The Mortensen Reportensen

Why I like Radiohead

2011-11-21T15:57:00.002-07:00

Not everyone has love for this band. But I do. Here's why as told to my friend.

Understand, Radiohead started out as a little group with a couple guitars, and have tried to create something new and significant with each album. I've decided to ignore their debut album completely for that reason. They are not the same musicians anymore. They try to find new/old instruments to create mood sounds that reflect the emotion in Thom Yorke's voice and push the envelope each time. When I listen to Radiohead, I really do close my eyes and get a bigger sense for the song. It's almost like they try to present visual stimulus in the musical exploration. I realize that's abstract, but that's one reason why I like it. I typically don't even need to investigate the lyrics with them, because I like the vocals as just another instrument. And I don't think they would even say that each time they tried to do something new, they were successful, but I found lots of songs to which I can connect.

They're not all happy or rocking songs either. They can do that and have, but with some of the titled songs such as Where I End and You Begin, How to Disappear Completely, Everything in it's Right Place, and Bodysnatchers, they really capture the message of the song with the musical composition as well as the words. My favorite album is In Rainbows which they put up on their website. They offered it for sale and you could choose any price you wanted to pay for it: $0-$10000. So here are some songs in order of being written. You should listen to them loud. You'll pull more from them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na5qrW032H4&feature=related

Black Star - The Bends (1995) > I think this is a song about helping someone deal with anxiety, depression or some other mental/emotional condition. I can sense the pain, regret, and longing in both the chords and the words. He really is trying to figure out how to help, and he wishes this person could just blame something out of their control and move on, but realizes that it doesn't work that way. It seems to start to cause him to struggle with life too, when he may have not had a problem before. I guess my friends/family with similar issues caused me to take more from the message here. Stylistically, the harmonies in the third verse are amazing, and I could listen to this song every day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWtn4Kt05_Y&feature=related

Idioteque - Kid A (2000 - Album that won the Grammy) > the drummer uses digital sounds on his instruments - the message is slightly unclear, tho it seems to be a warning to people about things that are about to happen. it has a very ominous feel to it. I think they captured that well. It's almost chill, but almost chaotic. It really takes me places when I let it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNkK11qnTQ

Knives Out - Amnesiac (2001) > Guitars are so well balanced here. It grooves so well. At the same time his voice is strong an hollowly haunting. Quote from Yorke:In one interview he said: "It's partly the idea of the businessman walking out on his wife and kids and never coming back. It's also the thousand yard stare when you look at someone close to you and you know they're gonna die. It's like a shadow over them, or the way they look straight through you. The shine goes out of their eyes." To be fair, I don't know what has to happen in your life to decide to write a song like that, but I think they can elicit the correct emotion for the somber mood. Note: this video is bonkers!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plxOjjkgIdk

Myxomatosis - Hail to the Thief (2003) > An interesting rock song with very complex percussion. Keeps you guessing for a while until you let it sink in. The disease is a real one that is a virus (in rabbits I think) that causes blindness and death. It's about fighting off mind control from 'superiors' and trying to help people learn to think for themselves. It's a very deeply layered song that either could be catastrophic or successful, and I guess you know how I feel about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AQSLozK7aA&ob=av2e

There There - Hail to the Their (2003) > I can't get over how in the pocket this song is. It fits together so well. Really only two chords in the verse, but it feels so dynamic. The vocals are where you get the energy and emotion. "Just 'cuz you feel it, doesn't mean it's there...." He tries to separate reality from hopes. It's not a happy feeling, but man is it powerful. And then at the end when it's all stacked on top of each other with the heavy arpeggios, you feel like things are about to collapse on themselves. It needs to be listened to loudly. Amongst the controlled noise, comes a feeling of strength. Makes me think of breaking out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nTFjVm9sTQ

House of Cards - In Rainbows (2008) > Rhythm is so interesting here. The drums are simple but really perfect for the song. The guitar is simple and just mushy enough to help underling the vocals describing the complexities of a relationship falling apart. As much as I didn't like the echo effects on Bono's voice in Red Hill, I think they're perfect for this compilation. It's like he's telling someone that she can't have control over all her life if she really wants to have a real relationship. You have to cede some amounts of control to let the other person in.

Okay. There it is. I could have chosen songs that may have been less 'weird,' but if you're going to really listen to Radiohead, you kinda have to be all in. For the record, I do understand why people don't like them. They don't have just one sound, it's hard to understand the lyrics sometimes, and people don't like weird usually. They don't write songs to get on the radio anymore. They have the fanbase and enough cash to be able to write whatever they want. So it does have a degree of the abstract art that isn't your typical cup of tea, but they've had considerable influence on my tastes and likes. They've held the top stop on my favorite bands podium since 1998.

The Great Reform Debate

2010-03-04T10:51:00.003-07:00

As someone who spends all his work hours dealing with insurance company benefits for patients, it's pretty clear to me that no insurance company is focused on compassion - not just health insurance. It's clearly a money game, just like auto insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and everything else. If their payouts and coverage are high, they raise prices on premiums to cover expenses and try to get out of paying certain things.

My personal insurance company is currently giving me huge problems getting my prescriptions covered. Most of the compassion in health care comes from nurses and physicians and their staffs who fight for the patient and try to take care of them, it's clearly not from big business. I've seen examples of the government running health care on Indian reservations and in other countries, and though we think that grass is greener, those communities suffer through hardships that rival those we're accustomed to with our current model.

Reform is needed, but if the change alters the way doctors and nurses and staffs are compensated (in payment, feeling, or fulfillment), the only compassion that exists in the system at all might be removed - the care takers. Capitalism does breed a fair amount of selfishness with some ingenuity, vision, and dedication sprinkled in. I can't accept the view other people have that things are all bad.

I'm happy to choose to see the best surgeon in town for my shoulder, my eye, or someday for my daughter's kidney. I want that physician to be doing well. I don't want to see someone who treats me like I get treated in the line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

And right now, I can see 40 Longmont residents every day at a low cost, or I make deals with them and try to show compassion by accepting partial or no payments to help them get out of pain or disease. With many dentists here in town doing the same, most of Longmont doesn't have to worry about this:

http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/ukdental5.html

Watch out for the internets...

2009-02-09T22:58:00.002-07:00

That's all. More is coming, I promise.

It's the 25th of December!

2008-12-25T18:49:00.006-07:00

Check out great gifts available in the world in the links below:

The book for that tough-to-buy-for-teenager on your list.

The sling that saves you the time of explaining the story 50 times.

The gift of opinions is always free. Some shouldn't be given....

Practice what you preach > a lost art?

Inventor's gift to 1 billion poor people - wow, I hope this guy makes it.

Lost and found, just in time for Christmas.

Someone help me get a new hobby...

2008-12-23T22:41:00.002-07:00

Like I have extra time on my hands right? Well, I do, I guess, because I have found myself playing online Scrabble fairly regularly the past couple weeks. I play quick 3 minute games against people from all over. It's pretty silly I suppose, but my wit is pretty sharp these days. Watch out, you might get cut.

The online Scrabble culture is at least mildly interesting. Most people say good luck and good game in the chat window, but a few talk trash, which is maybe one of the lamest things I've experienced all year. To all you people who talk trash during Connect 4, Chutes 'N Ladders, Bejeweled, and Badminton, you should probably reevaluate some stuff in your life.

Anyway, here are some important words that those who play Scrabble have to know:

QAT - noun - the leaves of the shrub Cath edulis which are chewed like tobacco or used to make tea; has the effect of a euphoric stimulant.

XU - noun (plural) - an aluminum coin and monetary unit of Vietnam, the 100th part of a dong (hmm).

DJIN - noun (slang) - Islam for a genie in Arabian folklore.

KREWE - noun - a private social club that sponsors balls, parades, etc., as part of the Mardi Gras festivities.

you are competent - Dr. Razoky

2008-12-12T16:23:00.007-07:00

In order to graduate from dental school, I must demonstrate some level of proficiency at thirty (or so) different types of procedures. The way this is done is I find a case that would be good for a denture or something, tell my faculty, and then I do the whole thing and they grade me on it fairly tough. So, I don't wanna choose cases that are too complicated, because I can't really ask questions during this 'competency' procedure.

Last week I competed my bridge competency which is one of the more difficult ones we do while in school. A bridge is one way to fill a gap when someone is missing a tooth. It works by getting the two teeth adjacent to the missing tooth ready for crowns with an exact amount of parallelism required. Then the whole area is impressed and sent to the lab for casting and processing. The metal work is sent back and tried in the patient's mouth and sent to the lab again for baking porcelain on to match tooth color. So, everything worked out for me and my patient on our bridge this week - thankfully! Not something I wanted to do over.

Once I finish all my competency experiences, the school will recommend me for graduation and then a license if I pass that test next June. Once I have that license, I will have the confidence that my profession authorizes me to work on patients. I'm looking forward to finishing.

I do have a story, in addition to all this dryness. Most of my second year was spent doing dental procedures on a mannequin. Mine's name was Dexter. He didn't ever complain or get his tongue in the way. Life was pretty easy back then. Then all of a sudden, after a year, we could see real patients. I wanted to have some sort of certification-thing that showed the school's approval for my working on the citizens of Mesa (all the way to Black Canyon). This certification was not given.

Undeterred, I went to my simulation clinic director and demanded hard evidence for all my work. The note above is what she presented me. Sigh. It has done its job however. I keep it in my school locker, and on the days early on when I felt like I wasn't gonna ever be fast enough, I would have to see this silly thing proving my relative competence.

In the future, my license will provide me with the same virtual peace of mind. I think that this could relate to the other things we do. Even when a rough day shows up, we need to have something that gives us back our confidence, or at least enough so that we show up for more the next day.

The Story of the Girl Who Dumped Me when We Weren't Even Dating...

2008-12-08T18:07:00.006-07:00

This goes back to BYU times where the word 'date' meant so much more than a planned activity. Let's just say, going to campus was like walking through an aisle in the grocery store. Hmm, I better stop that metaphor before I get myself in trouble.

Facebook was still pretty little about the time I was getting out of Provo, but I'm sure it's not hard for people to know 1000 people on campus. It's just that kind of place, especially if you go to school for 5 years like most of them, er, us. And out of those 1000 people, at least one is bound to be a cheerleader - that's just the way the numbers work. And that, my friends, brings us to our story.

It was a time when I had a moderate-sized crush on some girl that I was trying to convince to like me. As far as I know, my efforts were fruitless. All the while, I spent time with many other close friends around town, as I really thrived on getting to know lots of people. To protect the innocent, the cheerleader with whom I was friends was named either Jessica, Paige, Cami, or Sarah. She was fun and we enjoyed the hangout/friendship thing without and strings attached (at least so I thought). I was trying to go on dates with the girl I liked.

Anywho, after her trip to some cheerleading competition where she and her team went to represent BYU's spirit, I called her up, and she asked me to come over. Her voice was in one of those somber tones, like something serious was going on. So, I went over to her apartment. No roommates were there. I wanna say this was in early January, and inexpensive Christmas decorations were still up.

With very closed body language, she says, "So, I think you're really a great guy..." which is the first line people say when you are trying to let someone down easy if they are lacking creativity. I don't think that surprise fully encompassed my reaction, nor does confusion; maybe the in between is surfusion. This sounds more like a physics term I suppose. Be it as it may, I was able to prevent myself from making a funny face; I was not able to say or do anything at all.

"I think you're really fun, and your priorities are in order...."

No way, I really couldn't believe this was happening. I wasn't remotely dating this girl.

"I mean, you have lots of qualities that I respect in a guy..."

But Jessica/Paige/Camii/Sarah, I have a crush on somebody else, remember?

"I just think we should really just see other people."

Me too, I mean.....ya. Like, I should see the girl I like, and you should go out with dudes that ask you out!

"I'm sorry."

All this time, I just sorta looked and nodded. I really couldn't respond. She did a fairly admirable job of breaking up with me, so I just kinda took it. I figured that she had built up the gusto to have this conversation with me, so I wouldn't ruin it. I just kinda engulfed it like you would a bad birthday gift.

After the pseudo-obligatory post break-up side hug, I waved and walked out the door. I don't know if you've seen the movie Orange County, but after the ex-husband (John Lithgow) comes over to Sean's mom's house one night and he tells her he misses her and then goes into the kitchen to get him a drink, and makes that face/head-shake/psh-sound? Well, I did that, and walked back to my apartment in one of those scenes from the movies where the main character is laughing to himself and lots of people passing on the street think he must be nuts. Ya.

I told my roommates that I'd just been dumped, and they were surprised too, as I hadn't been dating anyone. We decided to drown our sorrows in 7-11 hot chocolate and then proceeded to get on with our lives.

So whenever people ask me about how many relationships I've had, I never know whether or not to count the time spent 'together' with the cheerleader I never dated or kissed. I'll leave it off my list, but she probably counts it on hers.

THE REST OF THE STORY goes that she had hooked up with another cheerleader (dude) during the competition trip and didn't want to be dishonest toward me. So, points for loyalty I guess, but negative points for dating another cheerleader. Yikes.

Links you NEED to behold....

2008-11-24T00:22:00.002-07:00

I know I haven't showed you kids anything in a while, but rest assured, I'm still finding it...

A Very Lucky Day

That was totally nuts. My 19th birthday was full of Calculus tests and BYU freshman drama :( PS - Drew Carey = lameness encapsulated.

http://mymomisafob.com/ - FOB = fresh off the boat. This is a website where Asian-American kids submit emails their moms send to them. It was shown to me by my Asian roommate of course.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24694190-1242,00.html - New pamphlet from Australia designed to help people get drugs from the street - safely? "If you don't already have a reliable dealer, try to find one and stick with them."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96xRToUdzD0 - I can't believe I just saw this. Only in the South. Taxidermy? Really?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15902.html - This was today's bad news. Even the past 30 years of presidents at least feigned Christian practices. Please bless this is an anomaly.

Veterans' Hospital Rotation

2008-11-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

My new rotation is at the Phoenix Veteran's Hospital. They have a comprehensive care clinic with lots of specialists. It's pretty cool and I get treated well. Again, I'm on the road quite a bit, but there is a silver lining. All the people I get to treat are former servicemen/women that have given of their lives to help me and mine. So, I get to personally thank these individuals once I meet them.

Each of my grandfathers had military funerals. My father's father had a bad hip and couldn't complete his training and thus was unable to serve like he wanted to. His devotion was true though, and friends gave him a 21-gun salute at his burial. Mom's dad was a torpedoman on a sub that never left San Diego's harbor. His service was nonetheless valiant and I was honored to be chose to play TAPS on a trumpet as he was placed to rest.

These men make up some of this country's finest ever. I'm pleased to be able to help them out. I get to celebrate Veteran's Day every day for 6 weeks this year.

Decided 2008

2008-11-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

The election of 2008 is over - finally. This was a season of unabashed spending and speaking to win votes - both for candidates and legislation. I voted several weeks ago in Colorado through absentee ballots and "Joe Mailman," but I was interested in results in Arizona, California and nationally.

Not everything I voted for passed/was elected - not by a long shot. But I am publicly grateful for the opportunity to voice my beliefs, morals, and hopes for the best future I can imagine. Truly, this land is a blessed one.

I read an article the other day that was entitled, "Wednesday - Half of America is upset." It meant that lots of people would forcibly be disappointed with results from the presidential campaign or from other ballot measures. This was proved by the national presidential popular vote which came in much closer than that of the electoral college. I watched the concession speech of Senator McCain which was honest and classy. He is a good man, after all. I watched the acceptance speech of Senator Obama who is clearly a talented speaker and does broadcast desire to unite the country.

California and Arizona amended constitutional language concerning marriage with bipartisan support, but most voters steered clear of new propositions and paid attention to the candidates.

My thoughts tonight are that the elections are over and the results are done. Americans have spoken. If you're happy or unhappy, you have a choice about your attitude. Beating down the reputation of losers won't build this country up, and nitpicking the winners won't either. The political realm is a veritable smorgasbord of compromises. And while I can't compromise on the morals in which I believe, I can do my part to try to make things better.

I hope health care can be preserved in its delivery with possible reformations to insurance regulation, I hope our troops feel supported and prayed for, I hope honorable men make honest decisions concerning the economy, and I hope that world will take these results and offer respect toward their neighbors. We can smile and do our best.

Let's all be grateful we get to live where we do and use positive energy to make things better.

In-flight Entertainment

2008-10-27T12:24:00.001-07:00

Follow up on previous post: there was no running in the Denver wing of the US Airways gates. But, don't worry, my flight was delayed 45 minutes, so there was exactly zero need for hustling of any kind.

In other news, the flight home allowed me to reflect on things I learned during the course of my quick trip, record them in my journal, read a bit, and complete my first ever Sudoku puzzle. As someone who enjoys math and logic games, I don't know why I've stayed away from Sudoku before. It just never really interested me that much. But there was a puzzle in the in-flight magazine, so I went for it. It was the Medium Level one, if you're scoring at home, and since I haven't really done it before, it took too long as I was learning strategy/counting.

It was satisfying to complete one. And now I'm counting for those 35 minutes to stave off any dementia that was on its way to me - or at least to delay it another 35 minutes.

The 600m Airport Sprint - Gold medal winner

2008-10-25T09:00:00.004-07:00

I took a flight last night out of Phoenix. I used US Airways for the first time and had one of those little planes where nothing fits in the overhead compartments (Northwest Airlink CR9). I really am not so much a fan of flying, but appreciate how it gets me somewhere quick.

Anyway, I got through security in like 45 seconds, and as I was in the airport waiting to board, I found myself people-watching for a bit - I mean, how can you not in place like that where people are flying somewhere to to to impress other people? This was a different terminal than I have been in before, as I most often fly Southwest. So all the B gates had US Airways passengers. I noticed the weirdest thing. Approximately 1 in 5 people going down the hall were on a dead run. I'm not making this up. It was like an Olympic warm up track. I mean, sometimes people are hustling to get to a plane, but it's usually like 1 in 100 people as most people know that airports are no longer quick ins-and-outs. And the security lines were way short, so that wasn't the issue.

These people were sprinting with rolling luggage, holding their belts that they couldn't put back on after security, dressed nice & sweating. Plus some of these people were people who clearly do little-to-no running during the week. If you've ever lived in AZ, you know what I'm talking about. It was pretty interesting. I started wondering what the cause of this little show was:

Maybe the airline runs really poorly, and people are just always forced to run to their planes; or, perhaps the people that use US Airways are just the type of the people who show up late to the airport every time. I can see either of these being the case.

I need more data. I'll let you know what I think after my return trip.

Teaching stuff so people can learn stuff

2008-10-22T16:34:00.003-07:00

I have long been fond of being able to be an instructor. It makes me learn on a faster curve when I know I need to teach someone else about it/how to do it. Recently, I've been able to help teach lots of different stuff:

Dental materials - as a teaching assistant to a class at Mesa Community College
Physics tutor - for a budding ASU student
French tutor - because I know that stuff
Church lessons - make Sundays more rewarding
Pharmacology - this was back at BYU, I'm forgetting it slowly :(

The compensation received from teaching is good whether you are making money or not. It's pretty cool to be able to impart of your wisdom/skill/know-how to someone else. Maybe I am just thinking about this because I have pretty much been a student for 20 years, but I really just appreciate my opportunities to grow and try to share those with others.

I have decided that I am now capable to teach beginner's guitar lessons as well (after my rock and roll career took a stock market-style nose dive following the breakup of QUIVER). Everyone can learn to play the guitar (Radiohead said so), it's great for groups, and therapeutic on its own. Now, I just need to decide if I can do them for free-99 or not. Either way, all y'all should keep on rockin.'

I hear these guys have a CD out....

Lots of dollars, still no money.....

2008-10-20T22:18:00.003-07:00

Today at the clinic I saw two patients and did four crowns and a root canal. The crowns were for aesthetic improvement and the root canal took the patient out of pain. That correlates to around $3200 of dental school fees, which is pretty good for 7 hours of work with no assistant. Unfortunately, I see none of that money (you gotta pay the cost if you wanna be the boss, right?) as it goes back in to the clinic to help it run.

To put this in perspective, I pay something like $170/day to be a dental student - for the learning, knowledge, and increase in skill set. It's almost like I pay my patients for the discount they get by receiving my dental care. Hmmmm. Maybe I should just start a dental school.....

While my loans are fairly daunting, it is comforting that the services I get to provide now (and in the future, when money is more 'real') will be able to help people have a better quality of life. At the same time, I realize that teeth are not part of the life and death situations that impact other careers. That's one reason why I like it. There is enough stress in this world already. I hope that people do feel that compensation about their jobs. Maybe, if you need a change of scenery, you could try teeth. I'll be looking for a team in a few months here. :)

Colorado Ballot

2008-10-14T22:47:00.003-07:00

So, I sent in my absentee ballot today for the rectangular state of Colorado. I originally kept my Colorado citizenship in the case where it might help me get into Colorado programs better. Since I came to a private dental school, that didn't matter much. But anyway, I've been paying taxes and voting absentee in Colorado for years, even when I was in France as a missionary.

Today as I was reading through proposed state constitution amendments, I felt so grateful that I am a part of the decision-making process. The government, while nowhere near perfect, must ask me if it can do things on many levels. It's a pretty great thing. Not many people can say that. This year, Arizona voters get to decide what defines a marriage (Prop 102 - marriage = 1 man + 1 woman), and Coloradoans get to choose what defines a human being. Up for discussion is amendment 48. Read this:

"Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution defining the term "person" to include any human being from the moment of fertilization as "person" is used in those provisions of the Colorado constitution relating to inalienable rights, equality of justice, and due process of law?"

That seems to mean, person = first day of conception. This is the point of many a discussion. It could legally ban abortion for choice and incest situations together. Regardless of the stance taken by the voters, this is a significant decision for them to make. Colorado also asked me if they could raise taxes, influence small business owners on health insurance, and for my point of view on unions.

I feel a strong sense of contribution on these issues as well as the candidates who are proclaiming they will be the future my country needs. I appreciate my right to vote and I exercised it today with my American pride. Now, if only I could vote on the play calling for the Bronco defense....

Pictures of Gila River

2008-10-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

My friends hearted me. They even bought me grills to take home. I was ghansta, and I'm licensed to make these too.

Pretty much, the dental squad doesn't kid around when it comes to lunch. Mmm.

Yes, I was taller than the assistants.

Sad face. I'll miss you guys.

The Economics of Health Care

2008-10-09T16:21:00.008-07:00

I've been mulling over this topic for quite some time. Tomorrow, I complete my six week rotation on the Gila River Indian Reservation. This experience has brought me new friendships and an increased understanding for a culture I knew little about previously. Naturally, I was provided with substantial learning and experience in the dental world as well.

Apart from these matters, I learned something else about humans and the VALUE of health care. People might not be surprised that I saw troubling cases of dental problems working at a public health facility among a population that doesn't, as a whole, have large income. Socioeconomics aside, the state was this: members of the various tribes (and people with enough percentages to qualify, ex 1./16 native) on the reservation have their dental work entirely provided for them - no cost, just show up. This permits these good people to get fillings, crowns, root canals, dentures, and best of all PREVENTION (the best medicine, right?). In the world of public health dentistry, this is the ideal situation. Essentially, access to care has been fully covered, as have comprehensive care costs. Can you imagine? Free dental work as long as you went to you dental appointments? No strings attached! Kinda sounds like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow right? I mean, crowns can cost a grand. No one wants to pay for needles and lame jokes from their dentist when there is cool stuff out there like XBOX's, Seven Jeans, or groceries.

Well, this does ring the bell of the ideal plan for political leaders to get behind. It's sounds like "No child left behind," or "_______ (insert something there) rights for everyone" which are fairly American-sounding principles. Well, okay, then we have a pretty good model set up that the rest of the world can look at to see how it works. Lots of people might ignorantly venture, "Oh, that's how they do it in Canada/Sweden," but this is indeed a case study inside our borders of how a total universal-based health care system would work (or not work).

Here's what I noticed. People have worse teeth here than any other place I've been. People don't come in for regular visits, like it's too easy (Namaan much?). They finally will show up as an urgent patient when they have such deep cavities/infection/busted teeth, that there is nothing we can do be extract. So people are 17 years old with no molars left. It's kinda heart breaking - like a lot. It's a pretty great gift that is being ignored. I guess, then people value free stuff as without value. You know the old adage: you get what you pay for.

Further, the patient base also treats their general health similarly. They eat whatever, drink whatever and go to the doctor only when something is broken. This is the highest diabetes incidence on earth, and lots of my patients don't even take their meds to control it! The free-ness of the care has created a redistribution of health care responsibilities.

The value of care cannot be distributed by an organization. It must be learned/earned by the individual. The government can't floss your teeth or help you eat a salad for lunch. And your public pool lifeguard cannot give you an Olympic gold medal. Value comes from within. The administrator can say he/she has a full-service clinic with seven full-time, qualified dentists helping people. But the patients are taking no responsibility for their own care. Decay, bone loss, and gum disease are rampant, and the interaction with the dental professionals seems to be making little difference in the attitude of the patients.

When you get a cavity and have to pay $100 to fix it, you get angry, and learn a lesson I guess. Lots of people have learned to value their health in such a manner (it seems to be better than nothing). When you contribute to your health, you value it. Then you learn what to eat and how to take care of yourself, because you become the essential player in the care.

I have an example. I once tried to give away a working CD player on Craigslist. My post was like this: Working 3-disc changer CD player with radio and two speakers. Works great. Come pick it up for free. I'm outta room. I got a few emails from people who wanted it, asked me to hold onto it until they could pick it up, and then never showed. It was too easy. I relisted it for $15, and it sold that day to a college kid who was happy to get something of good value.

To me this means health care cannot be a handout. I'm not saying that it's great that one of my patients from the my dental school has medications that cost over $150 last month. But he doesn't miss doses, and he goes to all his follow-up appointments with his doctor at $86 a pop. The responsibility needs to be in the hands of the patient. Generalized free health care might work okay for a couple years as people ride the giddy train about the free hand outs, but in the long run, things will trend to this state. It's like a job fair - the first few times, the free pens make the trip, but then you realized you'd rather take a nap. As my friend Travis Whitsitt said in his blog recently:

The Declaration of Independence was worded thusly; "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." You will note it does not declare a right to have happiness, but a right to pursue it-for yourself. No one is obligated to give it to you. No one is obligated to serve you. To claim that they are is to remove their freedom for the sake of your own needs.

We need to take care of the poor and needy but not in the way that is happening at my rotation site. And let's face it. America's health system does need help, but let's work together to give it a shove in the right direction.

Ode to October

2008-10-02T23:25:00.002-07:00

It's my favorite month of the year. October always feels like the most change-oriented season to me - moreso than even the Spring months. New school years, football season, leaves changing on your trees (if you have any of those), etc. Little kids get new shoes that mom is (blindly) convinced they won't ruin in three weeks and crayons are all of sufficient-enough length to be seen from the opened box without tipping.

This October brings winds of change as well. Finally the 100 degree days of Arizona are being forced out by the retired folks coming back like an unwanted troublemaker by the deputy in the old west (lame pictorial). I'll be leaving the reservation soon to return to school. I'm beginning my interview phase for orthodontic residencies and even the ortho directors at my school are changing! Then we have elections and spiritual conferences. Man, no wonder Americans have such short attention spans!

My life is indeed without some of the things it had earlier this year, but it has gained many new things too. I guess this is just a way for me to, in a round-about way, express a measure of gratitude for the things I have been given and the opportunities which lie just around the next corner.

Gratitude > Change.

"Think truly, and thy thoughts shall the world's famine feed.' - Horatio Bonar

Ecomological is not a word

2008-09-29T22:43:00.004-07:00

The financial district thought that today a bailout bill might be passed in the House of Representatives to infuse struggling market players with cash to help fight off the credit crunch. In somewhat of a mild surprise, the bill was voted down after representatives from both parties chose against it. It seems like big business has acted in a risky manner with mortgages and selling off bad credit as good investment with the thought that everything would be okay. And, even if something bad did happen to catch up with this 'greedyish' behavior, someone would step in and fix it. This was seen all the way down to the consumer level. The Arizona housing market was so nuts in 2005 that people could close on a house defer payment for 15 days, flip it and resell it for $10,000 without even putting a cent down. Obviously, this couldn't continue.

It's interesting that just before a huge election, representatives are hesitant about making big decisions as they, themselves, need to concern their thoughts with re-election. Americans, it seems are opposed generally to big business CEO's doing whatever they want (bending ethics standards) and getting paid for it. The CEO of Washington Mutual mailed letters to bank clients on September 18th assuring them that WaMu's funds were secure. The bank collapsed to nothing one week later, making his statements highly unlikely. Worse than that, investors put money back into WaMu based on the information only to lose it all right away. And he's scheduled to take home a healthy severance.

It seems that if the government chooses to infuse these corrupt sectors with free money, behaviors will not change. As they say, "the burned child fears the flame" - maybe we touched the fire this time. While I am not enthusiastic about any thought of a recession (especially considering my wanting financial condition), it seems as though the United States 'deserves' an economic low. We need to change the behaviors of free market enterprise and avoid the quick get-rich schemes which plague this country. I hope that it won't affect the middle and low income classes terribly, but I think $700 billion would take us middle class folks a long time to pay back in taxes anyway.

I feel that if we take responsibility for our decisions and get back to hard work and conservative investing, America will bounce back quicker than we will if we simply try to put a big bandaid on an open wound. I think even Michael Jackson understood that change had to first come from self before anything effective actually took place.

The good news is that most people are still being born with teeth. Phew!

Catholics and Cowboys

2008-09-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

I flew home to Colorado for the weekend to see the family and meet with some doctors. I hope to begin choosing a place I'd like to end up working in the rectangular state once studies all settle down. This comes after Friday was my most effective day of dentistry yet - 10 fillings and an extraction in one day. I'm feeling pretty good, and my first orthodontic interview is in a week.

One thing about Aaron Mortensen is that he is not really a fan of flying. I try to stay up late the night before and just sleep through the whole flight. I did stay up late the night before as I went with friends up to the mountains in AZ. In the airport, near the gate, I noticed a Catholic priest who was gonna be on my flight. I ended up next to him in line and happened to notice he had a French name on his boarding pass. Then I noticed he really had that French look to him. I said hello, and asked him if he were French, even though I already knew. He was from the town in which I spent the greatest chunk of my mission time. So, then I had something to do and wasn't going to sleep.

I spoke to Father Fesquet the whole flight. He didn't really have a quiet voice, just a fairly loud French one. I asked him about the troubles facing the Catholic church and the hearts of the people. He said he preferred the American mentality and hoped to someday move to a cathedral in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. He loved that place and, then, expectedly bought a cowboy hat to fit in there (which was his plane carry-on). Go figure.

He told me he was doing mass in Fort Collins for the next few days. So I invited him over for dinner. I hope mom and pops don't mind. We'll see if he can get free. If not, we had a nice conversation about the nature of God, and I'm going to be able to send him a Book of Mormon.

So, a Mormon dental student and a French priest wearing a cowboy hat get on a plane.....

I should really write a joke to finish that story out.

God and Time

2008-09-24T21:57:00.004-07:00

So, I once watched Bruce Almighty, where Morgan Freeman, playing God, gives Jim Carrey (Bruce) his (His) responsibility for part of Buffalo for a while to see what it's like. One of the things they focused on in the movie was how God receives millions of prayers at once and deals with answering them all individually. Bruce can't handle it and creates an email system with auto "yes" answers to every prayer (which doesn't end up so well).

Anyway, CS Lewis tackles this concept in a divine sort of metaphysical way, in Mere Christianity. Read this parable:

Almost certainly God is not in Time. His life does not consist of moments following one another. If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. Ten-thirty-and every other moment from the beginning of the world-is always the Present for Him. If you like to put it that way, He has all eternity in which to listen to the split second of prayer put up by a pilot as his plane crashes in flames.

That is difficult, I know. Let me try to give something, not the same, but a bit like it. Suppose I am writing a novel. I write "Mary laid down her work; next moment came a knock at the door!" For Mary who has to live in the imaginary time of my story there is no interval between putting down the work and hearing the knock. But I, who am Mary's maker, do not live in that imaginary time at all. Between writing the first half of that sentence and the second, I might sit down for three hours and think steadily about Mary. I could think about Mary as if she were the only character in the book and for as long as I pleased, and the hours I spent in doing so would not appear in Mary's time (the time inside the story) at all.

This is not a perfect illustration, of course. But it may give just a glimpse of what I believe to be the truth. God is not hurried along in the Time-stream of this universe any more than an author is hurried along in the imaginary time of his own novel He has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man in the world.

The way in which my illustration breaks down is this. In it the author gets out of one Time-series (that of the novel) only by going into another Time-series (the real one). But God, I believe, does not live in a Time-series at all. His life is not dribbled out moment by moment like ours: with Him it is, so to speak, still 1920 and already 1960. For His life is Himself.

Whoa. I'm gonna take an Aleve. Okay, better now. It seems indeed like time is a very 'human' concept. We learn anxiety and stress because of the before and after. Those who truly manage their time and don't let time manage them have figured out bunches in this life.

Mere Christianity

Prop 102

2008-09-23T11:53:00.002-07:00

I was asked to be a representative for Proposition 102 on Arizona's ballot this November. As a voter registered in Colorado, I cannot do more than inform people about the nature of the ballot. But the issue is an important one. I'll summarize a handout from some backers of the prop:

Here is the entire text of Prop 102 - "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in this state." A similar piece of legislation was trying the California ballots recently.

There are only a few weeks left to register to vote. Go to: www.servicearizona.com. Register: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx Ask for a mail in ballot and you'll have no reason to get this done.

Just read the following examples of what can take place if we do not take action now....

1. Children in public schools will have to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as traditional marriage . The California Education Code (§51890) already requires that health education classes instruct children about marriage. Therefore, unless Proposition 8 passes (similar to Arizona's Prop 102), children will be taught that marriage is a relation between any two adults regardless of gender. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children their own values and beliefs.

2. It will lead to more government intrusion into private lives. A photographer in Albuquerque refused to photograph a lesbian couple's civil union ceremony. The New Mexico Human Rights Commission fined the photographer $6000 even though there were other photographers willing to accept the business. And this in a state where same-sex marriage is still illegal.

3. It will lead to speech monitors. An employee at the City of Oakland was threatened with termination for using the terms "natural family, marriage and family values" while discussing a public issue with co-workers. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal backed up the district court saying administrative efficiency in a government office is more important than.

4. Anti-discrimination regulations will become more important than religious beliefs. In Vista, California, a lesbian couple sued a doctor who refused to perform a requested artificial insemination because of the doctor's religious beliefs. Although another doctor offered to do the procedure, the California Supreme Court held unanimously that the "1st Amendment's right to the free exercise of religion does not exempt defendant physicians here from conforming their conduct to the . antidiscrimination requirements." An elective procedure, no emergency involved, another doctor willing to do the procedure. Anti-bias laws still outweigh religion.

5. Churches will be sued over their tax-exempt status if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings open to the public. While pastors, priests, ministers, bishops, and rabbis may not be forced to conduct such marriages themselves, they will be required to allow such marriages in their chapels and sanctuaries.

6. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston has already closed its doors because of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

7. Religions that sponsor private schools with married-student housing will be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if counter to church doctrine, or risk lawsuits over tax exemptions and related benefits.

8. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages will be sued for hate speech and could be fined by the government. It has already happened in Canada, one of six countries that have legalized gay marriage. If a government agency such as the Alberta Human Rights Commission can stop a minister from teaching his church's doctrine about marriage, then it won't be long before everyone's free speech rights will be in jeopardy.

9. It will cost everyone more money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits, including some already decided adversely. Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money - your money, your church contributions - that will be spent on legal battles.

Think of a world where Human Rights Commissions - unelected bureaucrats with unfettered authority - are judge, jury, and executioner of anything they feel is antagonistic speech toward same-sex marriage and its practitioners.

Think of a world where the public school system is required to teach values and beliefs to your children that may conflict with your own.

Think of the very real threat to your parental rights, your free speech, your freedom of religion.

www.yesformarriage.com

San Diegaoainites & the introspective

2008-09-22T10:43:00.005-07:00

We road-tripped to San Diego over the weekend. It's amazing what the beach can motivate you to do if you haven't seen it in a while. All I really wanted to do was get there and sleep and read on the beach intertwined with throwing/catching activities and brisk sauntering into the waters of the Pacific. We went to Mission Bay beach and ate fish tacos. It was beyond pleasant. This picture is one I googled. Haha, look at that dude checking out beach girls - and the girl trying to ride a bike in a skirt.

I put something like 700 miles on my car to spend a few hours of beach relaxation time. And in this regard, it wasn't really worth the time and effort, but the thing about road trips is that the time spent somehow creates a different sort of bond. The last leg of the trip we listened to "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis which spurned conversations about the nature of mankind in it's relation to Deity. Lewis, through studying the Bible, determined that God has placed us on earth so that we might grow and develop and take great leaps to the progression of becoming like him.

We also discussed health, and how it is so much more than just not being physically sick. Why do we call "depression" by its symptom and not by its actual disease. So many people tell their depressed friends to 'buck up' and 'knuckle through it,' when, in reality, anxiety can be caused by chemical deficiencies. If your liver needed more amino acids to function properly, would you not take medications to help restore that? In the same way, the brain requires certain chemicals to function in a correct manner too. You can't tell your liver to buck up, and you can't really tell your mind to either. We need to be understanding as we are learning more about mental and emotional problems than ever before. As we are slow to judge, we can learn a great deal about life.

It's interesting that the main thing I took from a trip to a beautiful, relaxing place is the thought-provoking comments of other young kids.

If you don't know people who are afflicted with problems such as this, my guess is that you will at some point in your future - or maybe we will see the need for help in our own lives.

It seems that achieving 'health' is as much a quest as achieving success.

All that, and I can do almost 100 pushups in 5 minutes now. (And the crowd cheers moderately loud.)

Why I have an irrational affinity for basketball shorts....

2008-09-16T23:11:00.002-07:00

I don't understand why, but whenever I'm in a store looking at clothes (this includes unsuspecting places like Wal-Mart), I am drawn to the athletic section. I can't really explain it. I just think I need another pair of basketball shorts.

Do I need them? No chance! I have plenty. Do I play ridiculous amounts of basketball? No. Average, or less.

I like them because they are comfortable, I guess. I sleep in them, work out in them; they can serve a purpose if someone needs something to wear in a pinch. That's about it.

There should be no reason why I have basketball shorts that are black, orange, gold/green, powder blue, white, and reversible red/blue in my dresser. Weakness? Surely. I don't know where it comes from. If anyone can shed light on some sort of disorder, I'd be obliged. In the mean time, I should share this with you:

New TV show in the UK: Britain's Worst Teeth. Can't make this up.
This won't work as protection for your car against a hurricane.
Rednecks with a camera vs 20,000 bees = AWESOME!
Socialism much? Norway knights a penguin. Can't make this stuff up....
Cat beats up a printer. Ink cartridges vs declawed paws....

You won't be disappointed.

The Guide to the Commute

2008-09-10T23:44:00.003-07:00

As one member of the many throngs of people who does not work near where he lives, I have been violently thrust into the harsh world of the commute. This jungle of a society leaves the weak in the wake. When 24 hours are in each day and I spend over 90 minutes getting to a place (to work for free), I start to realize I need to improve my situation. This time is already spent for me tomorrow. There is nothing I can do to avoid it. And since I squeeze a 10.5-hour shift in there, that takes up lots of the rest of my day.

Even though I know I should to maximize my time, it's hard to endure to the end so to speak on this goal. I'm working hard on doing so with this one. Here's how to make your commute tolerable and even beneficial.

1.) Leave on time - making the trip stressful by leaving late ruins your whole morning because you're not in the right mindset once you get to work. I've noticed I drive less conservatively on these days wasting gas (by accelerating faster than normal) and trying to cut corners to save time. Just leave when you have to and get out on the road.

2.) Stick to the one way that is fastest and have one backup for the unforeseen accident/logjam - there is no sense in looking each day for a faster way or a more scenic way. Know the best way, and one alternative on those ugly mornings when Sally in her Sidekick spilled salsa on her skirt and skidded into Scott in his S-class. Getting in a routine helps you be relaxed and takes all the guesswork out of the arrival time. This is the best way to maximize gas mileage.

3.) Pre-plan your drive time - have something productive to do while in the car. We have technology designed for this. Use the time to make yourself better/smarter/more prepared. Podcasts, books on tape, and language-learning CD's are examples. Invest a few minutes in finding good things, and you're set. iTunes for auto-updating podcasts, and http://librivox.org/ has books on mp3. Share good ones with friends. Podcasts I listen to: BYU Classic speeches, dentalcast, law of attraction tips, Coffee-break Spanish etc. Note: even a 15-minute car ride to work translates to 10 hours of drive time per month. Don't waste it.

4.) Make safe essential phone calls - hands-free and speaker phone do help with simple phone calls. You know all those people who say they didn't have time to call you back last week? They're a liar. Everyone has enough time to do easy things like this. Obviously, avoid conversations and phone manipulation that are distracting to driving concentration, and seriously, no texting people.

5.) Appreciate things on the way - mountains, architecture, sunrises, positive messages on billboards, cool cars you'll never be able to afford. Allow your mind to embrace the great things that exist around us. People spend lots of time creating amazing things, and nature is a wondrous thing in and of itself. Focusing on smog, road-rage, and road closures puts everyone in a bad mood. Lighten up, you're co-workers/patients will notice a difference.

6.) Keep your ride tuned up - driving on old oil, low tires, or worn spark plugs just eats gas mileage and wastes money. We're all trying to get ahead. No one would conceed throwing quarters out the window once every five miles is rational. Anyone can do this.

7.) Carpool - Save space on the road, avoid more pollutants, give yourself a talking-buddy, utilize the HOV lane. There is no downside.

What else do you guys suggest? I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow I'm working on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis on my way to the reservation.

Spitting Image?

2008-09-09T23:53:00.001-07:00

I went to my doctor today for a follow-up. After having me stand up to listen to my lungs with his scope. He then asked me,"Do people tell you look like someone?" This was a bit vague, so he follows, "An actor...."

I told him that I don't get that much.

"Leonardo DiCaprio."

And finally, "I mean that in a good way...I mean, I like him...his acting. You're the spitting image of him."

Leo fully admits that Titanic was his biggest mistake in a career of quality films.

Task number one: determine what the term 'spitting image' refers to so I can proceed.

Meaning exact likeness, the earliest reference is in Andrew Knapp and W. Baldwin's The Newgate Calendar, 1824–26:

"A daughter, ... the very spit of the old captain."

Various changes followed in different languages, and it really doesn't mean anything special, so we'll move on. A quick facial recognition job from myheritage.com shows this:

So, maybe doc was sorta right. I'm gonna see if this can score me any epic scripts to work alongside Pacino.

Gila River Externship (no....not at the Casino)

2008-09-05T00:14:00.003-07:00

I'm on my first external rotation now. It's in Arizona, about 35 miles away from civilization in Sacaton, Arizona. This is part of the Gila River reservation. We work 10.5-hour days and it's a long drive from home. Rather than seeing 2-3 patients every day, I see 8-10ish. I get assistants, there are no computers or digital records, and I'm the only student. So pretty much, there is nothing familiar about this experience at all. I think, for that reason, it is just what I needed.

Getting to know Native American culture was one of my goals in choosing Arizona for dental school. I was orginally surprised by reactions of some people when I told them I'd be working for free at a reservation health center. People would ignorantly spout off that, "Indians got everything free already," and other things that were both insensitive, and uneducated. The Gila River community is a group of tribes that originally settled along the banks of the Gila River. They were masters in agriculture and irrigation. They were so skilled at basketry that their crafts were water-tight. They displayed integrity in their past. Here's a story:

In 1846, southern Arizona fell under the influence of the United States following the Mexican-American War. In 1848, gold was discovered in California and tens of thousands of ill prepared men streamed across America heading toward dreams of riches. One of the primary routes was across southern Arizona. Between 1849 and 1851, an estimated 60,000 travelers arrived among our peaceful people, many starving or near death from dehydration and/or wounds inflicted in battle by the warring Apache to the east and the Yuman tribes to the west of our lands. Here the travelers rested and ate well, enjoying our bounty of wheat, corn, beans, pumpkins, watermelon, squash, peas and other foods. Indeed, one grateful member of the Mormon Battalion wrote in his journal in I846, en route from New Mexico to California to secure that state during the Mexican American War, “They are a noble race.” And wrote Lt. Sylvester Mowry in 1857, “Their stores of wheat and corn have supplied many a starved emigrant, and restored his broken down animals.”

A tribe leader also said that bread was for eating, not for selling; they would often give away food to those passing through. Anyway, this is a good people, and I'm happy to get to know them. Unfortunately with the changes in land and water use that they've had to endure, the agricultural life style is now much different. Government intervention to provide food introduced a diet that didn't fit the culture well, according to it's website. Now, this community battles the highest incidence rate of diabetes in the United States. Obesity and severe dental negligence are additional health issues.

I appreciate the rich experience I'm getting of helping people (just a little bit) and learning from them (a lot).

I'll miss you, Mike Serkanic

2008-08-28T10:01:00.003-07:00

I'm sorry to report that Mike didn't make it. He passed away on Tuesday the 26th at 5:42pm. We were all in the waiting room when we got the news. Though a sad time, we joined in prayer to ask for strength and comfort. Included were people from all faiths and all backgrounds. It's times like that when it's easy to see how we're all God's children, and truly, He knows us all.

Mike was 26 and far too young for any kind of cardiac problems to be suspect. He has friends coming to today's memorial service from all eras of his life. He truly made a substantial impact on many people, not just his most recent circle of friends.

It is easy to describe Michael Serkanic with simple words. He was a hungry person. Not only hungry for lunch way before my breakfast had settled, and not only 'double-meat' hungry, but he hungered after the celebration of life and positive interaction with those in his path. He craved knowledge and had become a knowledgeable and efficient dentist. He desired to make every weekend count for all it could.

Mike was also an appreciator. He was quick to compliment anyone, whether he knew them or not. He appreciated your watch, or your tan, or your integrity or anything he saw. Holding back a compliment is not something he ever did. He appreciated his surroundings and didn't get stuck in the what-ifs of life.

I'll miss Mike too for his deliberateness. He was predictable and reliable. He'd consider his options, and then he'd be sure in his decision. He was a 'ready, aim, fire' guy in a world of 'fire, aim, ready' people. He was so enthusiastic about getting back home to his love and his life in Arizona, that it was his focus. That's why he and Sean drove all night to make it back.

Mike, I love you man. Thanks for what you've taught me. Consider this a see-you-later. I'll catch you on the flip-flop.

Morty

Where two or three are gathered...

2008-08-25T23:50:00.003-07:00

I spent today at the hospital to be with Mike, his family, and everyone else who was there for him. I remarked how various people would bounce through moments of optimism and struggle as others were in different stages of coping. My own battles were with pain and sorrow and trying to keep belief that good news is around the corner even when it hasn't come yet from the doctors. I've been tremendously impressed by the strength of my friends around me. Their examples all encourage me to do better, be stronger, and press on. They are recruiting prayers from everyone they know on Mike's behalf. Let me add my request to all. We need Mike to respond well to his tests today.

While the doctors were between tests, we got to go in two at a time and be with Mike. Nick and I went in. This was the first time I've ever spoken to someone in a coma. We told Mike a couple jokes and that we needed him to get better so we could go out to lunch and go to the gym and go on our planned trip to Las Vegas next month. I looked down at him and just tried to will him to wake up, but I was not in control. As much as I wanted to see him open his eyes while I was there, it was not up to me. There was nothing else I could do besides pray. I reached out and grabbed Mike's left forearm - it was warm and motionless. At the same time Nick grabbed Mike's other arm. We expressed our appreication and love for Mike and pleaeded with him to fight, get stronger, and come back.

It was then that I was reminded of a scripture from Doctrine & Covenants Section 6 (my favorite). Verse 32 says:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.

This was symbolic to me of how the prayers of those united are mulitplied in their strength.

Tomorrow, we go back early. The doctors will have completed their MRI and should give a comprehensive prediction for the future. And I anticipate it will be a positive one.

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Now playing: Radiohead - House of Cards
via FoxyTunes

Candle for Mike

2008-08-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

We're keeping a virtual candle lit tonight. A close friend of mine collapsed and is unconscious in the hospital tonight, and the doctors aren't very confident in saying he's gonna be okay yet. But they will be. Until then, Mike, we're praying for you.

Tumbleweed

2008-08-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I can't even park at the gym without getting out of my car to move things off the street. August has been way more tough than rush. Face = sad.

Leprechaun in Alabama

2008-08-17T23:33:00.001-07:00

To me, it looks like a leprechaun to me!

Amateur sketch.

I wanna know where tha gold's at!

If you didn't laugh, you need a vacation. And like any popular/funny youtube clip, a remix is nothing short of a necessity. I promise this will get stuck in your head.

Lame self quiz

2008-08-15T15:23:00.001-07:00

You Are Badminton

You are quite talented but not very appreciated.

You are detail oriented, very focused, and agile.

You are happy to forsake glory for success in something you truly love.

What Olympic Sport Are You?

Movie Review #19 - Mulan

2008-08-14T23:50:00.003-07:00

Mulan may be the most underrated of the 'hero' movies made by Disney. I don't think I watched it until I came back from Switzerland, where I had met many Chinese nationals. This became a people with which I was enamored. They shared with me their traditions and listened to the things I had to say. As a result, I may have decided before I even got all the way through the film that I was going to like it. This is like when my friend Bryce thinks a Johnny Depp movie is awesome even before he watches it.

Anywho, it's cool because of a couple reasons: it's not one of those lame princess stories (Snow White, A Walk to Remember) that is setting relationships back 1000 years. If you wanna be treated like a princess, you're gonna have to surround yourself with your serfs, because princes are generally jerkfaces, not charming. Also, it's cool because they have that Stewie/Brian thing from the Family Guy (baby can talk to the dog, but the people can't hear the baby, and the dog can talk to anyone) where the Lizard is Eddie Murphy and speaks English, when all the other animals can understand him but just make horse/cricket/dog noises.

Plot rundown - forward-thinking Chinese girl doesn't bring honor to her family in a traditional way and is kinda a tomboy/klutz. When the Huns attack China, the Emporer requests military service from every household. Mulan reports for duty secretly so her crippled father can be protected. She has her typical Disney 'discovereing my identity' moment and then trains well with the other dudes hiding her feminity from them. They get sent to the front lines and face a ferocious army and save the day. She gets the dude (played be Donny Osmond > can't decide if this ups or downs the flick) and then brings fatty honor to the family.

Here's what sucks: they made a sequel which no one will ever watch - didn't have to do that. Also, To simplify the picture, they show like 12 good guys in the battle wasting like 1309084 bad guys, and they only show the main characters (Honngray Chiense guy, Strong Chinese guy, Sknny Chinese Guy).

Otherwise, you should watch it. There are no steroids, age controversies, or Falun Gong protests (please bless these aren't true things) inside the movie. I give it 6.5 lotus flowers and a stone dragon out of a scale I have not yet determined.

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Now playing: Wham - Never Gonna Dance Again
via FoxyTunes

My First Ever BMW Driving Experience

2008-08-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

So, Sheila, my car didn't start this morning. This event changed the remaining course of my Wednesday. I think they call that the Butterfly Effect when it's significant; so this was more like a moth effect, or maybe a fruit fly one. Anyway, here are non-significant details and my very significant thoughts pertaining thereto.

First of all, my car is pretty much the most reliable thing I possess. She always functions well and chews up the road at 26 miles/gallon on city streets - not bad for an 11-year old engine. So, this was pretty unexpected. The reliability of my car has made me, incidentally, fairly weak with engine problem diagnosis, because I never need to do that. However, I don't think I'd trade all that knowledge for many past car troubles and money spent. So, I called the school and let them know I couldn't make it for the morning. Roommate also had called in sick unbeknownst to me. So, then I had the entire morning off.

I used the morning time to work on my new project with Roommate. Let's just say, if you like things like this, let me know:

We then decided to go to IKEA, because, well, why not? They have awesome food for a dollar (cinnamon rolls), and cheap other stuff. Roommate got bamboo and candles and I got a new pillow (I'm a side sleeper after all).

We came home and my car was still not working. Roommate let me borrow his car. It was my first time ever driving a BMW. I don't think I've ever driven more careful. It's pretty weird how being in a new position can leave your senses so much more aware/uncomfortable - like sleeping in a new place for the first time, or taking care of kids that aren't your own. Interesting. So, I rolled back to school to see a patient, and I'll say this. More 'people' pay attention to you when you drive a BMW, and they smile and stuff. Anyway, we did a filling on the patient, adjusted his bite and scheduled him for an extraction. Then I mailed some of those new project things (see above) to people who purchased them, and went to get food with Roommate.

We took the battery to AutoZone because it was under warranty and there was no response from the ignition. The battery tested fine. The employee said it might be the starter or the alternator. I didn't think it was the latter, but he said thumping on the starter might help. Another friend of mine said it sounded like a bad electrical connection. So I cleaned off the battery and thumped around and the car started. Hmmm, caterpillar becomes another caterpillar. Ok bye.

Volleyball: the sport with a hug.

2008-08-12T16:27:00.003-07:00

So, I'm pretty into this Olympic thing. Like, 'Go USA!' and 'Keep on keepin' on!'

It's pretty cool when the entire world gets together and tries to compete and win things (except when Russia uses the big distraction to sneak in to Georgia and sucker punch a little country - and I'm not talking about Atlanta or Macon). That Phelps guy is a beast (and he's no cheatin' Barry Bonds), and the men's gymnasts did better than people thought, etc, etc. I watched some mens' volleyball too.

This is a pretty interesting sport, because there are at least 60 six-man hugs per hour. Every time a team gets a point (and rally scoring means every serve is one point), there is a 2 second enthusiastic display of excitement/therapy/pep-talk/attaboy that happens. And when 6 people hug, it's not your ordinary embrace, it's like they all put their hands on each others' kidneys and walk forward like a misfired do-se-do. Then one yells something and the other ones yell back. Had we done this in team rugby, things would not have ended well.

A quick scan of the other volleyball events revealed more of the same. Mens', womens', indoor, or sand, there's always mucho intracountry huggging. Maybe that would help us all get along better here in the US.

Movie Review #52 - Step Up 2: The Streets

2008-08-02T01:28:00.005-07:00

This post is overdue thanks to a computer which has been utterly dysfunctional for the past 10 days. I think we're back to full function, and August is a good time for a fresh start, so here we go.

Beginning now, I will occasionally review a movie and put a random number after it in the title to pseudo-formulate some sort of structure, and then I'll rant or wax melodramatic as per directed.

A few weeks ago, I watched (the majority of) Step Up 2: The Streets with some people who invited me over for ice cream and movie times. I'm not sure if this movie was in the theaters or not, but you can rent it on DVD if you can find it in Blockbuster (sarcasm). My friends are people into dancing, and admittedly, they wanted to watch the movie for the dancing therein. This is just to clarify that no one really expected any award nominations to come from this summer (non-) blockbuster. That being said, here's the long and the short of it:

Loner girl who feels too restricted if her stomach is ever covered with clothing bounces around care families but finds joy in choreographing dances with friends 'on the street.' Then she gets discovered by an elite dancing school which gives her the opportunity of a lifetime - to study at an elite school. So, she tries to straddle the fence by spending time at the elite school without telling her street friends, and vice versa. Eventually the street crew finds out she sold out and gets rid of her. It's hard on the girl and she tries to find consolation by looking for other students at the elite school to dance 'street' with her because the school is trying to teach the 'street' outta her. So she sneaks her new motley crew of dancers into to after-hour practices and then prepares to take her rich, talented crew back to the street to prove that the spoiled and privileged can do everything the poor and needy can. Then there's a dance-off and she gets the Hollister-looking dancer dude, and dances better with her crew than all the street kids who think she lost her cred.

This story is like the inverse Rudy. The main character has the chance of a lifetime and uses it to be who she was before and reject the system to shove it in the faces of those who were just like her. Interesting. Plus the aspect of her going back to compete against the people more likely to be thought of as underdogs (kids from the 'hood who learn to dance instead of other negative activities) is unexpected. Normally this would be a story about the street kids being just as good as the kids going to a rich school with the highly abled. I don't know if that's the real message they meant - the upper middle class giving the lower class a shot below the belt when the ref isn't looking.

Anyway, the dancing was entertaining enough apart from the main actress who really only shook and bounced around (because I know so much about hip-hop). But I did feel like it was building up to one of those 'Bah-dut-da-da-da-da, I'm lovin' it!' McDonald's commercial moments - SO URBAN!

Step Up 2: The Streets is rated MWWSVW for Moderately Weak With Some Varied Watchability and I'll give it 2 head-slides and a pop-and-lock out of a scale I have yet to determine.

I am still here...

2008-07-24T20:27:00.003-07:00

Okay, everybody, I am experiencing massive computer failure at this time. The international symbol for this is:

Don't forget about me in the meantime okay?

Because my blog is like a t-shirt...

2008-07-19T16:08:00.007-07:00

Ya. I heard of them WAAAAAY before you did!

Aspire higher.

If I were an alien, I would play all kinds of pranks on earthlings too.

Hmmm.

46% of all statistics are ignored...

2008-07-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some that shouldn't be:

Having a morning 'huddle' in a dental office is shown to improve production by 17% (according to my practice management seminar courses).
90% of maxillary molars have 4 canals (so says my endodontics director) = expensive root canals!
14% of Utahns smoke (lowest in the country) and Utahns risk for heart disease is 20% below national average (adherents.com).
In 2004, 18% of identity theft victims reported that they did not find out about their theft for 4 years or more (yikes - idtheftcenter.com).
63% of next year's incoming dental class at our school is female.
44% of attorneys have seen an increase in women asking for prenuptial agreements over the last 5 years (pink magazine) - see previous bullet point?
Shaq's free throw percentage = 53% > Mind you, his job is BASKETBALL.
Lottery winning chances: 1/53,567,422,456 which = 0%. Dad always said the lottery was a tax on people who were bad at math.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
'4 out of 5 dentists' is only 80% from a nondescript, likely biased sample size of people probably getting paid by researchers. How do I get that gig?
Americans are overweight - it's not a percentage, it's science!
Getting a hit 16.4% of the time in the majors can get you $14,000,000/year if you have a good enough agent (Andruw Jones).
If you ride a train due west from Chicago at 85 mph and your buddy, Ralph, leaves NYC on a train heading east at 78 mph, then how did Americans start riding mass transit again?
Blog posting, 60% of the time, it works everytime.

There is a 79% chance I will be sleeping lots tonight.

An unexpected essay on Mascots

2008-07-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

Mascots. I'm trying to determine why they are associated with the schools we attend. Mascot, I learned is a French word that was used to describe something that brought luck.

Sometimes, these things do make sense. Purdue University has the Boilermakers, Pittsburgh has the Steelers, Minneapolis was the Lakers (before they were shipped off to LA - and now that doesn't make sense > see New Orleans Jazz now in Utah). There's a Jordan High School in Utah that has the Beetdiggers as their mascot dating back to the 1910's when students were excused from class for agricultural duties. North Carolina Tar Heels makes sense and I guess the Arizona State Sun Devils do too.

Then there are those that have nothing to do with anything. Like why do Trojans represent rich, private school kids at USC? And the kid I used to big brother for while I was a senior was a 6th grader and a Shepardson Star. Interesting. Soooo, here's my list of mascots....

St. Luke's Preschool - All I remember was Lincoln Logs, so that must have been it.

Riffenburgh Elementary - Roadrunners. Great. I want to be represented by an animal that turns tail and leaves any complicated situation - inspiring. Don't get me wrong, I was the Roadrunning-winning Science Fair kid in 5th grade.

Lesher Junior High - Vikings. Our school colors had been yellow and brown until the year I started, so that should tell you something. The Vikings? Really? Conquering Nordic folks without women in the foothills of northern Colorado? There had to be better options than this. Let's just say that the cheerleaders couldn't think of many creative things for the boys basketball games. Meh.

Fort Collins High School - Lambkins. I know. What are they? Baby sheep. Ya, I know. We were on Letterman's Top Ten list for worst high school mascots. Frowny face. When the school moved to a new location, the students wanted to change the mascot, but the alumni association wouldn't have any of that. Over 100 years ago, Fort Collins was much more of a farm place. There were 8 kids in high school when it started, and that was their vote on what they wanted to be called - so, we didn't exactly stay up with the times. The only saving grace here was that it was humiliating for other schools to lose to the Lambkins. Intimidated yet?

Brigham Young University - Cougars. Pretty standard. At least you could probably find some in the near vicinity. I don't really have many complaints about rising and shouting because we were out (that's from the song). The animal's name has been slighlty tainted which is coming to light thanks to the gossip magazines.

Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health - We don't officially have one, so we're opening this up to a vote. I propose we should be the Desert Drillers. It's so hot here, and the elderly need their crowns - take my word for it.

And on that note, I should try to graduate and get a paycheck.

Bring on the weekend already

2008-07-11T23:55:00.001-07:00

Long day today. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but we had a full day of lecture. Then I ran into a bunch of opposition trying to get in to see a new doctor. One of the offices told me that their doctors don't do second opinions. I was shocked; I need help from a physician. I told the front desk girl I was talking to that it was a pretty lame medical practice, and then we hung up. The next doctors I called all dropped my insurance on May 1st. And finally one had an opening on August 13 - which is too far away. Ugh.

Then I drove away from the school and went in to get some gas. I couldn't find my wallet, and I was on fumes. A friend was in town and I needed to find it and get ready. I was a little frustrated, and had a lot of other things on my mind (my letter missing from my grad applications, finances, etc).

I guess I was kinda stuck on my own self trying to bail myself out of my own problems. I think I forgot about relying on the real source of help. Maybe the Lord helped me lose my wallet, because it was then that I got back on my knees and asked for help. I started feeling better and then I realized the last place I had my wallet out. I had to put a few quarters worth of gas in the car and then hustled back to school - sure enough, the cleaning crew had just picked it up in the small room I had spent a couple of minutes in a few hours before. This was another good lesson to me about not being on my own here. At the time, I threw my hands up and wondered what else could go wrong today, but I think losing my wallet for a bit was something that actually went right. Prayer really does link us to Our Father. There are lots of things we can't do on our own.

After getting the wallet back and spending a nice evening with a friend and Diana, I felt much better, and I owe it to that source.

Midweek Essential Knowledge

2008-07-09T23:57:00.002-07:00

A shirt with fanny pack art! The fashion without the bulk! The best of both worlds! And you don't have to worry about stuff getting stolen when you'd normally have to set stuff down before getting on the roller coaster. It's about time I shared some essential links for everyone to see/watch/read. There are some important things going on in the world right now......

Politics are dicey, and lots of people haven't made up their mind about elections yet (including me), but when a candidate says that our children better learn Spanish for his/her own good, I'm skeptical of motives. Now, understand, I am a bilingual individual who appreciates people from all cultures, but I can't say I'm a fan of how this was delivered.

Props to Liz (no longer Sierer) on this one. A Mormon guy writes a blog in character about the egregious naivetees of the stereotypical Mormon married life. Interesting.....

Ever feel like work is like this?

Colorado = the least obese state (with still 18.4% obesity). Championship! This is like a nation-wide problem by now right?

Remember my memorial talk about Travis and the lighthouse? Check this out. For sale for $1. I need to call Dan Freeman.

That's it and that's all. I hope we're all more fuller of edumacations. Nighty.

The Joys of Writing (stuff over again and again)

2008-07-08T23:59:00.002-07:00

Through writing stuff about myself to sell the world on my ability to be an orthodontist, I have hit the delete key a lot. I think I wrote that lead paragraph more than a few times; and it was modified and deleted plenty. Here's my first try that I really don't like now that I'm looking at it.

Consider Aaron Mortensen an orthodontic success story. At age twelve, I desired braces to close a midline diastema, through which I could previously pass cardboard, and my orthodontist, Dr. Way, encouraged the treatment to idealize molar function. The self-consciousness affected me as a youth became self-confidence as I reached my later teenaged years. A prominent 18th century British politician and American Revolution supporter named Edmund Burke watchfully monitored the rise of the colonies to independence. In 1790, he wrote “Good order is the foundation of all great things.” Not solely a philosophy for national autonomy and societal stability, this broad declaration suggests that even orthodontics brings order to the mouth to help individuals achieve greatness. Through extensive experience, academics, and noteworthy desire, I aspire to serve in this field – I want to affect positive changes in the quality of life of others, and I will do so effectively.

The direction was to try to show that the order in my preparation would have led to my strong foundation in the field. WEAK! This was too awkward and not clear. I'm glad I got a few weeks to try this, so I didn't submit this one. Anyway, the new one is better. Fingers crossed everyone, as my applications are flying around the country as we speak. Happy Tuesday (late) night!

Accentuating the Positive

2008-07-07T10:20:00.004-07:00

I'm in a practice management seminar today. We're currently watching a video about training killer whales. The point is that trainers at Sea World started positive reinforcement to train their whales a few decades ago after they'd previously used punishment to train them before. So, right now, people in wet suits are kissing whales proving their relationships are strongly built. I guess then, to correctly manage young, vibrant hygienists, I'll take them to the pool and give them raw fish when they behave.

Last Night in Boston

2008-07-05T23:39:00.004-07:00

Here I am on the red bricks marking Paul Revere's freedom trail ride.

My trip has been fantabulous. It's been great to see friends. I'm getting to do something new, and there is likely not a better place to be for the 4th of July. The Declaration of Independence was read from the old State Building just like it has been every July 4th since 1783, and then there were parades and concerts and American festivities. I saw Paul Revere's house, the place where the Revolutionary War started, the rad Museum of Fine Art, ate terrific Atlantic seafood, got better at rockband, and spent time with people I haven't seen in a good chunk of time. I would highly recommend Boston to anyone for this time of year. Plus it was like 40 degrees cooler than AZ (ew, I am going back to the desert tomorrow).

In any case, my patiotism is maybe the highest it's ever been after so my trip to DC last summer and this one now. I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free....... ya, we definitely all sang that song at the top of our lungs last night after fireworks. Hooray America! Keep on rockin in the free world.

I wish I were a little more like the great Samuel Adams!

Not everybody knows your name here, and they didn't know what a milkshake was.... :(

Flight to Boston

2008-07-02T22:57:00.003-07:00

Quick Update from Day 1.

My flight left AZ at 6:50am. The dude next to me proceeded to order two beers and a can of Pringles for $13. This was all consumed before 8am! Is this possible? Is this logical? I don't get it.

I had a quick layover in Minnesota. While I was there, I was next to a lady who was angry and filling out a report about getting hit in the mouth by another passenger's bag on the way off the plane. She claimed that it hit her hard enough that her tooth went through her lip. Now, I know a little something about mouth bleeding, and this lady had almost no blood. She kept dabbing her lip and looking at the towel almost like she was hoping to see some blood spots on it. Anyway, I got bored and tired and then I left.

I don't really like flying that much, so for the majority of the flight I slept (because I didn't sleep too much the night before).

My initial impressions of Boston are that it rocks, and this is one of the best times to be here in the city. A couple other friends are on their way, and hilarity will surely ensue.

P.S. - We went to the Cheers bar tonight and asked for milkshakes (since they serve hamburgers and fries and stuff). The waiter looked at me like I was from Mars, and was mad I didn't order alcohol. He left us menus and then we just left. We didn't really care about the milkshakes, and we'd already acquired all the pictures we desired.

July = new leaf

2008-07-02T04:00:00.004-07:00

Happy July everyone! I'm glad it's a new month.

I used to be a creature of habit - always read the same newspaper every morning, ordered the same thing at restaurants every time, and when I was 3 my mom said I'd only wear Osh-Kosh-B'Gosh pants. I couldn't stand the thought of moving when I was in Fort Collins. Things are different now, and I think about moving a lot. Starting something over is pretty great. I've come to realize that change is a good thing for the soul from time to time, if it leads to progress.

So, here are some new things I'm trying out:

First, I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a quick trip to Boston. I've never been there and thought it would be a cool place to spend July 4th. I've got some college friends there and it's a bit spontaneous, but I think Freedom Trail on the 4th will be a rad combination.

Next, I got my first ever taste of eastern medicine today. I went to a school that teaches students how to administer a different kinda health that doesn't really seem to make sense to most people that have been through a decade of school. But while the student was taking my pulse, she told me that she thought I was grieving because my 'lung pulse' was weaker than my 'heart pulse' and that the lung is the organ of grief. So apparently there's something to be said for a different way of looking at things.

Also, I tried a new chicken sandwich at Arby's today. It wasn't that good. I'll go back to something else next time - or I'll eat a salad, or whatever they eat in New England.

A short essay on T-shirts

2008-06-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

I bought some clothes yesterday. And I noticed a trend. There are three kind of T-shirts that make up 90% of the shirts at stores these days. Here they are:

The plain variety. It's been around since 1754 and will last forever. People may spend 15 bucks on one of these at a regular store or like 30 at Banana Republic, but these are available at Wal-mart for $2.99. I have a bunch of colors, and didn't need any of these.

Then there's the pithy line T-shirt. Some of them have the attitude thing like, "Keep staring, I might do a trick," or the lame girl ones like, "My boyfriend is out of town." Lame. Then there are the funny ones like, "Korea's got Seoul," and "Camping is IN-TENTS!" I can tolerate these and often laugh, but I'm not really gonna buy these....right? No, no I'm not. I'll spare those around me such sayings and save pithy humor for the blog.

Then there's the designer shirts. More and more these shirts have moved away from the centering or symmetric artistic creations of the past 20 years. Off-center and colorful are the names of the games. Inevitably these shirts have elements of the underworld on them - skulls or altered religious images on there. I guess I don't get it. I don't want a dead guy's face on my shirt. Hasn't this been part of the Harley Davidson and heavy metal cultures for the past generation? Why all of a sudden did designers decide to make this become mainstream. Hmmm. And Ed Hardy charges like $60 for one of these anyway, so you pay more to be in that club. I'm out, and not gonna pay dues there.

So I looked harder and found a couple other ones that are not plain, pithy, or packed full of bones. Borring, I know. But this is what I thought about.

Oral Surgery Rotation

2008-06-24T23:19:00.004-07:00

This week I'm on an oral surgery rotation. This means that I leave my regular patients on the clinic floor to see only patients needing extractions, bone grafts, alveoplasties, and some other stuff that also gets bloody. Most people know what it's like to get a tooth pulled, but the majority of the teeth we pull are in patients who have neglected their oral health for some time and thus have some really broken down situations in there. Many of these teeth break when in the forceps and have to be sought out with "more advanced" techniques that I should probably not discuss. Let's just say, if most of you watched a surgical extraction, you'd probably be more motivated to floss.

That being said, if you're good and numb (like everyone is in our clinic), the experience doesn't have to be too traumatic when it happens to you - you aren't watching after all. Here's the crazy thing about surgery: most of us have done this a couple times, and they just throw us in the procedure. I make incisions, and move tissue away from the bone, get the bad boy out, and close everything up again. It seems like sometimes the surgeon gets a little too much credit, because it's really the human body that makes everything come back together. I put in a suture to close gum tissue, and the body figures out how to make the two sides grow back together, function right, and be free of infection.

That's the big miracle here. Doctors would be worthless without the healing system innate in the human body. Sure, I did an acceptable job taking out that bicuspid today, but if the patient didn't have effective clotting factors, working white cells, and some essential feedback mechanisms, that patient would never get better. It just goes to show that the human creation is one amazing thing, and as far as I'm concerned, it was nothing resembling an accident. It's a very cool thing, being a part of the healing process; but I realize that I am only a tiny part of that wonderous event.

Clip of the day

2008-06-22T23:59:00.002-07:00

I found this video yesterday, and I really like it. This is one of the great things that the internet can do - link the good parts in people together across the globe. Plus, it makes me wanna get out and see stuff.

We also learn from this that universally and in every language the way to say bad dancer = "white guy."

My iPod is so much better than this!

2008-06-20T23:23:00.004-07:00

At the dental clinic today, I had the chair next to our clinic unit's front desk. Here is where we find computers to show charts and notes to directors, the candy jar, documents, and our assistant, Tom. Tom brings his MP3 player every day to hook up the unit with some tunes. This was a welcome change when it first happened as it should simulate a real dentist's office (when was the last time you went and heard no music or stuff?).

Then, however, our director told Tom that some of his rockin' music was not welcomed at the clinic. So, Tom whittled down his play list until he had songs that pleased the director. This means that I have a one in ten chance on any given day of coming home with "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Michael Bubbly-whatever stuck so deep into my head, it's there until I fall asleep.

Another bad 10% chance is the typical day when "Smooth" by that annoying Robbbbb Thommmmas guy is inculcated into my skull. Ugh. Or worse, Melissa Ethridge.

And that brings us to today. I just completed a 4 hour GRE practice exam and the whole time, all I could hear in my head was, "Here, I am. Rock me like a hurricane!" Sigh, this song is mountains better than the other two, but alas, this is still the only line I know even after hearing it once a day for the past 6 months.

Maybe while I'm in the exam tomorrow, I'll be able to focus with nothing stuck in my head. Or maybe, I'll be cursed with lines that remind me, "We built this city on rock and roll." Incidentally, our director has moved to another job, so the chance of play list expansion seems a lot like Christmas anticipation.

Preparing for the GRE

2008-06-18T23:41:00.001-07:00

I've been pounding the GRE books in anticipation of my test this week. The GRE has three main parts to it: 2 essays you have to write, 24 ninth-grade math questions, and 40 twenty-fifth-grade verbal questions. Doing well proves little, but it's still a test that many grad schools need scores for to separate the willing from the able. It's not a test of knowledge as much as it is one of trying to not get tricked. So, ya, I'm having to study lots of vocab. I figured I'd share some words I might never use again.

Terse - brief and to the point.

Bacchanalian - riotous, boisterous, or drunken festivity

Assuage - to make something painful or burdensome less severe.

Monomania - excessive concentration on a single object or idea.

Bedizen - to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner.

Ambivalent - having both of two meanings.

Pliant - pliable, easily bent, shaped, or twisted.

Tribute to Travis Alexander (Part 3 of 3)

2008-06-17T01:25:00.008-07:00

These are the words that came to me to share at Travis' memorial service tonight. Thanks to all who prayed for me to help say them right.

Alexander the Great

Good evening my friends, I am humbled by the invitation to speak at such a service. I stand before you neither as an eloquent eulogist, nor as someone with touching musical abilities. I am but a friend whom Travis referred to as "brother." Indeed I am just like you. We cared about Travis, we admired him, and we probably took his greatest qualities for granted at times because he was such a constant in our lives. I hope that my thoughts relay a feeling of warm memory and calming peace as we are now one week from the news which shocked us all.

I have four images which I wish to share with you this evening which I have kept in my mind during the past 7 days and why they have impacted me.

We know about Travis’ positive outlook, and his ability to let himself be shaped by the events which were presented him. We esteem him for these traits. We also know Travis thrived on thinking big and achieving his goals. He wanted to see the world, challenge his fears, and help others on a grander scale than most permit themselves to aspire.

There was an evening when I spent some one-on-one time with Travis. He showed me pictures of himself at The International Balloon Fiesta Festival in New Mexico – a goal he’d set of something to see and achieved. I asked him, "Travis, what's was next?" I think this was his favorite question to respond to. He told me three things.

First, he said he wanted to ride a bull, rodeo style. Being from Colorado, and having witnessed a fair share of injuries appertaining to this conquest, I couldn’t understand why he’d wish it. After seeking explanation, he told me it was something that frightened him. And if he could do it, he wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. The symbolism here is that Travis sought the love that casts out fear and the comfort that exists only in confidence before God. He didn't want to fear anything. Still to this day, when I think of rodeos, I’d wonder how Travis would fare when he finally got his opportunity.

Second, Travis showed me a picture of a lighthouse. He told me he wanted to buy one someday. Oh. He wanted to then renovate the interior with an elevator up the middle and a spiral slide that went all the way down the inner walls. I eyed him for explanation. He followed by declaring, “It would be cool to have.” I nodded. Even my overactive pragmatic side couldn’t argue with that. It’s definitely the best idea I’ve ever heard concerning lighthouse renovation. But Travis wasn’t just about having the slide, he understood his role as a lighthouse to people around him. He mentored individuals and he always sought out teaching situations. Three days ago, I wrote some thoughts about him and put them on the internet – over 500 people have looked at those thoughts, and that’s only the people who know how to use Google! Truly, his impact was like unto a lighthouse to us, like ships on the sea.

Lastly, he related to me this: "I want to someday have my picture on the cover of TIME magazine with the headline Alexander the Great." This was to be in response to future philanthropic efforts that would have allowed him to influence hundreds and thousands of people. At first, I thought this was such a different desire than I’ve ever had for myself. I’m never going to be on someone’s cover for recognition. Maybe I didn’t think I needed that. But then, I reflected. Travis simply wanted to show other people that he could become GREAT even from a difficult upbringing. And if he could, others could. That’s the message here. He’d be thrilled if the week after, TIME had a picture of Searle The Great, or Gomez the Great, or Miller the Great, or any of you on its cover. This was about achieving greatness – and this is something we should ALL aspire to – everyday!

Travis, I can’t get you a bull to ride, cuz I’m too afraid of them too, and I can’t afford a lighthouse to buy and dedicate to you, but….

I can put you on my cover of TIME magazine. Your efforts to influence scores of people around you have been a success. You’ve been great to me, and you’ve achieved greatness in my eyes. I’ll channel your wisdom and attitude now and in my future. Thank you.

Further, I propose that Travis was Alexander the Great in the eyes of Our Heavenly Father as well. Let’s read in Doctrine and Covenants (one of Travis' favorite books) 18:10-16 as the Lord explains gospel principles to the Prophet Joseph Smith and other leaders of the Church.

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12 And he hath arisen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!

14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

Travis was great enough that our Redeemer suffered and died for him on earth. Jesus Christ gave Travis the chance to live again and the chance to grow and change and become a man of greatness.

This same great worth is extended to you as well. You have GREAT value in the eyes of God. He loves us as His children, and provided a way for us to find happiness in this life and eternal life in the life to come. Freeman the Great, Hall the Great, Lowery the Great. It’s extended to us all.

May we all remember the significance of the rodeo, the lighthouse, and TIME magazine, with the most important remembrance, being that of the role of Jesus Christ in the Plan of Salvation. I know he came to earth. I know he suffered for our mistakes, and died. And I know he overcame both sin and death so that we might do so also if we but come unto him and do the simple things he has asked of us. I know Travis desired his brothers and sisters to come unto Christ. May we do so and bring others with us that all might be great.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

P.S. - Here's a higher resolution picture of my magazine cover :) for those of you who asked.

Tribute to Travis Alexander (Part 2 of 3)

2008-06-15T23:13:00.007-07:00

I was asked to share some thoughts today at church about Travis, so I needed to add another part to this. Hundreds of people have found my site through Googling Travis' name. I hope that the things I have to say can be of comfort.

I call my thoughts from today: PAY IT FORWARD

Travis always called me and referred to me as 'brother,' as in "Take it easy, brother." This was common language for him, but I took it a bit more literally. I am the brother to two wonderful sisters, but have no true brother of my own. My brothers have been my college crew and elders' quorum members. I did treasure the idea of having brothers, and I'm grateful Travis is one of them.

Travis and I discussed debt on occasion - as we are both familiar with the concept. As I was reflecting about it this weekend, I decided that paying something back is a terrestrial concept. Before coming to earth, we never had physical things to pay back: library books, loans, football cards, or the neighbor's shovel. It’s something we’re learning here during our lives, and with it, we get a sense of justice owed. For example, “He owes me 20 bucks!” or “I mowed his lawn, he should at least let me borrow the Lexus.” You get the idea. It’s feeling of entitlement to that which has already transacted.

We, as humans crave fairness innately. This is one reason why it’s so difficult for us to deal with this tragedy, since we don’t know, as of yet, who is responsible, and that there is retribution for crime still be addressed. We just want things to be that way.

That being said, I think Travis had figured things out a little better than the average individual.

About 6 months ago, a group of us went to Applebee's (I know, I don't like that place either) at aroung 10pm one night. I invited Travis, and he showed up in a fancy suit. People order food or milkshakes. I noticed Travis leave toward the restroom, but he didn't get there. He snuck around the bar and found the waiter. I knew that he was picking up the table's tab. Eventually the server came over and told us to have a good night. Everyone was surprised and assumed the restaurant had just comped us or something. I didn't say a word. No one else saw him do it besides me. I didn’t expose his kind act to everyone else. I texted Travis later to express my sincere thanks for the food he had just provided for me. After expressing some disappointment that I had seen him (he wanted it to truly be secret), he told me one thing: "PAY IT FORWARD, BROTHER."

The natural man would say, you can pay me back another day. Not him. Pay it forward means, “Do something good to someone else.” See how inherently different it was? It caused me to look forward for to serve Travis and others after this. It’s not like more money is exchanged worldwide, it’s just done a step ahead, in stead of behind. This is more like the higher law.

It speaks to Travis character that he used moments like this to teach those around him. If you didn’t know him well, I can say that he would have done the same to you whether he knew you or not. He lifted people up and shared the lessons he'd learned.

The spiritual aspect of this is defined by King Benjamin (link to Mosiah 2:21-24). Everything we do to get in God’s good graces ends up blessing us more than we probably deserve. We cannot be out of debt to Our Father, or the Son for that matter. So, we do things for others around us, not to pay back the Lord, but to pay it forward. In the same vein, the law of tithing isn’t a payment back to the Lord either. It’s new income that is only partially redirected to the Lord. It’s also a payment forward.

So, how do we do it? How can we pay day to day things forward? Service, allowing ourselves to change, being Christlike - this stuff makes sense.

This is how the Lord wants us to help each other out. To serve our fellow beings is only the service of God. If Christ, himself had been eating at Applebee’s that night, who would’ve been willing to pick up the tab? And who would have been willing to help him move his stuff to a new house or hold the door open for the person behind?

Finally, let me say this. As details are revealed about the events of this tragedy, we are going to hear some disturbing things, if we haven’t already. It’s been cause for individuals around us even being concerned for their own safety. We know that the authorities have ruled out all people that are associated with Travis’ church contacts (relationships, old roommates, etc). It’s a natural feeling to be concerned. That being said, the best security system is obedience to God's commandments. Many of us have had threatening experiences at certain points in our lives where we’ve been protected by Deity because we were doing the right thing. Obedience to God’s laws enables blessings, and the forwarding the causes of the kingdom. And for whatever reason, if something does happen (bad things do occasionally happen to good people) things will be alright if we’ve been obedient – like Travis.

Exclaimed Paul, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory"? After all, this life is not where things are happily ever after; that is in the world to come. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and because he lives, so will you, and so will I. My challenge is that we be like Travis, and pay it forward to improve that which is around us and strive to follow Jesus Christ. In so doing, we will find peace in this life and happiness in the life to come.

Tribute to Travis Alexander (Part 1 of 3)

2008-06-13T23:48:00.005-07:00

News release following Travis' death.

Briefly, I want to acknowledge that a good friend of mine was taken last week by someone/people that wanted him gone. Travis was a positive individual who was not simply a motivational speaker to me. He was a motivational friend. He found the good in people and situations. We spoke several times weekly about life, girls, future, debt, and insignificant things like quotes from Anchorman. He taught me how to make my days better. Applying this knowledge makes my weeks and months better. And I don't think I did a good enough job of thanking him for how he helped me. We went on road trips and double dates. I edited some of his self-help writings that made up a book he completed just before he died. He paid me some of the best compliments I have ever received from peers. Spending time with him helped me want to be a better person.

We've learned that he was murdered and left in his house. Once this came to light, my friends and I went to be at his house where we stayed on the curb to try to support each other and make sense out of this thing. I mean, this is Mesa, Arizona! We have really needed to rely on each other as the effects of so brutal a crime are long-lasting. There is no official suspect, only people that have been eliminated from suspicion. So we pray that the detectives work is exact and illuminating, and that the law and justice and mercy are all fulfilled. I wish our minds didn't take us to those worst-case-scenario places that they do sometimes. I've been triple checking my door locks at night, I always sleep better from 4-10am than I do from midnight-6am, and I stay worried about a select few of my friends who have been significantly affected. These things will pass as I use strength to allow my understanding of God's Plan of Happiness.

Travis is in a better place, probably cracking jokes and working hard to help people on the flip side. I'm not worried about him at all. He was in a good place mentally and emotionally last week. I last saw him Monday, June 2nd when I invited him over to a friend's house to watch The Sandlot. Then we read each other's blogs on Tuesday and commented on them. I thought it funny that he didn't answer my texts over the weekend and wasn't at church, but assumed he had been away on business. Now that he's gone, I hope that those lessons that I have learned (and others have learned) will keep and apply them.

I have been asked to speak at Travis' memorial service Monday, June 16th at 7:30pm at a church building at Hawes and (just south of) Guadalupe in Mesa/Gilbert (all are invited, please come). So my thoughts are being organized for that intimidating experience. I will post my talk after I give it.

Facebook group: In memory of Travis Alexander

Jacuzzi Lifeguard

2008-06-12T23:51:00.003-07:00

Just in case you missed the year 2000, I figured it was a good time to bring this one up again.

Attention swimmer! You are too far. Return immediately!

This is from the past, for the future

2008-06-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

I meant to write some things down Monday before we all got the sad news about Travis. As such, I'm going to try to harness my Monday afternoon thoughts and pretend I'm focused on them and not the other things which have weighed my thoughts since.

My computer has been my lifeline to school for the past few years. All tests, assignments, announcements, etc. all come by way of the digital age. They claim we're heading in a paperless direction. But now you have to fill out 3 forms in the clinic in case you're planning on getting sick so you have permission to leave for an hour to go to the doctor.....

Anywho, my service contract is about to run out on the bad boy (DELL) and so I've been hoping it could've accidentally fall off a moving car on the 60 sometime around 3:30pm on a weekday. If it's destroyed enough (by accident or normal wear and tear, they give you a new one to replace it). If it's still repairable, they'll always choose to repair it. One friend dropped it off the third floor of an apartment, called Dell, told them it 'fell,' and was given a new machine. I decided simply to take care of my computer and keep it clean and let things fall as they would - no insurance fraud for TMR.

Well, I called the tech support guy to explain that the fan was running for too long and the hinges were getting loose (both true). He helped me run some diagnostics, and we found that the hard drive was failing. He sent out (a dude to my house! with) a new hard drive with new plastic body pieces. That's the karma I was hoping for. Now I have essentially a refurbished computer that was performing well after 3 year that should last me for at least another 2 years = save money. My advice, do the right thing, and it'll come back around to prepare you.

Next, by chance later on Monday, I heard of two scholarships for $1,500 which were to be awarded this week. The director wrote an email suggesting that there had been very few entries had been submitted. Luckily, I had spent hours and hours editing personal statements and a CV the previous few days. I turned in a strong application in 15 minutes or so. Results are still a ways out, but I'm grateful to have the chance to apply for things like this. I do appreciate those who donate money to help poor, borrowing kids like me.

Lastly, just by writing down a couple of ideas I had about improving my residency program chances, I came up with new ideas. This is such a simple principle which always proves itself. If you take good care of your good ideas, they will keep coming. Good ideas = business inventions, whom to visit, which road to take, what to avoid, and how to impress people (apparently). Good ideas are more or less things the Spirit helps you get clear or reminds you. This is again the case. Bring paper around with you, or save ideas on your phone. Recipe for success.

Keep it up everyone.

Today, I will say nothing

2008-06-10T23:55:00.001-07:00

"

."

Moment of silence for a close friend lost. I will miss you T.A..

Bolstering my expansive vernacular

2008-06-08T23:59:00.001-07:00

I've been studying vocabulary words in preparation for the GRE. This is a test which covers math, verbal, and writing sections. Pretty much, they try to trick you on the math you learned up until you were 14 and then throw 900 words at you that you've never seen before.

I keep running through definitions in my head. Lucubrate, captious, effete, ugh. When Diana was helping me study, she would read a word, and I'd give the meaning. It was weird though, because when I didn't know one, I had the strangest instinct to ask the language of origin and then repeat it and ask for it in a sentence. Hmmm. Well, I did win the Riffenburgh Elementary Spelling Bee when I was 5th grader.

With this in mind, I was considering the improvement in my health since I found a good doctor or two. It's been a great blessing to get well. A lot of my friends are going through hard times with things as we speak. Some with physical health problems, others with social issues. Some people are struggling with emotional health, and others still their spiritual health. So, my mind goes....HEALTH - think of a definition.

Go ahead. Try it. Define health.

Do it.

Did you mention a 'lack of disease'? I did the first time.

But health in and of itself is not just not being sick, it should have a positive connotation. Like you're not tall, just because you're not short, right? That's what I thought.

To be healthy (or healthful - better), one needs to find an active state of well-being. It's a strong, yet calm energy of sorts. When your kidney is working, you don't notice anything. That's part of well, but also, we should realize that health means that the kidney is causing the body to absorb nutrients in correct amounts and rid the body of unnecessary materials. It's more ACTIVE than PASSIVE.

We need to find health in lots of different aspects of our lives too. Being physically, and emotionally healthy and mentally unhealthy is still unhealthy. So, the way we take care of our bodies (physical activity, putting good things in, not hitting thumbs with hammers) should mimic the way care for our emotional, mental, and spiritual sides. Right? Maybe we need to go to the gym of emotional health sometimes (counselors, long conversations with friends), or maybe we need physical therapy of our spiritual side (finding meaning to life, growing up).

In summation: being healthy is not just not feeling sick.

And that probably means I should get some sleep.

STILL NEWS

2008-06-06T23:58:00.003-07:00

My dental school is called the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ASDOH - see Homer Simpson). Easy enough right? Well, it's one of 6 programs on the Arizona School of Health Sciences (ASHS) campus on Baseline and Recker; so there's another name to remember. All of the programs are couched under the university name of A.T. Sill University (ATSU) which began as a osteopathic medical school in Kirksville, Missouri. Confused yet? I am, and I've been a student here for 3 years.

A.T. Still was actually a dude named Andrew Taylor Still. This was a guy that was a licensed physician during the Civil War and the turn of the 20th century. He'd become disgruntled about the effectiveness of organized medicine after 3 of his children died of meningitis. So he started a new kind of medicine manipulating bones and muscles. He developed a following and naysayers (quack, said they), but today there are lots of osteopathic doctors out there. You might be going to one of them. Andrew then started a university to teach people his medicine, and later, the university decided to start other programs to (either make money or) gain recognition. But my dental school isn't osteopathic. We get Doctor of Medical Dentistry degrees here just like they do at Harvard's dental school. There is no difference between Dr. Stanley France DDS and Dr. Hottie McLegs DMD. So, no, my dental school isn't unorthodox, and we won't rub herbs on your teeth or try to pop your neck when you come in to the clinic.

Anyway, so when people ask me the name of my school, I just tell them Fred, or Eva, or something. And when they ask if it's part of ASU, I just say ya, so I can avoid this whole complicated story. Go Devils, or whatever.

This is a good story. So, A.T. Still University has a newsletter, and it's kinda weak - okay it's dinky, but they try. It's called STILLNEWS. No one reads it mind you, but the joke goes like this: Hey check it out guys, it's not good news, but it's STILLNEWS, or it's not quality news reporting but it's STILLNEWS. You get the idea. I was up in the Student Services office today and saw a huge untouched stack of these bad boys, and I figured I'd share.

The headlining article is that "Your healer within is coming," which is either a line from a horror flick trailer, or creepy medicine. Then they have this guy's picture on a green screen pulling a velociraptor on three unsuspecting kindergarteners. Yikes. Take a good look. A guy scaring playing Monsters Inc. isn't comforting news, but it's STILLNEWS.

Maybe we should photoshop this picture.

Must go faster!

Healing from an earthquake in China

2008-06-04T23:34:00.003-07:00

One of my greatest friends on this round rock is a Chinese man named David whom I met in Geneva, Switzerland. He moved home after his training to run a business and start a family, and, after chatting with him tonight on the internetz, everything is going well with him.

He mentioned that there is not a lot of focus by the people there on the upcoming world scene of hosting the Summer Olympics. The people and the government are focused on helping the survivors of the massive earthquake that David felt nearly 2000 kilometers away from the epicenter. Amid the pain and loss and destruction, there are now arising stories of hope and mercy; and that is what David told me was most interesting. He said that the people are softening their hearts, not hardening them as a result of the 7.8 rocker. He told me that touching stories of sacrifice and warmth are starting to spread now that we are three weeks since the disaster.

With 70,000 confirmed dead, it's alarming how many were students. Over 9,000 estimated young people lost their lives due in part to shoddy school construction. Thousands of other children are orphans, and with China's one family, one child rule, families are in trouble. Organizations have been set up to allow families who lost children to the quake to adopt those now without parents. They are truly becoming of one heart.

Of course, we wish that these disasters didn't happen to cause such pain, and we wish that all humans could have soft hearts without tragedies, but it's comforting to know once again that men and women are essentially good at their cores. Each does indeed have a spark of divinity (as said by Ezra Taft Benson) deep within. I hope that we can empathize with those going through hardship now, and I hope we never forget the feelings of unity and strength we felt after our own tragedy. Mostly, I hope we don't have one of those ever again.

We're praying for you China.

My application about me speaks to what I think about myself. Me....this guy.

2008-06-03T23:57:00.002-07:00

I spent much of today filling out post-graduate orthodontic residency program applications. This is a task that is typically uncomfortable for me as it forces me to explain to people who don't know me how awesome and qualified I think I am. Normally, I don't focus on this, and the people who know me.....well, they know me, and I let my behavior and friendship speak for me.

Line after line asks what awards I was given (our school doesn't do many of those), what special research and work experience sets me apart from my classmates, how my leadership responsibilities have made me a competitive candidate for the position. It's odd if you're not familiar with assessing yourself in such a manner. It is a huge deal. Most people will only look at application stats and writings, where I think I'm much stronger in an interview when I can connect with people.

This morning I snuck into the clinic to see a patient who recently got new dentures. He's hoping for more work to be done when he gets back from a summer getaway (to somewhere cooler mind you). He leaned over to me and told me that he thought I was a professional, and that I instilled confidence in him by caring about his situation at home between dental visits. That made me feel pretty rewarded today, and that, I think is my strongest aspect of dentistry. But how does one relate that on a resume? Lots of this process is going to be left in the hands of the Big Guy, because on my own, I don't think I'm as competitive as lots of other people who want these highly sought after positions.

Anyway, we'll see what happens, but my two cents for you today is that if you treat people well and are interested in them as individuals, things will take care of themselves.

Ooh, in other news, my car's window is all kinds of functioning now. Reparation - bam! But then my roommate's blender started smoking when I was using it. Plus one working car part, minus one working blender.

Lastly, if you're trying to learn English so you'll know what to say when Americans attack you, and you're trying to stay in shape, this is the best video you could ever watch:

----------------
Now playing: Duran Duran - Rio
via FoxyTunes

You're Killing Me Smalls!

2008-06-02T23:56:00.001-07:00

I just got done watching one of my favorite movies of all time: The Sandlot.

The new kid moves into town and struggles to make friends. Everyone makes fun of him cuz he can't play baseball. Then, my hero, Benny Rodriguez takes him under his wing and teaches him that baseball is all about having fun. When the new kid says he doesn't know how to throw or catch, Benny teaches him how to throw, and tells him, "Just put your glove out; I'll do the rest." Then Benny hits a fly ball directly into the new kid's mitt while his eyes are closed. He then has the respect of the other neighborhood kids, and has a summer's worth of friends.

Then Benny helps him choose the right clothes to wear for their games and gives the new kid a baseball mitt and a cap worthy of summer baseball. The scene ends with the new kid excitedly running home and writing in his journal and sharing all the cool things that happened with his mom - making friends, catching a fly ball, and doing something right.

It's so easy to let new/different people just float on by us. Benny's patience helped Smalls to grow into someone that he hadn't been before. We need more Benny Rodriguezeseszess' in this world to be champions to the downtrodden and the under appreciated.

Here's the link to watch - I think there might be a bad word in the clip (forgive me).

Happy Sabbath all

2008-06-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

Here’s a missionary message for the day: There’s no such thing as a difficult place to be a missionary. I don't believe it.

Ammon probably thought that he first area was gonna be rough when things started out, but he was blessed according to the desires of his heart and witnessed great success (Alma 17-26).

Once in a while, there exists a situation that seems to have the odds stacked against missionary efforts. Sometimes members aren’t as involved as they could be. Sometimes a baptism hasn’t happened in a while. This is not a reason for an area being 'hard' to work in. As a missionary in France, my third city had been without baptisms in a long while. A previous missionary had accidentally offended some of the members, and things weren’t going as we’d hoped. We had a district leader who wanted us to perform a skit in the ward talent show. My first thought was that we should be out working instead, but I agreed to help out. It's a good thing we all were there for this. We set up some props and did door-to-door bloopers sketch acting out all the lame things that French people did when they knew we were at the door (trying to hide, having kids tell us their parents weren’t home when we could see them, saying no one was home from behind the door, etc.). The members loved it and laughed. And more importantly, they had empathy for us and realized that door-to-door contacting was an ineffective way to find people to teach. They warmed up to us immediately and started offering to help in missionary efforts. Our district leader got transferred before seeing how an area got transformed all from his simple idea. The ward caught fire. We started baptizing families, friends, Chinese people, everyone. It was awesome. The missionaries all wanted to be a part of the great things that were happening in Grenoble, France.

The Lord can cause change in the hearts of the members, or in the townspeople. By keeping a positive attitude, you can welcome that spirit in with faith. The Book is blue and The Church is true.

End of the month report (May '08)

2008-05-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Progress. Thanks everyone for all your repeated checks. Or maybe, this is just my mom logging in a couple dozen times a day to make me feel better.

(Trust + Listening) > (asking for a raise)

2008-05-30T23:54:00.001-07:00

I learned something today. Well, that's no big deal, right? I should be learning lots of things everyday since I am a full time student. True. But now that I'm accustomed to treating patients and working with dental materials, some of my most important lessons come from outside the proverbial classroom.

Money and compensation is such a palpable focus of all of us figuring out our lives and careers. Today, I noticed something else. If you want to make a living, you need to do two things: earn trust from those you intend to help & listen well to them. Neither of these things are directly related to paychecks, right? Well, here's why I make such a proposition:

First - I've had a problem with a broken car window for the better part of a year. The window (on Sheila, my '97 Camry) goes down and won't come back up, and as you'd imagine, with temperatures as they are, problems arise when I need obligatory stops at the ATM, Jack In The Box, or the hundreds of gated neighborhoods with dial screens that are here in AZ. Now, I can make do without the luxury of a driver's side window, and a quote from the dealership at nearly $500 for repairs on an 11 year-old car made this decision an easy one. I can deal/live with its current defunct condition.

A couple other estimates were similar (both in person and over the phone). I'd accepted that, and was making awkward stops with funny arm reaches at places to get around it. However, I kept asking people if they'd found a mechanic they trusted. Once, someone told me that he had a guy that was really cool and honest and got him out of a jam when he was in trouble. I asked for the number and called the place of business.

The guy my friend recommended picked up the phone (how often does that happen? ) rather than a receptionist. I explained how I was referred and the problem. He took down details, and said he had a technician who specialized in electrical problems. He asked if he could speak to the tech about the issue and call me back. He did so quickly and called me back in less than 5 minutes (quick answers - refreshing!). He said that since the window wasn't making the growling noise normally seen with the window motor, it was likely just a defective switch, making the parts and repair very reasonable. He then remembered my name and said he could get the part by tomorrow and could fix it in an hour. I told him I'd consider it and call back. He thanked me and we hung up. I was impressed by his resourcefulness, kindness, and professionalism. I made the decision to fix Sheila. Trust was earned. This is similar to the trust that employees gain from their managers before being given increased responsibility; and it's like that trust that you have in a financial adviser who offers tips without expectation of compensation.

Second - Listening well opens doors to success. Diana and I went to dinner with friends tonight at Texas Roadhouse, home of amazing rolls with cinnamon butter (increasingly responsible likely for America's battle against obesity among people who like food that tastes good). Now, we've already discussed on TMR how sometimes servers have a tendency to ignore 'Mormon tables' where no one orders an alcoholic beverage because the ticket cost is littler (= less tips). Well, we ordered water and joked with our waiter to keep the bread and butter coming. He listened and brought us at least 4 orders of bread.

Mmmmm, Please bless I don't self-induce diabetes as a result of his good listening skills. So, he got a healthy tip, even though I drank only water. This can also be said for a doctor that goes above and beyond listening to all possible concerns, or estate planners that invest the time getting to know their clients by shutting up and letting them talk.

When you treat people like you'd like to be treated, good things will happen for you in whatever career you are in. Teachers, construction managers, engineers, and health care providers would all do well to focus on the confidence and communication of those whom they help instead of the bottom line. That emphasis of trust and listening will allow us to enjoy our work and prevent the constant worry that exists when focusing solely on money.

P.S. If you are looking for a mechanic, let me know.

Meaningful Photos taken by me and my little camera

2008-05-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today would be a good day to share some of the photographs I've taken that have some significance to me. Ready....break!

First up: San Diego LDS Temple at dusk. I don't think it's possible to get a bad picture of this magnificent structure, but this one was particularly captivating. Thanks to Woody for getting married on the right day.

World Series game in Colorado. This was the first time it ever happened and I was blessed enough to be there. The patriotism that still exists in baseball is one of the great things about our nation.

The sun does its thing each and every day. Once in a while, the clouds get in the right place. On those days, you should have a camera. Luckily, this day near the Jefferson Monument, I did.

Music has always been an important part of my life. This is my electric guitar that doesn't see much love these days. But, there is something about holding it and rocking out. Everyone should be in a band and perform a live show at least once.

Washington Monument - Simplistic design, and backgrounded only by the heavens. I love taking pictures of tall things from short angles looking upward. I started doing this the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower in 1995.

This remains one of my favorite photos ever. I love that I have been learning something that I will be able to use to give back.

The end :) PS - please share your thoughts

Cinqo de mayonnaise

2008-05-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Handstanding monkey on a goat on a tin can on a tight rope 8 feet over China. Wow, what a video!

And here is a link to the most relaxing game ever created. You have to have sound. Then you just collect all the shapes and colors with the mouse except the reds. Seriously, play it once. Music Catch.

You're welcome for this entertainment.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day all! I am reminded of some thoughts of my grandfathers on this day. They have both been gone for some time now, but they have left legacies, love, and lessons behind.

My father's father passed away when I was a junior in high school. It was my first experience with losing someone in the family. He was the first born son and a Mortensen, just like my dad, and just like me. All of us also played the trumpet and enjoyed math. Ironically he tried to convince my dad to go into the dental field while my dad was deciding what to study (pops chose engineering - like grandpa - instead). He was to serve in the armed forces, but a bad hip prevented him from doing much of anything physical. Still, friends at his funeral honored him with a 21-gun salute. I'm proud to be his grandson, and I know that his strong influence toward education has helped guide me to where I am today.

My mother's father passed away here in Mesa long before I moved here. He was a high school football star and a torpedoman on a submarine during the war in the San Diego harbor. He taught hard work and savings to my mother and brought her to Colorado - the place I still hold dear. At his funeral, I was asked to play taps on the trumpet. This was a great honor to me, and though I hadn't played the trumpet in a while, I was enthusiastic to do whatever I could to help strengthen his memory.

I'm grateful for their memories, and I acknowledge those who have made the decision to protect my rights, regardless of what has since happened to them. I know many have been lost and countless others injured, affected, and influenced. Truly the red on our great flag is a royal color.

May we respect their memory and the legacy of this country to our fullest degree by selecting good leaders and contributing to society. And may our soldiers have the protection and emotional strength to shoulder the loads they willingly agreed to bear. My prayers are with them.

The Fortune Cookie Post

2008-05-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

I'm graduating in one year (can you believe it?). The school assigns partnerships with students from each class so we can transition patients easier. Yesterday, I went to Pei Wei with my associates from the class of 2008 and 2010. We discussed how to treat our good patients and how to 'handle' our complicated/crazy/difficult ones. Then I opened my fortune cookie:

What is that?!? Lame! I hate getting a lame fortunes. Okay, so I'm starting a business venture. Don't fortune cookie people know that like 80% of business ventures fail? This isn't a fortune at all; in fact, it qualifies as one of those horoscope vagueness statements like, "You're about to find yourself in toil - look to Gemini for help." A fortune cookie should be filled with a message to make you feel better. This means you might get lame fortunes like, "You have strength to fight battles that lie ahead," or, "In wisdom, one finds clarity." Pllbbbbbb. How about some fortunes that talk about fortune and success and good things? I mean, I just dined on Asian cuisine - toss me a bone here!

Let's look at some history.

Most evidence points to the fortune cookie being originated by Asian immigrants in the US during the 1910's with the legend being traced back to the 14th century when the Monguls ruled China and replaced mooncake yolks with messages to pass around.

The following story is from Wikipedia:

The U.S. Powerball lottery drawing of the March 30, 2995 game produced an unprecedented 110 second-place winners, all of whom picked five numbers correctly with no powerball number. The total came out to $19.4 million in unexpected payouts. 89 tickets won $100,000, but 21 additional tickets won $500,000 due to the Power Play multiplier option.
Powerball officials initially suspected fraud, but it turned out that all the winners received their numbers from fortune cookies made by Wonton Food Inc., a fortune cookie factory in Long Island, Queens, New York. Apparently, number combinations printed on fortunes are reused in thousands of cookies per day. The five winning numbers were 22, 28, 32, 33, and 39. The sixth number in the fortune, 40, did not match the powerball number, 42.

So, ya, fortune cookies are sorta a big deal to me, even if I'm not really superstitious and I don't use the lucky numbers, and I'm a grown up. I just like them, like I like Converse shoes and Nixon watches. I knew a lot of Chinese people on my mission and have always sought out good Chinese restaurants since I've been home to absorb more culture. I know, the fortune cookie isn't really a Chinese thing, but I keep some of my good ones in a box. Here are some good ones:

See how they are simple and positive and better than predicting the weather?

This is how fortune cookies should be designed. Who do I need to talk to about this?

Enough said, except I immediately regret that I ate that time at Panda Express. That stuff is not good food. And it's not panda meat anyway. That place is a liar.

Friday Night Light-Brights

2008-05-23T23:51:00.003-07:00

I spent some time today catching up on the following news: pop culture, sports, politics, and health. Apparently, on that American Idol show, some guy named David won, and some guy named David didn't win. Interesting.

I think I'd rather see them do a song that I know. On more than one occasion have I karaoke'd "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan (because I know so much about 'hood life - fa real!).

Wouldn't a real future pop star need to prove him/herself with a number such as this? I propose this become mandatory. Here's a sample of the second verse...

This is how we do it
La ra ra ra ra ra...

This is how we do it, all hands are in the air
And wave them from here to there
If youre an o.g. mack or a wanna-be playa
You see the hoods been good to me
Ever since I was a lower-case g
But now Im a big g. the girls see I got the money
A hundred-dollar bills yall

If you were from where Im from then you would know
That I gotta get mine in a big black truck
You can get yours in a 64

(Punctuation not included, cuz dat don' matta).

It's raining, it's pouring, there are lots of old men in Mesa.

2008-05-22T23:28:00.001-07:00

We had weather today! It was pretty fantastic. There were clouds, wind, raindrops, and a reprieve from the past few days that had hit record highs of 108 degrees for May 19 and May 20. I do anticipate this will be an ephemeral condition, as the heights of summer nigh.

Apparently, around the country, weather happened other places today too. A terrible tornado destroyed a bunch of homes a few miles away from the house I grew up in. My heart goes out to the people who are going to have to pick up and start over. I hope they find helping hands around them.

A few months ago, I wrote about how Arizona soil needs help growing trees. This was, of course, the post about how healthy trees were turned into stakes for baby AZ trees to grow. Well, I do appreciate that this happens. Trees here are welcome site. But the soil really isn't designed for much of this type of traction.

Here's one of our front yard trees that fell over today. It's been there for two years and was felled today by an inundation of moisture (1 inch goes a long way on clay) and stern winds. The stakes and wires used to hold this tree up created a coupling force to hold the tree steady in one plane. Any force from another plane (e.g. wind) still was clearly able to overpower the steading effects thereof.

I suppose it shouldn't be left a tacit point that the stability was flawed (can you tell I'm studying for the GRE?). Archimedes is often misquoted as follows: "Give me a lever long enough and I'll move the world." The laws of physics understood here, possibilities are indeed limitless. However, the real quote is this:

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. "

The fulcrum is just as important as the lever in this situation. The lever is no good without the fulcrum functioning as designed. Our tree had some long levers that aren't going to break, but their fulcrums now leave something to be desired.

We need to be careful when we are reliant on things to sustain our strength and growth. The tree here had the same soil to support its roots and its supporting stakes. It turns out, it wasn't enough. The once thought of 'solid foundation' of the tree was loosed in under an hour as I sat in my room studying. Finding true sources of strength and support during growth can indeed make all the difference. And it is imperative to do so, because rainstorms will present themselves sooner or later.

----------------
Now playing:
Lifehouse - Sick Cycle Carousel via FoxyTunes

Google: Helping the world find me.

2008-05-21T23:46:00.003-07:00

I've been using a program called sitemeter.com to trace how many people come visit The Mortensen Reportensen. Don't worry, I don't know who you are, but it does tell me approximately where people live when they show up on here. So, I check up on things occasionally and watch as people from all across the states and in dozens of countries somehow end up reading the things I write.

One of the interesting things they list on there is the web page my visitor was on just before they clicked on my site. This means that the people who Google random stuff and get to TMR leave a little footprint. Here's some examples from the past 2 weeks and the posts they went to:

Google is some kinda phenomenon, and they're probably storing everything we do to use it against us somehow. Sigh, they probably know I spilled chocolate on my cargo shorts earlier tonight. I blame that on Spencer. He's the one who wanted to make ice cream sculptures at David's house. The shelf life on a ice cream snow man is about a minute and a half, in case you're wondering.

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Now playing: Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
via FoxyTunes

Oral Cancer Foundation

2008-05-20T09:34:00.004-07:00

I woke up to my phone ringing this morning. It was a 949 area code, which I didn't recognize in my state of veritable unconsciousness. I'd like to think I'm good at trying to be coherent when this happens, but I'm certain that I'm fooling no one as I travel through the worm hole of my ridiculous dream world back to the space-time continuum in which I reside.

The phone call was from Brian Hill, who is the founder/executive director of the Oral Cancer Foundation. Oral Cancer has been on a terrible rise recently due to risk factors of alcohol, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and human papillomavirus (HPV). I got in contact with Mr. Hill through a project that I'm helping develop at my dental school.

Oral Cancer kills one American each hour and is behaviorally preventable. It is typically not discovered in individuals until the disease has progressed beyond simple treatment protocol effectiveness. Dentists have an opportunity to provide oral cancer screening exams during each visit through simple means. This is something that happens to each patient that comes into our dental clinic.

Brian Hill is exactly the man you'd want running a foundation. He's full of energy, motivated by his cause - being an oral cancer survivor himself. His scientific knowledge was very strong and he knows how to tie groups together. He's a motivator and helps change the way people think. We had a great conversation about the future of this project (details forthcoming). Speaking to people like this really help give me energy and direction. Mr. Hill is partly responsible for fighting huge resistance in marketing smokeless tobacco in NASCAR, and has helped developed national policy, and he is gaining ground with the FDA on substances that need to be on the market to help individuals fight their addictions. In 8 years as the director of this organization, he has created influence that may be attributed to the saving of thousands of lives and the prevention of cancer in many more. This is the capacity of an individual. Too many times we let ourselves just get from the alarm clock to bedtime without pedaling hard on the bicycle of life. I want to surround myself with people like Mr. Hill to remind myself what one individual can do in a day.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go make something great happen today.

----------------
Now playing: Weezer - Susanne
via FoxyTunes

One day, The Office won't make me laugh as much, but it's not today...

2008-05-19T23:55:00.001-07:00

7 good years, 7 lean ears.

2008-05-18T23:55:00.006-07:00

These are unsettling times in which we live.

Our country has been in a war for longer than it was when we were fighting Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese. We have a nation unhappy with the executive branch and more unhappy with the legislative branch. Americans are divided in philosophy and vote. Gas prices hit records everyday and we are surely 10 years away from an effective alternative fuel. Some scientists say our environment is doomed, and some say that it's colder than it's been recently.

California's court system overturned gay marriage bans, Al-qeada is still making threats against the West, Israel keeps picking fights, and huge disasters bringing thousands of deaths escape front page news after only a few days because another happens.

The news of the sports world is full of cheaters, liars, and bad examples. The NBA just said that an official bet on the games he worked! Even the Weather Channel is a mess.

There's a recession which is affecting tons of AZans who don't have houses to build and repair now. Rice costs double what it did only a couple years ago. Yikes.

In October, 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted this:

As a backdrop for what I wish to say, I read to you a few verses from the 41st chapter of Genesis.
Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, dreamed dreams which greatly troubled him. The wise men of his court could not give an interpretation. Joseph was then brought before him: "Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
"And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
"And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed. . . .
"And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: . . .
"And I saw in my dream . . . seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
"And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
"And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: . . .
"And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, . . . God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
"The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. . . .
". . . What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
"Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
"And there shall arise after them seven years of famine.
". . . And God will shortly bring it to pass" (Gen. 41:17-20, 22-26, 28-30, 32).
Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.
So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.
We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

So...seven fat years would have taken us to 2005 - the end of the housing boom here. That tipping point was an amazing thing to witness. Things just stopped. And perhaps now, we find ourselves in seven lean years (until 2012?). This is more than just the economy. The fight between good and evil is presenting itself in the public eye all around the world. I can't say my house is in order (but my shirts are in ROYGBIV order because I'm like that), because I make no money, but I hope it gets there quickly as soon as I get outta school. But couldn't we do more? Couldn't we support the good causes in the world more fervently? Should I really be weighing myself with this at this juncture?

I think we need to pray for our people to make good decisions, collectively and that our leaders do so too. I think we need to pray for softer hearts between nations. I think we need to select the best leaders we can and hold true to the values inherently founded in our great nation. It's too easy to complain today. Americans can still do great things. Let's pray for help like Utahans pray for moisture during droughts. We need to remember, not forget. Prayers are still answered.

And if these be lean years, we can go on a diet, trade an F250 for a Civic, take less vacations, and give birthday hugs rather than birthday cards. I'm a believer of better days to come, and I look forward to those. I'm grateful to be led by prophets/seers, and anticipate my future career and family. Now, let's get our election settled, pray for our troops' safety, save our quarters, and hope the Broncos' defense pulls itself together. And let's have a good week. Ready....BREAK!

Participation requested!

2008-05-17T16:07:00.004-07:00

Okay newsies. I'm looking for some feedback on this one. I found a website that can help you find funny/awesome words that make up the numbers in your phone number. Like mine is HI-HUG-IT, if you knew my area code.

Check out Phonespell and get back to us on here if you find something cool.

In other news, we held the Arizona Student Dental Association reach out program today. We saw over 500 people and provided screenings, sealants, fluoride treatments, and limited emergency procedures. Most of these people haven't been to the dentist in years, and might not for years again. There are truly so many opportunities to give back to help people who need it.

Mosiah 4:19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment...and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

Well, if it happened, it's news....

2008-05-16T23:02:00.004-07:00

Here's some happenings from around the world that you need to know about, you TMR frequenters.

Amputee sprinter can compete for the real live Olympics
This is controversial, because maybe his invented spring boards are giving him an advantage. But really, can you beat the good feelings about this story?

Cool Web contest: Young me/now me
This is what people should be using the internet for: paving the way for creativity. This has an artistic side to it, but mainly, it's cool that people are connected to their own little selves like this.

Lastly, it was The Office's season finale last night. You can watch it at HULU. But I must show you this thing that happened....This happened during season 3 of The Office.

Dwight: When my mother was pregnant with me they did an altrasound and found out she was having twins. When they did another ultrasound a few weeks later that they discovered that I had resorbed the other fetus. Do I regret this, no. I believe his tissues made me stronger. I now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby.

Then I read this story this week:

9 year-old girl's twin found inside her stomach

Weird. I guess maybe I should take that show a little more seriously.

Jim, on a sales call

2008-05-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

So, I've been debating about this post for a while. It's kinda been the one thing on my mind for the majority of the week, and as a result, whenever I start typing something, nothing comes out.

I've struggled the past few weeks with some health stuff. I don't need to get into too many details, but it got to the point where I needed to see a specialist. He ordered some tests that happened earlier this week. The news wasn't that good unfortunately. We'll say that I have a stomach issue that is genetic that is without cure. It can be treated with medications to make the symptoms dissapate, which has been fairly successful so far this week.

I decided to take a couple days to recenter my thoughts before keepin' on truckin.' It was weird though. I stopped doing my daily routine, like thinking about things to write, turning the daily pages on my quote-a-day calendar from The Office, etc.

I spoke with my dad yesterday. He told me about some of his thoughts. One really stood out to me. He reminded me of some of the major health struggles that the Apostle Paul had during his life. The Lord told Paul that these were 'thorns in his side,' but they didn't prevent him from serving many missions and accomplishing great things. Perhaps this is a thorn for me.

After all, most people have some sort of physical, emotional, or social health issue that is a struggle for them. I have chronically separating shoulders and this. But I have way more blessings that make my life full of joy and things to do. So, while all trials are unique and significant, we can all draw from our own personalized experiences to learn empathy and love for others around us. Plus, when one gets to any difficult situation in life, they can either have their heart turn softer or harder.

So, as I've worked on relocating my qi ('chee' - often found between the pages of Nephi and Moroni or in D&C 6), I've realized that which is important. I've mentioned to a couple people that the past couple months, I had really been uncomfortable and in pain - to which the response had been terrific. I truly have many concerned, caring people in my life, who were willing to offer help even without thought about what or how to do so. That's about all a man needs in his life. So thanks. My help is offered back to you wherever it can be provided, as I hope you know.

So, while I prepare for my future service of multiple missions, I turn my calendar:

Thursday 15 May > "I can't say whether Dunder-Mifflin paper is less flammable, sir, but I can assure you that it is certainly not more flammable." - Jim, on a sales call

That sums it up pretty well. I'm back up in the game.

Prices at the....ugh.

2008-05-10T23:41:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my bill at the pump today. You may think 57 bucks is pretty good for filling up a large truckhicular vehicle. Alas, this is not the case. I drive a four-banger Camry (letters switched around = my car) and have pretty much since 2001'ish.

I have held my tongue about the rising gas costs for quite some time. Today, I paid more money for gas than I ever have in my life. This includes the times when I was driving my parents Suburban in the mid 90's and had to fill up that 35 gallon beast. I do wish mass transit were more accessible to places in the West. Unfortunately, things are too spread out for that to be effective. In Europe, there is no more room for construction to build out, so people build up (taller buildings) and down (metros). Then mass transit makes sense and is well used. The west's idea for thinking ahead is making roads 6 lanes across so they won't get clogged when the city explodes with people.

The odd part about things here is that houses are closer together here than anywhere else I've ever seen. From our 'patio' door to our neighbors house is about my head-to-toe measurement (still about 6'1"). But we're just so accustomed to driving everywhere that it can't really be altered. Gas was indeed $3.51 at Chevron (makes my car run the best and the furthest per tank) in Mesa today (probably better than most of the country, so I'm not complaining too much), but there are things we should do. It's simple to get educated and get involved in these type of things with the help of Google (shameless).

When summer comes around, I use the A/C almost all the time in the car. I'm happier at 71 degrees all the time. And with the windows up and the sun beating down, my aunt's car gets hot enough for her to bake brownie mix on the dash while she's in an afternoon shift. This is not a lie. So my miles per gallon go down. 401 miles on my last tank and I filled up with 16.3 gallons which puts me a hair above 24 miles/gallon. I usually get 26 in the winter, so I should probably be biking a couple miles a day to make up for that somehow huh? All right, guess I'll go try to find a Huffy on Craigslist.

---------------- Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Going To California via FoxyTunes

Messin' with Sasquatch

2008-05-09T16:32:00.004-07:00

Do you ever feel like there's so much going on in your mind, that you just don't even bother trying to express it all? Well, I do/am.

Then, something good happens, if you just let it.

Today at lunch, I said to my roommate, "You know what I miss? Those Messin' with Sasquatch commercials." They all agreed that no one has seen a new one in a while. Well, as soon as I got home from school, I started working on my homework and some orthodontic research, and I turned on the tv for some background noise (I know, counterproductive right?). Well, not more than 10 minutes went by before a new one of these very commercials came on. And then I laughed loudly with no one else around. It's my responsibility to share these things with you.

Let me give you the premise. A few dudes are out doing 'guy things' and they see Bigfoot in nature. They eat some of their Jack Link's Beef Jerky. Then, rather than take pictures of Sasquatch, or try to catch him, or run and hide from the beast, their first idea is always to prank him. I know, what else would sell beef jerky? Then Bigfoot falls for it, the dudes laugh and try to get away, and Bigfoot chases them and exerts massive force and attempts to remove their extremities. It's ridiculous and undoubtedly terrific.

Here's the new one:

And the link if you need it.

I think humor is a pretty good treatment for a full mind. Not to mention, if I ever buy beef jerky, I'll probably choose these guys. I guess advertising can work. Maybe I can get a funny commercial to get people into my office someday. If you've got something funny, do share. Happy weekend everyone.

Trip to the doctor's office....

2008-05-06T23:40:00.002-07:00

I went to the doctor today. This has become a new sort of experience for me the past several years, as I took a lot of the same classes doctors took in med school. So, I, forcibly, know more than lots of patients that go in there. I was prepared to present my symptoms, previous diagnoses, possible complications, etc. I knew which drugs were likely to be discussed, and I knew their function and possible side effects. Suffice it to say, I was prepared to converse with my physician today.

After the nurse took my vitals, she told me that the doctor had a student tagging along with him today, and he'd likely come in to help. This is no big deal, as I have done this in many a dental setting. Well, after waiting my obligatory 35 minutes in a remarkably small exam room, the student came in. He was an older guy, looking into this specialty. He glanced over my paper file and then stuck out his hand as I stood up.

"Mr. more-TEN-zen, is it?" asked he. I mean, come on! more-TEN-zen? You're through your medical training and preparing for residency doc! Let's pull it together okay?

Do I have that uncommon of a last name that it's not recognizable? And further, if I do, what kind of word accents the middle syllable besides the Italians anyway?

And the link.

He writes down the stuff I tell him, and then the big doctor comes in (actually a much smaller man) and proceeds to just read everything I described to the guy that doesn't read well. This is what doctors say when they are reading something for the first time:

"So, I understand you're suffering from.....*look down at list of stuff written by nurse/pretend doctor/student/patient on the form.* Is that correct?"

Now you know. Well, it turns out, the things that have been bothering me for the past several weeks are going to require some extensive tests. I can't say I'm too worried about them, but they don't really sound fun either. Thanks for being supportive. We gotta get this temple back in service, so to speak.

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Now playing: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
via FoxyTunes

It's Monday, and Monday's don't have titles.

2008-05-05T10:08:00.004-07:00

I was talking to my roommates over the weekend about applying for graduate residencies. One of them told me that his wife-to-be has to delete her Facebook account before she starts work as a teacher in a Washington state school district next fall. This is due to the recent problems with students adding teachers as friends and teachers making bad choices about what they were doing with those things (no details needed, you all get the news).

Then we talked about the fact that employers commonly look at those things before hiring, or to check up on people to make sure they're behaving. My roommate said that he'd surely delete all his accounts before applying to a residency program in medicine. I suppose I understand that, but to what end? Most people are worried about employers seeing who they are, what they do in their free time, with whom they spend time.......etc.

I guess this is a normal part of life. Kids don't always tell their parents everything they do (it wasn't until recently that I told my mom about the fireworks incident). Still, I feel like I've come to a place in my life where I don't have things to hide from future employers. I am by no means perfect, but I am generally not ashamed of the things I do when I'm with friends. I feel like I'm creating real relationships with people, and that if my future residency director were to check out my Facebook account, he wouldn't be deterred by my comments from friends, music tastes, photos, or the things I write on here, for that matter.

So, while online social networks come and go with fashion, and the ability to stay private will likely cause many people to stay away from such things in the future, here's what I think about the present: I'm pretty confident that those things will help me draw interest from those looking in to my services and abilities.

Otherwise, let me apologize for moments lacking thoughtfulness or discretion if I have offended. My intentions are not those.

Okay, let's talk about something else for a while....

Good point. Do you think she capitalized everything to make MEAL the acronym?

What?!? I wrote exactly what you told me to write!

I'm pretty sure Jackhammers are a cigarette brand. Right? Oh, they're not? Then I don't get it.

Lloyd: We don't usually pick up hitchhikers... but I'm-a gonna go with my instincts on this one. Saddle up partner!

Special Olympics Arizona ***UPDATED

2008-05-02T17:09:00.008-07:00

Today was one of my favorite events. I love volunteering at Special Olympics. There is a tremendous feeling at happenings such as this. Everyone present is involved because they care (including the companies and organizations who donate supplies to make everything work more fluidly).

When in Utah, I was the softball tournament PA announcer for S.O. Utah. It was more fun than I can describe. I enjoyed announcing the batters from the press box and encouraging the fans to cheer on the athletes.

Today, we went to try to help with dental screenings and oral health instruction. We didn't get a ton of traffic because we were on another side of ASU's campus away from most of the events. However, the athletes that came to see us were very observant and we got lots of one on one time with all of them. I also got to meet a few of the dentists who were there to give back to the community. It was a pretty great thing.

I met one athlete named Michael who didn't know what events in which he would compete, but really enjoyed making new friends. And my new friend Charles got the bronze medal in the shot put while wearing his lucky suspenders. There really is a good feeling at this competition, and you get the sensation that these are truly important individuals in the eyes of divinity. I appreciate their attitudes very much.

***So, I was thinking about this last night, and I guess I have more to say. There were tons of people there yesterday: athletes, family members, coaches, spotters, health professionals, and some people who just came to encourage and cheer (this is one of the most important jobs at S.O.) There really isn't a feeling of winning or not winning there. Every effort is appreciated. It made me think of life a little I suppose. Sometimes we're like the athletes, and sometimes we're like the other people at the events. Sometimes we have to get from one place to another, and sometimes we're encouraging others to make it. Sometimes we're trying to jump over a bar and sometimes we're coaching someone else do it. Sometimes we're trying to lift a significant weight, and sometimes we spot someone else lift. And sometimes we're patients and sometimes we're dentists.

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Now playing: Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong
via FoxyTunes

Bowling

2008-05-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

Bowling. Yes, we sure did tonight, and no I'm not a baby, and yes I think my fingertips have blisters. We went to this new alley where you sit on couches between turns, and a server brings your shoes to the table.

This was pretty odd. Normally, one associates bowling with getting in, being careful of what is touched, some discreet people-watching, and then a quick escape. This place is trying to change the mentality by turning it high class-ish. It might have just worked, except that we bowled after we were served.

Well, it was drrrtay south hip-hop night or something there with the music channel, and after 9pm, two hours of bowling is reasonably priced - and it called 'Bowl-a-poluza.' So extreme! It was unlimited bowling, so we went at it.

Inevitably, this happens to me when I bowl: I start out pretty strong for a game and a half, and then I give in and just try to entertain people and make a fool out of myself. That's about exactly what happened tonight. We got in 4 games, and I started out well. Then I started dumb shots and left-handedness and stuff. So, it was fun, and I didn't win.

Here's something about bowling allies. You realize that at one time, each lane had someone stacking up the pins individually so that they could be knocked down again. That had to have been one of the most humiliating jobs in the 20th Century. We heart technology. Oh that, and the fact that those shoes may be some of the dirtiest things we ever willingly wear.

Retirement homes have been buying Wii's so they can hold bowling tournaments with residents that cannot leave the facility. This is a pretty great thing and people have been way entertained based on the results. So, buy that Wii for G'pa this year. My, how the tables have turned.

> In other news, American Idol is scripted. Nice work Paula. You seriously only had one job not to mess up...

> Hope for sufferers of Alzheimer's Disease? This is pretty rad news.

> Busta Rhymes with Linkin Park? Whoa! On second thought, meh.

Something new to cheer about

2008-04-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sigh. It's a rough time for sports for everyone. The Nuggets got swept by the Lakers (and played without much emotion), the Avalanche are down 3-0 to the Red Wings (our strong guys are injured & Detroit are still jerkfaces), and the Rockies don't have it together. Even the AZ crowd is in the dumps after losing to the Spurs in round 1 with their boys looking old and a bit washed up. So, it's time to adopt a new sport to cheer for. It is now my intention to discover something on the internet.

Dice stacking video

I saw this stuff a little while ago. Dice stacking is kinda mesmerizing. I think I'd be good at this, but I'd definitely need shaggy hair to make any sort of all-star team. Style points, you know.

Parkour Video

This sport is pretty much amazing. A bunch of kids in France with nothing better to do start running and jumping off stuff because they don't have basketball hoops there in poor neighborhoods. So they practice moves and come up with this crazy stuff and film it and put it on youtube. We must be in 2008. Now it's big in Germany and the Russian block too. I would trade for those vertical jump inches, but not his future knee arthritis.

Slamball

I can't tell you how rad this idea is. Body checks, slam dunks and trampolines. It's a few minutes long, but come on, you've got time.

We made it folks. 900 visitors and 1450 page views in April. Lots of progress made here at TMR since we kicked this party off the day after Christmas, and things have improved every month. Thanks for checking out things around here and for all your comments. I hope we've shared some laughs or moments of connected connections over the virtual super highway (course, I'll probably get pulled over on that too). Please let me know what you think about things and where your blogs are too.

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Now playing: Jimmy Eat World - Over
via FoxyTunes

It's so hot! Milk was a bad choice!

2008-04-29T08:37:00.004-07:00

It's starting to get hot in Arizona, well hot for me. Now, it's no secret that we're in the middle of the desert and that old people do love AZ in the winter for a second home, but I've struggled to adapt to hot summers. Arizona is full of great people and great things to do, but July is not full of great weather.

When you wake up at 7:15am and it's 101 degrees, Coloradoans inherently go a little nuts. But most people here aren't bothered by that. I suppose I go through some sort of mental battle with the outdoors. I'm not sure mother nature actually intended for people to actually live here. There's not a good source of water, not too much grows outside of cactus (you can plant citrus, but you better not have a water shortage), and everyone is fully reliant on the air conditioner (my buddy repairs A/C units and he's busy from March until November, every day). If it breaks, old people might die.

True story: At a retirement village last year, in the heat of the summer, a gun shot was heard. Neighbors called the paramedics/police and they found an elderly citizen who committed suicide with a note saying it was just too hot to go on.

Now, don't get me wrong. There are 8 million people in the valley (or something), and there's a reason why. People do love it here, and the 'winter' seasons are pretty hard to beat. Seventy degree days in February are pretty nice to think about if you're in Kansas, Montana, or anything that has 'Dakota' in it.

The interesting thing about the valley here is that everything is growing. There is more construction in every direction. So the hot sun is beating down on the concrete and pavement. Then they absorb the heat (try walking on the sidewalk shoeless) and reemit it after the sun goes down. It doesn't cool off at the end of the day, so the sun has an easier time getting everything to 115 the next day. The cool evenings end in April and come back after my birthday (October 30th).

2007 had a record number of days above 110 degrees here in Pheonix/Mesa. This is another way of saying that oncologists who take skin cancer lesions off peoples' faces are not hurting for work. And neither are sunglasses companies.

Am I bitter? No, not really, just observant about my past three summers here in AZ. I am doing this for the benefit of those who haven't ever lived here. My first day in the valley was July 15, 2005. It was 117 that day, and I rolled in with everything I owned in my little Toyota Camry, Sheila (that story is for another day). You can take that for a day, but it's tough to take it for a month (or three).

Now, the good things about the sun being out all the time are as follows: people don't get depressed like it's Seattle. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has to do with cloudy days preventing people from getting adequate serotonin, etc. That city actually has work places buying sunlamps so employees aren't dragging at work. But, it does come at a cost. Arizona is pretty great, and this is the difficult part for me. So please come take me out for Popsicles and ice cream.

Stay classy San Diego.

Boyz II Men

2008-04-28T23:59:00.001-07:00

All right. I'll submit myself to the humiliation. I swear, there were more people cheering than it sounds. I decided to to four-part lip sync for Boyz II Men - Motown Philly for the ward talent show. So, I meant to try to be the heads of Nathan, Mike, Shawn and Wanya and do all their singing with dance breaks. And my microphone was a Sonicare toothbrush. That's just how it goes.

If you can't see the embedded video, check this link:

Youtube times

Discrimination in Arizona

2008-04-27T23:43:00.001-07:00

My buddy's car breaks down a lot. He can't help it. It's a Miata. He called me to go pick him up, and off I went with Diana shotgun. It was around 11pm near a park in Gilbert. I got there and started looking for him around the park. There was a police officer with his lights off just chillin.

I couldn't find my friend even though I was on the phone with him. Then Mr. Officer crept up behind me with his headlights off (oooh sneaky) and then got up on my bumper and pulled me over. Again?!? I explained to him I was looking for a friend in a red Miata. He got on his radio and relayed that to someone that apparently wanted to hear from him. I gave him my info that he ran. Then he comes back and asks:

"Anything I should be worried about in your car?"

Before I could say no, he decided to give me a list of things he'd be worried about....

"Guns, drugs, kiddie porn?"

What?!? I almost hesitated to the point of possibly acting suspicious. I couldn't believe I was asked that. What a joke. I actually think Diana's mouth is still hanging open over that one.

He gave me my stuff back, and I asked if I could go back and look for my friend. He said no and that I should stay away from the park. Hmmm. So, count this guy as someone else accusing me of lying to the 5 or 6 other people that have done so in the past two weeks. What is going on with people?

I called my friend back, and he had to walk away from his car to get to the main road so I could pick him up. There you go city of Gilbert. Another crisis averted. Sheesh. I hope that was worth letting another DUI pass by on Guadalupe. I know, I know. I asked for this mess when I kept my Colorado plates, but give me a break. I've been pulled over 6 times in 3 years here, and only once for anything remotely reasonable. I'm being discriminated against illegally with no way to fight it. I guess I'll see if the democrats can win me some respect.....

Ken Lee - Sounds like an imaginary Korean friend...

2008-04-25T23:22:00.006-07:00

Pattern for international business:

1 - Find out what is successful in the United States.

2 - Come up with the same thing and do it in your country.

3 - Reap the benefits of fans and attention.

4 - Complain about American politics, lifestyle, and mindset, but worship Nikes, Levi's, Baywatch, McDonald's, and our sporting events.

5 - Change international shipping rates to the Euro and increase US prices/tariffs for produce, oil, baseball cleats, mail-order brides, use of the letter 'm,' apple pie crusts, Hyundais, etc. by 20%.

Yes, indeed, I have just shown you Bulgarian Idol.

Now playing: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - 1st of tha Month
via FoxyTunes

Dumpster Dive

2008-04-24T23:43:00.002-07:00

Our school year is coming to a close. The seniors are nearing graduation and second year students are milling around the clinic anxious for their first day of seeing patients. This all means that I've been performing acts of actual dentistry for a year now. It's pretty difficult to even wrap my brain around that statement.

I am to the point now, where I'd feel all right about going to most dental procedures. I am nearing competency proficiency on simple root canals, I have done boat loads of fillings, and many of the struggles with crowns are in my rear view. I've seen my share of kids, taken out a few dozen teeth, and done more cleanings than I'd like to count. And now, my denture cases are coming to fruition as well.

The past twelve months have been an immense learning curve. Dental school is like being thrown in the deep end of the swimming pool. One day you're not allowed to work on patients, and the next day you are. "Go ahead. Swim. Oh, and no floaties!" There's no way to predict what you're going to get in your patient family, you just do what they need. So everyone learns differently.

I've reflected on this recently, and I think I can say with confidence, that the past year has provided me with more vast learning than any other time since I was, like, 7 years old, in terms of knowledge, wisdom, physical skills, people skills, and lessons learned. Dentistry teaches you a little when you do something right, and it teaches you buckets-full when you do something wrong. It's time to tell this story....

During my first week of clinic, I was being all neurotic and trying to do everything perfectly - even when I didn't know anything. This is a discrepancy. I was seeing a new patient and had just finished a filling. He checked out and went home. I cleaned up and ate a quick lunch. My afternoon was to assist a periodontist with a surgical procedure. I was kind of relieved because I wouldn't be in charge of knowing everything for that; it was just gonna be cool to see it, and I would only have to follow directions.

Then, I got a dreaded pink slip. The front desk gives you one when a patient calls with an immediate problem or the lab sends you one when they're having trouble with crown lab work. The slip said I needed to call back my morning patient. So, I did with a nervous disposition, as this was the first time I'd spoken to a patient on the phone. He said, "Aaron, I forgot my plate there this morning, and I need it." The 'plate' was his removal partial denture, which gave him chewing teeth across a metal framework to fill some empty spots in his lower teeth. He'd taken it out for the appointment and when I thought he'd put it back in, he really hadn't. It had stayed wrapped in a paper towel and looked just like some extra garbage. My stomach dropped. If he'd left it, it was certainly in the trash - where everything goes once you're done with it at a dental clinic. I fumbled through some sort of lame comment, that essentially was that I would simply go grab it and set it aside for him to pick up later. This was a nice elderly man, who came to the school because his mouth needed help and he had little financial means.

I ran to the trash can. It had been emptied already. I searched it anyway. These partial dentures cost $600 and take weeks to make, so it was not something I could lose at the beginning of my dental 'career.' So, here I was, trying not to be an idiot, and I was/am an idiot. I needed to find it immediately before it got further lost (you know what I mean), and I needed to help out a surgery at 1pm. I got waaaaay frantic.

I looked all over for the lady who emptied the trash, and she was no where to be found. I ran to the other building to try to get a hold of the janitorial head, and couldn't find him either. I was looking in random trash cans that were bigger than the one I'd used to clean up, and didn't know what to do. I told one or two people about what had happened, and they indicated that a 'dumpster dive' might be in order. After running around for 45 minutes, I decided that was what needed to be done.

I found someone who said he'd cover my surgery, so I sat my surgical patient with the periodontist, and told him I'd be right back. Picture me in slacks and a tie (like I try to wear every day) and heavy duty gloves running out to a dumpster and opening the door to the dumpster only to see about 35 trash bags all filled with the same stuff - blue gowns, tons of gloves, gauze pads, and blood. I don't think my 6 foot frame has ever felt smaller.

I opened the first bag and trash went everywhere. I picked through stuff looking for something the size of a silver dollar that weighed about as much as a Chapstick. Here I was realizing that my surgery was going on and I should be there, and I was hoping that my friend showed up and was up there, and I was surrounded only by trash and the cars in the corner of the parking lot. I tried to get everything back in the sack and then put that one to the side. This is what I thought I'd do until nightfall because I didn't know when the collectors came to get it. It may have been that afternoon for all I knew.

I stopped there and prayed. I really needed help on this one. How could I locate this haystack's needle? I opened my eyes and saw a bag near the top at the back of the dumpster. "If I took out the trash, I'd throw sacks to the back, because throwing stuff is fun," said I to myself as I was slightly going crazy. I opened up that sack and perused it in a similar manner to the first. As I was about to close up shop there and go to sack #3, I saw a piece of cardboard with some liner material on it. That was something only I used to mix on. I was flabbergasted. I went through that trash's neighbors and couldn't believe my luck when I found the denture. It was seriously a miracle. I had been blessed to find this thing against the odds in less than 10 dumpster minutes.

I threw everything back in it's dumpster home (where it belonged) and proudly ran back inside. I called the patient triumphantly, and told him I found it (not where though), and cleaned the perpetrator with vigor. The denture got a box and went to the front where it would be retrieved. I told a person or two about my fortune and then went upstairs. The surgeon was sitting there waiting for me to get going on the procedure. My buddy had bailed and didn't tell me. Ouch. I didn't explain myself well to the doc that time, and he gave me quite a lecture.

So, the point of my story is that whether or not I did a good filling that day, I'll never know. But I do know that a patient of mine will NEVER lose a denture around me EVER again. And, I'll never mess with the schedule of a periodontist. Yikes. Thank goodness the people around me know I'm no where near perfect/adequate.

The best teacher = The Savior. One of the top 10 teachers = messing something up.

Bulk Mailer Backlash - This is the best thing I've seen in months!

Am I a vegetarian?

2008-04-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I only had a few minutes for lunch. And since my stomach has been acting weird, I just wanted something light. I went across the street from the dental clinic and got in line at the coffee shop inside the school building. Noticing the fruit bowl was empty, I asked if there was any more (I try to eat a banana every day). The lady said there were some apples and I grabbed one. Then I looked at the nutrition facts (why are they called that?) on the back of a couple of the protein bars.

It was then that the dude in front of me sparked up a conversation, albeit an odd one. He goes, "Are you a vegetarian?"

No one has ever suggested this to me before (see Ruth's Chris entry for proof). I told him that no, indeed I was not a vegetarian, just sorta picky. It was a weird question, like he was asking me if I were part of some faith or, uh, preference. Weird. I didn't realize that vegetarianism was had the cult club following factor. I was then counseled to pound an egg and some probiotics (like active bacteria cultures in your intestines - unlike dead yogurt bacterias) by this long-haired man I've never met.

Now, let it be known, I have nothing against this practice of avoiding animal meat in one's diet. I believe it to be an healthful one (ooh, grammar), and if you are one, rock it like one. I do not, on the other hand, understand why something vegetarian always needs replace stuff that meat was meant to be in. Vegetarian burritos, sandwiches, tofu-ish, veggie burgers (especially), etc. These things are like Lactaid for those intolerant to milk products (shouldn't we all really be more tolerant and just get along?). It's like a replacement because you can't eat the real thing. I say, DON'T call it the veggie pizza or veggie burger. Just come up with new foods that aren't a replacement of meat. It's like your heart isn't really in it because you're almost pretending to be enjoying your artichoke heart as much as I am my pulled pork meal. And I know they haven't run out of foods to invent, because I've watched Iron Chef before. There's a billion recipes to be tried out there - just like there are a billion songs to be written. I think I can summarize this ridiculous paragraph by demanding one thing: CREATIVITY!

Then I started thinking....some people call Mesa the land of milk and honey for reasons I should probably avoid discussing. If that's the case, then where is the land of meat and potatoes, and further, where did the land of Krispy Kreme disappear to?

While the dude was talking about the walls of somebody's intestines, I was thinking to myself: Bro, you should have seen me last week when I got a BLT and then wrote a blog on the joys of bacon. But that's where the conversation trailed off and I proceeded to munch on an apple and a protein bar, like any good vegetarian might before making someone a removal partial denture in the afternoon.