A Darth Vadar Xmas

Geeks and Nerds! Unite this Xmas night.....aaaahhhhh!!!!

Here's an idea....get over it....

Merry Christmas...Happy Hannakah...Happy Festivus...Happy Quanza...blessed Ramadan....Peace.

What if?

Beer - What can't it do?

Not too far from Denver, Colorado comes an alliance between two businesses nobody would have ever thought could work so wonderfully together. We are talking about a beer brewery and a fishery.



Currently around the world, fisheries have hit a brick wall when it comes to commercial aquaculture. These commercial industries often rely on other fish to feed their current stock. So what's a fishery to do when there are not enough low quality fish in the ocean to go around?


They crack open a “cold one” and then offer one to the fish!

Fish Like Beer Too


Well, they don't exactly offer the finished beer product to the fish, but rather the waste product. A company by the name of Oberon FMR (Fish Meal replacement), started by two Colorado School of Mines students, just may one day become the saving grace of fisheries all over the world.

“It was just back-of-an-envelope brainstorming,” said Andy Logan, one of the co-founders of Oberon. “What we've done is come up with a way to make a high protein fish meal using sludge that comes from breweries.”

One Colorado Brewery Puts the Idea to the Test


Breweries have waste just like any other industry. It basically looks like a brown sludge, which is a biproduct that comes from the hops and barley. Such facilities can see a much as 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of this stuff every day.

One way to treat this goop is to use large settling ponds in order to help process and dispose of it. But what if it could be used for a greater cause? Such as say, I don't know... food for fish. What Logan and fellow co-founder, Seth Terry, plan to do along with some help from the popular Fort Collins Brewery, New Belgium, is convert this sludge to bacteria protein (a.k.a fish food).

“We can convert 30,000 to 35,000 pounds of bacterial protein everyday," says Logan. "Regular fish meal has 40 percent protein—ours has 65 percent protein.” Best of all, the entire set-up to accomplish this task is incredibly low cost and low maintenance for the brewery.

Oberon Will Be Entering its Testing Phase this Next Year
While plans are already in the works to build a much larger facility out east to offer the idea on a much larger scale, the cold hard fact is that this is a relatively new approach that will need testing.


“We can have a large scale operation up and running in six months,” says Logan. “We are in the testing phase in Hawaii and Peru right now, and the University of Idaho is going to be testing our fish food next year.”
Leave it to a bunch of brainy graduate students to find a new use for beer. All those nights drinking beer when I told my parents I was studying, well, they weren't all that far from the truth. Only difference is... I made a beer tower; Logan and Terry may have just “greened” an entire global network of fisheries... Sorry Mom!
I don't know about those fish... but I could sure use a cold one about now.

Why I do this

Why do people blog? Some, no doubt, do it as a way to stay connected with family and friends. Those people usually make their web posts private, and I am referring to those of us that hang our proverbial online hearts and thoughts on all the interwebs.

A percentage of us are out there doing it to try and make some extra money, a very small percentage do it as a living, but I think the vast majority blog as a way to express occurences, thoughts, and feelings, some hoping that others will connect with them and share a point of view, a comment, a sympathetic ear.....

I do it as a journal of my life for all to see. You never know when this existence will end, and I want there to be some record that I was here.

With that being said, last November my health took a turn for the worse ( read all about it HERE) and was a wake up call on many levels. It's not going to do me any good to save for retirement if I never make it there, or am in such dire straits I won't be able to do what I want.

Mom gave me some free passes to Bountiful's new recreation center. Today I used my last free pass, and bought a year membership, which was a perfect snowy, wintry day to go to the gym.

I could enjoy Mother Nature ......

From inside this beautiful facility
And going to the gym has helped my body recover immensely. Enough so that I can get excited for my next life adventure....

my sentiments exactly.

I found this on my friends 7lightningbolt facebook page and was inspired by it enough to share with ya'll....

Xmas Polka, courtesy of Mr Dylan

Rats! my zipper is down!

Conrad "Merz" lambert - Beautiful music and video is so simple yet creative

Orla Wren - The fish and the Doll

Orla Wren - The Fish And The Doll from Tui on Vimeo.

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody

Only one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands

When what you watch becomes what you are, what happens when the image disappears?

Kermit is the new David Bryne

I am a HUGE Talking Heads fan, and have always loved Sesame Street, so this video rules!

Whale Wars - South park style

You'll might remember me talking about the discovery channel show "Whale Wars" from last year. This clip summarizes, in hiliarious form, my sentiments of this show now from it's original broadcast back in Dec 2008. Awesome.

Flying Squirrels, watch out Bullwinkle!

Rough Week

I've had a rough week filled with death. My friend Mark and his wife Jaymie lost their baby boy, James McLeod Maines. Jaymie was 8 months pregnant and this was to be their first child. They were so excited and they have been waiting a long time for this. It brought back those days after Truddles and all I wanted to do was to comfort them. I hope they know how much I love them. I also read in the paper that Rick Bastian died while mountaing biking with his son. He had a heart attack. I will always remember Rick as he and his wife were the first one's to come to my parents house that night after Truddles passed. They had just lost two of their children, Travis and Desiree, in a terrible car accident only 6 months prior. His words to me and Mom were so comforting. He was an amazing man and no family should have to suffer the losses that they have.

Peace to all with heavy hearts.

Badass Imperial Stormtroopers

So the eternal Star Wars geek in me loves this take on intergalactic police action. I knew it!

You are still my hero, Mr. Letterman

vegan Vertical Diner in SLC

serves this?

isn't that still considered NOT vegan?

introducing....7lightningbolt

To learn more about this fashion company that you here me mention from time to time, watch this :

One tough cookie

So Uncle Aaron watched the kids while we all went to the utah home opener. No one quite knows how it happened, but Sydney biffed it good on her scooter.

But with lots of love, rest, and a miracle medicine....

We are happy to report the scar has healed, and Syd's face is back to it's cute self

Rubber Ducky Race

So listening to x96 yesterday while driving to Ogden, and was lucky enough to capture a segment from the Make-A-Wish foundation of Utah. This Saturday, August 29th, at Seven Peaks water resort in Provo they are having their 21st annual Rubber Ducky Race! The minimum cost is $5.00 for one ducky (prices go up based on numbers of duckies purchased)

They then have heats, sending these yellow plastic floating duckies of hope down the various waterslides. Each duckie has your own name on it, and, if you end up being the BIG WINNER of the entire race, you get a 2008 Chevy Aveo from Jerry Seiner!

I bought 6 duckies for $25.00. For more information, and to enter, please go to :

Make a Wish Rubber Ducky Race

Kinsey

So i stumbled across a little gem of a movie last night, Kinsey. Based upon Indiana University zoology professor in the 20th century ( i believe around 1920-1950 but the movie doesn't clearly specify the time period) who took it upon himself to try and study sex from a purely scientific perspective. What a fascinating idea. Think about it. No one talks about what goes on in the bedroom, and most people gets their ideas of permissible or acceptable behavior from Religion, society, government, etc..

Kinsey takes the approach of conducting studies of men, women, boys, and girls from all different parts of the country. He then consolidates this data and publishes his findings. This causes mass hysteria in our country, with surprising consequences.

For anyone looking for a unique insight into Human sexual behavior, and for those wondering why we people choose to listen to what others think instead of thinking for ourselves, i highly recommend this movie.

Craig has figured it out

3 cups of tea @ Red Butte

So I went up to red butte today to finally finish my book, three cups of tea, by Greg Mortenson. Red butte is the perfect place for solitude, and not only did i finish, but this book has inspired me to follow in Greg's footsteps to raise awareness for Peter's Project . I think i will start by e-mailing Greg himself. Yes sir!

Found a nice quiet spot by a waterfall to enjoy my book...

Beautiful little pond behind me...
with carp, ducks, and lillies to enjoy

Must bring Syd and Cedar here to enjoy the feeding frenzy like this little
one....

After I finished my book, I took a little stroll around and found this...

and this ....

The Pear tree's Trudi's friends all pitched together in on for all to enjoy. Very peaceful today.

Even found this little guy enjoying a snack in the shade...

But as it is during the summer, afternoon showers appeared to cool down the hot summer day.

But that is fine by me, as I find the rain not only refreshes the earth, but also the soul.

Millsap offered contract by Blazers

ksl.com - Millsap offered contract by Blazers


I guess i'll wait before i get my Millsap jazz jersey for the upcoming season....(sad)

It's a sad State of affairs

Here are today's headlines in the Salt Lake Tribune online newspaper. No wonder I have to fight off feelings of hatred towards society....

• Man accused of groping girl committed to state hospital
• Two arrested in Salem beatingGrandsons charged with hitting, urinating on their grandmother
• Man charged with masturbating while watching kids playing in a park
• WVC man charged with attempted rape
• Man charged in beating pregnant girl waives hearing
• Man charged with kidnapping kids who he thought vandalized his car
• Caretaker charged with abandoning elderly woman

New Music- The Weakerthans

• This band is one i would recommend checking out. I find them to be a slight mix of the Decemberists (vocally), Wilco (instrumentally), and Bright Eyes (lyrically), which, if you like the styling's of any of the band's mentioned, you should love these guys.

• Start by checking out the album, Reunion Tour (picture above) and see how you feel about the easy listening vibe of this band.

*Don't forget that i recommended Kings of Leon back in 2005, and look at them now.....

Can you relate to this?

Business as usual in America

Chelsea's awesome video of her Kenya experience

Chelsea Goodsell made this awesome video of her experience in Kenya. Great video's of the children that truly capture the experience. Thanks Chelsea! (Double click on it and you will be directed to YouTube where you can see it without part of it being cut off)

Nebbia

Better late than never....Last Saturday i went to go see the last production of Cirque De Soliel up at Kingsbury Hall at the U of U. The show was called Nebbia, and it was part three of a three part production. I haven't seen the first two so i was a little lost, but if anyone has ever seen a Cirque show before, you don't go for the storyline....

The artistic expression was really cool, and the gymnastic feats were amazing (as always)

The show was short (not even an hour) so i can't say it was worth the price of admission, but cool nonetheless.

2 and a 1/2 out of 4 stars

What is Sacred?

i invite you to gain another perspective on the Big Love HBO controversy from KUED commentary UTAH NOW.


"What is Sacred?"

Who loves Fat Boys?

Remember the days of shovelng down a Fat Boy ice cream sandwich just as fast as your little mouth could eat it?
These little fingers sure do, as does this boy's mouth (brain freeze anyone?)

A "Better Place" big idea you must see!

In watching SUNDAY MORNING, i heard about this new company in California with a brilliant, novel idea to revolutionize the world. 25 countries have already bought into the idea, including Denmark, Israel, Australia, Germany, and Canada.

learn more yourself at BETTER PLACE , then let me know what you think.

Meltdown!

So while living in hotel rooms this past week, I stumbled upon a PBS documentary timelining the events that led to our current US economic down turn. Fascinating, and for me, also infuriating. If you want to be more informed, please watch the PBS special - Meltdown!