Dilemma...

So... as bonsai season winds down and the trees get prepped for overwintering I find myself in need of something to do during the winter. I've two options that are really appealing right now.

Option 1: Building a new computer.

I like this option because not only will I have a new computer, my good friend is also getting a new computer and playing SCII online will be gloriously smooth. However... for the setup I desire the price tag is a whopping $1200.00. This includes $500.00 for three 23" monitors, more on that at a different time. So I'm really a fan of this option especially since the friend is getting new equipment (now I'll be the slow one) but it really does set me back quite a bit of money (that should be going to bills).

Option 2: Start a saltwater tank.

Now... I've wanted to do this for many years but have never had an income to support this hobby. The entry into it is quite expensive and maintaining one requires constant attention. I think it would be an exciting challenge and the reward would be unmatched. Having my own mini reef inside my apartment would be amazing and I would love to do so. This requires a somewhat temporary setup where everything is movable and nothing is permanent. That poses some interesting obstacles but I think it can be done without causing any problems with the landlords. I think the number 1 issue is finding a suitable tank in this area. Since Idaho is nowhere near an ocean... stores tend not to have 125 gallon tanks lying around. (Saltwater aquariums tend to be more successful by leaps and bounds when having large aquariums.) So... in order to purchase a tank I could do so through a neat company I found while watching a YouTube series. But..that's about $400.00 just for the tank, then there's the sump... refugium... lighting... live rock... etc. Trust me it all adds up rather quickly.

As you can see there's the dilemma. I'd really enjoy both options and I know I would make the most of either... but I obviously cannot put money into both and expect to still live in an apartment and eat food. What to do...what to do...

An Unfortunate Divide

Last year I was nervous yet fairly excited to be a part of a fun and worthwhile project. It took a lot of hard work and many long hours to put it all together but it seemed to have worked out well... at least until opening night.

I'm talking, of course, about the haunted house project that I did with some friends and associates last fall. Nearly all of the proceeds went directly to the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. It was great fun being a part of the concept and design stage. I remember many times just talking about what was possible and how we would achieve it and ending up creeping ourselves out in the process. It was so exciting to see concept to design, design to construction and construction to actualization. Granted...some of our ideas were thrown out due to time/money constraints but we did a great job of conveying our thoughts to the best of our limited capabilities.

I joined the project after a dear friend talked to me about it. He was pretty much recruiting me to join the force as he described all the fun they had the previous year. Longs talks in the car and I still wasn't convinced. There was just something about terrifying little children that bothered me... Despite the initial hesitation I decided to join up and help out with the good natured project. When we got together at the site of the haunted house to do the initial clean up and preparation I was timid and didn't offer much of an opinion. Pulling weeds and moving lumber was my main duty as the others talked about what the theme was and how to implement it. I listened quietly as i often do and played out the ideas inside of my head, determining which were best and which were not so great. At that point I was asked what I thought about them and asked to give my opinion. Shy and unsure of how they would take my suggestions... I offered very little advise.

For me, I'm all about enveloping someone inside of a story so completely...that they forget where they are, that they believe what they see is real and have no escape from that "reality." An important element of that encompassing feeling is lighting. I kind of took that part and made it my own to determine how and where to set up lights and effects. I drew up detailed schematics of a project I had in mind. I wanted to centralize all of the affects and controls for lighting in one unit. So I set off to build said unit and did so... about $300 later I had one completed. It was a fun project to work on and I was happy to have donated the time and money on it. Along with Switch-IE came working on the infrastructure of the haunted house using pallets and 2x4's to construct nearly the entire thing. From what I understood this was a huge update/upgrade from the previous year which was rather exciting. Seeing a barren garage and yard turn into twisted hallways and eerie walkways was enthralling and fulfilling.

We faced several challenges during the construction of the haunted house. We had complaints that it was in a residential neighborhood and we even were shut down for a while by the city. We took the fight to the city council and explained what we were doing and why we were doing it. After getting approval from this board of city officials we went forth with renewed vigor. Our plans seemed to go so smoothly for the most part. We had recruited several people to participate and volunteer their time to the cause. As time grew shorter and shorter and Halloween came faster and faster it was apparent that we had not planned very well for construction and decoration.

Our goal was to have all of September and most of October to do practice runs with our cast as well as finish all of the fine details to make the place spectacular. However...construction went into October right up until the night before. Added to that chaos was the lack of commitment from our cast. Most were excited but also lacking in the drive to make it to meetings or even on time to opening night. Telling your first patrons that we're not quite ready is completely unacceptable in any business and to be quite frank... this was a business at least it should have been treated as such so that we could have run it more smoothly and successfully. We'll save the rest of that rant for a little later...

Opening night was pretty stressful but you could feel the enthusiasm and the eagerness to terrify young children run though every person in the place. Cast members readied their roles and laid in waiting for innocents to come by. I have to say... there is an odd adrenaline rush from causing people to scream and run. It's sort of addicting and kind of makes you want to laugh aloud when they turn the corner. Why would someone subject themselves to this sort of thing? Probably the same reason people jump out of airplanes and ride atop animals that could crush them. It's all in the adrenaline, that feeling of heightened senses and awareness...the jumping and screaming...all in good fun! Now I'm not sadistic in any way... but it was rather enjoyable knowing I had some influence on some poor kids nightmares for the next week but hey, you get what you pay for. The night was typical for an opening night and we had few patrons... but we were all happy, satisfied and more than ready for the next night. Although, there seemed to be something brewing...something that was only going to exponentially get worse over the next few days.

Night 2
While this did run through the school year we still had to attend classes before tending to the haunted house. My friend and I finished what we needed to and then arrived early to prepare the place for another fun night. We ran checks and double checks to make sure that we were prepared for the patrons of that day, making sure lights worked, sounds was running and effects were working properly. We ran through the entire course several times making sure things were up and ready. The cast members had been asked again to show up at least an hour early so they could get ready and set in place so that we did not have a repeat of the disastrous first night. But human nature determines that we take care of ourselves before our obligations... People showed up late and confusion ran rampant. One cast member would talk to one leader and another to the other. The problem was that both leaders would not talk with each other. So it was kind of like...don't like the answer mom gave, okay then, go to dad. It caused so much chaos and lead to the leaders finding out that they had a fundamental difference on operational procedures. One leader decided that it was all about fun and that we didn't need order...the other was quite the opposite and chose to run the haunted house more as a business than just a fun time. Isn't it possible to run a business yet still have fun and make money for a good cause? This difference was the ultimate downfall of the entire endeavor and created a rift in the partnership that may not ever be mended. The night went rather well regarding the amount of patrons and money that we had it ended much worse than the first. Instead of hanging out afterward enjoying the nights laughs and sharing fun experiences cast left as sporadically as they had come. No fun times were to be had together...only hurt and angry feelings.

Night 3
This night went a lot like the second... With added tension and further disruptions in the chain of command. Little control over the cast created problems when one group of patrons would run into a cast member that was unprepared for the following group of patrons. Doesn't that just ruin the experience hearing a crazy prisoner laughing with his buddy next to him... That night ended even worse as gossip and backbiting began to worsen.

Final Night
Sunday was a long night as we knew there would be few people attending. With that knowledge also came that fact that we were all completely exhausted. Running four straight nights was both physically and mentally draining. Not to mention that frustration that came with cast members who had not participated in building the haunted house treating it poorly. Our hard work and time was put into that haunt and we were proud of it. To see these young kids jump and play and tear it apart was infuriating. Our area was set up right after the first hallway ended. It opened to a large area encompassed by straw bails stacked at least 6 feet high. As you exited the insane asylum hallway you had to turn right, or crash into a wall of straw lit up with a purplish string of bulbs. As you turned you saw me, sitting at a table set aside a dividing wall of straw enjoying a nice bbq'd meal of human limbs and organs. My friend stood aside the grill to the right minding his own business until you came by when he slammed the lid of the grill down and turned to face you, showing is gruesomely deformed face. He yelled at you demanding that you leave as you had disturbed his meal. I would jump out from my seat and chase you to the next area. Our spot was open to the stars..so when it rained the previous night it was rather chilly. It may not have been the jumpy scary spot...but we weren't going for that. Our original idea was delayed and deemed unfit for the time allowed. It would have been really exciting but quite hard to do with what we had time to set up. Anyway... the overall idea was to give the patron something to think about as well as prepare them for the final stretch (which was inarguably the best(as we were in charge of it as well)).

With the final night ending we went ahead and said goodbye to our co-scarers and departed for the year. We were required by the city to have the place cleaned up and taken down by Thanksgiving... but we had little motivation to come back and help clean up.

The tension that was had over the weekend was never cut, it was never loosed it was never even addressed, it was just dropped. We left without talking about clean up or preparations for the next year. All sorts of ideas were talked about for the following year...talking about procuring an actual building and beginning construction in May. But all of that was shut down and nothing was brought up after that time. It's a shame that such silly things can get in the way of doing something wonderful for people who need the help. We did all of that for a good cause and enjoyed most every minute of it. There is never anything as satisfying as seeing your own creation come from an idea to fruition. We had done that, we had raised $1200 for the American Cancer Society. It was gratifying to know that I had a part in that but it was also bittersweet. I knew that last night that I would not be returning the following year. The arguments had reached a peak and was never resolved. The two leaders had not talked and to this day have not talked about what they are planning this year. It was such a hard and abrasive separation that it caused these two fundamentally different views to go their own ways.

This year is something quite interesting. I've heard my friend talk about vengeance and hurt feelings as well as hope for the future for something far greater. It's sad to see such good friends part ways and strive for something of their own instead of working together and working things out. But I suppose that it is for the best at this time.

The other leader, this year, is actually doing a haunted house. He's acquired some time on some property and is preparing for this year's haunted house. I honestly wish the best for him and hope that he raises a lot of money for the Relay for Life. However... I have to admit that I see multiple potential flaws in how it will be run. The property will not be available until late august or mid-September which means that construction will either have to be minimal or done at another location and then moved. I do see that there is the same motivation and love for the season and hope that it does well. It sounds that they have procured more marketing opportunities this year and have potential to have many more patrons. I wish them well.

On the flipside, my friend and I have grand dreams of great halls and sunken tunnels in the earth for a future haunted house. We know that this will be many years later when we are both significantly financially stable but we still plan for it. Perhaps sooner rather than later we can procure some donors and some land/property to run our own haunt together with the same goal in mind. Our ideas are wondrous and will be dauntingly difficult but will change entirely how people view haunted houses. Our world will envelop you until you actually believe you've left the modern world. It will be fun and exciting and frightening all at the same time. We have high hopes and big ideas for the future and hope that people will want to share in that. Who knows...perhaps in the future these two leaders will make up and want to work together again.

I'm sad that this year I don't have a big project going on and that I won't be part of a haunted house but I am glad that there will be no stress and no worries about it. Honestly last year was super stressful and had a big toll on my grades as I was consumed by the haunted house... this year I have no time for distractions and am glad that I have more time to study and focus but I will miss the fun we had last Halloween.

30 years and a brand new beginning.

Recently the news has been flooded with articles describing the death of NASA and the United States domination of human space flight. It's true that the iconic symbol of America's triumph over much of the world is being retired after 30 years of service but I don't think it should be considered the end of an era. While at work I have a lot of down time between calls that can be filled with random web surfing or some actual reading. I have found that it's about 50/50 regarding the recent events with NASA. Half are upset and angry exclaiming that this is the end and that no longer will the US lead the world in human exploration of outer space while the other half accept the end of this three decade long journey but see it as a wonderful opportunity. I tend to agree with the latter.

I read an article this morning that expressed appreciation for the shuttle program but was elated to see it end. I hadn't really thought about this side of the argument but it really makes sense. My parent's generation remembers the excitement and proud moments of witnessing the achievement of sending a human being to the moon. For the first time in the history of the world mankind had visited another celestial body. It was captivating and brought forth a new era of dreamers and greater interest in the cosmos. In the late '70s the shuttle program inspired new confidence and solidified the United States' place as leader of the world in human spaceflight. The idea of building a machine that could be launched into space, recovered and reused was extraordinary. I know that shuttle inspired myself to study mechanical engineering with a devout focus on updating and expanding space technology and I know I am not alone in this endeavour. 

Despite all the good that the shuttle has done for our country and the rest of the world we cannot deny that it had become rather routine to see a few well trained people strapped to 1.6 million pounds of rocket fuel escape the gripping force of gravity and leave the planet. We have become so jaded to the complete process and no longer appreciate what is actually happening. I myself admit that this had become so commonplace that I never made an effort to at least follow the mission or the launch until recently. I would, of course, hear of a shuttle launch and have a slight desire to see it on TV but nothing ever so pressing as nearly willing to dump several hundred dollars on a ticket to Florida to see one of the two last launches this year. It's only after something so amazing and familiar is threatened to come to a close when we renew our interest and try to hold onto it. But perhaps it's time to let it go? The space shuttle had become a bus or a delivery van supplying the ISS with necessities and new technology. I think that it's lackluster purpose really falls in the shadows of the former Apollo missions. Is it time to leave the mundane operations of supplying the International Space Station to other countries or even better, the private sector.

Doesn't it seem more productive to give NASA the mission of exploring new technologies and reaching further out into the stars and leave basic logistics to a collaborating outside company? With NASA focused on bigger projects like putting up a brand new space telescope that would effectively put the Hubble to shame or solidifying and enacting a mission to put humans on a distant world. Discoveries made with new technology would bring back that feeling of excitement and pride that my parents felt watching the moon landings. It would give yet another generation of young children something to aspire to. Perhaps my future children and I will have the opportunity to sit together and watch a fellow human being make the first steps on Mars.

Update and New Blog

Hello! Just a quick update before programming class. I found out there was already a company named EON Industries so I had to change the name, no problem check out http://eoniindustries.blogspot.com/ for posts directly related with the company. I put up some info regarding the name and will post the rest of the pictures of the final project later tonight.

Well, school has stared once again. This semester is going to be a little less stressful than the last but it'll still be pretty difficult. I've got either my last or second to last Japanese class before my minor is finished. Calculus..the never ending math classes. A programming class and another engineering class fill my schedule. I'm also in the process of trying to get a work-study job, we'll see how that pans out. I'm also going to be starting the p90x program shortly. I'm a little nervous about it, but I think that it'll take something pretty intense to get me to change habits and the way I'm living now. Wish me luck and endurance! Class is going to start shortly so I'll continue later!

Okay so programming class is over. There's not a whole lot else that's different or new for me...although my brother is currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He's doing great and loving Arizona. I miss him lots but know that he's doing so much good. My room mate may be leaving next school year which is a little scary of an idea. I'm not sure what I'll do for somewhere to live because right now there's no way I can afford entire rent for this place. Something to think about I guess. I think it'd be a great experience for him and I'm sure he'll have a lot of fun where he's going!

I've been considering saving money so that when I finish my current degree I can take a little bit of a break and go to a design school in Singapore. I've always enjoyed drawing and coming up with new designs, characters and environments. I did recently get a Wacom tablet to facilitate my drawing and painting projects. When I get some ones finished I'll post them here.

EON Industries Part One

Hey, so it's been a while for sure. I may post something later that is for updates to life. Today I wanted to show the projects I've been working on.

The first thing: I wanted to create a company that I could base a lot of my projects out of, so... I think I finally narrowed down EON Industries (c). I'll just split different divisions as I go. This first project I was asked to complete for a local haunt for Halloween and is part of my Tech Div. I was brought in to assist mostly with construction and electrical work plus lighting and effects advisory.

The project was to design and build a control box that would house all the switches and dials and do-dads to control effects and lights. So...I present to you my project titled "Switch-IE".

I know...awesome comforter :P

So this first picture if just of the basic frame for the top panel which I had already constructed. This one was a huge pain because the gang boxes were so close to each other which made the center brace difficult to place...

The one to the right is the front panel attached and the back one up in the background. As is visible, I did wire one switch up to 1st switch gang and used 12ga....turns out it's incredibly difficult to mold to where you want it.

This one...yeah it's coming together. Got the back panel attached, guess what's next?!

I chose to go with 14ga because it's still to code and will also bend and mold to where I want it to go. Putting all the switches in was a breeze.

Here's all the outlet gangs wired up. Each, aside from power in (at far left), are separate and are controlled by a single switch on front panel

Here's the inner guts of the project as it looks now. I should have the dimmer switches tonight so I can wire those guys up. Also, I need two more terminal blocks for common and possibly another for "hot." The current block may be a little overloaded.

If all goes well, I should be able to test it come Thursday this week. If things test well, then comes the awesome paint job I've envisioned. I'll throw some more info up this weekend. Ja ne!

All pictures are Copyright (c) 2010 and property of Myka Rangel

Finally some pictures from the wreck!

So it took me a little while to actually get these pictures up... I didn't want to put them up on facebook because that would just be a little weird! Anywho, here they are!

John and I in the waiting room (Seth has camera)

It had been a few hours so the bandage was stuck to my arm...
A little saline will do the trick!
Ta-da!Cleaning it upWhat a buddy!Up close...ER doctor numbing up my armOh yeah...the inside of my flesh!

So there ya go, everything's all healed up now in an awesome scar!
Bone is also healing up quite well.

Updates and random statements...

As I'm quite new to this whole idea of having a "blog" or space where I can rant about random things... I'm not sure what will be said here for a little while.

Moving out is quite an adventure. I never really understood or had a good idea of what it was going to be like to move out and move away from my family. Needless to say I was quite taken back when it all came down to it. Moving really just came out of nowhere and hit me pretty fast to force me to choose. I was presented with an opportunity I could not really refuse. I have so many good friends here in Pocatello and one very kind and generous one offered to let me live in his grandparents house with him. Seeing as how it was free rent and a place to stay... I took it up! I'll always be very appreciative of John and his generosity for allowing me to stay there. Recently I moved into an apartment with a friend and boy do things just keep getting weirder for me. So many things have been running through my mind in the past little bit and my brain's not used to processing them and I find that getting advice from other people is helpful yet also...

It's something interesting when you move out and you get all of these new feelings and find out how much you are actually missing out on back home. I've started to change a lot of those feelings though and keep telling myself, this is your place now, you're life is starting now. I love my family more than anything and am so appreciated of everything that they have done and continue to do for me.

Aside from all the weirdness life is going really well right now. I'm in school and I love it! Though it is going to take some serious studying and determintation to get good grades, I'm really enjoying it. Japanese classes and Calculus are going well so far albeit classes have only been in session for nearly two weeks. Other than school...work is okay. Life is going smoothly right now and that's just perfect for me.