Here I am.
I'm pretty sure this goes on here somehow?? Welcome and Thank You for visiting my burgeoning blog! Ascent Life, Live Large!
A Stroll of Park City Galleries on a Monday Morning / Journal Assignment #2
After a bleak and brown one hour drive passing a dozen dead does (and one buck), grotesquely laid to rest in the median, I enthusiastically arrived on Main Street in Park City, Utah, primed to witness colorful awe-inspiring art. Anxious and without direction, I began my leisurely stroll up and down the resort towns off season, fairly empty, morning sidewalks in search of a stimulating and cultural experience. My morning quickly turned into a lesson in what not to do but in the end I was learned and impressed enough to qualify myself as a moderately versed guide to the Park City art scene.
...<< MORE >>My Sister is Famous!
You know her as April, I know her as... April, and that's just the beginning. She mingles with the star's at the Sundance Film Festival and name drops like Dennis Miller at a Saturday Night Live Reunion. She is a world famous model, or at least her petite frame has circled the world through posters and well, the internet. She has posed artistically for the who's who of sculptors, painters, and artisans. She commands looks from bass players of the largest punk rock bands and I'm sure this is only what she tells me. The uncounted events of fraternizing with the A-lister's is a secret only April will know and I will remain forever envious.
Her latest escapade with an up and coming super-star has April once again ahead of the rest of us mortals. She has the uncanny ability not to just meet the distinguished but instead, instantly bond, exchange life dreams, and become life partners (not in the gay way). You may have heard of Kerli, the super hot, Euro-glam goth, musician who...<< MORE >>
Dallas Cowboys Stadium / Artist Research Assignment #2
When one thinks architecture, one usually doesn’t immediately visualize the sport of football and the magnificent stadiums that coincide with the physical pastime. As the Roman Colosseum once held gladiators who fought for fame and life, modern day American football stadiums also host contemporary gladiators whom play for fame and love of sport in some of the most spectacular venues ever built.<<< MORE >>
Thomas D. Mangelsen Gallery / Journal Assignment #1
( Polar Kiss - Thomas D. Mangelsen )
I visited the Thomas D. Mangelsen Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on a sunny September afternoon. Just married and driving home from Yellowstone National Park with my new wife, we decided to take advantage of our geographic location and check out some galleries. We actually toured two galleries, the other being David Brookover – Fine Art Photography. Brookover’s gallery was mostly black and white landscape photographs that were interesting but Mangelsen’s gallery really conjured up many thoughts and questions in which some I continue to ponder.
Cory Oberndorfer / Artist Research Assignment #1
Cory Oberndorfer is a grounded and stubborn artist with local roots, a humorous style, and a killer marketing plan. When someone in our nation’s capitol spies a monochromatic roller-girl splashed with pop-candy or fresh fruit, they know it’s an Oberndorfer. Cory began his spirited art journey at Weber State University. In a personal interview with Cory, he admitted difficulty with gaining acceptance into Weber State’s undergrad art program. After getting rejected twice he was finally accepted into the undergrad program on his third attempt. When probed about how rejection affects him, Cory responded with, “It motivates me.” Cory took full advantage of being involved with Weber State’s art program by initiating and becoming president of... << MORE >>
Kings Peak Prevails (Part Two - Summit Day!)
Todd and I hit the mummy bags after our arduous trudge through the night and I made the terribly wrong decision to let Harry the Super-Dog sleep in the tent. Harry had an evil case of the High Uintah farts! There is not much room in a three man tent after packing in all the gear which we had to do in order to make sure everything stayed dry through the night so adding the acid gas expelling, skunk killing, egg carcass spewing dog was absolutely not pleasant. Harry "butted" up against me all night mainly because there was no where else to go, therefore my sleep patterns jostled between move from this side of the rock jabbing me in the side, to quickly cover my face so it doesn't melt off from Harry's weapon of mass destruction. It's funny though...<< MORE >>
Kings Peak Prevails (Part One - The Plan)
The Kings Peak epic weekend adventure began on Sunday August third, when I got this hair brained idea to "Summit" Kings Peak. I have never backpacked and camped overnight in the back country or summited a mountain, let alone the highest mountain in the state of Utah.
I googled "Kings Peak" and "Backpacking Inventory," to put together an exhausting list of items needed to prepare for this virgin adventure. I soon realized I was missing quite a bit of gear and the important stuff too, like a water filtration system, backpacking stove, sleeping pads, headlamps, oh and a decent light weight, rain proof tent! Thank goodness for Weber State University's "Wilderness Recreation Center," where I was able to rent most of the missing gear for super cheap.
I was able to recruit Todd, my sister's boyfriend to boldly join me on this whimsical endeavor. So together we planned << MORE >>
Utah's Get Rich Quick Mentality
Utah’s Get‐Rich‐Quick Mentality
What is the problem?
The desire to "get‐rich‐quick" is rapidly becoming a social problem nationally but specifically in Utah! An uneducated or hastened decision to accept a risk (investment) to "get ahead" financially can have just the opposite effect. According to Wikipedia, a get‐rich‐quick scheme is defined as "a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. Most such schemes promise that participants can obtain this high rate of return with little risk"(wikipedia.org/wiki/get_rich_quick). Get –rich‐quick schemes can be either legal such as investment training software or reselling e‐books on "how to get rich," to quasi‐legal schemes such as MLM’s, to illegal schemes in which Mr. Charles Ponzi , first made famous in the early 1900’s. The Ponzi scheme was the original get‐rich‐quick scheme. Charles Ponzi scammed investors promising a 50% return on their money then used money from other investors to make good on only some accounts allowing most to believe he could do what he said for everyone. Ponzi went from making a reported $250,000 a day to living his last years in poverty (wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ponzi).
Utah is a hotbed of MLM (multi‐level‐marketing) companies offering "income opportunities" to a socially accepting population. As an example if you go to a Utah Jazz game the cheerleaders are "Nu Skin Jazz Dancers," as witnessed right on the official website of the Utah Jazz (NBA.com/Jazz). Nu Skin is a multi‐level marketing company that sells skin care and other health care products along with an "opportunity." Nu Skin products have been highlighted in national magazines such as the...<< MORE >>
Rob Reiner: Three Decades of Directing
The following is a copy of my term paper on Rob Reiner for this semester's Intro to Film Course. It received an 'A' grade. Don't plagiarize, I'm best friends with Karma!
Rob Reiner: Three Decades of Directing
Rob Reiner has been directing films over the last three decades. Reiner has directed everything from cult classics such as “This is Spinal Tap,” and “The Princess Bride,” to memorable romantic comedies like “When Harry Met Sally,” and “The Sure Thing,” and these films only depict work completed in the 1980s. (IMDb) Reiner experimented with more serious films in the 1990s earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture with “A Few Good Men.” Most recently, Reiner enjoyed success with the heartwarming tale of two chronically ill patients who befriend and live timelessly in “The Bucket List.”
Beginning with “This is Spinal Tap,” the original mock-rockumentary directed in 1984, Reiner takes us behind the scenes of a fictitious and failing rock band. Reiner himself plays the part of “acclaimed commercial director,” Marti DiBergi. Reiner does not cameo as much as Hitchcock, but he does later play the part of “Wirschafter,” a publisher, in his 2003 directed film, “Alex and Emma.”
Reiner’s character DiBergi carries on band interviews with the infamous rock band “Spinal Tap,” which mocks the intellect of rock-stars, portrays every asinine rock cliché and the use of blatant seriousness is irony at its best.<< MORE >>
This Is Only a Test!
Why Blog? Now 34 years old and without a university degree or stable direction in life, I have acted upon my exposed vulnerabilities by re-enrolling in higher education. I make a living in the mortgage industry as a loan processor which is not Living Large by the way. But, I don't want to be a processor for ever so I must take action. School is only part of the plan. At least now I have a focus, a reason, a desire to improve which is what a student needs to be successful. My major is Technical Writing (please ignore my current writing errors because I have not begun my Major courses as yet), with a minor in Photography and I hope to one day own my own Publishing Company and Lifestyle Magazine. If that fails at the very least I want to position myself to qualify for work with an outdoor adventure magazine like Backpacker, Alpinist, Climbing, Rock and Ice, or National Geographic Adventure!
Blogging will enable me to collect my thoughts, hone my presumptive writing skills, and hopefully inform and inspire others to Live Large. As I blog, the true definition of Living Large will emerge and others will self define Living Large. But, in the greater context, Living Large is living the best life you can possibly live on a day to day basis. So is 34 to old to start over and begin to Live Large? I'm not sure. This too may only be a test.
The "Large" Plan Step one: I've already mentioned education, which will be accomplished through obtaining knowledge through college courses at my local university. I'm currently a Sophomore at Weber State University, ( I love Weber by the way), and my current indoctrination classes for Summer Semester are Intro to Micro, Intro to Film and Social Problems. I loved my Social problems class because it dealt with the human conditions as imposed by society and how to solve these imbroglios. This class was only four time crunching weeks and I pulled an "A." I'm hoping Living Large will help others conquer their own personal and social problems so they may overcome any negative impediments society has inequitably burdened them with. I'll use my self financed education to place myself in the best position for success. Something many people do and many others don't but persistent enlightenment should be a weapon in everyone's Living Large Arsenal. "One of the greatest Zen masters said he would learn from anyone who was more enlightened, even a seven-year-old child; and he would give advice to anyone who was less enlightened, even a hundred-year-old elder." -The Art of Wealth (Thomas Clearly)
Enlightenment and education is a start but it doesn't pay the bills. "Hey mister Comcast guy, Let me tell you about who discovered DNA or maybe you would like to know about the principles of Film Noir?" Nope, that is definitely not going to satisfy the Comcast bill. So for step two, stay tuned. I can't possibly disclose all my ideas in one blog. What's the fun in that? I leave you with this, true success is a long and arduous adventure; I've heard and must believe this because I'm reluctantly in the "journey" part. So, Join me in reaching the pinnacle of success as we explore what it takes to rise above and Live Large! I'm hoping in the end this will not be...only a test. utahlivinglarge.com