Utah Valley Preps magazine

The exciting first issue of Utah Valley Preps magazine -- a magazine that I helped create -- came out last week. The magazine covers all sports from 15 high schools within Utah County. The current issue details the fall sports teams and has some interesting additional feature stories. Let me know if you'd be interested in getting a copy (I've got connections, you know!).

We're looking to get the word out about the magazine and we hope to watch it grow. We've already distributed many issues at football games (some copies, unfortunately, got soaked in the downpour of rainfall at last Friday's games), doctors' and dentists' offices, etc.

Anyway, the magazine looks great, and it seems to be the first of its kind in the area. All things considered, it's probably the Sports Illustrated of Utah County sports publications. Maybe we can trademark/copyright that saying.

"Utah Valley Preps: the Sports Illustrated of Utah County sports publications™."

There.

Our first live taste of Major League Soccer

On the Saturday before last, which was a state holiday called "Pioneer Day" (July 24), my wife and I made the trek to Sandy to watch Real Salt Lake take on Chivas USA. It was the first MLS game we had watched (not counting some scattered minutes of viewing on the tube). We are generally not really big soccer fans -- in spite of Patricia's nationality -- but we did watch quite a bit of the World Cup. Watching live, however, would be a first.

Thanks are in order to some friends who got us the tickets (plus concessions vouchers) through their work. Thanks, guys!

So how was it? Let's recap:

The action on the field was OK, and although we are not soccer aficionados, the talent level is clearly not the same as what you would see at the Cup or in many European leagues. But it's fun to go to a game in person at least once in a while. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. RSL seem to play better and get more chances at goals, but they ended up even (Update: Curiosity led me to stumble upon some stats, and I can now confirm RSL outshot Chivas, 17-4, and 4-2 on goal). No overtime, no shootout. I guess that could be a downside to soccer sometimes: no winner. On the other hand, the team stretched their home unbeaten streak to 19 games, which I believe was announced as the longest such active streak in the MLS, and one of the longest in the league's relatively short history. By the way, the RSL goal was impressive, accurately described in an ESPN game recap as "a stunning left-footed volley," whereas the somewhat-cheap Chivas goal (and I say this not being a real fan of either team) was "knocked down from chest level (by the goalkeeper), only to have it bounce under him and into the goal."

What stood out the most, though, was the cheering and singing from the section of Chivas fans in the deck above us. It didn't just go on when their team did something good; it was nonstop. They only rested their vocal cords at halftime. It makes sense, right? When the players rest, the fans get to rest. But the truth is I had never seen anything like it in person. Even the college football and basketball games I've been to, which had some good crowds, weren't like this.

Chivas fans threw a LOT of streamers and confetti a few minutes after their team's goal (The picture doesn't do the scene justice, but you might get some idea of how it was)

The singing from the video above included the words "Yo soy de Chivas"--"I am from Chivas," or "I am a fan of Chivas." Other than that it mentioned the "sentimiento" or "feeling" they have for the team, and they said "ole" a lot. I don't remember much else from the singing. But they did have a sign that said "Los capos del tablero"--"The bosses/studs of the standings." RSL fans had their own version calling themselves "kings of the standings" ("Siempre seremos los reyes del tablero").

By the way, many of the MLS teams are named after famous European clubs, e.g. Real Salt Lake/Real Madrid, and Chivas USA, based in L.A., is named after a famous Mexican team. Randon thought: do a lot of Chivas fans automatically become Chivas USA fans if they live in the states or follow MLS?

Because it was a holiday, the festivities didn't stop when the game ended. Area performers sang some contemporary hits, after which there was a massive fireworks show. All in all, it was a good night of entertainment. And that's not to mention some earlier events in the day that included parks and grub.

A fast/prayer for Uncle Terry

Apologies for the late notice here, but I just wanted to get the word out to anyone who might see this blog (intentionally or otherwise). My Uncle Terry is having some health issues, and we are wanting to fast and pray on his behalf. Anyone who would like to participate in this in their own way, please feel free to do so. You can see frequent updates on Terry's family's blog here.

This is from my mom (Terry's sister):

(Terry) is having a few issues that the Drs have never dealt with before. There is a mass on his adrenal gland. They have seen this with other transplant patients but not with stem cell transplant patients. There are 100 Drs and medical persons involved in studying the situation and trying to come up with a treatment. One problem is that Terry is allergic to the RX that they would automatically recommend.

Anyway, again I ask that you put his needs in your fasting and prayers this Sunday, and often in your prayers.

Reasons why LeBron should stay in Cleveland

As LeBron James prepares to announce where he will play in the near future, rumors are coming from everywhere about which team will be his employer. Some say he is staying with the Cavaliers. Others think he will play in Michael Jordan's old digs in Chicago. New Yorkers want him to be in an Empire State of Mind. Recently, the Miami rumors are gaining steam, which would mean a triumvirate of Team USA and Eastern Conference All-Star teammates -- James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh -- sharing the shores of South Beach.
I can't even say I am a Cavaliers fan (I like them better than the average team, but they are not my favorite team), but I think it would be fitting for him to stay home. In somewhat of an open letter format, here are some reasons why I think James should remain with the Cavs.

Legacy - If you leave, LeBron, you won't be viewed throughout history in the same way as, say, Michael Jordan is viewed. Jordan's team's initially struggled, but he stayed with the Bulls, his teammates developed their skills, and Chicago won six titles. Leaving the Cavs is a way of saying you (LeBron) don't think you can win a championship there. Whether this is true or not, you will be seen as a quitter who couldn't finish the job -- unless he took the easy way out and joined a better team.

Home Team - LeBron, you can bring a championship to your home area city. Would that mean more than winning somewhere else?

Fans - You know as well as anybody that Cleveland sports fans would adore you for bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. And you know as well as anybody that these fans have suffered greatly.


"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."
Please stay in Cleveland, LeBron. Thanks.

Drama King James

After at least two years of mainstream speculation among media and fans alike, coveted NBA free agent LeBron James is set to announce which team he will sign with. In fact, he has decided to go through with a televised one-hour special to make his official declaration, with advertising revenue going to the Boys & Girls Club. While the charity work is a nice gesture, LeBron is really building the drama to bring attention to himself.
The only way James comes out a winner -- in the minds of most fans and pundits, anyway -- is to stay in Cleveland. Imagine if he leaves: he will be leaving his hometown (he was born and raised in Akron, less than one hour away from Cleveland) team after having lifted them from the doldrums of the league to somewhere near the top of it. He wouldn't be finishing what he started (does that make him a "quitter?"). He would also be delivering a gut punch to the Cleveland fans who have dealt with Earnest Byner's fumble, Michael Jordan's game-winning shot, John Elway's drive and the Indians falling short in the World Series. Remember, this is virtually his hometown.
If he stays in Cleveland, he will continue to be revered by the Cavs faithful, as Cleveland lets out a collective sigh of relief.
Would he really make a big ESPN presentation just to say he is staying with his team? On the other hand, if he is switching teams, would he really announce it on national television with so many Clevelanders watching? Wouldn't this making his departure more painful?
One thing is certain: King James is certainly letting the drama build.
Drama King James, that is.

Enter to learn, go forth to serve

A major milestone has been reached in the family. In late April, Patricia graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies, as well as a business minor. I'd just like to say it was a job well done on her part; she worked hard and did extremely well.

The Graduate

The Marriott Center (and a picture of a guy taking a picture)

Oh, and by the way, her GPA for her last semester was 3.93. But I like dealing with whole numbers, so that means she got a 4 -- and a cumulative GPA of 4! (Hooray for rounding!).

Mission Reunion

In early April I had my first mission reunion in several years -- and President and Sister Vazquez were there. It was the first time I had seen them since leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003.

It was cool to see some of my missionary companions and los Vazquez, and to take some pictures.

Hermana Vazquez, Patricia, Sam and President Vazquez
(we must have been breathing out!)

Bert & Ernie, Stockton and Malone, Scorup and Miller...

When you're good, you're good

Been there. Done that.

But it's time once again to heap some praise upon a special someone for the successful completion of another successful semester.

Taking classes in the fields of both Business and Latin American Studies, Patricia pulled off two A grades and one A-minus in her three classes in the fall. The people who calculate some newfangled thing called "GPA" say that amounts to a cool 3.9 on the four-point scale. Phew, that's high! If only the economy/government/Hollywood movies were so good.

That's the look of a happy camper

My first eBay sell

In the last few months I had the opportunity to make my first eBay sell. It was a re-sell of some books that my wife had acquired from eBay, read once, and didn't need any more.

So how did it go? Let's just say I made less than what we paid for the books. In fact, I paid more to ship the books than the buyer paid for the books -- including their shipping cost!

You see, when I posted the book lot online, eBay -- for some reason -- didn't let me charge more than $4 for shipping. Even though it was something like 15 books (maybe only 13)! I am wondering if it is because I marked a category such as "books" or "novels" in addition to "book lots." Maybe the category that was not for "book lots" assumes you are only selling one book and doesn't allow for any big shipping charges. Additionally, when I checked price estimates for shipping, there was very little difference between the costs for Priority Mail and other services. So I chose Priority. When I went to the Post Office, however, there was a BIG difference between Priority and Media Mail. Regardless, I shipped it Priority because that's what I said I would do when I put the item up for sale. It seems I made a mistake when getting the shipping estimates because I used a local or nearby zip code to calculate the costs.

In the end, I got less than $9 (including shipping) after my PayPal and sellers fees, while forking out $13 to send the item. Oh, well. Maybe I am meant to be more of a buyer than a seller :-)
...But this doesn't mean I will never make an eBay sell again. Perhaps I just need a little change in "strategery." Maybe I need more of those positive rating "stars" to get more bidders. Maybe it's simply a matter of finding an in-demand product to sell.

I guess I should have asked Dr. Dre to blow his nose for me.

Cash for Clunkers in the style of Comedy Sportz

Chances are you heard about the "Cash for Clunkers" event the government instituted to try to jumpstart the flagging auto industry. It's a little less likely that you have heard of Comedy Sportz. Comedy Sportz is an improv comedy group with several locations across the United States. It is not about sports, but rather is comedy as a sport. Two teams -- wearing red and blue baseball uniforms -- challenge each other to improv contests where they invent songs and skits using things mentioned by the audience (this is somewhat like the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"). Whichever team gets more cheers from the audience will receive more points ...

Anyway, what I am trying to do here is write a post that merges one of the Comedy Sportz skits, "Boo-Yay," with "Cash for Clunkers." In "Boo-Yay," a hypothetical character in the skit goes through both positive and negative experiences, thus eliciting a "boo" or "yay/yeah" from the crowd.

Here goes....

The government made it easier to get a new car ... YAAAAY!

But only certain people will qualify ... BOOOO!

You can save $4,500 on a brand-new car ... YAAAAY!

But to get this discount, you have to buy a car that gets 10 MPG more than your current auto ... BOOOO!

But you can still get the $3,500 discount ... YAAAAY!

However, this would still require trading in a car that gets 18 MGP or worse (combined highway/city), and buying a car that is at least 4 MPG more efficient than the "clunker." ... BOOOO!

But this will get some environmentally unfriendly cars off the road ... YAAAAY!

Actually, environmentalists debate how much difference this will actually make ... BOOOO!

Look: the economy -- and the auto industry -- needs a helping hand. This may just be the proverbial "shot in the arm" to get businesses going again ... YAAAAY!

But the money for this has to come from somewhere. Hello, tax $$$ ... BOOOO!

But imagine trading in a clunker for a BRAND-NEW CAR ... YAAAAY!

But imagine, most people driving the clunkers still can't afford a new car, even with the discount ... BOOOO!