Disqus...

So, I heard about this new commenting system called Disqus. I just thought I'd post about it so people could know about it because I can't get it working without you going to an individual post (like clicking on the title of the individual post will take you to that post's page and then you'll see it at the bottom, or clicking "comment" at the bottom of this post). Anyway, give it a shot and maybe you'll be the next #1 commenter on my blog :)

Shaving...

I've been shaving since I was pretty young. I never really liked facial hair. I got my first electric razor on my 15th birthday and I've been shaving pretty much every day since. I continued to use that same electric razor, with the same razor heads for the next 5 and a half years. Then, I finally decided to..... change the razor heads... I continued using that electric shaver. Once, while on my mission, I tried out the "real man razor." I didn't like it, so I stuck with electric.
This last Fall, after 7 faithful years with my original razor, I finally decided to grow up and change to the "real man razor" again. I even made a fun video of the death of my razor:


I guess I was excited to move on...
Well, it didn't last long, and I didn't like the new razor. So, I went back to my old one...
Well guess what I got for Christmas! A new electric Razor! I'm excited about it! But just to prove it, for some reason this last week I went 4 days without shaving! The longest since I was 15 I'm sure! Ha ha, so naturally I couldn't resist taking a picture :)

So, I guess the bright side of all of this is that not only do you get two pictures of my face, but I shaved right after these were taken! Now THAT'S the Bright-Side of Life :)

Hum di dum.... SNOWBOARDING! :D

Dear Blog and friends,
It has been quite some time since my last post. I'm writing this at 10:38 pm December 26th, but I'm in my bedroom, out of reach of the WiFi connection, so I'll probably post it tomorrow. It has been too long. I do plan on posting more in the future.
<<Present Day>>
As I thought about it, looking at all I wrote that night, I decided that to avoid boring you, I'll post it a piece at a time. So, for now I'm going to post my pictures from my Pomerelle excursion and leave it at that :) I had a blast :) It's been a long time since the last time I went snowboarding, and I just jumped right back in the saddle. I love speeding down the mountain and weaving through the trees (at as high speeds as I dare). I'm not really one for jumps and rails, but I do get my kick outta those as well :) I love snowboarding. I also love skiing (you can get going a LOT faster on skies :D), but everyone I go with snowboards, so I just snowboard. Too bad it's so expensive, or I'd go a lot more. But, it was a great experience. I was really happy to have gone! And that's the Bright-Side of Life! (More BSL to come :D)

I had to share this...

I would have joined in! That would be so awesome! What are all those people doing on their seats anyway??? If they were cultured, they would have stood for the Hallelujah Chorus. I even saw a little kid standing. That's what I'm talking about! This rocks!

Thanksgiving Daily

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year. What makes it so wonderful? How can we experience that more often?

Party in the U.S.A. ASL Video

One of my favorites :)

DanceSport

I competed in DanceSport this morning. It went great. My partner is **correction** WAS Dana Gibson. We had such a fun time. We made it past the first 6 rounds. But on the last elimination, we were among those eliminated unfortunately. Our teacher said a lot of it had to do with the fact that the judges were on the other side of the room. But all-in-all we had just a really good time, and we were thrilled with how far we got. I'm certainly doing this again :D So much fun!!!

Nerdy rant...

It is SO typical of Microsoft to provide a service that is really awesome and then not deliver. I hate Microsoft!

But how can I make a jab at Micro$oft if I don't make a jab at Apple? It is typical of Apple to make the computer so user-friendly that you can't do anything with it. And for their programs to act like a virus (thank you iTunes, you've earned quite a lame reputation).
And how can I make such negative comments about M$ and Apple without expressing my love for Google?
This morning, I was studying and chatting on the same document with 90 students on Google Docs to prep for our History Test, each of us adding content. I sent a free text in the basement of the Library where I don't get cell phone service using Google Voice, I read from my favorite blogs and uplifting content from LDS.org from Google Reader, and I'm using Google Chrome right now, which just works. I love Google!

iSayHi Message to members:

Hey iSayHi members! I hope everyone's still having great experiences with the iSayHi commitment! Just a few things:
1. iSayHi Shirt Sign Ups in by next week!
2. Redefine Service Blog
3. iSayHiAnonymousPickMeUpTexts
4. iSayHi Party November 20th (Provo Area)
5. iSayHi Buttons (We're getting them, just so you know :D)

1. So we have the shirts ready to be printed. Now we just need sign ups for them to know how many to print. We'll send off the order a week from this Monday. The shirt costs $7.50. If you want a shirt, there are a few ways you can go about signing up to get one:
- Online: By far the easiest is to order it online through the store gadget I made here: https://sites.google.com/site/isayhiweb/t-shirts
- Another easy way to order is filling out the following form. I will connect with you to get the money for the shirt through your e-mail address or if otherwise specified: https://spreadsheets0.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGUxU1ZuX3plVUJTeG1TU25CeXQ1Rnc6MQ
- I will have sign up sheets around my apartment complex (Alta) in Provo, so if you're in my ward or in my area, you can just come sign up there (may as well just drop off the money to me if you do that).
- There will be sign up sheets in the Foyer before and after Men's Chorus, so if you're around the HFAC at 4:00 - 4:50 you can sign up there.

2. There is a blog for Redefine Service, created and updated by my dear friend Deidre Edmunds. Redefine Service is basically like iSayHi. Take a look :) http://redefineservice.blogspot.com/

3. We're still doing iSayHiAnonymousPickMeUpTexts. Just e-mail iSayHiMail@gmial.com with the name, phone number, and message and we'll send them a nice anonymous text from the iSayHi Phone number. It's an easy way to brighten someone's day!

4. For those of you who are in the Provo Area, we're doing an iSayHi Part on November 20th. We're going to do something special, so come and bring your friends, and respond to the event so we know how many to expect! Thanks! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149197425124869

You're all so great! Thanks a million for all the friendly-service that you do! See you around!
-Kent

High times, hard times...

Well, it's been quite some time since I last posted on my blog... I don't know why. I should do it more.

I spent today going to school, and getting some homework done. It's really nice to stay ahead in school. I just picked up two classes I Sys 100 and 101. They're for Excel and PowerPoint and they're ultra-easy. It's just online. It uses words like "Objective: Minimizing a window" and asks questions like "True or False: You can not run multiple programs on a computer at once." I'm not joking... It's just funny. I'm sure that in later lessons I'll learn something I didn't know before. All-in-all, I'm really enjoying my classes and doing very well in them. I wish that I'd discovered my affinity for these types of classes before. It's so much better for me than the math and science classes I was taking earlier. who'd have thought that I would be into accounting? Not me!

Sometimes, I can feel like the song "Home" by Michael Buble "surrounded by, a million people, I still feel so alone." It's hard to describe the way that I feel about my associations with people right now. I want to be with friends and do fun things. But I just think maybe I don't know who to do it all with. I'm not super close with people anymore. It's more like being pretty close with everyone.... I'm not really close enough with anyone for them to just call me up and invite me to do something, I've realized. So, anyway... I'll have to figure that out eventually...

Anyway, enough moping, that helps nobody. Besides, this is the Bright-Side of Life blog.... Though, I think it's perfectly fine to sometimes express frustration and stuff, it's always good to end on a high note, that's why I saved these things for last.

What I'm grateful for:

Heavenly Father, and my Savior. They have so much love for me!

FAMILY!! They're ALWAYS there! :D

Ward family, they're so great!

Test score! 94% on my second statistics test!

Accounting Quiz scores. Pretty much all 100% since I decided I want to do accounting and switched my major.

Friends, they're so great, and they do so much for me!

Cakes made by friends.

Letters from friends on missions.

Professors who love the gospel and what they're teaching.

Beds to sleep in... ooooo sleep, that's what I should be doing right now....

Rockband parties :)

Men's Chorus

Employers who think I'm great :)

Myself :)

The Bright-Side of Life!

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School, Work, Church, Family, Friends, iSayHi, etc.

My, my, how time just flies by. I can't believe it! Things have been kinda crazy, and there's a lot that's gone on that I haven't posted about (obviously). But I want to sum it all up, so here it goes:

School:

• I've decided I want to try accounting and I'm doing pretty well and enjoying it, so we'll see.
• I'm working extra hard in my classes and learning valuable lessons about being a good student.
• I'm taking History 201, Statistics 121, Religion 324 (D&C 1-76), Music 312 (Men's Chorus), Accounting 200, Writing 150, and Dance 180 (Social Dance). I love my classes.

Work:

• I'm still enjoying my job.
• I work from 7:30 to 11:00 am every day, and that schedule works well for me.
• For those of you who don't know, I work at the BYU Conference Center as an Audio/Video Technician.

Church:

• I still love my ward to pieces! The newbies just make it even more awesome.
• I'm still the Ward Mission Leader and I love it. We had the CEO of the MoreGoodFoundation come and talk with us about how to share the gospel using the internet. It's pretty much awesome. That's the focus of our Ward's Mission Plan (considering we have no nonmembers in our ward boundaries...)
• I still work at the temple and I love it. I changed my shift from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 6 - 11 am. It's the best way to start a Saturday :D

Family:

• I'm still a Dodds and I love it ;)
• My little sister Susan got married. I'm so happy for her!
• I get to see my siblings down here occasionally and I go home occasionally :)

Friends:

• I love having Marc home again and being in Men's Chorus with him. We have all kinds of fun.
• I like to have parties :) And I love the regular Rock Band Parties on Saturday Night in my complex :) I'm getting better.

iSayHi:

• I'm letting the idea fly on it's own. I'm hosting another party in October, and then that'll be it. Hopefully someone else will take it over.
• The time I devoted to it pretty much destroyed my GPA last term, and it's a bad idea to let that happen, that's why I have to stop.
• I love the concept, and I'll still lead by example. But I think the most important thing for me to focus on right now is school. I am a student for a reason!

Etc:

• I'm happy that I'm alive.
• I'm learning wonderful lessons.
• I hope that you're all happy!
• And that's the Bright-side of life!

iSayHi Merchandise

The bracelets are sold out!

Bizarre!

So, I was going through some old e-mails and found this in an e-mail I sent to a bunch of people about a vacation I went on with my family. It was pretty funny. So many of you may know that I served my mission in the Missouri Independence Mission. Well, I had gone on a vacation to that area just a year and a half before my mission. Here is a portion of my e-mail about that vacation:

Anyway, we flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico and were there for about 20 minutes (I recorded us there too) then we got on the plane to Kansas City, Missouri, where we rented a car and started off for Independence.

Before I talk about any more of the trip, I want to say that the only reason I would EVER live in that kind of humid climate would be if I was assigned there for my mission. IT WAS SOOOO HUMID!!! I LOVE DRY WEATHER!!!

Ha! Isn't that great!? I had totally forgotten I mentioned that mission part. I do remember hating the humidity. But, that's just rich! Anyway, I thought you'd find that enjoyable :D

Dear Blogger...

I must say I was surprised when I realized that it has been a month and a day since my last post. And that wasn't even a real post. I must apologize for my neglect. Please forgive me!

My life has been wonderful(ly busy). I am happy. I stay busy (which is the reason for my negligence).

Recently, I have been trying to decide whether to switch my major from Electrical Engineering to Chemical Engineering. I think that I would like to get into nanotechnology and solar energy. That's where the future is going, and I find it really fascinating. I have been doing well in my Chemistry class. I would like to get onto a research team in the Chemical Engineering Department. I think it'll probably be a while before they'll let me on (I've asked several professors). I need to get more experience. But I applied to be a TA for Chem 105, so we'll see how that goes!

I recently started a new group on Facebook called iSayHi. Here's the description I put on there:

You know that awkward feeling when you're walking toward someone you don't know on campus and you're the only two around. You're both terrified of each other, both trying to decide "should I say hi, or just walk by?" Lots of the time it's the later of the two.

Or, when you're in line at the check-out just waiting there, and someone comes up behind you. You both stand there awkwardly waiting, wondering "should I say hi, or wait for time to pass by?"

Or, in the Library, or at class, or at the bank? The list goes on and on of times where things can feel awkward with people you don't know. And it's so easy for us to just think, "I'll most likely never see them again, why bother?"

iSayHi is simply a group of people who want to lighten the mood of their surroundings. Essentially, we're just committed to smiling, waving, and talking with people in these awkward situations.

Who knows, you may make a new friend, or you may never see them again. The point is, either way, you'll likely brighten their day and influence their lives for the better.

Members of iSayHi aren't super courageous. Sometimes it can be hard to break the ice in these awkward situations, but, as a good friend of mine often says: "They're normally just as afraid of you as you are of them." Generally, it's not that they don't WANT to talk with you, so why not take a stab at brightening their day.

I can personally say that doing this brightens my day as well! It makes me happier, and the stresses of school go down as I include in my busy life the brightening of others.

iSayHi members aren't crazy. Don't make things MORE awkward by making a big deal of it. We're being friendly, not freaky. For example, if I am nervous when walking by someone on the sidewalk and I pass by them without saying "hello, how are you." Then, 3 seconds later decide that I should have said hello, it would probably be kinda crazy of me to turn around and say "Oh! HI!!!" So, the principle isn't "Say hi to every single person you come within 20 feet of." It's more like "be friendly to everyone you can." Please be normal friendly people.

On a religious note, the Lord will trust you more with errands to run for Him, if He knows that you'll brighten the mood of someone who's been praying for a sign that someone cares.

I hope you feel that you can join this group and improve the mood of your surroundings. I promise that if nothing else, your mood will improve, and you'll become braver and braver with time.

Please share stories and experiences, and invite people to participate in brightening their surroundings and joining iSayHi.

I feel pretty good about it! I am actually taking it pretty seriously. I want to make a difference in the lives of other people. So, in an effort to get the attitude into more people's minds, I'm in the process of designing a logo (if you have ideas, please let me know!) and we're going to put it on bracelets, t-shirts, and fliers. I would like it to take off, where lots of people are just trying to be happier people and helping others to be happier.

What else has gone on in my life, Blogger, since I last posted on you? Well, I'm directing a portion of a Broadway review called "Sing for Something." It's raising money for cancer research. The potion I'm directing is about 10 minutes of Les Miserables. I'm enjoying it pretty well.

There's something else that has happened that's wonderful, but I want to save that for it's own post. So, other than that, I think I'm all through with that! I hope you're well!

Apologetically yours, (And THAT'S the Bright-side of life)

Kent

The Double Helix

This was a reasonably interesting book... Yeah, 'nuff said... For this paper, I received a 25/ 25! The assignment was as follows:

Assignment:

1)Complete the reading assignment for the book The Double Helix: Introduction, Chapters 7-13, 20-end.

2)Consider the supporting questions:

1.Specifically, how is the triplet code in the DNA molecule related to the amino acid sequence in proteins?

2.What are the implications of random changes in the DNA triplet code?

3)Your task is to write a two-page, double-spaced, typed essay addressing the question:

How is the expression of genetic information related to the structure of the DNA molecule?

The Double Helix

“My pulse began to race” says James D. Watson, reflecting on the process of discovering the structure of DNA (The Double Helix, 186). There was a great deal of time, effort, and competition involved in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and for good reason. The leaps and bounds that science has made since this and sequential discoveries have been fascinating and exciting! DNA is what makes up who we are physically, this information is contained in our genes. The expression of genetic information is related to the structure of the DNA molecule.

DNA contains the information necessary for organisms to create protiens. Dictionary.com defines proteins as:

“any of numerous, highly varied organic molecules constituting a large portion of the mass of every life form and necessary in the diet of all animals and other nonphotosynthesizing organisms, composed of 20 or more amino acids linked in a genetically controlled linear sequence into one or more long polypeptide chains, the final shape and other properties of each protein being determined by the side chains of the amino acids and their chemical attachments...”

Dr. Watson, in “The Double Helix,” tells us that “DNA [is] the template upon which RNA chains [are] made. In turn, RNA chains [are]... the templates for protein synthesis.” This gives enormous weight to the importance of DNA in who we are physically.

Contained in our DNA is the code for our genes, which is the code for the proteins that are synthesized (Watson, 74). Proteins are made up of a very specific arrangement of very specific amino acids. This arrangement design is contained in the DNA in a code of triplets (made up by either a purine or pyrimidine nitrogen base as a part of the DNA nucleotide). If the amino acids are not properly ordered, the result will be a useless protein, incapable of performing the function for which it was initially created (On Protein Synthesis, Francis Crick, 158-160).

With this in mind, consider the implications of even one the DNA triplets code being. This would cause the wrong amino acid to be linked to the protein, making a change in the protein, which would result in a useless protein. The DNA code of triplets is what makes up our genes, which is what is copied ultimately resulting in the proteins that make up every aspect of our bodies. Thus, this code of triplets is extremely crucial to life.

The expression of genetic information is more than simply related to the structure of the DNA molecule. It is contained within the structure of the DNA molecule. According to the organization of the DNA molecules, the genes are arranged to call for the proper amino acids, to produce the correct protein. If it seems like this point has been pounded over and over again, it is simply a result of the obvious interconnection and dependence genes have upon the structure of DNA. This is only obvious, however, because of “the evidence that genes [are] made of DNA” (74) which evidence is available to us because of the painstaking years scientists like Dr. Watson spent on these discoveries.

Francis Crick, On Protein Synthesis, http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/SC/B/B/Z/Y/_/scbbzy.pdf

Survey for class (again! but different this time!)

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22ARUW2LDUD

Hey everyone! So, I'm doing a group project for class and I need people to take a survey for it. If you could please take this survey, it's not even 8 questions long! (it's 9! ;D ) I would greatly appreciate it, and feel more than free to share it with your friends/family, I need as many people taking this survey as I can get :)

Don't forget to look at the Bright-Side of Life! :-D

-Kent

24 hours in a day? That's it!?!?

So, I've decided that I'm a pretty busy person. I'm doing pretty well with it all I feel. But if I were to let off for even a moment, I would fall behind and probably be really stressed about my life! Luckily I have friends and family who are really supportive! Thanks everyone!

I just thought that I would share with everyone my schedule just because I've been thinking about it, and that's what a blog is for. By definition, a blog is: "a type of online diary that someone makes available to other people on the internet. (A very popular way to communicate one's personal details without any social interaction.) : John started a weblog so that other people could read about what he eats for breakfast. , I deleted my blog, since it was too silly." So, anyway, my schedule consists of:

22 hours of school

• 6 Hours of Biology - 100 (3 credits - Quite fascinating, we also read a book a week, write a paper on it, and have one lab a week)
• 6 Hours of Moral Leadership in Technology (3 credits - Also quite fascinating, we have big group and personal projects due at the end of the course and a LOT of reading before each class)
• 4 Hours of Book of Mormon (2 credits - 2nd half, Brother Thompson is really awesome, I love the Book of Mormon!)
• 6 Hours of a Math Refresher (This is a 0 credit class to get me re-integrated on math, it's really helpful, but hard to be motivated to go as it's a two hour class at the end of the day and worth no credits....)

7 - 10 hours of work

• I work at the BYU Conference Center. I'm a A/V Technician. Basically, I play with A/V equimpment the whole time. It's awesome. I'm doing what I really enjoy doing. For me, it's like putting a child in a playground and saying, "As long as you play with the toys and do nothing else the whole time, I'll give you $8.00 an hour. And sometimes, I'll ask you to help another kid learn how to play on the toys too." So, it's pretty awesome. I do wish that I had time/could work more hours and get paid more, but you can't complain to be able to play for work :-)

5 hours at the Temple

• I just got called to be an ordinance worker two weeks ago. My first day was last Tuesday. I start Tuesday mornings at 5:00 until 10:00. It's pretty early, but it's awesome! Such a wonderful experience. So I have to go to bed at 9:00 on Monday evenings just to get 7 hours of sleep (I would go to bed at 8:00 to get 8 hours, but we have FHE at 7:30, so that wouldn't work!) It's awesome!

So, let's break this down...

• There are 168 hours in a week. You're supposed to get 8 hours of sleep every night. That leaves me with 112 hours a week.
• We're supposed to study 2 hours for every hour in class (according to President Samuelson). So with the 22 hours of class, I should add 44 hours of class. That puts me at 46 hours a week.
• Then I have the approximate 7.5 hours of work a week. That's 39.5 hours left.
• Then there's my church stuff (meetings/activities, the frequent-enough temple trip), approximately 15 hours + 5 hours at the temple = 20. That leaves me with 9.5 hours.
• That seems alright.... Oh YEAH! Let's not forget that I don't suddenly get up and appear in my class! So, there's the get up, shower, heiginate myself, scripture study, eating, and travel time. Let's say that it takes me an hour and a half from the time I wake up to the time I can be where I need to be, and we'll tack on a half hour lunch and half hour dinner (that's thrifty), and then about a half hour of travel every day (that's also thrifty). That's 21 hours! But WAIT! That doesn't work!
• That leaves me with -11.5 to use on a social life! This simply doesn't work! I was a part of an Ultimate Frisbee Team that took about 4 hours a week. That's over, but now I'm a part of a singing group called "Up a Notch" which practices Wednesdays for 2 hours. Then I also like to spend time with friends. Oh yeah, and then there's laundry, and house cleaning, and piano playing! It just goes on, and on, and on!

So, with all of those things, where do I get my time to do them??? I would venture to guess that I DON'T exactly follow the counsel to study 2 hours for every hour in class. I also would have to say that I don't get 8 hours of sleep EVERY night. Or maybe I don't get exactly eight hours of sleep ANY night! But I try really really hard to get enough sleep! So that's probably where my time comes from. There's my conclusion.

With all of this, I assure you that I'm doing well in my classes, and I'm having a wonderful time here in Provo. So, THAT'S the Bright-Side of life!

Food Rules

The "Rules" in this book were pretty common sense (especially for those of us familiar with the Word of Wisdom). There were some quite interesting points in the rules though. A good hour read. It gave me a desire to improve my eating habits. The assignment was as follows:

1)Complete the reading assignment for the book Food Rules – An Eater’s Manual: Entire book.

2)Consider the supporting questions posted on Blackboard.

1.How can you align Pollan's basic premis - "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." with current world populations growth patterns?

2.How do current global issues related to food availability and nutritional quality relate to Doctrine and Covenants 89?

3)Your task is to write a two-page, double-spaced, typed essay addressing the question:

Summarize some of the key economic, agricultural, and ecological implications associated with large scale implementation of Michael Pollan’s advice to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Food Rules Exploration Topic

Societies, throughout the history of the world, have changed and morphed to become what they are today. In the book “Food Rules,” the author, Mr. Pollan, suggests “food cultures are embedded in societies and economies and ecologies” (89). As our society changes, our food culture follows suit. The Lord issues us this warning about our food culture: “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:4). Let it not be suggested that the entire food industry is designed by the evil one, however, it is important to note that the motivator behind much of where and how we get our food is not altogether to get the most healthy things into our bodies. Mr. Pollan's answer to this is “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants” (xv). Considering where our world is concerning food, a large scale implementation of this concept would have dramatic effects economically, agriculturally, and ecologically.

Currently, a “Western diet” consists of “lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of refined grains, lots of everything except vegtables, fruits, and whole grains” (Michael Pollan, xii). Historically, people with this kind of diet commonly suffer from “so-called Western diseases: obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.” (Pollan, xii). There couldn't be a more convincing case that this type of diet is not good for the body. To preserve health in our diet, there needs to be a change.

If a change, what kind? Mr. Pollan outlines sixty-four eating “rules” that he believes are the change we need. These rules can be separated into three categories (stated earlier): “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants” (xv). Let us consider what this concept is. Essentially, the concept “eat food” refers to the difference between “real food” and processed foods. “Not too much” deals with our relationship to food. The conceptual phrase itself is self-explanatory, simply don't over eat. And thirdly, “Mostly plants” gives us a guideline of proportions to the types of food that is most healthy for us.

If we were to implement these concepts, and change from our diet linked to diseases to a diet linked to healthy life (Pollan, xiii), there would be some major ramifications surrounding our current economical, agricultural, and ecological status. There are over seventeen thousand new products on the shelves at groceries stores every year (Pollan, 5). This alone should show us some of the enormous affect a change would present. That's dietary scientists, food processing factory workers, and many more, who would be negatively affected if people chose to stop buying their products. Agriculturally, it would be a huge blessing, at least those who don't sell to large food processing companies. Moving from buying factory processed “food” to right-off-the-stem food would dramatically increase the demand for agricultural growth. As far as ecology is concerned, it seems that the implications of change within that realm would be too numerous to cover. With the rise in demand of “real food,” more crops would be planted and less factories would emit pollution. Focusing on the rule 24 which states “eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs, and other mammals]” (Pollan, 55) would be a big change from the enormous amounts of meat we eat, which would increase the mortality rate of the animals we currently consume. The affects of this change would go on and on!

The revealed truths of our health code, referred to as the “Word of Wisdom” recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 89, are uniquely connected with these concepts. As science improves, it seems to draw closer and closer to confirming what the Lord has revealed through the ages. The Word of Wisdom encourages rule 24 discussed earlier, along with the majority of the other rules (with the strong exception of rule number 43, which encourages the consumption of wine at dinner).

To sum things up, the economical, agricultural, and ecological implications of a large scale implementation of Michael Pollan's advise to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants” would be both positive and negative on different levels, for different individuals. Though study of health science is still a relatively new science (Pollan, xi), it is wise to give it some credence. However, we can trust that the Lord knew what he was doing when he put the world together and eat the natural things of this world.

I'm so sorry!

Dear Blog,

I want to apologize for not posting for such a long time! And my more recent posts have been a little lame as far as personalization. :S So sorry! I've been really busy with everything! I'm going to post one of these days to show you my schedule and explain my neglect! I promise I think of you almost every day! And THAT'S the Bright-side of life!

Most Sincerely,

Your Dear Friend,

Kent

How We Decide

This was such a fascinating book. I would most certainly encourage anyone to get a copy and read it! For this paper, I received a 23 / 25. The assignment was as follows:

Assignment:

1)Complete the reading assignment for the book How We Decide: Introduction, Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6.

2)Consider the supporting questions posted on Blackboard.

1.At the molecular scale, how does the brain process and apply information/experience to the decision-making process?

2.How does agency relate to this process?

3)Your task is to write a two-page, double-spaced, typed essay addressing the question:

In the context of making decisions – what does it mean to be human?

How We Decide

Making decisions is a basic task everyone participates in. Whether good or bad decisions, all the people of the world make them. What is it that influences us to choose to wear the blue button up shirt rather than the white BYU T-shirt? Why do we choose Welsche's brand of jam, as opposed to Smucker's? With all the decisions each of us makes each day, there must be some tool, mechanism, and a driving force which influences them. Also, in the context of making these decisions, what does it mean to be human?

To reach the answers to these questions, it will be helpful to understand the concepts surrounding the basic molecular functions of the brain. We know that it is within the confines of the brain that data is sent and process. The brain is the tool indecision making. Jonah Lehrer, author of the book, “How We Decide,” describes in very simple terms, how this process occurs. There are many parts to the brain, each serving unique functions, all working together toward a common goal: to make a human function properly. Mr. Lehrer states that there is a “single molecule, called dopamine, that brain cells use to communicate with one another.” (34) Additionally, Wolfram Schultz, a neuroscientist at Cambridge University “likes to compare dopamine neurons (those neurons that use dopamine to communicate) to the photoreceptors on the retina, which detect the rays of light entering the eye. Just as the process of sight starts with the retina, so the process of decision-making begins with the fluctuations of dopamine.” (35-36) “When these neurons are working properly, they are a crucial source of wisdom.” (42)

We can plainly see that the little dopamine neurons have a huge role in the decision-making process. It is the dopamine molecule that is sent to the ACC (Anterior Cingulate Cortex, the part of the brain dealing with errors, or surprises) to deliver a message of a surprise. (38) It is sent to the NAcc (Nucleus Accumbens, the part of the brain that deals with pleasurable feelings) to stimulate pleasure. (34) Among other things. Mr. Lehrer also speaks of the two general parts of our brain that contribute to our decision-making, the emotional and rational (these will be discussed later on.)

With this understanding, that our brains can be compared to a big science lab with thousands of chemical reactions occurring at a time, we may wonder whether our decisions are simply based on these chemical reactions, or if we have any control over how these chemical reactions take place. We know from ancient and modern scripture that agency is an absolutely critical part of our existence. The Lord, speaking to Moses, said "Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him." (Moses 4:3) Therefore, there is a mode, or mechanism by which we can exercise that agency and control the decisions we make. Mr. Lehrer speaks of this when he says “human emotions are built into the brain at a very basic level. They tend to ignore instructions. But this doesn't mean that humans are mere puppets of the limbic system... Thanks to the prefrontal cortex, we can transcend our impulses and figure out which feelings are useful and which ones should be ignored.” (115)

As aforementioned, the two main contributors to our decision-making are emotion and our rational. It is the prefrontal cortex which balances the two. With our agency, we, unknowingly, utilize the “transcending” function of the prefrontal cortex to make decisions based on our moral standards. Mr. Lehrer speaks on this saying the “ability to analyze the facts—to transcend our feelings, instincts, and impulses—is often seen as the defining element of human nature” (9) and “a crucial subset of decision-making [is] referred to as morality” (169) and “sympathy is one of humanity's most basic instincts.” (194)

This is what constitutes being human. It is utilizing all of the chemical reactions of the unique parts of the brain and the dopamine neurons and the rational and emotional aspects of our brain, to reach our goals, or exercise our agency in such a way as to attain our desires, whatever they may be. That's why we choose the BYU T-shirt and Welsche's Jam. The tool is our brain, the decider is our agency, the driving force is our desire.

I DON'T WORK FOR GOOGLE!

DEAR GOOGLE: I AM NOT EMPLOYED BY YOU!

(but I'd love an internship in about two years!)

It is not that big of a deal... but it is! Years ago, I decided to make a blog. It started out as a KD Productions blog, but after a while, I didn't really have much to say about KD Productions and started posting things in the technology world that I thought were really neat. That eventually evolved into simply a blog on Google. The wonderful world of Google and all the wonderful things they were doing. In fact, I was the first one of the major bloggers to post about Google's acquisition of YouTube (that was a big day for my blog). On average, my blog attracted 300 viewers a day. I felt pretty special!

Well, in November of 2006, I decided to stop it. It was taking too much of my time. So, I stopped blogging. Throughout all of this blogging however, people started to get the impression that I was a "Googler" (a Google Employee). I started to get e-mails giving me suggestions on how Google should improve their services. So I made a big list of all the different services of Google and how to contact them, and posted on that... It didn't really help. People still kept sending me e-mails. I wasn't too bothered, a little flattered to hear from one of my "admiring fans!" :P

Time went on, still, after I'd stopped blogging, I would still get these e-mails, I just responded to them telling them of the error and apologizing for the confusion. Time went on even more and I left on my mission. When I returned, I obviously had a huge amount of e-mails in both my personal and business accounts. I simply deleted all the e-mails I'd received while I had been away (but not the ones before!) and started my life on the cyber-scene again... Unfortunately, the e-mails haven't stopped! I still get several e-mails a month asking me to improve some Google service! This is one of the more recent ones:

Hi Ken!

I found your contact information online, and I felt like I needed (and I mean needed-that's no exaggeration) to vent about the new interface. It's terrible. I hate it. It feels like I'm using Bing. Someone over there needs to be ashamed of themselves. It's a sad, sad day when I'm complaining about Google. Google has been a welcome portal to endless knowledge and distraction. Now, it just feels gross. It also feels disreputable (yes!), ineffective, and inaccurate in it's searches. While it may actually be searching more efficiently, because I associate the layout with inferior search engines I can't help but believe that Google is less than what is was. It's likely watching Elizabeth Taylor get old. All that beauty and promise...wasted. Don't make a "Cleopatra"!, Google. It's not too late. Oh, and please move that stupid sidebar.

I realize that my email will have little to no impact and this isn't personal. I'm sure you're hardworking, wonderful Google employee, Ken.

All the best,


Adrienne Cain

Obviously, he is unaware that I do not work for Google. So, I'm not entirely sure what to do about this, I still haven't made a generic e-mail response for when I get those kinds of e-mails but I think I will one day soon. One thing that I have done is added a tally to keep track of how many of these kinds of e-mails I receive. You'll see it on the side-bar on the right, at the bottom.

Anyway, that's what's going on in my life. It's alright! I'll live! And THAT'S the Bright-side of life!

Voodoo Science

I've decided to post some of my school papers on my blog for the enjoyment (or suffering) of anyone desiring to read them. Sometimes I think that I can really pump out some good papers. This one is based off of the book "Voodoo Science." It's pretty fascinating :-D I read it as an assignment from my Biology Class. I scored a 24 out of 25 of the paper, and THAT'S the BRIGHT-side of life! :D

The assignment we had was thus:

Assignment:

1)Complete the reading assignment for the book Voodoo Science: Preface, Chapters 3, 5, 7, 8.

2)Consider the supporting questions posted on Blackboard.

1.What are the inherent attributes of the scientific process that minimize spurious claims by scientists?

2.Based on your reading of the assigned chapters in "Voodoo Science", discuss how the government fails to take advantage of the methods of real science in addressing policy issues.

3)Your task is to write a two-page, double-spaced, typed essay addressing the question:

How can we discriminate between real and “voodoo” science?

Discriminating Between Real and “Voodoo” Science

The title of the book, “Voodoo Science,” is a neologism, or a newly coined word, created by the author, Dr. Robert Park, referring to pseudoscience or junk science. In “Voodoo Science,” Dr. Park addresses several of the forms of foolishness that leads to fraud in science. Most of the examples he gives derive from personal experiences in the world of real and voodoo science. His experiences help us to understand what it is we can do to discriminate between real and voodoo science.

One of the biggest problems which creates a following for voodoo science is people “judge science by how well it agrees with the way they want the world to be” (ix). When even the smallest piece of evidence is found which might support their ideal, many times, in Dr. Park's experience, some uneducated people can jump to conclusions and present claims, without first going through the necessary steps to ratify their observations.

One example of this is a “miracle medical magnet,” which presumably is supposed to help in the healing process. Dr. Park quotes the “Health Report” segment of ABC World News Tonight on August 11, 1997. A plastic surgeon, Daniel Man tells us that “magnets provide a static or magnetic force that allows changes in the tissue.” This statement is followed by Bill Roper, CEO of the company selling the magnets, who adds “all humans are magnetic, every cell has a positive and a negative side to it.” (59-60) These statements are typical of foolish or fraudulent claims, particularly in the examples that Dr. Park gives. Not only are they vague, but they are also scientifically not true.

Why do they get these facts wrong? It seems, with the so-called “experts” endorsing the many “discoveries” and products, they ought to have their facts in order. The simple answer to that question lies within the proven scientific method. As mentioned earlier, the scientists have an idea of what they want the the world to be, whether it be the way it is or not. So, they go about trying to prove this particular way correct, without looking at possibilities of it being wrong. This principle couldn't be stated better than by the author when he says “what began as wishful interpretations of sloppy and incomplete experiments had evolved into deliberate obfuscation and suppression of data.” (122-123)

Another big contributor to why they get these facts wrong is knowledge. For example, “Newman, it appeared, had simply rushed ahead with his idea without fully understanding the physics.” (102-103). If Joe Newman had simply acquired more knowledge on the subject of physics, he would have realized how his energy machine could not possibly defy one of the most basic laws of physics, the law of conservation of energy.

This same attribute of knowledge is what helps us decipher between real and voodoo science. To be knowledgeable doesn't necessarily mean that we must get a PhD in nuclear physics; simply to be informed. For us to make any decisions when we are told of some great new discovery, we must study out the issue before believing all that we're told (particularly in the media, as history proves).

As we see that spurious claims from scientists can be based on greed for money, power, prowess, or simply a lack of knowledge, it would be advantageous for certain policies to be instated. This is addressed by Dr. Park especially concerning homeopathic drugs. It seems that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has allowed homeopathic drugs to go untested. This not only puts people in danger of fraud to know whether or not it even does what it claims to do, but it also endangers those taking them because of the potential harm that these drugs could cause, in many cases having been developed with “sloppy and incomplete experiments.” (122-123)

So we see, the best way for us to discriminate between real and voodoo science is for us to see the typical vague and physically impossible statements and do a little research, to educate ourselves, so we do not get pulled along on “The Road from Foolishness to Fraud.” (Cover Page)

Preparing for a talk...

Today I was preparing for a talk I will be giving tomorrow. The subject is: "How do we recognize and act on personal revelation?" I was having a hard time organizing my thoughts on the subject, so I began typing all my thoughts down. I feel like it helped a lot, and then I thought that I may as well post it all on my blog. Don't feel compelled to read it by any means. It's pretty lengthy and probably not too well written. It was mostly for my benefit, but if you'd like to venture, I hope you enjoy! (My talk will NOT be this long, I promise!)

Revelation is how God communicates with us. We communicate with Him through sincere prayer. It's quite simple actually. As simple as me talking with a friend. I have a thought I would like to share with my friend. I share it, they respond, and all of a sudden, we've revealed things to one another. At times, I may have a request of my friend, like "could you please help me find my keys?" If my friend loves me, his response will be "why certainly" and he will do all within his power to help me find my keys.

Prayer and revelation work the same way. A major difference, however, is in who God actually is, and the amount of power he actually has. When I ask God for help finding my keys, because He loves me, He will help me find my keys. He has all power and knows all, so He could tell me exactly where my keys are.

Like talking with a friend, this communication with God takes practice. You have to learn a language to communicate with your friend, this is no different with communicating with God. We must learn how God speaks to us, and how to interpret that into something understandable. The language that God and we speak with one another can be a little more tricky, as in most instances, it's something that you feel rather than hear.

Another thing to bear in mind when receiving revelation is what God's purpose is for you. He wants you to grow and be happy. This is why He doesn't simply just give you the answer all of the time. Many times, He will guide you in the right direction and allow you to make your own decisions. Like a father helping his son to learn to ride a bike without training wheels, He stays close enough to make sure you don't fall over, but wants you to learn how to ride on your own.

One of the greatest ways to develop the ability to recognize and follow personal revelation is to do it, and frequently. When Heber J. Grant was president of the Church, he had a slogan printed and distributed by the thousands. It said, “That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that the power to do has increased.” The idea of "practice makes perfect" certainly applies when we talk of revelation.

How do we recognize promptings from Heavenly Father? President Hinckley gives great light on the subject: "That's the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is of the Spirit of God...

"If it invites to do good, it is of God. If it inviteth to do evil, it is of the devil... And if you are doing the right thing and if you are living the right way, you will know in your heart what the Spirit is saying to you.

"You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit -- that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God." (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 260-61).

When we teach investigators, throughout the teaching process, we're trying to help them learn how God communicates with them and then to courageously follow the promptings that they receive. How do we follow the revelation we receive? It's quite simple. We do it!

Now, sometimes, it can seem a hard task at times, especially when what we've been asked to do seems to require a great sacrifice. Let us turn to one of the greatest examples of revelation in this dispensation and try to learn something from this experience.

Young Joseph Smith said "there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion... During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness... still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit... In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? ... I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God... My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join." (Joseph Smith History)

We all know what happened to young Joseph. After an attack from the adversary, Joseph was liberated by the grace of God and Heavenly Father, with His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the boy, and, as promised, answered his question.

There are several elements to this story I would like to point out which I feel would be beneficial to our recognizing and following revelation. Initially, Joseph was brought to a point in his life where he needed revelation. There was excitement about religion, and he felt uneasy, he felt that it was important for him to join a religious sect, but was unsure of which to join. He realized that the teachers of the different religions understood much more than he did about the scriptures, and yet they could not seem to come to a consensus of what was true. How could he, as a young boy with a third grade education come to a proper conclusion. He could not, on his own. In fact, Jesus Christ teaches that nobody, with any amount of education, could possibly "discover" the truth on their own (Matt. 16:17). He did all that he could to find the answer on his own, going to their meetings as often as occasion would permit, and studying the scriptures. Indeed, it was the divine encounter with the first chapter of James, the fifth verse which led him to his conclusion to ask God.

Certainly Joseph had done everything that he could do to find the answer himself. This effort is what qualified him to receive the revelation. He had shown our Heavenly Father that he was ready for the answer, showing his real intent through his real actions. The fact that his purpose in going to ask Heavenly Father was so he would know which to join also was a great symbol of his real intent.

Having qualified himself in all these ways, Joseph received his answer, and, because of his courage to follow that answer, we have the church today. Of the persecutions Joseph was subjected to, he said "I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it." And he never did. This determination to follow the direction He received is what brought him the eternal joy that he had been seeking, as well as opened the door for so many millions to find that same joy.

What was it that gave Joseph such great motivation to follow the revelation he had received? Was it not the effort and dedication he had put into receiving an answer in the first place? Was it not the strong desire to do what the Lord's will for him was? Was it not the deep study and application of the scriptures? His aligning his will with the Fathers, this is what gave him the courage to stand strong, to face adversity and overcome through the power of the Atonement.

What can we do to follow this example? What motivates us to act in the first place? To perform any action of any kind requires faith. Faith that the car will start motivates us to turn the key. Faith that reading the scriptures will help us in our lives is what motivates us to study them. Faith that following revelation will bring us true happiness is what will motivate us to faithfully follow the promptings we receive.

So, the answer to the question of how we can act on revelation, develop faith. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." We can have full faith that our Father in Heaven will direct our paths through the arches of happiness because we know that "[His] work and [His] glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) We can observe " the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual." (Mosiah 2:41) As described earlier, the best way for us to develop an ability to do something is simply to do it.

Another way to develop courage to follow promptings is typified by what President Boyd K. Packer said: "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." As we study revelation, as well as the lives of those who follow it, it will strengthen our faith to act on the promptings we receive.

In closing, I would like to sum up what I've been trying to say, to get my point across. Revelation comes to us in many forms, unique to ourselves. We recognize revelation by what it is telling us to do, or how we feel. If good, from God, if bad, from devil. It's as simple as that. To follow revelation, we summon faith built upon experience, witnesses, study, prayer, and love for God, and courageously move forward with what we have received. The more frequently we do this, the easier it will become.

I have a testimony that God knows loves His kids. We are those kids. He is well aware of our circumstances, and wants us to be happy. We can trust in Him. I know that the gospel is true. I know that Joseph Smith did see our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Joseph, Christ established His church here on the earth once again. I know that Joseph saw what he said he saw, and did what he said he did. I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, which was prepared for the tearing down of false doctrines, and as evidence of the divinity and truthfulness of this restoration. I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have felt it's influence in my life, seen it in the lives of others, and felt a spiritual assurance of the reality of that event, and that is how I know these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

There is an event on Facebook today that you may find interesting:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108682145836290&index=1

Essentially, we're trying to get Elder Holland's Book of Mormon Video on the homepage of YouTube to make it so millions of people see and watch it. So thousands upon thousands of Facebookers have added themselves to this event and will be watching this today.

Last night, I had the lesson in ward prayer. As the ward mission leader, I wanted to do something missionary oriented. Deciding that most of my fellow ward member's nonmember/less active friends/acquaintances are not really around, I thought that we could talk about sharing the gospel over the internet. I was reminded of Elder Ballard's Talk "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet" from the July 2008 Ensign, so I read a little from that talk. Then, I issued the challenge to my fellow ward members. To share this challenge and this video to their friends and family using Facebook, E-mail, and their blogs.

So, it would be better for you to go directly to the video so you can "Like" it and comment positively about it. In fact, the view count is a little glitchy from what I understand when you view it in embedded videos. So, if you want to view it, just click on the "YouTube" icon in the bottom right corner, OR, I suppose I could simply give you link here!

The bright-side of life is that the Book of Mormon is true. I know it to be true. I finished it yesterday morning. I prayed for reconfirmation of it's divinity and truth, and, yet again, those feelings that are all so common with members of the church were felt by me. Heavenly Father, through His Spirit, taught me the truth of the book. I want ever so dearly for all of God's children to know this is true. Please share this video, and more importantly, this truth, with your friends and family, whether on or off the internet!

The Gospel's True! And THAT'S the Bright-Side of Life!

This is what the Facebook event says:

Dear friends,

On May 3, 2010 (perhaps as part of your Family Home Evening program) if all reachable members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--and any non members interested-- would follow the linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkKblIMfmjI and watch the YouTube video of Jeffrey R. Holland bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, we could potentially achieve promoting that video to the YouTube homepage, based on volume of views.

TIPS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS:

1 increased views - multiples views by one viewer count
2 comments - the more comments, the more valuable Youtube sees your video. Comments almost carry as much weight as views.
3 favorites - everyone needs to "favorite" the video.
4 thumbs up - **please take special care to do this as a group of individuals have banned together to "thumbs down" and this can negatively affect the popularity of the video.
5 subscriptions - daily subscriptions have a major impact on popularity. This also has longterm impact on the future videos coming to the channel because they will get emails from Youtube letting them know when MormonMessages posts new stuff.
6 reshare - post the video as a link on your profiles bearing testimony, and also make comments after friends' link so that it shows up in the news feeds, post to blogs and twitter. The more activity surrounding the video the more attention it will receive.


The repercussions of this could be great. YouTube reports:

YouTube Stats (US)
(comScore MediaMetrix April 2009)

"The YouTube Homepage is the highest-profile placement on the site... eleven million unique visitors a day in the US [and] 89.7 Million unique monthly visitors."

The exposure that the Book of Mormon could receive in one day is astronomical. Please keep in mind though, while it is ideal that this video be promoted to the homepage, it is the spirit felt from the message wherein the success lies.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints blessed with the knowledge contained in the Book of Mormon I seek to share with the world what I know to be true; what I know to bring happiness and hope in the times of travail; what I know to be the word of God.

For this challenge May 3 is calculated anytime in the 24 hour time period between 12 am to 11:59:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (for those participating from different time zones), but viewing before and after the event is helpful as well. Please invite both member and non-member alike to feel of the Spirit this message carries, mark your calendars and gather round in your families, wards and stakes and join me, May 3.

All my best,

Erin Jakob

Book Club!

About a month ago, I decided that I need to "culturalize" myself. I decided a good way to do that would be to start reading. I had planned on picking up a good book when I got down here to BYU and low and behold, at my BYU 56th ward, I was talking with some new found friends. They talked about a book club in the ward. I asked if I could join and they told me the book was "The Little Prince" and we would be meeting this week to discuss it.

Unfortunately, I'm a slow reader, and school started to get pretty intense already! So I was unable to finish it completely. Fortunately, though, it's a pretty short book (a normal reader could read it in about 30 - 45 minutes, for me, it's a bit longer commitment) so I was able to finish most of it.

I've never been much of a reader! Historically, I've had a hard time staying awake reading books. However, I've done quite a bit of reading (for me anyway) over the last three days, and I must say that it's been a lot more enjoyable than it ever was before my mission. I wonder if my mission had anything to do with it.

I particularly was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book club meeting. It was quite fun to discuss the implications of the author, and the meanings we can create from the story.

The next book we will be reading is "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I've heard great things about this book. I look forward to "cultralizing" myself a little more. My hope is that my vocabulary will be broadened and my reading comprehension and speed will be increased. And that's the Bright-side of life :-D

Snowing Almost in May!

This is the view from my bedroom window. Normally, I see a beautiful mountain. And the sun's rays are reaching over the peaks. Today, I saw this. How depressing. Particularly so because:

1. It's April 30th!

2. I ride a bike!

3. Snow means cold!

4. I didn't anticipate cold like this, so I didn't bring winter clothes with me (gloves, big coats, etc.).

Not all is lost though. I most certainly will appreciate the spring and summer terms at BYU when "global warming" finally kicks in and we get some warmth in the desert of Utah! Ha ha. I suppose you could say that's the "bright-side of life."

Google Reader

I just decided to tell everyone how I keep track of the blogs I follow. There's this great thing called Google Reader that tells me every time there's an update on my subscriptions. It's pretty awesome. I decided that I didn't want to go into a lengthy explanation of everything unless someone's interested. So, if you are, this would make it a LOT easier for you to keep track of the blogs YOU follow! Most of it is pretty self-explanatory anyway. If you need help, I'm more than happy to help! Just send me an e-mail or something! Anyway, here's a screenshot of mine, just to give you a basic idea. To start yours up, just go to Google Reader.

This is the bright side of life because it's great :-)

The Hunt is OVER! VICTORIOUS!!!!!

That's right! I got a job finally! It was nearly a three month project, including (but not limited to, and these are not in order):

• Spending a week down in Utah (thanks Brouwers!) trying many different places and learning many valuable lessons about how to effectively look for a job.
• Going to EVERY network that I had asking if they had any connections.
• Joining LinkedIn (and it didn't work too well for me, probably because I didn't use it much).
• Joining LDSJobs.org (and that helped a bit).
• Finding Optimal Resume.com (from LDSJobs.org) which helped me out a TON!
• Learning how to make a professional cover letter.
• Starting Kent Dodds Productions up again (which entailed a LOT of work, and still has a long way to go...)
• Checking jobs.byu.edu just about every 2 hours to see if there were any new postings and applying to every one of the jobs posted I was qualified for (except I thought I'd wait a bit before I applied to custodial.... Didn't want the terrible hours...).
• Spending 4 hours straight (yesterday) in front of this laptop looking up every multimedia/computer place within a 15 minute bike ride to campus. That turned out to be pretty extensive. There are a lot of places like that around here. I called/applied online to over 30 different companies.
• The transmission in my little red car going out on the way to an interview with a job that would have been GREAT (but not as great as the one I got!)
• Learning that it's a good idea to be spectacular at work so that nobody will ever forget you (like they forgot me at the Data Center... I did only work there 2 months, but still, the FORGOT me :'( oh well, I'll do better in the future).
• Praying again and again and again, getting a blessing, and going to the temple a lot, every time with a prayer in my heart that I would find something...

Essentially, these last few months, my occupation has been to find an occupation. I've learned some incredibly valuable lessons which I hope will help me in the future looking for a job. By the end of it, I had gotten really good at applying to places online, and I've actually today had a few places call me back for an interview, ha ha! The day AFTER I finally get a job! Oh well.

Well, do you want to hear about what that job is? I work at the BYU Conference Center, mapped bellow:

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I will be working as an Audio/Video Technician. Basically, setting up A/V Equipment for conferences in the Conference Center, for clubs, and other organizations. This weekend, we'll be doing the Women's Conference! That's pretty sweet. That will be my first day at work :-)

One thing that really helped me get this job was a letter of recommendation that I got from one of my former investigators. I wrote to her and in our correspondence, I mentioned I was looking for a job. So, she sent me a wonderful letter of recommendation. I think that's what got me the job.

Spencer Hansen, the man who hired me, told me that he's never had so many students apply for the job. In previous years, he had to do some searching to find someone who would be remotely qualified and interested. This year though, he's had a LOT of applicants. Not only a LOT of applicants, but ALSO applicants who were highly qualified (he said there were a lot of very technology savvy foreign exchange students from Asia who applied). So, I feel so very fortunate and blessed that I got the job.

I made sure to show up really early this morning for my little orientation (actually, mostly just schedule-making...). He really appreciated it, so I'm off on a good foot! It's great! I'm pretty excited about this job!

Three not-so-good things about this job are:

• Many jobs on campus, (like many computer jobs I would be interested in, like when I worked at the data center) you can do homework during down time, not this one. But that's alright, because I'm going to be able to learn a LOT from this job.
• I'm only getting $8.00 an hour, but that's ok because he said if I perform well, he can give me a raise pretty early on...
• I'm only getting 8-10 hours a week until the Summer starts because they don't have enough going on for more, but that's ok because I'm just getting back into school, and if I need to fill time up with something productive to do, I have KD Productions stuff I can do too!

So, all-in-all, it's a great situation! I'm pretty happy about everything! And THAT'S the BRIGHT-SIDE of Life :-D