I want to jot a few things down before I go to bed at a decent hour for church in the morning. This will more of a journal-ish post, but I hope that doesn’t bother anyone. I’ve never been able to figure out the appropriate balance between sharing things about yourself and keeping personal things personal, and digital media certainly haven’t resolved that issue.

First, I helped a cute girl friend (note it’s not hyphenated, so don’t get any ideas) get a free bed this morning. It was good to see her, and help her get an upgrade in her sleeping arrangements. Acquiring a bed is actually a big step forward in getting settled in a new place. I didn’t get mine until I had been here for several months. In fact, for one uncomfy month, I slept on a leaky air mattress on a cold basement floor. Anyway, she made us yummy pancakes afterwards, and then we went looking for an ugly sweater for me at Goodwill (for an ugly sweater party later on). Surprisingly, Goodwill was short on marginally-Christmas-looking, flagrantly ugly sweaters. No, biggie though.

Anyway, it was good to spend time with her. Afterwards, I took a nap for a few hours, then decided my Econ final on Monday wasn’t studying for itself and got down to brass tacks. It takes so much more will power to sit down and study than it used to, and it’s something I admit I need to get better about, what with being in grad school and all Later tonight, I went to the aforementioned ugly sweater party, and it was both really great and really short on hideous sweaters. The novelty of deliberately dressing poorly apparently doesn’t appeal to a lot of people, but also no biggie.

I just finished studying for the night, and had a few additional specific ideas I wanted to jot down. They are:

1) My social life is really quite good these days. For some reason, this occurred to me as I was studying econ. I think I am probably much more satisfied with my social life now than I ever was as a student at BYU. I count myself very fortunate to know so many great people here – not just smart people, not just successful people, but genuinely good, happy people. Life is far from complete for me, and the same holds true for my peers, but I’m grateful for I what I have, and what I have is quite a lot, really. I think Michael Scott from The Office sums it up well:

“As I watched Pam’s big, strong hand coming towards my face, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes. And guess what? I have four kids, and I have a hover car and a hover house. And my wife is a runner, and it shows. And Pam and Jim are our best friends, and our kids play together. And I’m happy, I’m rich, and I never die. And it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough for me.”

2) Happiness. This one has been on my mind a lot lately. In part, this is because of my concern for certain people who are close to me, and in part it’s because of my concern for myself Interestingly, we don’t talk much about happiness in our daily conversations, and yet I think most people, on a subconscious level at the very least, operate with it as their overall goal. But what is happiness exactly? And how do we obtain it? I’ll share my thoughts on those questions another time. For now, here’s what Joseph Smith said:

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”

Some might find this controversial; I just find it to make a whole lot of intuitive sense.

3) Discipline. This is closely related to #2. I had a thought today, which seemed sufficiently profound to justify being broadcast to the world via Facebook: discipline is necessary for happiness. I’ve had far too much experience with undiscipline and unhappiness which supports this, as well as a fair amount of happiness and discipline which support it. This is also something I intend to write more about some time.

Well, that’s all I wanted to write for now. Happy readings, everyone!

My life is full of distractions, and to some degree this is healthy for me. If I get fixated on things, it can lead to an imbalance which ultimately makes me less happy. This is part of why I have been only partial committed to my grad program so far; I frankly don’t want it to dominate my life -something that could easily happen if I allowed it- when there are other aspects of life important to my overall well-being. Some of these aspects include:

1) TV. Yes, you read that right. Some may disparage TV, and I do think most of its bad reputation for corrupting and mushifying minds is wholly deserved. Nevertheless, TV serves an important function for me. It keeps me informed via cable news (imperfect and distorted by profit incentives, as critics love to point out, but still valuable), and, importantly for my emotional health, it keeps me entertained!  I’ll be the first to admit I probably watch too much TV, and I’ll also be the first to admit that I could benefit from having a wife/manager to help me stay on task, but there are certain shows I just love. A former roommate and I began watching Lost online some months ago, and I’ve been working my way through the seasons since then. Such a great show! I’m typically resistant to jumping on bandwagons, and tend to be wary of things that are generally well-liked (a seemingly elitist mindset, but not without some merit for one attemping to be an informed consumer), but I have been impressed with that show. The themes are interesting, the storytelling is good, and the characters have a fair amount of depth. Is it perfect? Of course not, but it’s pretty good for spending alone time to recharge, as introverts are wont to do. For other reasons, namely to laugh and to have a more socially-oriented viewing experience, I am a follower of The Office and 30 Rock. Both are also excellent shows, and to the extent that their humor doesn’t get too low-brow, I find them oh-so enjoyable! Good humor definitely has value in the marketplace, and I’m glad to live in a country where people can make a living writing funny things

2) Poverty policy. I don’t want to talk too much about this, because, despite being a public policy student, talking about policy is not that exciting to me. Not a good sign, I know, but I am still optimistic that there is a niche for me somewhere in my program. Anyway, I’ve been working on a paper about policy alternatives to address the problem of poverty. Among the options I’m discussing are subsidizing the employment of low-skilled workers, offering financial incentives to firms to relocate to central cities where the poor are concentrated, and, my favorite, reloacting the poor to suburbs where jobs tend to be concentrated. All of those sound pretty expensive, huh? I know, and that’s a big reason why a fiscal conservative like me has a hard time feeling excited about crafting policy. Designing sweeping policy seems like playing God on other people’s dime to me. Don’t tell Barack I said that, or he’ll have me boycotted. Or worse – he’ll publicly accuse me of not having enough hope! (which reminds me of this clip from Futurama)

3) Looking for work. My current job is adequate, and in many ways actually a great fit for me right now. However, I really could use some more substantive work experience, not to mention income. There’s not too much to say about this, especially with our job market the way it is.

4) My basement room. There’s a big crack in my wall which likes to leak water when it rains. My room got pretty swampy this past week, and now, with my carpets still drying, it’s getting pretty moldy :-/ Tomorrow, I’m gonna disinfectant-spray the crap out of them. Hopefully I won’t have to buy new carpets because hey, I’m poor!

5) New calling as the LDS Institute president. This one is a little daunting and even, dare I say it, inconvenient. I’m about to officially take the reigns this week. I believe that leading is teaching, and I would like to make that a big part of my philosophy with this calling, as I feel my strengths are not in event planning, typically the most salient and time-intensive part of what Institute leadership does. I’m really grateful I’ll have a council with whom I can share the burden of planning activities and such.

6) As always, the ladies. Currently, it seems like I have a lot of options, but not a lot of focus. Of course, there are certain ladies I am leaning towards, but it’s hard to make decisions about this kind of thing with all these distractions -which I suppose brings this whole post full circle

As suggested by the previous post and the change to a cheerier visual theme, I am attempting to shift the focus of my blog to happier things. I have recently decided that my life has more angst, indecision, and idle contemplation than is healthy or, more importantly, conducive to real happiness, the design of our existence; at any rate, such vagaries of mortality receive much more attention in my public declarations than is helpful for anyone.

…and to prove that I mean it, here’s a happy flower!

Who could have felt gloomy or discouraged around a man such as this? No one – that’s who! 

“I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course.

What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: “Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve (from Ensign, Apr. 1986, 2–4).

Let us go forward in this glorious work. How exciting and wonderful it is. I do not know how anybody can feel gloomy for very long who is a member of this Church. Do you feel gloomy? Lift your eyes. Stand on your feet. Say a few words of appreciation and love to the Lord. Be positive. Think of what great things are occurring as the Lord brings to pass His eternal purposes. This is a day of prophecy fulfilled, … this great day in the history of this Church. This is the day which has been spoken of by those who have gone before us. Let us live worthy of our birthright. Keep the faith. Nurture your testimonies. Walk in righteousness, and the Lord will bless you and prosper you, and you will be a happy and wonderful people (from Ensign, Aug. 1996, 61).”

Link to full article here.

Nothing too profound this time around, just a little update for my dedicated blog-readers out there (I appreciate your loyalty, too!).

1) Grad school is so expensive! Counting up the costs and then determining how much money I’m going to need to borrow is stressing me out, especially because a good portion of what I’ll be borrowing will be unsubsidized loans, which accrue interest while I’m actually in school. Paying for interest while still in school! At the risk of sounding like yet another entitlement-expecting Generation Y-er, I have to ask myself, is this still America?

2) Related to #1 is this: in the long term, how will I become financially and intellectually independent? If possible (and I believe it is), I want to develop some sort of idea or expertise which will allow me to enjoy a high degree of independence. This is definitely a long-term goal, and in the short term I expect to put in a number of years working for the man for the sake of gaining experience and some measure of financial stability for myself and my theoretical family. Finance and energy seem to be promising areas which I will probably look into.

3) Speaking of theoretical families, the proper pursuit of ladies is a near-constant topic of inquiry for me. Recently, one of my best DC friends got engaged, and naturally it has gotten me thinking about my current and potential relationships with the fine Bryce-aged ladies of the DC area. Of course, even if my friend weren’t getting married, I’d still probably be thinking about this. However, his progression towards marriage has made my own future marriage seem more urgent and, thankfully, more possible!

One thing in particular I’ve been thinking about relationships lately is how crucial open and clear communication is. I think it would be an exaggeration to say that communication is the most important part of a relationship, but it definitely is a crucial component. Reflecting on certain of the very attractive (and I mean that in all senses of the word – certainly the physical, but also the spiritual, intellectual, social, and emotional) ladies I have met out here and the reasons why I have not moved forward with any of them, I recognize that communication issues offer much explanation. Ultimately, I do think principles such as sacrifice, service, humility, patience, faith and, of course, love are the most critical for the success of dating and marriage relationships. However, if the goal of a marriage is to become absolutely unified as one in righteousness, and I wholeheartedly affirm that it is, then communicating well with each other seems to be fundamental to such a noble endeavor as well. There are, as I see it, different communication styles largely intertwined with personality types, and a mismatch of communication styles between two otherwise excellent people is, sadly, unlikely to lead to a positive outcome.

I have also been wrapping my mind around the idea that my expectations for my future companion are probably too high and unrealistic. This is, I believe, where principles such as patience, sacrifice and love come in. For, to reference President Kimball’s very wise insight, although us single people will rightly seek out a person with whom life can be most compatible and beautiful, it is nevertheless true that marital happiness and success is ultimately a matter of what price each person is willing to pay for it. In other words, there ain’t no free lunch when it comes to marriage, either. Being such a high-minded idealist, I have historically had very high expectations of my future wife. While I am not about to completely throw these ideals out just yet, I am willing to re-evaluate them, especially in light of my current dating options. And I am also becoming more comfortable with the idea that, let’s face it, I will never, ever find that perfect person, and I should expect that I will need to patiently adapt to whomever I do marry (and of course, she will have plenty of that to do in regards to me). Really, I just need to find someone who is very good inside (outside, too) and is a good match for me. The perfection part comes much, much later.

Hm. I didn’t intend to write as much as I did for #3, but perhaps some of you will consider such abundance of thought on marriage encouraging for my future

So, I like to collect profound or otherwise impressive things people have said, and I am in favor of, in the words of a friend of mine, promulgating truth. So, without further ado (or is it adieu?), here is something Dr. Murdock, one of my favorite BYU professors, had to say about our educational and cultural pursuits (brace yourself for a quote within a quote):

“Some feel that if a movie or book does not leave them refreshed, uplifted, and joyous, it has no value but cankers their soul. Like monks in a monastery, they prefer to sever contact with the “world”. Consider the following prophetic comments concerning education and progression:

‘Shall I sit down and read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Covenants all the time?” says one. Yes, if you please and when you have done, you may be nothing but a sectarian after all. It is your duty to study to know everything upon the face of the earth in addition to reading those books. We should not only study good, and its effects upon our race, but also evil and its consequences.’

-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 2:93-94″ (he also included some great quotes from Joseph Smith, which I’ll save for another time)

I think Dr. Murdock and Brother Brigham both make excellent points here. Obviously, one could take this sentiment too far, justifying willing exposure to ideas, events, and media which carry little value for the nourishment and enlightenment of the human soul and mind. However, if we shut ourselves in from the world completely, even if that means metaphorically, such as in keeping to our favorite circle of friends or neglecting to engage in civic society, I imagine that we will find ourselves missing out on fantastic opportunities to truly be the salt of the earth, helping spread much-needed good in the world. Simultaneously, we will find our own personal growth stunted.

But back to the original topic, I agree that there is value to becoming acquainted with kings, nations, principalities, history of things that have past and things to come, and so forth, and also to become acquainted with evil and its consequences (although I’m sure neither of the two was arguing for personally experiencing evil). The Book of Mormon, for instance, is absolutely filled with unhappy recollections of horrible things which befell people as they turned their backs on the Lord. You could call that the “Scared Straight” method of promoting obedience, or you could call it a simple warning and declaration of cause and effect. Either way, it is good to know the quality of life one can expect without God’s good graces.

…and, without any intended message of whether it is a worthwhile movie (I haven’t seen it yet), here is a picture of Star Trek to try and generate some hits

Copyright 2009 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved

Another great search term. For zany fun, attach your own ending!

“Finding a black mormon is like finding a” _______.

WordPress has a cool feature where it tells you what search terms have led people to your site. Here are the most funny/unusual ones I’ve seen so far (with comments):

-geddy’s lee’s views chairman mao

(Rush consistently rakes in the hits, but I had no idea that Geddy Lee, their bassist, had any views on the Chairman that were worth looking up)

-mormons good natured people

(I agree!)

-scary facts about mormons

(I’m sure they were led to this post, which no doubt was a disappointment, being, of course, pro-Mormon)

-rush/is/an/amazing/band

(no argument here)

-rush is the greatest band ever

(probably true, as well)

-brigham young work play sleep

-marriage wisdom

(as I am always seeking rather than dispensing this, I am sure the searcher was unsatisfied)

-funny last name scholarship

(the funny thing is that such scholarships do exist! If your last name is Van Valkenburg, prepare yourself for some serious cash!)

-hello kitty statue

-scholarships for mormons

(those would be nice, but I haven’t encountered any yet)

-church of jesus latter day saints bryce

(probably a pretty good church, but this one is even better)

-cuteness across cultures

(I’d be interested to see what else has been said on this topic)

-band rush and mormons

(…and also for this topic)

-do you think my personality is too callo

(did they mean “callow” or “callous”, I wonder?)

-musings of mormon

(yep, he had those)

-”cat sympathies”

(huh?)

-taylor hartman mormon

(yes, he is)

-where to find cute mormon guys

(there’s one right here)

As I discussed in “A Manifesto”, I am eager to break into new, more fulfilling economic territory. Although it’s still much too early to say what I’d like to do specifically, being self-employed sounds extremely appealing to me. The past year and a quarter or so has provided some pretty good evidence that I just do not like working for “the man”. I really don’t think I like that guy! Actually, let me clarify: I don’t have anything against him personally, but I just don’t think I’m cut out to be his subordinate. I could, however, picture myself being one of his peers.

Right now, I’m looking for bright ideas, or specifically, I’m looking for unmet economic demands. What goods and services would people value enough to pay for? Despite our ailing economy, I bet there are still opportunities to meet such demands – perhaps such opportunities will even arise as a result of the economic downturn!

My search for scholarships on fastweb thus far has not yielded any awards. However, if I weren’t such an unremarkable left-handed, half-Chinese, libertarian-leaning, intellectually curious and creative Mormon from Oregon, and instead possessed the following characteristics, maybe I could get some sweet cash too:

Against the Death Penalty

Bilingual

Birth mother who has placed a child for adoption

Bisexual

Canadian Citizen

Clinically Overweight

Displaced Homemaker

Drug Conviction (Misdemeanor or Felony)

Farm, Raised On

Feminist

Foster Care Recipient

From Small Town <25,000 Population

Height: Women, 5′10″ or above; Men 6′2″ or above

Last Name Van Valkenburg

Mobile Home Park Resident

Parent

Parent of Multiples (Twins, Triplets, etc.)

Public Assistance Recipient

Public Housing Resident

Residence Hall Resident (Dormitory)

Student, One of Multiples (Twins, Triplets, etc.)

Transplant Candidate

Transplant Recipient

Undocumented Immigrant

Vegetarian