Who Fuses the Music

Cool fact for the day: About BANKSY 
the beloved graffiti artist--no one knows his true identity. Except probably his mum and accomplices. The man's good at what he does. 

I picked up one of the Dalai Lama's books at the library today. Lovely man.

I went to conference's Sunday afternoon session. It was so lovely to spend Easter weekend with one of very best friends. We went clubbing in Salt Lake Friday and to a show. Discovered my love for Dubstep. If you don't know what it is I highly recommend youtubing it. On Saturday we went to another dance club. Too much dancing for a weekend? No, fortunately not because on a Sunday afternoon beg outside of the Salt Lake City conference center how else were we to score 3 tickets?


Last weekend I was also privileged to see my dearest Cecil. We went on a bike ride like old times. Life's so different now from where I always had thought it would be. I guess my imagination fell short of how circumstance and opportunity has panned out. Back in high school I never would have thought I'd have met so many cool people, moved to Utah, gained so many friends, lost so many friends, learned to work even harder, play guitar, harmonica, longboard, filled so many notebooks with words, visited so many places and cultures, etc. I've been really lucky; things keep rolling better and sometimes worse than I expect but it's always been good for me.

Anyways, life's aight. In limbo, but that just means new things are going to hit. And I like new things, it's like a breathe of fresh air.
Freshhhh. Outside right now is fresh. This tight song I'm listening to by John Grant is fresh. It's called Marz.

I'm going to learn it on the guitar. It's so lovely to have my guitar back. And to finally own a keyboard. I don't think my room mate feels the same way.

Also, I've been contemplating different summer jobs. Las Vegas-avid. Provo-not so much.

HENRY.

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I'm going to visit Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson's gravestones before I die.

Also, I gave my longboard, basketball, and soccer ball a breathe of fresh air today. It was so nice outside, I just had to play.
In other news...I wrote lyrics. I feel weird about it, it's my first odd attempt-but it seriously felt so easy. It turned out better than I expected too, I suprisingly would prefer listening to my own stuff on the radio rather than some artists out there. It'd be so tight to have your own radio station and not tell anyone about it. Just play good music, advertise for random causes, improvise a comedy hour, a health hour...a political debate...a sports hour-make that a sports minute actually...maybe read some stories...make up stories...host contests to win stuff... art tips...recipe of the day-but none of this boring housewife recipe crap...they'll be sweet recipes like how to make playdo, fireworks(not bombs don't worry), or rap songs....also there would be a 'music artist of the day', 'neighborhood child of the day', etc...and then back to good music. Hey, I may or may not make this happen at a radio station near you. Tune in.

Last night was a glimpse at a different lifestyle. I loved it. Reminded me of old times sleeping in my clothes on Candace's tramp, wrestling, adventures, orange fights, rafting down the canals, climbing trees, chasing sheep, Zelda, building forts, waking up in the morning with my shoes still on and then doing it all over again.

M83 - We Own the Sky

I had the best birthday ever. Compliments of my awesome family, friends, work buddies, and coolest people alive. I seriously feel soooo lucky. It was one of the best 24 hours I have ever experienced haha. Thank you muchos. muchos. beacoup.
Also, I've been more involved with launching our jewelry business Musana Jewelry. It's been incredible to see it actually go from being a small desire to becoming an actual business. I was just reading some of the notes I took back in Uganda on some of the last days we were there. We interviewed a few women who we knew would be really good candidates to be a part of our business. Most of them widows, with seriously crazy life stories. We had our friend interpret for us while we asked them questions in their own huts/homes about their lives. Then we took pictures, and I mostly liked playing with their children. I still have some of their drawings in my notebook, I gave them pens while they sat there patiently waiting while their mothers talked. Man, I miss that place. But I'm really glad I get to give back even while being here in the States. One pair of earrings sold will bring a whole new kind of life for each of these women. AHHH I'M SO EXCITED FOR THEM!!!!!!!!! Anyways, I'll be working on the website a lot these next few days. I'm learning a lot about building businesses. Kristen is so amazing, if there's one person I'd want to be involved in a business with, it would be her. She's so competent and can make anything happen.
Also, Topher my brotha's birthday is today...2 days after mine. I made him this video, partially because I love the man, and partially because I was on a low budget. And I'm straight up delighted with how it turned out. Here's to you, TOPHER, honestly I'm so honored to even know this boy, let alone have him as a brother. LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Things I am incredibly excited about:

1. The Michael Jackson showcase on Friday for Club Style! I'm still working on the moves, I love our dance. These kids can dance like black folks, in this case, like Michael Jackson.
2. My hammock. My amazing Russians, Olga and Dasha, are letting me hang it from their balcony upstairs. I've been chilling at their place lately. I cut Olga's hair, talked with her family via Skype, her little russian nephew taught me how to count to ten, watched a movie, and had a tea sesh. I absolutely adore them. So very very much.
3. My birthday is next Friday. I'll be 20, and I feel great about that. One more year and I can go clubbing anywhere I want.
4. Potential second job. Maddie, one of my lovely roommates, is helping me get a job at her work place.
5. Mail. I've been getting some sweet packages. Little Blair, my brotha's, my mum, anonymous brownies? Thank you. Mail is one of the best things in this world. Speaking of brotha's: Parker is turning into a man...and it's hilarious. I guess I should not be thrown off by that fact, but in all honestly it's throwing me hard. Every time I talk to that boy on the phone his voice is a little deeper and I'm positive his hand's wing span interferes with him gripping the increasingly smaller cell phone.
6. I'm composing a song on the piano. It's about time I work on this. Sometimes I pretend Beethoven and I were friends in the preexistence.
7. My friend Cynthia is going to take a 'family portrait' for my roomies and I with her beautiful Canon 35mm and it's going to look a little something like this:

David Guetta is the bomb.

I'm devoting my life to FUN this next week. I know it's been FUN lately but I'm going to make it a priority to party every night. That's what college life is about, especially when you don't have the college to worry about, only the life part to fulfill.
Tonight's my last chill night I've decided. It's when everyone else is celebrating Valentine's day. So I'm sending Valentine's CD's that have nothing to do with love but everything to do with having fun. Hence track 1: Sexy Chick by David Guetta; track 2: I Can Transform Ya by Chris Brown..and so on and so on.
Other goals for the week: I'm going to submit an article into Salt Lake's underground magazine called SLUG MAGAZINE. I love it, music scene is 50 % of the articles and the other 50 % is made up of skateboarding, snowboarding, clubs, bars, and vegetarian joints. Like I said, awesome.

Sometimes things are sooo good you can't imagine life any better, then the next day life can completely suck. Today sucks to say the least.
I can't wait to escape into my dreams when I fall asleep tonight.

When I was at the Rwandan Genocide Memorial in Kigali this summer I remember reading about the other genocides that had recently occurred globally, and one that really stuck out to me was the Armenian genocide. Today, 95 years ago Armenians were being killed in mass murders organized by the Turkish Government. It all stemmed from religious differences and a build up of prejudice, which eventually was put into action by a cowardly Sultan who thought the Armenians were becoming too numerous for his liking.

I was just pondering these things today after watching Fox News while eating my Cheerios' this morning. "Slowly by slowly" is a phrase that Ugandans use all the time, kind of like how we say "little by little". But I think slowly by slowly, our government is being corrupted by some of the values we see out there in the world in completely hostile 'governments'. I'm not saying that we have a genocide on our hands by any means, I'm saying that if we want to preserve our freedom, it all points to one standard: God. I can't wait to be a missionary one day. There's the answer for all you Miss American contestants tonight: If we want World Peace, we need more God in peoples' lives, we need more missionary work.

I had to look up how to spell LLOYD on google and that gives me 5 times more satisfaction in knowing we chose that name for our band.

Our trip was awesome by the way, and when I say awesome I mean it. It was a blast of sweeeeet car rides, thrift stores, diners, chocolate MLK, snowmobiles, four wheelers, laughing so much my face and abs are literally sore still, letters (cheers.), little crazypunksweetfun children, "LET ME GET IN ON THIS", Amanda Bynes, visiting the Lava Hot Springs, meeting cool Idahoans there, rambunctious Sunday school, drawing (MOON), grandma jewelry, sleeping in, basking near fires, THE shoe box, the sauna ("Sorry Harley, we're going to go sweat now"), leap frog (that's right), Sash's parents, running across a silo of 50,000 potatoes then sliding down a 50 foot drop of potatoes, getting muddy from it, card games, jelly beans, making bracelets, beads, and dancing.

All in 3 days time.
Can't wait to go back.

I decided that if I were to ever go solo and have a rap name, that would be it.
I've already composed a few rap songs. The thrift store floor has yet to be scuffed up by my shoes though--I need to pick up a four track recorder...

...along with a hoe. I'm going to start gardening soon again. I'm excited because Utah's luscious wood is literally at my front doorstep. I have a feeling gardening will be a breeze here compared to my native Arizona's soil...aka shallow cement dirt.

I do miss Arizona's shallow, cement dirt though. I mostly miss adventures in the desert with my dear indian friend Sammi. I miss the smell of monsoons, and the hot summer breeze.

Utah's wonderful too. I'm loving it here. It's nice to have two places to love so much.
I especially love partying here. There's always something crazy going on, and always crazy people to hang with. Speaking of which, Applebee's with Sasha is tonight, then some hot tubbing and sauna. Then, Idaho with Sash for some four wheeling and snowmobiling.

AND...I GOT A JOB!! It's at a restaurant which is nice because I know there's always quick good money there and then I'm going to get another at the hospital hopefully by next week.
Life's finally moving again.