Monday, November 16, 2009

It has arrived


Imagine the word processing power...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

35 questions answered honestly

Name three types of people who should qualify for forced labor camps:
-People that are incredibly pushy in their efforts to get people to sign up for summer sales.
-Rude customer service people (especially over the phone).
-The folks that run Best Buy.

2. What was the last thing you ate?
-A bowl of Grape Nuts with 2% milk.

3. What’s a goal you have?
-I'd like to run a full marathon within 1 year from now.

4. What do you think of entertainment awards shows?
-Nothing is a bigger, more annoying waste of time.

5. How do you want to die?
-In my sleep.

6. What is your favorite vacation/get-away spot? Where will you be traveling next?
-I really love going to San Diego. Las Vegas is my next traveling destination.

7. How do you pronounce “gyro?”
-I fully support any way people want to say this word. I don't care at all.

8. What have you found entertaining lately?
-Freaks and Geeks. I've only seen one episode, but the whole series is on its way to me from Amazon and I can't wait to watch it.

9. Do you follow any blogs of nondescript people who you don't know? Why do you follow those blogs?
-Yes I do. I follow it because all of my co-workers do too.

10. What would you use a time machine for?
-I'd really like to see what the 50s were all about.

11. What is your favorite restaurant?
-I love eating at the India Palace in Provo and also Sam Hawk in Provo. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a taco at Chunga's or a cheeseburger from McDonald's. One of the best things I've ever tasted was some kind of cheese ball at a restaurant called Calle Ocho in New York City. Cuban cuisine has recently become my favorite cuisine.

12. What actors should be barred from acting?
-Michael Cera.

13. What’s the last book you read?
-It's honestly been forever since I've finished a book. How embarrassing. The book I've been trying to read is called The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

14. What’s the last movie you enjoyed?
-I liked watching Taken a lot. It was the last film I watched that I did not fall asleep in.

15. Reveal something that really bothers you.
-The fact that I have become hypercritical of certain styles of photography.

16. What will it say on your gravestone?
-Tyler Jordan Smith, January 31, 1983 - (year of my death), etc.

17. Put your iPod on shuffle and list the first three songs that come up, then explain yourself:
-The Beatles "Glass Onion" from The White Album
Melissa gifted this album to me in 2008.
-The Rentals "Friends of P" from The Return of the Rentals
Bridger gifted this album to me in 2001.
-Morrissey's "Suedehead" from the Love To See Him! bootleg
My brother gifted this album to me in 2005.

18. What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?
-Living at King Henry in Provo.

19. What kind of toppings do you generally request for your pizza?
-Cheese is my favorite, but I also love veggie pizzas and BBQ chicken pizzas.

20. Who/what would you love to have complete control over?
-My health.

21. What does your ideal Saturday consist of?
-Waking up super early to run in the morning, watching Giada at Home and taking a nap in the afternoon, then going out to dinner/having something fun to do in the evening.

22. What is one skill you lack completely but wish you could master with the snap of your fingers?
-I would love to be able to play anything I wanted on the organ.

23. What's something you live in constant fear of?
-The thought of someone hearing the song "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White Ts and sincerely thinking, "Oh I bet Jordan loves this song."

24. What was the first album you listened to non-stop, over and over again?
-10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged.

25. Have you ever seen a live, wild rat? How about a dead one?
-Yes and (just recently) yes.

26. What thing have you most aggressively promoted?
-The Blue Note Café when it still cared about running its business.

27. Is there a band or musical trend you would love to see erased completely?
-I feel like there is no place for a punk cover of any song, but especially not for old classics like "Somewhere over the Rainbow" or "My Favorite Things".

28. If you had to describe yourself using 3 words, what would they be?
-

29. Where is the last place that you'd see yourself living?
-Miami, FL

30. What was the last video you enjoyed on the internet?
-Not the last, but the one I enjoyed the most: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR_LHlFwlhk

31. What is your favorite smoothie combination?
-My sister makes an awesome smoothie with pineapple, peaches, oranges, lemon, Swiss chard, celery and spinach

32. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to your car?
-My first car was totaled in my neighborhood. Spencer Sandstrom was my passenger and saw it coming, but took the split second beforehand to brace himself rather than warn me. I have never ever been remotely upset about his decision.

33. What album have you been listening to most?
- Ron Sexsmith Time Being.

34. What clues you into a person's idiocy?
-The instant they start bragging about how much money they make using actual dollar amounts.

35. What is your favorite store to wander through?
-Harmons or Costco.

Friday, July 10, 2009

An interesting class of words

I was thinking the other day about a class of words that seem to be coupled with only one specific other word. Two examples are to come, but before I give them, I'd like for you to let me know the first word that comes to your mind after you read these words. Ready?


  1. hyperbaric




  2. hermetically



Was there a word that you immediately associated or coupled with the above words? Can you think of any other words that might be in a class similar to the two words above -- in that you only hear them used coupled with another specific word?

Monday, May 11, 2009

Arctic Circle

If any of you visited the South Jordan Arctic Circle during the spring of 1999, I may have taken your order. If you had the patience to wait nearly 20 minutes for you food, regardless of what you ordered, you may have even enjoyed a decent "fast" food meal.

I love Arctic Circle's food, but the fact that they only employ irresponsible teenagers to operate their stores has made it hard to justify eating there. The possibility of having a drug-addict know-nothing fixing my cheeseburger was always a little disconcerting, but didn't always stop me from testing my luck at the place. The wait time is what really killed my desire to dine in or take out. How could I spend so much precious time waiting for a cheeseburger when another delicious—and efficient—restaurant option was just down the road?

Despite the possibility of wasting my time, I went with friends Spencer, Kyle and Kyle's brother-in-law, Nick, to the Arctic Circle in Riverton. As a rival store, I seldom ate there 10 years ago, but now those feelings have faded. Thank goodness they have, too. I've never had such customer service at a fast food restaurant ever. Let me tell you about it:

  • First, almost everyone working there was an adult. This goes a long way in the fast food business. Adults are better employees than children.

  • After ordering my small Lime Squeeze and not getting it right away, I was upgraded--for free--to a jumbo size Lime Squeeze.

  • Once it was clear that my party was finished with our meals, a server came by our table and said, "Are you guys about ready for your courtesy cones?" Wow! Free ice cream and none of us even had to ask for it.

  • A few minutes later, another employee came to our table and asked "Can I get those trays out of your way?" Wow! They totally bussed our table for us.

  • This is all in addition to the fact that the restaurant was spotless (including the bathroom).


If you don't mind a boiled hamburger, please eat at the Riverton Arctic Circle. I hope you have as good an experience as I did.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Picasa is available for Mac

I mentioned in a recent post that I was totally dissatisfied with the picture managing software that comes with a Macintosh computer (iPhoto). Just today, I remembered that I had heard Google had finally released Picasa for Mac, which I was thrilled to find out to be true. I don't know when Google did this; I know it had been rumored for a long time, but it finally happened. I'm sure this is old news, but I'm so excited. I'll be trying it out as my new picture manager instead of Adobe Bridge (which is wonderful).

So far so good. I've uploaded my first batch of pictures using Picasa and am now ready to do a little editing.

If you're interested in downloading Piacas for Mac for free, you can do so here