Ready for the next semester

Well, it seems that grades are finally in, it sure does take them long enough! I am very happy with my grades this semester. I really wanted to do well, coming to a new school and all, and my GPA for this semester is my highest ever! So it feels like I am getting off on the right foot. I do have quite a bit of work to do over the break though, hopefully I will get some of it done before my girlfriend flies out here to visit. I am not used to having such a long winter break, its kind of nice but is also kind of boring if you don't have anywhere to go! Its been nice just hanging out with some of my friends who are in similar situations, stuck in Butte, far away from family and close friends.

One thing I have had plenty of time to do is read! The book I am reading now "33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed To Ask" (pictured to the left) reminds me of a famous quote - "those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it". It basically takes some "myths" of American history, and debunks them with more factual accounts than some of the summaries we see in popular culture. Stuff like "Was the "Wild West" really so wild?" (turns out it wasn't) and "Did capitalism cause the Great Depression?" (much more complex than that - The Federal Reserve had its hand in some of the disaster) I like this book because it takes the controversial stance that some of the things you learn in public schools may be propaganda. This is hard for some people to wrap their heads around, but its easy to see where the conflict of interest could come from. I have read several books in this vein by a few different authors, and I enjoy them throughly. I may be slightly biased though, as I was able to meet several of the authors when I was attending the Von Mises Institute this summer.

Semester is over!

Well, I hope you all are enjoying your winter break, I know that mine was much needed. I am looking forward to my classes for next semester, even though I have to take a reduced course load. I am also looking forward to doing more video projects, you can watch my most recently completed one here, about the Legion Oasis Center here in Butte. It was a project we did for my Video Editing class this semester, my first "documentary". Other than a few audio issues, I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Now onto some fun stuff. 2009 is coming to a close, and its time to get the "best of" lists going. I am going to skip the list and just share with you my favorite band/album of the year.

BEST ALBUM OF 2009

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I haven't actually given though whole album a listen, but I have been listening to a large number of remixes of the singles off the album. My absolute favorite is Lisztomania, followed by 1901 and Fences. All the songs have great remix packages, one of my favorites is the Alex Metric remix of Lisztomania (The Yuksek and Classixx mixes are also great) If you would like to sample or download some Phoenix tracks, I will share with you one of my favorite websites for downloading free music (completely legal too)

Phoenix tracks on RCRD LBL

So there you have it, Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas break everyone! My girlfriend is coming to visit from the East Coast, so I am really looking forward to this break, I haven't seen her since August! I plan to spend some time in Bigfork and Spokane, not sure if she is going to get the "Butte Experience" this time around. If not this time, then next time I'm sure. Happy Holidays!

Sights and Sounds

I was reading this article today while doing my daily web browsing, and I thought it would be a good read for some Tech students. The article profiles a grad student at Duke who is trying to stay out of debt and get an education, something very difficult to do these days. While living in a van in Butte may not be practical, the general idea of embracing a more frugal lifestyle is a lesson I think many of us could learn from.

From Pinched (Salon.com)

It would be nice. A middle-class family might think it would be nice to have an in-ground swimming pool. A millionaire might think it would be nice to have a yacht. The billionaire, a private jet. Someone, somewhere might think it would be nice to have food to feed her family tonight. Someone, somewhere might think it would be nice to live in a van in order to afford to go to a wonderful school. I could begin satisfying my desires and buying comforts, but I've learned to appreciate what little I have instead of longing for what I do not.

In other news, I got to check out the Washoe Theater last night for a screening of the disaster flick, 2012. The movie wasn't that great, but I was pretty impressed by the theater. The ornate design of the interior that was designed in the 1930's gave the building an air of elegance. It is really cool to see places like this preserved, not to mention the cheap prices for movies and snacks!

Crunch Time

It took a while for me to figure out just how to do it, but I am finally registered for classes next semester. Most of the process was self explanatory, but of course I needed a little help from my new advisor, Chad Okrusch. The part of the process that was especially irritating was trying to figure out what classes are available. The web interface for browsing classes is counter-intuitive to say the least! Seems like that may be a good project for TC - Solutions, who I now am doing some part time work for. I am pretty excited about that, it seems like since I've arrived here in Butte all I've been doing is working on web pages and videos.

Speaking of videos, if anyone is going to be at the screening of G.I Joe on Thursday, I believe they will get a chance to preview the video that Adam Hawks and I produced for the Montana Tech Youtube contest. Our video took first prize, the proceeds of which I will be using to buy Christmas presents for my loved ones back home in Connecticut. I may have to revisit this thought once finals are over, but as of right now I am considering this first semester a great success.

And now to a topic that is a little more somber and serious that doesn't get enough attention.

Obama sends 30,000 to Afghanistan

What happened to the anti-war movement? War is a constant drain on our economic well being, and when Bush was in office, there was a large contingent of people actively protesting that fact. It seems that once one of the "teams" get their guy in office, they balk on criticizing his actions. The military budget is spiraling out of control, and we don't have any money to pay for it. We end up borrowing quite a bit to finance this war, and we will get nothing for it in return. It would make me very happy to see the military-industrial complex finally take a back seat instead of running our country into the ground. I don't know if Obama is going to have the courage it takes to say no to his military advisors, he certainly hasn't done much to shut down the war machine up to this point. In 1961, Eisenhower warned the country what would happen if we couldn't control the military industrial complex, it seems that no one important paid any attention.

Hot Stuff

About a week ago I had the chance to explore Norris Hot Springs, about an hour drive from Butte. I went on a Saturday evening, and had a great time. Norris is unique spot, as they have a musicians that perform adjacent to the springs while covered in a geodesic dome, something I have never seen before. They also have a bar right next to the water, with a large wine selection and several good beers. It was nice having the bar close by, as it was quite cold and it was tough to stay out of the 107 degree water for very long. The crowd was more family and tourist oriented when we got there at 6:30, but before long a college age crowd started filtering in to enjoy the water and spirits. A great experience, I plan to visit again. Apparently the area around Butte has several hot springs, all of which I would like to check out. I enjoyed Norris more than Boulder Hot Springs, which I visited on the school trip. The Boulder hot spring area felt too much like a community pool, in contrast to Norris where the bathing pool was lined with wood and had a more relaxing atmosphere all around.

While I am here, I would like to take an opportunity to profile another great local brewery. I have been able to visit the taproom of the Big Sky Brewing Co. twice now, and each time has been a blast. I am now sure if they advertise this or not, but they let you have a free sample 3 or 4 of their brews while visiting the showroom. This gives you a chance to decide which one is your favorite, and you can pick up a case while you are there. I have been drinking the Summer Honey blend, but I also enjoy their specialty, the Moose Drool Brown Ale. I urge you to check them out!

In Soviet Russia, profits earn you!

    I was surprised and encouraged today, when I saw an advertisement on a campus bulletin board promoting the Communist Party of Montana. Not because I sympathize with Communist ideals, my personal views are actually quite the opposite. I feel like Soviet Russia and Mao’s Chinese “revolution” were example enough of the folly of Communism. I was merely impressed that there was political activity on what I had gathered to be a fairly apathetic campus. I may not agree with their ideas, but I respect the fact that they are taking a stance that lies outside of the mainstream opinion, and are attempting to institute change by organizing a movement. In this respect, we have much in common. 

  So much of the political discourse in this day and age is centered on the never ending bickering between the tribes of Red and Blue. It appears as if they believe all Americans somehow fit into either the Republican or Democratic Party. I have been frustrated by this false dichotomy for many years, a feeling I’m sure the Communists can sympathize with. Around 40% of Americans consider themselves “Independent”, whereas around 33% consider themselves Democrats, and 22% Republican. This leaves a large percentage of our population feeling disenfranchised by occlusion, myself included. We are rarely given a chance to vote for candidates that represent our minority beliefs, and this is by design. The two major parties have worked long and hard to ensure there can be no other points of view entered into the national debate. This is a sad state of affairs, and is the reason I was glad to see a challenge to the status quo in the form of a Communist flyer. I can’t say that I hope they succeed though, as I have other hopes for the future of politics. I wish them the best of luck in avoiding being entered into a terrorist database for conspiring against system, as this seems all too common with our Big Brother always watching.  I’ve read many reports of protesters being given this treatment throughout our country, most recently at the G20 in Pittsburgh. Fight The Power!

Introduction

Aaron Briggs

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Hello there, my name is Aaron. I arrived in Butte two months ago, as a transfer to the Technical Communications program. I still don't know that many people here, so feel free to introduce yourself on my facebook! I traveled here from a land in the Far East, known to intrepid travelers as the state of Connecticut. In my home state we have warm sunny coastlines and trees that produce colorful foliage. I'm not implying that the scenery in Montana isn't beautiful as well, it just takes some getting used to. There is also some contrast in the social sphere, being that Connecticut is situated directly between the cultural meccas of New York and Boston. One need only to travel an hour or two to visit one of these sprawling urban metropolises. The powers that be have decided that some of these factors give me a unique outsider perspective on life in Butte, and I am inclined to agree.

I have noticed an interesting thing about the constitution of Butte residents during my short time here. Some people will wear shorts regardless of the temperature. This is insanity. Maybe it will take me some to acclimate myself to the weather, but until then I am going to keep my jacket and gloves on. I thoroughly enjoyed the last bit of sunshine we had at the start of the semester, but I am afraid it was merely a prelude to a prolonged state of Arctic-like conditions.

Weather aside, the state of Montana is not without it's charms. The locally brewed libations have impressed me greatly. I have sampled excellent beers from several different breweries, each with it's own appeal. A favorite of mine comes from the Bayern brewery in Missoula. They have an Oktoberfest beer that rivals any other I've tasted. Brewed in the same style as the classic Bavarian Dark Marzen, using a process that has changed little from it's initial brewing in 1810. The 6% alcohol content helps to ensure a euphoric Oktoberfest experience.

These are but a few of my first impressions of life in Big Sky Country. You can expect more commentary as I continue to experience life as an Oredigger. I will be attending events on campus and in the community as much as possible in order to get the "full experience". If anyone has any interesting ideas that would enable me to see the "real Butte", feel free to make a suggestion. Befriend me on facebook to get in contact with me!