Secure

This is the very first song of my college career. We had five minutes left the first day of class (after going over syllabus and stuff) And instead of dismissing us, Dr. Evans said, alright, lets read through this piece. That was the moment I knew I was going to love singing for Dr. Evans. Here is a link to the song.

http://www.beckenhorstpress.com/secure/

I have loved this song ever since my first day of class. The words are as follows. (I OWN NOTHING!...except the personal copy of the sheet music my friend bought for me for Christmas last year.)

A storm is raging, Lord.
The boat I sail is small and oh so frail.
The wind is blowing, Lord.
I cannot hold the course against the gale.

The Lightning strikes on every side, 
no where to run, no where to hide.
Your hand, oh Lord can hold the tide,
Lord, rescue me!

I am sinking, Lord.
The boat is taking water going down.
Part the waters, Lord.
I long to plant my feet on solid ground.

Oh Lord of earth, and sky, and sea.
Your hand is reaching out to me.
I know that you have heard my plea,
my hope is sure.

I am sinking, Lord.
The boat is taking water going down.
Part the waters, Lord.
I long to plant my feet on solid ground.

Oh Lord of earth, and sky, and sea.
Your hand is reaching out to me.
I know that you have heard my plea,
my hope is sure.

Oh Lord of earth, and sky, and sea,
your hand is reaching out to me;
I know that you have heard my plea
I am secure!

I Am Secure!

I AM SECURE!

So the reason I think I have fallen so much in love with this song is because it is such a perfect metaphor for my college experience.

I can't explain the number of times I have been sinking and just praying that I could have solid ground under me. I thought the "storms" were going to swallow me whole. I've wondered if I would be able to hold my course, I didn't know if I could stand up to all the trials I had been given.

In those times these lyrics would come to mind.

Oh Lord of earth, and sky, and sea,
your hand is reaching out to me;
I know that you have heard my plea
I am secure!

I was so glad I was able to learn this song and carry it with me from day 1 of college. I could never deny he was there and that he was reaching out for me. Without him I would have drowned years ago. I know he has heard my countless pleas, and with that knowledge.

I AM SECURE.

Reasons I don't fit the societal norms.

Every now and then I am reminded of how odd I am in the worlds eyes. And I'm okay with it entirely. Let me explain what I mean.

I am 24 years old and I am a VIRGIN, *gasp* I know. I'm a virgin because I choose to be.  I don't just mean I haven't had intercourse, at the extent of to much information, I don't masturbate, I've never had oral sex, I've never allowed anyone to touch my boobs or my pelvic area, except for medical professionals in professional medical situations. I have made a very thought out and conscious decision that I am waiting for marriage for that experience of physical intimacy.

If that isn't you, cool. We can still be friends, and I'm not going to think any less of you. All I care about is that you have thought about what you want and what is going to bring you the most happiness, and that it is always consenting on all sides.

Also, I don't look at porn. (and not just because I'm a girl, because more and more females are starting to view porn). I don't look at it a little bit, I don't check it out every now and then, I just don't look. Okay, disclaimer, I can't say I've never seen anything pornographic. I've had pop-ups come up before, and I've been to Vegas, where if you look down at the sidewalk, you see things you don't really always want to see. But I do not seek it out.

If you choose/have chosen to view it before, we can still be friends.

I have never consumed one drop of alcohol in my life. I know what you are thinking, "It's because you're a good little Mormon girl." While my religious beliefs to play a factor in this; the main reason I choose not to drink is because alcoholism runs in both sides of my family and I have addictive tendencies. I CHOOSE not to drink it, because if I never take the first swallow, I'll never be an alcoholic. I never want to surrender my power to an addiction of any kind.

If you drink, we can still be friends. Just promise me you won't drink and drive. It is a stupid decision not only because you put yourself in danger, but because you put other innocent people in danger.

I've also never smoked, never tried any kind of recreational drug.

 I am very religious to the point where you can't separate me and my religion. This doesn't mean I go around shoving it down your throat, it means I make those beliefs part of me. I never check my religion at the door. Does this mean I am perfect? Not by an stretch of the imagination. I have so many flaws I can't possibly count them. It means I try to be my best. I try to be a little better today than I was yesterday. I try to be kind and understanding. I try to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. I do my best not to be judgmental. I give service.

I also have several friends that are not of my faith and I still love them with everything in me. I don't have this hidden agenda of converting them, and they aren't busy trying to convert me. We just have mutual respect for each other, and we have wonderful friendships for it.

I just don't see the pleasure and joy in the lifestyles that most people want. For example, I had a kid in class once make a statement to the effect of "isn't that the life we all want? To have money and not have to work?" and all I could think was "no". What would be the point of not working? I don't mean become a workaholic, but what do you do all day if you don't work? I don't even mean a career. But there is housework, service work, yard work. Having all play time and not working actually doesn't sound appealing to me at all. When I have to much free time, I get lazy, and tired, and depressed. I don't have the energy to play all the time. I am happiest when I've worked. I think it's because deep down we were built to be productive.

I guess I just enjoy the idea of the simple life, and maybe I was just born in the wrong generation.

This isn't the most well thought out blog post I've ever written. It's been much more a stream of consciousness, but basically. I'm weird for the world we live in...and that's okay.

Viral videos

So I'm in a social media communication class and we have to do weekly blog posts, which I do on a different blog, but I liked my post this week about viral videos, so I thought I might share with you guys.

 All of us at some point have seen at least one viral video. So what is it about these videos that attract us to them? To answer this question I propose that we take 3 viral videos, examine them, and see if there is any common threads. (For random information’s sake, this is called a genre analysis.)

Let us start with what I would argue is the first viral video. The numa numa guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o

So, I don’t know if this is the original link or not, but it is at least a copy of the original video. But basically, it is a guy mouthing the lyrics and dancing to a song on his computer.

Part of me would argue that if this had some out today instead of 11 years ago it would not have gone viral. Back in 2004, when it first came out, not everyone had access to a video camera, nor were there millions of videos uploaded for public consumption every day, so the competition was sparse. I believe it went viral because many of us as teenagers made stupid videos like that in front of our computers, whether or not they were uploaded to the internet or not.

But this video makes us smile and want to dance along.

My second video is one that I found in my musings on facebook once and is an adorable duet between a father and his 4 year old daughter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpu0TIXzI1w

I believe this video went viral because it was refreshing to see a father with his daughter. They were just playing a song together. It was another one that made us smile, even though it wasn’t intended to be funny. They probably uploaded it so that extended family could see it, never anticipating it to be seen by millions of people.

And my last viral video is one by a TV sketch comedy called studio C, and this is their video called “Scott Sterling”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F9jXYOH2c0

This video was obviously meant to make you laugh, being made by a sketch comedy group. And or many people it did just that. Obviously of the 3 videos this one has the highest film quality. However, the interesting thing to not about this video is that they were actually in the middle of pushing 3 of their other videos to go viral and this one just happened to in the process.

So the common threads I have found amongst all of the videos are the following, the appeal to us in some way, there is a fidelity that we can relate to, be it when we were younger and made silly videos like Numa Numa on our computers, watching a father and daughter sing together, or that soccer is a very popular international sport. There is something familiar to us in all the videos.

Another common thread is that all of them make us smile. Maybe we don’t know why, but watching it brings at least a smirk to our face.

Our friends must have also liked it or we would never have seen the video being shared.  

Also, most of the videos that go viral were never intended to be viral, they happen by accident. And in face most people who go about trying to make something viral rarely succeed. It is something that only the public of the internet can deem worthy of being viral.

So next time you see a new viral video, stop and think about why it might be going viral, see if you can find some common threads and feel free to leave a comment below. 

Critical analysis of Sherlock's Best man speech

So, I'm in a communication criticism class this semester and it is fascinating.

To whoever doesn't know what that means, it means that I am learning different ways to critically analyze.

Want to know my most favorite thing about critical analysis?

THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS!!!!!!

As long as you can support your argument, it is valid.

So the most recent one (and the one I did a group presentation on today) we learned about was generic analysis, or analyzing genres.

There are 3 different ways to generically analyze.

Genre Description
What is the genre?

Genre Application
Is this "artifact" a good example of the genre?

Genre Participation
Does this "artifact" fit in the genre?

For information sake, an artifact is whatever it is you are deciding to analyze. A poem, a commercial, a speech, etc.

As I mentioned about I just did a group presentation on this and my group decided to do the genre of "best man speeches" and we did genre participation, however today, I want to give you an artifact I've analyzed using Genre application.

Now, in order to define your genre you must first view several artifacts and find the commonalities. You break these up in substantive, stylistic and situation elements. After these you create an overall Organizing principle, which is the why of all the elements.

Substantive elements are what words are being used, what is the speech of the thing. Stylistic is pretty much everything else that is non-verbal and in the environment. Situation is what has to happen for this to happen. Not every speech will have ALL of EVERY element, but the elements you identify will be common things among many of the artifacts that you would consider part of the genre. Specifically common things you would find in a best man speech.

Examples.

The Substantive elements that we found for the genre we have created of "Best Man speeches" are as follows.

-Compliments to the bride.
-Tell embarrassing stories from past or childhood.
-Talk about their relationship to either the bride or the groom.
-Tell Jokes
 -Congratulate the bride and groom
-Show excitement for the couple and the life they'll have together.
-Offer well-wishes

The Stylistic Elements we found

-They are usually wearing formal attire
-They are standing in close proximity to the couple
-It is spoken, and is presented live in front of the audience
-It is formal speech, but often also lighthearted
-Sincere and heartfelt near the end

And the Situation elements

-There has to be a wedding
-There has to be a best man offering the speech
-They need to have audience attention.

So with all of these common elements we came up with our organizing principle which is

"Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."

So, with this in mind, understanding that this is how, in this blog post, best man speeches and categorized.

Now, as I mentioned before I want to do an application analysis, meaning is the artifact that I choose a good representation of a best man speech according to the genre I have defined. I decided I wanted to analyze my most favorite best man speech ever, it's from the BBC show Sherlock, where Sherlock is offering his best man speech for John Watsons wedding. Now, the entire episode is pretty much the speech, so I don't want to do that, but this clip is my favorite part and the part I'm focusing in on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JfDRiV_Mkc 

(sorry about the quality, it's the only clip on youtube I could find)

So, this speech is the best and worst best man speech possible, but I think that it ultimately is a good representation of a best man speech.

It fulfills all the situation requirements, there is a wedding, he is the best man offering a speech and he has the audiences attention.

Now when it comes to stylistic elements, he is standing, and he is standing next to John, the groom and on Johns other side is Mary, the bride. So close proximity to the couple. He is presenting his speech live to the audience, and is speaking formally. The arguments that start arising is that he doesn't exactly speak lightheartedly, but he does get more heartfelt and sincere at the end.

So, substantive elements. This one is interesting because at the very beginning he says that he can't congratulate John. He doesn't really tell embarrassing stories, but he does embarrass John in this clip. Now, early in the episode he is searching for an anecdote to tell, and after this clip he does go into some stories and some funny tales about John. He does say that John is his best friend, establishing their relationship, also making the argument stronger when Sherlock states that he never thought he would be anybodies best friend. He doesn't really tell any jokes, but Sherlock doesn't really know how to make jokes. Now, it's the end of the speech that gets me. The entire time he is talking about how he can't congratulate John, and then in a moment he realizes that he can. When he looks to Mary and says that she deserves John, he states that it is the "highest compliment of which he is capable." To me, that is a greater compliment than the obligatory "look how beautiful she is" That is one reason I would argue that this is an excellent best man speech, because everything in it is sincere and honest because Sherlock doesn't live by social norms. I think that little smile he gives when he realizes that he can congratulate John is the closest thing to excitement your going to get out of Sherlock in a situation like this.

His well wish at the end is when he stated that John was sitting between to two people who love him most and that he is never going to let them down.

So, now we go back to the organizing principle and if it falls into that category, than it is a good representation. As a reminder the organizing principle was "Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."


Now, as we can see he did acknowledge the past relationships and he did transition into approval and promise that he would always be there for both of them. At the very end of the episode after playing a waltz for them, is when he promises to always protect the newly weds. I believe that that is Sherlocks way of transitioning into a hopeful future.

So there you go, my analysis of the Sherlocks best man speech and why it is a good representation of a best man speech, although unorthodox.

My very late Thanksgiving post

So, as mentioned in an earlier post, I had surgery the week of Thanksgiving, so due to the number of pain killers I was one, I wasn't really inclined to write much of anything. And then life exploded and I forgot.

So, 24 Thanksgivings I've been alive, so 24 things I'm grateful for.

1. That my life seems to be falling into some sort of order.

My life has been crazy and emotional and just directionless for the last few years. And finally this year it seems like things are getting better, or at least more organized. I have an official major, I have good friends, a small but steady income, a social life, and a lot more self-respect/esteem/worth than I use too. (according to my friends). I am so far from having it figured out that it isn't even funny, but, I at least have it figured out a little.

2. My dear friends.

I have so many dear friends that I can't even count them. I am so grateful for them. They still love me when I'm crazy or emotional. And I love them so much.

3. My amazing roommates!!!!!

I have had a rough string of roommates and this year I have the most amazing ones. They are just amazing. We haven't had one fight all year. We legitimately care about each other. We laugh with each other, joke with each other, and help each other when we have miserable days. I just love these girls and I'm so sad that we won't get to be roommates next year. (ones getting married and the other is graduating)

4. My little old car that keeps plugging along.

My car hates me, and just wants me to let it die, but it keeps running, one way or another. It's the little Saturn that could. And while it's nothing special, it is mine and I'm grateful for it.

5. Maple Jams.

So, some friends in our building and I get together once or twice a month and we Jam. We invite friends, we bring food and for a few hours we just play music. We call it the "Maple Jam". And it is so much fun. I always bring my guitar but end up playing the egg shaker most of the night and singing. We have violins, piano, bass, guitar, kazoo, an African drum and ukulele that come every time. We do blues, modern, hymns, folk songs, and just anything anyone wants to play. Everyone else just starts making up parts along with it. It is so much fun to be back in a musical space where no one is judging or critiquing anyone and we are just having fun. If you try to harmonize and end up sounding tone deaf, no one cares. I just love having music back for no other reason than everyone there loves it.

6. An education.

I have definitely been getting an education. Yes, I have my formal education that I've been getting from Utah State. But, outside the classroom life has been giving me sooooooooooo much education. Life is always going to throw you curve balls, I'm glad I'm finally learning how to take thise curve balls as an opportunity to learn instead of letting them just hit me in the face for no reason.

7. Sunshine.

I can go about a week without the sun before it really starts messing with me. I love the sun.

8. Rain

I love the rain as much as the sun. It brings life and refreshes and smells amazing!

9. Transportation.

There are so many ways to get around it's incredible! Think about how amazing humans are! We got sick of walking, so we learned how to ride animals, we wanted to go faster so we invented the train, we wanted to go faster still so we invented the car. Was that fast enough? NO! So we invented the plane, which also helped replace boats, when it comes to international travel. I'm so glad we don't just have to walk, but that other options allow us to explore more of the world around us.

10. Family

As crazy and disfunctional as we can be, I'm stuck with them. So I love them. :)

11. Music

I don't know if there are enough words to express my love of music. No, I couldn't survive a music program, though I gave it my best. But that didn't stop me from loving it. From using it to feel things. Music is what emotions feel like. I struggle with emotions, I don't know how to process them, let alone show them. But music, that is where I can process and feel and share. Music has such a power to influence or accent how we feel. I am grateful everyday for music. Without it I would be lost.

12. Cooking

I love cooking. I love that (generally) it makes sense. I love that good food, good friends, and good conversation bring people together. I love that a good meal can make a bad day good. I love the smell of chocolate chip cookies and the face that people have when they are around it. I just love it.

13. TV.

I don't like to watch them endlessly, but sometimes you need to sit and veg and I'm glad that I can just put in a movie or tv show and escape reality for a little while.

14. Stories

We all have so many stories to tell, real and fictional. I love being able to hear and share them.

15. Gentleman

Yes, they do still exist. I know several of them. They walk me home. They open doors for me. They help me with dishes when I have them over. The will offer their seats. They will offer their coats. They treat me with respect. I know that for some stupid reason it is becoming unpopular to be a gentleman, but I am so grateful for every gentleman that I know, and if I am blessed with boys someday, I will teach them to be gentleman, with no shame or care for how the world views them. Because every woman, even if she doesn't act like it, deserves to be treated with sincere respect.

16. That I have learned from the Gentleman that I deserve respect.

This has taken far longer to accept than I care to respect. I have this habit of being "one of the guys" and as such, for many years theses gentleman I knew would still sometimes forget that I am also a girl and deserve the same respect they gave other women. (although, in their defense, I was really bad at accepting it.) Then all these other men started coming into my life that didn't care if I wanted to accept it or not, they were going to respect me and treat me like the lady they saw me (and all women) to be. I am very grateful for these men.

17. Blankets.

I love curling up in blankets at the end of a day. It's wonderful.

18. The Temple.

I had the opportunity to go through and receive my Endowment last month and it was wonderful. I just love the Temple. It is always beautiful and peaceful.

19. The seasons

Every season has it's own beauty, and I love them all! I struggle in summer, because I don't do well with heat, but I still love the vibe and beauty of summer. Early mornings and late nights, enjoying the cool weather. I love spring and how everything comes to life. I love playing in the snow and the joy of sipping hot chocolate after. I love the fall colors and refreshing crispness of the air.

20. The opportunity to work hard.

All the things that have been worth anything in my life don't come easy. I may not be as hard a worker as I wish I was, but I'm glad I've learned how to work harder than I use to. Hard work is so rewarding. You know you accomplished something. And then when the time comes that you have time to sit and watch tv, you don't feel guilty.

21. The people in my life that have been so kind to my younger brother.

My younger brother has aspergers, so he really struggles with social situations. He now lives next door to me just so I can kind of help keep an eye on him if anything goes drastically wrong. His roommates are wonderful. They are patient, kind and understanding. Others of my friends learned this and would go out of their way to be kind to him. Then, some of them took it a step further and sucked him into their little world of D&D, so now he leaves the house at least once or twice a week to go play with people. There are not words to express how grateful I am for this.

22. Chef Salad

I just love chef salads, I think they are so good. I just love them.

23. My ability to mostly function even when I haven't slept.

I have this problem where sometimes I don't sleep. It can cause one to be very tired. And while I will be tired the entire day after I haven't slept, and sometimes more, I can still seem to keep it together enough to function. I don't know how, and I don't enjoy trying to function while I'm that tired, but I'm glad I can do it.

24. That I am learning to be kinder, more grateful, more patient, more understanding, and just growing.

I am so far from perfect that it isn't even funny. But, I am so much more than I use to be. I don't blow up at the drop of a hat anymore. I'm learning to see all the little things to be grateful for everyday. I am learning more and more how to understand that where people come from and what they know is just as valid as mine and it makes up who they are. I am so glad that we are not meant to be stagnant, but constantly learning. It's a blessing to many people don't take advantage of.

probably the funniest status update I've ever written.

So, my parents just moved, right? And they are downsizing because they don't feel the need for a big house when none of their children live at home anymore. So while they were down sizing they got rid of a lot of stuff...a lot of my stuff. I chose to think it was kind of funny. As a result I wrote a facebook status to portray how it felt...

and according to everyone who has read it, it is probably the funniest status I have ever written. so...I decided I'd share it with you.

"How my mother makes back all the money she loans me while I'm a broke student.

DISCLAIMER: Conversations may have been distorted and not accurately transcribed as events occurred for comedic relief and because I'm a sarcastic little brat sometimes.  But all of the following did happen.

(over the course of several months)

Me- "Hey mom, how are you?"
Mom- "Oh good, by the way, that chair you love and kind of claimed because it fits you perfectly, we're getting rid of it.
Me- BUT!
Mom- Sorry.

Me" Hey mom, how are you today?"
Mom- Good, oh, by the way, we are getting rid of your computer desk, don't worry we took all of your stuff out of it first.
Me-...uh...okay...

Me- Hey mom, how's it going?
Mom- good, i may have to go soon someone is coming to get the dressers.
Me-What dressers?
Mom- the white ones with the colored handles you've had since you were little.
Me- You're getting rid of my dresser?!! BUT I LOVE IT!!!
Mom- sorry.

Me- hey mom, how are you?
Mom- good, oh by the way...you don't have a bed anymore..."

and then it continued through the comments, which I will try to post here...somehow...

• Barbie. Hey, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. Just too bad it doesn't even begin to come close. 

  December 10, 2014 at 1:44pm · Edited · Like
• 

  Mandy- guess it's a good thing I live in furnished apartments.

  December 9, 2014 at 10:37am · Like · 1
• 

  Sharon-  You two are a comedy team! 

  December 9, 2014 at 10:39am · Unlike · 1
• 

  Barbie- By the way, you know your stereo?

  December 9, 2014 at 10:40am · Like
• 

  Mandy - ...are you serious...?

  December 9, 2014 at 10:41am · Like
• 

  Barbie

  

  December 9, 2014 at 10:44am · Like
• 

  Barbie-  This stereo would love to go to a good home. Best offer?

  December 9, 2014 at 10:46am · Like
• 

  Barbie - Dad says you're now in debtor's prison and we have to sell your assets.

  December 9, 2014 at 10:47am · Like
• 

  Mandy - ....can't I get extra time for good behavior or something?

  December 9, 2014 at 10:49am · Like
• 

  Kimberly- Hahahahahahaha!!! This whole thing is one massive win! My family is bananas!

  December 9, 2014 at 11:00am · Unlike · 2
• 

  Barbie - We're looking for more, Mandy. Let's see. I think there is a bunch of other stuff in your closet. Hmmm.

  December 9, 2014 at 11:03am · Like · 1
• 

  Faye- Sorry Mandy

  December 9, 2014 at 11:20am · Like · 1
• 

  Constance- So funny.....

  December 9, 2014 at 12:58pm · Like
• 

  Barbie And here go the bed and desk.

  

  December 13, 2014 at 10:37am · Like · 1
• 

  Mandy- ... thanks...

  December 13, 2014 at 11:12am · Like · 1
• 

  Barbie- Love you.

  December 13, 2014 at 11:13am · Like
• 

  Mandy- 

  December 13, 2014 at 11:13am · Like · 1
• 

  Barbie

  

  December 16, 2014 at 10:43am · Like
• 

  Mandy 

  December 16, 2014 at 10:54am · Like · 1
• 

  GaeLene - Is that the trampoline I used to have???

  December 16, 2014 at 11:02am · Like · 1
• 

  Barbie- Yes, it is.

  December 16, 2014 at 11:27am · Like
• 

  Barbie- Guess there's nothing left to sell.

  

  December 16, 2014 at 11:28am · Like · 1
• 

  Sharon 

  December 16, 2014 at 1:03pm · Like · 1
• 

  Mandy That room looks weird empty

  December 16, 2014 at 1:38pm · Like · 2
• 

  Barbie- Yes, it does.

wow...i think that might have worked...

So yeah, that is the story of the funniest status I think I've ever written.

so...enjoy.