same way as saving a ball game, rather than as a savings account.

Nevertheless, many people feel the word savings (with an ’s’) flows more mellifluously off the tongue. Daylight Savings Time is also in common usage and can be found in dictionaries.

Adding to the confusion is that the phrase Daylight Saving Time is inaccurate, since no daylight is actually saved. Daylight Shifting Time would be better, but it is not as politically desirable.

So that’s it. Have a happy Daylight Savings Time, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight-Saving Time, and Daylight Shifting Time on Saturday.

A New Job…With No Salary?

I don’t think I’ve blogged about my new job yet. Well, back in August I found out that I am getting a new job at the end of March 2008. I have never had this job before but have wanted it for about 3 years now. I have a little experience in this field but have never worked this particular job before. I don’t remember applying for this job but I am glad I got it. Few people know I am going to be taking this job. Actually, I’m not sure if my current employer even knows.

The benefits of this job may not sound all that great. There is no pay. It will require quite a bit of travel. There will be late nights and early mornings. I will have to buy my own supplies and will have to provide my own working environment. There is no healthcare, workers comp, or dental benefits. No insurance. In fact, I will have to pay to have this job.

So why would I take this job? Why would I wait to have this job for 3 years, looking forward to it with great anticipation? Well, I can tell you why. Because of a title. Shallow? No, not really. See, I will be acquiring the title Aunt Lauren. My new job is going to be being an aunt to my niece or nephew.

Since the time we found out that my sister in law was pregnant, I have been overjoyed at this new position and title I will acquire. I have already begun shopping for the Jellybean (we call the baby that because at the time we were deciding what to call the baby, the baby was the size of a jellybean).

My sister in law is doing well and is through her first trimester. They went for the first ultrasound the other day and got to hear the heartbeat and see the arms and legs. My brother was so excited. In a few weeks they get to find out the gender of the baby. That will be an exciting time.

Now they are just trying to decide on baby names. So far the only one that has stuck has been Sean Andrew Goddard. I LOVE the name Sean so I like that option. But they are still discussing possibilities. (Any suggestions?)

As the Jellybean’s birthday approaches, I will keep you updated on any new information.

He’s a Star Now

I have been scrounging for a blog topic lately and after watching some college football I thought I’d write a brief post about my cousin AJ Martinez. You see, AJ plays football for the University of Hawaii, who are doing very well this year.

This is his senior year and although his career has been plagued with some tough injuries, he has made a good name for himself in Hawaii football. He plays cornerback and has excelled at this position. He even returned a few punts last year that turned out to be key plays in some wins.

Now, I know not everyone out there is a big football fan, but as you all know, I am. And I am proud of my cousin. He has done quite well for himself and has had the opportunity to follow his dreams.

Good luck AJ and good luck University of Hawaii Warriors!

Really Cool Video

It is entitled Music by Balls. Its a bunch of balls that make music. Watch it. It’s pretty cool.

New Blog

Well as I wrote in an earlier post, my little sister is growing up. She’s starting college, making new friends, starting new adventures, and is becoming a young lady. Well over the past few days I have been trying to get her to chronicle her first year of college. I did, and it’s fun for me to read back over my notes now.

So I finally convinced her to get a blog and chronicle her adventures that way. I set it up for her and am excited about it. She’s just starting out, so be kind.

Here’s her blog. Go check it out and leave her a comment of encouragement!

Flock

So I was talking to a friend the other day and he told me of new internet web browser named Flock. Today I decided to head on over to their website and check it out. Well it is basically set up like Firefox but it is so much more.

It has a built-in RSS feedreader. It also has a media stream of photos you can setup to show your Flickr photos. Also, you can update your blog just by clicking a button built-in to the web browser (which is exactly what I’m doing right now).

It also has a button next to the page address bar that lets you easily email the page address to friends just by clicking it. It also let’s you know if there is an RSS feed available on the page and a media stream available to add to your own personal media stream.

Overall I am very excited about it and am just barely getting to know it. Go check it out here and thank me later.

Firefox just seems so obsolete now.

Blogged with Flock