some of you may sit there, staring at your google reader, marveling at the enormous amount of posting I've taken part in during the past week or so.
The answer?
Cameron is out of town.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
favorite instance of the saying.
Drew posted a fabulous photo of himself in front of an underwear photo of David Beckham.
I do believe it is a Christmas miracle.
Drew said it better.
It's a Festivus miracle.
I do believe it is a Christmas miracle.
Drew said it better.
It's a Festivus miracle.
an ode.
Ode to the Audi. Ode to the car that is serving me so well. Ode to the car that got me to and from Ogden safely during the great blizzard of December 22. Ode to the car that drives better through the snow than my brother's SUV.
In this case, "ode" could be slightly synonymous with "brag", but forgive me. I am quite proud of my little sedan's capabilities. It has all-wheel drive and these tires that cut through the snow. Naturally said brother had some fun when driving my car up his steep, icy, snow-packed driveway on Christmas day. Pulling a Starsky and Hutch, the car swerved, skidded, jumped, caught air, and landed in a snow bank. But the faithful car resisted.
Until last night.
A metal piece, unable to resist the intensely packed snow pounded into it, dislodged itself from the bottom of my car. Halfway from Salt Lake City to Provo, a woman made me pull over and said, "Thought you'd like to know that something is scraping the road and is sparking." I drove home in fear of my car blowing up (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know nothing about cars, give me a break), stocked up on food at the grocery store, and prepared for a potential few days spent transportation-less.
Well, dear car, I love you so. You are now sitting in a parking lot, waiting to be fixed, and I will miss you so. Until Monday, or Tuesday, or maybe even Wednesday, when we can meet again.
UUUUGGGHHHHHHHHH.
In this case, "ode" could be slightly synonymous with "brag", but forgive me. I am quite proud of my little sedan's capabilities. It has all-wheel drive and these tires that cut through the snow. Naturally said brother had some fun when driving my car up his steep, icy, snow-packed driveway on Christmas day. Pulling a Starsky and Hutch, the car swerved, skidded, jumped, caught air, and landed in a snow bank. But the faithful car resisted.
Until last night.
A metal piece, unable to resist the intensely packed snow pounded into it, dislodged itself from the bottom of my car. Halfway from Salt Lake City to Provo, a woman made me pull over and said, "Thought you'd like to know that something is scraping the road and is sparking." I drove home in fear of my car blowing up (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know nothing about cars, give me a break), stocked up on food at the grocery store, and prepared for a potential few days spent transportation-less.
Well, dear car, I love you so. You are now sitting in a parking lot, waiting to be fixed, and I will miss you so. Until Monday, or Tuesday, or maybe even Wednesday, when we can meet again.
UUUUGGGHHHHHHHHH.
Friday, December 26, 2008
commentary on the carol.
and why, to me, it is Christmas.
*note: this analysis, while not written in full, was in my brain long before I even viewed the video, in other words, the images therein weren't the primary influence. the music was.*
The harmony utilizes an exquisite balance of major and minor chords, the dynamics emphasize the awe we must feel, and yet the repetitive nature supports the simplicity of this event--in its simplest form it is a birth of a child, something that happens every day. The wind instruments are pure in tone and color and in their ease they begin and end this piece; the path to happiness is quite simple and pure, really. When we learn complicated lessons in their most basic components, then we can truly implement them, not only with greater ability, but with truer understanding. It isn't until the bridge that this piece takes full form, manifested first through the strings, and then the a cappella in the choir, and finally, fully realized in a grand choral section accompanied by a strong orchestra.
The beauty and brilliance of this piece is truly held within the orchestra. Voices can sometimes be a bit shrill (as most Sopranos are), but steady strings and calm winds command this piece through their augmented and dominant seventh chords. As much of Rachmaninoff's works did, the piece contains Arabic influence, mysterious and highly introspective. The chord progressions, when combined with the midnight influence of a desert lend to intense nostalgia, significantly supported by a lyric that looks inward while trying to reconcile a debt that will not be repaid in full. The piece is a steady journey, but the minor effects are a bit frustrated. It wants to end calmly but is consistently stuck, again, in accord with the lyric. Finally, the orchestra is able to bring it full circle, the winds taking over and acknowledging that while all earthly things are imperfect, there is still peace to be found in the beautiful gifts we have been given.
Yes, I am a Humanities major (albeit an imperfect one). The point is to discover what is important to the composer, the performers, and then take it a step further and analyze what they might not have immediately known as important (something I will be working on for the rest of my life). Certain things resonate over time, music, perhaps more than any other art form, grows more influential with age. It's so wonderful to sit and listen (or read, or gaze intently at, or watch...etc) to amazing works and discover why they matter. What they mean. What they teach. And finally, how they change us. I get to do this kind of thing every day...wonderful isn't it?
So why does all of this matter? What does this mean? What does this teach? In analyzing the technical components of the piece, namely how it is constructed, we can discover the full importance of the emotional impact. The ultimate goal of a composer is to reach his audience and while some will be so struck by phenomenal technical achievement, the lasting impression is reached through the intangible pull of the heart and soul. Each step is vital. In good music, each note has purpose, each beat conveys an emotion, and each key resonates in different ways. This is why music is so fun to analyze. We can't understand why a minor key or chord (or in a more colloquial form, sad notes) is felt so deeply, there isn't an exact scientific formula (although, I'm sure it's been studied). It just IS. It exists. And it is possibly the most powerful device, next to dynamic, that a composer has in creating something that MATTERS.
While I am not the composer of this piece, it matters to me because the tiny components within the life of Christ seem so basic and yet every act transcends our understanding and ability. There is no possible way that we, as imperfect human beings, can give a gift that matches that of the Atonement. All we can do is give those intangible "its"--our heart, our devotion, our faith, our trust, our love. It's a very introspective idea, and deeply personal. In some respect, this song feels like it must be an Easter piece, just as it is a Christmas carol. There are few religious pieces that capture the frustration that mankind has in reconciling the Atonement, and there are even fewer that achieve it as purely as this. You don't have to understand the musical components to know that it is a bittersweet event.
All complicated analyzations, all intricate musical elements aside, at the end of the day, it does what the best music must--it makes you feel something. It changes your soul, not your intellect. Your heart understands because the music reaches all the way in there, grabs a-hold of it, shakes it around for 4 minutes, and then finally says, "see! It hurts, it's hard, it takes time, and it's frustrating...but isn't it so beautiful?"
Like I said, isn't is so wonderful to be a Humanities major?
In short, this piece is freaking gorgeous and makes my heart hurt and my soul cry. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a great minor chord progression.
*note: this analysis, while not written in full, was in my brain long before I even viewed the video, in other words, the images therein weren't the primary influence. the music was.*
The harmony utilizes an exquisite balance of major and minor chords, the dynamics emphasize the awe we must feel, and yet the repetitive nature supports the simplicity of this event--in its simplest form it is a birth of a child, something that happens every day. The wind instruments are pure in tone and color and in their ease they begin and end this piece; the path to happiness is quite simple and pure, really. When we learn complicated lessons in their most basic components, then we can truly implement them, not only with greater ability, but with truer understanding. It isn't until the bridge that this piece takes full form, manifested first through the strings, and then the a cappella in the choir, and finally, fully realized in a grand choral section accompanied by a strong orchestra.
The beauty and brilliance of this piece is truly held within the orchestra. Voices can sometimes be a bit shrill (as most Sopranos are), but steady strings and calm winds command this piece through their augmented and dominant seventh chords. As much of Rachmaninoff's works did, the piece contains Arabic influence, mysterious and highly introspective. The chord progressions, when combined with the midnight influence of a desert lend to intense nostalgia, significantly supported by a lyric that looks inward while trying to reconcile a debt that will not be repaid in full. The piece is a steady journey, but the minor effects are a bit frustrated. It wants to end calmly but is consistently stuck, again, in accord with the lyric. Finally, the orchestra is able to bring it full circle, the winds taking over and acknowledging that while all earthly things are imperfect, there is still peace to be found in the beautiful gifts we have been given.
Yes, I am a Humanities major (albeit an imperfect one). The point is to discover what is important to the composer, the performers, and then take it a step further and analyze what they might not have immediately known as important (something I will be working on for the rest of my life). Certain things resonate over time, music, perhaps more than any other art form, grows more influential with age. It's so wonderful to sit and listen (or read, or gaze intently at, or watch...etc) to amazing works and discover why they matter. What they mean. What they teach. And finally, how they change us. I get to do this kind of thing every day...wonderful isn't it?
So why does all of this matter? What does this mean? What does this teach? In analyzing the technical components of the piece, namely how it is constructed, we can discover the full importance of the emotional impact. The ultimate goal of a composer is to reach his audience and while some will be so struck by phenomenal technical achievement, the lasting impression is reached through the intangible pull of the heart and soul. Each step is vital. In good music, each note has purpose, each beat conveys an emotion, and each key resonates in different ways. This is why music is so fun to analyze. We can't understand why a minor key or chord (or in a more colloquial form, sad notes) is felt so deeply, there isn't an exact scientific formula (although, I'm sure it's been studied). It just IS. It exists. And it is possibly the most powerful device, next to dynamic, that a composer has in creating something that MATTERS.
While I am not the composer of this piece, it matters to me because the tiny components within the life of Christ seem so basic and yet every act transcends our understanding and ability. There is no possible way that we, as imperfect human beings, can give a gift that matches that of the Atonement. All we can do is give those intangible "its"--our heart, our devotion, our faith, our trust, our love. It's a very introspective idea, and deeply personal. In some respect, this song feels like it must be an Easter piece, just as it is a Christmas carol. There are few religious pieces that capture the frustration that mankind has in reconciling the Atonement, and there are even fewer that achieve it as purely as this. You don't have to understand the musical components to know that it is a bittersweet event.
All complicated analyzations, all intricate musical elements aside, at the end of the day, it does what the best music must--it makes you feel something. It changes your soul, not your intellect. Your heart understands because the music reaches all the way in there, grabs a-hold of it, shakes it around for 4 minutes, and then finally says, "see! It hurts, it's hard, it takes time, and it's frustrating...but isn't it so beautiful?"
Like I said, isn't is so wonderful to be a Humanities major?
In short, this piece is freaking gorgeous and makes my heart hurt and my soul cry. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a great minor chord progression.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
this is Christmas
what shall we give to the lamb who was offered, rising the third day and shedding His love? Tears for His mercy we'll weep at the manger; bathing the infant come down from above
my favorite carol.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
the fiercest threesome.
One lives in New York and dances professionally. One lives in Ecuador and brings souls unto the Lord. And one lives in Utah, stuck in school all day long.
Whitney is still being an amazing missionary, but today brought about the beloved reunion of Jen and Natalie and oh, how sweet it was!
[look how light/short my hair was! so long ago.]
I love this girl with all my heart!
There is indeed only one Natalie Wakefield.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The saying of the season.
The last two weeks have been filled with the most random occurrences of the saying, "It's a Christmas miracle!"
For example: "The dog didn't mess in his bed while we were gone for 4 hours. It's a Christmas miracle!"
Another example: I only slept a grand total of 10 hours last week, and yet I didn't get sick...it's a Christmas miracle!"
Use it along the lines of "that's what she said," and see what happens.
For example: "The dog didn't mess in his bed while we were gone for 4 hours. It's a Christmas miracle!"
Another example: I only slept a grand total of 10 hours last week, and yet I didn't get sick...it's a Christmas miracle!"
Use it along the lines of "that's what she said," and see what happens.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wow.
66 hits today, alone? Amazing. I'm highly amused by the cell phone user who's connection appears to originate in Connecticut, Indiana.
Oh. And one of you is sending my link through facebook, as someone connected here straight from their inbox. Hmmmm....
Oh. And one of you is sending my link through facebook, as someone connected here straight from their inbox. Hmmmm....
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
peace.
Early Tuesday morning I walked out of the library at about 1:45 a.m., leaving the gigantic mass of stress and entering an ethereal place devoid of sound or expectation. Remarkably I was alone in my walk to my car, my footsteps the first to pack the newly fallen powder. After 12 straight hours of Christmas music, Coldplay, Beethoven, and Radiohead to get me through the similarly 12 straight hours of syllogistic, truth functional, and quantificational logic and proofs, the muffled sound of a gentle snowstorm was a welcome reprieve from the constant noise. This was the beginning of my finals week and I was already so exhausted and low--how could I possibly handle 8 finals and 3 papers in five short days? But walking through the first significant snowstorm of the year, I felt relieved and so utterly blessed. This snow seemed a gift. And I was at peace.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
I've become so predictable.
I frequent a celebrity gossip blog (and no, if you don't already know what it is, I'm not going to tell you because my dad will call me and be all, "blah blah blah endorsing bad things blah blah blah.) and it brings a lot of humor into my Family History project filled life (except...it's done and turned in and I don't ever have to do a census search ever again halle-freaking-lujah! [run-on sentence intentional]).
Well, some of you may wonder where I developed my lulzy relationship with Twilight.
Thank you ontd (clue!clue!clue!) for providing me with hilarious things to blog about:
[hopefully you can see this. it's a user icon]
Well, some of you may wonder where I developed my lulzy relationship with Twilight.
Thank you ontd (clue!clue!clue!) for providing me with hilarious things to blog about:
[hopefully you can see this. it's a user icon]
ps just teasin' you Dad
Sunday, December 7, 2008
real conversation.
K: Hey Jen, I saw you on tv last night!
J: Wait...what? *racking brain to remember if certain channels show some sort of pageant clips or something. or that old documentary about the Michael Moore vs. Sean Hannity business*
K: Yeah, I was watching a movie when I was falling asleep and when I woke up, I thought I had seen you last night, but then I remembered it was just the movie.
J: Oh. What movie?
K: John Tucker Must Die. You remind me so much of one of the characters.
J: Ahhhhh, Sophia Bush. Yeah, I get that a lot.
K: Which one is she?
J: The one with the dark hair.
K: Ummm...
J: The slutty one.
K: Oh right. Yeah. You remind me of her. The actress, I mean.
true facts.
but hey. the Sophia comparisons keep coming. I'm not complaining.
J: Wait...what? *racking brain to remember if certain channels show some sort of pageant clips or something. or that old documentary about the Michael Moore vs. Sean Hannity business*
K: Yeah, I was watching a movie when I was falling asleep and when I woke up, I thought I had seen you last night, but then I remembered it was just the movie.
J: Oh. What movie?
K: John Tucker Must Die. You remind me so much of one of the characters.
J: Ahhhhh, Sophia Bush. Yeah, I get that a lot.
K: Which one is she?
J: The one with the dark hair.
K: Ummm...
J: The slutty one.
K: Oh right. Yeah. You remind me of her. The actress, I mean.
true facts.
but hey. the Sophia comparisons keep coming. I'm not complaining.
Monday, December 1, 2008
oh what could have been!
The Miss America judges have been announced and I'm definitely feeling some sadness. I would have loved to have competed this year.
Wanna know why?
Oh I don't know. Maybe because I'd be able to stare at this guy for ten full minutes!
It's Cullen Jones, the Olympic swimmer, for those of you that aren't crazy like me.
Seriously. How are you supposed to focus?
Wanna know why?
Oh I don't know. Maybe because I'd be able to stare at this guy for ten full minutes!
It's Cullen Jones, the Olympic swimmer, for those of you that aren't crazy like me.
Seriously. How are you supposed to focus?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
lucky to have...
+nieces that aren't too shy to play barbies in front of me. I was always too shy to play pretend in front of anyone but my little brother or cousins that were my age. (I do have a nephew. But he doesn't play with barbies. yet.)
+a dog that, after grabbing hold of the table cloth, didn't succeed in pulling the turkey, mashed potatoes, green beens, cranberry sauce, and candied yams off of the table.
+friends to go ice skating with...10 years after I last laced 'em up. Can totally still do a scratch spin. Look at me and my basic abilities.
+family to play Settlers of Catan with.
+a best friend that is with his family in another state. This means that for the first time ever, I might actually win Settlers tonight (I'm beginning to believe that he cheats).
Happy Thanksgiving.
+a dog that, after grabbing hold of the table cloth, didn't succeed in pulling the turkey, mashed potatoes, green beens, cranberry sauce, and candied yams off of the table.
+friends to go ice skating with...10 years after I last laced 'em up. Can totally still do a scratch spin. Look at me and my basic abilities.
+family to play Settlers of Catan with.
+a best friend that is with his family in another state. This means that for the first time ever, I might actually win Settlers tonight (I'm beginning to believe that he cheats).
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
viva la vida video II
this video makes me giggle. a lot. I wonder what would happen if I wandered around in a royal cape and a cheap crown with a framed Delacroix tucked underneath my arm.
Monday, November 24, 2008
caption please.
quite possibly one of my favorite photos of all time?
Eliza Dushku at the CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute event.
Oh.
And her legs were there, too.
Eliza Dushku at the CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute event.
Oh.
And her legs were there, too.
"I wanna be in your world!"
So here's the thing. You all know that I was fine with Twilight. The books that followed were freaking ridiculous, but I enjoyed the first one enough. And the movie, while pretty bad in some ways, was enjoyable. In fact, I'd probably go see it again to see the man Jennie Garth is having babies with. And for all the crap I give it, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for Twilight and for the serious LULZ it brings (oh internet speak).
Exhibit A: Drew and I stayed up till 3 in the morning laughing about how bad it is. We were teasing our friend Jon for leaving halfway through the game to go watch Twilight, and well, it kind of morphed into something else...
Jonathan is proud to say that his younger sister is much more important than BYU football. 12:45am - 24 Comments
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:03pm November 23
LIES. Nothing is more important than BYU football, Jon. NOTHING.
Kayliann Lowe at 12:10pm November 23
Way to follow Pres.Monson's advice...make time for the things that really matter. (Even if everyone in Utah sooooo disagrees with you! Ha)
Drew Troutner at 8:35pm November 23
In the middle of the BYU game. She should be watching it too. Two complete extremes. BYU/Utah game. Twilight. I could almost understand if it was actually a good movie.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:41am November 24
Actually, I've got to give this one to Drew. Twilight was a hot mess. Well, so was the BYU game. Hmmmm, this is a hard one.
Drew Troutner at 12:42am November 24
but you didn't know that it was a hot mess when you left. In retrospect, it might not look like a bad choice. But what if Max Hall hadn't thrown 5 picks and fumbled it?
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:45am November 24
That's true. At halftime it was a game. And Twilight was a crappy movie with too much Max Factor Pancake No. 1 complete with *BLINKIES*.
I don't know though. That RPattz is pretty hot right now.
Drew Troutner at 12:55am November 24
so all of my sisters have seen Twilight now, and they all agreed on one thing. It was about as awesome as a hernia.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:58am November 24
I don't know about that. This epicness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H35k6mLub3k
vs this epicness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvfGT2aepus
AHHH HOW DO I CHOOSE?!?!?!
Drew Troutner at 1:09am November 24
haha. Is it even really a choice? How could you turn down "catching yourself a bass"? maybe it is even a delicious bass.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:20am November 24
It's more than a delicious bass. It's Chuck Bass. Oh WAIT. He's from Gossip Girl.
Guess we're stuck with this hobo. http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn113/robertpattinsonismyhero/robert_pattinson_1897602.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:22am November 24
wow. who would go out in public with hair like that? i know slightly crazy, exotic type hair is know chic, but that is a wee bit extreme.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:25am November 24
Cedric Diggory is NOT amused http://images.quizfarm.com/1135876711cedric.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:27am November 24
He might not be, but this guy sure is
http://k41.pbase.com/o2/74/450574/1/97006726.D8ZlcOE6.vietnam004.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:34am November 24
http://alicia-logic.com/capsimages01/hp4gf_058RobertPattinson.jpg
Do I dazzle you?
Drew Troutner at 1:38am November 24
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J28MU9ydPKs/R8faHPVyznI/AAAAAAAAFxI/HJ6uuxDBGs8/s1600-h/image003.jpg
Do I dazzle you back?
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:39am November 24
can't...stop...looking...
http://robertpattinson.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/robert-pattinson-les-deux.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:45am November 24
I love how we have completely stopped talking about BYU and have now fallen in love with the beautiful pictures of Robert Pattinson. We need more of this: http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v71/124/2/17819014/n17819014_32619589_4499.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:53am November 24
Cedric just died.
http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2005_Harry_Potter_and_the_Goblet_of_Fire/Thumb/005HPG_Robert_Pattinson_019.jpg
Wait...wait...wait... OMG he's ALIVE! And still 17!
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn113/robertpattinsonismyhero/edward.jpg
The Utes have to give up. After all RPattz/Ced/Eddie is an English Major Coug. There's nothing they can do but play dead http://deseretnews.com/photos/midres/4851153.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:18am November 24
Oh. I know what did it. I found the answer. How could anyone pick ANYTHING over Twilight after seeing how "OMG AMAZING!!!!" it's going to be?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFG9lXc2upQ
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:29am November 24
Sorry Jon, we were bored. But we still like you!
Drew Troutner at 2:30am November 24
Wow. There is absolutely nothing I can do to top that last video. You win Jen.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:33am November 24
I always save the best for last. Like Edward. I could have given you the video at the start, in the way Edward could have bitten Bella from the start. We wouldn't have had to go through the agony of the annoying, crappy photos (or in this story, the obnoxious whiny entity that is Bella). But oh the APPRECIATION and the ultimate JOY we feel when he finally bites her and we don't have to read ANYMORE!
Drew Troutner at 2:35am November 24
Ha. Guess I don't need to read the books now.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:47am November 24
Glad I saved you.
This is the movie I ended it with. THIS IS A MUST SEE. Some random girl has a million videos of her reactions to Twilight trailers and Twilight actor TV appearances. Pure gold. *warning* some explicit language towards the end. Seriously, this is hilarious.
Exhibit A: Drew and I stayed up till 3 in the morning laughing about how bad it is. We were teasing our friend Jon for leaving halfway through the game to go watch Twilight, and well, it kind of morphed into something else...
Jonathan is proud to say that his younger sister is much more important than BYU football. 12:45am - 24 Comments
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:03pm November 23
LIES. Nothing is more important than BYU football, Jon. NOTHING.
Kayliann Lowe at 12:10pm November 23
Way to follow Pres.Monson's advice...make time for the things that really matter. (Even if everyone in Utah sooooo disagrees with you! Ha)
Drew Troutner at 8:35pm November 23
In the middle of the BYU game. She should be watching it too. Two complete extremes. BYU/Utah game. Twilight. I could almost understand if it was actually a good movie.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:41am November 24
Actually, I've got to give this one to Drew. Twilight was a hot mess. Well, so was the BYU game. Hmmmm, this is a hard one.
Drew Troutner at 12:42am November 24
but you didn't know that it was a hot mess when you left. In retrospect, it might not look like a bad choice. But what if Max Hall hadn't thrown 5 picks and fumbled it?
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:45am November 24
That's true. At halftime it was a game. And Twilight was a crappy movie with too much Max Factor Pancake No. 1 complete with *BLINKIES*.
I don't know though. That RPattz is pretty hot right now.
Drew Troutner at 12:55am November 24
so all of my sisters have seen Twilight now, and they all agreed on one thing. It was about as awesome as a hernia.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 12:58am November 24
I don't know about that. This epicness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H35k6mLub3k
vs this epicness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvfGT2aepus
AHHH HOW DO I CHOOSE?!?!?!
Drew Troutner at 1:09am November 24
haha. Is it even really a choice? How could you turn down "catching yourself a bass"? maybe it is even a delicious bass.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:20am November 24
It's more than a delicious bass. It's Chuck Bass. Oh WAIT. He's from Gossip Girl.
Guess we're stuck with this hobo. http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn113/robertpattinsonismyhero/robert_pattinson_1897602.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:22am November 24
wow. who would go out in public with hair like that? i know slightly crazy, exotic type hair is know chic, but that is a wee bit extreme.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:25am November 24
Cedric Diggory is NOT amused http://images.quizfarm.com/1135876711cedric.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:27am November 24
He might not be, but this guy sure is
http://k41.pbase.com/o2/74/450574/1/97006726.D8ZlcOE6.vietnam004.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:34am November 24
http://alicia-logic.com/capsimages01/hp4gf_058RobertPattinson.jpg
Do I dazzle you?
Drew Troutner at 1:38am November 24
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J28MU9ydPKs/R8faHPVyznI/AAAAAAAAFxI/HJ6uuxDBGs8/s1600-h/image003.jpg
Do I dazzle you back?
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:39am November 24
can't...stop...looking...
http://robertpattinson.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/robert-pattinson-les-deux.jpg
Drew Troutner at 1:45am November 24
I love how we have completely stopped talking about BYU and have now fallen in love with the beautiful pictures of Robert Pattinson. We need more of this: http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v71/124/2/17819014/n17819014_32619589_4499.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 1:53am November 24
Cedric just died.
http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2005_Harry_Potter_and_the_Goblet_of_Fire/Thumb/005HPG_Robert_Pattinson_019.jpg
Wait...wait...wait... OMG he's ALIVE! And still 17!
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn113/robertpattinsonismyhero/edward.jpg
The Utes have to give up. After all RPattz/Ced/Eddie is an English Major Coug. There's nothing they can do but play dead http://deseretnews.com/photos/midres/4851153.jpg
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:18am November 24
Oh. I know what did it. I found the answer. How could anyone pick ANYTHING over Twilight after seeing how "OMG AMAZING!!!!" it's going to be?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFG9lXc2upQ
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:29am November 24
Sorry Jon, we were bored. But we still like you!
Drew Troutner at 2:30am November 24
Wow. There is absolutely nothing I can do to top that last video. You win Jen.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:33am November 24
I always save the best for last. Like Edward. I could have given you the video at the start, in the way Edward could have bitten Bella from the start. We wouldn't have had to go through the agony of the annoying, crappy photos (or in this story, the obnoxious whiny entity that is Bella). But oh the APPRECIATION and the ultimate JOY we feel when he finally bites her and we don't have to read ANYMORE!
Drew Troutner at 2:35am November 24
Ha. Guess I don't need to read the books now.
Jen Gulbrandsen at 2:47am November 24
Glad I saved you.
This is the movie I ended it with. THIS IS A MUST SEE. Some random girl has a million videos of her reactions to Twilight trailers and Twilight actor TV appearances. Pure gold. *warning* some explicit language towards the end. Seriously, this is hilarious.
give me real, don't give me fake.
BYU lost. But I got to see Coldplay live and they played a few songs that made up for the loss (and the enormous sea of red in the crowd).
I still remember the first time I ever heard a Coldplay song. It was in early 2003 and I was in the car with Becky and this kid Jordan that I had this odd crush on (one of these days I should tell of my crazy antics in high school. Oh the immaturity), and he had the CD A Rush of Blood to the Head playing. I heard the song Politik and was intrigued, and then heard Clocks--I was completely mesmerized (which is funny, considering I can hardly stand it these days). It's no secret that I had absolutely horrid taste in music. I had grown up listening mostly to Classical and Broadway music, with a little Pink Floyd and Rush thrown in there, but Coldplay was the first band that I really got into. By no means is Coldplay the best band out there, but considering my abysmal taste and lack of musical education (Michelle Branch, anyone?), they helped ease me into the world of Alternative.
When I was a cheerleader my junior year in high school, I would pass the time on the long bus rides by listening to music. Away games during basketball season were so long, we'd be there for 5-6 hours, and it was during those hours that I pulled out my little blue Sony CD player (oh the days!), popped in Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to the Head, and tuned the rest of the world out as Chris Martin spoke to my 16 year old soul. My life was kind of complicated and in a lot of ways, I was pretty lost. A parent's divorce, a move to the other side of the country, and losing all of the things that I had loved had a much stronger emotional impact than I wanted to admit. But listening to Amsterdam, or Warning Sign, or Everything's Not Lost brought me a lot of peace and comfort needed during a time where I had shut out everyone and everything else. To this day those 3 songs are something special.
It's too bad that this is the only time I've seen Coldplay in concert, I wish I had seen them on one of their previous tours, I'll bet there was a wonderful quality in the band that wasn't the international success that they are now. But last night was still magical. The most exciting thing was the energy. I had expected them to be pretentious, after all, it is Chris Martin, but instead he was a gangly, awkward creature running, leaping, and rolling around on stage, excited to just be performing. It seemed so poetic to be there with one of my oldest and closest friends, celebrating the wonderful things (and sometimes heart-breaking things) we've experienced together.
They opened with my favorite song from their latest album and it brought back some bitter-sweet memories that I have connected with that particular song. About 45 seconds into it I realized that I should probably video tape it, to try and capture the moment. Unfortunately it just doesn't transfer well to my little camera.
Almost 6 years later, my soul has healed and evolved, those days of silent despair have finally left. Instead I am living a life full of pure joy, the sweetness hard to describe. But the contentment I feel resides within these chords and within the raw nature of the beat.
It really is beautiful.
I still remember the first time I ever heard a Coldplay song. It was in early 2003 and I was in the car with Becky and this kid Jordan that I had this odd crush on (one of these days I should tell of my crazy antics in high school. Oh the immaturity), and he had the CD A Rush of Blood to the Head playing. I heard the song Politik and was intrigued, and then heard Clocks--I was completely mesmerized (which is funny, considering I can hardly stand it these days). It's no secret that I had absolutely horrid taste in music. I had grown up listening mostly to Classical and Broadway music, with a little Pink Floyd and Rush thrown in there, but Coldplay was the first band that I really got into. By no means is Coldplay the best band out there, but considering my abysmal taste and lack of musical education (Michelle Branch, anyone?), they helped ease me into the world of Alternative.
When I was a cheerleader my junior year in high school, I would pass the time on the long bus rides by listening to music. Away games during basketball season were so long, we'd be there for 5-6 hours, and it was during those hours that I pulled out my little blue Sony CD player (oh the days!), popped in Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to the Head, and tuned the rest of the world out as Chris Martin spoke to my 16 year old soul. My life was kind of complicated and in a lot of ways, I was pretty lost. A parent's divorce, a move to the other side of the country, and losing all of the things that I had loved had a much stronger emotional impact than I wanted to admit. But listening to Amsterdam, or Warning Sign, or Everything's Not Lost brought me a lot of peace and comfort needed during a time where I had shut out everyone and everything else. To this day those 3 songs are something special.
It's too bad that this is the only time I've seen Coldplay in concert, I wish I had seen them on one of their previous tours, I'll bet there was a wonderful quality in the band that wasn't the international success that they are now. But last night was still magical. The most exciting thing was the energy. I had expected them to be pretentious, after all, it is Chris Martin, but instead he was a gangly, awkward creature running, leaping, and rolling around on stage, excited to just be performing. It seemed so poetic to be there with one of my oldest and closest friends, celebrating the wonderful things (and sometimes heart-breaking things) we've experienced together.
They opened with my favorite song from their latest album and it brought back some bitter-sweet memories that I have connected with that particular song. About 45 seconds into it I realized that I should probably video tape it, to try and capture the moment. Unfortunately it just doesn't transfer well to my little camera.
Almost 6 years later, my soul has healed and evolved, those days of silent despair have finally left. Instead I am living a life full of pure joy, the sweetness hard to describe. But the contentment I feel resides within these chords and within the raw nature of the beat.
It really is beautiful.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
ready to fight.
My little brother Scott gave an amazing farewell address last Sunday (and entered the MTC Wednesday, more to come on that [and dancesport] later), and in true fashion, he managed to teach us all while still maintaining his personality and sense of humor.
This is an excerpt from the beginning of his talk when he was describing the indescribable feeling of receiving a call to serve the Lord:
"Then suddenly as I read my report date of November 19th, reality returned. As my heart started to race again, I worriedly asked, "Am I going to miss the BYU-Utah game?" The answer was "yes." Although I don't know how BYU will be able to pull off a win without me screaming at the TV, I do have faith that the Cougars will be blessed for my dedication and will be led to victory."
K boys. Let's get it done.
This is an excerpt from the beginning of his talk when he was describing the indescribable feeling of receiving a call to serve the Lord:
"Then suddenly as I read my report date of November 19th, reality returned. As my heart started to race again, I worriedly asked, "Am I going to miss the BYU-Utah game?" The answer was "yes." Although I don't know how BYU will be able to pull off a win without me screaming at the TV, I do have faith that the Cougars will be blessed for my dedication and will be led to victory."
K boys. Let's get it done.
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