inverse sin (l/w) = i ... (tan i)dist = aoc

So it has been a minute.
What has happened since the last time? Let me tell you.
Since I will have so much free time this semester due to my new more flexible availability at work, I went back to my school counselor to figure out a plan of attack and see when I should apply for graduation. He looked at my transcripts and asked why I was going to wait until the end of next fall. I didn’t understand and asked him to explain. Long story short, I now have the time to take the classes I need and have applied for both my Forensic Technology certification and AS in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Forensic Technology for August 2009. Now all I need to do is find out if I walk at the end of this semester or if I have to wait until next year. Awesome.
Since my cumulative GPA is 3.868 (4.0 at Grossmont, my few semesters at SLCC brought me down >:P ), I have also been accepted as a member to PTK, and I guess I need to figure what sort of ribbons or sashes or whatever I need to get to wear to my graduation.
The somewhat uncomfortable side affect from all of this is known as no-free-time-whatsoever-because-you-have-an-insane-amount-of-homework-because-you-more-than-doubled-the-amount-of-credit-hours-you-are-taking-by-enrolling-into-multiple-8-week-classes-and-that-is-like-taking-a-full-semester-class-but-in-half-the-time-because-you-must-really-be-ready-to-be-finished-or-just-crazy syndrome.
Yeah, the home work is going to get rough over the next couple months, but I am so excited I cannot even handle it. How excited? So excited that I even remembered to take pictures of my last couple labs.
Below is a partial picture of some blood spatter we were analyzing last night. Focus on the blood drop (satellite spatter) in the center of the picture directly below the loupe.

This is what it looks like through the loupe. Approx 5mm x 2mm.

Now you take the measurements of this spatter and plug them into the calculation on the title, and that is how you find the angle of incident. How does this help solve crimes? Well, if I calculate the many angles of incident from the same spatter pattern, I can find the area of convergence. That means I can prove if this pattern is typical of somebody getting hit in the head while standing up, or laying in bed or if it really happened how the suspect said it did. (they seldom do) With this evidence I know, through physics, that the blood could have only come from a specific area in space.

Yep. Blood spatter is pretty interesting, not rocket science, but interesting all the same.

Questions:
When did my Ex cross the line between annoying and stalking? How can I learn more about what the District Attorney’s office does? Where can I learn more about Sex Crime laws and investigations?

Answer:
GXX Meeting! 6pm, Friday March 6th, room 361
Anyone can attend!
Who is speaking?

SYLVIA A. BRUNNER
District Attorney’s Office, San Diego, CA
Deputy District Attorney II

What else is happening at this meeting?
We will be voting on the new GXX t-shirt design, all entries are due before March 1st. Entries can be turned in at the AOJ office (room 360)

Would you like more information about GXX, please email us: gxx_club_info@yahoo.comOr visit our myspace: http://www.myspace.com/grossmontacja

My new favorite asparagus recipe.

Asparagus Done Awesome, if by awesome you mean with garlic and parmesan
Ingredients:
1 bundle of Asparagus (approx. 1lb)
Olive oil
Butter or margarine (optional, but recommended)
Garlic powder (fresh minced garlic will work if you are feeling a like a busy body)
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet (I use my pan that looks like a crossbreed between a frying pan and a sauce pan) over medium heat melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the butter is completely melted and it starts to make sizzling/popping noises, add the asparagus. Season with salt pepper and garlic powder. Mix asparagus and seasoning. Toss asparagus occasionally to keep from burning one side and to make sure all of it gets some surface time on the pan. When you feel the asparagus is getting tender (about 3-4 minutes) sprinkle generously with grated parmesan cheese. Mix cheese in, and then serve immediately. If you let the cheese cook too long it has a tendency to get greasy, so I add it right before I am ready to serve.

Notes:
All measurements are approximate except for the butter; it has the measurement on the package, and the asparagus. All the seasoning is to taste, and believe me when you get it right for you, it will taste delicious.

I will eat the pico if I forget to ask for none on my burrito.

I can’t wait for tomorrow. I am really excited and really worried at the same time. Let me explain.

Tomorrow I get to work. I work from 7a-2p. I enjoy doing my job. One time in a job interview I was asked what was the thing I liked most about my last job. I answered simply: “The fact that I know everything about it. That makes it fun, not hard. I can make a presentable hamburger with my eyes closed in 11 seconds. I can do it with my eyes open in 6.”

That is how I feel about my new but old position. Since I do not have anybody to worry about except my self, I can dedicate huge amounts of brain power to stuff like this --> *stuff*. It makes work more fun than work and I like it.

I am also excited because tomorrow is the March GXX/LAE meeting. We are having an awesome speaker and topic as well as a contest for next the new official chapter t-shirt. I think I am just going to post the flyer on idiotbook so you will know all about it. I just hope nobody makes awesome comments like this one (link removed) about it.

With all of that awesomeness happening tomorrow, I bet you are wondering why I might be really worried at the same time.

Since moving to California, I have found out that I really enjoy two vegetable that I thought I didn’t like before: avocados and asparagus. Fresh tomatoes are still on my list. This is a story about asparagus.

Earlier this week at my grocery store, I noticed that massive display of asparagus had a HUGE yellow tag. Know what it said? 97 cents a pound. Holy crap. Less than a buck for a whole bundle of one of my favorite veggies. I didn’t believe it at first. Asparagus is usually between 3.99/lb and 4.99/lb. I don’t get it as often as I would like. I bought a couple pounds planning on having asparagus every night for the week. Awesome... Kind of.

This morning before my wife went to work, she let me know it was time to cook the asparagus. When it was time for lunch, I did just that. I invented my new favorite asparagus recipe. You can put it in your binders. Here is the link to what I like to call “asparagus done awesome.”

Anyway, I totally had to eat the whole batch by myself since Kristin was at work. I loved the recipe so much that I cooked the rest of my asparagus for Kristin when she got home form work. I ended up eating about half of it.

So… That is why I am not so excited about tomorrow. I haven’t had to do my duty yet form eating too much asparagus and I am afraid of getting attacked by the asparagus in my guts when I am at work or at my meeting or stuck in traffic or something horrible like that.

-p

Old pictures, but still cool pictures.

I found some old pictures from labs that I could share. I think some of the stuff that I am learning in school is awesome. Maybe I should just be a teacher because I always want to share new stuff that I learn with people around me.
Anyway, these are pictures I have in portfolio along with my resume. They all illustrate different proficiencies and concepts that I am capable of performing.

This is a picture of a laser illustrating a simulated bullet trajectory through a windshield. Have you ever tried to see a laser beam? Usually all you see is just the dot at the end where it hits a surface. This is one of my favorite types of photography.

This is an electro-static dust lift. That is a piece of Mylar that is black on one side and metallic on the other. You put the Mylar black side down over a place where you suspect that there may be a print, and then hook it up to an electric current. The statically charged sheet picks up the dust using the same properties that make your stick to a rubber balloon. Cool stuff.

This is a picture of my college campus at night. You can see my ghosts next to the tree trunks. I used a remote flash to flash every tree and the walkway. This technique is called fill-flash. It is used to photograph large crime scenes, such as a police pursuit, or to show the path that a suspect used to drag a body to their car or something of that nature.

This is a little more boring as a picture but super interesting in real life. This is an example of vectoring a blood stain pattern. This way when you take close up photos of the blood drops you know where the came from and will help you to reconstruct the scene if necessary

This is a fingerprint that was processed with a fluorescent powder then photographed under a black light. If you were to just simply dust a fingerprint on a Pepsi can with the typical black powder, you would not be able the see the print very well. This technique helps you contrast the print form a dark or multi colored back ground and make it easier to use this print for comparison.

This is what I look like in the saddle. Happy.

This is a picture from April 2006. It is my younger sister Laura walking me on her horse named... Normandy? I think that's right, but I'm not sure. I found it on the same cd that Kristin found. I like this picture.
This week.
I started work again on Saturday. I have worked everyday since then, my next day off is Thursday. It has been kind of a trip to get re-acquainted with my current position. It has also been interesting getting to know my present partners. Something else that has been a little strange is that since my new store is in such close proximity to my old store, I get quite a few of my old regulars in my new spot. Judging by their comments, it has been just as strange for them too. Today my district manager stopped by my store on some business. When he saw me working in the drive-thru he smiled real big and expressed how glad he was to have me back. It made me feel good to be back, in spite of the whole “breakup”.
I am reading the book 1776. I like it. I cannot wait to finish it so that I can give it to my wife to read. It is hard to describe, all the events in the book thus far have been pretty much covered in every history class that I have had… in forever. It just covers them differently. I can’t explain it, but I bet if you read this book you will get it too.
This week in school I processed and lifted latent fingerprints. I took these lifted prints and compared them to known ten print cards. I have also looked at and identified characteristics on bullets, cartridge casings and cartridges that were covered in last week’s lecture and homework assignment. I spent so much time looking through magnifying glasses, loupes, and stereoscopes on Monday that I felt like I had the opposite of crossed eyes by the time I left campus. I keep forgetting to take pictures of my labs to share. Grrrrr. Next time. I promise.
I will be visiting home in two weeks. Heh. Visiting home. That’s always funny to me. Heh heh. Just like hand shucked corn and jingle bells played on a skunk. Funny stuff.
Anyway, I am excited. Kristin and I are going to drive. It will be the first trip in our new car.
-p