Saturday, February 23, 2008

LSAT score

So I got my LSAT score yesterday.
161, or in the 84th percentile.
On the practice exams, I got everywhere from 158 to 168, with 164 (90th percentile) as an average. In fact, I got a 164 two or three times on the practice exams.
I was nervous taking the real test, though, and I couldn't think straight. So I'm happy that I got in the 160s. I was fearing a score in the 150's.
It's funny that on such a big test, three questions can bump you from a 90th percentile to a 84th percentile.
Anyway, I'm still happy I didn't bomb it.
The schools I have the best chance of getting into are in Oregon and Washington, so it looks like I might be heading back to the west coast.
Wish me luck as law schools decide whether to accept me or not...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Tag

Looks like I'm the last one to post on this tag...guess I lose.
I'm not sure how this works, but here goes:
Five things I was doing ten years ago:
1. Finally asking girls out to dances (instead of being set up for disaster dates by well-meaning friends).
2. GURPS.
3. AP Environmental Science (awesome class, taught by a South African LDS bishop).
4. Enjoying my high ACT score (my standardized test scores haven't been nearly as high since).
5. Going to the BYU Sci/Fi and Fantasy Symposium with Voorhies and the gang (and it became tradition).

Five things to do tomorrow:
1. Get a haircut.
2. Finish a couple of law school applications (Wake Forest and Seattle University).
3. Cook enough enchiladas to last us through next week.
4. Go to my mother-in-laws to celebrate her birthday.
5. Figure out what we want in a starter home.

Four favorite CDs:
1. Savatage--Dead Winter Dead.
2. Savatage--Handful of Rain.
3. Eternity X--The Edge.
4. Dream Theater--Images and Words.
Yes, I know that the only way any of you have ever heard of these is through me...
They're still incredible.

Best book I've read recently:
The Wizard Heir, by Cinda Williams Chima. Like Harry Potter, except the kid's tech-savvy and the school is EVIL.

New book that's on top of to-read list:
Biography of Henry Eyring (the scientist-father of President Eyring), written by President Eyring's son (Henry Eyring's grandson). I have and love the book written by Henry Eyring himself, "Reflections of a Scientist".

Where we'll be in six months:
1. Salt Lake?
2. Provo?
3. Seattle?
4. Somewhere in Oregon?
5. Boulder Colorado?
6. Las Vegas?
7. New Mexico?
8. North Carolina?
9. Somewhere else?

Biggest pet peeves:
1. Downstairs neighbors who smoke in non-smoking apartments.
2. Teenagers with no respect for authority.
3. Teenagers who are so convinced that they are stupid that they become stupid.
4. Spoiled teenagers.
5. Stupid teenagers (did I already say that?)


Who I'm voting for in November:
1. McCain (maybe).
2. Obama (maybe).

What I'm thankful for:
1. April.
2. An income.
3. Good music.
4. That Romney's out (it's great he's LDS, but he pandered way too much to the religious right and took way too harsh a stand on illegal immigrants).
5. That Obama and McCain are still in (and that Huckabee doesn't stand a chance).

Five people to tag:
As I said, I'm the last one, so I lose.
But as far as people who seriously need to get blogs (or write more in them if they have them):
1. Ben (and family)
2. Dan
3. Kristi
4. Jay (thanks for the recent post, by the way)
5. Kirk (and family)

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Golden Compass and Hairspray

April and I rented Hairspray this past week. Definitely recommended (watch it with a date). Ya, ya, I know it's a musical. Go see it anyway.
Despite various comments made here, April still wanted to see The Golden Compass. So last night, to celebrate her birthday, we went to the cheap theaters (they're three blocks from our apartment) to watch it. By the way, I'm not totally cheap. We also went out to eat, and we're going to a Jim Brickman concert in a couple of days (she's really excited about the concert).
The last few years there have been a few awesome fantasy movies. LOTR comes to mind. Compass is not awesome, but it's good. April (surprisingly) liked it even more than I did. It is a bit of a dark movie. And I want to analyze it a bit for those who've heard various things about it.
People say that the movie is anti-God. The dominating religion in the film, the Magisterium, is certainly the bad guy, and the free-thinking intellects are the good guys. However, members of the Magisterium also state one of their main objectives: they want to take away everyone's free will. Sound familiar? Sounds just like Satan's plan. I think, if Satan could, he'd prefer the Magisterium's system to the current, more chaotic system he now enjoys. Make no mistake--the Magisterium is evil to the core. By the way, they also kidnap children.
Meanwhile, the protagonist is given a Golden Compass. There are others out there, but the Magisterium has control over them and refuses to let others use them. The compass shows the truth. Liahona, anyone? The Magisterium wants total control over the truth, and goes all out to find the girl and her compass.
Of course, I'm also reminded of the Catholic church of Galileo's day. They insisted on being the only source of truth. "Take back what you said about the sun being the center of the universe or we'll kill you," they told Galileo. So he took it back (fingers crossed). Good thing we've come a long way since then, or we'd still blame sickness on evil spirits (instead of viruses and bacteria). We never would've made it to the moon. And...well, you get the idea. The Dark Ages were dark for a reason. Good thing the Catholic church has reformed.
The movie does attack authority, or at least the kind of authority that insists on being followed without too much thinking.
The movie's a bit dark, and so some might be bothered by that aspect. No doubt the rumors about how evil the movie is will also make it difficult for some to watch. It makes a statement against an authority that expects blind obedience, and so those who follow blindly or expect others to follow them blindly will not like it.
My recommendation? If you like fantasy, go see it. You might not agree with everything in the movie, but the only church the movie attacks is the one that strips men and women of their free will.
And no, despite what you may have heard, the movie is certainly not anti-God.