To Be A Kite

Sample Saturday

2011-12-17T01:33:00.000-08:00

Above: Neon Indian

SSSAMPLEEE SSSATURDAYYY

This Week's Top Pick:

Neon Indian - Polish Girl

Neon Indian is still an up-and-coming artist. So much so that he still hasn't escaped the Myspace music site. But, don't let that discredit his work. The first time I heard Neon Indian was about a year ago when he released his album Psychic Chasms. I'm not sure if it was his skill level or my taste in music that hadn't fully evolved to the point of my being able to fully enjoy the album, but it took a lot of getting used to before I could really appreciate the unique sound that he created. I was able to find a few songs that were catchy (namely one called Deadbeat Summer) and I knew that I would likely become a fan of his in no time. His warped record style effects on top of classic instruments combined with synthetic undertones somehow united to create an almost awkward sense of harmony (like when you play your music for your grandma and she actually likes it). Now, he has released a new album called Era Extrana (from which Polish Girl may be found) and by the sound of it, he is really starting to make some headway.

Other Goodness:
The Mountain Goats - Damn These Vampires

Young Galaxy - We Have Everything
see tab for free download

Little Scream - Heron and the Fox
see tab for free download

Wild Flag - Romance
see tab for free download

Junior Boys - Banana Ripple

Cut Copy - Need You Now

Feist - How Come You Never Go There (Beck Remix)

Turn A Used Chandelier Into A Masterpiece

2011-11-29T18:22:00.001-08:00

So, unemployment sucks. Sure, not having money coming in is definitely a downer, but I think even worse is not having anything to do with your time. So, I decided to start a little project to fill in some of the down time.

I was at this used home improvement store off of the 13th South exit on I-15 with my mom when I came across this 1980's era brass chandelier thingy (forgot to take a before pic, sorry). It was, in the words of my mother, "hideous". Fortunately, unemployment had afforded me a lot of time on the internet to fill my right brain with tons of creative ideas from reading blogs. So, I didn't see this chandelier for what it was, but rather, what it could be (cliche)!

I bought this piece of junk for 10 bucks. Spray-paint and electrical cord cost meabout 12 bucks. All-in-all, I was into this thing about $22. Let the creativity begin.

I went to Michael's Craft Store and bought this foam paper stuff that had a sticky backside. The idea was that I would create stencil that I could transfer from one sheet of glass to the next. Well, as the spray painting continued, the stencil backing became less and less sticky. So, I ended up having to cut out two stencils with the X-ACTO Knife to finish the project.

Next I went online and googled some patterns that I could modify in Photoshop and print off. I cut the design into proportion with the glass pieces and, using some rubber cement, I glued it onto the foam sticky paper and stuck the foam to the glass piece. Then, you just start cutting!

I bought textured spray-paint from Home-Depot that I used for the design on the glass and for the brass moldings that hold the glass pieces together. I just figured it was simpler this way, but I guess you can pick and choose different paints if you want.

The thing you have to be careful of, is the spray paint doesn't stick to the glass very well. So if you scratch it with your fingernail while you are trying to remove the stencil, the paint will come right off. So, be careful! What you'll need to spray it with next is a "Frosted Window" spray paint which you can, again, purchase from Home Depot. This not only seals the black spray paint design into place, but it also makes the glass translucent. This helps with the ambiance that it will eventually eluminate when the lamp is complete.

Spray paint all the brass pieces that you want to use for the lamp with the textured black spray-paint. I say textured because, in my opinion, it looks a lot better. But, I guess you can decide whatever suits your needs. I ended up not using all the pieces that came with the chandelier, because I wanted to make it into a desk lamp. So, I got rid of the bottom pieces to make it flat.

Finally, re-essemble the lamp and put it on display! You might have to buy some wiring supplies like I did in order to return it to working conditions. I'm pretty happy with the way that mine turned out and am looking forward to my next desk-lamp project. Stay tuned!

NYC: A Memoir

2011-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite pictures I have taken since I have been in New York City. I hope you enjoy them while listening to this song by the Gorillaz.

Setting the Record Straight

2011-10-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Bill.

Sample Saturday

2011-09-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Above: I preview of the album cover for Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto

SSSAMPLEEE SSSATURDAYYY

This Week's Top Pick:
Coldplay - Paradise

A preview from their upcoming album Mylo Xyloto (interpretation unknown) set to release October 25th.

Other Goodness:
Justice - Helix

Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids

Laura Stevenson and the Cans - Master of Art
see tab for free download

Groundislava - Panorama (Clive Tanaka and Beaunoise Remix)
right click here to "download linked file"

The Drums - Days
see tab for free download

M83 - Midnight City

Purity Ring - Lofticries
see tab for free download

Kids of 88 - San Fran
see tab for free download (warning: poor quality)

Gold Panda - Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
see tab for free download

Cant - Believe

Sample Saturday

2011-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Above: Alex Winston

Sample Saturday

This Week's Top Pick:

Alex Winston - Locomotive
see tab for free download

Other Noteworthy Bands:

Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard
see tab below for free download

The Magician (feat. Jeppe) - I Don't Know What To Do

Phoenix - Fences (Def Starr Remix)
see tab below for free download

Oregon Bike Trails - Cayucas
see tab below for free download

The Rapture - Come Back To Me

Soft Pipes - Stay Pretty
see tab below for free download

The Coasts - Poltergeist

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-09-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

In The News:

Employee leaves iPhone prototype in a bar...again.
AT&T's plan to purchase T-Mobile falls through.
President Obama forced to reconsider the date for his economic speech after scheduling it on the same day as a GOP debate. Who won?

Things I Like:

A really interesting de facto about historical events.
100 of the most influential gadgets invented from 1923 to present.
Watch This Dance Video:

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Above: Cool things to do with your shoelaces.

Things That Are Important:

Could there be another Hurricane Brewing?
Ghadafi's son won't give up.
Obama pushing congress to extend the transportation development.
Stock Market Finishing Strong.
Amazon vs. iPad. Can anyone dethrone the king?

Things That I Like:

How to get a good night's sleep.
2,001 film locations mapped.
Watch this dumb video:

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Above: Redditor Bellythroat says "First the Earthquake, and now Irene. We will rebuild"

Things That Are Important:

New York City Subway up and running in time for morning commute
Lady Gaga at the VMA's takes her alter-ego all the way to the men's restroom
Obama looks to Kreuger to be Economic Chairperson at the White House

Things That I Like:

Photoshop lesson
The story of Comic Sans Serif
My next destination: India
Watch this Video:

Sample Saturday

2011-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Above: Rubblebucket

Sample Saturday

Well, congratulations! We've made it to another weekend. I hope yours is going well. Mine? Well, I'm just taking shelter in my apartment riding out the Hurricane that is scheduled to hit New York City tomorrow. So, in order to keep in good spirit, I have compiled yet another Sample Saturday cocktail of music. Some new. Some old. All terrific.

As I mentioned last week, some of the tracks that I post have free downloads available. Some you can download right from my blog. Just click on the arrow in the embedded link and select download (for those that I have specified only). For the songs that have a download link simply click on the link to take you to the website where you can download it. Once there, right click on that site's link and select, download source file. The download window should pop up and an MP3 download will appear. Enjoy!

Penguin Café Orchestra – Perpetuum Mobile

The Cave Singers - Swim Club

Cass McCombs - The Same Thing (free download)

Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

Timeflies - Say Ah (free download – click download tab below)

Givers – Up Up Up (CSS Remix) (free download – click download tab below)

Ben Gibbard – When the Sun Goes Down

Thomas Tantrum – Sleep (RAC Remix) (free download – click download tab below)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero (RAC Remix) (free download – click download tab below)

Alex Winston – Velvet Elvis

Rubblebucket – Worker (free download – click download tab below)

Fixers - Swimhauss Johannesburg (Star Slinger Remix) (free download - click download tab below)

Lemonade - The Place Where You Belong (free download - click download tab below)

Penguin Prison - Don't F*** With My Money

Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real (free download)

Music Video of the Week:
Freelance Whales - Enzymes

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Above: Kauai Coastline and Mountain Range

Things That Are Important:

Will Apple survive without Jobs?
New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, advises all coastal residents to evacuate by Friday.
U.N. Building in Nigeria bombed, killing 8.

Things That I Like:

iPod Dissected.
Change the drip.
The World's hardest game.
Watch this video:

Fun with Stop-Motion

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

Above: All the boards cut from a single log.

Things That Are Important:
- East coast braces for Hurricane. The last Hurricane to hit New York City was in 1938.
- Warren Buffet invests 5 Billion in Bank of America bonds. BAC stock dropped as low as 6 dollars two days ago. Opened over 8 dollars this morning.
- A $1 Million dollar bounty has been place on Qaddafi's head by rebel leaders.
- Black Hole swallows a star and is caught on Video.

Things That I Like:
- Of all the bizarre things found in Qaddafi's compound, this might be the weirdest/creepiest.
- Awesome yearbook moments.
- Learn to speak hiptser. Beer Me.
- Watch this Video:
Arnold Schwarzenegger movies in highlighters:

The Schwarzenegger Trilogy from Brainbow on Vimeo.

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Things That Are Important:
- Hurricane Irene's course will be determined over the next couple of days. Predictions are that it will affect the entire East Coast and stretch as far as New York. People in these areas are highly advised to make preparations before it hits.
- Congressional Budget Office predicts that the National Budget Deficit will be $1.28T this year. Slightly lower than last year. Further, congress proclaims the total deficit will be cut by $3.3T over the next 10 years. The total deficit is currently at $3.5T and will grow larger if the Bush-era tax cuts are extended beyond their expiration in 2012.
- The Washington Monument has been closed indefinitely due to the shaking 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit VA yesterday.
- Unemployment rate is predicted to stay above 8% for years to come with the economic turmoil that faces the United States.

Things I Like:
- Inspiring quotes to live by.
- Greg Rutter's list of 99 things you should have already experienced on the Web.
- Woman able to control computer with her thoughts.
- The internet's funniest reactions to the east-coast earthquake.
- Watch this video:
Firefighter un-phased by a car exploding in his face:

Good Read

2011-08-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Just finished this interesting and comical book by Tina Fey. It is basically a short biography mixed with real world views and woman activism. So, that being said, it is probably more suited for women to read as she talks about many feministic issues that are sometimes difficult for men to understand or even uninteresting/inapplicable. Regardless, I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout this book. Her writing style is truly unique. And anyone who is a fan of her bits on SNL and especially 30 rock, you will find this particularly interesting.

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

Things That are Important:
- Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake hits Virginia. More importantly, I didn't feel a thing, although everyone evacuating the buildings around me must have.
- Qaddafi missing as rebels take compound.
- Toyota reveals the new Camry,
- Obama riding the Libyan controversy wave.

Things I Like:
- Awesome way to recycle billboards.
- The many roles of Morgan Freeman.
- 7 amazing man-made materials that will blow your mind.
- Watch this video:
Firefighters prepare to save lives, also make stupid looking outfits obsolete:

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Above: Redditor arnizach captions, "my daughter trying pop rocks for the first time."

Things That are Important:
- Libyan rebel fighters sweep through Tripoli. Qadafi's sons captured.
- Jessica Mah shares what she learned while raising 1 million dollars for a start up company.
- Job market takes a hit as companies downsize to survive the market crash.

Things I Like:
- What we really learn from childhood games - life application.
-Interesting spy gadgets dating back to the Civil War.
- Look at this kid and appreciate life.
- Meet Ryan Doyle; your tour guide to Mardin, Turkey. Oh, he's pretty good at other stuff too (see: Parkour):

Sample Saturday

2011-08-20T04:58:00.000-07:00

SAMPLE SATURDAY

Visit my blog every Saturday to get a fresh new groove of some of the hippest new music on the scene. Also, find out how you can download many of them for free...legally! Just leave a comment if you want details.

Star Slinger is a sweet DJ that is surfacing from the UK. I just think this would be a great track to start your day to:
Star Slinger - Mornin' by Star Slinger

Alright, if you come to New York City in the near future and go to a club, guaranteed that you'll run into this song. Although, I know it's not exclusive to NYC. I'm sure it's blown up in Europe as well. It seems like their type of song:
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand (Original Mix) by H+ Records

Here's a good little pick-me-upper from Darwin Deez, an American indie band right from the heart of NYC:
Darwin Deez - Constellations by LuckyNumberMusic

Here is an up and coming band from New York that I saw in concert this week. They are called The One AM Radio:
03 Everything Falls Apart by Tony Hoffer

I have a feeling we will be hearing more from Crystal Fighters in the future. Lots of potential here:
Crystal Fighters - At Home (Radio Edit) by Crystal Fighters

And from Stockholm we have the synth-friendly band, I Break Horses with their song Winter Beats:
I Break Horses - Winter Beats by Bella Union

Music Video of the Week:
I hope this isn't an introduction to the Black Keys for you. If it is, you've definitely been missing out. Regardless, this is a great video if you like groovy music orchestrated to cat fights and a dinosaur puppet:

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Things That are Important:
- Get your 2012 Campaign fill
- HP dropping WebOS and possibly quitting the PC business?
- More Stock Problems
- AIG slowly paying off it's debt to the US Government.
- Running for President: "The rent is too damn high".

Things I Like:
- New music of the day:
Gardens & Villa Black Hills by INDIGENOUSPromotions
- 25 Coolest College Labs
- Here are some clever functional designs for everyday life.
- Watch this video:

On Assignment from renan ozturk on Vimeo.

Jimmy Chin goes above and beyond (literally) to capture the perfect shot of climbers in Yosemite National Park.

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-18T06:59:00.001-07:00

Things That are Important:
- Dow plunges 450+ points at opening bell amidst the USA's and Europe's financial crisis'.
- President Obama asks Syrian President, Bashar Assad, to step down from office amidst the country's ongoing turmoil.
- The BART website was hacked for the second time by the infamous hacking group "Anonymous" in response to the transit groups decision to blackout cell phone service.
- The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the S&P downgrade of United States Bonds.
- Looking Back: The Berlin Wall

Things I Like:
- New music of the day:
Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) by Gotye
- Your mouse...in spaaaaace!
- Songs that make you feel good.
- Turn your keyboard into a sound board.
- Watch this video:

Kilian Martin: A Skate Illustration

Cool Video of the Day

2011-08-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Monster Rally Team sure knows how to put on an impressive show. You can fast forward through the opening credits if you can't bare it (skip to 1:25).

Good Read

2011-08-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Richest Man In Babylon

Alright, let me start by saying this isn't the most interesting fictional story of all time. But, the good news is that it's about 45 pages in length. So, it's an extremely easy read! But, more importantly is the concept that it teaches.

Synopsis:
Set in the fictional land of Babylon, a poor, hard working citizen asks the richest man in the city how he earned his millions.

Lesson:
It's a concept that you may be familiar with - saving! But, it gets a little more descriptive than that. It encourages readers to save 10% of their total income (before taxes). Set that aside and learn to make that money work for you!

The book was recommended to me by one of my professors in college. It's extremely inexpensive. I bet you could find a used copy for a buck. The book does a great job arguing the concept by giving examples in the form of short stories. Such a simple concept, but how many of us are really doing it??

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Things That are Important:
- Make a political statement - downgrade U.S. Bonds.
- How long before this book becomes a progressive icon?
- New face, different game in the political race.

Things I Like:
- New music of the day.
- Throwback music of the day.
- Turn your trash into modern furniture.
- Good thing there aren't children running the government everyday. Wait...

Daily Links and Stuff I Care About

2011-08-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Above: Don't get the wrong idea about this picture. I am whole heartedly a fan of the sign of the times that is Jersey Shore.

Things That Are Important:
- Warren Buffet believes that the rich should pay higher taxes.
- What the "future" beholds.
- Google is setting up to take over the world.

Things I Like:
- If Branding was Honest
- The summer sun is setting. Get your Fill.
- New song of the day.
- The depth behind deception (aka Magic?)

Welcome to the City

2011-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, it's the start of a new chapter of my life. And what a chapter it is. For those of you who read this and do not know, I decided to drop my life in Utah back in May, take another trip to Kenya for a month, and promptly move to New York City upon my return. Well, my new life here has been quite interesting to say the least. It is great to be surrounded by successful people full of drive and ambition. It definitely makes reason for someone to reevaluate their life and reenergize their dreams and goals. I guess you could say that is the biggest thing I am taking from this experience so far. I've made a lot of improvements to "self" since moving here.

I find that it's so easy to become complacent when you never leave your comfort zone. You begin to expect things to just come to you. You forget what it's like to dream large and dedicate yourself to making it a reality. I find that a lot of people fall into that trap after graduating. And why wouldn't they? After a 4 year daily routine at college, it becomes commonplace to forget why you are there - to further your career and your personal development! Society is somewhat to blame for this. Attending a university is just "the next step" after High School. It's something that you have to do, because even to get a mediocre job pushing paper, companies demand that you have a College Degree. It's so interesting how many people graduate and enter the workplace wondering, "when am I actually going to use the information I learned in college" (spoken figuratively, of course). At this juncture of societal development, a degree is merely a piece of paper. And that is often all it is treated as - something you work hard for for years, receive, and store in a box in your basement.

They say that in the future, janitors will need Ph.D's. I'm starting to believe it. What once was a Bachelors degree 20 years ago, is a Masters today. If you want to stand out in the workplace, merely going to college isn't enough.

Getting my Masters (or MBA more specifically) has always been an intention, but never really a drive for me. Until recently, that is. And I owe this forthcoming ambition to New York City.

It's difficult to report to people back home when they ask me how New York City is to reply,"still jobless for me." I forget that I never made this move with the highest of expectations. And unfortunately, I think I have let others' hopes for me become the expectations for myself - getting a high salaried job at a Fortune 500 company, finding a beautiful girl to marry, or even starting in the mailroom and working my way to become a top executive at a high profile company (thanks for that idea hollywood). Unfortunately, I've learned to become a realist. If you want a high profile job, treat yourself as the Rule and not the Exception. Be an outstanding person if you want to get that outstanding job. And, hopefully, that is what I am on my way to become.

Back to Blogging

2011-08-16T10:27:00.001-07:00

Well friends, loved ones, randoms -
I guess it's back to blogging. Sure, it's been years since this thing has had any kind of attention. However, I guess now that I am including it on my resume, better start filling it with meat. From here on out, I am dedicating this blog to serious content. Not to say that I won't be my fun usual self and blog about my adventures in New York City, but if I want it to be relevant to my future, I guess it's time to make sure it's applicable. So expect good things. This will be the first of many. Looking forward to a new future with my blog. Find out what it means to truly be a Kite :)

Africa: Arrival

2009-08-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

It was quite a contrast coming from the modern, almost luxurious, airport in Amsterdam and stepping

into the quaint, low-tech airport of Nairobi. Still, I was impressed, as it had already far surpassed my expectations of what I had pictured the airport to look like. But, I had

already seen a major contrast in both the culture and the ethnicity of the people. It seemed I had made the transition into becoming the minority group.

My group and I gradually made our way through customs and made the short walk to the domestic departure terminal. Our flight to Mombassa was our last stretch before meeting up with our trip coordinators, Brent and Rinda. We were exhausted by the hours of relentless travel we ha

d experienced and the extreme time warp we had undergone through two days of traveling halfway across the world. We were ready for it to be over.

As our airplane parked at the terminal in Mombassa, we gathered our luggage and anxiously made our way out of the airport to see an excited white-skinned couple waiving their arms at us. It was nice to know that we had finally arrived.

Brent and Rinda introduced us to David, a local who would be chauffeuring us around for the next month. We packed our bags in his safari customized Toyota van and piled ourselves in to travel to the hotel where we would be staying for the night.

As the van pulled out of the airport I pulled open my window so I could get a better view of the country. By now it was dark and I could only vaguely see the scenery. Even at the late hour there were still people out in the city. Most of them were just sitting, lining the streets. Their dark complexions made them difficult to see. Their white eyes a

nd bright teeth were the only thing making them recognizable.

It was a short ride to Nyali Beach Hotel. As we pulled up, the security guard opened the gate for our van and revealed the beautifully constructed European style hotel, complete with ocean view, swimming pools, and white sandy beaches, all catered by a plethora of food and other services. The commodities aided in a much needed good night’s rest. However, it wasn’t exactly the best introduction to the extreme conditions t

hat I would be facing in the coming weeks.

Africa. The Beginning. More to Come

2009-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know how many of you know this, but I went to Kenya in May. I failed to blog anything about it. So, here is the first article of my series on Africa:

The Beginning:

It was almost a month ago today that I stepped foot on my first flight from Salt Lake City International Airport to begin my excursion to the great continent of Africa. I remember the anxious anticipation and extreme uncertainties I had while packing and preparing for the trip and anxiously sitting in the aircraft. “Am I really about to go to Africa” I had to keep asking myself. I had already experienced life away from home in the form of a two year religious service mission for my church while living in Alaska, but it didn’t seem to compare to my month long humanitarian mission I was about to experience in the third-world country of Kenya.

The trip had snuck up on me. I hadn’t given it ample planning time. Three days earlier I had just finished a relentless two weeks of studying and cramming for exams. As I walked out of the last test of one of my toughest semesters in school yet, suddenly it struck me…I needed to start preparing for my next test, the test of enduring a month in Kenya.

The packing list provided by our trip coordinators – Brent and Rinda Hayes – was relatively short and simple. It felt like I was packing for a month-long camping trip. Lots of mosquito repellant, sun-screen, crappy clothes, one bed sheet, some Wal-mart tennis shoes, a headlamp, and four gigabytes of memory cards to capture the experience.

I had created a picturesque idea of what life in rural Kenya would be like. The occasional run-in with a lion or elephant, half-naked men and women tribes-people, an unsophisticated and ignorant lifestyle that would be begging to be reshaped and reformed to the “American Way”. My mind was running with uncertainty as the only source I had to shape my imagination and expectations of Kenya around were the stories I had heard from those who had gone before and the epic television productions I had seen on the Discovery Channel. Of course, I was setting myself up to have my expectations completely thwarted and reshaped.

Catch Up

2009-02-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
Sorry for the lack of blogging that you might be experiencing. I know it's really hard to get trough a week without knowing what your fav person is up to in life. I am truly sorry. I want to catch you up on what's going on in my life.

School:
So, it's a new semester. My second to last! I'm taking some really interesting classes this semester: Entrepreneurship, Advanced Management, International Finance, New Venture Implementation, and Operations Management. I should clarify, not all of them are interesting. My favorite is New Venture Implementation. It's taught by Professor Little, a millionaire looking to fill his time after retiring at the age of 50. He's an entrepreneur to it's fullest standards. Starting from scratch right from college, he built his company from the ground up and was labeled in the Inc. 500's fifty fastest growing companies in the U.S.A. Pretty impressive! He's very inspiring and really motivating. Although, he makes starting a business sound like a piece of cake. I wish it were that easy for me. He thinks I'm thinking about it too hard. Anyway, I've got some great ideas stewing right now and I'm hoping I can get his approval on them come presentation time in class.

Fun:
Presidents Day Weekend, my friends Matt Henn, J.W. Hackett, and Jeff Seare went up with my roommate to his cabin in Whitefish, Montana. He has a Huge place up there. I would hardly call it a cabin. It's very upscale. It was a fun filled weekend full with skiing, relaxing in the hottub, and some friendly competition in the Mr. Whitefish Decathalon. Mr. Whitefish Decathalon is a fun competition of 10 events agreed upon by it's participants. This year it included a sledding time trial, a dizzy race on the lake, a potato gun shooting competition, ping-pong, trivia, math challenge, poker, and a few others that I can't really remember (but you will see the results in the pictures below). It was definitely a much needed break.

Arriving in Montana!

A day on Big Mountain Resort

Not really sure how he got on the slopes.

Yes it looks gay, but i didn't want to disrupt the view of Whitefish, Montana.

Prime Rib Dinner. Thanks Deb.

Mr. Whitefish Sledding event. Actually, it was more like snow-kneeboarding. We found some retro clothes to add style points. And, of course, safety first.

Jeff shooting the Potato gun

Mr. Whitefish results. So close. I took 3rd though. I was either really good or really bad at the events.

Getting home after a 10 hour drive and still perky.

My Life Be Like........Sucky

2008-12-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

So, in anticipation of recieving a bad grade in my finance 3040 class, I decided I needed to put in an extra effort for my final exam. I started studying two days in advance for this test, spending the night before the test in the library from 5:30pm-1:30am. As I studied, a few classmates decided to meet up with me. I was feeling really good about the material, and was the go-to guy if anyone had a question about a particular problem or concept.
As I walked into my class to take the final, I felt completely confident that I had put in the time to ace the test. The professor handed the test out and I quickly breezed through it. I walked out the door and conversed about the test with some fellow classmates. I left feeling no anxiety whatsoever about how I did.
Well, turns out I got a 76% on the test. I don't understand it. I was so pissed last night after I had discovered that. I followed through with an email to my professor:

Professor Myers,
I am really concerned about my grade. I realize it's too late to make any improvements, but this is the second test that I have felt exceptionally prepared for and suffered terrible results. I was teaching my study group how to do all the problems and explaining the concepts to them and it all made so much sense to me. I am just baffled that my test score does not reflect that in any way. I am taking Finance 3050 concurrently with this class and I'm planning on getting an A- in that class. I guess I am just frustrated that I am struggling in this class even though I feel that I am understanding all the material and most of it is review from my 3050 class. Could I maybe come meet with you and see what I did wrong? What do you suggest? Is there any hope for me?
Sincerely,
John Keiter

Hopefully I can work some magic. Nothing is more frustrating to me than when results don't meet expectations.

End of the Semester

2008-12-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

This week has been spent entirely in the library. Every night I have made a trip to the library in preparation for my upcoming exams. Well, last night, amidst the horendous stress that was building with every ticking minute, I had an epiphany: I pay for this torment. I pay a lot of money in fact. Which led me to the question "why?" I'm not going to lie and say that my college experience hasn't been beneficial. It has taught me some critical basic concepts about the business world and other life aspects. But, looking back on the material that I've studied, I have maybe been able to retain approximately 25% of it.

I have two more semesters of college reamaining. It will have taken me 5 years to graduate. I have been going to school non-stop (summer semester) for going on 3 years now. And I will graduate with a diploma in Business Administration with no clue what I am going to do with it. I've considered continuing my education after I graduate by taking the LSAT and applying for Law School. But honestly, I am so wishy washy about my future. I hate not knowing what lies down the road for me. And what's even worse is the state our economy has left the job market in. I don't see how I can take advantage of any career opportunities when they are so few and far between.

Oh well. If there's one thing I'm beginning to realize about life, it's that we spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow, and not enough time worrying about today. As the saying goes, "enjoy this moment, for this moment is your life."

Usually I Hold Out

2008-12-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

But, thanks to the shizzle snow year we're having, I started early. Listening to Christmas Music just doesn't seem right without that white fluffy stuff. Thanksgiving brought more than I bargained for though. We decorated our grassy yard with beautiful white christmas lights, and killed a tree to put in our house. Don't worry though. Thanks to Christ's atonement, the tree will be saved in heaven. How can you not feel the Christmas Spirit when so much Christmassy stuff is going on?
I have to say, I'm not really a fan of the Holly Jolly Christmas type songs. Rather, I like the peaceful classical piano-ie type of Christmas music. I think it is a better representation of what Christmas is all about.
My favorite part about Christmas is the warm feelings it brings. Even though the weather may be frigid outside, you still feel warm on the inside. Cliche, I know.
I was sad to hear from my nephew that Santa won't be visiting the Morgan residence this winter. Apparently Christian requested that he stay away because of the Santa pictures my sister forced on him last year. Way to go Brek. Glad you ruined Christmas for your son at the ripe age of 2.
Well, Santa won't be skipping my house. I want that fat SOB to bring me some much needed clothes. Maybe some extra cash on the side. Santa, I hope you read this. I need clothes. Nice one's. I'm graduating this year.

Bored at Work??

2008-11-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have jobs as productive and important as mine (sarcasm) I want to share with you a website that God has blessed the deaf with so they can communicate vocally over the telephone. The tool is called Relay Calling and it allows the deaf to communicate over the phone through an operator who reads to the person on the other end what the deaf person is typing. Anyway, it's a great way to prank people or have really awkward phone sex. Here is a prank i pulled on my mom:

Me: Can I speak with dana keiter?
Mom: yes
Me: Dana, my name is herbert mccagherty, I was informed by someone that you backed into my car. They took down your license plate and I would like you to pay for the damage
Mom: i did not back into anyone's car
Me: They said it was the license plate [deleted], I was parked at the gateway in Salt Lake City Mom: I would like to know where this incident took place; when
Me: I live in the tower and was out of town when it happened, but a note was left with your license plate
Mom: do we know the date when this incident was reported with the note qq (side conversation) (talking in background)
Me: I'm not certain, I've been out of town for the past two weeks
Mom: i will repeat when did this person find the note on their car that this incident had taken place qq
Me: I found it when I got home last night. I am deaf and teach classes as a guest professor. I was at Berkley College teaching and i don't think that it is right to argue with me because I can't fully express myself being a deaf person
Mom: (side conversation)(talking in background) i did not hit anyone at the gateway it could have been anyone that might have hit this individual and left a note with my license plate
Me: My silver BMW has blue paint down the side. What color is your car?
Mom: (side conversation)(talking in background) my car is blue
Me: Do you think this is just coincidence?
Mom: i think that someone must have hit this gentleman's car my license plate is very easy to remember and tagged it on me. i am a responsible and believe xxx individual and had i hit or scratched anyone's car i would have followed through and taken care of the situation, there is no coincidence someone is trying to blame me for their accident
Me: I have the entire deaf coalition on my side and I will find out who did this and make them pay. I highly doubt this could have been just a coincidence. I think you are a liar
Mom: (side conversation: oh he thinks i'm a liar (too fast))okay the last time that i was down at gateway discovery was on october 20th and i have another person that was with me that day that would know whether i hit another car or not. i am not a liar.
Me: I think you are a liar and a loser
Mom: (side conversation)(laughing in background)uh thank you very much for calling and do not use your handicap as a weapon for empathy and goodbye.
Me:haha, this is john you loser
Mom: (clattering in background)(talking in background) (laughing) haha john you are in big trouble goodbye.

I might be going to hell for abusing handicap help, but at least I'll go laughing.

2008-10-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

My Florida Trip

Stupid Videos

2008-10-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

I got really excited when the first thunderstorm of the year came around and ran out and filmed it.

My Life Isn't Interesting Enough for a Blog

2008-10-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

Yeah, that's right. I have a boring life, and a boring blog. I was looking over some of my other posts and realized what a boring blog this is. I am glad that no one reads it. At least it lets me rant a little bit. I'm probably doing most people a favor getting my rantings out on here so that they don't have to hear it. I am hoping that my boringness will come to an end here soon as I am preparing to go to Florida. Have you ever heard of Gatorland? Wait, who am i talking to? I forget no one reads this. Anyway, gatorland is dope, so I hear. I'm gonna go wrestle an aligator there. I'll take pics, don't worry.

A Day In the Life of John

2008-10-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

What an awesome life I have. Check It:

7:50- Wake Up
8:40- Go to School
9:10-12:05- Test...Test...Notes...Lecture...Fail....Fail...Sleep...Bored...Cry..Stress...Cry...Test..etc.
12:15- Lunch
12:45- Go to Work
1:00-5:00- Ring Ring... Hello...Mortgage...Bored...John do this....do that...Lame
5:05- Drive home in rush hour
6:00- Get Home
6:15- Dinner
6:45-11:00 Study...Study...Read...Cry...etc.
11:30- Bedtime

Help me Lord

Affirmative Action

2008-09-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

I just found this paper I wrote a couple of years ago about affirmative action. I thought it was good so I wanted to share it with you. Granted, my grammar is not exactly superb, but keep in mind it was a couple of years ago:

Affirmative action plays a critical role in providing a balance between majority and minority groups and should be considered during the acceptance process at universities. Because it favors qualified individuals who have come from a struggling background over the qualified individuals who could be seen as having a favorable family history, it opens opportunities for minority groups that would otherwise be difficult for them to pursue because of the uneven “playing field” that has existed in history.

James Sterba argues that affirmative action’s ultimate goal is to create a “Color-Blind (Racially Just) and Gender-Free (Sexually Just) Society.” For many, it is difficult to see how favoring minorities is helping to develop this kind of society. In order to gain this understanding, one must look at the unfavorable conditions that have existed for many minority groups.

It wasn’t very long ago that discrimination and segregation against minorities was prevalent. Immediately following the Civil War and the freeing of Black Slaves, conditions didn’t much improve for the race. They were paid petty wages to continue their work on plantations. Any kind of education that they received rarely provided them with enough credentials to compete in the industry; and even if it did, racism demeaned it from being noticed. These conditions made it extremely difficult for any African American to establish the wealth and comfortable living conditions that was so common among their white counterparts. The same is true for other groups like American Indians and Women. Even as late as the mid-1900’s the effects of discrimination were being felt among these groups and have since been passed down to later generations. The scale of equality has been tipped so heavily in favor of White Americans and any others that could fall into the majority group, that it could be considered an “uneven playing field” as Stanley Fish describes in his article – How The Pot got to call the Kettle Black.

Although the “playing field” isn’t getting worse, it is still in favor of majority groups. According to Fish’s argument, 98% of lower class communities are made up of minorities. This means that most minorities have poorer living conditions and less credible education systems. The fight to gain credentials in these kinds of conditions is an uphill battle. It takes much more work and dedication for a student learning from inadequate schools to get a 24 on the ACT than it does for someone who comes from a more accredited school because of the unequal educational systems. Although statistically both students may appear the same, the former deserves more recognition for their hard work in such meager and unfavorable circumstances.

The only way to compensate for the inequality that exists is to favor the less advantaged side until the circumstances balance on both ends. If you can imagine a scale that is unevenly weighted, one would have to favor the lighter side until the scale finds its balance. This is what Sterba meant in his reference to a “Color-Blind and Gender-Free society.” Unless we counterbalance the uneven distribution of opportunities, we continue to live in an unequal society.

The counterbalance to this uneven scale strongly rests at the university level. This could be confusing considering that the Black-White test score gap surfaces long before the collegiate years (usually within the first two years of elementary school).^¹ However, according to Steven D. Levitt, author of the book Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, this gap can largely be attributed to the fact that “the average (minority) child is more likely to come from a low-income, low-education household,”^² which in turn places the average minority child in a poorly funded and overpopulated school. This means that despite all efforts to create integration between races – i.e. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), which dictated that schools be assimilated^³ – segregated schools are still extremely widespread.^⁴ The only way to truly assimilate our schools would be to offer opportunities to minority groups that would improve their socioeconomic status. Because reputable companies so strongly base their employment standards on education, particularly at the university level, it is vital that minorities receive offers to accredited universities so they can advance in our modern society. This sequentially will balance the uneven scale by dispersing the ratio of minorities in lower class communities.

If we are to claim our nation as being equally opportunistic, affirmative action must be applied in the acceptance process at our universities. This is the only way to absorb the diversity in races and cultures in all economic circumstances. Once the “playing field” is evenly distributed, then we will truly have a “Color-Blind and Gender-Free Society” as James Sterba and many others envisioned.

1 Roland G. Fryer Jr. and Steven D. Levitt, “Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First two years of School,” The Review of Economics and Statistics 86, no. 2 (2004), pp.447-464.

2 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, “What Makes a Perfect Parent?,” Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist explores the Hidden Side of Everything, (2005) p. 164.

3 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics (2005), p. 157.

4 Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J Dubner, Freakonomics (2005), p. 165.

The First Four Weeks

2008-09-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find the first four weeks of dating to be totally crazy? It's like the refiner's fire. If you can make it through the first 4-6 weeks of dating then the chances of the relationship working out increases tenfold. There is so much over-analyzing going on on both ends of the relationship during that initial period of a relationship. "Well, he did this...so that must mean he doesn't like this, and really meant that." And "she didn't do that so I don't think she's really into this," and so on and so on. Why do we act like this? Why can't we just see things for what they really are? And further, why can't people just talk about their concerns? If we were all more open and true to ourselves and others, this whole initial dating period would be a breeze! Instead, it seems like a lot of people just freak out and get all weird when they can't find resolution to a problem that they have never brought up, and it usually ends up driving the other person away to the point that you can't even be comfortable around them. It sucks. I hate losing friendships. No wonder I'm afraid of getting serious with girls. Let that be a lesson to you out there who think all guys can't commit. As long as things are casual, there is no freaking out and getting weird. I blame insecurities. People are too afraid of exposing their true selves at the beginning of a relationship that they don't want to bring up concerns or questions they have about the relationship. I'm to blame too. But, in the end, we're going to find out sooner or later. And if it's sooner, we will have saved a lot of wasted time.
That is my thought for today.

I suck

2008-09-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

To everyone that predicted my vegetarianism would not last, you were right. I had my first chicken sandwich today and it was really good.

To My Friend Alexandra Robinson...

2008-09-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

vegetarian |ˌvejiˈte(ə)rēən|
noun
a person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, esp. for moral, religious, or health reasons.

A wise man once said, "before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile away from them and you'll have their shoes." Although I don't consider myself to be an obese person, I have noticed a bicycle tire's worth of flabbiness developing around my waste. It must be stopped! I have been considering going on a diet the past couple of months, but haven't been able to conclude on any such one out of the many many options available. That is until today when my friend Alexandra inspired me to go vegetarian. She didn't do this through any formal means of persuasion, but rather through action. You asked a favor of me today Alexandra, to express my thoughts on your vegetarianism. Well, you've inspired me and I want to give it a try. That way, I'll be a mile away from you with your shoes.

Two Wheel Wonder

2008-09-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

When did fixed-gear bicycles become popular and how are they a symbol of someones edginess? Longboards, skateboards, even scooters I can understand. But fixed gear bicycles? Does not make sense to me. Do they even have brakes? WTF? W...T...F?

Ode to York

2008-08-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

So I went to New York over the week of the Forth of July and tried to document it as best I could (an impossible task if you know me well). Here's what I wound up with.

Also, I don't know if you've heard on the internet or on the news, but I'm making a run for president. I don't really know how it happened, but somehow I've turned into the latest craze! Must be those wheaties I've been eating.
Check it out:

Day 2 of Blog

2008-08-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's the second day of my blogging and already I am regretting having it. What a waste of time. Just what I need as I enter into what looks like my hardest semester of school. As if facebook wasn't a big enough distraction. Now I have two great distractions from doing what I need to do for school. Oh, well. At least it's entertaining.

To Be A Kite

2008-08-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Why does life become more interesting with each passing day? The days certainly don't seem to be getting more exciting. Quite contrary, in fact. Each day seems more monotonous than the day before. And yet, as the days have collected over the years and I look back on them, I find them to be quite remarkable.
Looking back on the years and seeing how they have shaped me and led me to where I am today, I really don't think I would change a thing. The lowest points in my life have turned into priceless lessons that could not be bought with any amount of money.
This is my life. One monotonous day at a time. And with each day I collect in my life history, the more valuable the book becomes.
I am starting this blog to help portray my life. I hope you all enjoy!
Love,
John Keiter (Kite-er)