Google Wave - I'm Invited

So I hear that getting a Google Wave invite is a big deal. Apparently, a really big deal. Apparently, the biggest deal since Gmail accounts were selling for ridiculous amounts on eBay. I would have sold my early Gmail invites on eBay (they were very early -- very very early) but that was against the Terms of Service. Of course, it is against Google Wave's Terms of Service to sell invitations (I assume) but that hasn't stopped the entrepreneurs among us: Current eBay Prices for Google Wave Invitations.

Seriously though. Are people really paying more than $50 a pop for a simple Wave invite? If you are really that hard up, get in touch with me and we'll see what we can work out ;-)

I am surprised by the land-grab on Google Wave. It doesn't make much sense to me. Your Google Wave account will be based on your Google Account (which is generally your Gmail username). Since you already have your username, why do you "need" to get into Wave before everyone else? It is not like someone is going to take a name that you are hoping for. So put the $50 back in your wallet (or send it to me) and have a little patience.

@tysonsnow

Boy's Wedding - Friends and Family Edition

After seeing President Monson's jar of warm fuzzies earlier today, I figured that I should give my Mom and Dad some warm fuzzies of their own. As always, just click on the pictures / slideshow to go to a page where you can comment on the clowns (Boy, Cody, Jord, Rich, Tyson, and Zac) appearing in these pictures (John isn't a clown -- the Ph.D. gives him some semblance of credibility).



I have some more pictures that need posting. But smells of freshly baked banana bread or wafting up from the kitchen to the office. I guess you will all have to wait for the next round of pictures.

The Return: Midnight Sun - Stephanie Meyer's Rewrite of Twilight - Manuscript Leaked

[Editorial Note]: I'm bringing a story back. That's right. Straight from the archives. This story was originally published on this very blog in October 2008. The title is/was: Midnight Sun - Stephanie Meyer's Rewrite of Twilight - Manuscript Leaked and you can click [here] to read the original.

Why am I bringing it back? Because we keep getting comments from people who think we are Stephanie Meyers! It is awesome. There is nothing better than comments from teenage girls with vampire and werewolf fanaticism. Check them out! A new one was added in the last day or two! Don't get me wrong; at least 50% of those living in our house love Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. For at least one of us, the best part of Transformers 2 was the New Moon trailer before the movie even started. But with New Moon coming out in theatrical form and no word from Stephanie about the status of Midnight Sun, I figured it was time to invite additional comments.

(Note to Stephanie Meyer's publishers and their attorneys -- we too (two) are attorneys. Yes. Both of us. I've got three words for you: Fair Use / Parody. Save it for the judge).

---

Midnight Sun - Stephanie Meyer's Rewrite of Twilight - Manuscript Leaked

Sara stumbled across the linked manuscript of Midnight Sun (the rewrite of Twilight told from Edward's (the vampire) point of view). Evidently Meyer distributed copies of the unfinished and unedited manuscripts to some family members and friends who then posted it on the net. Meyer has since decided that she is not going to complete the book and she has posted a link to the unfinished manuscript on her site. Here is a link to the press release on her website and a quick summary of the posting:

http://stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher.

I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution.

...

I do want to take a moment and thank the wonderful fans who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I cannot begin to tell you how much each of you means to me. I only hope this note will stop all the confusion and online speculation so that the Twilight universe can once again become the happy escape it used to be. After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects.

--Stephenie

Links to the manuscript can be found on Meyer's website (the link above). Looks like Sara will have something to read for the next couple of days.

Boy's Wedding - Nephew's Edition

So... You see... My brother ("Boy") is married. Shocker. I know. Congratulations Boy (and my apologies and best wishes to Jordann -- and her family lol). I'm kidding of course (mostly). Anyway, I think that Sara and I took as many pictures as the photographer. Of course, when I take pictures, I usually just run up to the "subject" and snap the pic while they aren't looking. It has some interesting results. We will be posting various editions of the photos we took. Let's start with the Nephew's Edition:



When I have this many pictures, I prefer the auto-play album that scrolls through the pictures. You can just click on the picture or the links to open the whole album (so you can give adequate attention to each picture). Notice all the shocked faces and surprised looks that resulted from me jumping in front of people with a camera flashing.

Here Come the Highlights #2

This highlight video was actually up well before the one I linked to below. It is longer (a little less than nine minutes) but is in HD (if you follow the link -- the embedded version is not in HD) and has great audio from the game. Other bonuses:

• Max Hall chanting "we're going to win, we're going to win" as the team heads into the locker room at half (3:27 in the video)
  
• Pitta running one of the sickest routes you will ever see a TE run, on 3rd and 10 mind you (5:08 in the video)
• Great coaching by Bronco Mendenhall having two plays already called so that the team could get the fourth-down play off and running quickly, which led to an easy conversion (5:48 in the video)
• Sam Bradford, your Heisman Trophy winner (6:27 in the video)

BYU vs OU from Brandon Orton on Vimeo.

The only thing missing was the classic line from the announcers that Max Hall was saying "whatever it is they say in Provo." Good work on the video. I hope (and am sure) that many more are on their way.

Here Come the Highlights...

When one of BYU's biggest football wins ever gets mixed with some Linkin Park and then put into slo-mo, well, it demands to be seen:

BYU vs OU from James B Ellison on Vimeo.

Great compilation. It isn't mine so no credit goes to me. I encourage you to forward the link onto friends and family. I feel a duty to spread the joy and love of BYU Football (along with the added side-benefit of giving props to an excellent Linkin Park song). So get to it already...

One Game; Two Numbers; Endless Possibilities...

LOL... It sounds like I came up with the team slogan for this year. All I can say is that:

14-13

never looked so good. Congratulations to the Cougars. It was a great weekend for sports in our house. Utah trounced Utah State, which made Sara happy. Boise State stomped Oregon, which made everyone in the entire world happy (note to Oregon: your uniforms are still ugly). The U.S. Men's National Team beat El Salvador and essentially locked up a spot in the World Cup 2010. And then, of course, the improbable victory over what was supposed to be an excellent Oklahoma team. it almost makes all those bad sports weekends seem worth it.



And yes, we watched the game after we got home from the Jon Schmidt concert at Thanksgiving Point. I would have watched the U.S. Men's National game (played here in Sandy at Rio Tinto Stadium) but the DVR didn't record it right. Oh well, it was pretty late by the time we finished watching the BYU (and replaying all the important plays over and over).

I'm starting to think that I am jinxed. We were in Korea for the Miami game (which BYU won) and I was at a concert during the now infamous (but badly played) Oklahoma game. I didn't attend or watch either of them live. I guess the exception to the jinx rule would be the 1996 team (I was at the Texas A&M game and the Cotton Bowl when BYU beat 5th ranked Kansas St.)

Go Cougars...

Ahhh... College football is upon us. Enjoy the ride everyone (and go U.S. Mens National Team in a World Cup Qualifier against El Salvador tonight at Rio Tinto Stadium here in Sandy, Utah).

You Are Working Too Hard When...

We were quietly at church last Sunday. We were fasting so rather than engaging in my typical practice of "borrowing" and eating snacks and treats from the little kids that sit around us (and more particularly Seth and his parents, Chad and Melanie who are nice enough to let us sit with them), I was simply "borrowing" the snacks and putting them in my pocket to eat later. Suddenly, Seth got a glimpse of my right hand, which proudly presented three Band-aids to all onlookers. Seth's glance went from the Band-aids to me and back to the Band-aids. A slight grin came across his face and he started to chuckle as he loudly proclaimed, "Whoa, you have too many band-aids!!!"

Everyone laughed. Especially Sara. But I was proud. When a three-year-old who is as adventurous and crazy as Seth tells you that you have too many Band-aids, you pretty much know that you've had an excellent weekend. More Band-aids = More respect (or at least that is how it should be).

Sara is the Best and the Bestest Ever...

The reasons are too numerous to list, so I'll give you 2000 words (plus a couple extra via captions):



Can't beat the Slurpee and the Subaru WRX STI. And there are several additional "features" we plan on adding over the future.



I apologize for the screen but I doubt Sara would have wanted be to take a picture of her mowing the lawn. Seriously though, she mows it all the. It is the best!

Greatest wife ever. I know there are some other good candidates, but no one really stacks up. Good try by everyone else though. Keep up the good work. Between road-tripping, to rocking out while racing Evo9s in our STI, and our mutual love for sweet-potato fries, the combination clearly was intended from the outset.