2 Cor 4:16-18

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Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Starflyer 59 vs. Jeremy Enigk

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Okay, the title is really misleading. Jason Martin won't be squaring off with Jeremy Enigk, but yesterday both of their new CDs arrived in my mailbox together. Both of these artists are responsible, in my opinion (along with Dave Bazan, Poor Old Lu and others - thanks Seattle), for pushing musical boundaries and allowing me and others to enjoy some originality in music. (I know, nothing is truly original in music.)

For Enigk, it's his first solo release in 10 years, having reunited Sunny Day Real Estate for a time and formed The Fire Theft. World Waits less avant-garde than Return of the Frog Queen and a little closer to The Fire Theft, yet it still employs some acoustic guitar and more guest musicians than I would think to be possible. For me the highlight of Enigk's music has been his voice. His vocals manage to be heartbreakingly painful and unabashedly joyful at the same time.

With My Island, Jason Martin takes Starflyer 59 on its continuing evolution that logically follows Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice. As an album, it's creative and playful, yet a little dark and very gritty. If Jeremy Enigk is about the voice, then Starflyer is about the guitar. It's ALWAYS been about the guitar. Perhaps not a guitar virtuoso, Jason started out on the first albums with about 20 layers of guitar on each song, but has come to be a catchy songwriter with simple but memorable guitar solos, and sometimes more than simple (I Am the Portuguese Blues). TV vs. SV saw Jason's guitar with a whole new set of pedals from Smart People Factory. It sounds like they're still there, but this time around with a little more distortion. Overall the songs are faster and more driving than the laid back sound on TV vs. SV. The song "Good Sons" might fit on My Island, giving a glimpse of where the current sound came from. My Island's bass lines also have a lot of movement compared to any previous SF release. It can't be easy to put out songs of this quality, but Jason has managed to continue the streak.

Tea Fee

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Somehow I've become a bit of a TV junkie this fall. I had about 5 shows on my "must watch" list last year. Then I had to go and add two more incredible shows to that list. The only new show I've really bothered to watch had me hooked before it ever aired. I downloaded a copy of the Heroes premiere over the summer and knew I'd have to watch it when it showed up on NBC in the fall. Now, four episodes into its first season, it keeps getting better with every episode. I was never really into sci fi, even though I did watch Star Trek TNG back in high school. Ever since Lost, though, sci fi has been making a mainstream comeback. Battlestar Galactica is moving to NBC in the spring and Heroes has the largest audience of any new show on TV. I'm not able to quantify the reasons for a mainstream sci fi popularity, but I know for me it's been the shift in the approach to storytelling. Writers bring such a fresh approach to the genre by focusing on the drama and making us care about the characters first, and secondly creating an incredible story shrouded in mystery.

Twice I've come away from Heroes with goose bumps. The first time was seeing NYC in the middle of a nuclear explosion just before Hiro jumped back to Japan and 5 weeks earlier. It took the story to a new level. We knew the stakes were huge and the time was short for a Japanese office worker to try to save a huge portion of the American population. The second was seeing a ninja Hiro (if Heroes is the best new show, he's the best new character on TV) from the future speaking perfect English and bringing a message to help the Heroes on their mission.

Lost has had a goosebump moment in each episode so far. Seeing Flight 815 crash from the Other's POV, Ben revealing several big secrets to Jack, and Desmond's new ability to quote speeches from the future as if they were past.

I can't imagine there's ever been a better period to be a TV junkie than this time of incredible writing, ensemble casts, and storytelling that knows no limits.

On Teaching

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I never imagined at any point in my life that I would be a teacher. A year and a half ago when I set out on the road to become a flight instructor, I hoped I would be able to find a different exit ramp to flying and time-building before I got to that point. Even though I've only flown with two of them so far, I have five students that I have to take from zero hours to FAA certified private pilots. Now, as I'm sure most would assume to be the case, I know quite about more about flying airplanes than any of my students do. If I didn't then they wouldn't need me to be there. I've passed 5 ground schools, 5 FAA written exams, 8 FAA checkrides consisting of ground and flight portions (my initial instructor ground session being 8 hours long). So clearly the FAA has found me proficient to instruct others in flying.

That being said, after just under 25 total hours of flight instruction given, there are times when I feel a bit like a fraud because I don't have all the answers on the tip of my tongue. I certainly have my strengths when it comes to ground material: systems, aerodynamics. Those come easier to me because they can be understood. Other classes of ground knowledge are just rote memorization: FAA regs, etc. The rote stuff is "use it or lose it." There are things that I'm certain I knew when I took my private pilot checkride that I'm not sure I could answer or rattle off if asked to right now, most likely because of disuse of that information. Granted, 18 months ago I had zero flight hours logged, but I sometimes wonder if people in other professions have the same feelings on occasion. I guarantee my job is easier than being a doctor, but I wonder if a doctor ever feels like there's something they should know better than they do. I sincerely hope more confidence will come in time, but I want to be good at what I do, and be better than / know more than just enough to get by. AOPA's Flight Training magazine has a motto of: A Good Pilot is Always Learning. Maybe that's all it really takes.

Lost Season 3 premiere

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Is it sad that I've been waiting for this night for more than three months? I guess we all need things to do with our Wednesday evenings.

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"Things I Found On Wikihow.com That Amuse Me", part 3 of a trilogy.

This is one I actually intend to do. [I never did, but my brother made one for me.]

How to Make a Hollow Book

A hollow book can be a nifty way to hide something, whether it's a spare key, a secret note, or even money. Most people wouldn't think to browse your library for private or personal things. It's also a great way to pass something to someone discretely--an unsuspecting onlooker will just think you're sharing a very good read!

Steps

1. Select a book, preferably a thick one with a sturdy hard cover. Make sure that you own the book. Never use one that belongs to either the library, a friend or a family member. Rummaging through books at either yard or garage sales might allow you to find a book with the proper thickness for your particular need. Libraries often have a section with old, used books for sale, and for very little, you can buy great hard-covered books.
2. 

   
   Select the first few or as many pages as you want and hold them to the cover with a rubber band so they do not get messed up with the glue. These, except for the last one of these pages, will not be cut out. This will allow the book to look like a book when it is opened up and will cover the hole itself. The page nearer the hole will be glued later on and explained in the last step.
3. Mix a solution of white glue and water. Make the consistency just enough for the glue to be runny, and absorbed by the edge of the book's pages. 50% to 70% glue (30% to 50% water) or half a coffee canister full usually works well, but use your judgement given the thickness and size of the book.
4. Hold together all the pages after the one you set aside earlier and brush the edges with the glue solution so that it is reasonably absorbed. This will hold them together.
5. 

   
   Let the book dry for fifteen to thirty minutes. Place two or three sheets of wax paper in between the glued pages and the page(s) (if any) that will not be cut (including at least the previously selected page and the front cover) so that they do not touch and stick together. Place something heavy on top of the front cover so as to apply pressure.
6. 

   
   Open the book to reveal the first glued page. Draw a half-inch border within the edge, on all four sides (including the spine).
7. 

   
   Cut along the inside of the drawn line with a straight edge knife (a box cutter works especially well). Try to make the cut as vertical as possible, or else try to tilt it so the hole will narrow as you go down. Using a ruler, as shown in the image, can help a lot. Apply enough pressure to cut a few pages at a time.
8. 

   
   Continue cutting through the layers. Do not rush this step, because the slower and more carefully you do this, the smoother and straighter the inside edges will be. Remove the bits of paper from the inside that accumulate from the cutting.
9. 

   
   Brush the glue solution onto the inside edges of the hole and allow it to soak in. The glue dries clear, so if it drips a little, do not be concerned. While waiting, apply a second coat of glue to the outside edges of the pages.
10. 

    
    Brush the "frame" of the hole with a light coat of glue. The saved page will be glued directly on top of the hole, essentially covering it (for now).
11. 

    
    Close the book again, this time without any spacers. Allow it to dry for about 15-30 minutes. In this drying phase, the saved page will become affixed to the hole, as mentioned in the previous step.
12. 

    
    Cut the saved page along the edges of the hole so that the hole is visible and accessible once again. The insides of the book may still be moist because the book had been closed while drying. Now is a good time to let the book dry while it's open.
13. 

    
    Check to make sure every part of the book is thoroughly dry. Touch it with your fingers, and when you are certain it is dry, fill it with your treasured items, shut the book, and put it in the bookshelf. Only you will know that this book has a compartment because it will be surrounded by many other books!

Tips

• 

  
  Utilize the book as you continue to work on it by storing some personal items inside while you take a break. This gives you a feeling of accomplishment that will help you complete the project.
• If you ask what is the purpose of saving the last page to glue on top, and then cutting through it just like the others?" It's to cover up the lines you initially drew to cut the book apart.
• Make sure you only use a hardback book. If the cover is soft, you will end up cutting through the back of the book.
• When you place the 'hollow book' into the bookshelf, make sure you remember the name of the book!! If you forget, you may never know how to find the book, unless you remove all the rest of the books.
• The Dremel tool makes quick work of 30-40 pages at a time, and sometimes the heat of the cutting disk burns the inside edges, leaving smooth brown lines on the inside.
• This is a novel idea - put three books together!! The Books are glued together, and then the covers as well at the pages were cut through. This provides two advantages. #1) You could potentially make your "secret hollow book" as deep as you want it, and #2) looks cool on the bookshelf, as it looks like you simply have a bunch of books pushed together, and only you know the truth!
• Multiple books can be held together with long skinny bolts. Use a template to cut through each book separately so the knife or Dremel tool will reach. Leave the back cover open on the last book, and drill through the book corners and countersink for the bolts before gluing the back cover on.
• Some people have suggested other things to put in a hollow book, like a hidden wireless router or a hidden teddy bear.
• It is best to use a book that people think you might actually read. (But not so interesting a title that they might want to take the book down and flip through it.)
• Use a metal ruler (or a wooden ruler with a metal-edge insert) to guide your knife. The illustration pictures a plastic ruler, but the knife can easily bite into plastic (or wood), messing up both the ruler and the project.

Warnings

• Pay close attention when you're cutting the pages. The last thing you want is a hollow finger and a bloody book!
• Make sure you're not destroying a potentially valuable book, or one that you may want to read some day!

Things You'll Need

• Hardcover book
• A second book in case you mess up the first
• Elmer's white glue
• Plenty of food to keep up your strength
• Container to hold glue solution
• X-acto knife, or box cutter. Both if you have them
• Brush to apply glue solution
• Rags to wipe up any spills
• Pencil
• Pen
• Extra ink refills
• Ruler
• Table to work on

How to Make a Lego USB Flash Key

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Part 2 of the series "Things I Found On Wikihow.com That Amuse Me"

Steps

1. Take the case off of the USB Stick.
2. Depending on the size of stick you may have to sand off the edges of the circuit so it will fit inside of the lego brick.
3. Cut out the inside of a 2x4 Lego brick.
4. Cut some of the bottom of the brick off so that the brick is the size of two flat 2x4 pieces stacked on top of each other.
5. Cut a slot in the front of the brick for the metal plug to fit through.
6. Glue the bottom of the lego case on. The bottom is just a flat 2x4 lego piece. (you may need to sand the bumps off if your usb stick will not fit inside with the bottom on.
7. The cap is a 2x2 brick sanded so that it is the size of two 2x2 flat pieces stacked on top of each other.
8. Cut out a slot of the 2x2 brick.
9. Glue the bottom the cap on which is a 2x2 flat lego piece.

Tips

• If the USB stick is loose then use some type of packing (sellotape).
• If you use a knife to cut the bricks be careful not to cut the brick too small.
• Try this with a cheap usb memory first stick because you may mess up and have to throw the stick away.

Warnings

• In the process of sanding the circuit board you can ruin the usb memory stick, thus making it not work.
• If you cut the brick too small then you have ruined the brick and will have to throw it away.
• When cutting the lego brick be careful because you might cut yourself.

Things You'll Need

• A 2x4 Lego Brick
• A flat 2x4 lego piece
• A 2x2 Lego Brick
• A small USB Memory Stick
• Sandpaper
• Something sharp to cut with

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Lego-USB-Memory-Stick