My roommate and I are trying to find a word that describes me (specifically my confidence). Unsatisfied with arrogant, we are considering unabashed, dauntless, cocky, cheeky, audacious, brassy, brazen, brash, self-assured, and vain. Comment on the word you think fits me best.

Here is a picture of me and A-dawg (also known as Sonarbison)

He and Dave (flyringburritobrother12) randomly stopped by my room unanounced and it was much fun. Dave seemed really different than the pretend Dave I imagined from his site. But anyway now with this picture you can see my new haircut and pass judgement.

Can I just say my proffesors today were amazing!!!! I love my classes! I am still reeling in their profound lessons, trying to absorb it all. I will get the competition and the challenge I feared I wouldn’t get. I suppose I could give details later, but I have work to do. For example, I have to define art according to one who knows. So far I think that will go as follows (please do not copy my thoughts, live by the Honor Code)

What is Art according to one who knows?

The prophet Spencer W. Kimball said, “To be an artist means hard work and patience and long-suffering.” The scriptures speak of an artist named Bezaleel. Bezaleel was one of the artisans who worked on the tabernacle in the judaen wilderness. Exodus 31:1-3 reads, “AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel . . . And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.” This defines a true artist: one filled with the spirit in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and workmanship. Workmanship. Continued reading in verses 4 through 5 expounds on workmanship as “cunning works” in various media to set, shape, and work the materials. Thus art is workmanship, wrought through patience and long-suffering.

In Moses 7 the Lord shows Enoch a glorious vision that includes generation after generation of men. The Lord says in verse 32, “Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands” If men, as creations of Jesus Christ, are the workmanship of His hands, then are they not His artwork, His masterpieces. And if Christ is the great author of all this, the artist who created so much, is He not the best artist in the Universe? Christ is one who knows, so what is art according to Him?

The scriptures teach that Jesus Christ created His “artwork” or workmanship by organizing existing materials. (See Abraham 4) Abraham 4:27 reads: “So the Gods went down to organize man in their own image” So what is art? It is the organization of materials according to a plan or image.

Remember that post about the sensual and the spiritual in art? I found an interesting article that touched on it. Spencer W. Kimball said in reference to Michelangelo, “Could not we find an embodied talent like this, but with a soul that was free from immorality and sensuality and intolerance?” He later states, “It has been said that many of the great artists were perverts or moral degenerates. In spite of their immorality they became great and celebrated artists. What could be the result if discovery were made of equal talent in men who were clean and free from the vices, and thus entitled to revelations?”

I though that was interesting.

“Raise your hand if you know what a 5 paragraph essay is.”

That was my reaction. “You’re kidding, right?” My english class feels like a freshman class. In high school.

I did laundry today.

I also went to the BYU barber shop today. Or rather the butcher. I told her I wanted to keep my hair long, but that it needed to be thinned up and shorter for the Honor Code. She cut my hair with me facing away from the mirror. This was to prevent me from screaming. She cut it all off!!!

And I like it.

I don’t want to admit it though. You see I did not want to have short hair. I wanted my cali-emo look. But for some reason after I got my hair cut I felt really good. My hair had been weighing on me- an impending violation of a the code I signed months ago. Now that is lifted. This is really wierd. I don’t think I have been brainwashed, yet some how BYU has accomplished its intention to make me cut my hair. And then some how it made me feel really good about it. That’s how the Y works. It makes you feel good about following the honor code. I feel honor. I feel confident. I don’t get it but I like it.

I like this place so much. There really is a bubble- a happy bubble. You can step onto campus and feel a change. You feel . . . right. And so I will emphatically declare with Brigham Young of old, “This is the place.”

P.S. just to clarify my last post, I am still single and interested in other girls . . .

I met a girl. I can not keep my feet on the ground.

P.S. On a completely unrelated note I saw Elizabeth dancing. Clearly this truly is a land of Miracles.

Yesterday my internet was being funky, but I wrote a post. Here it is:
Thursday, August 26

BYU is more amazing than I ever thought it could be.

I arrived here early weds. morning only to find out my one of my suitcases had missed the plane!! It ended up getting there later that night.

The move in was just fine. I suppose there are lots of little details, but you’ll just have to talk to me about them. My roommate, Adam, is really cool and we get along and all which is great. It’s also nice to have my cousin Julie here because she’s introducing me to all these people and driving me places !!!

Weds. night I hung out in Julie’s apartment with a bunch of her friends. It was so much fun. She gave us lessons on how to hold a girls hand and on the signals and stuff. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in at least a year. My stomach hurt so much I thought I was going to choke on it mid-laugh.

I got back just before midnight, went to bed, woke up at 6, showered (with no line!!!), and went off to the visual arts meeting at 7. I said the opening prayer and started meeting “community C”- the visual arts group in freshman academy. 30 people. Only 4 were guys. I’d love to give you more about the group, but I’ll have to do so in a protected entry.

Our group turned out to be really fun. Orientation has been awesome so far- I feel so welcome and comfortable- between Julie and her friends who have adopted me into their group and the VA group. This morning we had a Convocation at the Marriott Center. Our group was filmed entering- watch us on BYU TV! Anyway, the convocation was really cool. We sang, prayed, listened to speakers, and then they showed us this movie. It was so moving. I was really fascinated by it. Then the band came out with the cheerleaders and cosmo . . .

I don’t know when it happened, and I don’t know what they did. I didn’t catch it, but they did something, because by the end of the convocation I was so proud to be a cougar. No really. I have never been so proud to be a part of something. I feel . . . honored . . . to be at BYU.

I ditched some activities that didn’t pertain to me and bought a sports pass and ate some food at Aunt Marieta’s house with Julie. Then Julie and I hung out with Steve and ultimately went to the Honors Banquet with was fun. I ran into Elizabeth there.

Anyway I am happy. It is so . . . divine being here. I’ve been so busy- just running around nonstop having fun. I am actually excited to start classes on Monday. I plan on becoming the best artist at BYU after all,

PS. I turn 18 Friday.

Tunnel singing Sunday!!!

It is now later. And being later you get an update complete with a tear, a smile, a laugh, a movie review, a social commentary, and a soap box. This will be my last update from Chicago until Christmas time after all.

Saying goodbye was hard. I expected the hardest goodbye (aside from my mom) would be James, but I know I will talk regularly with him and maintain our friendship. It turned out to be really hard to say good bye to Karen. She is just so . . . I’m just very proud of her. And I want to be there for her as she continues to have all these awesome achievements. I will miss her so much. Funny how often we faught and now it doesn’t even matter. I love her.

I will miss all of my siblings and all of my family so much. Before I progress any further towards transformation to a blubering mess I’m going to change gears.

I put some pictures up from the summer. “Here in this diary, I write you visions of my summer. It was the best I ever had . . .” (the Ataris).

And now for a laugh. Today was my last day of work- it was mostly a yucky day so no one came to the pool, so Margaret and I watched a movie (the Skulls- I’ll get back to that later). Well it started raining so we went to watch in the shed. Well it started winding so we closed the door to the shed. Well my dad came. Walked into the pool, into the pooring rain calling out, “Daniel?”

I open the door and walk out of the shed. Margaret walks out of the shed. The look on my dad’s face said was, well interesting.

I got home an hour late because I had a doctors apointment (my parents did know about). I walk in and suddenly it’s the inquisition with my dad.

“Where were you”
“The Doctor”
“Oh yeah. . . What were you and Margaret doing in the shed?”
“Watching a movie”
“What movie?”
“The skulls.”
“What’s it rated?”
“PG-13″
“Why was the door closed?”
“Cause it was raining”
“Oh yeah. . .How long were in there?”
“DAD!!!!!”

An hour later my mom walks into the same thing and I swear the whole conversation happened again, this time with a speech about what it looked like was happening. Seesh!

So the movie Skulls was about secret society, and my first reaction was part intrique and part, “what’s so bad about it anyway.” Seriously, I have problems with America’s hypocracy in it’s absolute mortal fear of secrecy and its obsesion with privacy. But as the movie progressed I realized that it was indeed bad, hence the Book of Mormon condemnation of such secrecy: “Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe” (Alma 37:31)

“And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets.” (3 Nephi 7:6)

“And it came to pass that they formed a secret acombination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;” (Ether 8:18)

“For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.” (Ether 8:19)

You get the point.
I give the movie 5 starts in art and plot, 4 stars in content, and 3 1/2 stars in acting.

I also watch the original parent trap today. I give it 6 stars out of 5 for social comentary on divorce, specifically on this notion of a “six month split” – the shuttling of kids from parent to parent.

But for my soap box . . . I am livid . . . I am just so mad at the demacrat’s reaction to President Bush’s unneeded condemnation of the indepent anti-Kerry ads. I think it’s ridiculous that Kerry even asked Bush to apologize. It’s childish! Do you see Bush asking Kerry to retract and apologize for Michael Moore’s 9/11? No! guess which one is worse! Independent groups can advertise whatever they want, Bush shouldn’t have to worry about it. Talk about free speech! Gall! the hypocracy!

Out.

Oh the cleverness of me. Sometimes I just delight and bask in my own greatness . . . (er, lol, I know that’s not a real update, I’ll be back with a real one later)

511 days since I joined xanga. 3 days until I join my new friends at BYU.

I wish someone would slap me though for deciding I’d only need one day off work to clean my room out and pack all my stuff. I am still barely knee deep in stuff. I had no idea I had so much stuff.

Oh, and I have sooooo much artwork I can hardly store it all. Which for some unexplainable reason made me really scared about being an art major for the first time. What if I don’t make it? Then I will have all this unsold artwork and I will starve to death or worse- work at McDonalds for the rest of my life.

My last weekend here was sweet and fun and wonderful yet very unmemorable. It was really just a normal weekend with a little packing. (er . . . lot).

Yesterday at work I listened to the Bill Engvil CD’s Margaret burned for me. And then I went to Lou Malnatis after work to visit Mary and Dana. Wendy’s, then Mary’s house.

Today I packed and shopped (got a really cool back pack and lap top case thing) and organized and cleared and trashed and then went to Walker Brothers with my family to say goodbye. I will miss my family, but I will also miss walker brothers. And chineese food in general. And pizza. Good bye Chicago.

Tomorrow will be my last Sunday as a full time member of the Buffalo Grove first ward (from wence comes the _bg1)

Wanna know what’s cool? I’m getting tons of cool e-mails from all these people in the visual arts section with freshman academy. Lots of neat peoples. I’ve been told that normally you become friends with the people on your floor (or ward) as opposed to the people in your classes, but I’m not so sure that will be the same with me in the art program. Especially since I’m in FA which means that the same freshman will be in all of my classes. Maybe that means I’ll have two circles of friends- a ward circle and an art circle. Hmmm. Kinda like how at Stevenson I had a couple different groups of friends that didn’t really mix, though there was some overlap. Anyway. I should stop thinking so much and be patient and experience it as it happens- in 6 days!

I discovered that sitemeter has cool graphs about visit history. I am much ammused. Here is This Year’s Visits and Page Views by Month:

Cool, huh? February is when I took that break from xanga. I also went to some September entries to see what might be different (to explain the difference in number of visitors from then and now). My September entries are just like my now entries. Slightly more soapboxy. August of last year though. Man was I in an awkward stage. Lol. No seriously, last summer I was nuts. It’s funny how you can change so quickly.

Tonight was my Eagle Court of Honor (despite earning the award like two years ago- it’s amazing how long it takes to get these things together). I felt very supported by the ward- lots of people came. Thank you to those who made it out.

We’re down to the week now. 7 days left. It’s actually a long time though- 1/4 of a month. I am so excited. Really I am. I met my roommate- he’s a lot like me so I think we’ll get along great.

*sigh* I thought that I had a lot to say, but apparently I don’t. lol.

Edit:
Thought I’d fill the void with some meaningless babbleage . . .

Talked to J and now I feel much better about something that was bugging me. I’m in a good mood. But anyway . . .

BYU has the best college library in the nation. Yes, better than Harvard or even Yale! We expected it to be the dryest campus, and the one where the most kids pray, but the library, this was a much coveted honor from the princeton review! They also ranked us number 5 for students most nastogic for Ronald Regan (my favorite president) And I’m ready to have a good time cause BYU is ranked number 7 at most happy students and 6th in best quality of life. Click Here