Scholarly Pursuits

I received some interesting news yesterday, regarding my submission to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. I submitted my abstract for my Undergraduate Research project and it looks like they are interested in my research, and have accepted my abstract and I will be a presenter at the conference. I am pretty surprised by this, I didn't really expect much when I had submitted it. The conference is in April in Missoula, so I am looking forward to spending the weekend there and doing a little sight seeing, and visiting my cousin who goes to school at U of M.

If anyone is wondering, my project is a short documentary film, centered on explaining some key events in American history, from the perspective of Austrian Economics. The main focus will be around the events leading up to the Great Depression, as well as the often overlooked Depression of 1920-1921. I have been interested in Austrian Econ since I learned about it from the speeches of Ron Paul in 2008. Last summer I was able to attend something called Mises University, which gave me a solid educational foundation on the subject. It was also one of the funnest educational experiences I've ever had, met a lot of smart, and interesting people from all over the globe while I was there. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Economics, but isn't satisfied with the mainstream "Keynesian" approach. My major is in Communications, but I think it is important to be aware of other disciplines, to really help you see the "big picture". One of the great things about our Technical Communications degree program is that you can use your Communication skills to learn about and work with other subjects that interest you. I consider myself infinitely curious, so this works out for me pretty well.

Ode to the Ocean

So, here I am five months into my new life as a Montana resident, and I must say I feel like I am assimilating into the local culture quite nicely. I have become accustomed to the frigid mornings, the constant snow and awe inspiring natural landscapes.

There is one thing that Montana lacks, and one thing I am just realizing that I hold dear, close proximity to the watery depths of the ocean. There is something about the raw size and majesty of the ocean that draws one to it, like a moth to flame. There is a certain mystique surrounding all of the creatures that roam the murky depths. Some are tasty, and some would like to taste you! The ocean demands respect for all of its mystery and power, especially the power over life and death. At the same time, the ocean is a place of much fun and enjoyment, especially along the beaches in my home state of Connecticut. I know Montana has some wonderful lakes, I am headed up to Flathead Lake this week for a short vacation with my girlfriend. But it just isn't the same. Luckily I don't have to dwell on that fact too often, as Montana has been keeping me occupied with all of the cross country skiing and hiking around its beautiful parks and mountains.

My dad at Mt. Haggin

Me outside the trail at Mt. Haggin

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!