A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...

Star Wars was a big part of my childhood, not as big as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but it did play a significant role. I remember my brother doing Darth Vader and Yoda impressions. When I went camping at Silver Falls, in Oregon, I pretended I was on the forest moon of Endor; my bike was my speeder. I even remember eating Kraft macaroni and cheese that was shaped like various Star Wars characters.

In 1999, Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace came out. Like the rest of the country I anxiously awaited a new Star Wars movie, the beginning of the saga I loved. This was the story of where it all started. I thought I would see the same world George Lucas created, but a little newer, a little shinier. I thought I would see the same aliens, the same planets, perhaps I would see a crude version of an x-wing, or the Millennium Falcon. Instead I was left with a galaxy that wasn't familiar; Gungans replaced Wookies, battle droids replaced Storm Troopers, and memorable villains were replaced by the likes of Count Dooku, and General Grievous. In many ways the special effects were impressive (most impressive), but the lack of practical effects made the movies feel like a video game. Simply put, episodes I, II, & III were a huge disappointment.

Everything wrong with the prequals

Fast forward to 2015. Disney and JJ Abrams have the opportunity to right the ship and give new life to Star Wars. From the trailers, the posters, and all the chatter surrounding the movie, it looks and sounds like there will be a new generation of great Star Wars movies. This time I am cautiously optimistic, but like the rest of the country, I again, anxiously await the new film.

Mr. Abrams and Disney, may the force be with you.

Lego Micro-build Temples

Draper, Utah

 

Salt Lake City, Utah

Provo, Utah 

Portland, Oregon

Ranking of Marvel Movies (According to Me)

For some reason this blog post got deleted, so here it is again.

PROLOGUE... For those of you who don't know what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is, let me explain. The Marvel/Disney movies all share the same universe...hence the name. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in the comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. Each Marvel film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe interlink together to create a larger plot that spans across all the movies. In other words, each movie is a piece of a larger puzzle.

For the remainder of this blog, I will refer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as MCU.

.....

In preparation of Avengers II: Age of Ultron (coming out this weekend), and Ant Man (coming out in July) I have decided to watch all the MCU movies in chronological order and rank them from my least favorite to my favorite. My rankings are based on two qualifications. The first is: How did I enjoy the movie? The second is: How did the movie add to the MCU?

10. The Incredible Hulk
This movie was a huge improvement over the 2003 "Hulk" film. However, I did not like Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, and this feels like the least Marvel-y of all the movies. I don't know of any Hulk movies in the works, and I don’t think the Hulk movies have a good enough track record to warrant another one.

9. Iron Man 3
This movie earns the most disappointing award. It felt gratuitous and oddly disconnected from the other Iron Man films. There were several plot holes both in the movie, and within the Iron Man franchise. The other two Iron Man movies excelled in expanding the MCU, but this one did nothing to add to the expanding Universe.

8. Thor
The first time I saw this I wasn't too impressed. the second time I saw it I really enjoyed it. It's a good popcorn flick and a good introduction to Thor and Loki. We also learn more about SHIELD and how much they have a role in the MCU. I thought the plot was a little weak and I wasn't crazy about Natalie Portman's character, but she does have a more substantial role in the sequel.

7. Iron Man 2
This was a nice sequel to an impressive origin story. This movie capitalized on the strengths of the first while adding key pieces to the expanding MCU with SHIELD and the introduction of Black Widow; without those two things, this movie wouldn't have been as good (case in point Iron Man 3). I also thought Don Cheadle was a much better Rhodey.

6. Captain America
This movie worked well on two levels: It was a good period piece, and it was a great Marvel movie. In my opinion, The Captain America movies (more so than the other Marvel movies) feel less like individual movies and more like a piece of the bigger MCU. The action in this movie is great, the humor, although subtle, is great, and the characters are strong.

In this movie the Tesseract was introduced. The Tesseract is a powerful energy source used as a weapon in Captain America and the Avengers. The Tesseract is an Infinity Stone. There are six Infinity Stones, together the stones make the possessor extremely powerful and dangerous. It is believed that the MCU is going to have some sort of Infinity Stones storyline involving the villain Thanos. I'm don’t know the details or when it will happen, although it could be the plot for the Infinity Wars movies. The Tesseract is the first Infinity Stone found. One down, five to go.

Tesseract: Captain America, Avengers
Aether: Thor The Dark World
Orb: Guardians of the Galaxy
Loki's Scepter: Avengers

5. Thor: The Dark World
I loved this movie. I thought this movie was much better than the first. The action was bigger, the characters were stronger, and the humor was funnier. This movie has an important piece of the large MCU storyline. In this movie the Aether was discovered.

The Aether the second Infinity Stone found. Two down, four to go.

Post credit scene in Thor: The Dark World. Lady Sif and Volstagg giving The Collector the Aether

4. Iron Man
Who doesn't love the first Iron Man movie? This was the first Marvel movie in the MCU to come out in theaters. Robert Downey Jr. does a great job playing the lovable arrogant, playboy that is Tony Stark. This was so much more than just a comic book movie. Marvel broke the mold and created a new kind of superhero movie. All aspects of this movie made it a classic; quick dialogue, humor, action, great special effects, and a good soundtrack.

3. The Avengers
A big budget film, an all-star cast, and huge hype... seems to be a recipe for disaster in Hollywood. Not with the Avengers. This movie delivered big time; thanks in part to Joss Wheden. I believe the reason this movie did well is because Joss Whedon knows how to make a movie. He took the success of the previous Marvel movies and he built on it. Another thing that I appreciate about Joss Wheden movies is he always has strong female characters. I liked how he used Black Widow in this movie and I really liked Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders).

In Avengers, Loki has a staff that he uses to control people. It is believed by some that his staff has an Infinity Stone. Three down, three to go.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy
This movie was a blast! I went into this movie with low expectations, I thought it was going to be too strange. While it is strange, Marvel embraced it's strange and colorful nature and produced a great movie.

An important facet of this movie is the explanation of the Infinity Stones. "The Collector" explains the origins of the Infinity Stones and how they existed and were created. The movie centers around an orb that has destructive power; I'll give you a hint, it's an Infinity Stone, which means, four down, two to go.

The Collector

1. Captain America: Winter Soldier
Choosing my number one Marvel movie was difficult, because they are all so good, however, Winter Soldier is the best. Not only was it a great movie, I think it is the most important Marvel movie yet. Like the first Captain America, this move felt less like an individual movie and more like a piece of the bigger MCU storyline. This movie was edgier than the other Marvel movies, with the best action scenes of any of them.



I hope this weekend I have a new number one, and I hope that we discover another another Infinity Stone.

Detours

Few things can be more frustrating than driving somewhere, only to have to take a different route because of construction or an accident. Often detours are confusing and make you wonder how your going to get back on track. Such is the case with life. Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn, or you might find yourself in a situation that is only temporary. This could come in the form of an illness, a difficult semester in school, or maybe something is taking you longer than you anticipated. We all have our own life detours that remove us from the path we are on. The road we take to get to point B can feel like the road to point Q. My life recently took a huge detour. At times it was difficult and confusing, but I really enjoyed it.

I used to work for a great company. I had great benefits, several paid holidays, two weeks vacation, a five minute commute, and I was a graphic designer, just what I wanted to do. However, without going into detail, circumstances changed and I didn't feel welcome anymore. The time had come to look for new employment. After months of looking for a new job, I found a graphic design position with a construction company. The pay was comparable, but I was going to take a major hit on other benefits, plus my commute was going to be 35-45 minutes. Despite this, I took the job because it seemed like a good opportunity.

I really enjoyed the work, I was given creative freedom that I wasn't accustomed to and I got to work on some really fun projects. In addition to the work, there was a fooseball table and a dart board, we went to a racetrack and raced cars, and the company Christmas party was held in a suite at a Utah Jazz game. I was able to do several things that I otherwise would not have been able to do.

Onsite for a video shoot 

I knew early in my employment that the job was a detour, a temporary workplace. As a graphic designer, there isn't a lot to do at a construction company, and there wasn't much room to grow. I was working at a job, not my career. Now, seven short months since starting my construction job, I have accepted a much better offer. The pay and benefits are better, and I get my five minute commute back.

The company creates learning material for elementary schools. I received my BS in Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design and I minored in Education. This new job will be great because I get to do what I love for a company that has a purpose I can support.

Life's detours, like driving detours, can be confusing and frustrating, but eventually the detour will put you back on the path you need to be on. Enjoy the ride.

Lent

This year I decided to participate in Lent. I'm not doing it for religious reasons, I am doing it because I wanted to test myself. I decided to do something easy, go without soda. I am not a big soda drinker, I maybe have three sodas a month. Going without soda has been much more difficult than I thought. There have been occasions that I have craved it... I have never really crave soda. I have found that my craving is situational. For example, Lauren and I grilled the other day. Normally I would crack open a Root Beer or a Dr Pepper, but I couldn't. Another example is we went to our favorite gluten free pizza place in Park City; they have Apple Beer. I always get a drink if a restaurant has Apple Beer, but this time I couldn't. I realize that those examples both revolve around food, but sometimes it's nice to have a soda instead of dessert, I like to drink my calories.

This soda fast has not spawned a desire to never drink soda, nor do I think I am addicted to it. However, I am looking forward to April 2nd, the day Lent is over, when I can crack open a cold Root Brewski.

If you participated in Lent, please let me know what you gave up. Write your response in the comments.

Two months with Fitbit

I got an entry level fitness band at Costco a couple of years ago because I wanted to track how much I walked each day. The fitness band worked OK, and did what I needed it to do, but it was bulky and had minimal features. I decided I wanted something a little more robust, something that had more capabilities than just tracking steps. After doing research and price comparison, I decided to go with a Fitbit Charge. Fitness bands are not for everyone; even if you are in the market for a fitness band, the Fitbit may not be for you. There are many types of fitness bands that do different things.

I have had my Fitbit Charge for almost two months; here is my review

PROS
Cost: The Fitbit Charge retails at $129.99. I found mine on a black Friday deal for $99.99. I also used my Target Red Card and got an additional 5% off; making it $95.00.

Lightweight: As I mentioned before, I had another fitness band that was bulky. The Fitbit is lightweight and much thinner than my previous fitness band.

Wireless Syncing: This is one feature that I love! You would think this is a given with fitness bands, but it's not. All the data syncs wirelessly to my phone. I don't have to think about plugging it in to the computer or keeping a log myself, it does it all for me.

Tracking: The Fitbit Charge tracks steps, distance, calories, flights of stairs, active minutes, and sleep (without putting it in sleep mode). It also tracks food & water intake and weight, but it does those manually (therefore I don't track those, I hate tracking my food). I can also record my exercizes. If I go for a walk, jog, or hike, the Fitbit will track where I have gone and input the data into my phone.

The app: The app is great. It keeps track of my activity on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. This is helpful because it helps I can see my progress (or lack of).

Badges and social: Sometimes Fitbit will reward you with a badge for completing so many steps or being active for so long. You can also challenge friends to a challenge and get a badge that way. The badges are a way to keep you motivated against yourself, and the social aspect adds a little friendly competition into the mix.

Caller ID: The Fitbit Charge (and other models) have show you on the little screen who is calling you. I don't use this feature a ton, but it is nice.

CONS
The wristband: I fit both the large and the small. I have the large band, and it is almost the tightest it will go. On the small band, I can have it the largest it will go. I wish there was a size in-between.

Lauren has a Fitbit Flex, and with hers you can take out the "brains" of it and change out the band, or put it in your pocket. The Fitbit Charge doesn't have that option. The band is not interchangeable, nor do the "brains" come out.

I think I like the traditional style wristband that is on the Fitbit Charge HR, as opposed to the clasp style wristband on the Fitbit Charge.

It could track other things: I don't view this as a negative myself, but other people might. It doesn't track some activities in real time like swimming or cycling; you can manually add them in later. This isn't a negative for me, because I don't do a lot of those activitiies, but like I said, it might be a negative for others.

A Challenge to Introverts...Follow-up

Here is my follow-up from my original post "A Challenge for Introverts." (Please see below for the complete post.)

The first thing I did during my week of no small talk and more meaningful conversations was I did away with senseless conversations and tried to either steer the conversations deeper, or avoided them all together.

I talked to one of my co-workers at lunch. We didn't talk about the weather or work related topics, I got to know her a little better as a person. I learned that she grew up on a cattle ranch in Driggs, Idaho. She told me she loves to play in the snow and she is sad that she didn't really get to play in it this year, because it was a lousy year for snow. Growing up, she would make mazes in her backyard with all the snow, and she remembers the walls of the maze were as tall as she was. That isn't too hard to do when your a child and less than four feet tall. She loves chocolate milk, and her life is her Grandkids. She has seven Grandkids all under the age of nine, and they all live close to her, so she gets to see them often.

Overall the week went well. I had less awkward conversations about nothing, and more meaningful conversations.


ORIGINAL POST...

I am an introvert in every meaning of the word. I prefer intimate settings over large (and loud) groups, I have only a few close friends at a time, and I prefer staying in and having a relaxing evening. I do occasionally go outside my introvert bubble. I've been to NBA games, company parties, dances, amusement parks, and so on... I even worked retail.

I do not feel that being an introvert is debilitating, but I know that I occasionally miss out on opportunities. I'm not afraid to go somewhere that involves being with a large group or somewhere that has a million things going on, but I know that in those moments I need something that will lessen my anxieties. As with all introverts, I feel more comfortable if I have a friend with me, or I know where the exits are, and sometimes I will show up late so I don't have to stick around for too long. I am not trying to be rude in these kind of moments, I just need to get back to something a little more quiet so I can recharge my introvert battery.

Although I am an introvert, I still crave interaction with others. I just crave it differently. I crave meaningful relationships and meaningful conversations. This is why I dislike small talk. Small talk is a superficial means of communication. The following is a passage about small talk explained by a blog dedicated to introverts.

"Unfortunately, our culture has deemed small talk a social necessity. Wikepedia even went so far as to describe it as a “social lubricant”, which makes it sound a whole lot more fun than it actually is.

Small talk is meant to be light and fun. It flees from depth and meaning. Personal questions are considered inappropriate. Likewise, any emotion besides happy or neutral is discouraged. Consequently, authenticity dies on the vine.

The truth is that small talk allows two people to have an entire conversation without really getting to know each other.

Instead of being light and fun, the conversation is flat and boring. It is like a game of chess where both players always know each other’s next move. It is a predictable exchange with predictable results.

For introverts, it is one of those annoying hurdles we must cross to get to the good stuff. We indulge in it hoping that we will meet someone who hates this formality as much as we do.

We wait for that brave soul who asks inappropriate questions and laughs at all the wrong times. We cling to the hope that our path will collide with someone who is unapologetically authentic. We are ever in search of people who crave depth over breadth."

Click here for complete article


I do not dislike people. I dislike small talk because it is the social equivalent of spinning your tires. as stated "Small talk allows two people to have an entire conversation without really getting to know each other." The meaningful conversation, the getting to know someone; does not happen with small talk.

This idea leads me to a personal challenge. Over the coarse of the week I am going to attempt to engage in more meaningful conversations. This could be when I am running errands, it could be at work, at church, with family and/or friends. The reason for doing this is so I get out of my comfort zone and get to know the people I come in contact with. I want to have authentic conversations that aren't predictable. I will do a follow-up post giving an account of what happened; until then wish me luck.

Oh and to the introverts out there reading this, please join me in this challenge. I would love to hear about your experiences.

Also, this is a phenomenal TED Talk on introverts. check it out.

The Power of the (Social Media) Dark Side

Recently HBO star Lena Dunham called Twitter, "The dark side of the internet." 

That idea got me thinking. While I somewhat agree with Lena, the idea is incomplete. I do not believe that Twitter is inherently bad, or that the entirety of Twitter is the dark side of the internet; there are several dark sides of the internet. ALL social media has a dark side. It's true that social media can be used for good, However it is that dark side that brings out the worst in people. In my experience there are three parts to the dark side of social media.

1. Feelings of inadequacy: How many of us are guilty of comparing ourselves to a friends Facebook post, or thinking our lives will never be like a Pinterest board.

2. Social media first; family and friends second: How much of our valuable time is spent checking Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Pinterest? Now how much time is spent...intimately spent...with the people we love. DON'T EVER put your social media relationships in front of your real relationships.

3. Cyber-bullying: Some people justify hurtful comments on social media because there isn't a personal interaction. People become two-faced by being incentive and/or passive aggressive. What kind of comments are you leaving?

Use social media for good. Don't turn to the dark side.

Harry Potter Reboot

If they reboot Harry Potter in the next five years(ish), here is a list of actors I would like to see in it and some things I would like to see done differently in the movies.


CAST

Albus Dumbledore: Jude Law
I would love for a future reboot to feature a younger actor for the role of Dumbledore. I am not saying Dumbledore should be young, I am simply saying that the actor should be younger. Through makeup and special effects, they can make the actor look older.


Severus Snape: Benedict Cumberbatch
I would love to see Snape with a goatee, as described in the book.

Remus Lupin: JJ Feild

Sirius Black: Richard Armitage

Mad Eye Moody: Liam Neeson or David Morrissey

Voldemort: Michael Fassbender

Rubeus Hagrid: John Rhys-Davies

Quirinus Quirrell: Allan Cummings

Minerva McGonagall: Helen Mirren

Barty Crouch Junior: Matthew Goods

Aurthur Weasley: Martin Freeman

Gilderoy Lockhart: Sam Claflin
Lockheart needs to be younger, it was awkward when 12 year olds were crushing on a 42 year old Kenneth Branagh.

Madam Pomfrey: Jennifer Ehle

James Potter: Blake Ritson

Pomona Sprout: Carey Mulligan
Let's get some younger teachers at Hogwarts

Dolores Umbridge: Jane Seymour

Sybil Trelawney: Catherine Tate

Mr. Ollivander: Bernard Cribbins

Bellatrix Lestrange: Billie Piper


OTHER ODDS & ENDS

I have read the series multiple times, and while I think the movies did a nice job at telling the story, there are some things I would love to see done differently in a reboot:

• Who the Marauder's are
• A more in depth conversation between Harry and Dumbledore about the Horcruxes, ie, going into depth about how Tom Riddle would choose objects for his Horcruxes that are tied to his past and to Hogwarts.
• More memories in Half Blood Prince
• Take out the ball scene in Goblet of Fire (it took away from the rest of the story)
• Don't portray Hagrid and the Dursleys as complete idiots 
• Continuity between films
• Peeves
• The world cup
• I know the books take place in the 90's, but it might be cool if the movies tried a different era, like the late 1800's.