Shawn's Geology Blog

2008-12-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

I've used GPS a few times, so this is all pretty much review. The GIS stuff is new, but I don't have any questions. I don't really have one specific difficult thing in the next two weeks, just lots and lots and lots of moderately difficult things.

2008-12-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is all new to me, but I'm getting it. I've gotten a little behind because a lot of things have all piled up, so some new questions might come out, but I think I've got it all. I have a whole lot of favorite internet sites, but one of my favorites lately is failblog.org. it's pretty good stuff.

2008-11-25T09:51:00.001-08:00

this is all new to me, so they're all aha's...i'm a little behind, but i think i know what's going on, so i don't really have any major questions.

my family's coming up here for thanksgiving. it's gonna be epic.

2008-11-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

still learning new things, so they're all aha's. no serious questions

christmas music doesn't start until the day after thanksgiving. period.

2008-11-21T09:26:00.001-08:00

i had to run at the end of class and forgot to post till now...

GIS is new to me, so it's all aha's. no specific questions.

i haven't had a lot of time for pleasure reading as of late, but catcher in the rye is always a good one. yeah.

2008-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

GIS is totally new to me. The stuff we've done so far is pretty straight forward. So, everything's an aha, no questions.

Lately, my favorite place to eat is Septebello's in Salt Lake. It's this really really authentic Italian pizza place. Soooo good. Here in Provo, my favorite place these days is Diego's Taco Shop. The tacos de lengua are amazing.

2008-11-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

I guess my aha moment was the moment i realized that there are quite a few things i just don't get yet. i'm gonna have to do some studying of photoshop and, especially, illustrator. those are all questions i'm pretty sure i can answer myself though.

a joke...bah...what's brown and sounds like a bell? dung!

2008-11-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

As seems to be the norm, we're learning things I already pretty much know, but it's nice to have a little more knowledge about how to find my way around powerpoint. No questions.

Here's my critique of Adam's presentation:

Too much noise. "Edumucate" isn't a very professional term. Format isn't consistent from slide to slide. Background change was distracting. Way too many animations. Image doesn't work. Other images cover each other up. Picture hidden behind text. Still way way way too much noise. Yellow text on white background is pretty much impossible to read. Is that enough?

2008-11-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

I've never really thought much about making ginormous posters, so this is all new to me. Seems pretty clear though, so no questions.

I've had lots of favorite classes. Bowling was grand. I've taken some pretty good English classes too. Yeah....

2008-11-03T09:47:00.001-08:00

I'm learning a lot about illustrator, but I've gotten behind in the past two days. I'm kind of having trouble keeping up. I'm pretty sure I can figure it out on my own if I just put some time into it though, or at least ask questions in the lab. So yeah.

Freebie? That reminds me of Arrested Development when they'd always say, "well, that was a freebie." If you haven't seen it, please do.

2008-10-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Illustrator is brand new to me. I'm having lots of fun with it so far, and it's all new. Lots of learning, not really any issues/questions.

There's a lot about the future that would be nice to know. I'd probably have to go with winning lotto numbers though.

2008-10-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

In just playing around with photoshop on my own, I always had trouble with the clone tool. Turns out turning down the opacity helps a whole lot. Aha!

No questions today.

I'm not superstitious, though I am a little stitious. Anyone?

Also, here are the pictures from my mini assignment. This first one is from a place near home. I basically just merged 3 photos and changed the levels. Removing the sky was all but impossible because of the branches, so I decided to do that on another photo. Basically, I just used the quick selection tool, deleted the sky, and replaced it with a gradient. Oh, and I changed the levels on both of them. Here they are:

2008-10-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Again, this was all sort of new to me, so it was a nice big aha moment. Everything seems clear. No questions.

I am NOT a sports fan. Ugh.

Here's the mini assignment. I didn't have any photos to scan, so I just found one online that someone else had scanned. I changed the levels, used the burn tool on the sky, and the dodge tool on the cliff walls.

Here's the original:

Here's the photoshopped one:

2008-10-20T09:40:00.001-07:00

Everything today was relatively new, but pretty clear. So I guess most of the day was an aha moment, and I don't have any serious questions.

My favorite fall activity is crunching leaves under my feet when I walk. Only kind of an activity, but pretty darn satisfying.

2008-10-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Oops, didn't make it to class today. Here's the photo I edited though. The rotation is pretty subtle, but it's there.

Original:

Edited:

2008-10-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Photoshop's fun! I'm learning everything fine, no big questions, but it was really cool to learn all that. Here's the picture I did for mini-assignment 1:

My worst injury...isn't that exciting. I broke my arm when I was 12. I fell roller blading. Yippee.

2008-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm familiar with what we've learned so far in Photoshop, so I don't really have any questions, nor "aha" moments.

My favorite season is fall. I like it when it's nice and crisp outside, but not deathly cold. That's all.

2008-10-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've continued along the same process: I'm learning things I knew excel could do, but that I didn't know how to do before. It's all pretty straight forward and I don't have any questions.

If money wasn't an issue, I'd probably have better things to do than high adventure activities...but that's just personal preference.

2008-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

The greatest difference from the in class assignment was 8592.8 (from row 36).

Everything seems pretty clear with excel. It's new to me, but it's pretty straight forward.

I don't like eating breakfast in the morning. I'm just not hungry when I wake up. But I am definitely a breakfast for dinner kind of guy. It really doesn't matter what kind of breakfast food it is, cuz I like 'em all. It's just all about the time of day.

2008-10-03T09:47:00.001-07:00

It was nice today to be able to learn more about excel. I've used it before, but I've never gone beyond the very very basic. So, aha, I guess.

I don't really have any questions yet. Seems pretty straight forward.

I'm all over this musical instrument thing. I kind of do the song writing and recording thing...so I guess i mostly play guitar, but in order to record my songs, I've picked up bits and pieces of a lot of other instruments...bass, harmonica, piano, random percussion stuff, all that jazz. You can hear a couple of 'em at www.myspace.com/shawnwigginsmusic. And that's likely the only shameless self promotion you'll see on this blog.

2008-09-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

I had a nice little aha moment today. A few summers ago I wrote a pretty serious letter that I had edited by three different people, and I never figured out how to get rid of the tracked changes. But now I know! It turned out okay, cuz I printed the letter and sent it in, but if I would have had to email it, that would've been trouble.

It seems all my questions have been answered.

Worst movie ever? I hate lots of movies (I like lots of movies too, I'm just really picky). But the worst ever is probably Troll 2. It's one of those movies that's so bad, it's HILARIOUS. It was all filmed in Utah, has the main girl from "The Singles Ward" in it, and doesn't at any time feature, or even mention, a troll. It's about goblins. And the writer/director and his whole crew were Italian and hardly spoke English at all, so all the actors are basically just guessing what to do the whole time. Seriously, SO bad. But SO funny. Anyone who wants to see it, just ask me. Or look up some clips on Youtube.

2008-09-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I learned today a little bit about how to properly form a paragraph in a scientific paper.

No questions. Everything's pretty clear.

Here's my paragraph:

As oil and gas resources become fewer, it is increasingly more important to locate hydrocarbons in areas that have been previously overlooked. Local sources of oil and gas are of particular interest as they decrease a need for importing oil. A recent discovery of hydrocarbons in the Entrada Sandstone formation in Utah encourages further research of the reservoir properties of this formation in order to evaluate whether future discoveries should be pursued.

2008-09-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

My aha moment of the day...was...I guess just learning how to get my way around the department web site. I've made web pages before, but never through this site, so it's good to learn my way around.

I don't really have any questions. I'm doing okay.

What a depressing question. I don't think I've ever known what I wanted to be. Like, ever. I'm just glad that I've at least narrowed it down to a major. Finally. I dunno, I guess that's not entirely true. When I was like four I wanted to be a cowboy. And now I want to do something with music, but I also don't want to starve to death, so I'm chasing the geology option. Alright.

2008-09-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had no idea we could set up our sites on the geology department web site, so that was new to me. It all seems pretty clear.

I like food. A lot. So my favorites change pretty often. I'd have to say my current favorite is anything with blue cheese. SO GOOD. On burgers, on salads, on whatever. Yeah. Good stuff.

2008-09-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Again, it was nice to have some clarification on writing papers.

I'm not really confused about anything.

If I had a super power, I'd probably have the ability to bring happiness to the children of the world. Ha!

2008-09-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

If I were a tool, I'd definitely be a countersinking bit for a drill press. I might just be OCD, but there's something so satisfying about having screws flush with a piece of metal. Remember on "The Aviator" when Howard Hughes kept freaking out because the screws weren't countersunk? Yeah. I can't help it. I know how he feels on that one.

2008-09-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'm really glad we went over how to narrow down topics today. I was a little worried about how to go about doing that, as well as how to find the literature on whatever subject I end up with. It's nice to clear that up.

The research paper still seems a little daunting...but I don't think that really qualifies as a question.

My dream vacation? How about any vacation. I didn't get any time off at all over this last summer, so I'm about ready for anything I can get.

2008-09-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today's lecture was really interesting to me. It's nice to learn something as applicable as how to interview and how to approach the life changing decision of where to work.

No real confusion or frustration. I guess it was a little frustrating to write my resume and realize I don't really have anything on there other than work history.

So the wild card question of the day is regarding what differentiates me. I guess that on a personal level there are plenty of things, but in respect to geology there isn't too much at the moment. Well, I guess I do speak Spanish, and all those things that differentiate me on a personal level could apply. I mean, if I really could get my personality out there in an interview, that could be enough. But I'd like to start doing things that will get me more experience and opportunities to do something different. I'd like to at least start working with a professor soon so that I can at least see what other people are doing.

2008-09-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today's class was pretty helpful to me. I'd been a little concerned about what I should put on my CV, so it was good to go over that and learn all the different options of things that can and can't be on there. So far not a lot of confusion. Everything's going well.

I'm not much of a prankster...I hesitate to do anything that would make someone retaliate. But there are some pretty funny ones that Kurt Vonnegut talks about in one of his books (I can't remember which one...maybe it was "Fates Worse Than Death"). Anyway, he talks about this guy he knew that bought a bench that was the same brand and style as the benches they had at a city park. He'd take his bench to the park, sit on it, and as soon as a police officer was nearby, he'd pick up the bench and run as fast as he could. When the police caught up, he'd show them the receipt and get a good laugh. He repeated this until all the policemen were used to him and pretty much ignored his antics. Then he stole all the benches in the park. Ha!

Oh, and there's another one. I'm pretty sure he did this. He went to a final for a class he wasn't taking and stood up in the middle, screaming obscenities, ripped up the test, and ran out of the room. That's all.

Little kid, big wheel

2008-09-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today we talked about some of the basics of Microsoft Word 2007. I'm pretty familiar with 2003, but the new version is, well, new to me. Basically, it was just good to be able to learn my way around the program. It all seemed pretty clear, so no questions at this point.

So a scar story, eh? Well, once upon a time, I was three. Back in those days I was sort of a dare devil on my big wheel. I'd fly down the hill in front of our house way faster than anyone that small should ever go. Until one day...I kind of crashed into a wall...and kind of banged myself up pretty good. I have a scar from it to this day, but it's on my inner thigh, so, no, you can't see it. That's all.

Ahhhhh!

2008-09-03T19:35:00.001-07:00

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