Oblivion in Text

I have the talent (and yes, I consider it a talent) of being able to block out my surroundings when I need to focus on something or work on something without interruption. I've been known in the past to not respond to others around me until they say my name repeatedly because I'm concentrating on something else. This comes in handy as an editor and writer—I can forget whatever is going on around me and focus on the words (prospective employers, please take note). This helps me have complete concentration on something for a long period of time. 

As the saying goes, every virtue has its vice, and this uncanny ability to concentrate results in humorous situations sometimes. One of those happened today. I was in Provo at the HBLL doing some research for a professor when I received this text from my brother, who is also a student at BYU:
- Hey, how's Provo?

My confused response to him was this:

- Fine. Why? How do you know I'm here? Where are you?

His reply:

- Sitting right next to you.

I looked up, and sitting at the table right next to me was my brother, laughing at me. As we talked, we had both apparently been sitting next to each other for over 30 minutes before he noticed. I had even gotten up to borrow a book from the reference desk while he was sitting there. 

Well, at least I got a lot done, right?

The Best Valentine Ever

From my 8-year-old nephew. I guess he's in that "love is gross" phase.

Uncertainty Reduction

In recent weeks, I have devoted my time to studying for my master's degree's comprehensive exams. It's a pass-and-you-graduate or fail-and-you-don't graduate situation. It's also a show-everything-you've-learned-over-1.5-years-in-4-hours situation. No pressure, right? I can't even count the number of hours I've spent reading and rereading, and quizzing and being quizzed on inordinate amounts of material. (I still remember that the theory of planned behavior was introduced by Fishbein and Ajzen, despite it not being one of my main theories, and I blame Katie and Lincoln for that completely.)

In that time, I became reacquainted with uncertainty reduction theory. While it also wasn't on my list of main theories to focus on for comps, I've been thinking a lot about it lately. The basis of the theory is that people communicate in order to reduce the uncertainty between them. For example, a person may wish to know someone's political affiliation before beginning a tirade about an elected official, so they ask questions and look for reactions about political views before deciding how to approach the subject at hand. In fact, many communication scholars believe the whole purpose of communication is to negotiate difference—if we all thought and acted exactly the same, there would be no need to communicate.

I feel like my life is one big practice in uncertainty reduction. I'm a planner and I don't like uncertainty, and so my way of reducing the uncertainty in my life is to make a plan for how things will go. There have been many uncertain times in my life, and some have resolved exactly as I planned while others couldn't have turned out differently. While I strongly believe everything always works out for the best, I still struggle with uncertainty.

And yet, here I am again, faced with uncertainty—this time in the form of where I'm going to end up working, and the corollary to that: where I'm going to end up living. I hope both will be places I'll be for a good long time because I'm tired of moving or otherwise changing my life situation every few years. Stability is a good thing, and little by little, I'm working to reduce the little uncertainties in my life to achieve that.

Portrait of a College Library Patron

In the past 1.5 years, I've spent more hours in the good ol' Harold B. Lee Library than I'd like to admit. Over these months, I have observed many different library types or personalities. Because random ideas like this come to me when I should be working on other things, I'll share with you my findings. As I said, these findings come from hours of qualitative, ethnographic observation, so they cannot be generalized to a larger population:

The Dramatic Typist 
This is the person who, even though she is using a laptop with quiet keyboard, pounds the life out of the keys while typing what seems to be a very important paper. Many people go quietly on their way, and type quietly on their way, but this person prefers all in their general vicinity to know they are working under a deadline by making more noise than the guy snoring at the next table. And that brings me to my next type—

The Sleeper 
In my undergraduate days, I was all about the quick nap in the library. After all, 5 hours of sleep every night is hardly sustainable. I don't sleep in the library anymore, but many people do. My favorite version of this species is what I call the "Sleeper-non-Studier." These are the people who plop down at a table, and without so much as unzipping their backpack, fall asleep at the table. I have seen the phenomenon more times than I can count. Then, if you're having a good day, you'll see this same person, wake up with a jolt (usually with a string of spit from the table to their mouth) and leave the library in a rush. Keep in mind the backpack has still not been unzipped. Those poor, underutilized books in that poor, zipped-up backpack. These people seem to be oblivious to the main purpose of a college library. Speaking of oblivious . . .

The Blissful and Clueless
These are the people who merrily skip into the BYU stereotype of the student in love. Yes, these are those boyfriends and girlfriends who, beyond the annoying PDA, share a chair (despite there being an abundance of chairs available), whisper loudly to each other while their neglected books remain uncracked (those poor forgotten textbooks), share headphones while catching up on their Hulu shows together, and exchange googly-eyed looks with each other. Let's just remember this all goes on with 35–70 other people in their near vicinity who are all trying to ignore the annoying couple in the middle of the room.

The Socializer
These people come to the library to hang out with friends or roommates, or to find a date. The girls show up in their 4-inch Jimmy Choos (how anyone can wear 4-inch heals around campus baffles me), freshly applied lip gloss—and that on-the-hunt look in their eyes as they espy the table with the best-looking guy(s).
These are also the folks who sit eight to a table meant for four simply because they can't leave anyone out—except their poor textbooks, which still never get opened. This can also include guys who ask for help on simple Microsoft Word functions merely to get a date. (I may or may not have personal experience with this one.)


The Fidgeter
The fidgeter is among the most interesting library species. They hum to the music they're listening to, sway back and forth for no apparent reason, tap their pencil on the table, jiggle their legs to cause the entire table to shake, and mutter nonsense to themselves. They generally seem to be oblivious to the socially acceptable practice of library patronage—namely, to make yourself as inconspicuous as possible so others can concentrate on their studies. 

The Food Rebel 
It is a truth universally acknowledged that food is not allowed in the library. Recently, the HBLL has opened a snack zone where *gasp* food is allowed. For centuries, people have been sneaking in full pizzas in pizza boxes*, bowls of spaghetti*, tuna sandwiches*, and burned popcorn* to get them through their long study sessions. And for some reason, these furtive foodies must eat these items somewhere besides the approved snack area. Perhaps it's the thrill of the unapproved act that leads them do such acts, but I will probably never know for sure.
*I have seen or smelled each of these personally in my library experience.

While there are other library species, these are among the most prevalent and interesting in my recent experience.

Christmas Gift Guide

I love a good gift guide this time of year. There's nothing to get you in the holiday spirit like a list of completely useless items. So, here you have 2010's gift guide, with something for everyone on your list:

For the dyslexic on your list (to realize they're not the only ones who misspell words): The Great Typo Hunt.

For the vegetarian on your list (to keep an open mind): My First Bacon.

For any man in my family (I don't think any explanation is necessary if you were aware of the recent mustache-growing contest): the Mustache glass

For the opera lover (to feel a part of the next performance): the Viking hat

For the Mr. Rumsfeld (to keep an eye on any Klopeks in the neighborhood): Night vision goggles

For the person who pretends they like to read (to avoid the insincere "thanks" when receiving a real book): the book dummy

This, of course, is only a few of the many wonderfully useless gifts you could give this year, so feel free to share links to you own useless-gift finds.

10 things I've learned from graduate school (so far)

1. Professors need to be careful with teaching students theories of persuasion—the students may (read: "will") find a relevant application in class sooner rather than later.
2. You can safely blame the media for all of society's problems.
3. You can safely credit the media for all that's going right in the world.
4. There is no such thing as time, space, or reality.
5. Professors are our friends, and they want to help.
6. It's amazing how much you can get done around the house when procrastinating writing a paper.
7. Parasocial interaction has nothing to do with paranormal activity (sadly).
8. It's not okay to flirt with your professor—ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. (This seems like common sense, but you'd be surprised about some people.)
9. When a professor says, "You look like a grad student," it doesn't mean you look smart; it means you look tired and/or stressed.
10. After telling a professor you're not planning to pursue a Ph.D. and he/she says, "What a waste of a brain," he/she means that as a compliment.

Dream a Little Dream

So, last night I had a dream that the family and I went to a U2 concert. It was pretty amazing because we had incredible seats that were about 20 feet away from Bono. So in between songs, we would all just casually shoot the breeze with him and other members of the band. The greatest part of this dream was the location of the concert—in the thriving metropolis of Emery, Utah. I'm pretty sure it's a sign that on the U.S. leg of their 360 tour they will add in a show in Emery and we'll host them at the Emery house for their stay. After all, it's got a shower now!

Mass Hysteria

There are generally two schools of thought in language studies: grammarians who believe language should be governed by a set of rules instituted by a group of experts and disseminated to the masses. And then there are linguists who believe language usage should be governed the common man who speaks the language. For all those linguists in this world who believe our language needs no expert governing, I offer just one counter argument: parents naming their children.

I believe the state of baby-naming in our country is in utter chaos. Why is it parents think they need to be "creative" when naming their child? Even if a child has a normal name, like "Amy," it's spelled something like "Aymiee." No, really. After looking through a list of ridiculous names with my roommate, a junior-high teacher, I've decided parents are deliberately trying to make their children's lives difficult. Don't get me wrong: if a name is unusual because it comes from a different culture or is popular in a different language, I see no problem with that. I also see no problem with names that are a little unusual but are spelled phonetically, such as my own name (really, how hard can it be to pronounce "Maurianne"?). I just don't agree with strange new names or old names with ridiculous spellings.

Are these the people we want making decisions about how normal words are spelled, pronounced, or linked together to form sentences? I shutter to think. If those who name their children with reckless abandon (such as "Aliviyah") had control of any communication to the masses, I'm afraid we would have a true crisis on our hands. In fact, maybe we need a list of approved spellings for names. That way people who know nothing about phonetics or history of names can't mess up their children's lives by giving them names that are impossible to pronounce at first glance. Where's Samuel Johnson when you need him?

The New Grub Street

So, there's been talk for the past few years about journalists needing a license in order to practice journalism. There are debates on both sides of the issue, but the latest, from a senator in Michigan has me dumbfounded. What I find interesting is that his reasoning for journalists to have a license is to ensure journalists are credible and, as the article quotes him, to ensure they have "good moral character." I'm not sure what a license will do for morals. As we've seen the past few years, a CPA exam doesn't mean accountants will always act with moral conviction, and we all know the reputation of many lawyers, despite passing the Bar exam. Let's not even talk about the lack of licenses for politicians, such as the one proposing this bill, and the power they wield in governing this country. In fact, it's an affront to the profession of journalism. How many organizations have an official code of ethics, like the Society for Professional Journalists? How many college programs of study include a course in ethics? Nearly all journalism programs do. In my mind, that argument just doesn't fly.

Another reason this politician gives is that media apparently is in a state of utter chaos. Apparently no one can differentiate between legitimate news sources and those that spout mindless drivel and lies. I think he should have a little more faith in the judgment of the population in general. In fact, many people are concerned about "citizen journalists" who take it upon themselves to report the news when they have no credibility as a journalist. The proliferation of bloggers, online start-up news organizations, etc. reminds me of what was known as Grub Street in 18th-century London. After freedom of the press was established in London, a proliferation of new writers began writing and publishing because it was easier to do. Much of what was published was of low quality and many lies were also published. Because of it, Grub Street came to have a bad reputation as housing writers whose writing can't be taken seriously. Eventually, as often happens, the market righted itself, and the best writing and writers rose to the top.

I have a theory that we are now experiencing a new "Grub Street." Since the Internet has made publishing even easier than before, many people have decided to publish their views and "news" online. However, the cream always rises to the top. The intelligent, respected, and thoughtful bloggers and citizen journalists rise by gaining a following and reputation. Serious news sources become popular by their quality of news coverage and commentary. In my opinion, all of this worry about citizen journalists and lack of credibility is unnecessary. As the Internet matures, the new Grub Street will right itself, and the best, most credible journalists will rise to the top no matter where they come from or where they publish.

So, take a deep breath, Senator Patterson. Credible journalism isn't dying, so there's no need to create a government-controlled press. We still believe in the First Amendment; we're not China, and from the beginning, a free press has been necessary as the proverbial watchdog of government.

In honor of St. Patrick's day

Some simple dating advice

To those seeking sound dating advice.

Can Mercy Rob Justice?

So instead of working on the midterms I need to be writing, I've got some other things on my mind. This afternoon instead of holding one of my classes, my professor suggest we attend a rough-cut screening of Helen Whitney's new film on forgiveness. It was just the first of two parts of the film. The second part of the film is actually being screened at the University of Utah on Sunday. Because I haven't seen the second part of the film, I can't judge it positively or negatively because I haven't seen the conclusion. The portion I saw was, as she described, meant to create more questions than answers. One main question asked seemed to be, is forgiveness necessary, and is it always good?

Throughout the film, I saw example after example of people who either used forgiveness to cope with a situation or denied forgiveness and sought healing elsewhere for a wrong done to them. It was all very interesting, and it was interesting to see what she decided to portray. Religion was mentioned, and the ubiquity of forgiveness in the modern age--whether sincere or not--was an interesting concept addressed as well.

The whole time, I was thinking how interesting it is to listen to intellectuals grapple with philosophical ideas in a secular context that are often seen primarily in religion. These concepts, such as forgiveness, often become so complex and abstruse. I think it's also interesting that many think if you look at a complex problem through the eyes of religion, you are just being naive. I think that's evidence of the secularism in today's society, but that's another discussion for another day. Helen Whitney had some interesting insights, and I'm not trying to diminish that. However, the whole time I just kept thinking about what Alma said: "What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice?" We know the answer to that question is no, because then God would cease to be God.

That then brings up one of the great paradox of scripture: mercy vs. justice. I think philosophy exists solely to explore the complexities in the many paradoxes of the world. While the scriptures contain many, we don't value them for their complexity, but for their simplicity (such as the concept of losing oneself in order to finding oneself). For example, the paradox of justice and mercy is easily simplified by understanding that the Atonement of Jesus Christ fulfills the law of justice while still handing mercy to the sinner and sinned against. While many quotes explain this well, I particularly like this one from Elder Scott:
"The demands of justice for broken law can be satisfied through mercy, earned by your continual repentance and obedience to the laws of God. His mercy pays our debt to justice when we repent and obey Him."

It sounds to me like, you can't have mercy without justice, and you can't really have justice without mercy. It just doesn't work that way. So, where does that leave forgiveness? It seems the only real ubiquity about forgiveness is that it's necessary. Always. Perhaps the concept isn't as abstruse as those philosophers think.

Inspire Me

So, I'm not very good at updating regularly these days. But I came across a list of my most inspiring websites the other day. When I worked for CK, I regularly visited these sites for inspiration in writing and concepting articles, and there's something about beautiful things (like beautiful fabric) that makes me happy. So without further ado, here they are:
Amy Atlas Events (and blog): beautiful party food displays by one amazingly talented woman
Amy Butler: beautiful fabric and designs
Anna Maria Horner (and blog): beautiful fabric and sewing projects
Dear Lizzy: a blog by a genuinely sweet and talented woman I used to work with
Design Sponge: great home decor design ideas and inspiration
Oh Joy!: lots of fun fashion and color inspiration
Heather Bailey (and blog): fun, brightly colored fabric and sewing projects
Hostess with the Mostess (and blog): an idea for every party
Lotta Jansdotter: fun, beautiful things by a talented artist
The Martha Blog: okay, her reality is few people's reality, but her blog is kid-of fun. Trust me.
Orla Kiely: very fun patterns and things
The Paper Princess: the cutest vintagey paper products I've ever seen
Print and Pattern: paper and stationery inspiration with a European feel
The Purl Bee: Purl Soho's inspiring blog
The Ribbon Jar: Any and all ribbon you've ever wanted can be found here
The Rockstar Diaries: a recent find; fun and random stories from an east-coast couple (also check out her beautiful headbands)
Sandi Henderson (and blog): more fun fabric and designs
Sarah Jane Studios: lots of adorable artwork, especially for children
Shabby Apple: the cutest dresses you'll ever see
Style Me Pretty: don't think I'm a wedding-obsessed single girl for this one; it's got fantastic letterpress ideas, beautiful color palettes, and amazing photography (really)
Your Heart Out: fun updates on local events, talent, and shops

Wow

There are few things that bring as much joy in my second round on campus as the letters to the editor. This one particularly caught my eye this week. There are just no words for this. I've been waiting for a really great reply. So far, they are just the standard "women are great" replies, but one can hope.

On being a disciple-scholar

The last couple of weeks, I have heard a lot about being a scholar--that it's different than being a student, and that you will be expected to be a scholar in any graduate program you study in. It's a bit of a shift for me because I have been used to being the student. I'm used to fulfilling the requirements of the class, and while I've enjoyed that, I have done little outside of the what a class requires.

Now, I have heard numerous times that to be a scholar means that you an inquire--you ask questions and find answers to those questions. Classes are merely a starting point and teach the means to find the answers to your questions. It's all interesting, and I'm getting used to that mindset. It's stressful, but there are plenty of times in working professionally that I've had to do ask questions and find their answers. It's obviously different, but I hope that experience has prepared me a little for what lies ahead (at least that's what I tell myself when I need a little bit of confidence).

I've also had a lot of people ask why I'm going back to school and wonder why I'm getting a masters degree when I just want to go back into the same industry I was working in before. Besides feeling like it will help me in furthering that career, a lot of people don't understand coming back to school for the sake of learning, which is definitely part of going back to school.

One of the great things about going back to BYU is incorporating the gospel into academic studies. I don't know that I've appreciated a prayer at the beginning of class as much as I have in one of my classes that begins each session with a prayer. I'm not used to bringing religion to the forefront so openly as is possible only at BYU.

In my program orientation just before school started, our graduate adviser shared this quote with us from Neal A. Maxwell: "For a disciple of Jesus Christ, academic scholarship is a form of worship. It is actually another dimension of consecration. Hence one who seeks to be a disciple-scholar will take both scholarship and discipleship seriously; and, likewise, gospel covenants. For the disciple-scholar, the first and second great commandments frame and prioritize life. How else could one worship God with all of one's heart, might, mind, and strength?" (from On Becoming a Gospel Scholar)

I love this. I love that our religion doesn't think religious devotion and scholarly studies are mutually exclusive. They can coexist and do coexist as a form of worship as we seek to know the great things of God. So thank you, Elder Maxwell, for justifying my decision to go back to school, even if it doesn't guarantee I will increase my earning potential or don't go on to get a PhD.

The Future is As Bright As Your Faith

In the past couple of weeks, I have changed just about every aspect of my life: I've moved to a new place, moved in with girls I didn't know previously, switched wards, quit my full-time job, started a new part-time job, and started attending school again full-time for the first time in over seven years. For someone who thrives on stability and serenity, it's been quite the uprooting, and today it has me pensive.

Venturing into the unknown is a little difficult for me, and it may not seem like much to some, but to change so many aspects of my life all at once was a challenge for me. Starting graduate school has been over a year in the making, and walking around campus now is a little surreal for me for a couple of reasons. One is because it has taken some time and preparation to get here, and the other is because I remember what it was like as an undergraduate to be here, and I feel like I'm not the same person who walked that campus back then. Many people seem so young to me, and I wonder whether I fit into that scene that was once my comfort and stability a few years ago. I wonder if it matters if I do. It's taking some adjustment to dive into the world of academe where they expect us to be scholars and not just students, and hoping I live up to what the professors seem to think I am very capable of doing.

I like to have a plan for where I'm going, and having a pretty unknown future (except for the next couple of years) have me feeling like a new freshman again in some ways. As is so often the case, I was reminded of one of my favorite General Conference talks of all time recently, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" by Elder Holland. His story at the end struck me differently this time because while his family circumstances were very different than mine, I find myself venturing off to school once again, and I can relate to attempting to look to the future, not really knowing what I'll find. His words at the end, "There is help and happiness ahead--a lot of it. . . . Trust God and believe in good things to come," once again remind me that Christ is our high priest of good things to come--in so many ways.

Similarly, the words of President Monson have been on my mind a lot lately: "The future is as bright as your faith." God can perform miracles in our lives, and is willing to, as long as our faith remains firm. It's nice to know the Lord is there for us, even if our worries are minuscule compared to so many others. It's a great comfort to me, at least. So there you have my musings of today.

Best Children's Books of All Time

That's right folks. I'm coming out of blog hibernation to tackle the best children's books ever written. I wouldn't except for this article in the New York Times that I don't totally agree with.This is such a hard topic to address because it's so subjective. What are the criteria? Can it be any children's book, or do they have to be books that influenced you as a child? Or do they have to be literarily sound? What about books that used to be considered children's books but are now considered adult classics (such as A Christmas Carol or Gulliver's Travels)? Should chapter books be separated from picture books? I have no answers for these questions, so without further ado, here are my favorites, in no particular order. I won't say "best" because that's impossible to judge.
1. Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery because reading this column made me remember one summer when I read all of those books in one summer. I was technically a young adult, but I loved them. In fact, I remember getting in trouble a couple of times that summer because I was caught reading those instead of doing something else I was supposed to be doing.
2. Laddie: A True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter not because it influenced me as a child, but because I fell in love with this as an adult. The story is sweet and endearing, and so idyllic.
3. Heidi by Johanna Spyri because it's the first book I remember my mother reading to me. I know I was young enough that I didn't know how to read yet, and I remember wanting to know how you knew what those words on the page actually said.
4. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs because I could read it before I knew how to read! I will always remember the illustrations in that book and how they told a more vivid story to me than any words.
5. Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss again, because the images and funny concepts remind me of childhood. I remember tracing the different paths the poor boy who lived in Ga-Zair could take to get from his bedroom to the bathroom.
6. Richard Scarry's Best First Book Ever because I loved that everything was labeled with a word of what it was.
7. The Boxcar Children Gertrude Chandler Warnerbecause it was cool the children could just live in a boxcar. It always sounded like a fun adventure.
8. The Witches by Roald Dahl. My 5th-grade teacher read it to us, and I remember the vivid description of those witches. I could just see those hideous witches in my mind's eye.

I've probably forgotten many of my favorites, but it's a start. So if anyone still reads this here blog, I'd love to hear what you think. What are your "best" children's books of all time and why? Let's discuss.

Ah, felicity

So as I was driving to my parents' house yesterday for my sister's birthday party, I saw three of these:

It was such a pleasant surprise. Are the little lambs being born already? That must mean spring is on the way! Okay, I know it probably won't come for at least another month, but it's definitely something to look forward to. And really, have you ever seen anything as cute as a newborn lamb frolicking around the field? I doubt it.

Bump it up!

I just saw a commercial for Bumpits. You know, from BigHappieHair.com. I saw the commercial on real TV; not just the Internet. Doesn't everyone want this hair?


Now you can have big happie hair too! Just check out the video:

Christmas Gift Guide

I know, I know. Between the GRE and moving, I seemed to have fallen into a black hole the past couple of months, but in an effort to make contact with the world (or the void, as the case may be), I present to you, this year's official Christmas Gift Guide--to spur new life into the last-minute shopping frenzy that's upon us. This list is made up of many fabulous gift ideas that come from my own findings and those around me (thanks Mom for the ultimate gift idea this year! See number 5). So without further ado, here's the 2008 gift guide!
1. Retainer necklace from Kiel Mead. No gift is as thoughtful as one that reminds the receiver of a past memory. Of course, I don't know if "awkward teenage years with braces" is the memory they prefer, but hey, it might be!

2. Daedalus Lamp from Tord Boontje. I think the visual explains it all on this one.

3. Station Organizer from Paper Source. There's nothing quite like a little plastic man sitting on your paper clips.

4. Recycled magazine mirror from Urban Outfitters. This mirror allows the recipient to not only check their appearance before leaving the house, but they have the satisfaction of knowing the mirror materials once graced the newsstand with details of Brad Pitt's life.

5. A Heifer from Heifer International. That's right. For just $500 you can give a cow to someone in a foreign country. After all, this gift comes from "the most important gift catalog in the world." If that isn't the "epitome of hyperbole," I don't know what is. (Thank you Brian Regan.)


That's all for now, but if I come across some other fantastic gift ideas, I'll be sure to keep you posted. If you have any gifts to include on the list, please feel free to share.