Really proud of this episode because it captures what I hope The Quality Under Pressure Podcast becomes — it's conversational, funny, engaged, but we also touch on a topic that is considered taboo by some. I hope we help normalize topics with lots of social stigma attached by talking about them. An intentional, engaged, and meaningful conversation is a very powerful tool. It's why I love meeting up with people for 1-on-1 chats over coffee and it's why I formatted the show after that sentiment. Plus, I get to see 2 of my best friends & co-hosts more often because of this project.
A big thanks to Leah for joining us and being an open book. Not everyone would be that open about their divorce and I am grateful for your generosity & courage. I'm glad we got your perspective on divorce and that we all laughed while you shared your insight. Also, thank you for the solid logo! It almost looks like we know what we're doing because of it.
It's crazy to me that one could judge another for being divorced. Marriage is an antiquated practice and if divorce brings happiness to the people involved we should be supporting them. At the same time, if marriage brings you joy then you should be allowed to practice it, but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. The issue is that society tells you to get married and to stay married even if it means sacrificing happiness and health. Hopefully our conversation helps shine a little light to bring a little more balance to the topic.
I get stoked every time we record episodes. I really hope future episodes end up like this one and our episode on religion with McKenna & Leo — they're funny & light, but we dig into some important topics. If you're going to check the podcast out, I would start with 1 of those episodes. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, and many other platforms.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Friday, November 23, 2018
The Quality Under Pressure Podcast
I started a new podcast and it's been great fun.
Please check it out if you have time.
Please check it out if you have time.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
On Our Way, Troubled One...
It's always the troubled that take a second to look around, isn't it?
Maybe it's because it's all we have — our troubles.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Story of the Year - "The Black Swan"
In my opinion, Story of the Year's 2008 release, "The Black Swan," is the best album they put out. "Page Avenue" might have had more commercial success, but I do not think it stacks up against "The Black Swan." It's an album that looks at human existence while touching political and social topics. The album also has an interlude that includes an excerpt from Carl Sagan so that already scores many points in my book.
The album was released towards the end of the W. Bush era and it captures the tumultuous times in 13 beautiful tracks. The album begins with Bush speaking and the first word we get from frontman Dan Marsala is "liar." The album continues by urging listeners to wake up, think, organize, unite, and take action.
I still come back to this album 10 years later and it's still great. In fact, the album seems to have taken on new meaning considering the actions our current president is taking.
The album was released towards the end of the W. Bush era and it captures the tumultuous times in 13 beautiful tracks. The album begins with Bush speaking and the first word we get from frontman Dan Marsala is "liar." The album continues by urging listeners to wake up, think, organize, unite, and take action.
I still come back to this album 10 years later and it's still great. In fact, the album seems to have taken on new meaning considering the actions our current president is taking.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
To The Old Man Above
So you’re probably thinking — “why air out our beef on social media?” — but you’re probably not actually thinking that because you’re not a millennial with all history (false or correct) at your THUMB (none of this FINGERTIPS crap! The thumb is underappreciated sometimes — separate post to come — maybe).
But dude, can I listen to this jazz music at a volume I can appreciate? Admit it, you actually kind of enjoy that I like smooth jazz just like you once used to. In fact, come on down, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy the sounds of Miles Davis together.
But are you actually typing on your smart phone with your fingertips? No, you’re not — you’re probably wondering how quickly you can thumb through this pretentious post with your thumb right now! You’re likely only using fingertips if you’re using the tip of your ring finger because your other fingertips are too busy with food and baby poop — and you can’t get Doritos dust on your phone! Your pinky is just there to act as a counter weight — because, well, you know — physics, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and blah blah blah.
The old man above isn’t a god. The old man above isn’t even a grumpy old man that lives 20 feet above me. The old man is me.
But dude, can I listen to this jazz music at a volume I can appreciate? Admit it, you actually kind of enjoy that I like smooth jazz just like you once used to. In fact, come on down, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy the sounds of Miles Davis together.
But are you actually typing on your smart phone with your fingertips? No, you’re not — you’re probably wondering how quickly you can thumb through this pretentious post with your thumb right now! You’re likely only using fingertips if you’re using the tip of your ring finger because your other fingertips are too busy with food and baby poop — and you can’t get Doritos dust on your phone! Your pinky is just there to act as a counter weight — because, well, you know — physics, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and blah blah blah.
The old man above isn’t a god. The old man above isn’t even a grumpy old man that lives 20 feet above me. The old man is me.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
The Super Bowl: A Cacophony for the Deaf
That is an image of Mercedes-Benz’s marketing campaign
involving Che Guevara. That is not from a The Onion article — it was a real
thing which you can read more about HERE.
More on this later.
I have been a fan of sports since the fourth grade.
I was first introduced to the National Basketball Association (N.B.A) by
someone at church which acted as my gateway to baseball which lead me to
football. I love playing and following sports, but the Super Bowl is easily the
most exaggerated event on the planet. It’s less about football and more about
spectacle. I’ve seriously been to “football parties,” although I try to avoid
these now, where the people attending do everything but watch the football
game. There are moments at these parties when I get excited about a splash play
and literally everyone else will look up from their phones and ask me, “What
happened?” At a “football party.” Where people gather to watch football.
Super Bowl 52 happened to be a really entertaining
game. It was a well played, relatively penalty free, back and forth game that
came down to the end. However, it was still overhyped. And to make things
worse, the commercials were really atrocious. Take for example, this BUDWEISER
COMMERCIAL. Now, I am not knocking their effort to
help people — that is a wonderful thing. What I am knocking is how they spent
north of 5 million dollars to pat themselves on the back for helping people
when they could have used those 5 million dollars to actually help people. The
only thing valuable to emerge from this commercial is that Budweiser has
finally admitted that their beer is water.
Then take this well thought out DODGE
RAM COMMERCIAL. And by well thought out I mean mind
numbingly stupid. Who thought using content from a Dr. Martin Luther King
Junior speech to sell a horrible truck was a good idea? If it wasn’t the person
involved in the Che Guevara Mercedes-Benz campaign, here’s what needs to happen
— the person behind the MLK commercial and the person behind the Che Guevara
idea need to sit in a cold, dark, isolated room together and slap each other in
the face until something semi-intelligent materializes.
Yes, these commercials are heinous and the Super
Bowl is a joke, but what bothers me most is that it works. Common folk will
irresponsibly spend a silly amount of money on the Super Bowl only to serve the
wealthy. If these commercials didn’t cause people to go out and buy these stupid
products, these companies wouldn’t spend 5 million dollars for a 30 second
spot. Plain and simple, it works. The Super Bowl is a cacophony wasted on the
deaf. It is such a wasted teachable moment and that is why it stings. If the
deaf could hear, they would know that what looks like a beautiful symphony is
in fact a cacophony that is so loud that we are all going deaf.
There, however, was one good commercial — check out
this GROUPON COMMERCIAL and watch a rich
white dude get a football kicked into his nuts.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Beer Pong - A Masochist's Game
Beer pong is a game enjoyed by adults (and naughty under aged teenagers) typically within a social context where the primary directive of the night is to become inebriated. In the game, when an individual or team succeeds, the opposing side is punished by having to consume alcohol. So, if the penalty of losing is also the primary objective of the evening -- like, WTF? The incentive scheme is backwards.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Thank You Mr. Kevin Garnett
I never got a chance to post about Mr. Kevin Garnett after he announced his retirement. I was obsessed with basketball when I was younger, and I can't think of another athlete that had a bigger impact on my life than Kevin Garnett. His fire during the games, his charisma after the games, and his loyalty (especially to the Minnesota Timberwolves) is a package that may never be matched.
To this day, when I play basketball, I run on every single possession. It's a characteristic that I learned from Kevin Garnett when I was in grade school. It's a lesson he learned from Karl Malone. I have prevented so many easy fast break opportunities, and it's all from watching Kevin Garnett play. Sure, 99% of the easy fast break opportunities were converted successfully, but that 1% is completely worth it. I learned that being exhausted and in pain is an easier feeling than the feeling of, "I didn't do enough".
Giving-it-your-all is a lesson I learned early. So thank you, Mr. Garnett.
To this day, when I play basketball, I run on every single possession. It's a characteristic that I learned from Kevin Garnett when I was in grade school. It's a lesson he learned from Karl Malone. I have prevented so many easy fast break opportunities, and it's all from watching Kevin Garnett play. Sure, 99% of the easy fast break opportunities were converted successfully, but that 1% is completely worth it. I learned that being exhausted and in pain is an easier feeling than the feeling of, "I didn't do enough".
Giving-it-your-all is a lesson I learned early. So thank you, Mr. Garnett.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
"Where To Invade Next" Review
Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Where To Invade Next," is a humorous, touching, and illuminating look at policies that have worked in other parts of the world. It's also a very positive documentary compared to Moore's previous works. It's a film anyone can watch and take something from regardless of political affiliation.
Many topics are discussed in the documentary. Moore visits Italy to look deeper into paid time off, and how this effects productivity, happiness and stress. While he is there, paternal and maternal leave is discussed. France is Moore's second destination, and there he sees how kids are fed at school. We learn that having better "food culture" not only changes how nutritious our foods are, but we also gain skills from learning etiquette. While in France, Moore asks about their sexual education curriculum. That transitions to Finland's top education system, and their immensely different view on education. And when talking about education, it's difficult not to talk about how expensive higher education is in America. That's when Moore takes us to Slovenia, and we are exposed to their debt free college student. Even at that point, we are not even half way done with the documentary. A handful of other countries are visited and with each new country we gain greater insight. I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary.
Many topics are discussed in the documentary. Moore visits Italy to look deeper into paid time off, and how this effects productivity, happiness and stress. While he is there, paternal and maternal leave is discussed. France is Moore's second destination, and there he sees how kids are fed at school. We learn that having better "food culture" not only changes how nutritious our foods are, but we also gain skills from learning etiquette. While in France, Moore asks about their sexual education curriculum. That transitions to Finland's top education system, and their immensely different view on education. And when talking about education, it's difficult not to talk about how expensive higher education is in America. That's when Moore takes us to Slovenia, and we are exposed to their debt free college student. Even at that point, we are not even half way done with the documentary. A handful of other countries are visited and with each new country we gain greater insight. I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
"Captain America: Civil War" Review
I'm not a big fan of superhero movies. It was fun once or twice, but they've been coming out year after year for so long. First we had to deal with each individual Marvel franchise so that they could coalesce into one giant Avengers thread. Now DC is trying to build a similar pillar. And let us not forget about Fox's X-Men movies. I like that the DC team is taking their universe down a darker path, but overall it's no contest when comparing what DC is doing and what Marvel is doing. Marvel's vision is so much tighter, and it shines through in Captain America: Civil War.
If you've seen Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Ant Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and/or Captain America: The Winter Solider (Whew!), you know what you're getting into. Marvel didn't break away from what is working. Prepare yourself for a CG happy, explosion friendly, slap-stick humor fused film that does well in setting up the next movie. Speaking of setting up the next film, like with any Marvel movie, stay until the very end. Like the very, very end. I think fans will be very pleased with the teaser.
The film did have some interesting ethical questions it juggled. The film brings up the age old debate of utilitarianism vs. deontology. Is it okay that a few people get hurt along the way if the greater good is protected? Or must the means be as just as the ends? It really sets up great friction between Captain America's team and Iron Man's team (thus, "Civil War"), even if the framing is hardly fair within the movie. The movie has Captain America's name in it, so clearly the audience is nudged in that direction. However, it does set up a neat dichotomy for the audience.
The World Wide Web lost their collective cool when it was revealed that Spider Man would make his debut in this Marvel/Disney universe. I thought the teasers did a great job not showing too much. I think fans will be very pleased with Spider Man's presence in this film. If a grumpy film viewer like me could enjoy it, you can too. I'm a fan of Paul Rudd, so I wish they would've included Ant Man a bit more in the film. Regardless, I enjoyed the film and I expect it to do very well.
If you've seen Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Ant Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and/or Captain America: The Winter Solider (Whew!), you know what you're getting into. Marvel didn't break away from what is working. Prepare yourself for a CG happy, explosion friendly, slap-stick humor fused film that does well in setting up the next movie. Speaking of setting up the next film, like with any Marvel movie, stay until the very end. Like the very, very end. I think fans will be very pleased with the teaser.
The film did have some interesting ethical questions it juggled. The film brings up the age old debate of utilitarianism vs. deontology. Is it okay that a few people get hurt along the way if the greater good is protected? Or must the means be as just as the ends? It really sets up great friction between Captain America's team and Iron Man's team (thus, "Civil War"), even if the framing is hardly fair within the movie. The movie has Captain America's name in it, so clearly the audience is nudged in that direction. However, it does set up a neat dichotomy for the audience.
The World Wide Web lost their collective cool when it was revealed that Spider Man would make his debut in this Marvel/Disney universe. I thought the teasers did a great job not showing too much. I think fans will be very pleased with Spider Man's presence in this film. If a grumpy film viewer like me could enjoy it, you can too. I'm a fan of Paul Rudd, so I wish they would've included Ant Man a bit more in the film. Regardless, I enjoyed the film and I expect it to do very well.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
"Ex Machina" Review
Ex Machina is a damn good movie! I'm sorry we've been distracted by other shiny objects disguised as movies while this gem goes relatively unnoticed. This is one of the best films I've seen in a long time and a film that threatens to enter my all time favorites list. What an embarrassment that it took me so long to watch it. I almost saw it in theaters on multiple occasions, but by democratic decision my friends chose other movies before Ex Machina. We truly missed out.
I should've looked into the film a bit more because then I would've assumed I'd like the movie. Alex Garland wrote 28 Days Later and Sunshine which are 2 movies I can watch anytime on any day. This was his directorial debut and I think he knocked it out of the park. The movie handles philosophical questions about evolution, humanity, The Singularity, and so on. Not only is the movie dense, but it is such a beautiful movie. It's what I wanted my movies to "feel" like. Gritty, yet elegant. Dense, yet simple. Uncomfortable, yet desirable.
The 3 main actors are names we should all get to know too. Their star power continues to rise and I think we'll be seeing much more of them in the future. If we didn't know Alicia Vikander was an actual person, we might've thought she were an actual robot. It doesn't seem fair that Sweden has all sorts great policies on top of producing beautiful and talented women like Alicia Vikander. I think out of all the places I Periscoped, Sweden had the highest concentration of intelligent and beautiful women.
You'll notice that the movie was given an R rating and one of the reasons is for "graphic nudity". I don't think I will ever understand what that could mean. We all have bodies, and when we don't follow the social convention of being clothed, we are nude. There is nothing graphic about it. I have body image issues, and even I know this is stupid. Please go watch this film.
I should've looked into the film a bit more because then I would've assumed I'd like the movie. Alex Garland wrote 28 Days Later and Sunshine which are 2 movies I can watch anytime on any day. This was his directorial debut and I think he knocked it out of the park. The movie handles philosophical questions about evolution, humanity, The Singularity, and so on. Not only is the movie dense, but it is such a beautiful movie. It's what I wanted my movies to "feel" like. Gritty, yet elegant. Dense, yet simple. Uncomfortable, yet desirable.
The 3 main actors are names we should all get to know too. Their star power continues to rise and I think we'll be seeing much more of them in the future. If we didn't know Alicia Vikander was an actual person, we might've thought she were an actual robot. It doesn't seem fair that Sweden has all sorts great policies on top of producing beautiful and talented women like Alicia Vikander. I think out of all the places I Periscoped, Sweden had the highest concentration of intelligent and beautiful women.
You'll notice that the movie was given an R rating and one of the reasons is for "graphic nudity". I don't think I will ever understand what that could mean. We all have bodies, and when we don't follow the social convention of being clothed, we are nude. There is nothing graphic about it. I have body image issues, and even I know this is stupid. Please go watch this film.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Underoath Re-Birth Tour Review
On April 6th, 2016 I got to watch UNDEROATH perform live at the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis. It was the first time I've seen them perform live since 2011 (HERE IS MY REVIEW OF THAT SHOW). I don't have an accurate number, but I once backtracked and realized I have seen Underoath perform at least 13 times. One would think this "fourteenth" time wouldn't be so exciting as I've seen the band so many times, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The band called it quits 2013 and I thought I would never see the band ever again.
The show was everything I hoped it would be. Underoath was clearly back because they wanted to be, and you could sense that in their performance. They played what is arguably their 2 most popular albums from front to back. I consider their 2006 album, "Define The Great Line" the gold standard for anything "screamo". I hesitate using label "screamo" because I don't want people to think the album is full of angsty screaming. An honest listening of "Define The Great Line" will show any listener that it is a beautifully conflicted album. It is gracefully melodic, while being brutally heavy. It was painfully dark, while being pleasantly uplifting.
I can't say it was my favorite Underoath show, but that's only because my favorite Underoath show is in a league of its own. I'm not very spiritual, but I had an out-of-body experience at one of their shows without any mind altering substances at play. I think I was just overwhelmed by the power of their music. I doubt I will ever have an experience like that again, so although their latest show doesn't compare to that one very special performance, it was still very good an memorable. I also met a couple of other long time Underoath fans, and people who recognized me from my radio job. Super fan, Brandon Doll, also wanted to share a few words about Underoath.
Here is Brandon's review:
Which brings us to Wednesday night. After a somewhat lengthy stage setup following opening act Caspian, the lights went dark and it was show time. The band members took the stage and immediately ripped into “Young and Aspiring” which sent the crowd into a chaotic frenzy. During the “They’re Only Chasing Safety” portion of the show the crowd was at its most energetic during the singles off of the album, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White”, “Reinventing Your Exit”, and “It’s Dangerous Business Walking out Your Front Door”. My personal favorite moment from this segment of the show was when Underoath played “Down, Set, Go”, which also happens to be my favorite song off of the album. During the set lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain stated that it was a song they had never played live before they kicked off the Rebirth Tour. I find that to be incredible because it is the best song off of a phenomenal album in my humble opinion. The only criticism that I can come up with from the entire night occurred during the albums closing track, “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape”. The song was played to perfection but for some reason the track was cut short right before the epic breakdown that closes out the album. However, I was able to overlook this small miscue knowing that the best was yet to come: “Define the Great Line”.
The show was everything I hoped it would be. Underoath was clearly back because they wanted to be, and you could sense that in their performance. They played what is arguably their 2 most popular albums from front to back. I consider their 2006 album, "Define The Great Line" the gold standard for anything "screamo". I hesitate using label "screamo" because I don't want people to think the album is full of angsty screaming. An honest listening of "Define The Great Line" will show any listener that it is a beautifully conflicted album. It is gracefully melodic, while being brutally heavy. It was painfully dark, while being pleasantly uplifting.
I can't say it was my favorite Underoath show, but that's only because my favorite Underoath show is in a league of its own. I'm not very spiritual, but I had an out-of-body experience at one of their shows without any mind altering substances at play. I think I was just overwhelmed by the power of their music. I doubt I will ever have an experience like that again, so although their latest show doesn't compare to that one very special performance, it was still very good an memorable. I also met a couple of other long time Underoath fans, and people who recognized me from my radio job. Super fan, Brandon Doll, also wanted to share a few words about Underoath.
Here is Brandon's review:
To say that I was excited to see
Underoath at the Skyway Theater is the understatement of the century. I
purchased my ticket last fall the second that the tour was confirmed. Underoath
has not performed in Minnesota since 2011 and obviously the band has gone
through a lot since that time. All this did was create an insurmountable amount
of hype for a show that was unthinkable as little as a year ago. At that point
I don’t think anyone would have ever dreamed that this band would play together
again.
Which brings us to Wednesday night. After a somewhat lengthy stage setup following opening act Caspian, the lights went dark and it was show time. The band members took the stage and immediately ripped into “Young and Aspiring” which sent the crowd into a chaotic frenzy. During the “They’re Only Chasing Safety” portion of the show the crowd was at its most energetic during the singles off of the album, “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White”, “Reinventing Your Exit”, and “It’s Dangerous Business Walking out Your Front Door”. My personal favorite moment from this segment of the show was when Underoath played “Down, Set, Go”, which also happens to be my favorite song off of the album. During the set lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain stated that it was a song they had never played live before they kicked off the Rebirth Tour. I find that to be incredible because it is the best song off of a phenomenal album in my humble opinion. The only criticism that I can come up with from the entire night occurred during the albums closing track, “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape”. The song was played to perfection but for some reason the track was cut short right before the epic breakdown that closes out the album. However, I was able to overlook this small miscue knowing that the best was yet to come: “Define the Great Line”.
The
band only took about a 5 minute break and immediately rushed back out to kick
off the Define segment with a raucous rendition of “In Regards to Myself”. This
is when the band hit their stride. Everyone appeared to be in vintage form. The
incredibly talented Aaron Gillespie who has quite possibly the most difficult
task in music of simultaneously drumming and singing, looked like he had never
even left Underoath. The crowd and most of all the pit was noticeably more
active for the Define songs. Define is much heavier, more polished, and has
many more breakdowns, which allows for more “moshable” moments. Underoath kept
up the frenetic pace of heavy fast paced metal until they reached the interlude
track “Salmarnir” which finally allowed the crowd to catch its collective
breath. This is when my favorite moment of the show took place. At the end of
this track Min, Myself, and a few of my other pit mates organized a “wall of
death” in preparation for possibly the heaviest track off of Define, “Returning Empty Handed”. The
track began with a Gillespie drumroll and is kicked off with a ridiculous
Chamberlain guttural growl, at which point the bodies were flying everywhere.
Another high point was reached during Grammy nominated lead single “Writing on
the Walls” which is always a crowd favorite.
I
cannot say enough positive things about this performance. It was one of the
greatest concerts I have ever had the pleasure of attending. Obviously anytime
one of your favorite bands plays two full albums you are going to be in store
for a fantastic night, but I was equally as impressed by the passion displayed
by the crowd of all ages. I was shocked at the number of kids in attendance to
see a band that first hit the scene when many of them were possibly still in
diapers.
As for Underoath, uncertainty still lies ahead. At the
completion of this Rebirth tour the band members still have their separate
careers so a new album appears unlikely, but they did tease the crowd with what
sounded like a new exitlude track tacked onto the conclusion of “To Whom it May
Concern”. Even though it appears unlikely, I think we can all agree that a new
album or song would not be out of the realm of possibility. I hope it happens.
Monday, March 28, 2016
Growing Up Really Poor - Wage War Against Poverty
A little over a month ago I applied for the Krusell Fellowship. It's a program that helps people in developing communities with housing and other needs. In a portion of my application statement I shared a bit of my history growing up in South Minneapolis. I never felt poor growing up, but I learned later in life that my family was indeed very poor. My parents immigrated to America with almost nothing, and they could not find much traction here early on due to cultural and language barriers. There was virtually no way we could not have been poor during the early years of our family. Now that I am an adult, I better understand that we lived well under the poverty line, but I did not understand exactly how poor we were until recently.
There were only two occasions I ever felt poor growing up. I remember feeling poor after winter break would finish and all the kids would meet up at school and brag about their Christmas gifts. My friends would have a laundry list of gifts the received, but I hardly ever got more than one gift. The lack of Christmas gifts stopped bothering me when I entered junior high. I had to quickly overcome the envy because we moved to affluent Plymouth when I entered junior high. There was no possible way my parents could get us gifts that matched the gifts of my suburban friends. The only other time I remember feeling poor was when I was around second grade age. A friend of mine had me over for dinner one night. Milk and macaroni and cheese was served that night. That must have been the most, middle-of-no-where-Wisconsin-white-meal I have ever had up to that point. I thought it was delicious. I remember going home and bragging to my parents what was served for dinner at Kevin's house. It must have been a few weeks later that my parents weren't able to even put food on the table at home. I remember being especially hungry that night, and all we could afford was a slice of bread for dinner. I remember vocalizing my disappointment and frustration with my parents. I compared what we were having for dinner to what I had at Kevin's house only a few weeks prior. I know I can claim youthful ignorance, but it breaks my heart to think about how my parents must have felt in that situation as their first born child sat in the middle of the kitchen crying and complaining.
My parents did a wonderful job shielding us from the a lot of the craziness that life throws at families (especially at families in need). They exposed us to the stressors of life in small doses to insure we weren't overburdened with concern while not missing out on important life lessons. I am forever grateful for their masterful balancing act. It is a bit strange researching your own family's history though. I asked my parents about programs we utilized to help us get to the place we are today. One of the greatest things to have come out way was a program my father had access to. It was a program that reimbursed his tuition at a technical college if he worked full time and kept his grades above a B average. It gave my father the economic mobility our family needed to pursue a decent standard of living and more educational opportunities. Our family used that program and food stamps to stay afloat, and I feel a bit of regret now as I feel as though I have not vocalized my defense for welfare enough after learning how food stamps helped my family tremendously. I have a lot of Republican friends (I did, after all, grow up in Plymouth) and I consistently see their anti-welfare posts on social media.
Why should people have access to an education if they can't afford it? Why should people get food stamps when they are just going to abuse the system?
I cannot say I have ever agreed with their sentiments and I do believe a social safety net is important (especially in a nation as wealthy and as "Christian" as ours). I am ashamed that I didn't defend the people who aren't that much different than my family more vehemently. To be negligent of their needs is to fail morally. Henceforth, when I see people bashing social programs that work and that saved families like mine, I will take it as a personal affront. To take these programs away from people in need is to create a vacuum is misery, and certainly you have a little more compassion than that.
Our application statements for the Krusell Fellowship were limited to two-pages. I dedicated a paragraph to my family's history. It took forever to write and it was heartbreaking. Imagine me in my dimly lit room hacking away at my keyboard with vision blurred from the tears running down my face. I have it exponentially good because of my parents, but also because there is a community and system that is willing to lend a hand. I cannot begin to summarize the level of malice some people must have to want to deny people access to these programs of mobility. There are families out there that are treading water and all they need is a little assistance to find solid ground and run inland. I am hoping to soon be in a position to search the sea for these people.
Oh, one last thing. I did not get the fellowship, but life goes on.
There were only two occasions I ever felt poor growing up. I remember feeling poor after winter break would finish and all the kids would meet up at school and brag about their Christmas gifts. My friends would have a laundry list of gifts the received, but I hardly ever got more than one gift. The lack of Christmas gifts stopped bothering me when I entered junior high. I had to quickly overcome the envy because we moved to affluent Plymouth when I entered junior high. There was no possible way my parents could get us gifts that matched the gifts of my suburban friends. The only other time I remember feeling poor was when I was around second grade age. A friend of mine had me over for dinner one night. Milk and macaroni and cheese was served that night. That must have been the most, middle-of-no-where-Wisconsin-white-meal I have ever had up to that point. I thought it was delicious. I remember going home and bragging to my parents what was served for dinner at Kevin's house. It must have been a few weeks later that my parents weren't able to even put food on the table at home. I remember being especially hungry that night, and all we could afford was a slice of bread for dinner. I remember vocalizing my disappointment and frustration with my parents. I compared what we were having for dinner to what I had at Kevin's house only a few weeks prior. I know I can claim youthful ignorance, but it breaks my heart to think about how my parents must have felt in that situation as their first born child sat in the middle of the kitchen crying and complaining.
 |
| My father, mother, and 2 siblings shortly after we moved to Plymouth |
My parents did a wonderful job shielding us from the a lot of the craziness that life throws at families (especially at families in need). They exposed us to the stressors of life in small doses to insure we weren't overburdened with concern while not missing out on important life lessons. I am forever grateful for their masterful balancing act. It is a bit strange researching your own family's history though. I asked my parents about programs we utilized to help us get to the place we are today. One of the greatest things to have come out way was a program my father had access to. It was a program that reimbursed his tuition at a technical college if he worked full time and kept his grades above a B average. It gave my father the economic mobility our family needed to pursue a decent standard of living and more educational opportunities. Our family used that program and food stamps to stay afloat, and I feel a bit of regret now as I feel as though I have not vocalized my defense for welfare enough after learning how food stamps helped my family tremendously. I have a lot of Republican friends (I did, after all, grow up in Plymouth) and I consistently see their anti-welfare posts on social media.
Why should people have access to an education if they can't afford it? Why should people get food stamps when they are just going to abuse the system?
I cannot say I have ever agreed with their sentiments and I do believe a social safety net is important (especially in a nation as wealthy and as "Christian" as ours). I am ashamed that I didn't defend the people who aren't that much different than my family more vehemently. To be negligent of their needs is to fail morally. Henceforth, when I see people bashing social programs that work and that saved families like mine, I will take it as a personal affront. To take these programs away from people in need is to create a vacuum is misery, and certainly you have a little more compassion than that.
Our application statements for the Krusell Fellowship were limited to two-pages. I dedicated a paragraph to my family's history. It took forever to write and it was heartbreaking. Imagine me in my dimly lit room hacking away at my keyboard with vision blurred from the tears running down my face. I have it exponentially good because of my parents, but also because there is a community and system that is willing to lend a hand. I cannot begin to summarize the level of malice some people must have to want to deny people access to these programs of mobility. There are families out there that are treading water and all they need is a little assistance to find solid ground and run inland. I am hoping to soon be in a position to search the sea for these people.
Oh, one last thing. I did not get the fellowship, but life goes on.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
"Batman vs. Superman" Review
I went into Batman vs. Superman with low expectations, and although I am attempting to compensate for setting the bar so low, it might still have something to do with why I give the film an above average mark. It also could be that I have been on a streak of average or slightly below average movies (Deadpool, 10 Cloverfield Lane, etc). It goes without saying, cause what sort of jerk catches a pre-screening and ruins the movie for everyone, but there will be no spoilers here. There is a Star Wars like turn in the movie, and I will do my best to distance myself from any clues.
If you've talked to me about Batman vs. Superman over the last month you know that I am not pleased with how they have been promoting this movie. It feels like I've been watching trailers for this movie for years, and then after the makers of the movie exposed their entire hand, they had nothing to show leading up to the actual release date. This Batman vs. Superman team should look to Marvel and take notes. The way Marvel slowly gave us bits of Civil War and then dropped Spiderman on us recently was perfect. Now they only need to give us one more reminder that Spiderman is in the film 2 weeks before the actual release date and excitement will be a fever pitch. I've been complaining for the last month that I've already seen the entire Batman vs. Superman film due to the trailers, and I wasn't entirely wrong. We should not have seen Doomsday and Wonder Woman before entering the movie.
From the trailers, I thought I was going to hate Jesse Eisenberg's performance. I don't know much about the character of Lex Luthor, but I did not despise Eisenberg's portrayal of Luthor. It still did feel a bit rigid and forced at times, but it worked for the most part. Where I was unsure of Eisenberg, many were against Ben Affleck as Batman. I think most fans are having a difficult time detaching themselves from the Christian Bale Batman. I, however, was not a doubter of Affleck. He's coming off a string of successful movies, and I felt like he was at the top of his game again. We have to forgive him for Daredevil and Gigli at some point. Plus, I will always have a soft spot for Affleck because of Good Will Hunting.
This is the most Zack Snyder film since 2009's Watchmen. I've never doubted Snyder's artistic ability, but his stories aren't always air-tight and can drag. Batman vs. Superman suffers from exactly this. My film theory is a bit rusty, but If my memory serves me right, I remember really embracing Dziga Vertov's "Kino Eye Theory". It's the theory that cinema can see and express more than the human eye can capture. This is why I'm generally not a fan of the recent James Bond films because you can't see a damn thing. The cuts are too quick and the camera is too shaky. However, facets of Kino Eye is what Snyder does great in a lot of his films, and Batman vs. Superman pulls this off to a certain extent. With the musical help of Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, Snyder's ability to use slow motion and close-ups doesn't slow down the film, but rather makes the movie swell with detail and anticipation.
While I think fans of the superhero genre will enjoy the film, and serious movie watchers won't be totally disappointed, the movie does have its shortcomings. It has spans of exposition and I-don't-care moments, so it's hard to justify the 152 minute runtime. I guess we have to factor in that they were burdened with the duty of setting up the Justice League movie. DC is clearly playing catch up to Marvel's well established franchises and Avengers movies. Not only that, but if you were following the production of this film, you know they ran into snags and that their budget was quickly swelling and on pace to become to most expensive movie ever (suck on that, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). On top of that, although I give Snyder credit for long shots and actually allowing us to see all the action, a lot of the choreography is slow and clumsy. There were also moments I felt like this movie was made for children. The action, especially with Superman, gets so ridiculous at times I thought I was watching Japanese anime. There is a reason I enjoyed Dragon Ball Z in the 7th grade, but could never re-visit it as an adult. It's a strange dichotomy considering Snyder is taking this franchise down a darker path than what Marvel is doing. If rumors are true, and I hope they are, we will get a rated R version when the Blu-Ray comes out. You could tell Snyder really wanted some CG blood and a sex scene, but you can't have a rated R movie pushing 410 million dollars in budget.
So did I love the movie? No. But did I enjoy it enough? Yes. It's a silly movie, but there are still some cool things being discussed, like ethics and Lex Luthor discussing the logic of god. I do think nerds will like it, and the set up for Justice League even got me excited. The movie also made me want to check out Wonder Woman. With all this in mind, I think I enjoyed (this superhero's) monologue at the end the most. Mostly because of the tragic events that happened in Brussels yesterday. You'll see what I mean when you go watch the movie.
Oh! And don't wait around like Marvel movies. There is no teaser after the credits. At least there wasn't one at my special pre-screening.
If you've talked to me about Batman vs. Superman over the last month you know that I am not pleased with how they have been promoting this movie. It feels like I've been watching trailers for this movie for years, and then after the makers of the movie exposed their entire hand, they had nothing to show leading up to the actual release date. This Batman vs. Superman team should look to Marvel and take notes. The way Marvel slowly gave us bits of Civil War and then dropped Spiderman on us recently was perfect. Now they only need to give us one more reminder that Spiderman is in the film 2 weeks before the actual release date and excitement will be a fever pitch. I've been complaining for the last month that I've already seen the entire Batman vs. Superman film due to the trailers, and I wasn't entirely wrong. We should not have seen Doomsday and Wonder Woman before entering the movie.
From the trailers, I thought I was going to hate Jesse Eisenberg's performance. I don't know much about the character of Lex Luthor, but I did not despise Eisenberg's portrayal of Luthor. It still did feel a bit rigid and forced at times, but it worked for the most part. Where I was unsure of Eisenberg, many were against Ben Affleck as Batman. I think most fans are having a difficult time detaching themselves from the Christian Bale Batman. I, however, was not a doubter of Affleck. He's coming off a string of successful movies, and I felt like he was at the top of his game again. We have to forgive him for Daredevil and Gigli at some point. Plus, I will always have a soft spot for Affleck because of Good Will Hunting.
This is the most Zack Snyder film since 2009's Watchmen. I've never doubted Snyder's artistic ability, but his stories aren't always air-tight and can drag. Batman vs. Superman suffers from exactly this. My film theory is a bit rusty, but If my memory serves me right, I remember really embracing Dziga Vertov's "Kino Eye Theory". It's the theory that cinema can see and express more than the human eye can capture. This is why I'm generally not a fan of the recent James Bond films because you can't see a damn thing. The cuts are too quick and the camera is too shaky. However, facets of Kino Eye is what Snyder does great in a lot of his films, and Batman vs. Superman pulls this off to a certain extent. With the musical help of Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, Snyder's ability to use slow motion and close-ups doesn't slow down the film, but rather makes the movie swell with detail and anticipation.
While I think fans of the superhero genre will enjoy the film, and serious movie watchers won't be totally disappointed, the movie does have its shortcomings. It has spans of exposition and I-don't-care moments, so it's hard to justify the 152 minute runtime. I guess we have to factor in that they were burdened with the duty of setting up the Justice League movie. DC is clearly playing catch up to Marvel's well established franchises and Avengers movies. Not only that, but if you were following the production of this film, you know they ran into snags and that their budget was quickly swelling and on pace to become to most expensive movie ever (suck on that, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides). On top of that, although I give Snyder credit for long shots and actually allowing us to see all the action, a lot of the choreography is slow and clumsy. There were also moments I felt like this movie was made for children. The action, especially with Superman, gets so ridiculous at times I thought I was watching Japanese anime. There is a reason I enjoyed Dragon Ball Z in the 7th grade, but could never re-visit it as an adult. It's a strange dichotomy considering Snyder is taking this franchise down a darker path than what Marvel is doing. If rumors are true, and I hope they are, we will get a rated R version when the Blu-Ray comes out. You could tell Snyder really wanted some CG blood and a sex scene, but you can't have a rated R movie pushing 410 million dollars in budget.
So did I love the movie? No. But did I enjoy it enough? Yes. It's a silly movie, but there are still some cool things being discussed, like ethics and Lex Luthor discussing the logic of god. I do think nerds will like it, and the set up for Justice League even got me excited. The movie also made me want to check out Wonder Woman. With all this in mind, I think I enjoyed (this superhero's) monologue at the end the most. Mostly because of the tragic events that happened in Brussels yesterday. You'll see what I mean when you go watch the movie.
Oh! And don't wait around like Marvel movies. There is no teaser after the credits. At least there wasn't one at my special pre-screening.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Amazing Couple To Spend Entire Year Exploring United States
Meet Carl and Anna. They started an amazing project called US ANYWHERE at the start of 2016 where they will explore every state in these United States. You can see some of the photos they took and videos they made here, but you'll want to follow their travels for the remainder of the year.
Introducing US Anywhere from US Anywhere on Vimeo.
Here is my interview with Carl:
Min: Could you please explain what this project is about and what sparked the idea for this project?
Carl: My wife Anna and I are both native Minnesotans. We both grew up camping and have cultivated a love of travel domestic and abroad. But despite being passionate about these things, we’ve had difficulty making time for them in our busy lives. I’m a filmmaker by trade, and have developed a body of work organically by filming projects in my spare time involving friends and nature. These personal projects have led to job opportunities, and I found myself working in advertising, most recently doing work for Minnesota tourism. The idea for this project struck me a couple of summers ago, when my friends and I drove out to Glacier National Park for a backpacking trip. On our way home, I got stuck with the red-eye shift driving through North Dakota. I was white-knuckled as I tried to avoid hitting the seeming thousands of deer- but as the sun started to come up, it dawned on me that North Dakota could be truly breathtaking. I realized that I would love to come back to shoot something. At the same time, I realized that if I could find something interesting to shoot in North Dakota, an oft-maligned state, I could probably find something to shoot in every state. I started doing the math about how long it would take to shoot a short video about a state- and I decided a week would be about right. From there, it works out almost perfectly. If you spend a week per state, it rounds out to almost exactly a year (if you include a week for Washington DC and a week in case anything goes wrong.) The concept of spending an entire year on the road and visiting every state was too compelling to pass up. I told Anna what I was thinking about, and she was immediately on board. We spent the next year and a half saving up and planning before launching the project in 2016. Our aim is to have a great adventure in seeing all of the USA, but to make creative work in the process so that we can bring people (virtually) along for the ride.
M: Were you ever worried this project wouldn't be possible leading up to the start of it?
C: There were a lot of times that we doubted our ability to do something so time-consuming and costly. The logistics alone are so complicated and daunting. We’d never even trailer camped before, and were talking about doing it for an entire year! However, I have a stubborn streak- once I’ve made up my mind that I’m doing something, I’m doing it. It was going to take a lot to prevent us from going- and luckily, we managed to pull it off!
M: What has been the toughest thing about the project so far?
C: We absolutely underestimated how hard it would be to travel so quickly. We knew the week-per-state framework was ambitious, but we didn’t understand just how ambitious until we learned how long it takes to set up and take down camp, and how traveling with a camper has its own unforseen delays (slower speeds, more frequent stops for gas, fewer accessible places, more difficulty parking, etc.). This also makes our logistics a bit trickier, since we want to be flexible- RV campsites are limited and fill up quickly, so we have to be more forward-thinking than we’d like when planning future states. Also, the lack of WiFi is killer! We’d assumed it would be easy to keep connected from the road, since we have such an easy time with it at home (if it’s not at your house, it’s at work, or at a coffee shop, library, etc.) We’ve quickly learned that public wifi can be hard to find when you’re not in a city, and connection speeds are slow to nonexistant at most campgrounds. This has made working and planning tough!
M: What has been the most fulfilling and coolest thing you've seen so far?
C: We took a risk by starting in Wisconsin- the first week in January isn’t the friendliest time to be there by a long shot (especially if you’re camping!) But the gorgeous sunsets in Door County, ice-covered branches and snowy landscapes turned out to be just as beautiful as we’d hoped. Even though we were freezing our butts off, we were experiencing midwestern winter at its best, and we knew the decision to start there had been worth it.
US Anywhere: Wisconsin from US Anywhere on Vimeo.
M: Have expectations changed now that you've been on the road for a while?
C: They definitely have. For one, we’d planned to release videos about each state as we went, weekly- alongside blogging and posting to other various social media. We’ve quickly realized that all of that on top of moving so quickly leaves almost no time for the actual experience of the trip, which should really be the main point! We’ve had to scale back on the videos (for now, it’s still the plan to release a video for every state, but they will be released as I finish editing them, and actual experience will be the focus.) That means I’ll have a fair amount left to edit when I get back, but it will be a fun way to extend the experience of the trip! We’ve also realized that (aside from the northeast) the states are really big! We’ve started to become more focused in our planning. Honing in on specific areas within each state, so we can have more in-depth experiences.
M: Now that you've explored the country a bit, what is one thing, in general, that even citizens of the United States might not know/expect about our own country?
C: The United States is an incredibly accessible place. Even though it’s massive, it can be surprisingly easy to get around. Having grown up in the middle of the country, I always thought of the coasts as being so far away. I had only ever flown to the oceans, but it’s entirely possible to drive there in just a few days. If you get some friends together and take turns driving, you can go anywhere. With the current price of gas, there’s never been a better time.
M: If people wanted to stay in touch, follow your journey, and/or contribute to your journey, how can they do that?
C: We keep our channels up-to-date with lots of photos, fun facts, state recaps, and videos. OUR WEBSITE (USANYWHERE.NET) is a great resource where everything is pooled (and links to our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo and mailing list can all be found there, too). We can be reached on all of those channels, but the best way to reach us is to shoot us an email at us@usanywhere.net! The best way for people to contribute to our journey is to share it with others that might be interested and to pass along their knowledge and suggestions. We rely heavily on input and suggestions from others when deciding what to do in a particular state!
Introducing US Anywhere from US Anywhere on Vimeo.
Here is my interview with Carl:
Min: Could you please explain what this project is about and what sparked the idea for this project?
Carl: My wife Anna and I are both native Minnesotans. We both grew up camping and have cultivated a love of travel domestic and abroad. But despite being passionate about these things, we’ve had difficulty making time for them in our busy lives. I’m a filmmaker by trade, and have developed a body of work organically by filming projects in my spare time involving friends and nature. These personal projects have led to job opportunities, and I found myself working in advertising, most recently doing work for Minnesota tourism. The idea for this project struck me a couple of summers ago, when my friends and I drove out to Glacier National Park for a backpacking trip. On our way home, I got stuck with the red-eye shift driving through North Dakota. I was white-knuckled as I tried to avoid hitting the seeming thousands of deer- but as the sun started to come up, it dawned on me that North Dakota could be truly breathtaking. I realized that I would love to come back to shoot something. At the same time, I realized that if I could find something interesting to shoot in North Dakota, an oft-maligned state, I could probably find something to shoot in every state. I started doing the math about how long it would take to shoot a short video about a state- and I decided a week would be about right. From there, it works out almost perfectly. If you spend a week per state, it rounds out to almost exactly a year (if you include a week for Washington DC and a week in case anything goes wrong.) The concept of spending an entire year on the road and visiting every state was too compelling to pass up. I told Anna what I was thinking about, and she was immediately on board. We spent the next year and a half saving up and planning before launching the project in 2016. Our aim is to have a great adventure in seeing all of the USA, but to make creative work in the process so that we can bring people (virtually) along for the ride.
M: Were you ever worried this project wouldn't be possible leading up to the start of it?
C: There were a lot of times that we doubted our ability to do something so time-consuming and costly. The logistics alone are so complicated and daunting. We’d never even trailer camped before, and were talking about doing it for an entire year! However, I have a stubborn streak- once I’ve made up my mind that I’m doing something, I’m doing it. It was going to take a lot to prevent us from going- and luckily, we managed to pull it off!
M: What has been the toughest thing about the project so far?
C: We absolutely underestimated how hard it would be to travel so quickly. We knew the week-per-state framework was ambitious, but we didn’t understand just how ambitious until we learned how long it takes to set up and take down camp, and how traveling with a camper has its own unforseen delays (slower speeds, more frequent stops for gas, fewer accessible places, more difficulty parking, etc.). This also makes our logistics a bit trickier, since we want to be flexible- RV campsites are limited and fill up quickly, so we have to be more forward-thinking than we’d like when planning future states. Also, the lack of WiFi is killer! We’d assumed it would be easy to keep connected from the road, since we have such an easy time with it at home (if it’s not at your house, it’s at work, or at a coffee shop, library, etc.) We’ve quickly learned that public wifi can be hard to find when you’re not in a city, and connection speeds are slow to nonexistant at most campgrounds. This has made working and planning tough!
M: What has been the most fulfilling and coolest thing you've seen so far?
C: We took a risk by starting in Wisconsin- the first week in January isn’t the friendliest time to be there by a long shot (especially if you’re camping!) But the gorgeous sunsets in Door County, ice-covered branches and snowy landscapes turned out to be just as beautiful as we’d hoped. Even though we were freezing our butts off, we were experiencing midwestern winter at its best, and we knew the decision to start there had been worth it.
US Anywhere: Wisconsin from US Anywhere on Vimeo.
M: Have expectations changed now that you've been on the road for a while?
C: They definitely have. For one, we’d planned to release videos about each state as we went, weekly- alongside blogging and posting to other various social media. We’ve quickly realized that all of that on top of moving so quickly leaves almost no time for the actual experience of the trip, which should really be the main point! We’ve had to scale back on the videos (for now, it’s still the plan to release a video for every state, but they will be released as I finish editing them, and actual experience will be the focus.) That means I’ll have a fair amount left to edit when I get back, but it will be a fun way to extend the experience of the trip! We’ve also realized that (aside from the northeast) the states are really big! We’ve started to become more focused in our planning. Honing in on specific areas within each state, so we can have more in-depth experiences.
M: Now that you've explored the country a bit, what is one thing, in general, that even citizens of the United States might not know/expect about our own country?
C: The United States is an incredibly accessible place. Even though it’s massive, it can be surprisingly easy to get around. Having grown up in the middle of the country, I always thought of the coasts as being so far away. I had only ever flown to the oceans, but it’s entirely possible to drive there in just a few days. If you get some friends together and take turns driving, you can go anywhere. With the current price of gas, there’s never been a better time.
M: If people wanted to stay in touch, follow your journey, and/or contribute to your journey, how can they do that?
C: We keep our channels up-to-date with lots of photos, fun facts, state recaps, and videos. OUR WEBSITE (USANYWHERE.NET) is a great resource where everything is pooled (and links to our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo and mailing list can all be found there, too). We can be reached on all of those channels, but the best way to reach us is to shoot us an email at us@usanywhere.net! The best way for people to contribute to our journey is to share it with others that might be interested and to pass along their knowledge and suggestions. We rely heavily on input and suggestions from others when deciding what to do in a particular state!
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Encryption: The F.B.I vs. Apple
Lunch + Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. It's a great combo until you're taking a sip of your drink and Mr. Oliver drops a funny line.
Encryption is a concept that's been in the public light lately due to the F.B.I vs. Apple debate. I saw a lot of people post and share Apple's defense of their position when it was released. It was almost as if the F.B.I was completely out-of-bounds in this case. I, however, saw nuance in this discussion.
I can see why so many people voiced their support for Apple. The tech giant is much sexier than the F.B.I and viewed favorably. Aside from style, there is substance to support Apple too. If someone held a gun up to my head and forced me to completely side with Apple or the F.B.I, I, too, would assemble on the Apple side of the debate. But this is not that easy. The conversation about security vs. privacy is a long and ongoing talk. I'm positive that the same people that swiftly and firmly sided with Apple would be equally outraged, at Apple, if a follow up incident occurred that the F.B.I could have prevented with encrypted information. You can't have both absolute freedom and absolute security.
Encryption is a concept that's been in the public light lately due to the F.B.I vs. Apple debate. I saw a lot of people post and share Apple's defense of their position when it was released. It was almost as if the F.B.I was completely out-of-bounds in this case. I, however, saw nuance in this discussion.
I can see why so many people voiced their support for Apple. The tech giant is much sexier than the F.B.I and viewed favorably. Aside from style, there is substance to support Apple too. If someone held a gun up to my head and forced me to completely side with Apple or the F.B.I, I, too, would assemble on the Apple side of the debate. But this is not that easy. The conversation about security vs. privacy is a long and ongoing talk. I'm positive that the same people that swiftly and firmly sided with Apple would be equally outraged, at Apple, if a follow up incident occurred that the F.B.I could have prevented with encrypted information. You can't have both absolute freedom and absolute security.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
When Someone Alters Your Life
On Thursday I learned that I will be starting a new chapter in my life later this year. It was a joyous day, but usually when one chapter begins, another one must end. As I begin to ink the first page of my new academic career, I might have punctuated the final period to my Christian career. I was born a Seventh-Day Adventist and I have been attending the same church for all 29-years of my life. Around the age of 21, I went on a spiritual journey that exposed me to many ups and downs. Over the last 5-years, I've grown into a comfortable atheist. I settled on being a huge skeptic about the physics of Yahweh, a lover of Jesus Christ's philosophies, and a continuing member of the church. The last remaining connective tissue between the church and I were long time members of my church and my pastor. This Saturday was my pastor's final day at the Minneapolis Korean Seventh-Day Adventist church. Pastor Kim came into my life at the perfect time. Had he not come when he did, I might have lost my connection to my church. My frustrations about religion were cooling, but hadn't completely hardened. He showed me that there is still space for love in religion and Christianity. He strengthened our youth group by opening the church doors wider than they had ever been opened, and by making his personal home, everyone's home. He never put himself above anyone, and treated everyone he interacted with like royalty. He was quick to nurture the ideas of other people (Without him A Night Back In Korea wouldn't have been possible). He embodied what Jesus Christ is to me.
With tearful goodbyes, we watched him and his wonderful family begin their new journey to Los Angeles. For every kind statement written about Pastor Kim, two equally great comments could be written about his wife. There will be an immense void at our church, but I am so happy for the church in L.A that will be adopting Pastor Kim. He will bring many great examples of love through his words and especially his actions. His children and his beautiful wife will enhance their new community exponentially. Thank you for changing my life, Kim Family, and I wish you nothing but the best.
With tearful goodbyes, we watched him and his wonderful family begin their new journey to Los Angeles. For every kind statement written about Pastor Kim, two equally great comments could be written about his wife. There will be an immense void at our church, but I am so happy for the church in L.A that will be adopting Pastor Kim. He will bring many great examples of love through his words and especially his actions. His children and his beautiful wife will enhance their new community exponentially. Thank you for changing my life, Kim Family, and I wish you nothing but the best.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Mission Accomplished! So, What's Next?
I sleep with my cell phone charging on my lamp stand. I do that so I have a fully charged phone to start my day, but also because I use my cell phone as my alarm clock. During weeks I abuse the snooze button, I will set my alarm song to something really aggressive. Imagine waking up to the sounds of Slipknot, As I Lay Dying, or Cradle of Filth. When I wake up, I normally shut my alarm off, and I check my e-mails. I have this horrible fear that I'll wake up and I'll have e-mails from people at work telling me I talked about something on-air that I wasn't supposed to talk about, or that I completely missed something. It's probably not a healthy thing to always be concerned about, but I'm not totally confident in my radio ability. In fact, feeling insufficient is probably an issue I will carry around with me for a long time. I guess the silver lining is that it always keeps me on my toes and open minded.
I move onto my personal inbox after I finish checking my iHeartMedia inbox. Yesterday, I had my usual spam, an e-mail from the Bernie Sanders campaign, and an e-mail that stuck out. It was from The University of Minnesota Graduate Admissions and the subject line was titled, "Subj: University of Minnesota - Application For Admission Decision". I locked my phone, stared at the ceiling for a second, and re-opened my phone. The e-mail was still there, and I didn't know what to do. A normal person might've quickly opened it, logged into their U of M account, and uncovered the University's decision, but not me. That lack of confidence slowly crept in again, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be awful to start your day with a rejection letter?" It's the sad way I approach everything that involves an appraisal of me (My job, girls, sports, etc).
I rolled out of and made by bed, started my morning routine, but I couldn't get that e-mail off my mind. I booted my computer up, because everything on desktop is better than mobile. I'm not here to brag about my computer, but I have some pretty sweet specs, and my operating system is on a solid state drive, so I only have to wait seconds to use my computer. I opened the e-mail, logged into my U of M account, and clicked on a link to open the University's decision. I decided before I did all of this to not raise any expectations. That way the fall back to reality would hurt less on impact. How incredibly shocked I was when the first word I read was, "Congratulations."Well, technically, I first skimmed over the date, my name, my student ID, and then congratulations.
The feeling of being lifted away on cloud nine is not something you feel every day, and difficult to describe. If this gives you something to compare it to, it's the opposite of having your heart broken. That's a feeling I know better. Heartbreak starts in your chest, and you feel a ripple work its way out from there. It feels like your blood is being drained, your body temperature drops, and your soul feels heavy. I quickly picked up my phone and called my mother. She had been pressuring me over the last week to send an e-mail to inquire when a decision might be made on my application. In typical fashion, my call went to my mother's voice-mail. I followed that up by telling my dad, texting people that helped me with my application process (recommendation letters, proof reading my statement letter, etc.), and I thanked a few teachers that helped me with this journey. It was actually my high school civics teacher that put me on a path to public service. There was no way I could have appreciated his teaching methods at the time as my mental capacity wasn't all there yet. His non-indoctrinating, nurturing, and engaged way of teaching really unlocked my desire to connect to and help the world.
This idea of applying to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs started about a year ago at church. It was a couple of months into the new year, and like I do every year around that time, I assessed my life and attempted to project what the next year would look like. I shared some of my concerns with a lifelong friends. In actuality, she's more of a sister as I've known her since she was in elementary school. I listened to what she wanted to accomplish in 2015, and I told her how I felt about my prospects. I hit a wall at work, I was underemployed, I wasn't engaged in any creative freelance projects, and I really wasn't working toward anything. I felt like an idiot, but she peeked my interest by telling me that the Humphrey School of Public Affairs might be a good fit for me. Although I've known my friends for many years, and I adore her, I never deeply talked to her about politics nor policy (although I should have considering she had been attending the Humphrey School of Public Affairs). She probably assumed the school might be something that matches me because I can't seem to stop commenting on social issues on Facebook. The more she told me about their Master's in Public Policy program, the more I was intrigued. I took some time to think about all the information she had shared with me, and I followed up one day. After receiving more input from her I decided to at least apply. I mean, what's the harm in that? I e-mailed the fine people working in admissions, and of course the deadlines for the year had all passed. I was encouraged to still apply, but also warned about the limitations. My ignorant little boy mind also didn't factor in all the time, effort, and money that went into the application process. What's the harm in applying? Studying for the G.R.E exam after not doing anything school related for years, paying for the expensive test, reaching out to people for letters of recommendation, and crafting an application that gloats about your attributes without sounding like a jerk. I have never been all that good at self-promoting. When it was all said and done, it was too little, too late. I was told to try again in 2016, and I fully intended to do that.
What I lack in confidence, I might make up in determination. Confidence totes a line with arrogance, and determination a line with stubbornness. Given the option between arrogance and stubbornness, I take stubbornness every time. There is no way to disguise arrogance, but at least I can claim my stubbornness is conviction. I took a fresh approach, and started the entire process again. Things got a bit rocky in November with the passing of a close friend. My G.R.E exam was creeping up, but I had no desire to prepare for it as I tried to sort out the concept of death. It's the closest I've ever dealt with death, and I couldn't make sense of it for a long time. In fact, I still haven't, but I have gotten to a point where I can compartmentalize it enough to function.
Fast forward to yesterday. After learning I had been accepted to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, I thanked everyone I needed to thank, and I skipped out the door to work. When I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2009, I thought I would never call myself a student again. I'm always a student of life, but I never thought I would be a student in an institutional setting. Well, here I am gearing up to return to the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2016. So what's next and what I am I expecting? I guess I don't really know. I know it's going to get really crazy with work, school, and trying to get involved in anything I can. I foresee my social life shrinking, decreased visits to the gym, and unless I can tie my creative side into my school work, I don't see that getting a lot of attention either. That might not sound great, but I am really looking forward to it. For so long I've been spreading myself thin, and I longed for something to put all my focus into. This feeling of excitement and focus is something I haven't felt since my first boss at Cities 97 hired me.
My focus for the next couple of years will be to gather the tools and knowledge to better myself so I can better the lives of the people in the communities around me and the communities itself. I will chase a life of academia and social work. Clearly I can toss that dream of becoming a millionaire into the trash bin now. Some of my church members recently suggested that I go back to school to study business. Given the options of business school or social work, I think, Jesus would have chosen social work. I'm of the millennial generation so a job that makes you happy takes priority over a higher paying job. My family is of the proletariat class. It is a class of people I admire and value, and hopefully it will soon be my duty to protect the proletariat class.
I move onto my personal inbox after I finish checking my iHeartMedia inbox. Yesterday, I had my usual spam, an e-mail from the Bernie Sanders campaign, and an e-mail that stuck out. It was from The University of Minnesota Graduate Admissions and the subject line was titled, "Subj: University of Minnesota - Application For Admission Decision". I locked my phone, stared at the ceiling for a second, and re-opened my phone. The e-mail was still there, and I didn't know what to do. A normal person might've quickly opened it, logged into their U of M account, and uncovered the University's decision, but not me. That lack of confidence slowly crept in again, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be awful to start your day with a rejection letter?" It's the sad way I approach everything that involves an appraisal of me (My job, girls, sports, etc).
I rolled out of and made by bed, started my morning routine, but I couldn't get that e-mail off my mind. I booted my computer up, because everything on desktop is better than mobile. I'm not here to brag about my computer, but I have some pretty sweet specs, and my operating system is on a solid state drive, so I only have to wait seconds to use my computer. I opened the e-mail, logged into my U of M account, and clicked on a link to open the University's decision. I decided before I did all of this to not raise any expectations. That way the fall back to reality would hurt less on impact. How incredibly shocked I was when the first word I read was, "Congratulations."Well, technically, I first skimmed over the date, my name, my student ID, and then congratulations.
The feeling of being lifted away on cloud nine is not something you feel every day, and difficult to describe. If this gives you something to compare it to, it's the opposite of having your heart broken. That's a feeling I know better. Heartbreak starts in your chest, and you feel a ripple work its way out from there. It feels like your blood is being drained, your body temperature drops, and your soul feels heavy. I quickly picked up my phone and called my mother. She had been pressuring me over the last week to send an e-mail to inquire when a decision might be made on my application. In typical fashion, my call went to my mother's voice-mail. I followed that up by telling my dad, texting people that helped me with my application process (recommendation letters, proof reading my statement letter, etc.), and I thanked a few teachers that helped me with this journey. It was actually my high school civics teacher that put me on a path to public service. There was no way I could have appreciated his teaching methods at the time as my mental capacity wasn't all there yet. His non-indoctrinating, nurturing, and engaged way of teaching really unlocked my desire to connect to and help the world.
This idea of applying to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs started about a year ago at church. It was a couple of months into the new year, and like I do every year around that time, I assessed my life and attempted to project what the next year would look like. I shared some of my concerns with a lifelong friends. In actuality, she's more of a sister as I've known her since she was in elementary school. I listened to what she wanted to accomplish in 2015, and I told her how I felt about my prospects. I hit a wall at work, I was underemployed, I wasn't engaged in any creative freelance projects, and I really wasn't working toward anything. I felt like an idiot, but she peeked my interest by telling me that the Humphrey School of Public Affairs might be a good fit for me. Although I've known my friends for many years, and I adore her, I never deeply talked to her about politics nor policy (although I should have considering she had been attending the Humphrey School of Public Affairs). She probably assumed the school might be something that matches me because I can't seem to stop commenting on social issues on Facebook. The more she told me about their Master's in Public Policy program, the more I was intrigued. I took some time to think about all the information she had shared with me, and I followed up one day. After receiving more input from her I decided to at least apply. I mean, what's the harm in that? I e-mailed the fine people working in admissions, and of course the deadlines for the year had all passed. I was encouraged to still apply, but also warned about the limitations. My ignorant little boy mind also didn't factor in all the time, effort, and money that went into the application process. What's the harm in applying? Studying for the G.R.E exam after not doing anything school related for years, paying for the expensive test, reaching out to people for letters of recommendation, and crafting an application that gloats about your attributes without sounding like a jerk. I have never been all that good at self-promoting. When it was all said and done, it was too little, too late. I was told to try again in 2016, and I fully intended to do that.
What I lack in confidence, I might make up in determination. Confidence totes a line with arrogance, and determination a line with stubbornness. Given the option between arrogance and stubbornness, I take stubbornness every time. There is no way to disguise arrogance, but at least I can claim my stubbornness is conviction. I took a fresh approach, and started the entire process again. Things got a bit rocky in November with the passing of a close friend. My G.R.E exam was creeping up, but I had no desire to prepare for it as I tried to sort out the concept of death. It's the closest I've ever dealt with death, and I couldn't make sense of it for a long time. In fact, I still haven't, but I have gotten to a point where I can compartmentalize it enough to function.
Fast forward to yesterday. After learning I had been accepted to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, I thanked everyone I needed to thank, and I skipped out the door to work. When I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2009, I thought I would never call myself a student again. I'm always a student of life, but I never thought I would be a student in an institutional setting. Well, here I am gearing up to return to the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2016. So what's next and what I am I expecting? I guess I don't really know. I know it's going to get really crazy with work, school, and trying to get involved in anything I can. I foresee my social life shrinking, decreased visits to the gym, and unless I can tie my creative side into my school work, I don't see that getting a lot of attention either. That might not sound great, but I am really looking forward to it. For so long I've been spreading myself thin, and I longed for something to put all my focus into. This feeling of excitement and focus is something I haven't felt since my first boss at Cities 97 hired me.
My focus for the next couple of years will be to gather the tools and knowledge to better myself so I can better the lives of the people in the communities around me and the communities itself. I will chase a life of academia and social work. Clearly I can toss that dream of becoming a millionaire into the trash bin now. Some of my church members recently suggested that I go back to school to study business. Given the options of business school or social work, I think, Jesus would have chosen social work. I'm of the millennial generation so a job that makes you happy takes priority over a higher paying job. My family is of the proletariat class. It is a class of people I admire and value, and hopefully it will soon be my duty to protect the proletariat class.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
"10 Cloverfield Lane" Review
10 Cloverfield Lane will leave you feeling - Meh.
It's not a horrible movie if you're searching for a sci-fi movie and you've already watched the top tier titles on your To-Watch list. I'm not even sure if we should consider this a sci-fi movie at all. If you loved the first Cloverfield movie and you are going into this one with the hopes that it'll be something similar minus the shaky camera work, you better change your mind set.
With names like JJ Abrams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Gallagher Jr. attached I really wanted to like this movie. I loved John Gallagher Jr. in Short Term 12 and The Newsroom. Many people already know I adore Mary Elizabeth Winstead because of her beauty and because movies like Smashed (film) and Alex of Venice. I wanted people to see Winstead's and Gallagher's names attached to future movies and feel like they have to see that movie. Even with my bias, the movie fell flat. It was actually John Goodman's performance that helped bolster the movie for me.
I think the movie will ultimately be classified as a sci-fi flick, but it might be more accurate to call it a thriller. I can't say too much without ruining the modest twists and turns, but the most engaging element of this movie was John Goodman's character, Howard. The movie forces you into a love-hate dynamic with Howard, and although the movie ties all the loose ends for you, you and your friends will be able to have a short ethics discussion about Howard. I will give the movie credit for its jump scares. There were two or three times I had to make sure I still had clean underwear. Oh, and did I mention how beautiful Mary Elizabeth Winstead is?
It's not a horrible movie if you're searching for a sci-fi movie and you've already watched the top tier titles on your To-Watch list. I'm not even sure if we should consider this a sci-fi movie at all. If you loved the first Cloverfield movie and you are going into this one with the hopes that it'll be something similar minus the shaky camera work, you better change your mind set.
With names like JJ Abrams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Gallagher Jr. attached I really wanted to like this movie. I loved John Gallagher Jr. in Short Term 12 and The Newsroom. Many people already know I adore Mary Elizabeth Winstead because of her beauty and because movies like Smashed (film) and Alex of Venice. I wanted people to see Winstead's and Gallagher's names attached to future movies and feel like they have to see that movie. Even with my bias, the movie fell flat. It was actually John Goodman's performance that helped bolster the movie for me.
I think the movie will ultimately be classified as a sci-fi flick, but it might be more accurate to call it a thriller. I can't say too much without ruining the modest twists and turns, but the most engaging element of this movie was John Goodman's character, Howard. The movie forces you into a love-hate dynamic with Howard, and although the movie ties all the loose ends for you, you and your friends will be able to have a short ethics discussion about Howard. I will give the movie credit for its jump scares. There were two or three times I had to make sure I still had clean underwear. Oh, and did I mention how beautiful Mary Elizabeth Winstead is?
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Meatheads Galore
The gym is one of my favorite places to play sociologist. As a timid member of the male gender, I am fascinated by the machismo culture that is accepted and promoted at the gym. I will, in screenplay format, share my latest hyper-masculine observation at Life Time Fitness.
The following is based on a true story.
Int. - Weight Room.
BEVIS and his pal, BUTTHEAD, are working out at a high end fitness center in their neighborhood. The weight room is stuffed with people as the two are working out during peak hours. They are using dumbbells and spotting each other. After what seems to be an especially difficult set, Bevis slams the dumbbell onto the floor and the noise of the weight echoes through the room.
Both Bevis and Butthead are speaking at an unnecessarily excessive volume and occupying too much space. Other members of the gym turn to look at Bevis and Butthead as they have, against their will, eavesdropped on Bevis and Butthead's conversation. Butthead now takes the dumbbell into his possession and begins his set of bicep curls. Meanwhile, Bevis takes an enormous swig of the concoction he has in his mixing bottle while flexing and looking out the corner of his eyes to the mirror in front of him. Bevis exhales when he finishes drinking and wipes his mouth with his forearm. Bevis then adjusts his focus to Butthead.
Butthead, in manly fashion, grunts as he wills three more reps. At the conclusion of his third rep, Butthead drops the dumbbell, again letting out cacophonous echo throughout the room. As Butthead jumps out of his seat, he lets out a tremendous bellow.
The end.
The following is based on a true story.
Meatheads Galore
Int. - Weight Room.
BEVIS and his pal, BUTTHEAD, are working out at a high end fitness center in their neighborhood. The weight room is stuffed with people as the two are working out during peak hours. They are using dumbbells and spotting each other. After what seems to be an especially difficult set, Bevis slams the dumbbell onto the floor and the noise of the weight echoes through the room.
BEVIS
Woo! Dude, I've bee going really fucking hard on arm day lately. Plus, I got this new shit and it's making me jacked.
BUTTHEAD
Fuck-yeah man. I was like 160 like three months ago. Now I'm like 168 and cut.Both Bevis and Butthead are speaking at an unnecessarily excessive volume and occupying too much space. Other members of the gym turn to look at Bevis and Butthead as they have, against their will, eavesdropped on Bevis and Butthead's conversation. Butthead now takes the dumbbell into his possession and begins his set of bicep curls. Meanwhile, Bevis takes an enormous swig of the concoction he has in his mixing bottle while flexing and looking out the corner of his eyes to the mirror in front of him. Bevis exhales when he finishes drinking and wipes his mouth with his forearm. Bevis then adjusts his focus to Butthead.
BEVIS
Don't quit on me. Give me three more reps, mother fucker! Come on!Butthead, in manly fashion, grunts as he wills three more reps. At the conclusion of his third rep, Butthead drops the dumbbell, again letting out cacophonous echo throughout the room. As Butthead jumps out of his seat, he lets out a tremendous bellow.
BUTTHEAD
Fuck-yeah, dude. Last time I got with Jenny she was loving the guns.The end.
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