Christmas Music

Check out my Christmas Music here: http://alonetone.com/milocraft/playlists/christmas-for-the-rest-of-us/edit

Very Cool Music Makers.

You have to check this out. It is a series of graphical musical gizmos.

Skin Input

This looks like the beginning of something very cool:

Realtime 360 Degree Panoramic Video

I love this.

Tilt Shift Coachella Video

This is a very cool video of a concert. It makes me wish I attended! It is shot using a method called "tilt-shift" which makes everyone look like a small toy.

Coachelletta from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

AT AT!!

Inventing the Rocket Jump

Warning: Violence (people getting shot with a machine gun).

This is not for the weak of heart, but for you gamers out there, you will get a kick out of it.

Interesting Transformer Video

Whoever made this knows what they are doing. Enjoy.

Transformers from repey815 on Vimeo.

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Very nicely illustrated.

Binary Power

Here is my name in binary:

01001101011010010110110001100101011100110010000001000010011100100110000101101001011001000111100100100000010001110110010101110010011011010110010101110010

And don't you forget it.

Get yours HERE.

Dana Mcentire

I suspect that these two celebrities are actually the same person.

Dana Carvey = Reba McEntire

I put these images as evidence.

20 Year High School Reunion Logos

I'm designing the logo for my 20 year high school reunion. Which logo is better?

PIXELS

Symphony of Science Videos

Mars Is A World Of Wonder



Science



A Glorious Dawn


Thanks to Symphony of Science: http://www.symphonyofscience.com/videos.html

I dedicate this one to my brother Nick!

I want this Kitty Cat

Lord of the Rings: War in the North

The game I have been working on for the past few years has finally been announced and I can share it with all my friends and family. Here it is:

Lord of the Rings: War In The North

http://www.warinthenorth.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100318005253&newsLang=en
http://pc.ign.com/articles/107/1078502p1.html

It is an awesome RPG 3 player co-op game for Xbox 360 and PS3. I'm very excited about it since it is the kind of game Amy and I enjoy playing together. This is going to be the best LOTR game every made. The EA games on the Xbox were very well done, but the co-op and visual quality of this game are going to blow those away.

I am the Lead Technical Artist.

It will take another year to finish the game so it will be released in 2011.

Check back at the website in a few weeks since there are currently no game screenshots or movies due to exclusivity contracts with various media outlets.

London Photos

After 9 days in India we spent 4 days in London. It was incredible. As an artist I was just blown away by the beautiful architecture. The "underground" system was great and we loved riding the double decker buses. Now I understand why everyone says it is one of the greatest cities in the world. The highlight was definitely climbing to the top of St Paul's Cathedral. I highly recommend it.

India Photos

Here are our photos from our trip to India. We visited Bangalore which is located in Southern India. Amy and I had a great time. Our good friends Jon and Ritu got married in a traditional Hindi wedding. It just happened to be the same day as our 12 year wedding anniversary so it was a great occasion.

Favorite Video Games Of All Time

Breakout
Tekken 3
Devil May Cry
Beyond Good and Evil
Prince of Persia
Halo 2,3
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
SSX Tricky
Ninja Gaiden
Quake 2
Unreal Tournament 2
Battlefield 2
Civilization 4
Call of Duty 4
Gears of War 2
Burnout Paradse
Rock Band
Fallout 3

Merry Christmas: You gotta love Toto!

XBox Live Avatar

Here is my Xbox Live Avatar. He is Edward from Twilight. This makes my wife dig me.

ASCIIOMATIC

Here is a cool site. Upload an image 60x50 pixels in size and it will spit out a text image.

http://www.typorganism.com/asciiomatic/

Fun with Guns!

My friend Charles taught me how to shoot a gun last Saturday. He brought his Beretta and a 20 gauge shotgun. We had a blast.

Cookin' Up Some Fresh Beats

Try these tasty morsels! They will hit the spot! I love this recipe!

Miles and Amy Getting Down!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

"My Little Buttercup" - I dedicate this one to Amy!

My little buttercup has the sweetest smile
Dear little buttercup, won't you stay awhile
Come with me where moonbeams paint the sky
And you and I might linger in the sweet by and by, oh...

Dear little buttercup, with your eyes so blue
Oh little buttercup, you' re a dream come true
You and I will settle down in a cottage built for two
Oh, dear little buttercup, I love you...

Everybody!

My little buttercup, has the sweetest smile
Dear little buttercup won't you stay awhile
You and I will settle down in a cottage built for two, oh

Dear little buttercup
Sweet little buttercup,
My little buttercup
I love you

The Political Compass

I just took a political test.

Take the test yourself.

My results:

Economic Left/Right: 1.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.21

So on the "Communism vs. Neo-liberalism" scale I am right there with Hitler. That is comforting. On the "Facism vs. Anarchism" scale I am right in the middle. Not too much facism, and not too much anarchism. A proper dose of both seems to do the trick.

Unfortunately this test is definitely messed. I submit the following as proof. I definitely do not match up with John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hilary Clinton. But to all my Democratic friends out there... See? I'm not such a mean Republican after all. :P

Democrat or Republican Test

I read this little "test" and it made me laugh. I debated putting it on my blog because I don't want to hurt my democratic friends' feelings. But then I decided they are tough and can take it.

Are you a Democrat, Republican or Southern Republican?

Here is a little test that will help you decide.

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children.
Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises his knife, and charges at you.

You are carrying a Glock cal. 40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.

What do you do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Democrat's Answer:

There's not enough information to answer the question!

Does the man look poor! Or oppressed?

Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?

Could we run away?

What does my wife think?

What about the kids?

Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?

What does the law say about this situation?

Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?

Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?

Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?

Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?

If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?

Should I call 9-1-1?

Why is this street so deserted?

We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.

This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Republican's Answer:

BANG!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Southern Republican's Answer:

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
click.....(sounds of reloading).

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click

Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hydroshok Hollow Points?"

Republican or Democrat?

What do you believe? Take this test to find out which side of the fence you really sit.

http://typology.people-press.org/typology/

I took the test and fell into the "Enterprisers" category, although I can't say I completely fit the profile.

ENTERPRISERS

PAST TYPOLOGY COUNTERPART: Staunch Conservatives, Enterprisers

9% OF ADULT POPULATION

10% OF REGISTERED VOTERS

PARTY ID: 81% Republican, 18% Independent/No Preference, 1% Democrat (98% Rep/Lean Rep)

BASIC DESCRIPTION: As in 1994 and 1999, this extremely partisan Republican group's politics are driven by a belief in the free enterprise system and social values that reflect a conservative agenda. Enterprisers are also the strongest backers of an assertive foreign policy, which includes nearly unanimous support for the war in Iraq and strong support for such anti-terrorism efforts as the Patriot Act.

DEFINING VALUES: Assertive on foreign policy and patriotic; anti-regulation and pro-business; very little support for government help to the poor; strong belief that individuals are responsible for their own well being. Conservative on social issues such as gay marriage, but not much more religious than the nation as a whole. Very satisfied with personal financial situation.

WHO THEY ARE: Predominantly white (91%), male (76%) and financially well-off (62% have household incomes of at least $50,000, compared with 40% nationwide). Nearly half (46%) have a college degree, and 77% are married. Nearly a quarter (23%) are themselves military veterans. Only 10% are under age 30.

LIFESTYLE NOTES: 59% have a gun in the home; 53% trade stocks and bonds, and 30% are small business owners ­ all of which are the highest percentages among typology groups. 48% attend church weekly; 36% attend bible study or prayer group meetings.

2004 ELECTION: Bush 92%, Kerry 1%. Bush's most reliable supporters (just 4% of Enterprisers did not vote)

MEDIA USE: Enterprisers follow news about government and politics more closely than any other group, and exhibit the most knowledge about world affairs. The Fox News Channel is their primary source of news (46% cite it as a main source) followed by newspapers (42%) radio (31%) and the internet (26%).

Sand Ninjas

Advice for a Young Cardinal: Incredible Advice for All of Us

I really respect the advice in this document. It was written by a powerful man to his son regarding how he should act life.

Medieval Sourcebook:
Lorenzo De Medici: Paternal Advice To A Cardinal (C. 1491)

---

Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492) was the unofficial ruler of Florence from 1469 until his death. He was a humanist, arts patron - and a skillful politician. In 1489 he manages to have his son Giovanni made a cardinal, at the age of 14. Giovanni later ruled as Pope Leo X (reigned 1513-1521) and was also a patron of the arts. In the letter here Lorenzo warns his son to avoid vice and luxury.

You, and all of us who are interested in your welfare, ought to esteem ourselves highly favored by Providence, not only for the many honors and benefits bestowed upon our house, but more particularly for having conferred upon us, in your person, the greatest dignity we have ever enjoyed. This favor, in itself so important, is rendered still more so by the circumstances with which it is accompanied, and especially by the consideration of your youth and of our situation in the world. The first that I would therefore suggest to you is that you ought to be grateful to God, and continually to recollect that it is not through your merits, your prudence, or your solicitude, that this event has taken place, but through his favor, which you can only repay by a pious, chaste and exemplary life; and that your obligations to the performance of these duties are so much the greater, as in your early years you have given some reasonable expectations that your riper age may produce such fruits. It would indeed be highly disgraceful, and as contrary to your duty as to my hopes, if, at a time when others display a greater share of reason and adopt a better mode of life, you should forget the precepts of your youth, and forsake the path in which you have hitherto trodden. Endeavor, therefore, to alleviate the burden of your early dignity by the regularity of your life and by your perseverance in those studies which are suitable to your profession. It gave me great satisfaction to learn, that, in the course of the past year, you bad frequently, of your own accord, gone to communion and confession; nor do I conceive that there is any better way of obtaining the favor of heaven than by habituating yourself to a performance of these and similar duties. This appears to me to be the most suitable and useful advice which, in the first instance, I can possibly give you.

I well know, that as you are now to reside in Rome, that sink of all iniquity, the difficulty of conducting yourself by these admonitions will be increased. The influence of example is itself prevalent; but you will probably meet with those who will particularly endeavor to corrupt and incite you to vice; because, as you may yourself perceive, your early attainment to so great a dignity is not observed without envy, and those who could not prevent your receiving that honor will secretly endeavor to diminish it, by inducing you to forfeit the good estimation of the public; thereby precipitating you into that gulf into which they had themselves fallen; in which attempt, the consideration of your youth will give them a confidence of success. To these difficulties you ought to oppose yourself with the greater firmness, as there is at present less virtue amongst your brethren of the college. I acknowledge indeed that several of them are good and learned men, whose lives are exemplary, and whom I would recommend to you as patterns of your conduct. By emulating them you will be so much the more known and esteemed, in proportion as your age and the peculiarity of your situation will distinguish you from your colleagues. Avoid, however, as you would Scylla or Charybdis, the imputation of hypocrisy; guard against all ostentation, either in your conduct or your discourse; affect not austerity, nor ever appear too serious. This advice you will, I hope, in time understand and practice better than I can express it.

Yet you are not unacquainted with the great importance of the character which you have to sustain, for you well know that all the Christian world would prosper if the cardinals were what they ought to be; because in such a case there would always be a good pope, upon which the tranquility of Christendom so materially depends. Endeavor then to render yourself such, that if all the rest resembled you, we might expect this universal blessing. To give you particular directions as to your behavior and conversation would be a matter of no small difficulty. I shall, therefore, only recommend, that in your intercourse with the cardinals and other men of rank, your language be unassuming and respectful, guiding yourself, however, by your own reason, and not submitting to be impelled by the passions of others, who, actuated by improper motives, may pervert the use of their reasons. Let it satisfy your conscience that your conversation is without intentional offense; and if, through impetuosity of temper, any one should be offended, as his enmity is without just cause, so it will not be very lasting. On this your first visit to Rome, it will, however, be more advisable for you to listen to others than to speak much yourself.

You are now devoted to God and the church: on which account you ought to aim at being a good ecclesiastic, and to shew that you prefer the honor and state of the church and of the apostolic see to every other consideration. Nor, while you keep this in view, will it be difficult for you to favor your family and your native place. On the contrary, you should be the link to bind this city closer to the church, and our family with the city; and although it be impossible to foresee what accidents may happen, yet I doubt not but this may be done with equal advantage to all: observing, however, that you are always to prefer the interests of the church.

You are not only the youngest cardinal in the college, but the youngest person that ever was raised to that rank; and you ought, therefore, to be the most vigilant and unassuming, not giving others occasion to wait for you, either in the chapel, the consistory or upon deputations. You will soon get a sufficient insight into the manners of your brethren. With those of less respectable character converse not with too much intimacy; not merely on account of the circumstance in itself, but for the sake of public opinion. Converse on general topics with all. On public occasions, let your equipage and address be rather below than above mediocrity. A handsome house and a well-ordered family will be preferable to a great retinue and a splendid residence. Endeavor to live with regularity, and gradually to bring your expenses within those bounds which in a new establishment cannot perhaps be expected. Silk and jewels are not suitable for persons in your station. Your taste will be better shown in the acquisition of a few elegant remains of antiquity, or in the collecting of handsome books, and by your attendants being learned and well-bred rather than numerous. Invite others to your house oftener than you receive invitations. Practise neither too frequently. Let your own food be plain, and take sufficient exercise, for those who wear your habit are soon liable, without great caution, to contract infirmities. The station of a cardinal is not less secure than elevated; on which account those who arrive at it too frequently become negligent; conceiving their object is attained and that they can preserve it with little trouble, This idea is often injurious to the life and character of those who entertain it. Be attentive, therefore, to your conduct, and confide in others too little rather than too much. There is one rule which I would recommend to your attention in preference to all others. Rise early in the morning. This will not only contribute to your health, but will enable you to arrange and expedite the business of the day; and as there are various duties incident to your station, such as the performance of divine service, studying, giving audience, and so forth, you will find the observance of this admonition productive of the greatest utility. Another very necessary precaution, particularly on your entrance into public life, is to deliberate every evening on what you may have to perform the following day, that you may not be unprepared for whatever may happen. With respect to your speaking in the consistory, it will be most becoming for you at present to refer the matters in debate to the judgment of his holiness2 alleging as a reason your own youth and inexperience. You will probably be desired to intercede for the favors of the pope on particular occasions. Be cautious, however, that you trouble him not too often; for his temper leads him to be most liberal to those who weary him least with their solicitations. This you must observe, lest you should give him offense, remembering also at times to converse with him on more agreeable topics; and if you should be obliged to request some kindness from him, let it be done with that modesty and humility which are so pleasing to his disposition. Farewell.

trans. by Merrick Whitcomb, Source-Book of the Italian Renaissance, revised ed. (Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1903), 82-86.

---

This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.

Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.

(c)Paul Halsall Mar 1996
halsall@murray.fordham.edu

Interesting Views on the Book of Mormon

Here is a document about the Book of Mormon I saved a few years ago. I think it is very interesting so I am posting it for you to read.

Reflections of Sami Hanna as recorded by Russell M. Nelson:

My neighbor, Sami Hanna, is a native Egyptian. He is an academic
scholar who moved into our neighborhood to accept an assignment with
the university as a specialist in Middle Eastern Studies and the Semitic
group of languages such as Arabic, Abyssinian, Hebrew, Aramaic, and
Assyrian. Being a newcomer into our community, he felt the Mormons were
a bit of a curiosity. Upon learning the name Mormon came from our
belief that the Book of Mormon is divine scripture, he was intrigued by
the existence of the Book of Mormon. He had erroneously thought this
was American literature. When he was told that the Book of Mormon was
translated from the ancient Egyptian or modified Hebrew type of
hieroglyphic into the English language by the prophet Joseph Smith, he
became even more engrossed, for this was his native language and he
knows much about the other Semitic languages as well as the modern
languages.


So challenged was he by this book, that he embarked on the
project of translating the Book of Mormon from English to Arabic. This
translation was different from other translators, for this was to be a
translation back to the original language of the book. To make a long
story short, the process of this translation became the process of his
conversion; for he soon knew the Book of Mormon to be a divine document
even though he knew virtually nothing of the organization of the Church
or of its programs. His conversion came purely from the linguistics of
the book, which he found could not have been composed by an American,
no matter how gifted. Some of these observations I think will be of
interest to you, as they were to me, for they clarify some of the
unique aspects of the book.

1. Jarom 2: "It musts needs be..." This expression, odd and
awkward in English, is excellent Arabic grammar. Elsewhere in the book
the use of the compound verbs "did eat", "did go", "did smile" again
awkward and rarely used in English, are classical and correct grammar
in the Semitic languages.

2. Omni 18: "Zarahemla gave a genealogy of his fathers,
according to his memory. Brother Hanna indicates that this is a typical
custom of his Semitic forbearers to recite their genealogy from memory.


3. Words of Mormon 17: Reference is made here as in other
parts of the Book of Mormon, to the "stiffneckedness" of his people.
Brother Hanna perceives that this word would be a very unusual word for
an American youth, Joseph Smith, to use. An American would likely
prefer an adjective such as stubborn or inflexible. But the custom in
the Arabic language is to use just such a descriptive adjective.
Stiffnecked is an adjective they use in describing an obstinate person.


4. Mosiah 11:8 "King Noah built many elegant and spacious
buildings and ornamented them with fine work and precious things,
including "ziff." Have you ever wondered about the meaning of the word
"ziff" referred to in this scripture? This word, although in the Book
of Mormon, is not contained in dictionaries of the English language.
Yet it translates freely back into the Arabic language, for ziff is a
special kind of curved sword somewhat like a scimitar which is carried
in a sheath and often used for ornamentation as well as for more
practical purposes. The discovery of the word "ziff" in the Book of
Mormon really excited my neighbor, Brother Hanna.

5. Alma 63:11 Reference is made to Helaman, son of Helaman.
Why did not Joseph Smith interpret this as Helaman, Jr., which would
have been more logical for him, bearing the same name as his father,
Joseph, and being named Joseph Smith, Jr. In Arabic, Brother Hanna
explains, there is no word "junior" to cover this circumstance. Their
custom is to use the terminology Joseph, son of Joseph; Helaman, son of
Helaman, etc.

6. Helaman 1:3 Here reference is made to the contending for
the judgment seat. Brother Hanna observes that the use of the term
"judgment seat" would be quite strange to an American who might have
used a more familiar noun such as governor, president, or ruler. Yet,
in Arabic custom, the place of power rests in the judgment seat and
whoever occupies that seat, is the authority and power. The authority
goes with the seat and not with the office or the person. So, this, in
the Semitic languages, connotes the meaning exactly.

7. Helaman 3:14 In this verse, there are a total of
eighteen "ands." Reviewers of the Book of Mormon have, on occasion,
been critical of the grammar in such a passage where the use of the
word "and" seems so repetitious. Yet Brother Hanna explains that each
of the "ands" in this verse is absolutely essential to the meaning, when
this verse is expressed in Arabic, for the omission of any "and" would
nullify the meaning of the words.

8. Helaman 3: 18-19 Have you wondered why the Book of
Mormon cites a numbering system such as this? Do we say "forty and six,
forty and seven, forty and eight?" No! Joseph Smith's natural
interpretation would more appropriately have been forty-six,
forty-seven, forty-eight without the "ands." Brother Hanna excitedly
observes that the use of "and" in "forty and six" is precisely correct
Arabic. Remember they number, as well as read, from right to left and
recite their numbers with the "and" to separate the columns.

Well, I have just cited a few of these examples. There are
many more! As Latter-day Saint leaders, we are aware of the Semitic
origin of the Book of Mormon. The fact that an Arabic scholar such as
this sees a beautiful internal consistency in the Prophet Joseph
Smith's translation of the book is of great interest. The Prophet
Joseph did not merely render an interpretation, but a word for word
translation from the Egyptian type of hieroglyphic into the English
language.
Brother Hanna said the Book of Mormon simply flowed back
into the Arabic language.

Rock On! ROCK BAND

I highly recommend this game to everyone. Amy and I love it. We have our own band, which we play in till 2 in the morning sometimes. It's a blast. You can have a singer, bass, guitar, and drums. I prefer the drums. I feel like I could actually play the real drums on a basic level after playing this game for a while. It's awesome!

MARS!

Check out these cool images of dust devils flying across the surface of Mars.

Several dust devils cross a plain in this animation of a series of images acquired by NASA's Mars Rover Spirit in May, 2005. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/USGS)

A well-defined dust devil crosses in front of the camera in this animation of a series of images acquired by NASA's Mars Rover Spirit in May, 2005. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/USGS)

Netflix Needs to Fire Someone To Pacify the Mob

Netflix Community Blog: Profiles feature going away

If you use netflix you may have heard that the nutty feature called "profiles" is going bye-bye. Join the rants!

The Fam Damily

Here we are in our glorious splendor. These pictures were taken about a year ago. We just had a family photo session a few weeks ago but, knowing us, it will probably take about a year to get the photos ordered. So enjoy these for now.

Wall mural

This thing is proof that some people have something I lack... lots of time to dedicate to a project.

Check out my church - I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

What do Mormons believe?

Want to check out the Book of Mormon? It is easy to read and helps you understand the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. Here is a link to the book online:
Book of Mormon online

Introduction to the Book of Mormon

A Beastie Video for your Pleasure

3 MCs and 1 DJ

This is a great video. It is filmed live the entire time. You have to love Ghostbuster backpack! And notice the reel to reel tape behind the guys recording live.