My Wife the Dragon Trainer

Apparently people have been telling my wife she looks like a character from the new animated movie "How to Train Your Dragon".  We looked it up I can definitely see the resemblance. 

Funny how we constantly seem to be finding resemblances of people we know in the media.  Like that whole doppleganger thing.  

As a side note, "How to Train Your Dragon" has a 98% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes.  Guess I know what movie we'll be seeing tomorrow. . .  

 

Media Literacy and The Princess and the Frog

First of all, let me just say that my wife and I LOVED "The Princess and the Frog" and were thoroughly entertained.  However, I couldn't help noticing some things I might not have been sensitive to before our class.  

First of all was this scene.  I definitely laughed, but I would not want my kids acting out these things.



One other little thing I noticed was in the last scene it shows Tiana's (the Princess's) friend dancing with the Naveen's (the Prince's) little 6-year-old brother and she says something about how she can wait for him (suggesting she wants to marry him to become a princess).  The thought crossed my mind of what a double standard this was.  It was meant to be cute and funny, but if the roles were switched - a grown young man dancing with a 6-year-old girl implying that he wanted to marry her - then it would seem creepy and unacceptable.  

Anyways, these were just a few passing thoughts I wanted to share.  If you haven't seen this movie yet, go see it!

Student Ratings

Just finished.

All 5 classes in like 12 minutes. 

And I'm pretty sure I get extra credit for at least 3 of them.

Clicking circles and writing a couple sentences never felt so good.

Inspirational Films

January of 2008, I started working as a mentor at a residential treatment center in Orem called Telos.  I've worked on several different shifts there and, fortunately, I've been able to continue working there after leaving for 4 months during the Fall of 2008 when I did the Romania Internship.  It is by far the the best job I've ever had and will be the hardest thing for me to leave when my wife and I move out of Utah at the end of May.  

One thing I've always been impressed with about Telos is how media is used.  The CEO understands the negative influences of media and has restricted movie-watching to one pre-approved leisure movie per week.  We spend the rest of our time training for triathlons and doing other activities.  

However, therapists will often use inspiring films in therapy and in therapeutic groups.  Yesterday during recreational therapy, the rec therapist had us watch White Squall.   
 

I was impressed how she was able to use the story from the film to get the boys to identify their own issues that they were struggling with and help them see positive and negative ways of dealing with those issues.  
 
We also saw Invictus a few weeks ago at the dollar theater and had a similar discussion afterward. 

These are just a couple of examples of inspiring films that are based-on true events.  Other movies we've watched at Telos in therapeutic settings include The Legend of Bagger Vance, Antwone Fisher, Dead Poets' Society, Cinderella Man, Martian Child, Remember the Titans, and more.  

I'm really grateful for the opportunities I have had to watch these movies and verbally process and learn from each of them. 

Wedding Video

After our last class, I'm so glad my wife and I have this:


Monica & Rhett Wedding Highlight from IRIS AND LIGHT on Vimeo.

It's fun to look back and remember everything we loved about our wedding and laugh about how it was 107 degrees that day. 

Texting Faux Pas

The whole T9 prediction thing can be really nice sometimes when text messaging.  It can also be pretty frustrating, like when the word you're typing isn't in the dictionary and then you have to take the extra 30 seconds to do it the old-fashioned way and then save it.   

It can also be pretty humorous.

My wife and I are both really busy working 25-30 hours a week while trying to finish school.  As a result, we don't see each as often as we would like and text message on a fairly frequent basis.  

Sometimes when texting, we neglect to change the word we've written from how it appears to what we intend it to mean.  Consequently, we've gotten used to some of the fake words that we might accidentally send to each other.  

For example, my wife asked me what I was going to have for breakfast this morning.  "Oh, probably just some grammka."  

She immediately knew that I meant "granola"

Or, if we're g-chatting and want to express sympathy to one another for some frustrating situation, we might say "fami . . ." which means "dang. . ."

Maybe it seems weird, but we think it's pretty funny. 

Deleted "Octopus Scene" from "The Goonies"

So, I was watching "The Goonies" the other day (as part of our coding project) and I was reminded of something that I used to get into arguments (the friendly kind) with people about.  

I would swear up and down that there was a scene where some of the Goonies have to fight off an octopus after they get to One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship.  But so many people never believed me!  Now, thanks to youtube, I can prove all those people wrong.  



It's crazy how far we've come in the last ten years alone in terms of technology.  The chances of me finding this video online even five years ago is slim to none. 

PLEASE COME TO THE INQUIRY CONFERENCE!

 As some of you may know, this week the BYU Inquiry Conference is taking place in 238 HRCB (The Kennedy Center - directly north of the MARB).  I will be presenting my research from my Romania Internship tomorrow at 3:30.  The schedule for today and tomorrow is as follows:

Thursday, 18 March

            9:00   Presenters’ Meeting: Day’s presenters meet in 238 HRCB

10:00  Nathaniel Freeman (Classical Studies) “Wordmasons: A Literary Treatment of Temples from Virgil to Milton

10:30  Caroline Larson (Art History) “Attributing an Unknown Adoration of the Shepherds in the Brigham Young University Collection”

11:00  Jordan Layton (Anthropology) “Unveiling Ubuntu: Overcoming Individualism and Racial Segregation in a South African Catholic Parish”

11:30  Panel Discussion: Religion and the Arts

12:00  Keynote Lecture: Carol Ward (Associate Professor of Sociology, BYU) “Using the Indigenous Evaluation Framework to Assess Projects in Developing Communities: Examples from Africa and Native America”

            2:00 Kendal Blust (English) “Gender Relations and Evaluation: Challenges and         Triumphs”

2:30 Amy Smart (Public Health Education) “Uniform of Hope: Reciprocity and Volunteerism in East London”

3:00 Matt Cox (Latin American Studies) “Get Involved: The Role of Cultural Immersion in International NGO Evaluation””

3:30 Yukiko Seino (Anthropology) “’There Is No Progress Because We Lack Business Skills’: Why Grassroots NGO Struggle in a Western-Influenced World”

            4:00 Panel Discussion: Giving and Taking: A Practice in International NGO Evaluation

            6:00 Presenters’ Banquet: All presenters and mentors meet in 5519 WSC

Friday, 19 March

            9:00  Presenters’ Meeting: Day’s presenters meet in 238 HRCB

11:00  Katie Rasmussen (Marriage, Family, Human Development) “Service-Learning in Emerging Adulthood: Positive Development and Outcomes”

            11:30  Lauren Wade (Marriage, Family, Human Development) “Corruption and Compliance”

12:00  Kristi Packard (Anthropology) “The Child’s Side of Gender: Gender’s Effect on Children’s Identity and Education in Wiamoase, Ashanti, Ghana”

12:30  Panel Discussion: Human Development in a Cross-Cultural Context

1:00  Keynote Lecture: Gideon Burton (Assistant Professor of English, BYU) “Social Inquiry: Leveraging Field Studies with New Media”

2:00  Branda Quintana (Human Devlopment) “Interactive Musical Activities in the Context of a Romanian Orphanage”

            2:30 Amy Nagle (Exercise Science) “Finding Stability at the Core of a Nation: A Physical         Approach"

3:00  Michelle Mook (Early Childhood Education) “Perspectives of Health Among Wiamoase School Children”

3:30  Rhett Billen (Marriage, Family, Human Development) “Assessing Reinforcement Preferences of Children in Romanian Institutionalized Care”

4:00              Panel Discussion: Interventions Among Children and Adolescents

6:00              Field Study Reunion: Reunion potluck in 238 HRCB

I'm not too thrilled about being the absolute last presenter at the entire conference, but at least there may not be too many people there . . .

Feel free to stop by!

Thoughts from Our Mock Trial

I was pretty disappointed today after losing.  That makes 0 for 2 mock trials in Dr. Coyne's classes for me (and Jeffy. . . and maybe Lance?  I don't remember if you were a defense or prosecution witness in the other trial?)  Anyways, I thought about our trial quite a bit today and I just wanted to share a few thoughts:

• First of all, I would like give affirmations to Laura and Casey for doing a really good job and being thoroughly prepared for the trial.  Many of their points were very relevant and they were very skilled in presenting those points.   
• Second, I don't know what the actual results of the case were, but I don't think it should have ever gone to trial.  In my opinion, Warner Brothers and Oliver Stone should have been willing to settle outside of court and pay out whatever might be reasonable in a case like this (I have no frame of reference for this.  It could be anywhere from $100K to $6 million and I wouldn't know what would be within reason).  This makes sense to me because it is blatantly OBVIOUS that the movie is not the only factor that contributed to Ben and Sarah's behavior, but it is also clear that their viewing of this movie influenced them to do what they did.  For this reason, Oliver Stone and Warner Brothers should have been willing to extend some type of monetary settlement to the plaintiff. 
• If I could do it over again, I would recommend that the defense would talk about how this case makes a stronger argument about gun control laws than it does for regulation of media violence.  I mean, how did these kids get guns to go around shooting people in the first place?
• There are several other things I might do over again, but what got me in the end was Laura's rhetorical question about what if this happened to a loved one?  Of course i would wish the movie would never have been made.  But the problem with that is the fact that if wasn't this movie, Ben and Sarah would have found some other violent flick to be obsessed with and act out.  Just like Kip Kinkel and Romeo and Juliet.  

 I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this, but I just thought it was so interesting that immediately after the trial I found myself always siding with the defense in this case.  But I had to ask myself if my opinions were my own, or whether I had convinced myself to think a certain way because of my involvement with the defense.  

Regardless, I'm just glad to to have a little extra credit after getting 82% on the midterm.   

PLEASE VIEW THIS POST!!!

And watch this video.

Does anyone else feel like they can't believe what they're seeing, or am I the only one?  

Who would have thought it could get any better than the Treadmill Video for "Here it Goes Again" . . . 

Sexual Content Assignment

I am also one of those that was pleasantly surprised at the lack of sexual content in the television programs I watched last week.  "Lost", "24", and "American Idol" were - with the exception of a scene from last week's episode of "24" - all very tame.  

I do, however, think this was partially a time of measurement effect.  "Lost" has, in the past, been one of the biggest offenders in terms of sexual content for me.  But, as far as I can remember, there was not really any mention or depiction of sex in last week's episode.  

Confounding effects or not, I'll just keep hoping these programs continue to keep things toned down. 

Favorite Commercial

So, for whatever reason I haven't thought about this commercial at all since our class started.  Not during our advertising lecture and not even amidst everyone else blogging about their favorite commercials (like the Old Spice "I'm on a horse" ad).  

Anyways, I was in the testing center yesterday taking our test for this class and this commercial came to mind (you know, during the short answer section - I can blog about that since the test is over with, right?)



Since I first saw this commercial a few years ago, I have never purchased any nutrigrain bars, but I have watched this several times on youtube and i always get a kick out of it.  

Impatient

Communication technology and the media have made me so impatient.  

I shouldn't play the victim here. 

But seriously, the first Grad School I heard back from (denied by ASU) was on February 11 and I still haven't heard from two others (Purdue and UT-Austin).  

I am really grateful, though, that a professor can send me an email that I can read at my convenience and respond to when I feel necessary.  

I'm also grateful I can look up each program online and I don't have to order catalogs from every University I applied to. 

Facebook Manipulation: Good or Bad?

So, my wife is a proud supporter of Facebook Manipulation.  Here's the basic idea -  If a guy you're dating starts acting weird and wishy-washy and doesn't really seem to know what he wants, start posting photos of yourself being touchy-feely with other guys and have other men post flirty messages on your wall.

My wife used this tactic on me during a week we were dating where I was saying I didn't know what I wanted.  So, Monica (my wife) said "Well, until you know what you want, I don't want to see you or talk to you.  So, figure it out."

Next thing I knew, she was posting photos like this:

Photo taken 4th of July, 2008.  The man in this photo is married to my wife's best friend (and he's the cousin of one of my best friends)

Within days, I knew that I wanted Monica.  Whether or not this was due to Facebook manipulation is still a topic of debate (Monica says yes, I say not really).  Since that time, I have been recruited a couple of times to help my wife's friends who get into similar situations with the men in their lives.  

This girl was dating a guy long distance that was giving her the run around.  After this photo (among others) was posted, he started to come around. 

Photo Taken 4th of July 2009 (after Monica and I were already married)

Monica also had me post a flirty message on one of her friend's walls when the guy she was dating would not call for a few days, then randomly call her to "hang out" (booty call).  Here's what Monica (we were just dating at this point) had me post:  
 

Rhett Maurice Billen KYLIE! Hey, I haven't seen you in sooo long. I hear there's a Green House Party on New Year's. I should be back in town by then. Me + You + Hot Chocolate + Green House = A Happy New Year. What do you think? 
December 15, 2008 at 10:51am · Comment · Like · See Wall-to-Wall

In closing, I'm interested to know how many people condemn Facebook Manipulation on the grounds that it is sneaky, deceiving, and immature, versus those who support this tactic with the attitude that it's all in good fun and no one's getting hurt and it's just something to laugh about in the end.  What do you think?

Tiger's Apology

I know some people in our class aren't a fan of Mr. O'Reilly, but I think he makes very valid points.  Here's an example of some good points he makes about the whole Tiger Woods debacle. 

Weinerschnitzel's New "Sea Dog"

So, I got an ad in the mail today for Weinerschnitzel.  I remember liking it as an adolescent, but it's been years since I've had any of their chili cheese fries or chili dogs.  

I must admit, I was speechless when I saw their latest and greatest addition to their menu.

Scanning the photo . . . fish 'n chips, a little weird for a hot dog vendor, but not unimaginable. . . a fish wrap?  Kinda strange, and definitely not really something I'm interested in trying . . . a SEA DOG?!  As in, an elongated deep fried piece of fish put into a hot dog bun with some lettuce and tartar sauce???
 

Whoever reads this post, I beg you to PLEASE go try a Sea Dog just so you can tell me how it is.  I'm so curious, but not curious enough to try it for myself.  

Oh, and in case you're wondering what it looks like when it's not all pretty for the advertisement, I found this gem using google images: 

 

I apologize to anyone that might have thrown up in their mouth a little bit from reading this post.  

Only in Utah . . .

Driving home from work the other day I pulled behind a car whose license plate read "FORGIVE". 

My wife took the opportunity to make light of the situation by asking "I wonder if they want us to forgive them for being a bad driver?"

Hopefully this is not the license plate of anyone from our class.   If so, I forgive you. 

My Two Favorites

I think my favorite type of story has to involve action, adventure, and some type of journey.  I remember reading "The Hobbit" in fifth grade for the first time, and I have read it many times since.  I love rooting for Bilbo.  Seeing such an unlikely hero be so courageous and devoted has always been inspiring to me. 

I read "The Alchemist" for the first time a little over three years ago and immediately loved it.  It is inspiring through and through.  One of my favorite stories from this book is about the secret of happiness, and it is one that I never get tired of reading. 

I'm slightly anxious that a film version of each of these books are forthcoming.  It's always sad to see a great piece of literature become the subject of ridicule at the box office. 

The Entitled Male

While watching "Lost" on Hulu last night, my wife and I saw this commercial:




It's interesting how my first reaction after watching this was to feel like I deserved something because I try to do all those things that are mentioned in the commercial.  While I have very little desire to drive a Chevy Camaro, this ad still elicited an "entitled male" response from me.  But after thinking about it, I've realized how sad this commercial really is.  It exudes a "Male Vs. Female" vibe that is icky and superficial.  

I just feel bad for all the men and women out there that got into an unnecessary argument after seeing this ad.

Insecure Blogger

Do you ever get anxiety about whether or not people will comment on your Blog?  I mean, you want people to read your blog, or else you wouldn't keep updating it, would you?  And how do you know whether or not people are actually reading your Blog unless they leave a comment?

My wife and I have a blog that we both update from time to time.  I'm not a huge fan of updating our blog, but I think it might be because I feel like I don't get as many comments as she does when she blogs.  Maybe her friends (80% of our readers) just don't feel comfortable commenting on my blog posts?  Maybe I'm a crappy blogger?   

Either way, as a side note to an earlier question from this post, you can actually sign up on http://www.google.com/analytics/ and see how many people are reading your blog, what cities and states and countries they are in when the read it, and how long they read your blog for.  Pretty cool stuff. 

How the Media is Similar to Food

I'm not really sure how I thought of this analogy, but I was thinking about how we take in media is similar to how we consume food.  Here are some examples:

• There are certain types that we crave and can't seem to get enough of, even though we know it's not really very healthy for us.
• The kinds that are good for us we enjoy, but probably don't get enough of. 
• We're willing to spend extra amounts of money to go out and enjoy it rather than enjoying it from home. 
• Certain types can be addicting.
• It's unavoidable.

 

I Dare You to Watch This and Not Get a Little Choked Up . . .

A Lesson for All of Us Complainers

I'm Done! I'm Finally Done!

Applying to grad school has felt like a never ending process. Well, not just applying in general, but applying to 9 different schools is probably what makes it feel so long. Here's the list:

Arizona State University
University of Arizona
Texas Tech University
University of Texas at Austin
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
University of Kentucky
Purdue
Penn State
Virginia Tech

Why so many schools? Because my wife and I are both trying to get into the same school - Educational Psychology for her, Human Development and Family Studies for me.

How does any of this relate to the media? Well, because I was only able to learn about and apply to each program at each of these schools via the internet. I cannot even fathom what the process of applying to graduate school was like even 15-20 years ago.

Whether it's easier now or then or if it's relatively similar, I'm just glad I'm done - for now, at least.

Addicted to "Lost"

I got a pretty bad cold over the weekend. So, Sunday night I decided to do something I've been contemplating for a while - start watching "Lost".

Yes, I am slow on the uptake. I think season 6 starts in a couple weeks, and I've only just started watching the first season. So, I just have to make sure and avoid letting anyone or anything spoil it for me.

Anyways, the reason I think I'm addicted is because since I started watching season 1 on Hulu, I've had a hard time stopping myself. Especially on Monday when I had nothing better to do than lay there feeling sick watching episode after episode. Now I remember why I stopped watching addicting shows like "24" that leave you with unbearable cliffhangers at the end of every episode in the first place. . .

That being said, here are a few things I enjoy about "Lost":

• All of the character development and back-story.
• Envisioning myself in their situation. Must be the boy-scout in me. . .
• The "unknown" aspect/ The suspense.
  
• The variety of characters.
  

Did I see what I think I saw? (on American Idol)

If any of you have seen the first couple episodes of 'American Idol', you'll definitely remember this guy:

Justin Williams - Cancer Survivor

So, as my wife and I were watching the sob-story about this guy, we caught a glimpse of something we think we probably shouldn't have seen - on national television.

For those of you who don't know the story, he was serving a mission in Spain when he suddenly got cancer and had to get sent home for treatment. As his story was told, photos of him going through treatment were shown across the screen. Now, I want to make this clear that I am not positive, but my wife and I could have sworn that there was a photo of this guy sitting in a hospital bed in his garments.

Someone, please correct me if I am wrong. You know, like if you double checked or something.

My Picks For Super Bowl XLIV

First of all, I'm not a sports fanatic. I'm not even much of a sports enthusiast. However, I do enjoy watching certain athletic events every once in a while.

While the super bowl is still 4 weeks away, I'll just go ahead and say what two teams have my favor.

First of all, the San Diego Chargers. As a native of Southern California, I feel the sense of duty to support the Chargers. They've done really well this season and I would like to see them go all the way. San Diego is my pick for the AFC.


As for the NFC, I have been keeping my eye on the New Orleans Saints. One particular reason for that is that they have Reggie Bush. I would refer to Reggie Bush as their running back, but he's also a receiver and plays on special teams. Overall, he's a great offensive player, and he's fun to watch.


By way of "Honorable Mention", I also wouldn't mind seeing Baltimore win the AFC. After seeing the movie "Blind Side" and finding out that Michael Oher is the starting offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, I can't help but hope they do well, too.