3.30.2011

Timelapse

I can't get enough of timelapse photography. This is an awesome video I came across a while back but never get tired of watching. Enjoy.

3.29.2011

Island by Akron/Family

This song is really smooth. Simple and calming. Enjoy. Akron/Family formed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and have put some pretty decent albums out. Their upcoming album has been getting some buzz. It's called S/T II:The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT. If you could figure out what that means I'll give you a buck. I like it regardless of my lack of understanding.
What I've Been Up To
BYUH Graduation
Family @ Graduation 2010
Graduation 2010
So I graduated from college this past December... So now what? Well, I have been busy these past few months with a few things. I have been doing an internship with one of my professor Chad Ford. He taught my Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding classes and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to help out with The David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding. He has been running it for several years now and I have been doing various things for that growing organization since September. It has been fun and educational and I'm going to miss it.

I've also had the opportunity to work with another professor: Dr. Blimes, as a research assistant as well. I leave tomorrow to go to Chicago where I will be presenting our research at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference along with a few other student researchers. Both of these opportunities are what kept me in Hawaii a little bit longer, as well as me finishing up my last 4 credits. As time ticks away these next couple weeks and as the semester comes to an end so does my excuse for being in Hawaii. Crap. I have a few things lined up if I wanted to stay but my gut says I should move on. Double crap.

I'll keep you posted on what happens. In the mean time, I'm enjoying my time here. I have a little bucket list of things I want to do before I leave. I've pretty much done everything I have wanted (I've been here quite awhile) but there are still a few more adventures to be had. Here are a few pictures of the momentous and eventful day of my graduation. It was a long time coming so it was sort of a big deal. Seriously though. It has been quite the journey as I have changed majors a couple times, taken time off to work and travel, gone on a study abroad, and picked up a minor.

3.27.2011

I collect Sea Glass
Green Sea Glass
The Collection
Random Beach Finds
Blue Sea Glass
I collect sea glass. I have been since I moved to Hawaii. I decided to organize and sort through the stuff I've collected a little while back and this is the documentation of it. I can't explain why I do it, but I do. I have a couple locations that never let me down and remain almost totally top secret. Blue is the goal but green gets the job done.

3.26.2011

The Story of Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells - Crown On The Ground by musicmule
Funny story about this interesting and intense band. First heard them while on a roadtrip with some friends while driving around Banff National Park last summer. I downloaded the album and it became somewhat of the soundtrack of the whole experience. It was pretty fun (Mike Schoneman even made a rad video of the trip with some Sleigh Bells in it, I'll post that gem later). I liked the band and decided to find out a bit more about them because of their incredibly catchy guitar riffs and crazy beats.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the guitarist happened to be in a hardcore/metal band that I was big into and saw live a few times back in my high school days. It all made sense. He wrote the killer breakdowns and riffs in Poison the Well and now he changed things up to provide a more catchy/poppy sound. The Sleigh Bells dude (Derek Miller) is the guitarist on the far left in these videos (I know most of you can't stomach them but I thought it would be fun to see the musical evolution and how even a crazy metal band and an experimental noise pop band can be related).

This is a classic Poison the Well song called Nerdy (Check out the sweet old school Refused shirt the lead singer is wearing). Refused is an incredibly influential and legendary rock band from Sweden.

Here is another classic song from back in the day if you can stand another one. Ha. (The breakdown 35 seconds into the song is pretty heavy/awesome)

I hope you still read my my web log, even after I put you through a little history lesson with music I'm pretty sure most everybody doesn't understand or like. Thanks for bearing with me as I indulged in some reminiscing.

3.24.2011

Jordan Cameron & Blake Griffin aka Mars BlakeMan

Jordan is an old friend of mine from back home in Newbury Park. The NFL draft is coming up and he is one of the top tight ends looking to get picked up next month. I had to post this because I'm a big basketball fan (especially when it deals with teams from Los Angeles) so I'm glad Blake Griffin was able to help Jordan out and create some buzz heading into the draft. I hung out with Jordan's older sisters back in high school when the kid was a lot smaller. It's crazy how big he is now. He played college basketball for a year before heading over to USC to play football. He is crazy athletic. Check out a little article here. Can't wait to see him do his thing in the pros.

3.23.2011

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Rebellion ( Arcade Fire Cover) by Pop Culture Monster
Benjamin Francis Leftwich - When You Were Young by Authority Communications
This guy knows how to make music. He is from York, England. Expect to hear more of him in the near future. His new EP Pictures just came out. Other tracks to look for are The Boat, Atlas Hands, and See you. Here is a link to some more info. Enjoy.

3.22.2011

William Albert Allard
OUT WEST
NATIVE AMERICANS- TEE PEE
BISONOUT WEST TENT
COWBOY AMERICANA
Check out the work of William Albert Allard. I can't get enough of it. Especially the collection entitled Out West. He worked for National Geographic. It makes sense. He kills it.
Riding September

This looks like fun. These bikes are pretty well done too. Looks like these dudes were having a pretty good time. Click here for more info.

3.21.2011

Timing is Everything

The older I get, the more I understand the importance of timing. Timing is everything. Damn.

3.18.2011

Lord Huron

I think this video is brilliant. I really enjoy this song and I expect big things in the future from this band. Originally from Michigan, now based out of Los Angeles, Lord Huron is one to watch out for. Mark my words.

3.17.2011

Explosions In The Sky

Explosions In The Sky are releasing their next album in April. I was lucky enough to get ahold of it a bit early and let me tell you... it is incredible. I've been a fan of these guys for a while now and have been pumped to see them progress through the years. This is one of their strongest albums. Maybe even their best. They are from Austin, Texas based and need to be a part of your life. I love Post-Rock music and these guys are the kings of that entire genre so you have to give them a listen to if you haven't already.

Highlights of "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" are: "Human Qualities" and "Trembling Hands". FYI.

Check this video out. Simple and grand.


Here is another incredible video I came across using one of their better songs. It is incredible.

3.16.2011

Tuvalu

I had several friends recently return from the Island Nation of Tuvalu. We are a part of an organization called SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) that works on projects that help our community and even branches off to distant lands such as Tuvalu. I'm working on a different project (which has been radical to be a part of) that I'll write more about in the future but this project has been so neat to see take shape. I could go on and on about the incredible things that were able to be done but here is a short teaser for what will eventually be a mini documentary about their experience with helping teach workshops and donate educational workshops. My buddy Spencer did the videography and put the trailer together. Look for more of his work in the future. He has talent. Here is some more info on the project. My close friend Nate took this picture while there. I rather enjoy it.

3.15.2011

Haʻikū Stairs aka Stairway to Heaven
Stairway To Heaven
A hike worth doing. Learn more about it here, and here. I snapped this picture last spring on an incredibly clear day. (clear for Kaneohe)

On a side note: Check this out if you wanna laugh and check this out if you love Zach Galifianakis and want to laugh a lot.

3.14.2011

The Archer's Apple

I had the chance to meet Seth (who sings and plays guitar for The Archer's Apple) through my friend Brooklyn and Kate. I thoroughly enjoy this video of them playing their music. It is raw and simple and everything I love in a good acoustic set. Enjoy the video and tell your friends about them, they are swell people.
True Grit Experiment
True Grit
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True-Grit-Bear-on-a-horse
After missing my opportunity to watch The Coen Brothers' latest rendition of True Grit in the theater, I decided to learn a little more about the movie to prepare for when I did end up seeing it. I love westerns and I enjoyed the original movie but had not seen it for somewhere around 10 years, so it wasn't like I remembered a whole lot. While searching around the internet I read somewhere that the Coen Brothers decided to follow the book more than the John Wayne classic from back in the day and so I immediately decided to order the book. I read it and loved it and just watched the movie last week to compare the two. It was a grand experience. I recommend people try it out if they haven't seen it yet, or even if they have.

The book is a quick read and is really quite enjoyable. It was neat to check out the similarities. My imagination matched up incredibly well to the movie, even down to a few specifics like the set up of the shanty cabin one of the major gun fights happen in and even the meadow where the final showdown happens. The dialogue in the movie was great as well. Rooster Cogburn was portrayed with brilliance by Jeff Bridges. I wasn't even that much of a Jeff Bridges fan before the movie, but now I am. His performance was that good. Hailee Steinfield needs to be recognized for her role as Mattie Ross. She nailed it with perfection in my opinion.

The highlight of the movie for me was the inclusion of a character that completely boggled my mind. It seriously left me wanting a movie that told the story of the man we came to know simply as Forrester. Perhaps you know him as Bear man. His performance was unreal. I included a few pictures I poached from the internet so you can get the idea of how incredible this guy is. He spoke as if he had been living in the Indian Territory in which he was found for over a decade without coming across another person of his race until Rooster and Mattie found him after he made a rather unusual transaction. He spoke with inflections that could be traced to the way a Native American would sound who spoke with broken english. You could tell that he probably only had contact with Indians while he trapped and hunted in the territory. He also had a spooky drawl that when coupled with his austere demeanor, created an almost jaw dropping experience for me as I tried to wrap my head around the story behind this mysterious visitor. You have to see the movie to understand just how creepy/interesting/rugged/cloistered/bearded and straight up incredible this Forrester character is.

Overall this movie was a huge hit. I hope you go see it if you haven't already.

3.10.2011

Phoenix- 1901 (D.L.I.D. remix)

Came across this cool video with a great remix of 1901 by Phoenix a few days ago. This song is great in its original form, but this version is worth a listen.

3.09.2011

Tito's Tacos, Camaros, & Los Angeles
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FxCam_1298153435157
FxCam_1298154210840
My dear friend Emily Brown took care of me while I was visiting Los Angeles a couple weeks ago. Not only did she let me crash at her house but she picked me up from the train station, took me to Chinatown, introduced me to some nice people, and even took me to Tito's Tacos. It was a good time. While there getting some pretty legit Mexican food I noticed this 1st generation Chevrolet Camaro. I had to document it. One of the things I look forward to doing later on in life is working on some classic car rebuild projects. I would love to have a chance to rebuild a '67 to '69 Camaro such as the one documented so nicely with the camera on my phone. Anyways... I threw in a silhouette of the L.A. skyline for good measure too. Los Angeles is busy and has a lot of people and traffic, but I like it and I like the people I know that live there. It was a good trip.

I dare you to go to the website for Tito's Tacos and listen to the song they got playing on it for more than a minute. Ha. Seriously though. Check it out.

3.07.2011

High Highs

Great band. Great song. I can't stop listening to this jam. I suspect these guys will get more traction as they release more music because right now there isn't much being written on them. Go here to download this song and a few others.

3.05.2011

La Familia
La Familia
IMG_2581
I got to meet up with these people about a week ago and spend some quality time. Not enough time... but at least it was quality. With everyones schedule (Bradley doing his thing with his new start up company, Laurel teaching Middle School, and Michelle being extremely scholastic) we were able to carve some time out to go to a basketball game. Neal got to see his favorite player do his thing which was entertaining. Living on an island makes it difficult to get together with the whole fam. I'm glad my parents were able to come down from their hideout in Southern Alberta and meet me half way in the land of Deseret.

3.04.2011

Spring

I came across this video several months ago. I've revisited it several times since then because I enjoy it so much. This post is for all of you who live in areas that have cold and snowy winters. This may help give you hope about the end of all that and the start of spring. Thailand and Cambodia seem like necessary places to visit in the near future. I have a few friends heading that way soon and I'm jealous a bit. Check out the little tutorial on how the sequence of the plumeria flowers growing was created. Neato.

3.03.2011

Now, Now

Great little jam session here. I think the keyboard starts off a little strong but it still sounds good. Now, Now is a great band from Minnesota worth checking out. Do it. It's worth it.

3.02.2011

Funny Story
Diana Camera issues. tip: Check the description before you make purchases on ebay.
Diana Camera ebay joke
Last week I had a chance to visit some dear friends I got to know quite well while on a study abroad in Jerusalem a couple years ago. Catching up with these people is always a treat. Brooklyn and Anna had a funny experience with ebay I just can't stop laughing at. Brooklynn thought she was going to be getting a steal of a deal by purchasing a hip new teal Diana film camera for 20 bucks. The reality of the situation was that when it arrived in a nice little package from China, it turned out to be extremely small and non functional. It was a Diana camera for dolls. No joke. We had a good laugh about it and brooklynn took it in stride. I think she will pay a bit more attention to the description on a products ebay page from here on out. TOO FUNNY. I love these gals.

Picture 1: Brooklyn and Anna with nothing but disappointment on their faces.
Picture 2: A close up of the tiny camera with Taylor, Jon, and myself conversing in the background.

PS A big thanks Kate Hoffmire for opening up your home for the mini reunion.
40 Day Dream

I like when bands make music videos for all the songs on their album. Especially if they make them all go together to make one giant story. Edward Sharpe is doing just that. Here is their latest. I enjoyed it. Hopefully you do too.

3.01.2011

Mt. Sinai
Sinai Panorama
Jeff Stewart took this picture from the top of Mt. Sinai in Egypt in December of 2009. I happened to hit the summit of this mountain a couple months earlier while on a tour of Egypt. I have been wanting a copy of this picture for some time now and finally got it this past week after visiting the mainland for several days. You just can't beat a solid panoramic. Enjoy. I have a whole lot more to say about the actual hike up the mountain and the experiences there, but that will have to wait for another time.