Video: SOJA in Germany

The Roots to Portishead to Easy Star All Stars (music) from the EAST

This is what I've been listen to lately. All artists that I'm in love with hail from the eats coast,  mostly New York.

For some reason the music feels as though it's taken more seriously and doesn't let you down when it comes to the groove.

That underground authentic beats and the intelligent (something more to it) type sound seems to only come from music residing on the east coast.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAV's =====>

The Roots-  Jamming to this hip hop as of late.


Portishead--- to help me make sense of sour times.  Erie and exquisite.



ESAS (easy star all stars)--- Have taken music that has made history in the British world, and turned it into reggae... namely {The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead}

Swimmin and FREEZIN

It was very cold outside and I wanted to do something fun with ellie that didn't require staying inside and watching baby Einstein.  
I had an epiphany while giving her a bath....  She loves playin in water more then ANYTHING so I decided to take her to the orem rec center....

Michelle didn't have anything goin on so she came too!
 overall twas Very fun  and VERY cold.  We were there for about 15-20 minutes then had to leave because Ellie's hands started turning purple!
It was actually scary for a second i'm not going to lie.
As I was leaving, the receptionist asked,  "How did she do?"  I said with a smile, "she had fun but you need to find out a way to make the water not so cold!"
Hopefully she only took enough offense at the remark to take needed action.
Moral:  Don't take your kids to OREM REC CENTER for swimming, especially when its already 2 degrees outside.

:)

Tonight

I have the last table reserved tonight at the Sundance foundry grill!!!!

It just became available....  So tell all your friends, I'd rather give it to someone I know then letting someone else take it.

The reservation seats 2.

great way to celebrate new years!!!

get the word out 6 followers!!!

RESTREPO

Do you think you have a hard life?

Do you think sometimes you don't know how you'll make it?

Watch this movie so you can feel how lucky you really are.

http://restrepothemovie.com/ 

It's on NETFLIX or you can find a way to download or purchase it.

"The war in Afghanistan has become highly politicized, but soldiers rarely take part in that discussion. Our intention was to capture the experience of combat, boredom and fear through the eyes of the soldiers themselves. Their lives were our lives: we did not sit down with their families, we did not interview Afghans, we did not explore geopolitical debates. Soldiers are living and fighting and dying at remote outposts in Afghanistan in conditions that few Americans back home can imagine. Their experiences are important to understand, regardless of one's political beliefs. Beliefs are a way to avoid looking at reality. This is reality."



Warning: You will feel like you want to turn it off multiple times throughout the movie... Don't.


Everyone in America needs to see this.  Don't rob yourself of the feeling of gratitude you'll get after watching this.

GO WATCH!!!
NOW!

Regarding Me: Monitization, Recreation, Yearning and Learning.

Monitization:
I'm learning to Program software.  I am taking private lessons from a very intelligent friend.  Which I am very excited about.  Also I'm going to school for Network/Systems Administration.
IT/IS jobs are frugal.  Life is looking up in this area.

Recreation:
For fun, I am going to movies, and hanging out with family with the rare occasion of dropping friends into the equation.  Also I sit at home and pick up my guitar and start writing songs based on creativity, not essentially knowledge of this instrument.  I bang on my djembe.  Another thing that surprised me is putting creative Christmas presents together was very enjoyable.

Yearning:
I really REALLY want to learn how to play the Tabla drums like this guy-



I love the rich and wet tones from the bāyāñ (used with left hand)  And the high tones with the tabla
a set of these babies will set you back around $400.  This is what I yearn for.

Learning:
Other then going to school and passing with flying colors, I am learning new songs on the guitar,  C, C++ Programming language, How to dominate on Black Ops, How to save money, How to prove myself, and how to keep up with my little girl. 
She's starting to walk everywhere!!!

Holiday's

This is a song for the holidays.

At least for me, the lyrics put the holiday perspective into words.

Feel - John Brown's body

Song of the day!!!!

Yes, turn your speakers up.

Have a great day everyone!!!

:)

Remembering a Brother

I just came across some old music that brings me to a time where life only consisted of hanging out with friends.

The friend that came up in my mind is nothing short of a brother to me.

His name is Chris Despain (Chrissy) 

I met Chris when I was about 3-4 yrs of age, when my mother used to drop me off at his house to be babysat while she went through college. I remember looking out his window seeing all of my brothers and sisters at the bus stop leaving for school feeling so jealous...(little did I know, ha)  Chris and I hit it off immediately.  I mean I was used to being the youngest.  And now I had a little friend I could pick on ;).  He was 2 years younger then me (in diapers).  But I still remember the good times we had.  As I grew older, Chris and I grew inseparable. We did everything together.  Learned tricks on the trampoline, learned capoeira, beating video games, going on trips, making fun of his senile grandpa.  I taught him things like how to dress, how to talk to girls, and eventually how to get in to trouble.  Chrissy and I loved doing everything together.  We had succesfully applied ourselves at learning lots of different things.  We were teenagers now and wanted to think of a way to make friends while showing off a talent we loved.  So we decieded to start a band.  Chris was already a shredder.  Within months he became a guitar player that literally blew my mind away.  So to keep up, I quiickly learned drums.  I played on his electronic drumset (which would be the start of something amazing) looked like this---

with these new talents, we started a band called Night After Dark.
You can see our page here--- (try not to laugh)

http://www.freewebs.com/nightaftrdark/index.htm

 Some band Pictures----

Chrissy is the one with the white element shirt.

We played hardcore Emo music... like I said, try not to laugh.


Chris and I having always had a brotherly connection.  He's always looked up to me.  When I started getting into life ruining substances, he followed.

Fortunately I was able to make a change for myself.  I was able to get out of the lifestyle and move on.  Chris was less fortunate.
What made me think of all this is, while I was changing my life around, I wanted to be a good influence on my little brother.  I began emailing him to start writing some music together again.  What happened was, I ended up writing drum loops and he would write and record guitar parts and send them back.  I found the files on my computer the other day and it gave me a bitter/sweet feeling.

I ended up spending some time with Chris.  But all he talked about was drugs and how they made him feel.  I decided to put more focus on myself and lead by example.

About a year and a half later,
On the day my daughter (Ellie) was born, I received the most terribly devastating voice message I hope to ever receive.  It was Chrissy's mom Susan.  She began crying saying, "I haven't had the heart to call you until now, but Chrissy has passed away from a heroin overdose.  We have already had his funeral.  He is buried in Lindon.  Goodbye"




This news has broken my heart every time I think about it.  I can't even think sometimes that he is actually gone.  No more little brother.  All the times we had, erased.  All the memories locked up in a safe with a combination I don't care to know. 

Drugs are EVIL.  They'll only hurt you. They'll only make your life worse.  They'll only hurt the others around you.

I hope everyone who reads this can learn from it.

-Ben

Arizona!!!

This thanksgiving I took Ellie to Arizona to see my sister Melissa her husband Cod and their son jackson.  They are amazing people. I have uploaded some videos and pictures for everyone to enjoy the experience we had.  SO FUN!



Shooting guns in the desert with matt and cody


Ellie loves the drinking fountain at the play place

Ellie getting out of the bath!   Lovin life!

Eliie couldn't get enough of the swing in her backyard!!



Ellie with uncle Matt at the play place!

Here are some pictures of the weekend!

a bath with her cousins after thanksgiving!!  hahaha

Ellie with Melissa

Ellie with aunt Amanda.  She is so attached.  ha

 Eating at olive garden

Playing at the park.

Asking for food.  ha.  She is a bottomless pit I tell ya.

Great trip.  Hopefully Ellie doesn't have a bad plane ride on the way home!