thisisnar

finished painting

2008-12-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

in an earlier post i mentioned that my dad was dabbling in abstract impressionism. i just wanted to post my dad's finished piece of artwork. this picture really doesn't do the painting justice. the painting consists of a large amount of paint that creates a highly marbleized effect. i absolutely love this painting. i personally feel that it is one of my dad's best paintings ever.

song alert: jay-z ft. santogold: brooklyn go hard

2008-12-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

Jay-Z on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

this is a new jay-z song that kanye west produced. i think it is pretty cool especially the santogold part. it kind of bugs me that jay-z is rapping like little wayne a little bit, but i figured it was worth posting. i also think this video is pretty creative. it is very simple yet entertaining. supposedly this song is going to be featured in the new notorious biopic.

artist alert: richard diebenkorn

2008-12-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

while i was home over the break my dad decided to paint a picture that could be displayed on our living room wall. my mom had been going to every home boutique imaginable trying to find something that could hang on the living room wall. out of my moms frustration, my dad volunteered to paint something that could be displayed on the wall. my mom decided that she wanted something different. she didn't want to display a traditional painting. my dad decided to study some artists in order to gain inspiration for the project. needless to say, my father discovered a true gem. he introduced me to an artist name richard diebenkorn. most consider diebenkorn as an abstract expressionist, but his works that truly interest me are his paintings of cityscapes, people, and objects rather than his large design based abstract pieces of work. please check out his work. you will not be disappointed.

richard diebenkorn wikipedia

artist alert: ray mortenson

2008-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

i really don't know much about this guy. i was reading through the new york times yesterday and i saw an article about a photography project that he conducted between 1982 and 1984. he basically decided to enter parts of the bronx that were so deteriorated and destructed that they represented war torn areas like dresden. he documented his experience in these ravaged areas through a series of pictures that is now being displayed in new york. the picture i have included is one that i found particularly interesting. i have also attached a link to the article in the times.

ray mortenson new york time article

mustache monday!!!

2008-12-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

so over thanksgiving break most of the guys in my masters program decided to grow mustaches. on monday morning when we finally got back to school we got together and compared "staches". i got the award for "never grow that mustache again." i was pretty proud of my accomplishment.

book alert: the brief and wondrous life of oscar wao

2008-11-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

since i have had a little extra time over thanksgiving break i have tried to do a little reading. i picked up this book a while ago, but i haven't been able to give it any attention till now. i'm only about 75 pages into it, but i am actually enjoying it. the book incorporates a lot of spanish into the text. for those of you you that don't speak spanish this might be a little bit of a problem. since i have only read a little bit of this book i attached the link to the nytimes review. check out the review and if it sounds cool than definitely check out the book!!!!

ny times book review of the brief and wondrous life of oscar wao

please watch this!!!

2008-11-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

i really couldn't resist posting this!!! kanye west is simply amazing. he might say a lot of stupid stuff, but i can put up with it as long as he keeps pushing the limits of creativity. the part when young jeezy comes in is pretty sweet. whether you like rap or not you need to check this out!!!!

please read this!!!

2008-11-20T13:35:00.001-08:00

anyone who knows me knows that i am not a mitt romney fanatic, but i do greatly respect the man, and i would be more than willing to vote for him in the future. the recent auto industry situation has begun to interest me a little. as this issue has been forced into the headlines i have started to question the idea of bailout vs. bankruptcy. recently, mitt wrote an incredible piece for the new york times. i especially like what he said about increasing energy research spending from $4 million to $20 million. maybe mitt himself should head back to detroit and put things in order. its not like he really has anything to do until 2012 anyways.....

ny times mitt romney article

video alert!!!

2008-11-20T13:13:00.001-08:00

i just saw this on a track bike blog. i really liked it so i thought i would post it here. enjoy!!

Fixed 2 from Charge Bikes on Vimeo.

video alert: brendan canning: churches under the stairs

2008-11-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

so i know that i have posted on here about broken social scene before, but i couldn't resist putting this video up. i love the way this video was shot. the white background with the idea of two bands battling is pretty interesting. you got to love kevin drew and brendan canning going at it. its also a pretty good song!!

also, check out brendan canning and kevind drew's solo albums. they are basically extensions of broken social scene. they are both pretty good albums.

style alert: mr. campbell

2008-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

the other day we were sitting around chatting when kirk walked into the room. we all started laughing when we saw what he was wearing. it was so funny that i had to take a picture of him. pay attention to the baggy sweats with brown dress shoes. i think kirk could be on to something.

p.s. happy 25th kirk!!!!

art alert: basque health department

2008-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

i saw this on a site and it simply amazed me!!! this is some amazing architecture. this is pure insanity both inside and out. only in europe would the build something like this for the health department building. gotta love it!!!

check out some more pics here!!!!

video alert!!

2008-11-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

my friend just showed me this video and it is pretty amazing!!! it is kind of long, but be patient, it is worth it!!! enjoy!!!

song alert: kanye west ft. kid cudi: anyway

2008-11-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

oh man, this song is interesting. kanye west has a new album coming out the middle of this month (808's and heartbeak). many have described it as a concept album. most of the leaked songs have featured kanye singing rather than rapping and most of the beats are simple old school drum beats combined with synthesizers. some of the songs have been pretty good, while others have been a little more questionable. i really don't know how i feel about this song yet. i am kind of leaning to the sweetness side as of right now. let me know. just click the link below to check it out!!

kanye west ft. kid cudi: anyway

music alert: bon iver

2008-11-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

i had read a ton about this, but for some reason never picked it up. well needless to say, i finally copped a copy and it has been extremely enjoyable. this is some good ole indie folk recorded on low budget equipment in a cabin in the heart of wisconsin. please check out this album!!! the song "skinny love" is amazing

http://www.boniver.org/

art alert: spiral jetty!!!!!!

2008-11-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

i was just sitting around with one of my friends and he showed me pictures of a trip that he took to see something called the spiral jetty. this is a piece of artwork constructed on the banks of the great salt lake. after construction it was under water for 30 years before reappearing in 2004 when the water went down. i was completely amazed by this!!!! i had no idea such a thing existed. i think we are going to try and drive out there this weekend before it snows and the water level rises again in the spring. check out the wikipedia entry on this. it is unbelievable!!!! i can't believe i never knew about this until now. can't wait to go see it this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

spiral jetty on wikipedia

artist follow up: frank gehry

2008-11-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

a few weeks back i posted some stuff about an architect named frank gehry. i was recently searching the blogosphere and found that kanye had posted a little bit about one of mr. gehry's recent project with the world company building in tokyo. check it out!!! you gotta love the fluidity of this piece!!!

frank gehry bench

don't know who to vote for?? let mr. friedman tell you!!!

2008-11-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

obviously i am a huge fan of thomas friedman, so once again i am posting a link to his newest article over at the times. want to know who to vote for??? let mr friedman tell you!!! in this latest opinion piece, friedman simply giver the attributes that the future president should have. check it out, it is pretty interesting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/opinion/02friedman.html?hp

music alert: black cab sessions

2008-10-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

everyone needs to check this out. the black cab sessions basically consists of bands getting in a cab and playing one song in one take. the idea is super simple, but provides for an extremely intimate performance from some amazing musicians. i have attached performances by my morning jacket and spoon, but please check out the website. there is a whole slew of awesome performances. check out sunset rubdown, fleet foxes, and the cool kids. all of these are pretty good.

......does anyone find it weird that jim james is wearing a cloak????

black cab sessions

blog alert: hypebeast

2008-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

i don't really know how to describe this blog, but it basically consists of just about anything to do with style. it features a lot of shoes and clothing designs, but it also touches upon music and other urban trends out there. i find it pretty interesting. most of the stuff is pretty out there. anyways.....i guess the only way to truly understand is to check it out!!!

hypbeast.com

interesting!!!

2008-10-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

i was surfing the net last night and i came across some pictures of this dog. a picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case...two pictures are worth two thousand words!!! enjoy!!!!

the death of rolling stone!!!!

2008-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

back before the internet became the ultimate source of knowledge i frequently read magazines. one of my favorite magazines growing up was rolling stone. i looked forward to every issue due to the fact that it provided pretty reliable music stories and recommendations. i can remember my freshman year of college by what issue of rolling stone i was reading at a certain time. well i don't know if anyone else has noticed, but we are witnessing the death of a legendary magazine. the same magazine that produced the unforgettable photo of lennon clinging to yoko naked in bed has now almost completely abandoned music. i can barely even flip through an issue anymore without feeling complete disgust for the magazine. it is now almost completely dedicated to politics. i love politics, but lets let the political magazines handle it. rolling stone needs to get back to its roots and rededicate itself to music.

ps. i wonder who rolling stone endorses!!! hahaha.

pss. this will be my first and most likely only ranting i do on this blog. sorry for being such a complainer.

album alert: department of eagles: in ear park

2008-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

so this one might be a little late, but i still think it deserves to be mentioned. about a month ago a friend sent me a copy of in ear park by department of eagles. i just barely got around to listening to this album and it is literally amazing. many of you might be familiar with grizzly bear. department of eagles is somewhat of a side project of daniel rossen from grizzly bear. the sound is similar to grizzly bear, but i personally feel this album is even better and more creative than grizzly bear's critically acclaimed yellow house. seriously this stuff is pretty interesting. i swear it should be illegal to listen to this on anything but vinyl. every listen seems like some kind of time warp. this is definitely one of those albums that takes time to grow. give it a couple listens and i guarantee you will see the genius that is department of eagles.

ps. if you've never heard grizzly bear, you should also check them out. my friend and i saw them live about two years ago and it was a very impressive show.

video alert!!

2008-10-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

I know i have posted a ton of stuff lately, but i was in idaho all weekend so the stuff kind of built up. i just saw this video on a track bike blog. the video is pretty interesting, but it mainly caught my eye because of the cinematography. there is a part within the first minute where it shows an overhead shot of the bike messenger cutting through traffic and then completely zooms out. check this scene out. it is pretty amazing!!!!

a letter to iraq!!!! (please read this!!!!!!)

2008-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

i was reading through old opinion posts on the new york times website and i found this article by thomas friedman. most of you that follow this blog have probably realized that i really like thomas friedman. he offers a pretty straightforward evaluation of politics and economics. he wrote this article as if he were george w. writing a letter to the iraqi people. i love the way he wrote this piece and it is safe to say that most of us can agree with his point of view concerning iraq. please read this article. it is very short, but very interesting!!!!!!!!

a letter to iraq

style alert: handlebar mustache

2008-10-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

in case you guys haven't realized the new fall fashion is definitely the handlebar mustache!!!! after a full week of not shaving, i think i received some kind of personal revelation......the handlebar mustache. i entered the bathroom with the intent of shaving my whole face, but some kind of strange force just wouldn't allow me to complete the job!!! i think i might keep this wicked beast of facial hair for halloween. what do you guys think about that???

i think my diet of slim jims and corn nuts is starting to reflect in grooming standards!!!! hahahahaha!!!!!!!

cool pic!!!!!!

2008-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

this is a pretty sweet photo of my friend matt messing around on his track bike. i really liked the pic so i figured i would swipe it from his blog. to see more sweetness like the pic above check out his blog!!!!

matt's blog

writer alert: john folker

2008-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

i have recently been trying to include some art from my close friends and family..... my freshman year of college i lived in the dorms with a good friend from high school named john folker. we soon became friends with a kid that lived across the hallway named stuart. i am proud to say that stuart introduced john and i to a whole new world. never had we thought about poetry, art, or literature. years later after returning from a mission i continued to exchange creative ideas with john. most of the time we would talk music or art, but every once in a while we would exchange a poem or some other kind of personal writing. rarely did we ever show these poems to people other than our small circle of friends. this is a poem that he sent me two years ago. i really love the honesty of this poem. as you can see, this poem has stuck with me. two years later i feel like it is time to share this with everybody. simply an amazing piece of creativity!!!!

A Crystal Ball and a Calculator

When I ride away today
I won’t wear my seatbelt
Because I would rather die today
If the crystal ball intends it

And I’ll leave behind this parking lot
Of countless calculators
Who plan their whole lives to perfection
But turn out no surprises

If that’s what you call happiness
Then you can gladly have it
For happiness is never grand
Content is never glamour

So I’ll drive this creepy road myself
Since no one will come with me
You call it a waste of gas
I call it adventure

And I may leave a mess behind
From years of instability
But happiness is never grand
Especially if it’s scripted

food alert: corn nuts

2008-10-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

ok so when i was driving home to idaho over the weekend i decided to stop at a truck stop and get some snacks for the long trip. for some reason corn nuts looked especially appetizing. since i was driving home alone i decided that the putrid smell of corn nuts would not be a problem. after my purchase i was left to think about my decision. after four hours of driving i came to the realization that there is something seriously wrong with my diet!! i am pretty sure that i am going to add a section to my blog called "trucker food." it is going to feature food items that can only be purchased at truck stops like slim jims and corn nuts. the true guilty pleasures of the road!!!

program alert: morning becomes eclectic

2008-10-19T21:46:00.001-07:00

morning becomes eclectic is an excellent radio show done be kcrw in california. the show plays host to a whole variety of bands. the great thing about the site is that it allows you to search through a whole data base of earlier shows. the shows are great quality and usually feature the band playing in a very intimate atmosphere. i suggest checking out bright eyes, tv on the radio, and especially sufjan stevens. these are all great shows.

morning becomes eclectic

artist alert: nolan olson

2008-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

well those of you that truly know me, know that i am the son of an oil painter. i figured i would finally put some of his stuff on the blog. his style is very loose and colorful. most paintings are done on location (plein air). His medium of choice is oil, but he has recently branched out into oil pastels. unfortunately, i don't have any pictures of his oil pastel pieces, but lets just say that it is incredibly creative. rather than using normal white paper for the pastels he has chosen to use black. this creates a pretty interesting effect. hopefully i can get more of his stuff up on the blog here soon. i will also keep everyone updated about his future shows. if you are interested in any of his work just let me know.

watch update!!!

2008-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

we just got done checking the status of our watches. unfortunately, shipping is going to take 7-14 days!!! the watches are being shipped directly from JAPAN!!! these things are the real deal! can't wait!

ps... i will for sure be posting a real picture of my own watch when i get it. the hand pictured above is absolutely disgusting, but i guess that adds to the mystique!!!

artist alert: banksy

2008-10-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

banksy is an anonymous street artist. his work has started to receive worldwide recognition. most consider banksy the leader of the guerilla art movement. his work is a combination of stencil and standard painting techniques. i especially find it interesting what he said about his recent trip to new orleans.

------when he arrived in new orleans he took a taxi from the airport into the city. while driving he noticed that the neighborhood was in pretty bad shape. he made a comment to the cab driver about hurricane katrina saying that the area looked quit damaged. the cab driver answered by explaining that the neighborhood they were in was untouched by katrina. it had always been like that.

sad!!!!!!!!

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

writer alert: joanne olson (round 2)

2008-10-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is another piece of work from my mom. This short poem is great. personally, i think her stuff just keeps getting better and better. The efficiency of this poem is incredible. With only 11 lines she paints a vivid picture. Check it out!!!

It Now Takes Two

Holding hands they walked across the parking lot with a slow and measured gait.
He shuffled over asphalt, cowboy boots clicking in a muted rhythm, his straw brimmed hat sitting tall.

Her steps were slow and measured just like his.
The task of buying groceries is now a task for two.
He’ll push the cart and she will read the labels.

Each knows their partner well, but neither sees the other as a burden or a weight.
One fits the other’s niche and in the blend they’ve created harmony.
It now takes two to do what once took one.

They’ve been a team for many years in the harness side by side.
Still his hand is what she seeks and what she wants in spite of age.
How nice to see they’ve grown together and not apart.

food alert: slim jim

2008-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

also while wandering aimlessly in walmart i worked up a serious appetite. needless to say, i proudly bought a slim jim!!! hahaha!!!! what a tasty, budget friendly snack. i felt so dirty after eating this i instantly scheduled a bishop's interview in order to start the proper repentance process.

style alert: remote watch

2008-10-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

well last night i went to walmart with two of my good friends. we were so completely bored that we spent over an hour in walmart simply browsing. i am proud to say that the time was not spent in vain. we made an amazing discovery. remote control watches!!!!!!!!!!! i am sure most of you remember the popular calculator watch that mathletes wore in junior high and high school. this product has now made a metamorphosis for the better. rather than being a calculator, the watch now doubles as a tv remote control. this is brilliant!!!! once we got home we logged on to ebay and bought three of them!!! one for each of us.

song alert: the clash:straight to hell

2008-10-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

many of you might have heard m.i.a.'s song "paper planes." after being used in the preview for the movie pineapple express, the song has shot up the charts, even though the actual album was released over a year ago. i agree that the song is actually pretty good. i find m.i.a. pretty entertaining. what you might not know is that the song is based off of a sample by the clash. the actual song is called "straight to hell." this song is great!!! when i went to the tv on the radio concert this song was played between sets. my friend and i were both amazed by the song. go to itunes and download the song (the clash - straight to hell). it is worth $.99!!!

blog alert: the sartorialist

2008-10-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

last year while interning in d.c. a friend introduced me to this blog. the idea is rather interesting. the concept hinges on one man traveling between some of the world's most fashionable cities like new york, paris, milan, idaho falls, etc hahaha......and snapping pictures of normal fashionable people on the street. whether you give a dang about fashion and design doesn't really matter. it is just interesting to see how people are creatively pushing the limits of fashion. check it out. maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't.

the sartorialist

album alert: foals: antidotes

2008-10-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

ok ok i know i am a little late on this one, but for some reason this album slipped through the cracks. i remember when foals released this album a few months back. it received great reviews, but for some reason i ignored it. last night i was watching tv and i caught the last few minutes of a repeat episode of the jimmy kimmel show. it just so happened that foals were the musical guest. lets just say they blew my mind. after seeing the performance i instantly went to itunes and bought the album. after buying the album and doing a little research about the band it all came together. this new album, antidotes, was produced by dave sitek of tv on the radio. all of you that know me understand that i love tv on the radio. please check out their performance on the jimmy kimmel show, but even more importantly go buy their album!!!!!!

style alert: joe maddon

2008-10-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

ok so this might be a little random, but i have been watching quit a bit of baseball due to the present playoff race. while watching the devil rays whip up on the white sox i realized that joe maddon has some serious style. check out his glasses!!!! what other baseball coach has style like this. it is like a wicked mix between rivers cuomo and lisa loeb!!!!

photo alert: paul newman

2008-10-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

so i'm sure everyone realized that paul newman recently passed away. i am proud to say that i love cool hand luke. it is a great movie. yesterday i saw a celebrity gossip magazine with paul newman on the cover so i decided to take a look. the magazine contained some of the legendary pictures of paul newman. i was personally struck by this picture of him and his wife. to me this picture is amazing!! it ranks right up there with the picture of john lennon laying naked with yoko. paul and his wife were known for being madly in love with each other. this is one of those pics that seems to perfectly capture the moment. i wish i would've taken this picture!!!!!!!!!!

broken social scene: juan's basement

2008-10-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

pitchfork recently posted some special live footage of broken social scene participating in an ongoing series called "juan's basement." these shows have a very intimate feel. it is almost like we are watching the band practice. for those of you who aren't familiar with broken social scene they are a canadian collective that has spawned such famous talent as feist, kevin drew, and brendan canning. please take time to get to know the music of broken social scene. also please check out this footage from "juan's basement."

juan's basement part 1
juan's basement part 2

artist alert: frank gehry

2008-10-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

i few months back clark and i decided to watch a documentary about an architect named frank gehry. overall, the documentary was pretty boring. i think we both fell asleep. needless to say, i feel like his actual architecture creations are amazing. i really don't know how you define his style and inspiration, but i really like it. most of you will likely recognize his most famous piece of work; the guggenheim in bilbao, spain. please take time to look at some of his stuff. enjoy!!!

watch conference!!!!!

2008-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

i know everyone is busy, but try and catch a session of conference. i'm not demanding all four, just watch what you can and we'll call it even.

movie alert: nick and norah's infinite playlist

2008-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

this movie is great!! it is based off a book with the same name. the basis of the movie is a simple love story between two high school kids a la garden state. maybe this is the garden state of 2008, i'm not sure, but it is a great movie with a pretty ggod soundtrack. i suggest this movie to everyone, especially if you like music. it finds a way to weave love and music into one progressing story line, without being too cheesy. for any of you planning to go see it pay attention to the cameo by devandra banhart in the ny deli. enjoy!!!!

style alert: pf flyers!!!

2008-10-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

these shoes are pretty awesome and amazingly comfortable. believe it or not, pf flyers are making a come back (remember sandlot?). after being bought out by various major shoe companies the pf flyer brand has reinvented itself as somewhat of a high fashion shoe. the pair pictured above are the number 5's. these are personally my favorite style of pf flyers. they come in various colors, but i especially like the plaid pair pictured here. the shoes are a little expensive, but definitely worth it. i bought a pair about two months ago and they have been worth every penny. my friend chase also bought a pair and he has nothing but positive feedback. check em out!!!!!!!!

http://www.pfflyers.com/

road to the fall classic

2008-10-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

so let's be honest.....the baseball season is way too long. i think they could cut out a third of the games and still be perfectly fine. anyways.....after a long and somewhat interesting season we are finally rewarded!!! october has arrived!! the world series is near!!! i am the first to admit that i love post season baseball. i am proud to say that i am a red sox fan, but actually this time around i have found myself to be more interested in the phillies. this team is pretty fun to watch, mainly do to the chase utley factor. please take some time out of your busy schedule to enjoy some baseball this fall!!!

vp debate!!!!!!

2008-10-02T14:54:00.001-07:00

please watch the vice-presidential debate tonight!!!! whether you are into politics or not, this one is going to be interesting. will biden make palin cry or will palin continue to create buzz for the repubs? let me know what you think!!!

art project

2008-10-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

i started working on an art project that consists of a three canvas series. i have finished the first canvas and i am half way done with the second. i made the designs simple on purpose. it is basically a combination of red paint, torn up book pages, and modge podge. i will post a final picture when i am completely done with the series.

writer alert: joanne olson

2008-10-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

as many of you know, joanne is my mom. apart from being a dandy mother, she has spent nearly 20 years dedicated to the education of young children. i can proudly say that she did this because she loved the children, not because she needed the money. the public school system needs more people like her!!!

this year my mom retired. about two years before retiring she decided to start writing. now that she is fully retired she has plenty of time to dedicate to writing. i feel like we are seeing the fruits of her labor. she recently won second place at an idaho writers conference. Most of her work consists of short stories, both fiction and non-fiction. I have posted the short piece of work that brought her the second place prize. i love the way this story illustrates life in idaho. i grew up on the edge of a potato field, yet i am not a country boy.

please comment on my mom's writing!!!! enjoy!!!

Suburb Meets Farm

I live in a subdivision that was once part of a large productive farm in Southeaster Idaho. Streets in my neighborhood weave back and forth and turn back again to cul-de-sacs. They have names like Gleneagles, Inverness, Tapitio and Pervero. All names of golf courses.
I suppose when the farmer sold his land to developers he was torn between the large sum of money he was offered, which would afford him a comfortable retirement, and the loss of a way of live. In an attempt to not completely surrender to the encroachment of the town moving toward the once rural area, he kept a few acres of land and his house.
The new homes went up around him and gradually embraced his small holdings, yet he dug his heels in and stayed his course. The grain silo sits empty beside abandoned trucks and rusted and broken machinery. The old barn sports a bent basketball hoop that once saw countless hours of use from his sons.
Twice each summer he starts up his tractor and mows down the weeds on his unused land. But, this spring he stared up the tractor and plowed the weeds under. Several days later I hear the sound of equipment in the field. Looking out my kitchen window I see Mr. Butikofer planting. Now, by the first week of summer he has a thirsty crop of wheat. With the price of a bushel of wheat reaching skyward and the emanate loss of water rights, if not used after this year, the retired farmer has resurrected his land. In his zeal to once again make his land productive, he has forgotten that he is no longer isolated and unencumbered by neighbors.
Mr. Butikofer is now farming in the middle of a housing development. The irrigation ditch that runs behind the line of neat, white vinyl fences has been untended for a number of years. When he opens the head gate water pours into the field on one side and races toward the houses on the other.
I was the bearer of bad news---poor Mr. Butikofer. "The contractor must not have done something quite right," he tells me. Mean while the water keeps creeping ever closer to my basement windows, as well as those of the house next door. With some gentle persuasion, I finally convince the independent farmer that he needs to close the head gate.
My husband and our neighbor meet him at the head gate and have a friendly conversation about the situation at hand. Mr. Butikofer does agree that the ditch has some structural problems unrelated to the development surrounding it.
Later that evening, I once again hear the sound of machinery coming from the field. A backhoe has arrived. It is moving dirt and dumping it on the embankment of the ditch to reinforce it. The thirsty wheat must have water. The next day he again opens the head gate and most of the flow is to his field. The backyards see only a small amount of water this time.
In spite of the difficulties Mr. Butikofer has encountered, I hope he does not give in and concede defeat. I want him to hang in there long enough to see his grain come to fruit. In late August I would love to look over my white vinyl fence and see a field of gold, ripe wheat. I will try to imagine it as a large, wide open space with wind rustling through it, rather than a postage stamp encompassed by two story houses.
The suburban farmer will eventually have to acquiesce to the changing times. He like so many others has been pulled into the traffic of change. His town finally reached the boarders of his land and he gave it permission to continue on. I am sure it was not an easy decision for him to make, but in the end it was made.
We co-exist together in this process of change. He continues to hang on to a small piece of who he was and I try to carve my small niche out of the bigger piece he let to. As I attempt to grow flowers and struggle with frail trees, the rocks seem to multiply and divide before eyes. I am left to wonder how Mr. Butikofer coped with such rocky ground so many years. Perhaps, that is why he kept only a few acres. If he wants to nourish his mall patch of land a little longer I am willing to accept a little bit of his irrigation water in my flowerbeds.

program alert: this american life

2008-09-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

please check out this radio program it is amazing. my friend kirk recommended it and now i am absolutely addicted. every story is great. the content of the program is very broad, but always interesting. i believe it it done in chicago by some form of public radio. honestly i am not sure about all the details, but the programs are amazing. you can listen to most of the stuff for free. i suggest clicking on the "our favorites" tab and starting with some of the all star episodes. i also suggest subscribing to the podcast. this allows you to download the new episode for free when it is released. enjoy!!!

www.thisamericanlife.org

tv on the radio: live on letterman

2008-09-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

this is pretty interesting. on september 26, tv on the radio performed live on letterman. instead of doing the typical performance, they decided to perform on the fire escape of the ed sullivan theatre. enjoy!

african american me!!!

2008-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

for those of you that know courtney, she is currently teaching english in taiwan. earlier today i was reading her blog and came across this story. i found it so funny that i decided to copy and paste it over to my blog. the following is courtney's post.

p.s. please check out court's blog it is really interesting and entertaining

http://courtneymeganoldroyd.blogspot.com/

So today was actually quite funny! We were doing show and tell in my 2A class, and I decided to tell them about my family and that I love to take pictures. I have this one random picture of Neils that I took with a fish eye camera and its the sweetest picture that I think I have ever taken. So I showed my students the pictures of my family and the picture of Neils. I had previously told them that I had a boyfriend, and the whole class freaked out because they thought he was black. All the girls especially freaked out and said, "Teacher why do you like black guys? He is so black, and look at you, you have such white skin and he is black, his skin is so dark." etc etc. It was hilarious. I had to explain in the summer time when we are in the sun at the pool our skin changes colors.

movie alert: notorious!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

here is the first trailer for the upcoming notorious b.i.g. biopic. forget tupac, biggie is hands down the best rapper ever!!!!

when i first heard about this movie i instantly thought it was one of the dumbest ideas ever. these biopics are usually pretty lame. i just couldn't imagine someone playing biggie, but after seeing this trailer i am fully onboard. i will definitely be lining up to see this on opening night!!!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laurencook/first-notorious-big-movie-teaser-trailer-nv

book alert: hot, flat, and crowded

2008-09-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

thomas friedman just released his new book "hot, flat, and crowded." most of you will remember friedman for his book "the world is flat." i read "the world is flat" and absolutely loved it. it provided me with one of the most eye opening reads of the last two years. i personally think friedman is a genius!!! my copy of "hot, flat, and crowded" arrived in the mail yesterday. i am proud to say that i stayed up reading till four in the morning last night. please consider reading this book or "the world is flat." i have attached a quick video clip from amazon.com. i really like how friedman has figured out how to relate the need for an environmental change to both the demos and repubs. enjoy!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m26UDCME5JTRS2

ride restless!!!!!!!

2008-09-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

this is a small clothing company that one of my good friends started. right now it consists of just some t-shirts and stickers, but the company has a promising future. the brand is centered around the fixed-gear bike community. even if you don't like bikes the t-shirts are pretty creative.

www.riderestless.com

movie alert: the ark

2008-09-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

ok so i just saw this over at kanye's blog. it is more interesting than entertaining. i really liked the whole concept of the film. i guess the whole apocalyptic idea has always interested me just a little bit. anyways.....check out this short film.

It is directed by Grzegorz Jonkajtys. He is Polish film maker specializing in short animated films like "the ark."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tch8mHk81ug&feature=related

artist alert: please check out clyfford still

2008-09-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

i promise this will be the last of the abstract expressionists.

artist alert: please check out barnet newman!!!

2008-09-23T22:09:00.001-07:00

my day at the art museum

2008-09-21T17:56:00.001-07:00

this weekend my parents decided to come down and spend some time with their last and final spawn. as part of the festivities we decided to go check out the art exhibit at the university of utah. the exhibit titled "from monet to picasso" has been generating a pretty big buzz. from what i have heard, the exhibit has basically been sold out everyday. honestly, i wasn't super excited about the exhibit. i was excited to spend time with my parents, and i really enjoy art, but i really don't find myself too interested in picasso, monet, and gauguin. the one thing that excited me was the fact that the exhibit did include some of picasso's pieces from his cubist era, and it also included two paintings by salvador dali. i really don't find myself too interested in dali's paintings, but at the same time i was excited to see one in real life. i have seen countless paintings by picasso and monet so dali offered a breath of fresh air.

two pieces of inspiration and insight

1. i have never really understood dali and his surrealist approach, but one bit of information i learned at the museum did amaze me. it is said that in order to portray his surrealist, dreamy paintings dali would sit in a chair and hold a key in his hand. to him a key symbolized access to an alternative reality represented by dreams. holding this key, he would try to slowly fall asleep. as he fell asleep his body would relax and then he would start to dream. once his body had relaxed enough his hand would loosen up and he would drop the key on the floor, causing him to wake up. he would then go to the canvas and try to reproduce the surreal nature of his dreams. in the mind of dali, he was painting something just as real and as beautiful as a mountain landscape.

2. i don't exactly care for picasso, except for his cubist paintings. i find cubism extremely interesting and innovating. most artists attempt to portray the three-dimensional nature of objects by using different shades of light. when light is used properly, the objects come alive on the canvas. picasso and other cubists discovered another way to portray objects in a three-dimensional manner; cubism. to me cubism makes perfect sense. the object is simply portrayed in a three-dimensional form by incorporating many different angles to form one complete object. at first it looks like the object is being torn and skewed in all directions, but the object is actually being seen in a three-dimensional form. the viewer might see a face portrayed from both a side and front profile persepective. cubism = brilliance

album alert: yeah yeah yeahs, is is ep

2008-09-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

i know this is a little late, but i have recently discovered the brilliance of karen o and nick zinner. after getting back from the mission my brother introduced me to yeah yeah yeahs' debut album; fever to tell. i listened to it a couple of times, but i couldn't ever really get into it. i think it was too much of a shock for someone trying to ease back into the music scene. well here i am 3 years later and i think i have finally discovered what my brother was talking about. I believe his exact words were "karen o just makes you feel so crazy." i would suggest picking up their two full lengths for sure, but the record that has really hit me across the face is their ep titled "is is." this 5 song beauty came out in 2007 and it is fantastic. most of the songs were written between their two full lengths, and were often performed live. it is a good mixture between some of their more melodic stuff and some of the raw punk driven material. please check out the "is is ep."

photo alert: unbelievable photo!!!!

2008-09-19T10:37:00.004-07:00

i recently saw this photo on a "very very" good friend's blog. this photo is simply amazing!!!!

creative capitalism & bill gates

2008-09-19T10:37:00.003-07:00

ok so a little while back i read an article in time magazine that i really liked. in this article bill gates presented the idea of creative capitalism. gates seems to be one of the leading minds behind this theory. obviously with anything there might be some flaws, but i really think gates has a good idea. it basically seems like capitalism with a conscience.

for convience purposes i have included a link rather than copying and pasting the whole article onto the blog. please read!!!!

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1828069,00.html

an explanation of the recent economic chaos

2008-09-19T10:37:00.002-07:00

i am sure that we have all realized that the current economic situation consists of complete chaos. everyday signals some kind of government intervention. for those of you that are a little confused about about the recent events, i suggest reading this article that i found over at nytimes.com. the article is written by steven d. levitt, author of freakonomics. this article helped clarify the situation.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/diamond-and-kashyap-on-the-recent-financial-upheavals/

song alert: please download kanye west's love lockdown

2008-09-19T10:37:00.001-07:00

my new wheel

2008-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

i am proud to say that i am now the proud owner of a spinergy rev x bike wheel. i know most of you really don't care, but life is about the simple things.

artist alert: please check out mark rothko!!!!

2008-09-13T12:33:00.001-07:00

forget elephants and donkeys, this is what we really need to do!!

2008-09-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

this is an article that I found on the non-partisan blog "Pendulum Politics." everyone has been complaining about gas prices, but it seems like no one is ready nor willing to make a true sacrifice. please read this article and consider the message.

As politicians and candidates continue to pay lip service to solutions to the energy crisis, people who know what they’re talking about provide solid diagnosis and prescription for the problem.

Daniel Yergin is one of the world’s foremost experts on oil. His book The Prize, a tome of nearly 1,000 pages, describes how we got to where we are with the oil situation; this book is considered by many to be the Bible of oil (embarrassed yet? It’s cheap on Amazon). Today in the Financial Times,Yergin opines about the oil situation.

In one chapter of The Prize, Yergin discusses the economic and political factors that led to a dramatic shift in the market for oil. This shift culminated with the 1973 Yom Kippur War and oil shock

The conditions of international political economy in the Middle East of 1973 were very complex. During the previous years, Middle Eastern states had continually increased their power over Western oil companies and supplies. World demand for oil had gradually increased, and US consumption had finally exceeded US oil supplies. The supply and demand equation for oil had become very tight—there was little supply in excess of demand, making developed countries, especially the US, precariously dependent upon Middle Eastern supplies. Meanwhile, the existence of Israel continued to annoy Arab states.

These complex conditions enabled Middle Eastern states to seriously consider their power—the “oil weapon.” With the US economy so dependent upon oil, US oil producers dependent on retaining ownership of assets in the Middle East, and OPEC having increased production and bargaining power, these states were in a very powerful situation. With increasing demand from the US, restriction of the supply meant that OPEC could name its price. The West would have to pay whatever OPEC demanded, because Western oil sources were operating at full capacity, and OPEC controlled marginal supplies. For many years, OPEC had considered using the oil weapon, but Saudi Arabia had been reluctant. “Politics and oil should not be mixed,” as Yergin states, was the Saudi King’s opinion (how ludicrous does that sound today!). However, as Yom Kippur approached in 1973, the King began to understand the tremendous power he had.

US support of Israel had long been a threat to the Arab world. Egypt’sNasser was making preparations for war. Arab states knew that Israel was dependent upon US assistance. The oil weapon would be a powerful deterrent against US involvement in a Middle Eastern War. Further, theSoviet Union would supply the Middle Eastern states. This would put theUS in a very difficult position. The US economy would be at risk due to oil embargo threats; the conflict would be an extension of the Cold War with the Soviets; and Israel’s existence would be in danger. The Saudi King recognized the strong position he had. He understood the power of oil over politics. The Arab states mounted an attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, Nixon was caught in the Watergate scandal. Kissinger assumed responsibility for US foreign policy, negotiating with the Soviets over how to handle the crisis. US allies like Japan were forced to evaluate their relationship with the US and OPEC, ultimately choosing economic concerns as the top priority. The US got caught shipping desperately needed supplies to Israel. At a crucial meeting in Europe the Seven Sisters (oil companies) were bereft of bargaining power; OPEC raised prices while most oil producing states embargoed the US as a penalty for its conduct with Israel. This was the oil weapon. Middle Eastern states could have powerful influence over US foreign policy because of USdependence on foreign oil.

Paradoxically, this transition from Western power over oil to Middle Eastern power also made oil behave more like a normal good on the market. Whereas before the shock oil was supplied on long-term price bases, after the shock the price was allowed to fluctuate more dramatically and frequently.

Today, Yergin argues that the current prices are a result of both rising world demand caused by emerging markets and increasing US consumption, and three factors that make oil supply inelastic: (1) time, (2) access to new resources, and (3) factor costs for oil production.

Regardless, the continuing demand for a finite resource means that, in the long-run, prices are not going to fall. What is the solution? As usual, something that pandering politicians and ignorant partisan Americans are unlikely to agree to. While the Left complains about SUVs (how much gas per person does your private jet guzzle, Obama?) and the Right thinks that drilling in ANWR will provide a long-term solution, it is clear that neither approach will really solve the problem. This problem is much bigger than SUVs; and ANWR, though perhaps necessary, can only provide a temporary relief as a part of a comprehensive solution. True to form, the politicians fail to deliver.

As always, Thomas Friedman pleas for politicians to approach a reasonable solution to a long-term problem (these kinds of pleas usually fall on deaf ears). Ostensibly having given up on Mankiw’s Pigovian tax idea(because nobody listened), Friedman now argues that the US government should set a price floor on gas at $4.00 per gallon (based on an analysis by energy economist Philip Verleger Jr.). “We need to make a structural shift in our energy economy,” argues Friedman. “Ultimately, we need to move our entire fleet to plug-in electric cars. The only way to get from here to there is to start now with a price signal that will force the change.” Of course, plug-in cars (the technology will get better) would necessitate that we base our grid on nuclear power. This is another necessary solution that doesn't seem to get much political traction, despite its obvious advantages.

This may not be the specific solution we need, but Friedman has the right idea. Something must be done to curb demand in the United States. Our dependence holds us hostage to states like Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia—states that wouldn’t even matter if they didn’t have the black gold. While Bush gets on his knees for the Saudis, the presidential candidates come up with populist, irrational ideas that make the problem worse, and Americans cancel their vacations, few are talking about real solutions. Solving our energy dependence problem will make a substantial contribution to solutions to other problems: nuclear proliferation and terrorism in the Middle East, climate change, and the long-term health of the economy.

book alert: 1984, please read this book!!!

2008-09-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

bianchi pista concept

2008-09-07T18:35:00.003-07:00

for those of you who enjoy art. please enjoy the above picture, a true piece of art. my friend owns this exact frame yet it sits in his closet while he continues to ride a mid eighties schwinn fixie conversion. for those of you who know him please inspire him to make better decisions in the future.

album alert: tv on the radio, dear science

2008-09-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

please allow me to be one of the first to proudly introduce the new tv on the radio album. a band that has provided me with complete listening enjoyment throughout the last year. after what many claimed to be the album of the year for 2006 (return to cookie mountain) the band has triumphantly returned with an album that actually sounds quit different. rather than embracing the desperate and depressing state of affairs, tv on the radio has chosen to interpret life in a much more positive light. i've listened to this album twice since i got it earlier today. i am still not sure how i feel about the overall quality of the album, but please listen to tv on the radio, whether it be this album or the legendary return to cookie mountain LP. and for those of you near the SLC area, they will be here next saturday.