Bassnectar was great

So here is the short little video I made of the Bassnectar show in Bozeman, hopefully you can get a good idea of what it was all about. The crowd was really into it, I have to admit I was pretty surprised at the turnout and the intensity of the crowd.

Rail Jam this Sat

This Fri/Sat there is a Rail Jam at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Bozeman. It seems I have finally found something going on in Montana that caters to my specific taste, as one of my favorite dubstep producers, Bassnectar, is going to be Dj'ing at the event. I am planning to bring my camera so maybe I will have some pictures/video for my next post.

In other news....

The Clark Fork Watershed Education Project (CFWEP) has published my review of Milltown, Montana on their blog, " The Waterblogger "

Milltown, Montana: Film Creates a Cultural Portrait of Western Montana - by Aaron Briggs

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a moving picture must be worth considerably more. Judging by his latest work, I believe Rainer Komers must have taken that old adage to heart. His film Milltown, Montana takes the motion picture genre on a journey of “poetic minimalism”.

Fear the Boom and Bust

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***NERD ALERT***
May contain obscure knowledge of social sciences

I just have to share this video with you all, as I am very interested in the topic being discussed. It involves the controversy surrounding the two opposing philosophies of economic thought, the Austrian School vs the Keynesian. This video is great because it presents the material in a fun way, as a rap song by two historical figures. You may not have heard much about this debate, but it has shaped the fabric of American life since John Maynard Keynes influential "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money " was published in 1936. This was countered by the Austrian school when Friedrich von Hayek received a Nobel Prize in 1974 for his work on Austrian Business Cycle Theory, which generally opposes most of the ideas set forth by Keynes. Our elected officials usually do not acknowledge this debate, as the Keynesian philosophy allows for plenty of government spending. As Milton Friedman once said, "we are all Keynesians now"

"Fear the Boom and Bust"

Digger Digital

Digger Digital is another web project I have been working on in my spare time. I have always been interested in news and how it is delivered. I am currently taking a Journalism class where I am hoping to refine my reporting skills a bit, and I am hoping my new blog Digger Digital can make some waves here in Butte! The concept behind the blog is "Hyper-local" meaning it is made by residents of Butte, for residents of Butte. I got inspired to create this blog after reading the local newspapers and feeling as though the stories were boring. The beauty of a blog is that you can utilize many different news sources to have a good variety of content up there, as well as get feedback from your readers through the use of comments. Another great aspect of blogging is that you don't have to kill any trees to share the news, which is a change of pace from all the newspaper and magazines that go right in the trash after they are done being read. I am hoping with this blog to make some interesting news videos and to write some good articles. Right now I am looking for contributors so if you are interested in becoming a blogger, get in contact with me! Or even if you have a story you think other people should hear about, my contact information is on the staff page.

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.