Camels and Lion and Bears--Oh my!

So, I googled the various answers for our songs. I found an overwhelming amount of hits for Alice the Camel and even found this image under google images. Approximately 226,000 results came up in favor of Alice. Sally the Camel came in at 108,000 because of an episode of Barney where they sang that version of the song. Even with the purple dinosaur's help--Alice wins! How many humps does she have?

As for "Going on a ___ Hunt," the votes are in and I find results for both bear and lion. The number of resulsts you get varies on the variations of titles. (ex. I'm going on a lion hunt, Going on, Goin on, etc.) However, the bear song is different in many ways and is a little bit fruitier. Yes, fruity-er. More fruity and cheesy. They probably both came from the same source originally.

One last detail--I found that the lion version was published in the Girl Guides of Canada songbook back in the '90s, so that version must win.

Leap before you look

I just interviewed Jeremy Hanks, President, Chairman, and Co-founder of DOBA, an online inventory sourcing company. I discussed with him about being an entrepreneur and the hardships of it.
The advice he gave to entrepreneurs was this:
"Go out and do it and do it now. There are two schools of though. The first one is that you graduate, get some work experience, and then be an entrepreneur. The other is that you're young and you have less to lose. That's the school of thought I subscribe to. Risks go up as you add complexities to your life."
He lectures in various forums and one of his themes is "Leap before you look." Many people have ideas but they never get them off the ground.
I just thought you might all find that interesting, seeing as how some of us are entrepreneurs and trying to make a name for ourselves as well as some Top Ramen for our bellies.

To Feed a Herd

Well, since I am sort of around here and could theoretically have ideas about eateries I am posting a couple ideas asking for input on our Wednesday dinner.

Place, Type, Approx. Entree $
Mayan Mexican $10
Tucanos Brazilian $Ouch (better at lunch)
Red Robin Burgers (endless fries) $8
PF Changs Chinese $10
Others??? Greek, Chinese, Mexican
Buffet, ...

Well there are lots of places to eat up here for those down south Jane found a place she likes called Rumbi Island grill you wouldn't see down there....

Please comment and let me know your votes. We could even try Thai

A quarter of life

It's kind of funny how you can know something and then you can get something. You can know that 2 x 3 = 6, and you can get that 2 x 3 is two added to itself three times, and that is six. You can know something for a long time, and then you wake up one day and you get it.

People often say they have this kind of experience with testimony. You can think you know something about a principle of the Gospel, and then something might happen that makes you really get it. The phrase from the song on the seminary soundtrack -- "I learned with my heart / what I knew in my mind " sums it up well. Interesting that there are these two separate parts of our understanding, and it's hard for one side to convince the other without some kind of catalyst getting involved.

Yesterday I turned 25. I'm still young, for sure, but I had a get it experience nonetheless. Many people say they finally feel "grown up" when they turn 25. I'd have to say I agree somewhat, but the experience was bigger than that for me. For some reason I finally realized that I am actually going to grow up. While my brain could have told you better, my heart (for lack of something better to call it) was living in a delusion of eternal youth. I woke up yesterday morning and got it, that I am mortal.

Mortal people, I've discovered, have slightly different priorities than immortal ones. When time is recognized as a finite resource, one starts to wonder if he is making the best use of it. This is why, I believe, old people think time travels faster. They're running out of it. I remember that 5 years ago yesterday, I was in Barra da Lagoa, Florianopolis, Brazil holding the "Concurso da melhor torta (best pie contest)", a activation/fellowshipping activity. I got sang to and we all ate an unhealthy amount of various types of pie. I can't believe it was 5 years ago.

I can figure that I've probably used up about a quarter of my mortal life. What am I going to do with that time? Can I use it better than I've used the last 25 years? Fortunately, I get to skip the long stretches of diapers, incommunicatability, and public school now. I'm starting to become one of those people who is afraid of time just slipping through my fingers, like sand slips through that tiny hole in an hour-glass.

Here's the other part of realizing your life won't last forever: it comes with a realization that you're going to die. I've always known that I was going to die, it's a natural thing to do, and even for people with larger perspectives on existence that aren't limited to mortality accept the fact that death is part of the Plan, whatever plan it is they put their faith in. Now, however, I really get that I'm going to die.

That's ok, though, because I know that dying is not the end of things, right? But even if I know it, I really only half know it. That's a problem. Now that I get the fact that I'm going to die someday, it's really important now to get the principle that I'm not going to cease existence when my heart stops beating.

Is there something that you only halfway know? Is there some part of your testimony that hasn't been really examined because you haven't had a reason to really get the principle behind it? How do you make that happen? How do you learn with your heart what your mind already knows?

Heres one thing I think I got yesterday. There's a reason behind mortality. I imagine that when we're born, we're handed a saw, a hammer, and a bucket of nails and set in a forest. We are to use our saw, hammer and nails to build a building. Every day we are to make this building taller. On day one, we look around, and we see the trees around us, and that's all. "Neat!" we think, "trees to make a tower out of!" and we go after them with our saw, and once we have some lumber we start to build our building. Every day, as the building gets taller, our perspective changes a bit. After a while, the tower gets taller than the trees, and we can see beyond them. We might see mountains, lakes, streams, other towers, and as the tower grows we'll see more and more of the world. All of the sudden for me, life became a matter of perspective, and every day I get older, that perspective changes, and things that weren't as important become more so as other things seem less important than before.

There is something to be learned by living, knowing that you are going to die. Mortality challenges our hearts to internalize what we are taught about eternity. Now that I realize that I'm mortal, I'm going to try to see every day as valuable because not only am I going to run out of days at some point, but because every day offers a new perspective on the world, an opportunity to not just know something, but to really get it. I'm headed to the temple this afternoon as Joseph's fiance goes for the first time, and I'll be interested to take my new perspective on mortality with me. Hopefully it's a step, maybe a catalyst in bringing a testimony of immortality in to my heart, where it really needs to be.

Happy Old Day

This being the one birthday that I can remember other than my own, I want to take a moment to reflect.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YA OLD FOGIES!!!

A quarter of a century and not looking any younger. :D

Happy Pioneer Day everyone

At 30

While doing some reading earlier this morning I was looking for a short story I heard a while ago about growing up. Here it is. No title, no author, but the message remains just as stunning:

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a movie star!" a boy told his Dad, who smiled as his son shared what the wondrous future held in store for him.
"You certainly may. You've always been a great kid, and not too long from now you'll be leaving to make your place in the world. At 20, you'll have some success and might adopt even bigger dreams. The next 10 years after that will be filled with many experiences that will prepare you for when you finally turn 30." The boy couldn't hold back his excitement! He started to imagine that big break and what would happen after that. "Around 25 you'll have passed through some hard times and made many sacrifices to hold onto your dreams. Many give up at this point, but you'll ignore the doubts others have in you, and you'll be loyal to your dreams. You'll hunger for success, and wait for the day that all the hurt and discomfort of not living your dreams comes to an end... but you'll only have to wait 'till you're 30." The boy was getting anxious by now. "So, what will happen when I'm 30?" He inquired with a big smile. Then his Dad, exhausted from a long day at work, looked down to him with a sigh, and answered "At 30, you'll get used to it."

Lions, tigers, and kids! Oh my!

My lil' bro' Joseph (aka "Joe," among other names), is getting married on the 31st of this month, and Ashley and I have decided to head toward the land of summer atmospheric inversions a day early to enjoy some time at the Zoo (a first for me). You all are invited to attend, and we are wondering if any of you can make it, and if so, when would be the best time (on the 30th) to go.

Keep Dreaming

(Just wanted to share this poem I found today, hope others will find it as encouraging as I do.)

I've dreamed many dreams that never came true.
I've seen them vanish at dawn.

But I've realized enough of my dreams, you see,
To make me want to dream on.

I've prayed many prayers when no answers came,
Though I waited patient and long,

But answers came to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed
And left me to weep alone,

But I've found enough of my friends true blue
To make me keep trusting on.

I've sown many seeds that fell by the way
For the birds to feed upon,

But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hands
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain,
And gone many days without song,

But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life
To make me want to live on.

~~ Author Unknown ~~

A few meandering thoughts:

You know, I really don't know how many times I've wondered at how it could have been possible for me to have become connected with the friends I have. Men of vision. Men of faith. Men of integrity. Men of genuineness. What is more important than having associations with people like that? People that have a real desire to grow? People without pretense, people who are driven by genuine desire and love? Am I dreaming here?

To be brutally honest, I don't really think our little group is the best pieces of Edison, Disney, Lasseter, Jobs, and Henson all rolled in to one. I know that there is real danger in believing oneself to be elite or better in some way than all the others. I can't say that 95% of the other people in the world don't feel the same way I do about their own friends, but I really don't care about that. It doesn't lessen my amazement and gratitude very much.

We may not be the Pixar brain trust, or as visionary as the founders of our Nation, but I do know we have vision and creative spirit, and like any skills these can be honed and nurtured. We're young yet.

We are still dealing with barriers, but we're growing. We still fear, but we're growing. We still doubt, but we're growing. Our vision is not focused as much as it may need to be, but we are growing. Life is school, right?

We talk about changing the world, about making positive contributions to our fellow travelers on this planet, and these discussions often to point to amassing financial resources which we can use to bless the lives of others. True, money can be a powerful instrument for good, and I truly hope that we'll someday have the power to be wisely charitable with vast financial resources, however, this I believe: Each of Heavenly Father's children comes to this Earth endowed with gifts, and at the end of the week, we'll be measured on how we applied those gifts. If Nathan's gift is to communicate through the works of his hands, let those works be his tools for good. Ked by media, Abe by his versatility, and so on for each other person on the planet. Let us remember that life is short, both for us and for our brothers and sisters. What will leave a more lasting impact -- sharing a personal, divine gift, or writing a check? It's not about changing the world, it's about changing people. That's the sticky bit, though, you can't change people. You love people. Is it possible to make every choice one motivated by love? Instead of a focus on producing money, is it possible to focus on producing love? Beyond the necessity of paying the bills, I feel there's a greater application of our talents.

We're getting ever closer to fulfilling our dreams, and I'd just like to make this one point: Let us follow or dreams, in their purity, and not muddle them up with other ideas that may not be as inspired. This just occurred to me, really, that it may not be our job in the great plan to be the billionaires who sponsor scores of missionaries and send tons of rice (or half-eaten sandwiches) to starving kids in China. Money is a tricky thing, and while I think it's possible, and even appropriate at times, it's touchy business to love somebody with a signature on a bank note or a stack of Benjamins (the green ones). In this regard, good models for us would be Charlie and Donna Cooley of the Happy Factory.

Whatever our gifts may be, money, influence, fame, humility, obscurity, media, programming, puppets and costumes, or whatever, let us become all that we're able, let us learn to abolish barriers, let us be active pupils and follow our dreams in this school that's called life, but through it all, let us love.

So, looking forward -- where do we go from here?
"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:36)
I don't know, specifically. I think the answer is something like: follow the trail of your dreams while looking up. Yeah, it's a faith thing.

Non-stop Excitement

I'm so excited, I can't help it. Over the last MONTH, all I've been able to think about is FTR. (It's getting to the point where it interferes with my work. :) ) Anyway, it's interesting how pieces of such a huge puzzle seem to come together on their own without you doing anything other than thinking about it. (Assuming it's something you're excited about.) I actually have to work hard not to think about it, and focus on the moment.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of that excitement with you today, and show you 1 of 4 sets of Gear we will start working on in January.
We are working on our business plan, and in thinking about what we need to do over these next 4 to 5 months, Funding is a big issue. (We're looking at roughly $500,000 to cover the first two years.) Strangely enough, we don't have any doubts that we'll get the funding necessary, but we want to be smart about it, and avoid as much interest as we can. We also want to avoid turning over a large share of our company's ownership to third parties. ...perhaps we're a little naive, but we don't want to empower others with the opportunity to shut us down.

Well, I'm certainly open to ideas. I will still do my research and due diligence, but I believe that within our group I am less aware of what's out there than some of you may be regarding Start up Capital.

Thanks for being such supportive friends. I was talking with Splashboy the other night, and it was exciting to hear his voice again. I see how privileged we are to have such a good group of sharp minded individuals, who collectively can accomplish much good. "If you're not strong, you can't help the weak." This has been a very motivating thought for me regarding our potential. The days are not far off that we will not only be in a position to provide for ourselves and our families, but to reach out and help countless others to do the same. Good luck, guys. I wish you all an enjoyable week!

FTR Studios

I'm pleased to anounce the beginning stages of what we've all been waiting for since "latex and strings" rolled off of James's lips: I'm finally going to open my Studio. FTR Studios (Fantasy To Reality) will be opened in the early months of 2009, working primerily on 4 major projects to be presented to a major company in the month of October. They will be produced under our sub-company EPIC Gear, providing World of Warcraft gamers with the First, Best and ONLY Licenced Sets of elaborate gear and Costumes. Because of the High quality materials and attention to detail, we will only produce 12 to 20 of these a year. They will be priced anywhere from $9,000 to $15,000 a set depending on the customer's prefereces, size, ego, etc.

We've thought this through... a lot. I've spoken to marketing specialists, business owners, and we have each done a lot of personal investigation and research to ensure we don't flop and die. But even if we do, "We come out with some pretty sweet sets of armor!!" according to Brian James, 1 of 2 current business partners. We all feel the same way about it; this is what we want to do, this is what we are passionate about, and we'd work with all our hearts just for the opportunity to do what we love.

This is just a great start to something bigger down the road. Will this change the world? Not likely, but it will empower us with the experience to recognize greater needs, and allow us to start other ventures as we accumulate capital. This is just a vehicle to greater means, to greater ends. (Like buying up all the land in Jackson county and donating it to the church. ...I'd like to see how far we can go anyway before they stop us.) I've got to run, but things are always looking up, and I'm excited to finally start "It all". Don't ever give up guys, this is going to be a great 5 years in front of us!!!

Growing Pains

Wow! Look at all the pretty posts! I must admit, today has been amazing for me. I've spent the last two hours reading up on the blogs, and taking the scenic route throught the links provided. I've never been more honored to be a considered a friend among you.

So, what have I been up to these days? ... I've been growing. A lot! I took a sales team out to Minneapolis for a few months (surly the sharpest guys I've ever hired) and with enthusiasm and guts labored to bring a more enlighting form of media to those families. After two successful summers you'd be sure I'd do well, yet I was presented with possibly the greatest failure of my life. Not only myself, but the three guys on my team. One chose to go home after 4 weeks, and get a low-wage paying job. (No one could blame him; it was the logical thing to do.) The rest of us knew the math, and knew that even 3 or 4 good weeks would earn us more than working a job for the remaining 10 weeks of the summer. So we chose to keep working, earning nothing, and living off of advances from our future earnings. Scary, yes, but we decided we wanted to do something great with our summer. We wanted to use this as an opportuninty to escape our comfort zones and gain the character strength learned from steady adversity. Long story short, we were transfered to Utah to finish our summer. The company was impressed that we hadn't called it quits by now, so they planted us in the most fertile soil in the nation: Northern Utah. So here we are, and we'll finish the summer strong.

Despite the trials, Melanie and I (and the other three guys that have been living with us... and Erin) consider these last 3 or 4 months the most rewarding we've ever had. Erin is our biggest joy-bringer, and we've all grown closer to our Savior. We have also learned much about integrity, and watching out for "our people". Keeping the guys alive has been quite the trick, and anyone who says money isn't important hasn't gone very long without it. (Melanie and I were playing to the tune of 5 months!) But you learn to stay alive, and not be cheap on the things that matter most. We honestly don't know how we're able to get by the way we do sometimes, but we make sure we keep the Lord a big part of it.

Okay, I'm done sharing the difficulties (as educational as they are sometimes,). What I really wanted to share with you is my next post....

Another week

Another week

Not much to show for the new week, but doing alright just the same.
Have to keep looking for jobs and applying this week and hopefully
start I start getting more replies back from the applications I
already sent out. Sometimes I feel like I don't have a clue about how
to find a job and in fact I don't. Hopefully I can find something that
at least acknowledges my degree and counts that as something.
Mathematics, what was I thinking. Oh yeah, I was thinking I was
goingyo go to grad school, well we will see about that.

I really need to start using my new computer more and do some
programming that would at least give me something to be working on and
something to accomplish. If anybody has ideas of things I could
program let me know. Need something that does a specific task? Let me
know and you can get a custom program that meets your needs.

I will keep you all updated and I hope things start to pan out at
least a little so I can be providing a more stable income for my family.

Super Guy
(on the move)

A different way to do things--Pixar's President

Yes, me again.
I've been researching a lot of things lately, trying to find my path out of college and into a career. I've enjoyed comments about Ed Catmull's different working and leading style in media production. I think it even seems to be more what the Herd used to do than what normal production companies do. Here are a few links.

Pixar's Superhero Shakes Up Disney

Blog from BYU speech

Love, Media, and Success

I agree with Benjamin and he said exactly what I've been pondering for the last few weeks. I have also asked myself what is success and what it would mean to do everything out of love. Charity never faileth. Perhaps charity is the ultimate form of success.
If we made good media because we wanted to counter the bad, our motives are good. If we wanted to make good media because we wanted to express our ideas, those motives can also be good. However, what if we made media because we loved people? What if we loved our siblings enough to make films that would help people have hope, help inspire them, uplift them, encourage them?
God has done so much for us because he loves us. What could we do with love for our Father and our fellow man? I do think, as Ben suggested, that that would be success.
One medium often used or referred to in the scriptures is the word of God. There is much written in the scriptures about this subject and from various perspectives, but I will just make a few references. John frequently calls Christ "the Word." I find that interesting. He also said that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Thus, you could say that God, in his love for us, gave us the ultimate and eternal medium. This medium would be above every form of media ever. This medium would not only teach, inspire, give hope, etc. but this medium would be the very means of our salvation and exaltation.
We currently live in a world where media takes us away from love, takes us away from Christ. Much of the media distracts us, causes us to be removed from the Spirit, desensitizes us. I firmly believe that people often can't see how these things affect them. Satan is gaining a huge grasp through technology that could and should be used in the opposite direction.
Our media, in essence, should be symbolic of Christ and have motives like his. I do believe we should make good media because we love people and only want the best for them.

Beginnings. I like that. We are not merely finding answers or ending a quest. We are beginning a journey, a mission, that may have been in the works...for a long time.

Ben asked how we do it. Let's find out together.

Renascence

I have very much appreciated Ked's renewed energy for life and his comments on media and re-discovering his passions.

At the moment, it's 11:45 pm, and I've not been able to sleep. I just read the Andrew Stanton interview Ked referenced, and found it inspiring. I deeply hope that Pixar will continue to hold the banner of standards which they now wave. One notable thing that stood out for me that was referenced in that article was the fact that Pixar takes on complicated themes. The Incredibles, for example, values achievement over fairness. Life is not fair. Everybody knows that. What is important is that everybody is encouraged and has drive to achieve in his own frame. That is not a popular theme to preach these days. The themes these directors take on are current, valid, and important. Even better to put them in movies for children so as to give parents a frame of reference for teaching their children.

I may have mentioned this here before, but I set a fairly lofty goal at the beginning of the year to be in a house by the end of the year. This has caused me to be extremely focused on working to get a financial hold, which I still think is important, but I seem to have lost some perspective, and I'm feeling a bit disconnected from something (don't know exactly what) that is very important. Perhaps this reminder about love being the most important thing is a key to the problem. Should we not make the most important thing, Love, central in everything we do? How can I make Love part of my current and future goals, even if those goals include earning money? We look up to Andrew Stanton for making Love central to his work in media. I've been recently feeling a rekindling desire to get back into music, will I be a better, or at least more useful, artist if Love is what drives my craft? Will we as a group be successful (read: successful != rich) if Love drives us, whatever happens?

How do we do that?

Unanswered questions.

Beginnings.

p.s. "!=" is programmerspeak for "not equal to". For some reason "!" means "Not". I don't know why.

WALL-E and Love

After watching WALL-E for the second time I became interested in looking up the writer. Andrew Stanton has been involved in all of Pixar's productions and joined as writer/director for the latest feature.
In watching WALL-E I was fascinated with the feeling I had. There seemed to be so much love and emotion in it. It was so pure and beautiful.
I have been doing some writing and research on purposes of media. The ultimate media comes from God and the media that comes from Him, whether it be Holy Ghost or the Word through scripture is given to us because He loves us. Love is very key in all our Father does.

Then I found an interview with Stanton. Check it out. It is quite amazing.

Pixar, or at least some of the folks there, are tremendously ahead of the game as far as righteous media goes. It almost makes me envious, but more pleased. I just hope they don't take all the good ideas. I want to join in the fun as well.

I once was lost but now am found...

It happened a few months ago.

My stay here at BYU has been quite the learning experience. I started as a pre-theater major. Then I changed to pre-film. After that little jaunt and almost getting into the program I switched to communications. Now that I fully plan to graduate in comms I find myself once again.
I've never been able to fully leave the arts behind. Journalism is great indeed and I may do a bit of it myself but it isn't where my heart lies.
I was invited a few months ago to be the MC for an elementary school choir concert. It was a tribute to Broadway and I would be playing the role of the Scarecrow. I began working on my costume right away and began reliving all I used to love to do. I practiced some jokes and the scarecrow's song. I performed two different nights, singing dancing, playing silly games and what not. What life! I had forgotten how much fun it was. It felt like the time I dressed up for a pirate costume contest at BYU. I was the loudest, funniest pirate in the cafeteria.
I began my quest anew. Acting has always been a great joy for me. To make people laugh or make them feel something deep inside is an awesome feeling.
While returning to my acting roots I began listening to musicals as well and regained my love for them. Music. What power and eloquence without a single word. Feeling emerging through vibrations in the strings or hollow chambers of some instrument. Music, too has always been a passion for me. I've not always played the piano the best or sang the best but I love it. In fact, in this regained passion for music I started the "Piano Support Group" in my ward. I had talked to too many people who said "I really need to play the piano. I haven't practiced in so long." So, I started a group to help people play. Last Wednesday we had our first recital and it was highly enjoyable.
Film and writing have always been there too. All of these passions have since been reborn and heightened in ways I've never felt before. I've learned so much and I've almost been obsessed with media for the last while. My vision has once again come and I don't think I'll let it leave again.
We can be a force for good in the world. We've always had something special. We have different talents, that is true, but we want what is best. It is our desire to do good that trumps all else. That is what makes us unique.
Recently I have had more vision than ever before about what is needed and what can be given to such a cause. The basis for my vision continues to be the words from prophets and apostles. One such collection of words can be found in The Gospel Vision of the Arts. Even the old testament has given me advice in regards to the arts. In Moses' day and others, leaders sought for cunning men (in their craft) who were filled with "wisdom of heart." I believe we are men with wisdom of heart.

Our lives will be trying. We fill find many diversions and difficulties in reaching our goals. I guess it may only be fair for those who need to go the furthest to have the most opposition. We may be tried like Abraham in order to prove ourselves capable and worthy. I'm just not always sure of the path to get there. But we can do it!
And now...I have to go back to work. :) Gotta love this life!

I'm back?

Well, first of all thank you to Bach and Splashboy for maintaining the
flow of information. I can't say that I will definitely write more but
I will try. These last few months have been trying for me and my
family. I am currently trying to find a full time job so I can better
support Jane and Gwen. I hope something turns up in the next week or
so. I have been reading the blog though not contributing much. I have
been inspired by the messages of hope an conviction to make a
difference in the world.

I have often noticed that the "LDS cinema" is lacking. Movie after
movie is based entirely on LDS pop culture or cliches it would be a
breath of fresh air to see more movies similar to Saints and Soldiers
that incorporates the gospel, but doesn't require a knowledge of
relief society stereotypes.

We can be a force for good in the media, I am trying to get back on my
feet right now, but I do have a nice computer with iMovie and if I can
get my hands on a camera I hope to do something again with some of the
vision that I used to have.

I also intend to develop some computer programs and possibly delve
into other media like podcasts.

I don't say all this to say I will do every bit, because I often have
difficulty pushing myself to the accomplishments I should have, more I
seek express the willingness to do the work. I don't always have the
vision but I can do the labor. I cede the leadship and visionary role
to those more capable, if I am told what to accomplish then I will do
it.

So I guess what I am saying is I don't know what to do, but I'm in.
Well got to run.

Super Guy
(on the move)