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Awhile back I mentioned that I had achieved a 162 LSAT score and intended to improve that. The target was anything better than 165. Well I did it!
I got a 169!!!
I got a 169!!!
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I did a "Darwin" report which, at my school, tracks one's progress toward graduation. And I discovered that only 6 classes stand between me and my B.S. in Economics. I've decided to tackle half of these classes this semester leaving me well in the clear for my intended graduation in May.
So what's next?
In August I'll start my first year of law school and I'm sure that'll take me down a new and interesting road but I don't want to focus on that so much just yet.
In the meantime I have the chance to do almost anything I want, but by this time next year I'm sure my freetime will be scarce.
So now I have to think of what I want to do with my last breaths of freedom.
Any suggestions?
So what's next?
In August I'll start my first year of law school and I'm sure that'll take me down a new and interesting road but I don't want to focus on that so much just yet.
In the meantime I have the chance to do almost anything I want, but by this time next year I'm sure my freetime will be scarce.
So now I have to think of what I want to do with my last breaths of freedom.
Any suggestions?
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So I've been pretty bored sitting here at work, so I started messing around with ad council billboards, etc, that I found online. None of these are particularly excellent but maybe they'll give you a chuckle or two.
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This morning I felt like a complete idiot.
In my delirium as I got up, I didn't realize my alarm clock was set incorrectly. I put off getting out of bed as long as I could, got dressed in a flurry, and then raced off to work all the way over in Sandy, UT. Only to discover as I was about to pull in that I was an hour early.
Dang it!
Not enough time to go home and relax and come back, but too much time to sit around and wait. So I did all I could to pass the time. Got gas, got food, etc. All the while feeling like a complete idiot.
But I had a good excuse for being deliriously tired this morning. And that is I've been out of town since Saturday morning, out in Lander, WY at my uncle's ranch visiting my cousins and extended family. Lots of fun but very little sleep.
Every 3rd of July he puts on this magnificent fireworks display for us and the community and, although it is an intensely long and difficult process to set up, is worth it every single time. Here are a couple of photos form the show. (Note: I don't know who took these, but I saw them on facebook so I borrowed them. Hopefully I can put up some of my own photos (if my family took any) later on.)
And these are barely a sliver of how glorious the show is. Truly artistic, the fireworks are thoroughly planned and timed with perfect precision, choreographed to song after song after song. There really is nothing like it.
If you ever want to see it for yourself, feel free drop by next 3rd of July!
The only flaw in the show is that, in recent years, it has become more and more politically charged and opinionated. And while it is certainly my uncle's right to endorse and share his political ideas, which he is most sincerely committed to, I can see how some people might find the propaganda a bit offputting. But then it really enhances the experience for others, so maybe flaw isn't really the right word. In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if even the most liberal person was willing to overlook the propaganda because the fireballs and rockets are simply too cool to miss!
In my delirium as I got up, I didn't realize my alarm clock was set incorrectly. I put off getting out of bed as long as I could, got dressed in a flurry, and then raced off to work all the way over in Sandy, UT. Only to discover as I was about to pull in that I was an hour early.
Dang it!
Not enough time to go home and relax and come back, but too much time to sit around and wait. So I did all I could to pass the time. Got gas, got food, etc. All the while feeling like a complete idiot.
But I had a good excuse for being deliriously tired this morning. And that is I've been out of town since Saturday morning, out in Lander, WY at my uncle's ranch visiting my cousins and extended family. Lots of fun but very little sleep.
Every 3rd of July he puts on this magnificent fireworks display for us and the community and, although it is an intensely long and difficult process to set up, is worth it every single time. Here are a couple of photos form the show. (Note: I don't know who took these, but I saw them on facebook so I borrowed them. Hopefully I can put up some of my own photos (if my family took any) later on.)
And these are barely a sliver of how glorious the show is. Truly artistic, the fireworks are thoroughly planned and timed with perfect precision, choreographed to song after song after song. There really is nothing like it.
If you ever want to see it for yourself, feel free drop by next 3rd of July!
The only flaw in the show is that, in recent years, it has become more and more politically charged and opinionated. And while it is certainly my uncle's right to endorse and share his political ideas, which he is most sincerely committed to, I can see how some people might find the propaganda a bit offputting. But then it really enhances the experience for others, so maybe flaw isn't really the right word. In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if even the most liberal person was willing to overlook the propaganda because the fireballs and rockets are simply too cool to miss!
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So ... some of you may remember a movie my friends and I made senior year called "Liquid vs Metal" which was basically just a lightsaber fighting movie (a right of passage for any nerd worth his salt) ...
But before there was LVM, there was "Serethrom Crystal".
The idea for making a lightsaber movie originally came from Stewart Redmond, who was the person clever enough to figure out how lightsabers could be drawn on the computer. It wasn't long after his discovery that several of us were teaming up to make our very own Star Wars movie. We drafted a script and everything!
The story was about a bunch of Jedi and Sith trying to track down the "Serethrom Crystal" which is discovered by a rogue Jedi named "Edune" who, apparently, discovers it in an old almanac in the Utah suburbs (blast not having an actual set!)
Anyway, filming this movie proved to be harder than we'd anticipated and there were many complications. Ultimately, all we ever produced was this trailer.
Not great but it was fun to make. (Remember we were only 15 or 16!)
I get a kick out of how it begins with shots of Stewart and Brigham just walking around places. An old shed and then somewhere with trees. Nothing is happening, just walking. And for all the dramatic (albeit silent) dialog, I'm pretty sure nothing was actually being said. And then that last "talking" sequence with Mike facing us at profile, that was shot that way because the other half of his face was painted for some halloween event or something. (It's funny the things you remember!) And of course when the music really gets going it's just a repeat of the same action footage we already used, except faster and even worse looking. (See, we believe in recycling!) And then that swing at the very end, with Matt facing the camera, looks so weird because it was filmed backwards (and reversed on the computer) and they only did one take and didn't think it through very carefully. And as for the "Coming Soon" well, that's just a bold-faced lie.
One of the complications we had was that, while filming, Matt broke his knee. Or rather, he tore his ACL. Stewart (our director) had decided on a whim that it would be cool for Matt to stand on a rickety old fence and swing his lightsaber around pretending to be blocking lasers, which we would add in later on the computer. Matt was supposed to jump off the fence and then we would reverse that sequence on the computer so it would look like he was jumping onto the fence and landing lithely.
But this turned out to be a bad idea and Matt lost his balance on the way down. Because the fence was so short none of us believed him that he was as hurt as he was. As seen here. (My favorite part is what Zach says)
We thought maybe he sprained his ankle or something.
Eventually I brought my car over to help him inside and we got parents involved. He had to get surgery and was on crutches for awhile. (Oddly enough, this event contributed greatly to his not graduating high school.)
His health insurer asked Matt's parents to sue my parents, since the accident happened on our property, but (being the classy and wonderful people that they are) they refused, thinking the idea was both wrong and stupid. Since it was Matt's decision to be on the fence in the first place.
Anyway, Matt and I went on to make (and complete!) Liquid vs Metal two years later. We abandoned the idea of having story and dialog (we knew we couldn't act or produce good enough sets, etc) so instead we embraced the action itself and nothing else.
Here is a trailer for LVM so you can see that we made a little progress since the days of Serethrom Crystal two years before.
And yes, that really is me with the dark hair.
But before there was LVM, there was "Serethrom Crystal".
The idea for making a lightsaber movie originally came from Stewart Redmond, who was the person clever enough to figure out how lightsabers could be drawn on the computer. It wasn't long after his discovery that several of us were teaming up to make our very own Star Wars movie. We drafted a script and everything!
The story was about a bunch of Jedi and Sith trying to track down the "Serethrom Crystal" which is discovered by a rogue Jedi named "Edune" who, apparently, discovers it in an old almanac in the Utah suburbs (blast not having an actual set!)
Anyway, filming this movie proved to be harder than we'd anticipated and there were many complications. Ultimately, all we ever produced was this trailer.
Not great but it was fun to make. (Remember we were only 15 or 16!)
I get a kick out of how it begins with shots of Stewart and Brigham just walking around places. An old shed and then somewhere with trees. Nothing is happening, just walking. And for all the dramatic (albeit silent) dialog, I'm pretty sure nothing was actually being said. And then that last "talking" sequence with Mike facing us at profile, that was shot that way because the other half of his face was painted for some halloween event or something. (It's funny the things you remember!) And of course when the music really gets going it's just a repeat of the same action footage we already used, except faster and even worse looking. (See, we believe in recycling!) And then that swing at the very end, with Matt facing the camera, looks so weird because it was filmed backwards (and reversed on the computer) and they only did one take and didn't think it through very carefully. And as for the "Coming Soon" well, that's just a bold-faced lie.
One of the complications we had was that, while filming, Matt broke his knee. Or rather, he tore his ACL. Stewart (our director) had decided on a whim that it would be cool for Matt to stand on a rickety old fence and swing his lightsaber around pretending to be blocking lasers, which we would add in later on the computer. Matt was supposed to jump off the fence and then we would reverse that sequence on the computer so it would look like he was jumping onto the fence and landing lithely.
But this turned out to be a bad idea and Matt lost his balance on the way down. Because the fence was so short none of us believed him that he was as hurt as he was. As seen here. (My favorite part is what Zach says)
We thought maybe he sprained his ankle or something.
Eventually I brought my car over to help him inside and we got parents involved. He had to get surgery and was on crutches for awhile. (Oddly enough, this event contributed greatly to his not graduating high school.)
His health insurer asked Matt's parents to sue my parents, since the accident happened on our property, but (being the classy and wonderful people that they are) they refused, thinking the idea was both wrong and stupid. Since it was Matt's decision to be on the fence in the first place.
Anyway, Matt and I went on to make (and complete!) Liquid vs Metal two years later. We abandoned the idea of having story and dialog (we knew we couldn't act or produce good enough sets, etc) so instead we embraced the action itself and nothing else.
Here is a trailer for LVM so you can see that we made a little progress since the days of Serethrom Crystal two years before.
And yes, that really is me with the dark hair.
Posted in
I am now co-owner of Mister Apps, L.L.C. (With a business license and everything.)
aka MR Apps
as in (M)att and (R)ichard Apps.
Awhile ago my friend Matt and I learned about a small business of "professionals" making Apps for the iphone and android phones, selling for a dollar or two apiece, and doing quite well financially.
We thought, we have good ideas, and Matt's a programming genius, why don't we give it a try?
So we investigated this other company and found that it's three people and, apparently, all of them are terrible. Their site is difficult to read and poorly designed, and their apps are all variations of the same app over and over. With content and images illegally ripped from all over the internet, without giving credit to the original authors. These guys are a joke. But a joke that rakes in $20,000 a month.
And while we won't make that kind of money, because we can't produce our content as fast (becaus eours is original and not stolen) we still think we can do better. At the very least make a few quality products and have fun in the process.
(Stick Figure not affiliated with Mister Apps, L.L.C.)
aka MR Apps
as in (M)att and (R)ichard Apps.
Awhile ago my friend Matt and I learned about a small business of "professionals" making Apps for the iphone and android phones, selling for a dollar or two apiece, and doing quite well financially.
We thought, we have good ideas, and Matt's a programming genius, why don't we give it a try?
So we investigated this other company and found that it's three people and, apparently, all of them are terrible. Their site is difficult to read and poorly designed, and their apps are all variations of the same app over and over. With content and images illegally ripped from all over the internet, without giving credit to the original authors. These guys are a joke. But a joke that rakes in $20,000 a month.
And while we won't make that kind of money, because we can't produce our content as fast (becaus eours is original and not stolen) we still think we can do better. At the very least make a few quality products and have fun in the process.
(Stick Figure not affiliated with Mister Apps, L.L.C.)
Posted in
So I took the LSAT a few weeks ago. Most of you are probably thinking "I didn't know you were considering Law School!"
Well, I wasn't. Not really.
Back in Junior High I thought I wanted to go into corporate law but then my interests changed. Drifted to medicine for awhile but I didn't have the guts for it. Okay, bad pun. Mostly I just didn't like the idea of being in school and/or in training until I'm middle-aged.
I also considered teaching (not enough money!), Economics PhD (too boring!), and the MBA path (no passion!) and ultimately decided Law might be the way to go. But for different motives than I had as a child.
Now it's not so much about prestige or status or wealth etc. In fact, quite the opposite. (Although I still intend to make a decent living!)
I know a guy who wants custody of his young daughter (because the mother has her living in a less than ideal environment) but this guy is afraid of challenging for custody for fear that, should he lose, the mom will cut him out of his daughter's life completely. (And he is the nicest guy in the world!) But I know that's not the only reason he isn't trying to win custody, it's also because he doesn't know how.
And it occurred to me that there are plenty of people who need legal help, many of whom can't afford it or don't know exactly how to get it. There is enormous opportunity for pro bono work, and that greatly appeals to me. Not because I'm some kind of saint (trust me, I'm not) rather because it's something I could really get into, because I'd be doing something I believe in.
If I do law, I want to help people.
So with that in mind, I took the LSAT. Aiming to get a 165.
And ... I got a 162. Not exactly great. (But in my defense there were two Games sections and I did really well on the one that wasn't scored!)
With a 162 and my current GPA, I am still a likely candidate for Law School at either BYU or the U, but not as strong as I could be. And as I look over the test, I don't find it difficult. I can do well. I just need to pace myself better.
So I'll take it again in October. And I'm going to get a 170.
Well, I wasn't. Not really.
Back in Junior High I thought I wanted to go into corporate law but then my interests changed. Drifted to medicine for awhile but I didn't have the guts for it. Okay, bad pun. Mostly I just didn't like the idea of being in school and/or in training until I'm middle-aged.
I also considered teaching (not enough money!), Economics PhD (too boring!), and the MBA path (no passion!) and ultimately decided Law might be the way to go. But for different motives than I had as a child.
Now it's not so much about prestige or status or wealth etc. In fact, quite the opposite. (Although I still intend to make a decent living!)
I know a guy who wants custody of his young daughter (because the mother has her living in a less than ideal environment) but this guy is afraid of challenging for custody for fear that, should he lose, the mom will cut him out of his daughter's life completely. (And he is the nicest guy in the world!) But I know that's not the only reason he isn't trying to win custody, it's also because he doesn't know how.
And it occurred to me that there are plenty of people who need legal help, many of whom can't afford it or don't know exactly how to get it. There is enormous opportunity for pro bono work, and that greatly appeals to me. Not because I'm some kind of saint (trust me, I'm not) rather because it's something I could really get into, because I'd be doing something I believe in.
If I do law, I want to help people.
So with that in mind, I took the LSAT. Aiming to get a 165.
And ... I got a 162. Not exactly great. (But in my defense there were two Games sections and I did really well on the one that wasn't scored!)
With a 162 and my current GPA, I am still a likely candidate for Law School at either BYU or the U, but not as strong as I could be. And as I look over the test, I don't find it difficult. I can do well. I just need to pace myself better.
So I'll take it again in October. And I'm going to get a 170.
