James Taylor

YouTube

2010-04-12T13:13:00.001-07:00

Here is what I did for about an hour on Saturday night.

My NEW SONG!

2010-03-01T16:31:00.001-08:00

It is almost done. I'm still singing the female's part, so don't expect that to stay the same.

Strong Acids

2010-02-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

So I just made a new music video for all those people trying to learn the strong acids. This can be helpful for college inorganic chemistry classes. The MCAT and DAT will be no sweat after this!

Utah Provo Mission

2010-02-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

Today I was thinking quite a bit about my mission. To be honest I really miss it and wish I could remember all the details with more clarity. Sadly, that isn't possible, and the best thing I can do is remind myself about it as often as possible. I can't wait until I am called to serve again.

I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller

2010-02-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

That title is not entirely correct. I don't think anyone should believe that I think that. I would quickly correct someone if they attributed this title to me by saying that it should read "I Wish I WERE a Little Bit Taller." It is necessary to use the past subjunctive in this case. Were instead of Was. But the meaning is still relevant, no?

If I were to sum up my life in a few music videos, these would be it!

#1 Skee Lo - "I Wish"

#2 Tevin Campbell - "Stand Out"

#3 The Go! Team - "Get It Together"

TELL ME HOW

2010-02-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

So last week I put this song together for my teaching English as a second language class. If you don't already know, I'm studying to be a Spanish and ESL teacher. In my ESL class I'm taking right now I'm the only guy. The rest are girls (...duh). So I had to do a presentation about how to teach compare and contrast texts. So instead of giving a dry, boring report I sang this song. It was fun! And don't judge, I did all the lyrics, singing, editing, etc. in 25-30 minutes!

Could you imagine James Taylor the famous singer?

Here are the lyrics:
INTRO

How do you teach ELL students?
Tell me how, tell me how.
Think about how hard it is for them.
Tell me how tell me how.

VERSE 1

Some texts confuse, but you as teachers haaave no excuse
To keep it this way (hey) we gotta avoid that disarray.

Remember that they can learn and develop just as fast.
Thats why I will teach you now how to compare and how to contrast.

CHORUS

So teacher dont worry, first you will show them,
Then you will guide them, then youll let them do it by themselves.
If you dont follow these steps that I modeled
Think about how hard itll be for them.
Tell me how, tell me how.
Think about how hard it is for them.
Tell me how, tell me how.

VERSE 2

Why does this help? Because it brings their knowledge out
Of things that they know. (oh) It is proven to make their vocab grow

Remember that they can learn and develop just as fast.
Thats why I will teach you now how to compare and how to contrast.

CHORUS

2010-02-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

So the guy on the right, Skyler Gordy is the one that physically assaulted Mitt Romney. Who's side will you take? Here is Sky's side of the story.

¡UPDATE! The band recently did a reenactment of this little altercation.

How about something other than a video?

2010-02-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

For the last few months I've only been posting videos to my blog, so I thought I should kick the trend and write something for a change. This is inspired by my mom who told me to put music back on here. So mom, I hope you like this new playlist I made. Here is what I think about the different songs:

Crawl- Chris Brown. This song is awesome. I'd say it is an epic rehabilitation. It is the first song I've liked of his since that whole beating Rihanna thing happened last year. Which, by the way, was the dumbest thing he could have done.

You'll Be in My Heart- Usher. I'll admit I've never seen Tarzan. I think it is about a guy who is raised by gorillas then meets a girl who tames him. I assume it is like Encino Man, but instead of being frozen in an avalanche he is raised by gorillas. Yep. Oh, and it is a good song.

Do You Remember- Jay Sean. I know you've heard Down. Everyone has heard it. You know, I bet even President Samuelson listens to it. Anyway, this is Jay Sean's newer song, and I like it a lot. Well, except for that psychopath Lil' John yelling throughout the whole song. What is his deal anyway?

What You Got- Colby O'donis Gee, I wish I had an apostrophe in my name. I don't know why I like this song. Maybe the dynamic synthesized bass? Maybe the 80's-esque atmospheric reverb? Maybe that pop and lock beat. Who knows?

I'll Make A Man Out of You- Donny Osmond If you don't like this song, you don't have a soul. The end. Well, actually, I didn't know that Donny Osmond sang this song until my friend Andrew told me. Sometimes we don't notice how much Mormons saturate the media. You have Harry Reid and Mitt Romney involved in Politics. Donny Osmond and David Archuleta in music. That Napolean Dynomite guy and that Two-Face guy in The Dark Knight. Orson Scott Card and Stephenie Meyer out writing books, etc etc. Click here for more.

Hello Seattle Remix- Owl City. This guy is great. I like this remix because it makes me feel like I'm in some surreal, bright city. It is relaxing.

That's all I will say about music for today.

But wait, there's more! Have you noticed how some couples give their children weird names? One of my friends just had a baby, but before he was born, they had nick-named it Rambo.

Same thing with my sister and her husband. She is having a baby in a few months and they have already named him Bowser.

Weird, huh?

What I Think About Twilight

2010-02-06T23:59:00.001-08:00

You have to watch at least one of these every year!

2009-12-11T16:15:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Mmmm Whatcha Say - Halo Remix

2009-11-07T23:09:00.001-08:00

I made this song at 2 in the morning. So enjoy! Oh, and just fyi, I only play this game once ever 4 months or so, so don't worry... I'm not an addict! Just thought it would be fun and funny.

Some girls don't know how doors work

2009-11-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

Guys should open doors for girls. That is the way it works. I do it, and anyone with a soul does it. However, I have noticed a troubling trend at BYU: many girls have no idea how doors work! Have you ever been behind a girl while approaching a door? Let me explain a few different scenarios:

-Many times they will open that door.
-Many times they will open it to about 40 degrees, which is just enough for them to slip in, and then they will let that door shut in your face even though you were just 3 or 4 feet behind them.
-Many times the door will be open when they get there, but they will slip through it RIGHT before it shuts, which means they just let that door shut in your face.

I would just like to send a message to girls everywhere to use proper door etiquette. If your minds are so complex, what is so hard about using a door?

What interests me

2009-10-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is a list of things that I find interesting:

1. Facebook
2. Unusual couples on campus
3. Going to the gym
4. Riding my bike
5. EVERYTHING about politics
6. Checking my email
7. How many awkward things happen to me every day.
8. YouTube
9. Running up and down stairs as fast as possible
10. Researching Apple's business model
11. Going swimming
12. How crossing 700 North to and from class is like playing Frogger with my life
13. American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages publications
14. Humor U (BYU stand up comedy)
15. How food, like chicken and beef, changes color when you cook it
16. Education Administration
17. Obama's stupid war against Fox news
18. popsci.com and arstechnica.com
19. Pizza
20. mylifeisaverage.com

A quick message

2009-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Friends, I want to share one of my favorite videos with you. Please watch it and enjoy it!

The Game of LIFE

2009-10-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I took a few moments over the weekend and wrote a little song about this board game called LIFE. I most recently played it on Friday night (I've played it millions of times before then) with three other people. Two girls are mentioned in the song, and of course one stops talking to me immediately after I make it, and she hasn't even heard it. Oh well, this is a cool song. My favorite parts are all the parts. So click this and watch the video. Just remember that I'm a white nerd.

The End.

PS- oh yea, I say work in progress because I'm changing lots of it and my roommate and I are going to make a real video to it. Maybe one day we can get a REAL RAPPER to do it for us. It WILL happen!

an ode to sarahmaines

2009-10-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

An Ode to SarahMaines

SarahMaines,

Your eyes shine like the stars in sky.

Your hair is glossier than Brian's iPhone.

You are more epic than Emron.

You give better hugs than Benji.

You cook better than Mike.

You sparkle more than Shane.

(BTW, I love your new haircut.)

Your smile lights up the whole town.

You have the scent of a field of flowers.

Oh, how wonderful life is while your in the world.

I love you, SarahMaines

Black in America

2009-10-01T17:41:00.001-07:00

In my teaching english as a second language class I had to make a presentation about a minority group in the United States. Of course, I made video about black people. Enjoy! :)

I WAS INTERVIEWED ON MSNBC!!!

2009-09-20T20:29:00.001-07:00

So any of you who read this probably knows that I love reading about politics. Anyway, I was lucky enough this last week to be interviewed on MSNBC (live!) about my thoughts concerning President Obama's health care plan.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

My life goal was to make it on TV some day! I hope you enjoy it!

Yet ANOTHER video!

2009-09-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

I had an assignment where I was supposed to choose 3 objects in my house that described me, my culture, bla bla bla. So instead of making a boring powerpoint presentation or a spreadsheet, I made another video. Enjoy!

Happy Brithday

2009-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

This is a video I made about a month ago about abortion. I hope you watch it and enjoy it!

Sudoku

2009-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

I beat a 6-star suduko in the Salt Lake Tribune today. Quite an accomplishment!

Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz

2009-09-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am learning about a writer named Sor Jauna in one of my classes here at BYU. (AP ranked #9 in college football!) After reading about her in our textbook I went to the internet to learn more about her. The venerable Wikipedia attributes the following quote to her:

"Who sins more, she who sins for pay? or he who pays for sin?"

I think this is a great question to ask. What is worse, selling filth, or buying that filth? My bias is that paying for sin is worse because that person is in search of immorality, wheras the other is in search of money.

That's my deep thought of the day!

2009-09-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is a paper I wrote about global English. I enjoyed it because I actually think the subject is important. Clicking on them should make them bigger.

The Influence of Church Leaders

2009-08-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

So today I was working on scheduling a room and equipment for tonight's talent show and I ended up needing to call President Monson at his house! No, not the president of the mormon church President Monson, but his son who is our Stake President. There was no response on the phone, so I left a message telling him what he needed to know. He called me back about an hour later and we talked for about a minute or so.

I'm always very amazed at how good I feel when I converse with church leaders. I've had numerous memorable experiences within the last year meeting church leaders. Last year I had the opportunity to meet and talk briefly with Elder Oaks, Elder Cristofferson, Elder Holland, Elder Wirthlin, Elder Perry, Elder Scott, President Samuelson, numerous members of the 70 and general auxiliary leaders. And while each encounter was fun and inspiring, I feel like I owe perhaps even more respect to local leaders such as Bishop Robison, Brother Crawford and Brother Paukstys.

This is not meant to discredit the general authorities at all. I take more notes when they talk than I do when anyone else talks. I review their words more than anyone else's. I am, however, indebted to those local leaders who have shown me by example how to live my life and react to situations. So while I enjoy occasional contact with church leaders in conferences, I especially enjoy the personal relation I have with those who are close.

Because you know, it isn't every day that you get a phone call from President Monson. :)

PS- click the links on Elder Perry and Elder Christofferson. I like those videos the best.

The Degenerate State of Prom

2009-08-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to briefly comment on the degenerate state of prom. I think that the terms prom king and prom queen are blatantly offensive and manipulative. Since when do we vote for monarchy? Last time I checked we lived in a Democracy (well, actually, a republic...). If we have a prom king and queen, then they should choose their successors. If we vote, then we should have only the prom president. But that would complicate things a bit. We would also have to have primaries, VP picks, etc.

The good news, however, is that we would not need a checks and balances system of legislatures and judiciaries. The reason being that the prom president and prom vp do not have any real power. They are an executive of smoke and mirrors. A plastic entity of lethargy. They would not even dance in front of their constituency, as would a prom king and queen. Because unlike the prom monarchy, the prom presidency are not roles tied to gender. I think if they were to have any executive power, it would be to lead all attending prom in the pledge of allegiance. They would just be a one-night stand-up comic-duo of a short-lived state of pride and pleasure, all to be forgotten and mocked because of their worthlessness.

That would be pretty cool to say the pledge of allegiance at prom, though.

Beavis and Bumhead

2009-07-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

I made a new video for an English class with my roommates and other friends from my apartment complex. Enjoy!

Ghetto Ice Cream

2009-07-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

One of the timeless hallmarks of an American summertime is the ice cream man. I'm sure we have all heard his horribly synthesized clown music slowly canvasing our neighborhoods on any given sunny afternoon. Little children in the the suburban United States are trained like Pavlov's dog to respond to his music by begging money from their parents and racing to buy Sponge Bob ice cream in 30 seconds flat. This is an American pasttime. There is no denying it.

Shouldn't that tradition be extended to down-town, gangsta-ridden ghettos, too?

We'll replace that clown music with rap music. Chances are kids aren't growing up listening to Barney songs with their parents out there. We'll offer brass knuckle ice cream, knife-shaped ice cream, and gold chain ice cream. We'll color coordinate the ice cream trucks with the gang that owns that part of the city (Location, location location!). We'll have armor plated trucks just in case of drivebys from opposing ice cream loyalists.

Ice cream delivery traditions shouldn't be consigned to only a few Americans.

Some Deep Thoughts and Reflection

2009-06-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Peter Pan shouldn't be wearing that skirt of his when he flies above crowds of people.

Girls love creepy vampires. I should be a creepy vampire.

I once went to a dentist who had bad breath. I never went back to him.

I think I would be more motivated in school if I got merit badges instead of report cards.

I'm allergic to cooking.

If the sun is what makes me hot, then why do I have trouble getting dates in the summer?

How do you right click a real mouse?

I wonder if our grandchildren will refer to Linkin Park as classical music.

Good food is the best food.

The Science of Religion

2009-06-17T17:40:00.001-07:00

So I originally wrote this on July 7th, 2004, but I wanted to put it on my blog. Enjoy!

I was talking to a friend today in Oklahoma when something clicked in my brain -- a good kind of a click. We put our heads together and found out that we are in the same time zone. Holy Moly. Being the deep thinker that I am, I figured out that we have a similaritie in the 4th dimension that we don't share in the 3rd dimension: TIME. See, while she is in my birth-state of Oklahoma at 10pm, I am in the green state of Kentucky at 10pm as well. However, I began to think deeper into this little phenomenon and.. well look. In the 3rd dimension we have a similarity rating of 0%. We are not in the same place. In the 4th dimension we have a similarity rating of 25%. We only exist at the same time. You would think that is simple, but if the in the 3rd dimension time is static, then we have 33% similarity: we exist.

Now, let's kick this up to the 5th dimension. I suppose that to move up in a dimension you have to consider the derivative of the current one as well. For example, the derivative of position of is speed (and for this "dimensional analysis" we will call it TIME). The derivative of speed is acceleration, meaning that we now chart the movement of time. Welcome to the 5th dimension. I'm sure you've noticed that as you become older and busier time flies by. Contrast this business with being in detention and watching the clock for an hour. What do we learn? We learn that action brings about the fith dimension.

I find it acceptable to call the 5th dimension the "dimension of morality" -- the dimension in which actions have consequences. If we were to find the relationship of the dimension of morality to our realitive end, being heaven or hell, we see that actions are the reason for going to hell, or going to heaven.

"But you said that actions change time, James. If I were to do nothing for all of my life, would that mean that I don't go to heaven or hell?" No. You have to remember that your actions are relative only to the aging of your body. As you reach the age of accountability your actions will move you forward to "heaven". But, as you get older, you are losing the vitalitly you had while you were younger, thus you are MOVING BACKWARDS. You cannot remain in neutral ground while you are alive, it is impossible. There is that one point where your body and your decisions cross, but compared your actions, that moment is impossible to stay at, for one will eventually surpass the other.

The two big factors in this 5th dimension are 1) Our Body, and 2) Our Actions. The negative and positive. This is not to say that the body is bad, or all actions are good, but the control of both will lead to the desired relative end: "heaven". If you want to give into your bodily moral negative-acceleration, do drugs, smoke, don't excersize. This only brings you closer to "hell". You can assure your arrival there if you don't further your life by actions. If you can cast off your natural man (body) and abide in good works (actions) then you will get to "heaven".

I guess the point I'm trying to get to is simply: CHOOSE THE RIGHT! (CTR)
-James

Shallow

2009-06-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm James and I'm really shallow. I like good-looking girls. I want to have big muscles. Shiny new cars are pretty cool. The best laptop is the new macbook. When I grow up I want to be super rich and succesful. Good food is the best food. My friends would be cooler if they were all ninjas. I hang out with Krystle and Sarah because they are pretty much gangsta. Okay. That is it.

Merry Christmas! :-)

2008-12-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoy this video!

Orchestrating Leadership

2008-12-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Leadership is a topic that frequents my thoughts. I believe effective leadership at its core is an active interest in the well being of the constituency and in the realization of personal potential. When someone in a leadership position motivates a member of an organization to stretch and grow, then that individual will begin to realize their own ability to convert potential into an accessible skill set.

To be continued....

Outline:
-Recognition of personality and ambition
-Similarities of conducting/orchestrating to leadership theory
-Examples of great orchestrators
-Likely outcomes of this leadership model

Friends and Education

2008-12-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

I would just like to put in writing that I have the best friends anyone could ever wish for. I would honestly rather spend my time getting to know people and helping them out as much as I could than attending school! BUT, that is wrong because education is the vehicle that allows one to improve and broaden the myriad of ways and opportunities one has to build relationships and help others. Enter to learn and go forth to serve... right? BYU must be the right school for me. Also, I plan to travel the world (hopefully) as a senior missionary doing just that -- building relationships and helping people out. Maybe this time I will get called to places a bit more exotic than Provo :-)

Addendum #1: Moab was a very idiosyncratic place. It was also in my mission. I'll classify that place as exotic.

Addendum #2:

These are my best friends

Freshman Year

2008-11-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

So I thought it would be fun to put some pictures of myself from my freshman year at college. How have I changed since then? Well... not too much! haha!

Me being duct taped to the wall

My stuffed animal and me studying

Tunnel singing when it was warm outside

Taking out the trash, on the top of DT!

My roommate Jesse and I showing off our nonexistent muscles!

You Passed

2008-11-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

I decided to escape the world for a few moments on Saturday by going to the temple. After scanning my recommend, the temple worker smiled at me and said, "you passed." I smiled back at him and made my way to the dressing room while reflecting on the significance of his words. You passed. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you can merit admittance to the house of the Lord by following a few specific guidelines. I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend the temple as often as I desire, and for the choices I've made that afford me such a privilege. I learned in the temple yesterday that it is not a matter of great import your status in life or your status with others, but what is important is your status with the Lord. We were taught in Sunday school today that miracles come by belief, and that miracles cease when there is unbelief. I find it miraculous that the gospel was restored through the young Joseph Smith as a result of his prayer of faith. I find it miraculous that my prayers, no matter how tiny or large they may be, are answered. I find it miraculous that as imperfect as we are, we can pass through the doors of the temple and enter into the presence of the Lord.