Blog Reflection

Almost there.

As the semester comes to a close, I will be glad for one thing: assignments and homework will temporarily be suspended for a precious two weeks until it all begins anew. Reflecting on this class, particularly, I must say that I genuinely enjoyed blogging this semester. I had a pretty steady habit from day 1 as I logged some of my life events and thoughts on here, a habit that might have been rooted deep enough for me to continue this thing. Who knows?

I tried to avoid boring you, my classmates, with nonsense or useless entries. I hope that enough of the posts were thought-provoking, fun, or interesting enough for you to want to read more. I consider my blog a success if (1) You wanted to keep reading through much of it and (2) It accomplished some good, whether that was inspiration or fun or just something useful for you.

Thanks for a great semester, everybody! Finish strong!

Official Petition for Mick to Come to Class!

Dear fellow students,

Where has Mick gone? Did an accidental overdose of the Thanksgiving Turkey's Tryptophan send him into a two-week comatose? We are obligated to send out a cyber search party for our fellow classmate!

Mick, if you're out there reading this, come back.

Warmly,

Your Eng. 150 classmates

Nate's Clean Cuts (Personal Narrative)

I walked up our neighbor's driveway and knocked on their door. An older woman greeted me.

"I'm Nate", I said, "and I'd like to mow your lawn for you."

Mrs. Scott became the very first of my four customers that summer, and after speaking with our other neighbors, I had a little lawn mowing business going: Nate's Clean Cuts. I walked home and began working on flyers and handouts for my small business that I was certain would go global. I was only 12, but I knew this would be the world's best lawn mowing business.

As the weeks wore on, I biked past the lawns on my way to my friends' homes. These lawns were now my responsibility, I realized, and I would decide when they needed to be cut.

The first lawn I cut was none other than Mrs. Scott's. As I rolled our little lawn mower up her driveway, I realized I hadn't looked at their backyard when we discussed the cost of each service I was to render. I hoped that our $16 agreement wouldn't soon seem foolish in the case of a sudden 10-acre surprise in the backyard. I walked back and looked: there wasn't much there, but there was a very steep hill--and I suddenly realized this was why Mrs. Scott couldn't mow her lawn.

But no matter, I started up my mower and trimmed away. As I walked my mower down the hill, I dug my heels into the grass so I wouldn't slide too much. As I turned the mower uphill for my next go, I put my shoulder against the handlebar of the mower and pushed, my legs driving my small frame up the hill as fast as I could. Time after time I repeated this process until the backyard was finally done.

The last part of the lawn to mow was my favorite: around the trees in the yard. It was the cherry on my little chore: as I pushed my mower up to the tree, I carefully steered the mower in circles around it, slowly expanding my path until I was satisfied with the cut. I walked to the driveway and looked at my work. It was beautiful. A perfectly trimmed lawn, complete with beautiful crop-circle-like artwork around each tree.

The process continued week after week, and as the summer months wore on, I perfected my craft of caring for these lawns. I loved driving down our little street, each time passing the many lawns I mowed on our street. They were beautiful.

I spoke with my mother about what to do with all of my newfound finances and we decided

to set up a bank account for me. I was so excited: not only was I starting my first bank account,

but I also had a place to put my money that winter. It would be perfect for my next business

that I would start as soon as I put away my lawn mower for the year and get out the

shovels for the falling Minnesota snow.

Election Results

I stayed up until 4 a.m.

But it is nothing new. I have always loved elections. My dad told me of the first time I was captivated by an election and wanted to watch it: I was nine years old.

This election I tracked each major network, watched for updates online, and texted live updates for my family. Although I was certainly pleased with the results of the election, it was not merely because more conservatives are going to Washington. I am pleased with the election results because they help remedy what I consider to be a gross oblivion to the will of the electorate, demonstrated by our current congress and administration.

We will have to see how well this new congress does. Hopefully they don't turn a deaf ear to the people--the people who ensure they are heard every election.

Education and Exams

Imagine. The bell is about to ring in your last class of the day as the professor announces that he will not be releasing any slides from class, will not post a study guide, and will not be disclosing which subjects are on the coming test. He encourages you to study well.

Really?

I always wonder what the professor's real objective is when he seems so determined to conceal information from students. The first thought that enters my mind when I hear about another restriction on course materials is the words from one of my favorite professors who said: "In all my years of educational research, I have never found any evidence to support the notion that withholding information helps facilitate learning."

How true.

Although I know that most of my professors will never read this post, if I could ask some of them a question, I would ask them what motivates their obsession to restrict information in their courses? Do they really want their students to learn or are they primarily focused on making the class difficult? Do they understand that they can release information, release a study guide, and then simply expect a deeper understanding of the principles they test on?

It seems to me that our education could be more efficient and effective if more professors would readily release information and simply expect more of their students.

Don't you think?

Where Does Happiness Come From?

As a full-time missionary, I learned one thing real quick: I didn't know everything.

There seemed to be no end to the barrage of philosophical questions aimed to test my knowledge of, well, everything. I typically chose to answer their first question (or two) and then highlight a unique doctrine of the gospel to help these people realize there were more important things to think about than their philosophical whimsies.

When I did engage in a more philosophically-dominated discussion, however, we would often reach the same conclusion: people should do what makes them truly happy. It was here that I would argue that true happiness isn't always derived from doing what seems easiest or most fun in the immediate future. For example, a man who dedicates eight years of his life to study medicine and then enjoys a life of earning an extraordinary salary while doing what he truly loves (including a sense of fulfillment, purpose, and an early retirement) is certainly happier than someone who drops out of high school and works minimum hours at jobs he hates throughout his life, never being able to afford a real retirement.

Who has a happier life? Who worked harder?

In our world today, more and more people seem to believe that the easiest way is the happiest way. "If only I could escape my job and just relax," we secretly think to ourselves. But is happiness really a mere absence of responsibility? If so, it would certainly seem a waste that so many people spend their time in difficult and seemingly extraneous endeavors.

Are we wasting our time with school, jobs, and service projects? Should we just find the easy way and change our course?

Absolutely. Not.

The reason we stay involved in these activities is because it is worth it to us. It is the same reason that anyone does anything. It is because they want to. Even a child who is "forced" to do their homework would rather submit to their parents' wish than run away from home. Even though I am "forced" to take tests, do homework, etc. I chose to submit myself to them because it seems a better alternative than failing out of college, wasting all the money I've invested and spend the rest of my life making burritos.

I want to.

So the trick to making our lives better is to find the things that bring us the most happiness and CHANGE our desires so that we WANT to do those things. We would rather be eaten by mosquitoes while we mow our yard so we can avoid having an overgrown lawn. We would rather lose sleep studying than fail the test. We truly do want to do everything that we do. This is the essence of agency.

So what if we aren't happy with the grades we have? We must learn to want them more than the activities that detract us from studying more, understanding more, and getting better grades. Thus the time-tested, overused but true statements like "You can do anything you put your mind to". They're not original ideas anymore, but they are true.

So it is with the gospel. The scriptures teach us the things that we are to want. They teach us what we can do to want them more. They teach us how the Lord will help us to change our very natures so that we can assimilate His attributes. And when He blesses us, we are happy. Why? Because He made us. He knows what makes us happy and what doesn't. He knows which things are worth our time and which are not.

Why don't we listen to Him more often?

Because we don't want to. Yet.

Political Activism

I am a politically active citizen. I love being involved and contributing to the improvement of my school and city. I've volunteered for all types of political roles ranging from a city council contributer to a national party volunteer.

That said, I think that this coming election has nothing to do with lifelong political enthusiasts. This election has everything to do with ordinary people who will not stand idly by and witness the decomposition of our political system. I urge anyone who reads this to 1. vote in the coming election and 2. take note of the dismantling of your federal government in recent years and identify the best CANDIDATES (not parties) to fix it

I will let you decide which issues are important to you, but please listen to both sides sincerely (to the point where you could argue for both sides)...I think that if you can't argue for both sides, you're probably not informed thoroughly. Then make an intelligent decision. Even prayerfully.

Go get 'em. Make a difference.

Corporate Fraud

We're learning about some pretty interesting things in my accounting class right now. We've been learning the most common types of white collar crime and how those crimes are typically carried out. It's been fascinating to see how people of integrity are so necessary in our corporate world: apart from corruption, skimming, larceny, fake billing, and other more prominent forms of deliberate fraud, many companies struggle to prevent more common but nonetheless damaging forms of fraud such as time wasting. I think that is something that we can all work on, to some degree. As we near graduation and go on to represent various corporations, we should make a concerted effort to represent ourselves, our school, and the church in our day-to-day interactions.

...so I hope you're not reading this at work :)

Research Topic

Alrights guys.

So the working topic for my research paper is Politicians' Economics and the Spread of Misinformation: Do Politicians Affect How Americans Perceive Economic Reality?

I would greatly appreciate your feedback about this. Let me know :)

Paco

Submitted Editorial to the Daily Universe

Giving BYU a black eye?

As the saying goes: “Praise the bridge that carried you over”. It’s ironic, I know, but I’m going to briefly complain about complainers. While I understand and sympathize with the frustrations that are frequently voiced in our paper (insufficient parking, the restrictions on RB use during your semester off, and that noisy person that seems oblivious to the fact that there are other people in the library during finals week), we should also bear in mind the exceptional opportunities afforded us at Brigham Young University.

We receive an Ivy League education for a community college price and many of our academic disciplines boast top-notch programs. We’re consistently recognized for having one of the best libraries in the country and for how closely undergraduates work with professors. The Princeton Review even ranks us #14 in their “School Runs like Butter” category. We are part of a prestigious, well-known, and incredible institution.

Are there imperfections? Yes. Is there room for improvement? Of course (I have read some fantastic suggestions in this paper). But we are also surrounded by tremendous blessings and opportunities. As we keep making suggestions and working to improve this great university, let’s just be careful not to let our grumblings step on our gratitude.

Nathan McBride

Prior Lake, Minnesota

Business School Time

It's an exciting time for me right now.

I'm in the process of applying to the business school. I am certainly excited about the prospects of starting there next semester and pushing forward with my life plans. If you don't know, I'm preparing for a career in the aerospace industry and would like to focus on strategy or supply chain. Either way, I want to use my natural interest for finding and fixing inefficiencies. I anticipate the coming years which will be full of classroom experiences geared to exactly what I'm interested in. This will be complemented with internship opportunities which will enhance my business experiences and more fully prepare me for my career. Although these kinds of things will not replace what really makes me happy-which is the Lord and my family, I will certainly enjoy school even more!

Conference Rhetorical Analysis

Now that conference has come to an end, I am at the apex of what I call "Conference Syndrome". Looking back at all of the messages that were given, I think I am most fond of the remarks made by President Uchtdorf.For those unfamiliar with his remarks, he likens the expert handling of an aircraft through turbulence to the expert handling of our lives through difficult times. He points out that an expert pilot knows to slow his or her aircraft through bad weather, while a more inexperienced pilot is often tempted to speed up to "get through" such weather. Slowing down, he teaches, helps reduce the "jarring" that we all dislike so much, while speeding up actually exsacerbates it. He used his credibility as an experienced pilot as well as ethos to help teach his message about getting through tough times in life.

President Uchtdorf first compares an ameteur pilot with a seasoned pilot. He contrasts how the two might differ in their handling of the aircraft through turbulence; his assesment is valid and trusted because he has previously established his credibility. His ethos is secured by his flight experience and expertise, both of which are widely known by members of the church.

As President Uchtdorf details the procedure for handling of turbulence, it is easy for any listener (who has flown, at least) to relate to the uncomfortable circumstance that it is. Many in the audience likely recalled their own experience of flight terror and listened even more attentively to what President Uchtdorf said about flying through it.

While I admittedly did not actively analyze the rhetoric he used while I was listening on Saturday, I certainly enjoyed his talk...now I understand a little bit more about why.

Conference Weekend

This weekend is my favorite weekend of the year. It's General Conference weekend: an opportunity for me to listen to the living apostles and prophets. The first session was broadcast this morning and it was great. Elder Holland spoke about the importance of "helpers" in God's kingdom. President Uchtdorf also spoke,, directing most of his comments about returning to the basics during the storms of life: using a flight analogy to emphasize his point. Just like a plane must slow down in turbulence-as a car must slow down on a speed bump-we too must slow down and think about what is most important when we run into troubles in our life.

If you happened to miss the first session, make sure to watch the others throughout today!

VGA Netflix Magic

I just stuck it to the man.

I bought a ten-dollar HDMI cable. This magic cable will allow me to load Netflix on my computer and then plug my computer into my TV, thus, watching Netflix on my TV. Although I don't watch TV very often (besides the news), I do enjoy watching movies with my wife. It's a small victory for me to be able to circumvent expensive subscription fees or pay-per-view services and simply watch whatever is on my computer on my TV. It's a small joy, but a joy nonetheless.

English Overhaul

I will admit, learning gets to me sometimes.

This semester, I'm not only taking an English 150 class (for which this blog is required), but I am also enrolled in MCOM 320: Communication in Organizational Settings. While both classes have different approaches to teaching the basics of our language, they both are beginning to occupy my thinking outside of the classroom. I can't listen to news anchors or commercials and not notice improper grammar ("I" instead of "me", "him" instead of "he", punctuation errors, etc.). I also can't help but evaluate whether someone is trying to appeal to my logos, pathos, or perhaps just establish their own ethos. I didn't care what those words were three weeks ago, and now they're taking over my life.

Oh well. I guess It'll just learn me to write more better :)

BYU's Benefits

Ironically, I want to complain about complainers.

As I've read through many of the editorials in the Daily Universe lately, they often seem to contain negative and borderline bitter articles about BYU's stance or policy about this or that. Although I could likewise cite some things about BYU which I think need changing (talk to me about parking and I'll express the same sentiment as most of you), but I suggest that we don't let our observations (and subsequent suggestions for improvement) blind us from noticing all of the good here. BYU is an incredible school:

We all know we are receiving a world-class education at a community college price. BYU programs rank among the very best in the country. The program to which I am currently applying, the undergraduate business program, is currently ranked #11 in the country. Its annual cost is one-ninth of the top-ranked program. It easily boasts the lowest tuition in the top 50 rankings, and probably beyond (the list I looked at ended at #50). This same kind of academic excellence is not particular to the business program: many other programs at BYU such as the law school, nursing program, are graduating very competitive recruits in their respective fields, too.

What about devotionals and our constant access to our spiritual leaders that is unmatched anywhere in the world? What about a large and thriving intramural program? What about a beautifully-manicured campus that is maintained primarily by students? How about one of the biggest and best libraries in the country? BYU just surpassed Harvard as the nation's "most popular university", measured by the proportion of accepted students who enroll in the school.

We have a lot of wonderful things here, and while I think it's certainly healthy to identify areas for improvement, we should be careful to not let a pessimistic and negative attitude dominate our perspective of others or our university. We are all very blessed to be here and should remember that as we periodically suggest improvements.

BYU Football

Good thing it's only a game.

For me, BYU football is one of the many great things I look forward to as I start each academic year. I've worked at the games, gone as a fan to the games, and watched the games from my house. I even listen to the games on the radio if I need to drive during a game. But this year our team is starting out on the wrong foot. Actually, they are practically tripping over both feet and faceplanting in front of every Cougar fan and foe. It's the worst display I have ever seen the Cougars put on. Ever.

With dropped passes, clumsy fumbles, and an apparent obliviousness to their opponents' consistent strategies, so far this year BYU fans are more likely to "rise and shout"at their team rather than with their team. I half-jokingly quipped to a friend of mine: "I'd be kicked off my intramural team if I played like them". Even my sister, who just attended her first BYU football game this week, said it was like "watching a bad junior high game".

I know a lot of them are young and inexperienced. I know that the players need time to collude and get comfortable; however, the Cougars really need to just put in whichever players can perform. Bronco should be rotating through his players frequently, looking for whoever can perform. Period. Put the second-stringers in. Put the third-stringers in. Try anyone and everyone to see who can handle the pressure, then keep the best players in the game.

We'll have to see where the season takes us, but I hope we can pull it together soon. I'm starting to miss the exciting, big-play-making football team I've always known!

Philosophy

Just so you know, I'm really not into philosophy.

While it's a required component of my general education here at BYU, I'm already anxious to be done with this class. My distaste for the subject is only exacerbated by the type of classes I've taken in the last year: calculus, statistics, economics, and the like. To now be in a class without numbers and real solutions is, well, weird. To be honest, I just don't feel like I learn anything tangible or usable. I already have my morals, I am already open to others' opinions (assuming they don't undermine or conflict with the Savior's teachings), and I'd just much rather be in a business strategy course. I should probably be more grateful for the class...in the meantime, if any of you consider yourself philosophers, maybe you can enlighten me.

Local Fire

We didn't start the fire, it was always burning since...last night.

For those of you who have not followed it, there was a raging fire in the Salt Lake area last night, started by stray bullets during military training exercises in the mountains. Early estimates put the burn area at about 10,000 acres, including four homes in its wake. Of course, some were quick to blame the military's "irresponsibility", etc.

I don't think so. Yes, the fire wouldn't have started were it not for the exercises, but I don't equate blame with irresponsibility. Should they be blamed? Yes. Were they irresponsible? No.

For example, historically some fires have been caused by falling parts from aircraft. Are those airliners to blame? Yes. Were they "grossly irresponsible"? No. They just learn that they need to control additional and unintended externalities that they (and citizens, I might add) had not thought of. So unless there was a group of people that morning who were protesting with signs which read "Stop the exercises, you'll start a fire!", then let's stop pretending that we all knew this kind of thing would happen.

I hope everyone affected by the fire is able to get their lives back to normal quickly!

Scooter Drama

We're missing the leather jackets and the tattoos, but we do have a scooter.

So we bought a $600 scooter early this summer to save on all the gas we would spend this year. So far, it's been a pretty good investment and we have saved a sizable amount of gas money. But for the last month or so, it has become almost impossible to start in the morning, a problem which I deal with by giving myself ten minutes every morning for the whole routine. This morning, however, was more complicated than normal. The back tire went flat en route to our morning activities and we had to basically walk it back to our apartment and take the car this morning.

Caveat emptor: It makes short-term fiscal sense to buy a scooter, but it may drive you crazy in the long run...look out for repairs!

Spanish Translation Agency

¿Me entiendes?

So a good friend of mine (Jeff) and I have started a nonprofit agency named LanguageLink. Our short-term objective is to provide Spanish translation to the local citizenry in need and eventually transition to a larger organization to provide multiple-language services. If any of you have experience with the financials of a nonprofit, I'd love to talk to you! I'm trying to translate my modest business knowledge over to the nonprofit sector (no pun intended).

Hasta la Pasta.

"A Child of God"

As I studied President Eyring's talk about our spiritual identity and the power it brings to live with the memory of it, I remembered specific experiences in my life which absolutely attest to the reality of what he talked about.

How often the Lord reminds us of our spiritual roots! No wonder it is one of Satan's greatest endeavors to pull them out of our memory and leave us with the idea that we are merely physical beings. Such a loss of identity not only blinds us from spiritual support which he constantly offers, but simultaneously brings us to rely on our own power. As we more frequently gloat in our own accomplishments, we become saturated in our own pride. And as it has been said, "Pride is like b.o., every one knows you have it except you".

Throughout my life I have certainly noticed that life is much more enjoyable when I do not wreak of pride. I find joy in others' accomplishments, I give the Lord more thanks for my own, and I enjoy a consistency of learning and growth otherwise unattainable to me. I even find that reproofs and correction is welcomed by my very soul, wanting to improve. As the proverb reads: "A reproof enters more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool".

I find it is certainly wise to be humble.