Happy Birthday Harry

Guess what day it is...

It's Harry Potter's Birthday!

Eleven years ago, I celebrated his birthday with some of my best friends from Junior High. It was sort of a last big hurrah before we all headed off to different high schools. We came in costume, did trivia (at the time, I knew the exact number of staircases in Hogwarts), and played Quidditch. It was grand. I would post a photo of it for you, but I don't have one. Good thing too. I looked incredibly awkward. 

I love Harry Potter, and I'm so excited to be able to read it with my kids someday.

Thanks to Jessie for showing me this video almost a year ago.

P.S. This song is featured in the new Step Up movie. Which I'll talk about Friday. Maybe.

Story of My Life

I went to Band of Horses last night instead of watching baseball with Bill Murray. I'm going to be positive. The concert was enjoyable about 30% or the time. 

Also, this video sums up my life at present.

A Poem for Thursday: "I am so small" - Rumi

I am so small I can barely be seen.

How can this great love be inside me?

Look at your eyes. They are small,

but they see enormous things.

I can't accept this

Let's be honest. There are some really big problems in this world right now. And I really think we need to re-evaluate the way we deal with social isolation, violence, and guns in American society.

But those topics make me tired.

So instead, here's is another pressing problem in my life.

I fell in love with Oberhofer about year and half ago.

This is the song I fell in love with:


And this is what it turned into:


Ignore the video; it's alright.
The way they changed the song is what's killing me.

The first version was so rough, fuzzy, and anxious.
The second is slicked-up, hip, and confident.
I hate it.

GUYZ
Y IZ LYF SO HRD?!?!


Right now, I'm listening to the rest of the album on Spotify, and it seems. But I wish I knew what it was like in it's original state. 

I'm seriously in mourning about this. I think I have problems.

Happy Pioneer Day

Hope you have a good one!

“There was another life that I might have had, 

but I am having this one.” 

― Kazuo Ishiguro

Role Model

My feeble attempt to postpone adulthood is almost over. I'm halfway through my VISTA year, which means that I need to have a plan to help me be an adult. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.

Actually, that's not true. 

I would like to be either Beyonce:

Or this kid who is an awful lot like Beyonce:

But those options aren't very realistic.

Ideas?

A Poem for Thursday: "The Guest House" - Rumi

Onto one of my favorite poets, Rumi.
You can learn more about him here.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival. 

A joy, a depression, a meanness, 

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, 

who violently sweep your house

empty of it's furniture, still,

treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark though, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, 

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

A Poem for Thursday: "A Coat" - William Butler Yeats

A Coat

William Butler Yeats

I made my song a coat

Covered with embroideries

Out of old mythologies

From head to throat;

But the fools caught it,

Wore it in the worlds eye

As though they wrought it.

Song, let them take it,

For there's more enterprise 

In walking naked.

Interdependence Day

I didn't do anything I thought I was going to on the 4th of July. Instead of going to the parade, the Freedom Fest and the BYU soccer game, I just sat at home and watched Prison Break on Netflix. oops. It's pretty addicting. Nothing like watching a show about the wrongfully incarcerated to celebrate our nation's freedom.

I admire him, cause he's like, a REALLY talented actor.

My dad got last minute tickets to Stadium of Fire. Usually that sort of thing isn't my cup of tea...
BUT
The Beach Boys were playing. And they are wonderful. Here's a little bit of the beginning: 

And when they played "God Only Knows"...
man...
I'm just glad it was dark so people didn't notice the tears of joy streaming down my face. It really is one of the greatest songs, ever. I get verklempt just thinking about it.

ANYWAY

You would think that over 200 years after the revolutionary war, we would have sorted out our issues with independence, sovereignty and balancing the need of the individual with the need of the society. This line of thinking may be too simplistic, but I think that most of the political or social disagreements have to do with this issue. I really liked this old article from the Ensign. It talks about how interdependence is necessary for good families and marriages.

This has been one fo the hardest principles for me to  live. But I think it's one of the most important.  It not only applies to our personal lives, but to the way our church, government, and society functions. Living interdependently instead or either extreme (totally independent or totally dependent) will help us have healthier relationships, create a better government, and lead  to overall happier lives.

What do you guys think?

I'm usually a bit too independent for my own good. Need to work on that. :)

July Mix: Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah

I should be giving you an update on my 4th of July, but I'm going to give you some music instead.

Spotify has really been messing with the way I listen to music. It's been harder to put mixes together like I used to. Hope you don't mind. As a consequence, I have all of the Spotify commercials memorized by now. Question: Do any of you hear "Golden PEE Ice Tea" when they talk about "Golden PEAK Ice Tea"? That was an unfortunate branding decision if there ever was one.
Anyway.

Here's some stuff you can listen to.

1. Countdown (Beyoncé cover) - Sondre Lerche
2. Follow The Sun - Xavier Rudd
3. Let's Go - Matt & Kim
4. Born To - Jesca Hoop
5. B - Pinback
6. Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) - Silversun Pickups
7. Awake - Electric Guest
8. 1904 - The Tallest Man On Earth
9. The A Team - Ed Sheeran
10. Body Of Work - The Mynabirds
11. Paralyzed - Oddisee
12. Easy (DJP's Old School Edit) - Cro
13. Dance For You - Dirty Projectors
14. Something Good - Alt-J
15. America the Beautiful - Ray Charles

AND
We're going to try something new, folks. I made a Spotify playlist of this mix (and of my other past mixes). For some reason, it only shows you three of the tracks, but if you log in and subscribe, it should give you the whole thing? I don't know, this is all new to me!



NOTES:
1. What the... brilliant. I don't know why, but the way he says "boo"  really cracks me up.
4. This is a great song to go running to. Actually, this whole mix is pretty run-able.
6. A radio song. If you want another great Silversun Pickups track, listen to this.
9. Another radio favorite.
11. I think he is also sampling "I say a little prayer". Right?
12. This is what you find when you check out the top Spotify tracks in Germany. I like it.

A Poem for Thursday: "A Drinking Song" - William Butler Yeats

A Drinking Song

William Butler Yeats

Wine comes in at the mouth,

and love comes in at the eye;

that's all we shall know for truth

Before we grow old and die.

I lift the glass to my mouth,

I look at you, and I sigh.

God Bless America

Ith going to be the fourth tomowow of courth

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!! Tomorrow!!!!

Here's another United Way post!

CLICK HERERERERERERER!!!!!111!!!11!!!!!

 I was super lazy, and essentially copied and pasted a post from last year. And to continue plagiarizing myself, here is great video of Sufjan doing The Star-Spangled Banner, a song that I included on my July mix last year.

Amenities

I'm house-sitting for my aunt in Spanish Fork for the next week and a half. I sorta feel like this whenever I walk in the door:

Now, she may not have the same amenities as Tom Haverford, BUT she does have a fridge with a spout for water and ice. Fancy. 

Something for today

Just found a good blog for a Sunday:

Check out the blog here.

Read about if here.

I've been really missing my mission lately. I went to a zumba class Friday. The played this song, and I almost lost it. Oh dear.