Star Trek

So, I don't know if you remember or not, but a while ago I posted about working on "UFO Hunters." Within that post I talked about how I was something of a nerd and obsessed with Star Trek growing up. Well, I think that phase has been reintroduced into my life. I saw Star Trek last night for the fourth time in theaters. It's true. And it is still awesome. You know that it's a good flick when you can watch it four times in a matter of months and still laugh at the funny parts and cry at the sad parts and be thoroughly engaged throughout.

J.J. Abrams is amazing, I really don't know how he did it. He stayed incredibly true to the Star Trek ideals and yet created this amazingly enthralling drama with completely different actors! I was talking to Kimi and we were discussing the difference in quality of the summer blockbusters, specifically Michael Bay's "Transformers" and "Star Trek." Both had equally great effects and action-packed adventures, but there was a seriously important element missing in Bay's film: humans and depth of character. That is my favorite part of Star Trek! I love it when a Hollywood blockbuster can not only use non-A-list (hah that's a lot of hypens) actors and make bank because the movie is so terrific AND have a meaningful film where there are stories within stories because of the characters, direction, and acting. I love it!

Star Trek rules. I'm a sci-fi nerd and a movie geek. And I'm cool with it...

Atlas Shrugged

It's one of those moments for me. But I'm going to do my best to keep my academic exuberance from bursting forth and simply tell you that the book Atlas Shrugged is most definitely my favorite book. It has taken me my entire life to find a book that I can actually say is my favorite. And a whole lot of books.

In the last ten years, I've read over 500 books. That doesn't even count the newspapers, magazines, short stories, plays, etc. And yes folks, Atlas Shrugged is most definitely my favorite piece of literature (I should probably put in the disclaimer piece of secular literature) ever written. That I've encountered thus far anyway.

Now, I don't want you all to pick up the book, read it, and decide that I've given up on morality. I do have a few major differences of opinion and philosophy than Ayn Rand (the author). But, as it applies to most things secular, political, economical...she hit what I believe as dead on as someone who is not me could. And her theory (objectivism) is stated with such a convincing argument and fervor that I found myself thinking for a moment that what she was saying made complete and utter sense. Funny enough, the thing that convinced me otherwise was her 50 page discourse given by her (well, it's the character that "comes up with" this theory in the book) about objectivism and laying out all of its tenets that finally convinced me that it most definitely was not the right way to go in things personal, but in things public, most definitely.

And I also don't want you thinking that I don't believe in sacrifice. I do. Or that I don't believe in the necessity of giving of one's self, talents, and treasure. I do. But she makes quite the case against it... but the final action sequence of the book itself punches some serious holes in her theory as a whole. Why save one man? Because I want to. Why do you want to? Ah, and that is the question. Because if it's because that one man made their lives more worth living, that's fine. But what if helping someone who is struggling succeed makes mine more worth living? I say that's fine too.

I'm not one to spoil spectacular events, so I won't tell you all about the book or its philosophical contents. And it is a big book. 1079 pages, with very, very small print. But if it were me, I'd take the month, year, or years it takes to get through a book of this magnitude, because it's worth it. Really.

Read it. Even if it doesn't fit in with your world view, at least it will make you think. And thinking is something that's so underrated these days. Hah... the irony...

But hey, who is John Galt?

Humanity at its Finest

This week has been incredibly weird.

Kimi (my sister) and I got a phone call early Thursday morning from our youngest sister Ashlee telling us that a young man Kimi's age had been killed in a car accident on Wednesday night. I am good friends with his older brother, and their family had lived in my parents' ward until about six months ago, so the news was hard and quite a shock.

It didn't really help that the story was plastered all over the news: two young men killed in a car accident when two young criminals ran from police, and subsequently ran a red light, T-boning the car with Derek and his friend in it. It was a rough day.

Today was the funeral. It was amazing, really. The family was holding up as well as, if not better than, can be expected. But I guess that's one of the great blessings of knowing that God lives and is in control of our lives. And knowing that when people are taken from this earth, we can see them again. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a miraculous thing.

I was taken today, as my sisters got up with this year's and last year's Tapestry choir and sang the song "For Good" from Wicked, to a place of deep reflection on my gratitude for the people who have blessed my life. Whether they brushed past in mere moments, came for a few years, or have stuck (and continue to stick) with me for the long haul, each and every person regardless of whether their appearance in my life was happy, sad, momentous, or momentary has made me into the person I am today. And for that, I am deeply grateful. 

I also realized that the people I love need to know it. And hopefully they do. 

Instant Gratification

So last week I had a plan. Then I had a new plan on Saturday. And a new one on Sunday. And a new one on Monday. And today I came to the grand conclusion that plans are ridiculous! Well, sometimes, in some cases. But I have definitely determined that I have essentially no control over most things in my life, and that I should accept that and move on to the next surprise. Because it's all pretty much a surprise. Really.

Now that the show is over, and I have something that resembles a life again, I will attempt to renew my commitment to writing weekly.

I got a new snowboard. It is pretty much awesome. And with said snowboard came a free lesson/lift ticket package. Unfortunately, I scratched a little to hard and the redemption code is now illegible. Hopefully the nice folks at Burton will cut me a break...

And now for more exciting news... 

Well, that's about it.