I Want a Trash Compactor Robot With Soul!

I know I should probably write about The Book Club's discussion of The Storyteller's Daughter while it is still fresh in my mind, but I've really only been able to think about one thing for the last day: WALL-E.

Time for some history. I have always enjoyed Pixar's work. Both Toy Story movies delighted me when they came out, and I fondly remember seeing Monsters, Inc. in the theater. (Funny story about that movie: in December 2001 I was eagerly anticipating the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, so much so that I was going to catch it on its opening night in Vernal. Well, my pseudo-girlfriend and I went to Vernal's one multi-screen theater and to my chagrin, The Fellowship wasn't there. Though I was extremely disappointed, we decided to catch a movie anyway. The movie we decided on was Monsters, Inc. I absolutely loved it. The next day I went to see The Fellowship.)

Finding Nemo was released two months before I jaunted to Brazil, and it somehow went unnoticed. I didn't end up seeing it until after my mission, and by then I had heard so many people hyping it, that it ultimately didn't meet the expectations I had set. I still need to see it again. The Incredibles, however, blew me away. It was (and still is) by far the most intense and exciting animated feature I had ever seen. Fantastic, fantastic film.

I saw Cars and enjoyed it but didn't feel like it achieved Pixar's high levels of excellence.

Rewind to one year ago. I was excited for the release of Ratatouille, but not terribly so. The trailers looked great (visually, that is), but the story didn't jump out at me. That being so, I still saw it during its opening weekend, and it astounded me. For the first time, I found myself not just enjoying a Pixar film like I always did, but Ratatouille actually resonated with me. It was the first Pixar film that I saw as high art. It wasn't as exciting as The Incredibles or as funny as Toy Story, but I connected with it. Everything about it was flawless. The animation, the music, the story, all of it combined into a masterpiece. I left the theater with a huge smile on my face and happiness in my heart. With Ratatouille, I felt like Pixar had elevated itself once again, taken their filmmaking and storytelling to an all new level, and I was excited for their future films, but I was also afraid that they couldn't go any higher than they already were. I hoped that the emotional resonance achieved with Ratatouille wouldn't be a one time thing. (Coincidentally, iTunes just randomly played a track from Ratatouille's soundtrack).

Here we are in the present, and I can happily announce that Pixar has not disappointed. WALL-E is even better than Ratatouille.

(I will continue with this post later today after I see WALL-E for the second time).

WALL-E

Once again, I have a topic that deserves copious discussion and not enough time to do it right away. I will say this about WALL-E, Pixar's latest film, even though I just got home from watching it, I would watch every single second of it again this very instant if that were possible.

It is amazing. Pixar just continues to astound (and confound) me with their brilliance and humanity. Bravo.

Coming up next...

I don't have the time to write a real post, but I will state that sometime this weekend I will report on The Book Club's first meeting. Attendance was rather sparse, but that did not stop us from thoroughly discussing Saira Shah's book The Storyteller's Daughter. Personally, I really enjoyed the insights everyone shared, and I thought the experience was exciting.

I'll share some of my insights regarding the book and the discussion, as well as some of the insights of the other participants, when I find the time to write it all.

Next Mix

It's time for a new mix. Thing is, I don't really have any ideas for a particular direction to take the mix. Thus, it's up to one of you, fine readers.

The first person to make a suggestion in a comment will determine the nature of my next mix. Unless what you suggest is impossible for me to do. Then I reserve the right to alter your suggestion to something doable or to accept a suggestion from someone else.

It's up to (one of) you!

Rockin' On

Ever since I really started listening to music seriously, I've wondered how long I could stay hip, how long I could stay up with new bands and new sounds, how long I would be open to change. It seems, with very few exceptions, that everyone falls off the map eventually and clings to the bands from their past rather than embracing the new. I've attended my fair share of live shows, and it's very rare that I see someone who is clearly middle-aged. Most of the time everyone tends to fall into one of two groups: teenagers and twenty-somethings. The vast majority of contemporary indie rock audiences encompasses those groups. I guess rock and roll has always meant more for younger generations.

What is it about music that appeals to us so much when we're teenagers and later before we become the typical suburban adults? Rock has always been to some extent a revolution against the status quo and the music of the past. But I don't want to get into a lengthy treatise about rock and roll; I'll keep things more personal.

I have this fear that one day I will stop liking some of the music I currently love. I fear that the loud, driving, and often abrasive sounds will stop resonating with me, and I'll abandon a large portion of the bands and albums I listen to at this time. Without loud and urgent rock and roll I'd be left with the folky stuff that's all the rage right now (and often bores me terribly), and I'd gradually become a boring old man afraid to rock out. I'm not kidding; this really does terrify me.

Thankfully, that time has not come. My love for fist-pumping rock and roll was confirmed this past week when I started listening to the Constantines. I don't know why I hadn't listened to them before because they've been around a while and have four albums out. Anyway, I started listening to their self-titled debut album, and by the fourth song I was hooked. The singer doesn't have much of a singing voice, but it works so perfectly with their music. The song "Young Offenders" has become my current anthem. I've been rocking out to it in my home and car about as frequently as possible. I even plug in my electric guitar, turn it up, and play along sometimes. It's great fun. It's a terrific song, as are the rest of their songs. I'm quickly becoming a big Constantines fan. I don't expect everyone to love this band; in fact, I could see how people might not enjoy them, but for me, they are a great band and a reminder that I have yet to mellow out and lose the rock.

Slurpee for Breakfast?

Yesterday I took ill. I'm not exactly sure what hit me. At least four other people in my apartment complex have also been unwell recently, and I'm not sure if I picked something up from someone or if this is my own mishap. Nonetheless, yesterday was not a particularly enjoyable day. I struggled to keep down the little bit of food I ate and felt pretty miserable.

As I was preparing to go to bed, or at least try to sleep (attempts that were to later prove quite unfruitful), I heard a knock on my front door. I gradually made my way downstairs and answered the door. There stood three concerned friends, Alison, Jessie, and Nanette. They asked how I was doing and expressed their sympathy. Then Alison extended her hand, and in that hand was a gift: a Slurpee.

Though I was afraid to partake of too much of the Slurpee, it was a very nice surprise, not to mention a very thoughtful and caring gesture. Thanks once again, Alison and Jessie. We talked for awhile, and then I decided to really try and get some sleep. I put the Slurpee in the fridge, and that was the end of my night.

This morning I felt somewhat better, though I struggled to sleep well. Nothing frustrates me more than having difficulty sleeping. I lose my patience, and the longer I lay in bed awake, the more my mind gets thinking, and with each additional thought my chances of resuming sleep diminish. So I felt better than yesterday, not too difficult to do, but still not well enough to go about my normal activities, which would have included going to my new job for the first time. If I did catch something from someone else, I definitely don't want to spread it to my new employers and co-workers. Not a good first impression to make.

Returning to that Slurpee, I was feeling well enough this morning to try and ingest something. With diabetes, fasting isn't really much of an option. If I don't eat, low blood sugar comes a knocking, and unlike the shots of insulin that counter high blood sugar, there's no magic injection to make low blood sugar go away. Just good old fashioned food and drink. So I decided that the Slurpee would probably be pretty gentle on my stomach, and it was. For the first (and probably last) time in my life, I had a Slurpee for breakfast. And it was good.

Listen up.

I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I'm tired of going in circles. I can't run from this any longer; I've got to get something off my chest.

I love chapstick. I really do. I love the way it makes my lips feel. I love how soothing it feels when my lips are in that starting to chap but not quite chapped stage. I love the way it makes me feel better about myself.

Also, I love lamp.

(This post is what happens when I've had a really great day and just feel like writing something stupid).

Images of Contentment

• A bowl of Rice Chex and 2% milk. The first few crunchy bites; the last, soggy but still delicious. Greedily drinking the remaining milk and putting down the spoon in the empty bowl completely satisfied.
  
• Enjoying a lazy morning in shorts and a t-shirt. No rush, no need to do anything right away, just absorbing each glorious second of freedom. The day's potential, the opportunity to do whatever I want, even if whatever means nothing, goes down smooth and satisfies.
  
• Watching the second half of the Germany - Portugal soccer game in the European Cup. Two of the best teams in the world playing beautiful soccer. I'm amazed and envious, mostly amazed. Germany surprises the Portuguese 3-2, for whom I've never felt an affinity even though I speak their language, and I'm happy with the outcome.
  
• Searching the Provo Library's catalog and seeing they have a few books by the essayist James Thurber. Thurber was recommended by my creative nonfiction professor, and I need to check out those books soon. The anticipation of reading great literature leaves me excited and looking forward to tomorrow.
  
• The sun beats down, an occasional breeze blows through the apartment complex, and summer is in full swing. The swamp cooler keeps things comfortable indoors, and there's always the pool outside, calling my name.
  
• Listening to Radiohead and writing in a notebook, working on a possible essay/long blog post. The joy of listening to one of my favorite bands and seeking the best combination of words, phrases, images. The challenge of somehow conveying truths that can't be spoken or written, and though it seems inherently impossible, believing that it can and has been done because I've experienced it firsthand.
  
• Lying on a $5 full-length pool float, half-submerged in the refreshing water, basking in the warmth of the sunlight. Eating a fudgesicle, savoring it as much as possible while eating quickly enough that it remains in its solid state as it goes into my mouth. A truly perfect moment.
  
• The hot tub. Ah, yes. Even in the afternoon sun, the hot tub feels great.
  
• The rush of energy right before participating in an athletic event. The anticipation of intense competition, fatigue, loss of breath, streams of sweat, and the euphoria of victory.
  
• Rebounding from an unsatisfying experience and redeeming the remainder of the night. Bidding adieu to negativity, disappointment, and frustration, and welcoming home my prodigal optimism, enthusiasm, and willingness to do or say stupid things in the name of fun.
  
• Doing something. Not just thinking about doing something. Not just hoping for something to happen on its own. Actively making something happen. Doing something that is --and this is both pathetic and true -- difficult for my introverted and timid self. How many times had I thought about doing something and been too cautious, too afraid of taking a false step? Being active and decisive feels good, but I'm not naive enough to believe that I won't struggle to do something similar in the future. Still, life is great when doing something produces the desired results.
  
• A small Ziploc bag of nickels, $5 worth, and a large room full of arcade games, people, and the chaotic cacophony of fun. Dropping nickels into machines with reckless abandon. Playing air hockey on a table that doesn't seem to be working exactly as it should. Making a fool of myself with Dance Dance Revolution. Not a care in my mind. Watching nickels turn into tickets, and tickets into tattoos, lip kazoos, and candy. Getting my money's worth, not in candy or prizes, but in the intangibles that make life worth living.
  
• A 28 oz. watermelon and Twizzler strawberry flavored Slurpee. Mixing it with cotton candy while listening to dance music in the backseat of a car. Feeling hyper, even before the flood of sugar pours into my veins, and not wanting the night to end.
  
• Looking back at the end of another long day, tired and content. Eager to sleep and begin another day, but hesitant to turn out the light just yet, to put the period at the end of the day's last sentence, to turn the page and start writing on the blank page of tomorrow, to say goodbye to all that was and is now only memories.

This little brain of mine...

This morning, sometime around 7:45 a.m., I found myself in the middle of a dream. In my dream, someone, I don't remember whom, said something about low blood sugar. As a diabetic, I'm well aware of the danger of low blood sugar, and I believe I made some comment along those lines in my dream. Well, soon after that I awoke, and found that I was actually experiencing low blood sugar at that time (which was surprising considering the slurpee I had last night). I got up and ingested some glucose and went back to sleep.

What I find interesting is that this is not the first time this has happened. In fact, this was the second dream this year in which low blood sugar has been brought to my attention only to wake up and find my own blood sugar levels low. How amazing is the brain? Stuff like this always leaves me blown away. The brain recognizes that my blood sugar is low and deals with it the only way it knows how: by making me aware of it in my dream and then waking me up. Instead of just waiting for me to wake up on my own and rectify the situation, the brain takes the initiative, and for that, I am grateful. I'm pretty glad my brain is looking out for me when I'm out for the count.

That's all.

Nothing exciting

Disclaimer: this post will likely be neither funny nor entertaining.

It seems everyone I know that blogs has been suffering from writer's block or something lately. No one has been writing, and that means I am suffering from a lack of reading material these days. I still have a week until I start my new job, and how am I going to pass my time without new blog posts to read? Sure, I could read novels (which I am) or watch movies (which I do), but how else am I going to indirectly get to know people if not by reading their blogs? It's a lot easier than actually engaging someone in conversation and getting to know them directly.

In other knews, I uploaded some more of my other non-blog writings. You'll notice among the links and things on the right side of the page (which you can't see if you're using Google Reader - probably the only downside to using Google Reader actually) that there is now a heading for "additional reading." Beneath that heading there are links to most of the personal essays and short stories that I have written. Most of them are in what I would call literary limbo. I don't feel that any of them are truly complete, but I am not actively working to revise or edit them at this time. Hopefully they will provide those of you brave enough to read them some entertainment and/or pleasure. If you do take the time to read them, I would like to know what you think about them. You could do this by leaving a comment anytime on any post or by emailing me at cfj1983@gmail.com. I really do like to know what people think.

Well, that about does it for tonight. Lately I've been posting things that seem like mere reporting of events. Not a lot of critical thinking or introspection, and that kind of bothers me. It's not that I don't have serious things to write about, but I keep convincing myself to write about them at a later time, almost like I'm shying away from what might be some difficult realizations or self-discoveries. Hopefully I'll get down and dirty and write about something that really matters, something important for my own personal growth and understanding. Until then, adieu.

It really is June, isn't it?

Yesterday was, for all intents and purposes, the first true day of summer. Never mind that it wasn't the 21st of June. The date doesn't matter. Our June weather had, until very recently, been quite abnormal. We had received a decent amount of rain, and the temperature had been quite cool - much cooler than years past. In fact, a couple of days this past week we had low temperatures similar to those experienced during the month of April. Weird stuff.

But yesterday was different. The sky was perfectly clear and pristine, and the sun brought warmth to Utah Valley. I haven't looked for the official number, but the temperature was somewhere in the high eighties, the hottest it's been this year. And with the warm weather came warm weather activities.

I first played in a pickup game of baseball with Alison and some of her high school friends at 9:00 a.m. We played until 11 a.m. Then at 12:30, I went to Seven Peaks to use my season pass for the first time. (IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: They are still selling student season passes for $40. If you are a student and a cool person, and if you're reading this then I assume you are cool, you should go buy a season pass). I, along with Alison, Elyse, and Trisha (go Chris, am I right?) spent a delightful afternoon frolicking in the wave pool (frolic was all you could really do with those weak waves), going down slides, relaxing in the Lazy River, and basking in the sun. It was a lot of fun, and we plan on using our passes many more times during the summer.

After that, I ate some lunch and tried to get some rest before our ward activity at 6. For the activity we were going to play slip'n'slide kickball at Kiwanis Park. It was also very fun. I have to publicly announce that I love kickball. Even in my energy depleted state, I was able to run around, kick the ball until my foot was bright red, and wreck mayhem on the other team.

Following the kickball, I sat in our hot tub for approximately 15 minutes before I was invited to the Malt Shoppe and then to go watch fireworks in Orem. A group of us Sparksians went and did both, and it was fun. The fireworks were pretty good for a Flag Day celebration. I'm assuming the 4th of July will bring grander exhibitions of explosions in the sky.

While driving to and from the fireworks display, we were all basically having a rave in Elyse's car. She had a specific rave mix on her iPod, and we were getting down with our bad selves. We reached Sparks then decided to throw a second Hobble Creek Canyon impromptu dance party. That meant, of course, that we needed slurpees, and the 7-11 in Springville facilitated that urge. We then went up the canyon and stopped at the same spot we did a few weeks earlier. Tunes were turned on, and our group of partiers (me, Elyse, Joel, Trisha, Kelli, and Beau) got the party started. It was fun and crazy, and some awesome pictures were taken. (I'll try and get my hands on those soon so I can up the best of them). We danced until we were all pretty much exhausted, drove back to Sparks, and then collapsed into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

Needless to say, it was a long, tiring, and extremely fun day. Summer, I'm glad you're finally here.

Goodbye, Lazy Summer!

It's official: I have a job. But before we all mourn my loss of freedom, I won't actually start working until June 24th. Yeah, just less than two weeks from now. That means I can stay up late and sleep late and have more slurpee adventures and just generally waste my time in pursuit of enjoyable yet unproductive pursuits.

I am excited to start working, not just because I need the money. Last Wednesday I interviewed with The Generations Network, a network of companies involved in family history research including Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker. I was interviewing for an entry-level position verifying the accuracy of historical data and other similar tasks. The interview went well, and I had been waiting to hear back from them. Though I consider myself to be a generally patient person, waiting is never fun. The longer it took for them to get back to me, the less assured I felt regarding my chances.

I finally received a phone call this afternoon from David, one of the three people who conducted my interview. He asked if I had a few minutes to talk, I told him I did, and he proceeded to offer me the job. I accepted readily, not only because of my financial need, but also because I had a good feeling about the job. Earlier this summer I nearly took a job, but as I thought more about it, I didn't feel like it was the right place for me. Partially responsible for that decision was the fact that I was being offered $8/hr, but after interviewing with The Generations Network, I felt good about accepting the job for the $9-9.75 salary they listed with the job posting.

As David and I talked this afternoon, he told me that they wanted to offer me a starting salary of $12.25/hr. This was a very pleasant surprise, nearly three dollars an hour more than I would have accepted. He also told me that after a few months I would be eligible for a raise depending on my level of proficiency. Good to hear. All in all, I feel really good about this job. It's full-time and will give me the hours I want (Monday through Friday, 8-5) while keeping my nights and weekends free. Just in case I ever want a social life or happen to have a summer fling.

I do wish I could start sooner. I need money for my trip to Madison and Chicago at the end of July, but everything will work out. I realized the true silver lining to starting so late is that my beard, now one week old, will have another two weeks to reveal its splendor, and that is exciting. If my beard's happy, I'm happy.

We've Got More Adventures than Lewis and Clark

"May: The Month of Movie Madness" is over. It's been over for awhile, actually. Anyway, I watched at least one movie each day for a grand total of 35 movies in the month. It actually became a chore of sorts toward the end of the month. I was sincerely glad when the month ended and I could set aside the responsibility to watch a movie every single day. It was a good run.

The second slurpee adventure of the summer took place this week. It started, like the first, after Sunday night expired into Monday morning. Four of us (myself, my roommate Aaron, Elyse, and her roommate Kelli) all piled into Kelli's car and hit the road. We decided to visit the Springville 7-11 so we could rock out a little longer. We were also hoping it would have different flavors than the University Avenue 7-11. Variety is the spice of life - especially when it comes to slurpees.

My excitement was off the charts; Elyse looks pretty excited too. (This was actually before we took off in Kelli's car - it's my pre-adventure face).

I was in a great mood, full of energy. Listening to some stellar tunes along the way, courtesy of Elyse's iPod, helped get me pretty hyper. The 7-11 in Springville is nicer than any 7-11 in Provo. It feels more spacious and was really clean. Once we got inside we basically ran to the slurpee machine. They actually had some different flavors. Unfortunately, their unique flavor had the dreaded blinking red light. We were not meant to partake of the Twizzlers Strawberry flavor. Alas! Elyse and I held a mini-conference and decided that we needed to go to another 7-11, this one on 300 South in Provo, to see if they had any new flavors. By the time we announced our intentions, Aaron and Kelli had already obtained their own slurpees. Oh well.

Oh yeah, while all this was happening. We were trying to set up Elyse's camera on the nacho cheese machine so we could get a shot of the four of us near the slurpee machine. One the employees, a middle-aged woman at the end of her shift, saw us and told us if she'd show us where to take a great picture. She then walked to a little alcove behind the counter and uncovered a very large and very green cardboard cutout of the hulk. We then took the picture.

As we were leaving and Aaron and Kelli were paying for their slurpees, I noticed a bunch of donuts on the counter. I asked the cashier if they were discounted because they were old, and he said they were indeed. Buy one get one free. Probably my favorite promotion of all time (can anyone say the Malt Shoppe?). Elyse and I each got one of the pink sprinkled donuts. The cashier called them Sprinklicious, and we all laughed. Then I saw on his little price chart thing that they are officially called Sprinklicious, and I was astounded at that awesome fact. It was delicious.

At the 7-11 on 300 South and Freedom things were a little different. It's closer to the tracks, the streets are a little darker, scary things might be going on. (Lest any assume I'm serious, I'm not. Earlier that day I had spent some quality time on the other side of the tracks visiting my former roommate Don Giovanni and his wife Dona Tessa). Inside the store, the cashier had techno on, and that was pretty cool since we'd been listening and grooving to similar music in the car. The cashier would even bust out some dance moves from time to time; she did the robot as I approached the cashier to pay for my slurpee. This 7-11 also had a unique flavor that wasn't ready for consumption: the Jolly Rancher green apple. It sounded appetitizing, but no matter how long we waited, and Elyse waited pretty diligently, the blinking red light would not turn off. I decided to settle for the Crystal Light cherry limeade flavor. It was tasty and sugar free so as to not put me into a diabetic coma. I guess that's a plus.

Elyse finally settled on a mixture of flavors, Aaron refilled his slurpee cup now empty, and some people even bought some taquitos to eat. We got back in the car and decided to go visit the 7-11 near 500 West and Bulldog. Elyse told us about an employee there, Mullet Man, who, get this, has a mullet. We wanted to see him, but he wasn't working when we got there. Not wanting our adventure to end, we decided to swing by a park in Orem near my grandpa's house. As we pulled in, I wondered if the park had a curfew like all Provo City parks. 11 p.m. curfews are lame. We had just found a parking spot and turned the car off when a police car pulled into the parking lot. My curfew-suspicion was correct, and we left the park without even getting out of the car. The cop stayed in the parking lot to highbeam the two cars still there, and we thought we were free. Later, as we pulled to a stop sign, the cop pulled right behind us. They apparently don't have much to do late at night. We soon left Orem and returned to Provo, and all was well.

The slurpees were soon vanquished, and the night's adventure came to an end.

Slow Week

It's been a slow week so far in the Blogosphere. Anyone reading this who also writes a blog should probably write something for my sake. Keep me entertained please!

I don't think this post is going to really contain anything exciting. Just a few tidbits of information.

1. I have a job interview later today (after I go to sleep and wake up). I hope it goes well because I need a job. I haven't really gotten terribly bored with all this free time, but my financial situation grows more precarious with each passing day.

2. Sometime this week I am going to buy a season pass to Seven Peaks. I remember how much I loved to go there as a child. Some of those slides were pretty formidable back in the day. Since it is only a few blocks from where I now live, I think that I could definitely get my money's worth out of a season pass. To make the offer even more attractive, they are offering a special deal to students who show them a student ID. For students, the season pass costs $40. I'm not sure how long they will be offering this deal, so I am going to have to act quickly.

I think other people should take advantage of this deal. Especially those who live so close to the park. We can have a lot of fun as a group.

3. I uploaded a new mix; it's actually a large mix with two parts. When I was listening to the Polyphonic Spree (hearken back to my "Prozac and Late Night Drives" post), I was reminded how awesome that band uses horns (you know, trumpets, trombones, french horns, tubas, etc.), and I decided then that I would make a mix of songs by contemporary bands with horns.

There really aren't enough horns in modern rock and roll. Horns figure prominently in genres like classical and jazz, but at my core I am a rock and/or roller. Sure, ska bands use horns frequently, but ska has never really been my thing. I definitely wasn't going to have my mix turn into a ska-fest --- though I have been known to skank at times. Disco and funk groups of the 70s also used a lot of horns, and I love them for that, but I was determined to keep things modern and make a good mix of songs with horns by contemporary artists that I listen to (i.e. mostly indie bands).

I think that I have come up with a good collection of songs. The only non-contemporary groups I included are The Beatles and The Beachboys. The Beatles are also the only group with two songs in the mix, and that is because you can't really deny The Beatles' greatness and right to tower above all others. The mix, titled "We Got Horns But This Ain't Ska," comes in two parts because I had too many songs and couldn't justify getting rid of any of them. The mix came together over a week ago, and I have been listening to it pretty much nonstop. I think is a good sign. If you're interested, click on the links located to the right.

Shameless Self-Promotion #1

I didn't really wait for too many positive responses to my last entry before deciding to make some of my non-blog writing available, but that's okay because this is, after all, my blog. I am in control.

I decided to start with my most recent work, three personal essays composed for my creative nonfiction writing class. Great class, by the way. I learned a lot and think my writing improved. My essays should be somewhat similar to the style I use with this blog; they are, of course, much more refined and well-developed. I am quite pleased with these essays, and I hope those of you who choose to read them will enjoy them as well.

I am trying out Google Docs for the first time. Hopefully this will work for everyone.

1. "On Beards" - this essay is obviously about beards. It's not much of a secret that I am a beard-lover and grow mine as often as possible. This essay explores specifically the stigma attached to beards not only at BYU, but in society as a whole.

2. "Packrats and Life Everlasting" - this essay explores my tendency to purchase books and movies, or at least attempts to understand that impulse. It's more interesting than my description makes it out to be.

3. "Reflections on Hate" - as the title states, this essay contains a few of my reflections on hate, what it is, why we feel it, etc. Of the three essays, this is probably my favorite, but I have yet to feel like it is complete. I plan on doing more revising and rewriting in the near future.

These three essays ought to provide enough reading material to tide people over for awhile. Those of you who do brave the murky depths of my writing, let me know what you think. I am always interested in knowing what people think of my work, and I am open and eager for constructive criticism or any suggestion as to how to improve my work.

You may begin reading.