New Semester and Web Page

It's a new semester and so far I'm ahead in 3 of my classes and the rest just haven't had any homework assigned yet. That's ok, but really I prefer that they give a list of all the homework for the semester right in the syllabus so that we can get things started early. Otherwise, I run into the problem of not being able to work on things right away when they're assigned and then it's hard to keep on top of it all.

My classes include:
EEE 202 Circuits I
EEE 202 Circuits I Lab
PHY 132 Physics II Lab
MAT 243 Discrete Math
CSE 220 Programming for Computer Engineers
CSE 230 Computer Organization/ Assembly Language Programming

Two of my classes (both CSE) are taught by the same professor, Mr. Burger. The first assignment in each of his classes is to post a profile picture to his moodle (moodle is an open source version of BlackBoard) and write a brief description of yourself. To the left is the picture I posted. My friend Nadim took this picture with my broken camera. He had to take several because the screen is broken and we couldn't see the pictures till after I put the SD card in my computer.

I also used this picture to update my profile at the ASU directory and my Blogger profile. I don't like this picture particularly, but it is good enough and I'll take a better headshot someday and update again.

ASU offers web page hosting, so I made a little Jack Site to test it out. I don't know if they will terminate it after I graduate. I also fixed the URL to www.turner08.com.

I updated my email alias from Jeffrey.C.Turner{at}asu.edu to Jack.Turner{at}asu.edu. Both of these addresses get forwarded to Jack{at}turner08.com anyway, so it's really not so important.

New Blog Addresses

My blog and Tamara's Blog have not moved, but they do have new web addresses. If you type http://jack.turner08.com, it will take you to my blog. It will take you directly to my blog without passing go and without collecting $200 (more's the pity.)
Likewise, http://tamara.turner08.com takes you to Tamara's blog. If someday we were to migrate our blogs to some server other than Blogger.com, then these addresses would just update and take you to our new blogs, so you wouldn't have to learn a new blog address.
The picture at left is a screenshot of my domain name management web page. It is enom.com. It always makes me think of "Nom, nom, nom" which is the onomatopœia of chewing on stuff like a monster.

Home Page Update

We've updated our Home Page! This is the only page we've updated though, so if you click the links at the upper left, you'll only see generic pages that as yet have nothing to do with us. I took the picture with my long arm. We migrated to a different server because we didn't like how restrictive Google was with the format of our Home Page. The web address hasn't changed: www.turner08.com
Check it out! : )

Coin Me

In the Air Force, we have Challenge Coins, aka RMOs (Round Metallic Objects.) If someone throws down his coin, that means he's coining everyone around him. If in public, it's only the people in his group who are present. Everyone has to pull out their coins to prove they have one. If someone doesn't have one, they have to buy drinks for the whole group. If Everyone has one, then the person who threw down the challenge buys drinks for everyone. I try to always have one. For complete rules, see http://www.coinforce.com/challenge-coin-rules.htm
These are my Air Force coins. They are in order of when I got them from left to right, then top to bottom.
1. Univerity of Utah ROTC. I was a cadet and so I bought a coin.
2. Edwards AFB. The UofU ROTC went there and we got a bunch of tours and stuff. It was way fun.
3. Iceland. My friend Wally at HomeDepot was a Navy SEAL back in the day. He was stationed in Iceland at an Air Force base doing communications. This was a poker chip he brought home from there. This is the coin that has the most sentimental value for me because recieving a coin unasked for and unexpected is a real honor. When someone does something really outstanding in the Service, sometimes they'll get coined by the person in charge, or the visiting General etc. I didn't initially like Wally as much as I should have, but we talked a lot and I grew to really respect him a lot. He's a hard worker, always has a good attitude, always friendly, despite being in pain often. When he gave me the coin I didn't know that it was meaningful, but as I've served in the Air Force, I learned and now I sometimes get almost choked up when I think of it.
4. Airman Coin. This is the coin that we recieve at the end of Basic Training to prove that we graduated. It cannot be bought. If someone were to give you his Airman Coin, it would be a flabbergasting honor. It just isn't done.
5. 323 TRS. This was my training squadron at Boot Camp.
6. Honor Flight Coin. Only 5% of Airmen earn one of these. It's another that can't be bought.
7.81st TRW. This coin is from Keesler AFB 81st Training Wing. I was there for my tech school. I may have to go back there for more tech school in a few years for upgrade training.
8.944th FW. Luke AFB 944th Fighter Wing. This is my Reserves Wing at Luke.
9. McGuire AFB. This is where I went for annual tour this year. So far, I've bought a coin for every Air Force base I've been to and every unit I've been a part of.
10. 944th Comm. Flight. This is my unit in the Reserves. This coin was designed by Sergeant Bryan. He's no longer with us. He moved to Robbins in Georgia. It doubles as a bottle opener.
11. AF Spouse. This one isn't my coin, it's the one I gave to Tamara as a wedding present. From top to bottom it says:

GRATEFUL
Presented to
TAMARA
For unselfish, faithful,
and devoted partnership.
Your support, caring, and
understanding make possible
our contribution to a
grateful
nation.
APPRECIATION

I had explained to her previous to our marriage what it means to recieve a coin, so when I gave this to her, I was pleased that it was meaningful to her.

My Happy Birthday.

Tamara is really good for birthdays. First, she suggested I go to the gym after school on my birthday, which was really great. Then when I got home, there were helium balloons in the house and lunch waiting for me on the table. It was really good.

Grammy Marian came over for cake and ice cream after that. We had a really good visit. She gave me some really nice cuff links. I wore them to the stake Cultural Arts Night last night and to church today. We're glad she's home now.

In the evening, Tamara and I went to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. It was a lot of fun. One of the stagehand/waitresses was really mouthy with us. I think it was just her role, but she was probably type-cast. There were three couples at our table (except one of the couples was a Daddy/Daughter date, so they barely can really be called a couple.) The other couples were there for birthdays too. Everyone got nametag/character cards to wear. I was Hugh Mungus. Tamara was Mae B. Laytr.

Tamara's mom sent a really nice card. It was shaped about like a cd case and it had a hula dancer and a eukalalee player on the front. There's a turning handle in the corner that makes the dancer dance and the player play and fun music plays. Then when you stop turning the handle, the music STOPS! It's not one of those annoying cards that just keeps playing. Tamara and I were so pleased with it.

Birds of Many Feathers

I've heard that birds of a feather flock together. If you click on this picture and look closely, you'll be able to see pigeons, morning doves and quail all together. About 3 seconds before I took the picture, they were all mixed together, but then they moved around and mostly pigeons were left for the picture.

Rumba Night

You may not be able to tell from the picture, but Tamara and I went dancing on Friday night, and that's where we were when we took the picture. It was a lot of fun. For a total of $10 per couple, we got a beginners' lesson and an intermediate lesson, and then we stayed for the open dance afterward. Admission also included some pretty good brownies and water. It was an inexpensive date, but a really good one and close to home.
Also, I have a fresh haircut in the picture. Tamara cut my hair for me and I helped with the details. :)