Avocado Trees

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I am as many of you know a plant scientist. My major research project in graduate school was "Secondary Metabolite Analysis by Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Vitis vinifera under Abiotic Stress". This means, "stuff plants make when they are stressed". When I landed this university job, my boss was particularly interested in my plant background, and it has opened other doors as you will soon see.

At this point, I am particularly impressed by my latest venture. For the past six months or so, I have changed my diet which means I eat about 3-5 avocados every week. After a certain point, I decided to not let the pits go to waste and started trying to germinate them. Today, I am pleased to report that I now have three avocado trees growing in the window of my office. I just love living things.

Thank you God for the love of plants and gardening you planted in me when I was but a small lad.

Housing Update

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I spoke with my realtor today who had some good news for me. Statistically speaking, for the first time it looks and feels like I may finally get a home. I believe very strongly that God wants me to settle down in Las Vegas. There are several reasons why it behooves me to have my own place. From family to business ventures, to storage, to autonomy, to financial return, it is nice to think that I may have a house in which to make a home.

Last Monday, I wrote three offers on Short Sales. Last Friday, all three of them notified my agent that the sellers had accepted my offer and sent word to the bank. Two of them have faxed signed paperwork, and the third is expected Monday. I have two other Short Sales in process, with my offer as second if the first offer backs out which is likely, but on these three I am offer #1. We also saw an REO, which is a home the bank already seized from the owner, on which I will place an offer.

The homes are all priced under $63/sqft. They are located along the east bench of the valley, proximal to work locations as I prefer. The two in Henderson would allow me if I wish to continue to attend the ward of which I am currently a member, but since they are in two different stakes (yes I know it's confusing) when I turn 31 I would end up in different wards.

I am excited about the prospects and thought you might want to know that by Halloween I might finally be in my own place for about the same cost it would take me to rent a 1 bedroom apartment, and some people already expressed interest in being my roommate.

April Mist, 89002


Cantelope, 89142


Apple Cart, 89142


Wyoming, 89142


Rising Brook, 89011


Morning Break, 89142

My Favorite Scripture

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Back in June, I met up with my first greenie from my full-time mission. He remembered that even back in 1999 my favorite scripture was from the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

I have taken great solace from these verses from time to time when I think of the things that come upon me in life that I did not expect.

When the Savior was resurrected, he retained the marks of the nails in his hands. Since his mission revolved around the removal of walls that otherwise damn us, this verse refers to the fact that he remembers us and our travails always because he already suffered for them and took the pain for them away from us if we like. He is more aware of the pain and the implications of these troubles than we ever realize.

In Ether 12:27, we learn that God gives men weaknesses that they may be humble. As we turn to him, ask for the aide of the Savior to deal with those weaknesses/trials/etc., we draw on his strength. He gives us weakness so that we will apply to him for his help. Many of the things we face cannot be overcome by ourselves. Out of his desire to help us overcome what we cannot do for ourselves, God drives us to him so that he can create miracles in our lives.

Whatever you believe about your life, Christ is the miracle. He remembers. Trust his love.

Born For This Day

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Although I read it before I left for work this morning, I have pondered the following verse all day from Esther 4:14

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Growing up, there have been several other things that put this concept into my mind. My grandparents had a hanging in their home that said, "If not now, when. If not I, then who?" Plus, the Declaration of Independence says "when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security". Basically, those who have the capability have the responsibility.

The verse from Esther added another element on which I had not previously thought. It goes along with something I read from Jack Kornfeld's "The Wise Heart" which says that people fear more the discovery that they are great than they would to discover that they are a bum. Maybe you were born or brought into this situation exactly for the purpose to deal with it.

If you care about it and find yourself in a position to do something about it, chances are it is on purpose. Sometimes the things which may be asked of you may be difficult. Sometimes they may be painful. In the end, it is always better to do what is right and let the consequence follow. A long time ago, I swore an oath:

Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong

.
I would be true, for there are those who trust me. I would be pure for there are those who care. I would be strong for there is much to suffer. I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I have never really appreciated the story of Esther as much as I do today. Nor have I ever considered her plight. Nobody knew her lineage who would betray her, but she traded comfort and security for what was right. What are we willing to trade?

I Don't Know

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I recently read Jack Kornfield's book "The Wise Heart". It deals with the tenants of buddhist philosophy, and seeing as how I have several buddhist friends, it seems appropriate to understand these teachings.

Toward the end of the book, it addresses what it calls the state of "I don't know". The fact of the matter is that westerners worry too much about the future. We make movies about it, talk about it, dwell on it, prepare for it, and ultimately fear it. The fact of the matter is that Dr. Emmet Brown was right when he told Marty McFly that "Your future hasn't been written yet. Noone's has, so make it a good one". Very wise advice.

No matter how hard we try, complications arise. We can either learn from them or be destroyed by them. There are always fears and doubts, but most of the time your fears don't turn out to be accurate predictors of anything. Naturally, there are things you would choose to happen in the future. CS Lewis speaks in "The Screwtape Letters" about work that helps do the part of tomorrow that belongs in the present while the day lasts but warns against dwelling on the future. Even if you do the best you can to secure a good future by doing everything perfectly, something could happen you did not expect and render your planning useless. My life is great testament to that.

In the future is fear and fantasy. People who live in the present and trust in what they know fare much better. That's why buddhism teaches men that it's ok to admit you don't know. It's far more peaceful to acknowledge the honest truth that neither you nor anybody else can predict outcome than it is to dwell on eventualities that may never arise. You know what is. The rest, you don't know, and that's ok.

True Friends

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Someone asked me to furnish this, and it took me months longer to find it than I like to admit. Here is my definition of a true friend.

True friends tell you what you need to hear and help you do what you need to do.
True friends love and accept you.
True friends are patient, forgiving, and encouraging.
True friends see the Diamond in the Rough.
True friends don't treat you like a Taxi, an ATM, and a pillow on which to cry and then have fun with other people. They share the good times with you too.
A true friend is someone you can call at 2AM and wake them up and they will at least spend some time in conversation even if they were asleep.
True friends choose you.


I have very few of these. They are precious to me.

Go the Distance

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When I started training for the US Military's physical fitness battery, I knew in order to pass I had to start running. Just prior to that, I held a manual labor job, and so although I wasn't out of shape per se, it was hard for me to jog for a mile at first. Gradually, I increased the duration and intensity so that I could run both distance and time required by their test.

My dad gave me the advice to go for distance. If you can go for a long distance, then you can go a shorter length at greater speed because your body is used to dedicating a certain amount of resources. You just use them in a shorter amount of time.

I learned this is a good analogy for life. If you are one who is prepared to go the distance, you will be able to go places other people will not. Most people focus on the short game, quick returns, and the satisfaction of "your way right away". Failures often didn't realize how close they were to success when they quit. That's not how I choose to be.

Sure, I can run a good short game too. I have trained for certain things, and I get great satisfaction out of beating personal bests. Even the other day when I asked myself why, since I am not in the military, I still jog a 10K thrice weekly, I knew I would feel satisfaction at having done it when it was over, so I left the house at 5:20 and hit the course.

Go the distance. That's where what's really worth having is anyway.

Don't Write Me Off Just Yet

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Enough Said.

My First Orchard

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Back on August 8th, I went up near Cedar City to start work on an orchard up there as part of an experiment in which I am involved. This pilot program may open up a philanthropic opportunity for me and allow me to use exactly what I learned in school to make some money and keep myself busy evenings and weekends.

The project is on a 5 acre plot about 30 minutes from Cedar City. Phase one involved the excavation and then soil augmentation for 74 trees of various species. Under the direction of the project manager I selected fruit and nut trees for their physiology, productivity, and climate/disease/pest resistance to test them for efficacy and productivity in the UT High Desert. They are planted according to the geometric "golden ratio" along the western periphary of the property. Each hole is 1 cubic yard in size (approximately 3'x3'x3'), cut out of mostly clay with some sparse igneous rock and then backfilled with a sand-manure-soil mix. Drainage pipe of 3' lengths was buried on the north and southwest quadrants to facilitate root growth to resist the prevailing dominant winds through the valley. Soil was remixed at a 2:1:1 ratio native:sand:amended.

I arrived at the site Thursday night around 8PM after a stop at Home Depot for some of the supplies. The next morning I spent about three hours marking out all of the holes at perfect angles and distance and discovered that the well on the property had sprung some sort of a leak. It didn't interfere with Phase 1. I removed all the debris from the previous attempt, procured the tools I needed for the next stage of Phase 1, secured delivery of a backhoe and the dirt, and began the excavations. From sunup to sundown, I worked, digging holes and moving dirt by wheelbarrow to as many of the holes as possible, retiring to bed just after 10PM local, exhausted and tired with a sore wrist.

The next morning, I hit the field at 6AM, and by 4PM, all the holes were dug, 27 were filled in with amended soil, and most of the others had the dirt nearby with which to fill them. I stopped because I was dehydrated and because I ran out of some of the supplies. All in all, the project has cost $1000 total, of which $700 was for dirt. Yes, I bought dirt. My wrist is damaged somehow, either from digging with the shovel or from twisting. A look at the anatomy models at work shows it's either a hairline fracture or damage to a ligament/tendon based on its locale. I have not been to the doctor because the only thing he can do that I can't is surgery, and I'd rather avoid that. It hurts to drive (no power steering) and to type, but I do both anyway.

Those days were some of the most peaceful and happy I have enjoyed for a long time. Every day, I got up despite being worn out physically with energy, rested, and ready to work. By the time it was done, I had a sunburn, having spent the entire day in the sun working. However, that's as close to utopia as most people could ever hope to come. Most of the people nearby came to watch and inquire as to the details. As for myself, I just worked and worked and had satisfaction in the fruits of my labor. Right now, it just looks like a huge gopher dug holes at perfect 45 degree arcs around the periphery at 90 degree angles, but when the trees go in and grow and prosper, it will be a glorious and wonderful sight indeed. It was a bit ambitious for the amount of time, but I really enjoyed it and I look forward to the day when I can rejoice in the finished project. Thought you ought to know.

Phase 2 will involve the finish work of irrigation, automation, and installation of trees. Phase 3 will involve a vineyard, berry plots, and a garden area. Phase 4 will involve a greenhouse with solar automation technology. The finished project will eventually serve for research purposes as to productivity, survivability, and sustainability in those conditions as well as become a modular family garden marketed and designed primarily for baby boomers and their immediate antecedants interested in locally-grown produce and self-sufficiency in locales distal to commercial centers like Cedar City or larger. Don't ask more details. I'm the scientific/plant consultant and the phsyical labor. I will keep you posted!

Sharpshooters- A Lesson in History

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Although at $3200, a Sharps-Borchardt rifle is outside of my price range, I have been fascinated with that particular model since my father first exposed me to Tom Selleck in "Quigley Down Under". As I consider the plot of the movie, I consider the possible ramifications of the plot and some inexplicit details that may add something to your appreciation of history and your understanding of Quigley's dramatis personae.

In 1848, Sharps began manufacturing their first breech loaded rifle. It was superior to the muzzle loaded version you see in most civil war action because it could be loaded more quickly than that issued to the rank and file enlistee. They made several versions of their rifle: the first Sharps for regular army units (not state volunteers), the second for cavalry (Sharps carbine for more accurate discharge while mounted in a charge), and the famous long rifles of which the borchardt is the most famous. The long rifles, of which only 22000 were ever made from 1852-1881, became the weapon of choice for Union Sharpshooter regiments and later found service in the west against the indians and buffalo. The only two famous users of a Sharps long rifle are "Wild" Bill Hickock who shot buffalo for the railroad and William Dixon who scared off a Comanche siege at the second battle of Adobe Walls in 1874.

Most Union sharpshooters found service as scouts and skirmishers. Most Union regiments had about a dozen sharpshooters in these roles, most of which were also KIA by the battle of Gettysburg. Given their ability to fire rapidly and kill at great distance, Union generals used them poorly, and the two regiments of sharpshooters that once existed were folded into Grant's army as companies of infantry regiments in 1864.

The rest of the rifles ordered by the army found their way out west. The Sharps long rifle was primarily designed for hunting buffalo. It used a 0.50 caliber black powder cartridge, which allowed it to take down those large animals in one shot. The rest of the time when Sharps rifles saw service, it was to hold indians at bay. With the outbreak of the Civil War, all regular Union regiments were transferred to Grant's Army of the West, and local volunteers arose to augment duties in the territories of the frontier. These units were largely untrained and undisciplined, and the presence of a sharpshooter could deter indians from agression. It didn't always work. The 1st NV Volunteer Cavalry lost almost an entire company under "Major" Ormsby in the 1st Battle of Pyramid Lake, with only 29 of 105 returning to Virginia City in 1860.

As to how this might impact Quigly:
Sharpshooters out west might have been engaged in the distal sniper action against Indians. in fact, I am surprised to not see any sharpshooters assigned to the cavalry detachment that takes Mel Gibson prisoner in "Dances with Wolves" given that by then the war was over. If Quigley had been a prior service sniper with the military, it would account for his skill with the rifle and for his disdain for both Marshall's men on the Australian ranch as well as for the British cavalry unit affiliated with him. Furthermore, Quigley might have his extreme aversion to the slaughter of Aborigines as paid by Marshall due to having been forced so to do by the department of the army back in the United States. By the time of that movie, 1874 or later in order for him to have a Borchardt model Sharps longrifle, all sharpshooting would have been in the Indian wars or against buffalo. even if Quigley were just a hunter, he would not have seen aborigines as chattle to be hunted indiscriminately and killed as were buffalo by some sharps-equipped hunters, although you also see that in "Dances with Wolves".

If you put the rifle and the movies into their historical perspective, I think it brings an interesting level of depth to entertainment. These rifles are extremely powerful, and the men who used them could accurately kill anything at over 1000 yards, which for the time, and even today, is quite a feat given the mechanism of the rifle and the discharge of rounds. They are very simple to operate and reload and extremely accurate given technology, a testament to engineers and operators alike, largely squandered by officers who neither understood the possibilities nor cared to employ them correctly. You can see that even the 20th Maine Vol Inf had some sharpshooters if you look carefully at Little Round Top in "Gettysburg" although their unit insignia is incorrect.

I have, for my age at least, learned a lot from my study of Civil War minutea. I hope that you appreciate the things that came from such a bloody but vital time in American history. Of the 22000 estimated sharpshooters engaged in the civil war, at least 2000 were Native Americans, and all but 4000 gave their lives to end slavery(75% KIA). They bore the brunt of some of the worst duties and fighting as pickets and scouts and skirmishers. They lived great and they died great, and I pray that all of my American brothers, no matter the land of their nativity, will recognize as said Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine that the war was about the idea that we all have value, a divine spark, an original nobility. May you remember what men who never perpetrated an offense gave to right a wrong that the current president refuses to forget, instead fanning the flames of fervor to vengeance and anger.

Take a lesson from the dead. If you want to succeed, you need to be a sharp shooter and keep your eye on the target, no matter how far away it may seem, and shoot straight. Rest in peace, my brothers. May God bless you for your service and sacrifice.

This post is dedicated to all of my friends, living and dead, who ever served in uniform, and all of those who would have if not for 4-F status. Thank you for your service.

Joe P E-4 USA (KIA-Iraq) Armor
Carole S E-3 USA (WIA-Iraq) MP
Blake S E-3 USMC Infantry
Blaine D E-5 USMC Infantry
Kristina R E-8 USN Engine Room Control
Brian G 0-3E USAF(WIA-Columbia) Intel
Paul W 0-5 USAF WSO
Matthew A E-2 USMC Communications
John W 0-1 USA Infantry
Matthew H 0-3 USAF ABM

Casey B WO-2 USA Helicopter Pilot

Russell G E-7 USN Seal

Arthur S E-9 USMC (WIA-Vietnam) Infantry

Peter K E-4 USA(WIA-Afghanistan) MP
and others too numerous to mention...

Updated 22 February, 2010

Jay Q 0-1E USA Sniper/Medic (WIA-Panama)

"Tex" S 0-6 USAAC Pilot (WIA-Korea)

William D E-2 USN Submariner

Tasha J E-5 USN Communications

Michelle S E-5 USA Mechanic

Jay A E-3 USMC Infantry

By What I Buy

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I had a very interesting but somewhat disconcerting visit to the grocer today. I share it because it's funny and because it gave me food for thought.

I routinely go over to this ethnic market near my work during lunch to pick up veggies for the week either Monday or Tuesday, depending on the week. These are usually sold at really low prices, as fresh as they can be given their nation of origin (Thailand, Persia, and Columbia for example), and of consistent supply despite season since they are staples for other ethnic diets. So, I go over and buy about $15 of veggies every week to sustain me and keep me healthy while at work when I get the munchies and for lunch.

As I reached the checkout, there was actually another non-hispanic who spoke less Spanish than I in line behind me. We spoke a bit about the couple in front of us that took 30+ products through the "15 item or less" line. Then, he said something that took me for a loop. "Based on what you've got there, you are single and straight, aren't you?"

How did he know that based on what I bought? For your edification, here's the rundown: 2 coconuts, 2 heads of red-leaf lettuce, 2 avocados, soy milk, a bag of M&Ms, and three lean cuisine entrees (salmon with basil). Do you see what he saw?

Here are some more details. This guy is himself a homosexual, and all he was buying was what looked like a gallon jug of vodka. He said he'd watched some program that discussed what people buy based on their demographic. Sounds like a new form of stereotyping to me. I mean, are all people who buy vodka at ethic markets homosexual? What happens when I buy these same things after I get married because my wife has a craving for coconuts and avocados with soy milk?

It was interesting and different, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Cars Americans Really Want

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When I heard about the "Cash for Clunkers" program, I got excited. I drive a dilapidated 1995 Saturn SL1 that, while reliable as Rollings Reliable Baking Powder, looks atrocious. That's just part of my passive theft deterrent system. The program, however, is a misnomer. It's about fuel economy, not about getting old cars off the road, meaning that my 41mpg car doesn't even come close to qualifying.

In the days just before the program went active, the government shot itself in the foot. People discovered that the EPA had adjusted their efficiency to 19mpg, just over the 18mpg limit so that their cars didn't qualify. Like so many other things the government does, this had unintended consequences.

Some cars reclassified now qualified as improvements over previous versions, and Americans showed what cars they really want. People started buying trucks and crossovers which scrape by with 19mpg ratings under the new system. While official government sources tout Toyota and Honda as the cars being replaced, Edmunds.com reports that luxury SUVs and trucks are at least as commonly sold under the program. Notice the lack of SMART cars, mopeds, and the like being sold. Shoot, I remember an official in Obama's administration saying he was going to buy a Ford Explorer a few weeks back. So much for setting an example.

If I'd qualified, I planned to buy a GMC Canyon or Chevrolet Colorado for its utility. I take lots of trips into the mountains and desert and to the lake, and the chassy of my Saturn just doesn't cut the mustard. When I buy a home, it will be useful to haul things to work on, move into, and then customize my home. These are the cars Americans buy when given the choice. However, my clunker doesn't qualify, so I continue to drive it, matching at much lower expense the efficiency of the way more expensive to acquire, maintain, and operate Prius.

What Idiots Thought This?

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The experts are surprised again that spending is down or at least isn't up. Why are they surprised? My spending only went up because the prices of commodities I buy went up and my spending will really intensify when I manage to get a bank to accept an offer on a home (I have four offers pending currently).

The real problem is, and the reason for yesterday's decision by the FED to not raise rates, that people's incomes have dropped with the economy. Many people who were just about to lose their homes before the FED dropped rates to their current historic lows have, like myself, taken paycuts. These paycuts reduced the size of the buffer between costs and wages. If the FED raises rates, these people will once again be borderline default on their mortgages which will just repeat the exacerbated crisis.

What they should have done all along is to CUT TAXES. Tax cuts put money back into the pockets of the people. Instead, the illustrious state of Nevada raised our sales tax locally from 7.75% to 8.1%, raised my PERS (Nevada's version of Social Security) from 10.5% to 11.25%, and I took a 6% paycut. This amounts to a 10% reduction in discretionary income compared to a year ago with no COLA or merit pay increases for the next bienium.

Then they're surprised I don't run out and buy a plasma TV or splurge on iPODs, shoes, entertainment, etc. Who are these experts? I took business classes in college, and I knew better than they do apparently. I may not be the paragon of information or the wellspring of wisdom, but I am not surprised that in an economic downturn people tighten their wallets. If the administration is not careful, they will not only prolongue the recession but vouchsafe continuity of a depressed economic state that hurts everyone except our enemies.

While we're on that topic, I hear Wall Street is raking in the profits. I thought they were our enemies. How come they are the only ones who seem to benefit from Obama's policies?

Treat it Like Coffee

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In 36 years of drinking coffee, I have never once spilled coffee grounds on the floor. The lesson is, treat everything like coffee. --Thom Truelove

If we handled everything with the same care and attention that Thom dedicates to his beverage, we would always end up with a glass mostly full, and the floor would be cleaner to boot!

People make time for what matters to them. They pay attention to what they recognize as important and what they choose to do to fix their troubled state. When you are tired, weak, or alone, treat things like coffee and show what really matters.

I Would Be True

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I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

I would be faithful through each passing moment;
I would be constantly in touch with God;
I would be strong to follow where He leads me;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.

Who is so low that I am not his brother?
Who is so high that I’ve no path to him?
Who is so poor I may not feel his hunger?
Who is so rich I may not pity him?

Who is so hurt I may not know his heartache?
Who sings for joy my heart may never share?
Who in God’s heav’n has passed beyond my vision?
Who to hell’s depths where I may never fare?

May none, then, call on me for understanding,
May none, then, turn to me for help in pain,
And drain alone his bitter cup of sorrow,
Or find he knocks upon my heart in vain.

Howard Walter 1911