Continued from my previous post about my experience with UVYSO. (Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra)
Yesterday was one of those days where my lips were trying to sign a petition to disown me. I put them to work and they're still having a hard time forgiving me. Adding up my playing time here's how much I played: Symphonic Band 1 Hour + After school Symphonic Band Rehearsal 1 Hour + 4pm-10pm UVYSO Play-A-Thon 6 Hours = 8 Hours of horn, Horn, and HOOOOOOORN BABY!
I just want to talk about the Play-A-Thon. We played in the Summerhays Music Center on State Street, so we pretty much owned the store. It started out we played our Mozart piece Cosi Fan Tutte, Overture which is from one of Mozart's 20 Operas. Then we worked on Namensfeier Overture by Beethoven which is even cooler because it starts with a French Horn Duet (it's really a quartet, but we only have 2 Horns so it's a duet for us, heh).
We also worked on Howard Hanson Symphony No. 2 Movements 2 & 3. These 2 are my favorite. A cool story about these pieces really quick. When the movie "Alien" was released, it was so gory and violent that creators were afraid that people who saw it might go crazy, or go into the streets and start riots and cause chaos. So for the end credits of the movie they used Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2 to calm the viewers. Pretty awesome, huh? Anyway, I love these pieces because they're such a challenge for me and I really get to play because of the many Horn solos and moments. They were made for Horn if you ask me.
I don't want to get into the nit and pick of the rehearsing itself, but to summarize I want to say that contrary to what you think would happen after playing your Horn for 8 hours in a day; I actually developed a stronger love for my Horn than ever. I'm sure it's like some unhealthy narcotic, you need it but you just can't stop! I definitely iced my lips afterward and begged forgiveness from them. Overall it was a very emotional experience hearing this music come together and being an influential part of it.
Now for the "Dose of Perspective" and one of my favorite parts of the whole event. After the Play-A-Thon ended I started talking with Dr. Hill like I usually do after a UVYSO rehearsal. Some tidbits on him now.
Dr. Hill was actually the Orchestra teacher at Timpview when Timpview was founded. He did a lot of really good things to make the program so good. He even left the school with 8 Holton 179 French Horns (a similar model to mine, one of the best) along with one of the best Bassoons in the world, tons of Timpani's and many other high quality instruments. Mr. Allred took over his spot.
Here's the good part:
Anyway, he's full of amazing stories, in rehearsals he often goes off on some tangent about a Horn player he once knew, a professional orchestral group he once conducted, or a trip to some amazing place. He's got a story for every occasion. Really, he does. Well, I've gotten to know him really well and he's gotten to know me really well. I love this man. He's changed me so much from just a few conversations with him! Sometimes I talk to him about the Horn stuff in the music and I talk about it in a humble way. Well, he tells me I'm making it happen, that I'm rising up and that I'm a good Horn player. Now most of you reading this will probably think that I either already know this, or that it's a given of some sort. Well, I'm here to tell you that all people need validation. Some reason to justify why we pour so much time into something like music. We spend so much time practicing, criticizing, correcting, analyzing, and overall we never really acknowledge the progress we've made. No one has ever really said, "You don't suck bro." and so continuing is often really hard. French Horn is one of the hardest instruments and without a sense of validation it is really an emotional ride of ups and downs. He encourages me, tells me I'm doing well, his overall sprinkling of praise really makes me feel good about myself. As if all this work and time is worth it.
I feel so comfortable with him that I even told him about how I'm adopted, the whole shabang. I really opened up to him. He said one thing that really stuck out to me. The gist of it was, "You're here for a reason. Because of how you got here shows that you have something here for you to do. You have a purpose to fulfill." Think about that in an eternal perspective. I really do have a lot of things that are fairly unique about me, I mean come on, I'm a weird kid. What he said was so impactful to me. I really do have a reason to be on this earth. How I was born wasn't typical, my life isn't typical, and I'm not your Average Joe. I'm not boasting at all, on the contrary, it's very humbling that Heavenly Father has given me these opportunities. The gift of life, the amazing place I live in with amazing parents who love me, a ward that's out of this world cool, a school where I can get a very high-quality education, where I can learn about music, and most importantly develop long-lasting relationships with so many friends. I love you guys so much! I'm not the best at showing it, but I really do love you all.
We talked a lot about things. It's impossible to really give justice everything we talked about, but he left me with a feeling of confidence, hope, strength, capability, competence, desire to do better, and overall joy. I see him as a bit of a mentor for me. I'm thankful to know him.
I'll be impressed if anyone actually takes the time to read all of this, but if you did then THANK YOU. It means a lot to take time to read my gibberish :)
The Amazing Mozart We're Playing
The Even More Amazing Beethoven
Howard Hanson Symphony No. 2 Movement 1 is posted on Part 1 and highly recommended.
Movement 2 Gorgeous, Sonorous Beauty
Movement 3, if you listen to any of these, this is the one.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
UVYSO and a Dose of Perspective Pt. 1 Intro
It's been awhile since I posted, so now it's time to repent. Instead of focusing on more abstract things, I'm going to talk more about my life.
Since last year when Zach Giddings convinced me to do Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra with him, I've changed so much. It's an amazing group and Zach used to always say, "UVYSO is Timpview's real Phil Orchestra because all of Timpview's best string players go and play there." Which is pretty much true. This group is compiled of a phenomenal string section, a kick butt woodwind section, and a sexy brass section if I do say so myself (one trumbone, two horns which is usually one, referring to me, and a trumpet, all of which are phenomenal)!
Anyway, I won't expound too much on last year's experience (which was amazing) and rather focus on this year's experience and yesterday's 6 hour rehearsal. Yes, I did just say 6 hours.
This year I've had the pleasure and honor of playing Horn 1. It's hard for me to even comprehend now how much I have grown playing with this group. They set a high standard and expect you to meet it, and we have the people to meet the standard. Playing with so many good musicians rubs off on you a bit. We had a concert in the early Fall in the Covey Center which was really cool, but the next day's rehearsal we played THE HARDEST PIECE I HAVE EVER PLAYED. I was sight-reading Howard Hanson's Symphony Number 2. Now to put this rehearsal into perspective. The day before (a monday) we had a symphonic band rehearsal, then we had ~ 4 hours of rehearsing BEFORE the concert, and then a 2 hour concert playing in roughly 9 songs. THEN I go into a rehearsal on Tuesday (4pm-6pm) and play THE MOST DEMANDING PIECE I'VE EVER PLAYED.
When we started the piece I was so bad. It was pretty dang high and the intervals were unlike anything I've ever heard. So, after the conductor (Dr. Terry Hill, my new idol pretty much) restarted the piece 4 times because a certain Horn player (ME :) was sucking, something magical happened. It all started coming out. My ears adjusted to these unique intervals, I got used to being a soloist literally the whole piece, playing my one horn with the volume and fullness of 6, and an overall change in me that hasn't ever gone away. That rehearsal changed me as a Horn player. I've never sight-read such a hard piece so well. I felt accomplished. This really set me on track. My playing has matured immensely since then.
Now this is where I have to make a point. Don't get me wrong, Timpview Band/Orchestra are both amazing groups. We have an awesome program going and fantastic players, but to go to a group like UVYSO where all the players there are some of the best from their school and put together a piece like that is something you can't get anywhere else.
My story with UVYSO, to be continued...
Here's the piece that I've been raving about that you should all listen to forever and ever.
Click Here for Happiness
Since last year when Zach Giddings convinced me to do Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra with him, I've changed so much. It's an amazing group and Zach used to always say, "UVYSO is Timpview's real Phil Orchestra because all of Timpview's best string players go and play there." Which is pretty much true. This group is compiled of a phenomenal string section, a kick butt woodwind section, and a sexy brass section if I do say so myself (one trumbone, two horns which is usually one, referring to me, and a trumpet, all of which are phenomenal)!
Anyway, I won't expound too much on last year's experience (which was amazing) and rather focus on this year's experience and yesterday's 6 hour rehearsal. Yes, I did just say 6 hours.
This year I've had the pleasure and honor of playing Horn 1. It's hard for me to even comprehend now how much I have grown playing with this group. They set a high standard and expect you to meet it, and we have the people to meet the standard. Playing with so many good musicians rubs off on you a bit. We had a concert in the early Fall in the Covey Center which was really cool, but the next day's rehearsal we played THE HARDEST PIECE I HAVE EVER PLAYED. I was sight-reading Howard Hanson's Symphony Number 2. Now to put this rehearsal into perspective. The day before (a monday) we had a symphonic band rehearsal, then we had ~ 4 hours of rehearsing BEFORE the concert, and then a 2 hour concert playing in roughly 9 songs. THEN I go into a rehearsal on Tuesday (4pm-6pm) and play THE MOST DEMANDING PIECE I'VE EVER PLAYED.
When we started the piece I was so bad. It was pretty dang high and the intervals were unlike anything I've ever heard. So, after the conductor (Dr. Terry Hill, my new idol pretty much) restarted the piece 4 times because a certain Horn player (ME :) was sucking, something magical happened. It all started coming out. My ears adjusted to these unique intervals, I got used to being a soloist literally the whole piece, playing my one horn with the volume and fullness of 6, and an overall change in me that hasn't ever gone away. That rehearsal changed me as a Horn player. I've never sight-read such a hard piece so well. I felt accomplished. This really set me on track. My playing has matured immensely since then.
Now this is where I have to make a point. Don't get me wrong, Timpview Band/Orchestra are both amazing groups. We have an awesome program going and fantastic players, but to go to a group like UVYSO where all the players there are some of the best from their school and put together a piece like that is something you can't get anywhere else.
My story with UVYSO, to be continued...
Here's the piece that I've been raving about that you should all listen to forever and ever.
Click Here for Happiness
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Romantic Poetry
So, I'm making this really quick because I'm tired but I felt like sharing this for the heck of it.
In AP European History for Chivalry Day I had to read a poem and a speech extolling female virtues. So, I wrote a romantic love poem. What seemed to me cheesy, actually made all the girls in the class swoon and many of them later told me it was really good. I'll possibly elaborate more on my thoughts about why this worked so well later.
Here it is (Read it slowly, romantically, seductively, and wish passion):
In AP European History for Chivalry Day I had to read a poem and a speech extolling female virtues. So, I wrote a romantic love poem. What seemed to me cheesy, actually made all the girls in the class swoon and many of them later told me it was really good. I'll possibly elaborate more on my thoughts about why this worked so well later.
Here it is (Read it slowly, romantically, seductively, and wish passion):
Extolling Female Virtues
A woman, finest of all,
Teaches us, how to stand tall.
She walks in light,
To everyone’s delight.
She sings, we cry for joy,
She dances, we gaze in wonder.
She stands strongest of all,
Where most men fall.
She comforts the weak,
While others walk by.
She’s a gem in all eyes,
That defies all belief.
Queens over us, she loves unconditionally.
Hence women must never, ever be passed by,
As they are greater, than any sort of guy.
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Beauty of Adoption
I love to share my story of how I was adopted with others, so I thought I would share it with all of you in a nice little post! Sorry it's a wall of text, but I promise it's worth the time to read!
Intro:
My whole life I've had questions buzzing around in my head. Why am I so different from my parents? How come my genetics and other traits so different? What do I do when my Biology teacher wants me to trace back my genetic tree? What are my genetics? What blood do I have in me? Where are my ancestors from? Who is my Birth Father? etc. etc.
What is my story of how I got here?
Here it is as far as I know:
When I was born my birth mother Mindy Hassard (awesome last name right!?) was not in a position to take care of me. Some conditions at the time include: she has bi-polar which makes her life much harder (just to clarify, bi-polar is not multi-personalities, it is when you have drastic mood swings. Everyone has bi-polar to a certain extent, but people diagnosed with it tend to have more regular EXTREMES of sadness or happiness). I also have a half-brother, Colby Hassard, who was 8 at the time of my birth. Also, whatever conditions existed at the time in terms of my father I assume were very hard. So, given these various circumstances when I was born, Mindy was in no position to raise me in a way that would be best for my growth and development. She loved me so much that she made the extremely difficult decision to have me adopted.
At the same time, my mom Jan Engle was trying to have her own child. She had a miss-carriage in the past and it was proving difficult for her to have her own child. So, she began looking to adopt a child. My Aunt Arlene was aware of my mom's predicament and desire to adopt. She also happened to live in the same area as Mindy, so 2+2=4 and the process of adoption took place and VWELAH! here I am in Provo, Utah with the best parents in the world!
I also would like to clarify that while I was adopted away from my birth family, we still have a very strong relationship with all of them. I love Mindy, Colby, Grams (bless her soul), Gramps, and everyone else in my family on that side. It's really cool to have 3 sides to my family. It's also really awesome to have such a mature relationship with them. At the moment my brother Colby is a return missionary who served a full time mission in Texas. He's going to UVU right now. I don't know him as well as I wish I do, but we love each other and that's what's most important. It's really hard to get together when I have crazy High School/Band owning my life and College/Marriage owning his.
In respect to who my birth father is the short answer is I don't know. The long answer is what I plan to do. My brother (who has a different birth father than mine) met with his birth father a few times before his mission. He was able to get to know him a bit and it sounded rather interesting. I think that's what I plan on doing. I think it will be a good experience, and the time will come.
Testimony:
Now why would I explain all of this? Well, to make everything clear I want you all to know that I don't ever question whether Jan and Ross (it feels so weird to say that, I prefer mom and dad :) are my parents. I love them as much as is humanly possible and I know they love me even more. We may not have the same genetics in common, but we have a much more powerful binding relationship. I have been sealed to my parents in the temple for all of time and eternity. I am so grateful that I have grown up, and live in a place where the Gospel is so strong, and I can have these sacred covenants and ordinances in my life. They bind me with my parents for time and eternity, so our genetics may not have any relation, but our spirits are bound forever. Take a moment to put that into perspective... that's amazing. Eternity's a long time, and I wouldn't spend it any other way.
I have a testimony that through the temple we can all be families together forever. I am so thankful that I have been born into the Gospel. The blessings I receive are innumerable. The Gospel makes everything possible, and as long as I do what God wants me to then he is able edify me in my every day life. It's humbling to think that out of the billions of people to live on this earth, I get to be one of those who has received the Gospel in this life. I bear testimony that these things are true and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Intro:
My whole life I've had questions buzzing around in my head. Why am I so different from my parents? How come my genetics and other traits so different? What do I do when my Biology teacher wants me to trace back my genetic tree? What are my genetics? What blood do I have in me? Where are my ancestors from? Who is my Birth Father? etc. etc.
What is my story of how I got here?
Here it is as far as I know:
When I was born my birth mother Mindy Hassard (awesome last name right!?) was not in a position to take care of me. Some conditions at the time include: she has bi-polar which makes her life much harder (just to clarify, bi-polar is not multi-personalities, it is when you have drastic mood swings. Everyone has bi-polar to a certain extent, but people diagnosed with it tend to have more regular EXTREMES of sadness or happiness). I also have a half-brother, Colby Hassard, who was 8 at the time of my birth. Also, whatever conditions existed at the time in terms of my father I assume were very hard. So, given these various circumstances when I was born, Mindy was in no position to raise me in a way that would be best for my growth and development. She loved me so much that she made the extremely difficult decision to have me adopted.
At the same time, my mom Jan Engle was trying to have her own child. She had a miss-carriage in the past and it was proving difficult for her to have her own child. So, she began looking to adopt a child. My Aunt Arlene was aware of my mom's predicament and desire to adopt. She also happened to live in the same area as Mindy, so 2+2=4 and the process of adoption took place and VWELAH! here I am in Provo, Utah with the best parents in the world!
I also would like to clarify that while I was adopted away from my birth family, we still have a very strong relationship with all of them. I love Mindy, Colby, Grams (bless her soul), Gramps, and everyone else in my family on that side. It's really cool to have 3 sides to my family. It's also really awesome to have such a mature relationship with them. At the moment my brother Colby is a return missionary who served a full time mission in Texas. He's going to UVU right now. I don't know him as well as I wish I do, but we love each other and that's what's most important. It's really hard to get together when I have crazy High School/Band owning my life and College/Marriage owning his.
In respect to who my birth father is the short answer is I don't know. The long answer is what I plan to do. My brother (who has a different birth father than mine) met with his birth father a few times before his mission. He was able to get to know him a bit and it sounded rather interesting. I think that's what I plan on doing. I think it will be a good experience, and the time will come.
Testimony:
Now why would I explain all of this? Well, to make everything clear I want you all to know that I don't ever question whether Jan and Ross (it feels so weird to say that, I prefer mom and dad :) are my parents. I love them as much as is humanly possible and I know they love me even more. We may not have the same genetics in common, but we have a much more powerful binding relationship. I have been sealed to my parents in the temple for all of time and eternity. I am so grateful that I have grown up, and live in a place where the Gospel is so strong, and I can have these sacred covenants and ordinances in my life. They bind me with my parents for time and eternity, so our genetics may not have any relation, but our spirits are bound forever. Take a moment to put that into perspective... that's amazing. Eternity's a long time, and I wouldn't spend it any other way.
I have a testimony that through the temple we can all be families together forever. I am so thankful that I have been born into the Gospel. The blessings I receive are innumerable. The Gospel makes everything possible, and as long as I do what God wants me to then he is able edify me in my every day life. It's humbling to think that out of the billions of people to live on this earth, I get to be one of those who has received the Gospel in this life. I bear testimony that these things are true and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Many Reasons I Am a Nerd...
I figure this will be an ever growing post because the reasons are never ending. I steadfastly believe in my nerdiness. Most people have one or two nerdy things that they do or have done. I on the other hand... well, at least I am honest right? So here goes my list:
#1: I read books. I know you're all thinking, "Well, I read books too. What's wrong with that?" While I may stick to the status-quo most of the time and read the latest fantasy books I also read other various books. I sometimes read deep books about Leadership and other thought provoking topics that cause you to think more about yourself. Heck, I have been reading some books written by Horn players from various perspectives and viewpoints in relation to the Horn. I try to read my scriptures 15 minutes a day. It happens more during the school year because of Seminary, but while I don't claim to be a "religious" scripture reader (think about it, that's a great pun!) I do try, so that counts as some of my reading. I also have discovered a new craze inside of me for my reading habits, physics books. As I elaborated on in painful detail in my previous post I have become infatuated with Dr. Michio Kaku's books because they delve deep into the most mind blowing concepts to ever enter my little noggin. When I read my books they become heart heart, soul, life blood, and possibly an unhealthy obsession.
#2: I have watched some various TV Series that I think many will consider nerdy. I have watched all ten seasons of Stargate SG-1 including the three movies that go with it. I really want to watch Stargate Atlantis (not really Universe, it seems and I have heard, that it is lame) but I have no means to watch it at the moment. Ten seasons of it is quite a bit. Each episode is roughly 45 minutes long and there are roughly 23 episodes per season which adds up to 172.5 hours roughly. Yeah, epic time waster if I do say so myself but it made me more "cultured"? Anyway, I have also watched all of Naruto and a decent amount of Naruto Shippuden which I have got to say, that's pretty stinking nerdy, but yet again I am Honest Abe when it comes to my nerdy confessions.
I don't know if you consider this nerdy but it's a part of me and I feel like adding it. My mom has been recording her favorite shows and moves on VHS her whole life for her child that she would finally have. Well, unfortunate for her, she got a boy (Don't misinterpret this, my mom loves me and I love her). Unfortunate for me, I get to watch them anyway. Don't get me wrong, there's a secret part of me deep down inside that enjoys the majority of what she shows me (pretty gross right?) but I try not to say that straight up. Some of the things I have seen because of my mom include: Little House on the Prairie, Laural and Hardy (great black and white comedy, not girly), I Love Lucy (who doesn't love this show? Seriously!), SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIES (the ultimate sin my mother has committed against me, again with the whole secretly enjoy it thing), various old movies, various old shows that don't come to mind. Basically my mom's goal is to feminize me (not really, but sometimes it feels like that), but I have to hold onto what testosterone I have left gosh darn it!
#3: I play a musical instrument AKA French Horn. BOOYAHH BABY!!!! Okay, don't get me wrong, most of the things I put on this list are stereotypical nerdiness. I love band everything about it. It has taught me how to live my life to the fullest and I've made more friends than I thought would ever acknowledge my existence! I love being a band nerd and sharing my nerdiness with the world. My woman... Serenity... she's so beautiful.... (my French Horn's name fool!) oh.... Draco... (moans like Voldemort in Harry Potter 7 Part 2) I mean *cough*! I love my woman Serenity and don't forget Farkas, my non gender specific mouthpiece! I love them both so much... Anyway... I love French Horn with a passion. The tone encapsulates my soul and passion. Its sound exceeds the voice of angels. Its beauty inspires me in so many ways. I can't express it enough that I LOVE FRENCH HORN!!!
#4: The previously mentioned note brings me to my next point. Most people buy the latest party music etc. from iTunes... except me. I typically buy movie soundtracks that I thought had great Horn parts. Seriously, nothing gets the tears running for me more than a well timed Horn party in a movie. Wrenches my soul to tears. To put this into perspective get this. Whenever I go on Soarin' Over California (or California Soarin'? I can't remember) I cry because there's all the atmospheric effects coupled with the amazing footage, and of course the sonorous Horn lines pulsating through my body. That ride gets me every time. Disney Castle + Atmospheric Effects + Flying Through the Air + FRENCH HORN = Jonathan crying.
#5: The previously mentioned brings up my next point. I am a sensitive guy! I tend to cry in quite a few movies I see, good books that move me, French Horn parts in just about everything, the gospel and when I feel the spirit strongly or I am moved to share my testimony, and I am sure there is more. Let me also put this into perspective. When Monster's Inc. was a new movie (so yes, quite awhile ago) my mom and I went and saw it and I was balling at the end. I think everyone in the movie theater thought I was crazy. I also cried multiple times in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and in Harry Potter 7 Part 2. So, I get movies emotionally pretty stinkin' easy. Maybe some of you knew (if you have been in seminary then you know lol) and the rest of you know now.
#6: I'll make this brief. I play video games on and off from quite a bit to not very much, but the fact is I do play video games like most guys do. I'm pretty mature with how much I play games but I do have a Playstation 2 and have a few computer games I am involved in (and no I don't play stupid Farmville, stop inviting me with a special offer saying I well get a "special papaya tree". I don't care! No I won't join your gang, if I'm gonna bust a cap then it's real life or bust).
#7: I am sure most of you know this about me. If you don't you will. I am horrible with my puns. I can't stop them. They just come vomiting out of my mouth. They're an unstoppable force. Ya know what? I'm not even going to add one to this post because I know that you know about me and my puns.
#8: I'm just a weird kid. 'Nuff said.
#9: I'm fairly OCD about various things such as getting good grades, symmetry in things (kind of hard to explain, especially on a blog that hardly anyone will read), I always finger my marching band music never endingly, I can't stand bad grammar and bad spelling, and so on and so forth.
#10: I'm addicted to BYU? I consider this a 100% positive normal attribute but maybe I take it to a crazy limit.
#11: I am a cat person. I have three cats named Larry, Misty and Attache. Larry is the anorexic orange and white one. Misty is the sweet little half-siamese, and Attache is the big fat black guy. Yes, I consider myself a creepy cat guy. I get it from my parents. They are creepy cat people. Being such a cat person has also affected me in an odd way. When I work with babies I have this odd thing where I feel like I don't know what to do, so I end up doing what I do to our cats... I pet their heads. Yeah, moving on.
That's all the juices I got in me now. Overall I'm just a weird, quirky guy, but maybe now you know me better. If you're smart, you will probably avoid me now. If you are nice then you won't though. We all have our things that makes us weird and who we are. Just I am more honest than you people *glares*.
#1: I read books. I know you're all thinking, "Well, I read books too. What's wrong with that?" While I may stick to the status-quo most of the time and read the latest fantasy books I also read other various books. I sometimes read deep books about Leadership and other thought provoking topics that cause you to think more about yourself. Heck, I have been reading some books written by Horn players from various perspectives and viewpoints in relation to the Horn. I try to read my scriptures 15 minutes a day. It happens more during the school year because of Seminary, but while I don't claim to be a "religious" scripture reader (think about it, that's a great pun!) I do try, so that counts as some of my reading. I also have discovered a new craze inside of me for my reading habits, physics books. As I elaborated on in painful detail in my previous post I have become infatuated with Dr. Michio Kaku's books because they delve deep into the most mind blowing concepts to ever enter my little noggin. When I read my books they become heart heart, soul, life blood, and possibly an unhealthy obsession.
#2: I have watched some various TV Series that I think many will consider nerdy. I have watched all ten seasons of Stargate SG-1 including the three movies that go with it. I really want to watch Stargate Atlantis (not really Universe, it seems and I have heard, that it is lame) but I have no means to watch it at the moment. Ten seasons of it is quite a bit. Each episode is roughly 45 minutes long and there are roughly 23 episodes per season which adds up to 172.5 hours roughly. Yeah, epic time waster if I do say so myself but it made me more "cultured"? Anyway, I have also watched all of Naruto and a decent amount of Naruto Shippuden which I have got to say, that's pretty stinking nerdy, but yet again I am Honest Abe when it comes to my nerdy confessions.
I don't know if you consider this nerdy but it's a part of me and I feel like adding it. My mom has been recording her favorite shows and moves on VHS her whole life for her child that she would finally have. Well, unfortunate for her, she got a boy (Don't misinterpret this, my mom loves me and I love her). Unfortunate for me, I get to watch them anyway. Don't get me wrong, there's a secret part of me deep down inside that enjoys the majority of what she shows me (pretty gross right?) but I try not to say that straight up. Some of the things I have seen because of my mom include: Little House on the Prairie, Laural and Hardy (great black and white comedy, not girly), I Love Lucy (who doesn't love this show? Seriously!), SHIRLEY TEMPLE MOVIES (the ultimate sin my mother has committed against me, again with the whole secretly enjoy it thing), various old movies, various old shows that don't come to mind. Basically my mom's goal is to feminize me (not really, but sometimes it feels like that), but I have to hold onto what testosterone I have left gosh darn it!
#3: I play a musical instrument AKA French Horn. BOOYAHH BABY!!!! Okay, don't get me wrong, most of the things I put on this list are stereotypical nerdiness. I love band everything about it. It has taught me how to live my life to the fullest and I've made more friends than I thought would ever acknowledge my existence! I love being a band nerd and sharing my nerdiness with the world. My woman... Serenity... she's so beautiful.... (my French Horn's name fool!) oh.... Draco... (moans like Voldemort in Harry Potter 7 Part 2) I mean *cough*! I love my woman Serenity and don't forget Farkas, my non gender specific mouthpiece! I love them both so much... Anyway... I love French Horn with a passion. The tone encapsulates my soul and passion. Its sound exceeds the voice of angels. Its beauty inspires me in so many ways. I can't express it enough that I LOVE FRENCH HORN!!!
#4: The previously mentioned note brings me to my next point. Most people buy the latest party music etc. from iTunes... except me. I typically buy movie soundtracks that I thought had great Horn parts. Seriously, nothing gets the tears running for me more than a well timed Horn party in a movie. Wrenches my soul to tears. To put this into perspective get this. Whenever I go on Soarin' Over California (or California Soarin'? I can't remember) I cry because there's all the atmospheric effects coupled with the amazing footage, and of course the sonorous Horn lines pulsating through my body. That ride gets me every time. Disney Castle + Atmospheric Effects + Flying Through the Air + FRENCH HORN = Jonathan crying.
#5: The previously mentioned brings up my next point. I am a sensitive guy! I tend to cry in quite a few movies I see, good books that move me, French Horn parts in just about everything, the gospel and when I feel the spirit strongly or I am moved to share my testimony, and I am sure there is more. Let me also put this into perspective. When Monster's Inc. was a new movie (so yes, quite awhile ago) my mom and I went and saw it and I was balling at the end. I think everyone in the movie theater thought I was crazy. I also cried multiple times in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and in Harry Potter 7 Part 2. So, I get movies emotionally pretty stinkin' easy. Maybe some of you knew (if you have been in seminary then you know lol) and the rest of you know now.
#6: I'll make this brief. I play video games on and off from quite a bit to not very much, but the fact is I do play video games like most guys do. I'm pretty mature with how much I play games but I do have a Playstation 2 and have a few computer games I am involved in (and no I don't play stupid Farmville, stop inviting me with a special offer saying I well get a "special papaya tree". I don't care! No I won't join your gang, if I'm gonna bust a cap then it's real life or bust).
#7: I am sure most of you know this about me. If you don't you will. I am horrible with my puns. I can't stop them. They just come vomiting out of my mouth. They're an unstoppable force. Ya know what? I'm not even going to add one to this post because I know that you know about me and my puns.
#8: I'm just a weird kid. 'Nuff said.
#9: I'm fairly OCD about various things such as getting good grades, symmetry in things (kind of hard to explain, especially on a blog that hardly anyone will read), I always finger my marching band music never endingly, I can't stand bad grammar and bad spelling, and so on and so forth.
#10: I'm addicted to BYU? I consider this a 100% positive normal attribute but maybe I take it to a crazy limit.
#11: I am a cat person. I have three cats named Larry, Misty and Attache. Larry is the anorexic orange and white one. Misty is the sweet little half-siamese, and Attache is the big fat black guy. Yes, I consider myself a creepy cat guy. I get it from my parents. They are creepy cat people. Being such a cat person has also affected me in an odd way. When I work with babies I have this odd thing where I feel like I don't know what to do, so I end up doing what I do to our cats... I pet their heads. Yeah, moving on.
That's all the juices I got in me now. Overall I'm just a weird, quirky guy, but maybe now you know me better. If you're smart, you will probably avoid me now. If you are nice then you won't though. We all have our things that makes us weird and who we are. Just I am more honest than you people *glares*.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Einstein and Science Rambling
I recently read a book titled Einstein's Cosmos by Dr. Michio Kaku. Why did I read it you ask? Well, let me get into that...
So, basically my whole life, especially when I was younger, when everyone else was watching channels like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, etc. I was the kid who was watching Animal Planet (before it became lame), History, Discovery, Military, Science channels and so forth. So, call me a nerd because I am one. I love to learn and if I can do that by sitting on my butt and watching TV then all the better!
Out of all of these amazing TV Channels my favorite will always be Science Channel. The reason Science Channel stands out so well from every other station I listed is that it is always improving while others degrade. History Channel and Discovery Channel are rapidly adopting TV Shows like Swamp Loggers, Axe Men, Ice Road Truckers, Swamp Men, Top Shot, and American Pickers but to name a few. Don't get me wrong, Pawn Stars is an awesome show, and so are some of the others, but they lack what these channels used to teach me. History Channel used to teach me about the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I & II, the history of various European and Asian cultures, etc. but now they are corrupted with shows that, while highly entertaining, have no educational value at all.
Science Channel stands out among them all as it has shows like Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, and it has a new show this Sunday called Curiosity. These shows delve into some of the deepest concepts that science has such as Superstring Theory, Hyperspace, Wormholes, the LHC Hadron collider in Geneva, Switzerland and other highly fascinating subjects and places that blow my mind. These are the shows that inspire me to be more than a couch potato when I watch TV. When I watch these shows I feel like a Theoretical Physicist in training. It inspires me to pursue the highest education possible and it helps me to keep my imagination alive in a society that pushes you more and more to grow up at a younger and younger age.
As you can see, I love science channel and everything it offers me, but what does it have to do with me reading Einstein's Cosmos? Well, as I said it is written by Dr. Michio Kaku, whom happens to be on almost every episode of every Science Channel show I have ever seen. I dub him "Epic Asian" of the 21st Century. He is so imaginative as he makes the most profound and awe-inspiring concepts seem so simple. He is a man that has inspired me time and time again. So, after watching another episode of Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman (my favoritive show ever) a thought struck me. "I wonder if Michio Kaku has written any books." So I looked him up on the Provo City Library's Catalog and discovered he has quite a few books there. I checked out a few and I have since escaped into the world of Einstein and Hyperspace.
Book Review for Einstein's Cosmos:
I believe this book truly encapsulates Einstein's life and works. It does more than go over the facts in detail of what theories he created and papers he published. This book gives you a personal sense of understanding just who Einstein was as a person and how his life's works are still being proven as fact and not fiction, and he does it in an interesting way.
I also find his writing style very refreshing. He isn't stale as you would expect from a man of his intellectual level. He understands us everyday people who don't have various Ph.D's in science. He manages to cover insane scientific concepts and teach us about Einstein's life in an entertaining way.
This book has truly given me an understanding of Einstein's life that I never even knew was possible to have. Einstein was and is truly a great man, and I believe that Dr. Michio Kaku is another flag bearer in the science field. He is all over the media encouraging young people like me to be interested in science, and even pursue a career in it. He blows my mind and humbles me as I learn how ignorant I truly am.
I give Einstein's Cosmos by Dr. Michio Kaku my highest recommendation. You won't regret reading it.
So, basically my whole life, especially when I was younger, when everyone else was watching channels like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, etc. I was the kid who was watching Animal Planet (before it became lame), History, Discovery, Military, Science channels and so forth. So, call me a nerd because I am one. I love to learn and if I can do that by sitting on my butt and watching TV then all the better!
Out of all of these amazing TV Channels my favorite will always be Science Channel. The reason Science Channel stands out so well from every other station I listed is that it is always improving while others degrade. History Channel and Discovery Channel are rapidly adopting TV Shows like Swamp Loggers, Axe Men, Ice Road Truckers, Swamp Men, Top Shot, and American Pickers but to name a few. Don't get me wrong, Pawn Stars is an awesome show, and so are some of the others, but they lack what these channels used to teach me. History Channel used to teach me about the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I & II, the history of various European and Asian cultures, etc. but now they are corrupted with shows that, while highly entertaining, have no educational value at all.Science Channel stands out among them all as it has shows like Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, and it has a new show this Sunday called Curiosity. These shows delve into some of the deepest concepts that science has such as Superstring Theory, Hyperspace, Wormholes, the LHC Hadron collider in Geneva, Switzerland and other highly fascinating subjects and places that blow my mind. These are the shows that inspire me to be more than a couch potato when I watch TV. When I watch these shows I feel like a Theoretical Physicist in training. It inspires me to pursue the highest education possible and it helps me to keep my imagination alive in a society that pushes you more and more to grow up at a younger and younger age.
As you can see, I love science channel and everything it offers me, but what does it have to do with me reading Einstein's Cosmos? Well, as I said it is written by Dr. Michio Kaku, whom happens to be on almost every episode of every Science Channel show I have ever seen. I dub him "Epic Asian" of the 21st Century. He is so imaginative as he makes the most profound and awe-inspiring concepts seem so simple. He is a man that has inspired me time and time again. So, after watching another episode of Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman (my favoritive show ever) a thought struck me. "I wonder if Michio Kaku has written any books." So I looked him up on the Provo City Library's Catalog and discovered he has quite a few books there. I checked out a few and I have since escaped into the world of Einstein and Hyperspace.
Book Review for Einstein's Cosmos:I believe this book truly encapsulates Einstein's life and works. It does more than go over the facts in detail of what theories he created and papers he published. This book gives you a personal sense of understanding just who Einstein was as a person and how his life's works are still being proven as fact and not fiction, and he does it in an interesting way.
I also find his writing style very refreshing. He isn't stale as you would expect from a man of his intellectual level. He understands us everyday people who don't have various Ph.D's in science. He manages to cover insane scientific concepts and teach us about Einstein's life in an entertaining way.
This book has truly given me an understanding of Einstein's life that I never even knew was possible to have. Einstein was and is truly a great man, and I believe that Dr. Michio Kaku is another flag bearer in the science field. He is all over the media encouraging young people like me to be interested in science, and even pursue a career in it. He blows my mind and humbles me as I learn how ignorant I truly am.
I give Einstein's Cosmos by Dr. Michio Kaku my highest recommendation. You won't regret reading it.
In the Beginning... there was spam?
It all started with exuberant amounts of meat lying around. No one knew what to do with it. It was the lesser of all the products. The shavings left over after the prime meat was processed, packaged, and shipped. So, in an effort to make use of this waste spam was born. If you thought hot dogs were a hybrid meat then you are sadly mistaken. Spam is a mix of anything and everything in any remote sense meat related. If you don't believe me just learn about spam at Spam History.
So, why did I bother rambling about spam? Well, I believe it is a good parallel to what my blog will be like. I decided to write it because I have many opinions on topics in the world, in every day life, etc. etc. I used to think Facebook was the answer, but I have been enlightened. I had epiphany that told me I should make a blog where I can say what I want to say, and if people want to read it then all the better for them!
Guidelines for the blog:
#1: I am a "Mormon" as most people know us. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This will be expressed often as it is a part of my every day life and I am a strong believer. So, if you don't like us then... well you'll find out someday. If you're curious, wonderful! This is a great link with more information about us Mormon Values. If you like what you see let me know! I would love to answer any questions you might have.
#2: Because I am a Mormon I have according values. If you're looking for inappropriate content then go somewhere else. If you're going to post inappropriate content go somewhere else. If you want to understand what all my values are, click here.
#3: I made this blog for the sheer fact that I am opinionated. I won't deny it. I have my own opinions and I have a hard time keeping them to myself. That's kind of why I made this blog.... If you disagree with my opinions that's fine. If everyone agreed with me there would be no fun in anything (dictatorship much?). So, go ahead and tell me what you think.
#4: Sometimes I might post things that I think are funny, interesting or important to me. It's a way of expressing myself and my opinions on the media of the internet.
#5: If you have criticism for me then gimme some. Does my background suck? templates? etc.? Go ahead and tell me. I'll take your comments for what it's worth. I'm new to blogging so don't expect my blog to be perfect in any way.
#6: I am OCD about my grammar and spelling, so be warned...
#7: Enjoy the blog! I didn't write it to be a a boring textbook of some sort. I wrote it so that people can learn more about me and in turn express about themselves. Please comment and if you have your own blogs go ahead and show me! I might just follow it and I might not. No promises (if I know you in real life I will more than likely stalk you from your blog).
So, there you have it. I caved and started a blog. Hope you enjoy my "Profound Spam".
So, why did I bother rambling about spam? Well, I believe it is a good parallel to what my blog will be like. I decided to write it because I have many opinions on topics in the world, in every day life, etc. etc. I used to think Facebook was the answer, but I have been enlightened. I had epiphany that told me I should make a blog where I can say what I want to say, and if people want to read it then all the better for them!
Guidelines for the blog:
#1: I am a "Mormon" as most people know us. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This will be expressed often as it is a part of my every day life and I am a strong believer. So, if you don't like us then... well you'll find out someday. If you're curious, wonderful! This is a great link with more information about us Mormon Values. If you like what you see let me know! I would love to answer any questions you might have.
#2: Because I am a Mormon I have according values. If you're looking for inappropriate content then go somewhere else. If you're going to post inappropriate content go somewhere else. If you want to understand what all my values are, click here.
#3: I made this blog for the sheer fact that I am opinionated. I won't deny it. I have my own opinions and I have a hard time keeping them to myself. That's kind of why I made this blog.... If you disagree with my opinions that's fine. If everyone agreed with me there would be no fun in anything (dictatorship much?). So, go ahead and tell me what you think.
#4: Sometimes I might post things that I think are funny, interesting or important to me. It's a way of expressing myself and my opinions on the media of the internet.
#5: If you have criticism for me then gimme some. Does my background suck? templates? etc.? Go ahead and tell me. I'll take your comments for what it's worth. I'm new to blogging so don't expect my blog to be perfect in any way.
#6: I am OCD about my grammar and spelling, so be warned...
#7: Enjoy the blog! I didn't write it to be a a boring textbook of some sort. I wrote it so that people can learn more about me and in turn express about themselves. Please comment and if you have your own blogs go ahead and show me! I might just follow it and I might not. No promises (if I know you in real life I will more than likely stalk you from your blog).
So, there you have it. I caved and started a blog. Hope you enjoy my "Profound Spam".
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