Slope Stability Paper
All,
So apparently I don’t publish posts often enough, so here is a new post. I have been quite busy lately. Here a link to the paper I’ve spent 16 of the last 24 hours working on. If you feel inclined to read it do, and if you proof read it, I would appreciate the help (it is due on Tuesday; any corrections after that will just make me frustrated). After 16 hours I’m not to into reading it again. I’d just hand it in as is at this point, spelling mistakes, grammar errors and all. I have two more homework assignments to finish by Tuesday and a take-home final to do by Thurday. So it will probably be a while before I check in again, except to read comments about the errors on my paper.
-Brian
Used Book Fair
I love shopping for books! It is so relaxing. Today I left a little early for school so I could walk to class. I happened upon a used book fair on the Hayden Lawn. I was glad I had left early and walked so I could peruse the books. Work has been stressful the last couple of weeks. I have been too busy, and out of town too much. Spending time at the book fair helped me relax. I even found an old linear algebra textbook for $5. What a bargain, a $100 dollar book for $5. Linear Algebra is the one class I never took that I wish I would have. It was not required for Civil Engineering students when I was doing my undergraduate studies. I have been using linear algebra more and more lately during my graduate studies. It will be nice to have a text to refer to instead of having to scour the internet for information. What a nerd I am; excited over a math book.
Family History
I really enjoy doing family history. I enjoy the research immensely, although it is frustrating when I can’t provide a solid link between two people, although I feel there is one. I know that sometimes I have to rely on circumstantial evidence and the Spirit to provide links, but there have been a few people who I have found 2 separate individuals with the same name, born about the same time, that is frustrating. Even more so when there are divorces and re-marriages and more divorces. I have been searching for the father of my Great Grandfather, and his parents. His name is Albert Mosure, I think. Albert’s wife was Bertha Behymer, they had at least 3 children. My great grandfather is John Garland Mosure. I found a death certificate for one Albert Mosure in Missouri, the informant for the death was Garland Mosure. I am pretty sure he went by John, but maybe that wasn’t always true. (Dad, did we live in Cedar City or Tucson when he died? the Social Security Index shows it as 1989, you as 1986) The death certificate also listed Albert as the divorced husband of one person, the census record 5 years previous shows him married to someone else with a house full of kids, and neither one is Bertha. This may be one mystery that the Spirit will have to unravel, because I am having a hard time with the circumstantial evidence. The birth locations on the Census records that I have found don’t always match either. I guess memory isn’t as good as it should be? As my neighbor told me I’ll find out about that memory loss thing as I get older.
I just wish I could have asked John Garland about this before he passed away (then again I was 9 and not into family history). Maybe someone did, if they did, or you did, please let me know.
Valentines Day
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Public Domain
For those not familiar with United States Copyright Law, this post won’t help. I don’t really understand it. I do know that after some books get old they enter what is called the “Public Domain.” That basically means that the right to make and distribute copies belongs to everyone. That is why DVDs of old movies cost a dollar, and why the old classic books only cost a couple dollars when the new garbage costs 20 or 30. Basically you don’t have to pay the author, just the publisher and distributor. That says a lot about why some movies cost 30 dollars and some cost 1 dollar. As for books, well, I have to plug one of my favorite sources for reading material: www.Gutenberg.org.
For those not familiar with Gutenberg.org, it is a place to find many of the public domain books. They are even starting one for music, where you can download the sheet music in the public domain. Gutenberg strives to create an etext for every public domain book. I have found some of my favorite books there, downloaded them and read them for free from my computer. Some of them come as pdfs ready to print if you prefer the printed type (although sometimes the book at Bookmans is cheaper than the paper). From gutenberg I stumbled upon (not using stumbleupon) a site called Librivox.org.
For those not familiar with Librivox.org, it is a location to find ‘audio-books’ of the public domain titles found elsewhere (mainly on gutenberg). I do enjoy reading, but with the family, school, work, church, and work around the house I don’t have much time to read. I do have at least 30 minutes in the car each day, and some days a few hours, so I started downloading books from librivox to “read” while on the road. I find it absolutely wonderful.
For those not familiar with these websites, please know that they are run by volunteers. Gutenberg and Librivox are always looking for volunteers to edit, type, and record books. I have never had any issues with the accuracy of the text from Gutenberg. I have found some of the reading styles of people on librivox annoying (especially when a woman or man tries to imitate the vocal range of a character of the opposite sex, rendering the words nearly incomprehensible). For the most part, however, it is better than purchasing an audio book from a trained, professional reader.
For all those familiar with other wonderful websites such as these, where public domain material is available for the taking, please let me know, as I am likely unaware of them.
One last mention is archive.org, the location where all the gutenberg and librivox files are stored. Also the repository for many old movies/recordings/ads/propaganda/whatever old media should be archived. I have found some great old recordings and movies on there. It has software, books, and websites archived as well. Take a stroll back in time with archive.org.
