My Own Ethics

The ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) had a code of ethics that really impress me. During my most recent read-through, I thought about how much it applies to me now that I am working at a company full-time. What caught my attention most is their section about honoring confidentiality. "The ethical concern is to respect all obligations of confidentiality to employers, clients, and users unless discharged from such obligations by requirements of the law or other principles of this Code."  At my current job, I get customer's login credentials to different services in order to build them a customized integration with our web app. There is a lot of trust that goes into this, and I need to be very careful with how I handle their information. 

Ethical Portrayal in Video Games

Manuel Noriega, a former Panamanian dictator, is trying to sue the creators of the popular video game series, "Call of Duty" for "damaging his reputation". The game portrays Noriega as a criminal and enemy of the state, which, from what I have read, doesn't seem to be stretching the truth. From what people have said, the case is likely to be dismissed. This got me wondering why it would be so easily dismissed. Does the fact that he isn't a US citizen mean that he doesn't have rights to protect his image? Does it matter that he is still alive, and should the game's creators have asked his permission to use his likeness?

The fact that he is portrayed doing things that he is actually convicted of, seems to me like the lawsuit really should be dismissed. This raises a concern about ethics in video games. Where is the ethical boundary in video games portraying real people?

My position is that a video game is a work of art, and the creator should be free to portray people as he wishes, within reason. Once the portrayal becomes slanderous and legitimately damaging to someone's reputation, then I feel there are grounds to take action against such portrayal.

Gaming Addiction

Games are great. When the mood strikes, I thoroughly enjoy a good video gaming session. I look forward to the day when I have children and I can play games with them. When that does happen, it will be important for me to set rules as to what games are acceptable, and how long they can be played. I feel that moderation will be important in helping my children not become addicted to gaming.

There Goes Everybody

The book "Here Comes Everybody" has some interesting concepts, but my favorite one dealt with the imbalance of participation. Shirky states that with technologies like phones, internet, and social medias, people are more free to say and do things with so many more people. This freedom gives anyone the tools to contribute equally in a given project, but not everyone participates equally. An example is given that over 3,000 Mermaid Parade photos were posted on Flickr by about 118 different people, but 10% of the people contributed more than 50% of the photos. The most active photographer took about twice as many as the next most active photographer, and the 3rd only half as many as the 2nd.
It might seem like this type of contribution would be harmful to large social systems, but it actually helps drive them. Apparently only a very small percentage of wikipedia users ever contribute, but that is enough to create value for millions and millions of users. I find it interesting that in many social systems, this creates a type of hierarchy based on pure performance, as opposed to a workplace situation where leaders are chosen on how long they've worked there (in general). Open source projects gain leaders through the most active contributors, and I think this is a great thing, because they are naturally the most qualified to be leading such efforts.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar

In 1997, Eric Raymond wrote an essay titled, "The Cathedral and the Bazaar". In this essay, he speaks of two different types of software development models, the cathedral model where source code is available upon release of each new version, and the bazaar model where the code is developed over the internet in public view. I can see that there are pros and cons to each, but the bazaar model makes a lot of sense to me. With tools like Github and Bitbucket, it is easy to fix or enhance a public repository of code, and then ask the owners if they'd like to incorporate the changes through a pull request. I am partial towards the bazaar method because I have been a part of this process a few times, and it is fulfilling to contribute my knowledge and skills towards software that many people use. Raymond also makes a good point that, "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow." Since all the code is in public view, anyone can look it over, check for bugs, and perform quality assurance. These are the types of things that make the bazaar model awesome in my eyes.

Open-Free-Share-Source-Ware

I recently watched Revolution OS, a documentary about the origin story of open source software and things like GNU, unix, and linux. One of the themes of the documentary was the difference between Open Source and Free Software. Richard Stallman, the creator of the GNU project, and the originator of the free software movement explains that free here is like "free speech", not "free beer". Anyone has the freedom to study, maintain, change, distribute as they please. I found this idea extremely interesting compared to people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who were on the absolute other side of the spectrum, monetizing software as quickly and effectively as possible. I don't personally think there is a "good" and a "bad" model, but that both are necessary for their different purposes. That being said, I'll normally go through the occasional headache of open source/free software than pay for something that I don't have much money for.

Social Media to Share the Gospel

I don't normally "produce" social media (I'm only writing this blog because it is required to graduate from BYU in the CS major). Sure, I'll consume, but I don't post my feelings on Facebook, I don't share pictures of my food on Instagram, and I don't re-tweet funny quotes from celebrities on Twitter. It's not really who I am. Unfortunately for me, Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have recently been inviting members of the church to use social media as a medium to share testimonies, strengthen one another, and invite others to come unto Christ. Evidence of this is seen through full-time missionaries being allowed to use Facebook to help them share the gospel. I fully believe that I should be using social media in order to benefit others, but I just haven't figured out what the right way for me to do that is. Heck, maybe righting this blog is the first step.

The Cuckoo's Egg

  Clifford Stoll's experience with following and catching a hacker was absolutely amazing. What impressed me most about his story is his absolute dedication to tracking the hacker down, and his use of his log book.
  Throughout the book, Clifford makes it very clear that he was dedicated, and almost obsessed, with catching the hacker. It put quite a strain on his family life, and even though it was upsetting him, he couldn't let it go. Even though it was extremely difficult, he persevered. What impressed me the most is that his specialty wasn't even in computing, but astronomy. He was able to learn so many things on the fly. It makes me feel foolish that I get frustrated and give up on something if I can't find it on Google. If I could have that kind of dedication to my career, I could really excel. At the same time though, there needs to be a balance, because no career accomplishment is worth having a bad family life.
  Another thing that stuck out to me was the importance of Clifford's log book. He was able to keep track of and record almost everything that the hacker was doing. There were multiple times where having this information recorded really saved his bacon, proving to his boss, the FBI, the CIA, and others of what was really going on. It makes me appreciate how important keeping good records will be in the industry, as well as in my daily life. I'm sure there are many situations that arise in the workplace where having kept good records would be beneficial.

Relocate or else!

The popular website Reddit has recently come out that they are having all remote workers either relocate, or quit. Many people are up in arms about that decision, especially people that aren't working for Reddit. My initial thought is that that doesn't seem very fair to the workers that were hired on remotely. If an employee is doing their job well, and creating value for the company, it doesn't seem right that they would be given an ultimatum like that. Now, before I start accusing Reddit of being unethical, it is important to point out that they are offering a "generous" relocation package or a 3 month severance package. In my opinion this does help mitigate the issue, but I feel that if their whole purpose was to get all their developers in house, they should slowly make it happen by not hiring remote workers, and only hiring new workers locally. It would be a lot slower, and might not get them to 100% in-house, but it would make things much closer to what they want, and it would be much more ethical in my opinion.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/10/01/after-raising-50m-reddit-forces-remote-workers-to-relocate-to-sf-or-get-fired/

Why I Haven't Done Family History Work for 8 years.

The first time I was introduced to indexing (in the context of genealogy) was in my freshman year of college. There was a challenge in our stake to be the ward that indexed the most names, and I of course wanted to win. I learned a little about it, talked with my roommates, and we decided to attack this whole indexing thing. The next night we tried downloading the software needed to do the indexing, and an issue occurred on my old laptop. A few blue screens of death and issues registering my account was enough to turn me off of genealogy for quite a while. I know that I really should spend some of my time doing something worthwhile like family history work, but I haven't been able to get over the mental block to do so. How will I get past this issue? I don't know. Right now I am just focusing on passing my classes this semester so I can graduate.

The Bash Bug

Recently a new bug was found in the bash shell, which is quite discouraging, seeing as how it can effect any device running bash connected to the internet. I personally am a great lover of technology, and I've been excited as technology continues to advance with the internet of things. This issue has made me rethink how great the internet of things really is. There is a really large risk involved with hooking "everything" up to a single system. It is almost like putting all of our eggs in one giant basket, and one serious bug, like the bash bug, could potentially wreak some major havoc. Is the convenience of automated lightbulbs or smart A/C units connecting to the internet really worth the risk that they inherently bring with them? I want to say yes, but that could just be the techno-geek inside me speaking out.

Bash Bug Article

Call of Duty Lawsuit

Manuel Noriega, a former Panamanian dictator, is trying to sue the creators of the popular video game series, "Call of Duty", for using his likeness in the game and "damaging his reputation". The game portrays Noriega as a criminal and enemy of the state, which, from what I have read, doesn't seem to be stretching the truth. The author of the article makes it sounds like the lawsuit will be dismissed, and that got me thinking about why this would be so easily dismissed. Does the fact that he isn't a US citizen mean that he doesn't have rights to protect his image? Does it matter that he is still alive, and should the game's creators have asked his permission to use his likeness in the game? The fact that he is portrayed doing things that he is actually convicted of doing seems to me like the lawsuit really should be dismissed. This raises a concern about ethics in video games. Where is the ethical boundary in video games portraying real people? Would Noriega have a legitimate case if he was being portrayed as the Devil and doing ridiculous things like eating babies? Under what circumstances would I have a case if I was being used in a video game?

-Click the Title of this blog post to see the original article from cnn.com

Being Used By Technology

I read an article entitled "Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change", which gives an interesting opinion on how we need to be conscientious about how we use technologies, and what side-effects technology can have on society. While I didn't agree with all 5 points that were made, I did agree with his conclusion, that "we need to proceed with our eyes wide open so that we many use technology rather than be used by it." If I watch Youtube and surf the web aimlessly for mindless entertainment, am I really using technology, or am I being used? I feel guilty after wasting time consuming media in that fashion when I could have used remarkable technologies that I have for the benefit of someone else. I could have shared an inspiring message on facebook, tweeted a link to an inspirational talk, or reached out to a friend or family member.

California Trip

Okay, so for my big last blowout before my mission, I decided to go on a little road trip to California with 2 of my roommates Charles and Jin. You all know how much I dislike writing and blogging...so here is the reader's digest version.

We got to Jenny and Derek's house, played with the kids, went to the beach, went to the dollar theater, went to six flags magic mountain (there was no one there and it was great), went to the beach, went to the Proclaimers concert, went and ate Korean food with Jin's uncles, went to the beach, went to the dollar theater twice in a row, and drove home. Sprinkled in there is playing with Ryan and Katie. I do have to say that Katie is SUCH a doll! So cute and playful and talkative. I never believed Jenny when they were in Phoenix and Katie was such a crab, but she was totally right. I loved playing with Katie and making her laugh.

Well, here are some self-explaining pictures. Enjoy.

Um...I Rock...and Rachel is going to kill me!

Okay, so today, I went to a concert for the local band that I love/support. The venue was a nice studio called studio 600. The show was supposed to start at 7:15, but something wasn't finished inside yet. So the band and I walked into the back (that is right, I go free with the band anywhere) and guess what we saw!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disney had rented out the studio and they were either having try-outs or rehearsals for HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THREE!!! You ever heard of Zack Efron? Yeah, he was there sporting a hoodie. Vanessa Anne Hudgens? Yeah, just chillin in the back like nothing was up. Banners for the Wild Cats were everywhere. Then, as if there was some sort of crazy riot outside, a van pulled right up to the back doorway and a bunch of the teens got in and left. (There wasn't a soul outside the studio...) So, Rachel is going to kill me for not getting any of their autographs...but it didn't look likely anyways, there were people, almost like guards surrounding them. So, that is my fun story of the day. Love you guys.

Videos of my dives!!

Please ignore the horrible camera work (we can't all be like Judy)
In diving there is a system to naming dives, so I will give you the official name, then I'll give you the breakdown of what it really is.

This one is a 5312D. Also known as a gainer flip with a twist. I face the water and do a backflip (as opposed to my back facing the water) and then twist a little. Not a very flattering shot of my larger body...but hey, I can't have everything in life.


This one is a 5113D. I face the water, do a front-flip with a half twist and then continue flipping into a back dive. Essentially I do 1.5 flips and 0.5 twists.

Here is a beautiful 204C. This is my awesome double back-flip. Enjoy.


HERE IS THE GRAND FINALE! MY SECOND EVER ATTEMPT AT A TRIPLE BACKFLIP!!!!! This one is called 206C. It takes me forever to catch my breath and work up the nerve, so go ahead and skip to about 16 seconds into the video.


I also know that you want to see me in the prime of my wisdom teeth, so here is one picture to abate your hunger.

Springboard Diving

Okay, so yesterday was the last official day of diving class. (I say official because I think I am going to today's class even though it isn't my normal scheduled class).

Because it was the last day, our instructor allowed us to bring video cameras, so what I am saying is that once my friend brings his camera over, I will try and find a way for you all to see me kick butt!

Also, because it was the last day, everyone dared me to try a triple backflip off of the 3 meter diving board. So, me being the attention hog that I am, totally tried it. I ALMOST did it. I landed a little bit too early and smashed me feet, legs, arms, chest and head pretty hard. It was awesome. After 10 minutes of resting up, I went back up and tried it again. I landed pretty much the same, but it was so cool!

I'll get these videos available as soon as possible!

My Mission Call + More

Okay, for anyone who hasn't heard I am going to San Antonio Texas Spanish speaking for my mission. I leave on June 18th.

Also, (and just as cool I think) in my weight training class I hit my goal for the bench press. My goal was 325 lbs. You heard it right, I lifted three hundred and twenty-five pounds. I was almost more excited about that than my mission call, almost.

Also, in my springboard diving class I got the highest scores for 2 of my dives. My double back-flip scored a 7.5, and then my 1.5 front-flip half-twist got a 7. A score of 5 was full credit so I got some awesome extra credit. Only 2 other people got a score of 7 on one of their dives, so I totally rock.

Also, I took my aerobic dance class final. I talked to two girls and they said the test took them 45 minutes and that they both had gotten 78's. I went into the test, and 11 minutes later, I was finished. I scored a 96%.

Well, I love you guys, peace.

My Wisdom Teeth

Funny you should ask mom. I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday afternoon. After about 1 hour from getting home the top right part of my jaw starting to explode with pain. It felt like the gauze started throwing out spikes and burning on fire at the same time. For the first time in more than 2 years, I was crying from pain. So as fast as I could, I got upstairs to my hometeachers (who also dropped me off, picked me up, and got my prescriptions) and they gave me a wonderful blessing of comfort. Probably 2 minutes afterwards, the extreme pain went away. It was such a great experience to have the priesthood work for me that way.

Well, that night I finally got to sleep at 1:30, and woke up from pain at 4:00. I went to the bathroom and I had a giant drool mark of blood running down my cheek. I really should have taken a picture, but I forgot. I decided to put gauze in before I went back to sleep. I woke up again at 6:00, and changed my gauze. Before I could get back to my bed, I started to feel woozy and my head started spinning really bad. I had to quickly get on the floor and lay down. Probably 2 minutes later, the feeling left and I got to my bed and went to sleep. This morning I when I looked in the mirror, I found that my swelling had gotten much worse. So I took a picture of that. (Don't worry). When I am not in so much pain and when I have more time, I will post the pictures.

Mission Papers

Well everyone. My mission papers will hopefully be going in tomorrow. (I don't see any reason why my interview with the stake president won't go swimmingly)

So, I guess that means that you can all guess where I am going for my mission. Here are some places I have been thinking about.

Fiji
Italy
Australia
Germany

I don't know why, so don't ask me.

In 2 weeks I get my wisdom teeth pulled...so I'll post pictures for you guys.

Peace out.

Pi Day

Ok everybody. I know you were wondering what I did to celebrate such a wonderful day. I also know that some of you are wondering what Pi day even is. Well as we all should know, pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle divided by it's diameter. This number is normally approximated to 3.14. A few more digits would be 3.14159. So, on March 14th (3.14) at 1:59 p.m. the moment of pi is officially present. Well, BYU had fun little activities going around in the courtyard. So, I entered in the reciting pi contest and I got to the 50th digit. Here it is, you just have to trust me that I am writing this from memory. 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510.

Also, I joined the pie speed eating contest, and I TOTALLY won. You couldn't use your hands, and I rocked it. I won a shirt from the pie eating contest and a pen from the reciting contest. Well, there are pictures and I will see if I can post them when I have more time. I have to go shower for a date tonight. Love you guys!!!

The Day the Music Died

Okay everybody. Horrible news. I didn't even make it into the tournament. Here is what happened.

I get there on time and get my name crossed off the list. Then I just sit back and wait until they call me. The format of the very first round is the song is on medium, and we ALL have to play the same song. Then, the top 32 players actually go to the tournament bracket and play for real. Well, of course I sit back and basically memorize the song while waiting for my turn. Since it is on medium, everyone is getting 98% or better, but the difference is that not many people know that much about Star Power. That is the blue "juice" that makes the notes worth double the point value that they already were multiplied by anyways. They knew about it, that if you activate it, it gets used up, but they didn't know that if you graphed a time function of Star Power, it would be exponential, not linear. Now let me explain that to you all, if half a bar of star power gives 5 seconds of star power, then a full bar gives 10 second right? WRONG!!!! It gives somewhere near 20 seconds! I knew this and everyone else didn't. It was ridiculous. I memorized the exact placement of where this star power should be deployed in order to get the literal maximum score for the song.

Well, my name is called, and I go up and grab my guitar. My heart is racing a little, my fingers twitching. But we start the song and I hit all the notes in the intro perfect. I am in the zone, and I can tell that I was going to get a 100% on the song. So, the second chorus comes around (when I first need to deploy star power). I yank upwards on the guitar like usual, but unlike usual, the star power doesn't deploy. So I try again, and again and again. Each time more vigorously than the next. By this time I was trying so hard to deploy star power that I had missed a few notes. Then, I tried to use S.P. by hitting the select button. This is usually a failsafe way to deploy, but risky, because you have to take your hand away from the guitar for a split second. NOT EVEN THE FAILSAFE WAY WORKED!!!!!!! I looked behind me and told one of the guys in charge. He told me to "hit the select button, that always works"...I told him that it didn't so he tried hitting it for me, but that didn't work either. By this time I had missed an entire verse of notes...So I did the only thing that I could do in front of 150 people all watching me get screwed over. I did some tricks that good old Jimmy Hendrix taught me. I played behind my head, behind my back, between my legs, and even with my mouth!!!!!! In retrospect, I should have lied on my side and done the spinning side run while playing, o well. A bunch of people were cheering for me and a ton told me they liked the moves I pulled. Then a bunch of other people told me I was robbed...and they're right.

I got about 90,000 less than what I could have gotten, and I was about 50,000 below the cut-off mark. Right after the song, I talked to the head guy in charge and told him that I will patiently be waiting for my re-do, that I wouldn't get mad that the guitar wigged out in the middle of it. This cheeseball of a man told me that I did not get another try. He said, "Tons of people have been getting killer scores on this guitar all night. So sorry." I was LIVID!!!!! Some other words of exchange were given between us, including him saying, "It's just a game, and it's not like there is a million dollar prize" At that point I was ready to pull out my spyderco knife hooked to my pocket and gouge out his eyes. I gave him a, "whatever dude" and took off.

There was a camera guy and interview lady from BYU taping the event. She came up to me and asked me what happened. Then she asked if she could interview me. So I basically told her what I told you, and then I said that I hope there is another, so I could win that tournament and prove that guy that I deserved to rock out in the tournament.

I went straight to someone in my ward that has the game, and I played the song from the tournament...and I got 160,000 points. This was 4,000 better than the next best player who also got 100%. I was so mad. Well, there you have it. At least all of my family knows that I am a champion and that I was robbed my chance at glory.

Guitar Hero Tournament

Ok guys, I'm sorry about not blogging for the past 2 months, but you all know that college life is hectic and I don't really have a lot of time for blogging boring junk. Anyways, this Wednesday there is going to be a guitar hero tournament for BYU!!!! I signed up instantly! I just got the tournament rules...and we are playing on the medium level difficulty for the first round to get seeded/seated. From then on we are playing on hard, unless all 4 contestants playing at once agree on playing on expert. For anyone who reads this blog and doesn't know how good I am at guitar hero, let me make a comparison.

Have you ever heard of Michael Jordan? Tiger Woods? Pele? Dale Earnhart Jr.? Barry Bonds? I am as good at guitar hero, as they are at their sport of choice.

I'm just that good. I can beat ANY song on ANY difficulty with above a 90% note hit completion.

All I am saying, is that if I don't win the tournament, something is wrong.


I'll let you know how it turns out.

My Life

Sorry guys, but my life is so flipping hectic that I have no time to blog for you. Here are so of the little stories going on in my life at this moment.

My best buddy James used to be a boxer back in Virginia (he actually won some East Coast Titles). Anyways, when he gets unhappy he likes to release his frustration on a wall with his fist (don't worry, he doesn't punch people) The only time he has been "mad" was after his calculus test and he punched a tree and then after his basketball game. After the game he punched what he thought was a padded wall, but was actually steel. Needless to say, he totally snapped his fifth meta-carpal (in between your knuckle of your finger and the wrist of your hand). If I can get a picture of the x-ray I'll post if for you later. It is pretty cool. So he now has a pin (just like Jana) in his pinky finger. In 2 weeks he can get it out. We'll see if this stops his punching of trees and walls.

This week is by far the busiest week I have had so far. Just let me list you the things I have done and plan on doing so you get an idea. (I am not going to include classes, work, or homework time) Study, go to FHE, work out, put up fliers for a local band that I love, visit a girl named Corinne (very nice, VERY cute), study more, go to footlights (BYU's music and performance club that I am a part of), study, take the Book of Mormon Mid-term, drive to Chipotle and jazz game afterwards (with Corinne and I got both of the tickets for 15 bucks! and I have 2 free chipotle bucks. So, the date is a lot cheaper than it would have been), study, take the Music 101 mid-term, go to the football game (WHY IS IT ON THURSDAY!?!?!), study, take the Calculus 112 Mid-term, go to the concert of the band I helped out (I get in for free for helping), go to my Professor's office and discuss with him certain aspects of guitar, figure our my schedule for next semester.

That isn't mentioning any of my classes, homework time, or the 23 hours that I work.

Um, I can't really think of anything else, except that I have gotten so many free meals from girls that it isn't even funny. These girls think they owe me and my buddy meals just because we play guitar for them, or help them move one pumpkin (that really happened. we moved a 20 pound pumpkin about 100 feet for them, and they cooked us up this amazing sunday dinner of enchiladas and rice and beans and pie. It was awesome)

Well, I can't think of anything else. Once I have time, I'll try to post the x-ray.

Preference

Okay, here is the deal. Do you remember how James and I go around singing to random girls? Well it looks like it paid off!!!! One of the girls decided to ask me to preference. This is how she did it. She made a giant calendar of October and put, "Joey's life is boring, or at least we are pretending it is, to emphasize how exciting it is getting asked to preference" for the first 2 weeks until the day she asked me where she put the words, "Kylee asks Joey to preference. Joey's life is less boring because this is the second best day of October." Then on the day of preference she put, "Joey and Kylee go to preference. This is the best day of October". Here is some blurry and low quality pictures for you.





So back to the story of James and I playing the guitar. Usually we tell girls that our names are Superman and Spiderman, respectively. So, I thought about how I could creatively tell her yes. Then I remembered that awesome "I'd soil my pants if you went to ...with me" So I bought some spiderman underwear and adapted it a little. Now it says, "I was so excited when I saw that you asked me to preference that I soiled my pants. I would love to go with you. From-Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman"



Isn't that clever? Well, I love you guys!

Dad, Be Happy!

So some kids in the building next door made some milk-chlorine bombs. You know, you just put the two in a soda bottle and shake and 20 seconds later, it explodes big time. Well, these 2 worthy priesthood holders are now going to court in 2 weeks and are going to be tried for a CLASS 2 FELONY!!!!!! Can you believe that??? That is SERIOUS! They could do jail time if they are convicted and they for sure won't be able to go on their mission.

So dad, be glad I don't make stupid decisions, all I do is play guitar for girls.

Jimmy is Weak Sauce!

Ok, so does everyone here remember Jimmy's blog from last year where he had 100 dollars worth of otter pops? So let us analyze what he got from the deal. He spent 100 of his own dollars, for a non-filling sugary snack.

As you should all know, I am an activities committee chairman, and as such I am privy to certain perks. Like when the Stake activities committee buys extra hoagies for one of their activities that I helped with. That is right, I am now the proud owner of 65 free hoagies. They are a mixture of italian, turkey and swiss, and ham and american.

Now let us analyze what I got from the deal. I spent about 40 cents worth of gas for transportation, for a filling, main course part of a meal.

Personally, I think I win this face-off. What is the score Jimmy-zero, Joey-two? Man, I am good.

Don't worry. They aren't all for me, and I know they'll be going bad in about 2 days. I got them for my dorm and a dorm next door.

So here are some pictures. If you would notice my short hair! My best buddy Jamie, bought a little kit and cut my hair. This was his first time and he was a little nervous and was too careful. I kept telling him, "push it into my head harder like my mom does" or "you can go faster" you know, that kind of stuff. After the shower I had to get a re-trim, and he had missed a ton. It was very fun.






Also, I was in the ward talent show last night. It wasn't too bad, Jamie and I dedicated this "love song" that we "wrote" to all the girls, and then we proceeded to play heart and soul, him on one hand on the piano and me on the other part of the song on the guitar, then we switched parts. Then we transitioned it into a Jazz jam session. It was cool. I also MC'ed for it too. I was witty as always.

Also, right after the Talent show, me and a bunch of us sprinted to a girl's dorm and barely made it with 2 minutes to spare before the season opener of The Office came on. It was GREAT by the way!!!

Also, Jimmy sent me a very heartfelt e-mail telling me that if I don't work my butt off in school and forget about friends and girls, that he is going to dis-own me. He doesn't think he is getting back into BYU because of his bad grades. But I checked some stuff for him, and he should be fine, as long as he does ridiculously well his next semester.

That is all I can think of right now. Love you guys tons!!!

Well, that is all I can think of right now.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

So I guess I am going to be translated soon. Just kidding, but seriously, my side of the room is great. I'm not really in the mood to write much, but here are some pictures of the dorm at this moment. My room is clean, everything else is messy-but today is a self-proclaimed clean up day. The kitchen is too messy for me, so I told everyone that we have to do a full super clean today after our extra-credit tutoring session for physics. So I am not going to explain any of the photos, they are all pretty obvious. Except maybe for the stickers that say (follow me to pa pa's...) We went to a shin-dig where they gave away a ton of free junk, so we grabbed 28 of them.

STORIES TO TELL!!!!!

Okay guys, I have got a lot of stuff to say, let's just hope that I remember them all.

First foremost, I know you are all wondering what is happening with Chipotle since I am here in Provo now. I have been in contact with Shelly Whittle and today there was a Grand Opening up near Salt Lake City. So, naturally I ditched my Student Development Class (which is one hour on fridays and i skipped last weeks too...)went an hour and a half before Chipotle opened, wore my Master Burrito Ambassador T-Shirt, joked around with all the executives from Colorado and Arizona that showed up, then bought the first burrito ever made at this location. It was a very spiritual experience. I brought my friend and it was great. So, Shelly was there and she handed me another t-shirt ("How about a Burrito") and 8 free burrito bucks, and then I won a free side of Guac and Chips from spinning the Wheel of Chipotle. Caleb, don't worry, I thinking about sending you and Gina each a free burrito. (Before everyone gets into a frenzy, I do owe Caleb at least one!)



This is the front.



Here is the meal! The first burrito made, and it was delicious.



This is the trash can, filled with free magnets. It is wonderful, and yes, I took about 4 magnets home with me.



The wheel of Chipotle, very cool, people can win a multitude of prizes.






Next story, recently, James and I have been going to girl's dorms that we don't know, knock on the door, ask them their name, and then I play guitar and he sings them a song that we make up on the spot. We have done this to probably 10 dorms so far, and we have a lot to go. We are pretty well known around heritage halls, and girls who get "chosen" to be sung to are pretty darn stoked. So in addition to making girls feel good and have a good laugh, we also can scope out for any really really good looking girls to hang out with. Now, we went and got some dorm the other day and the girls said that they were going to repay us. So the next night, they brought us some cookies. SOOO, naturally, we made cookies for them the next night and wrote a song for them when we handed it to them. (By the way, these girls are all super cute) So the ball is in their court...hopefully the get us back!!!! (Although they did invite us to come over whenever we wanted)

Next story, the second day here I heard a local band playing in front of the Marb on campus. They are extremely good. So, I am going to a couple of their free concerts in the next few weeks. Anyways, I saw the lead singer/guitarist in between classes the other day and was talking to him. It was very cool. So I went to their website and it said that they play at parties and events for free...An Activities Committee Chairman's DREAM! So I e-mailed them and asked them about it and they are totally game for playing at a dance or party that our ward has in the future!!!!! I am so totally stoked, you have no idea!!!!!!!!

I joined a class for intermediate guitar players, and it seems like its going to be awesome!!!

I can't think of anything else to tell you guys...but I'm sure that I am forgetting some stuff. When I remember them, I'll blog it. I love you guys!

Misc

Ok girls, you would be SO proud of me today. I had my first clash with a check out lady at the grocery store. I am planning on making a beef stew with potatoes, and the red and baking potatoes are both marked for 49 cents a pound. I figured, "hmm why not try using both in a stew, it probably won't taste bad." So I grab 3 red potatoes and 2 baking potatoes and put them in the same bag. Right? That makes sense. So I get to the check out counter and the lady gives me this annoyed look and takes them out of the bag to weigh them seperatly. and guess what, she charged me 59 cents for the red potatoes!!! I told her straight up, "um...why did you charge me 59 for the red? It's marked for 49 cents right there" and I proceeded to point to the potato aisle.

BOOM!!! I saved myself like 25 cents!!!! I know you are all so proud of me!

On the topic of cooking for myself, I really enjoy the freedom of adding what I want and how much of it. Like doubling the meat on my stew recipe!

Also, I have been converted to cheese curds. Not that bad-nice and salty.

WOW!!!!!!

Okay, so last night was the first night I pulled out the guitar for the girls. All I can say is that I'm so grateful for the Lord giving me this talent! I played 2 of the song that I've written for a group of 9 girls...and ALL of them were professing their love for me-not really, but they were all over me. I told them that I'd trade them a copy of my songs on cd for a dinner. So pretty much I can save up some of my food money for a while! Haha.

Then later 3 girls were hanging out with me and James (my cool dormmate-see previous post) I was telling them about how I can improvise on guitar very well and then they wanted me to write each of them a song...so instead I asked James if he could just make up words on the spot and he thought he could. So I just jammed on the guitar while James made up some funny love song of each girl in front of them. It was so great. Afterwards I was playing them some of the stuff I've written that doesn't have words (I have a TON of material with no words) and James went and a got a notepad and totally started writing lyrics for a love song. It was pretty neat how quickly he just jotted down his ideas. Some of the lines are just GOLDEN! So the girls were all there helping us find melodies and harmonies and helping with the lyrics. So by this time it was like 12:30 in the morning and pretty soon we had about 15 people-guys and girls-all sitting around us outside on the grass listening to us make this song. It was the coolest experience I've ever had with the guitar. So James can also play piano really well, like Jazz Improv Piano, and I play Jazz Improv Guitar-so tonight all of us are packing into the small basement room with the piano to jam away and impress all the girls.

Love you guys.

People

Alrighty guys, here are some pictures of my roommates and then the group of girls that I have primarily been hanging out with. Ok, so here are my roommates.


So it goes Joey, Dallin, Jin, Michael, Ben and James in front.

They are all really cool. Dallin and James are definetly easier to hang out with and are a bit more cool...i guess i would say. Jin and I share rooms, and he's nice. He also plays guitar, so that's fun. Ben likes cooking and is at this very moment making all of us spaghetti and meatballs. (The sauce looks and smells amazing!)



Here are the girls. They are (in order form left to right again) Some guy I don't know, some girls I don't know, Renae, Catherine, Hillary, Stephanie and Danielle. Catherine is the funniest girl alive, and the coolest.

So yesterday I went to the BYU vs. U of A game. (Did you see me on tv? I was 6 rows up from the north endzone and the tv crewman had us cheer for the camera for a while.) So while I was there I had my sunglasses. Can you tell?



Until next time.

My New Room

Well, here is my humble abode. Hmm, I just realized that abode is adobe with the B and D switched... Think they are related? Dad, look that up and get back to us.



So there is my (jimmy and jacob's) snowboard and laptop and other junk that is good. Did anyone notice the absence of a pillow? I have the pillowcase, but no pillow. I remember taking it, so it's either in Vegas or at Neal's apartment. Either way, I don't have it for tonight. :(

Here is under my bed, I've got some crates and a box and my guitar case and my guitar amp. Can't wait to woo some women with my guitar.


And then there are my traffic light and crosswalk light. Pretty sweet huh?

The Road to Glory (or just to Provo)

Alrighty everybody!!!! I'm back in action. Now that I am officially here in Provo, I'll start having some fun stories to tell. I decided to start with the trip up here. Pretty uneventful except for a funny semi truck and when I decided to pee of the side of the road, I just happened upon a dead fox. So that was pretty fun, and I remembered to take pictures for you all! Aren't you so proud of me? So here you go.




Do you know how hard it is to drive and take a decent picture at the same time?

Just kidding dad, I would never be so irresponsible...




Oh ya, I also stopped at the Hoover Dam because I had a ton of extra time to waste before my friend was expecting me. Also, I did NOT go to the Strip in Vegas, or to an buffets.

So, I already beat Jimmy right? I blogged on the first day here.

I ROCK THE CASBAH!

So, here is the whole story. I was on a group date and we went to Chipotle. Sounds like a good and fun story, right? WRONG! The assistant manager looks at me all shocked and amazed. He asked me what in the world I was doing there. I told him that I was just eating Chipotle, duh. He then proceeds to tell me that the NEW MBA told him that I left for college already. So I was already pissed at this point, some guy told him I left for college and then he hired this "new guy". Of course I couldn't make a big deal about it because I had a date there. (but I would have loved to over react and make a big scene and demand some more information) Anyways, He proceeds to tell me that this guy's name is Jaron and that he seemed to know who I was. I was stunned, my friend Jaron Sato lied to him and told him I already left for college. What a jerk!!!!! I knew he was a bum. So by this point I was IRATE, ready to kill someone (someone named Jaron)

Fast Foward 3 Weeks

So Jaron calls up and says he has to pick up his drum kit and tv. So he comes over and of course I couldn't keep my mouth shut, I confronted him about stealing my ambassadorship. He says that he is a MBA for a tempe location, not MY location. It seemed pretty legit, he said that Shelly Whittle talked to him at the Grand Opening and everything. So it seems that the guy who works at Chipotle just misunderstood Jaron, Jaron just told him that he is an MBA, not that location's.

Fast Foward 2 days

Now I am curious about what happens to my Ambassadorship now that I am leaving for college. Here is my e-mail to Shelly Whittle, the head of marketing of all of Arizona.

Hey Shelly,
This is Joey Cozza, MBA of the 99th and McDowell location Chipotle. I have a concern regarding me being an ambassador. In one month I am leaving for college in Provo Utah . I was wondering what happens now. Do I loose my ambassadorship? Do you pick a new ambassador for this location? Should I retire the MBA T-shirt? If you could tell me the protocol concerning this, it would be greatly appreciated! By the way, one of my best friends told me that he just became an MBA. I think it was at a tempe grand opening. His name is Jaron Sato, that is pretty cool. Well, I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, Long Live Chipotle!

Joey Cozza
Master Burrito Ambassador

Here is her response.

HI Joey!!

Thanks for emailing me and congratulations on graduating. What am amazing coincidence. You DO NOT have to turn in your MBA status. In fact you’ll be such as asset to me in Provo . I also handle the marketing for Utah . Utah is brand new to Chipotle, we just opened our first location there in West Bountiful and are opening 3 more before the end of the year. We open Sugarhouse ( Salt Lake City ) on 9/28, Fort Union (or Cottonwood Heights ) on 9/7 and Sandy in the end of November. So as an MBA you’ll definitely be a huge asset to us still by helping enlighten the masses to Chipotle. Don’t be concerned you will always be an MBA J

Give me a shout out when you move and are settled. Are you going to BYU? I’d love to set up a time to either chat over the phone or meet in person. I am usually in Utah at least once a month. Maybe if you are up for it we can get you really involved in our openings and maybe some stuff on your new college campus

Great to hear from you! Do you need more burrito bucks?

Shelly Whittle

Burrito Bandit

Chipotle - Marketing


So ya, that is the best news ever, and I totally rock!!!

I'm a Real Thespian Now.

Well, I went to the Thespian banquet at our school because I was in the two school plays this year, and I was inducted into the National Thespian Society. Go Joey. But even better, was the fact that I've never acted before that, and I won Best Male Actor in a Major Role for my role as Magnus Muldoun (the guy in the wheelchair). I was pretty happy about that because there are 3 guys who have been acting for at least the 4 years of high school, and I beat them! Also, afterwards we went to China 2000 Super Buffet (Olive Garden was a 2 1/2 hours wait). There were these cooked baby octopi and gosh darn-it if one of the girls actually put it on her plate. Well, her and her friends were all daring eachother to eat it, and the closest they got was one trying to cut a leg off to eat it. So I reached across the table, forked the whole thing and sat down with it just jiggling on my fork. I asked a passing waiter if it tasted good, and he said it was great...so I popped the whole darn thing in my mouth. I knew it was going to be rubbery, but man, I think it took about 3 minutes for me to finish it off. When I was about to swallow my first piece of it, a stringy chunk was connected to the rest of the octopus, so it brought the rest of it with it and I gagged. (But I kept it all controlled, nothing came out and nothing came out of my stomach) everyone was freaking out, giving me napkins to spit it out into and telling me earnestly to go to the bathroom when I throw up and this kind of stuff. To their dismay, I ate it all.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing.

Awards Ceremony

So, yesterday was the formal awards ceremony for our school. Just a little thing where the kids get to be shown off with their scholarships and awards in front of their parents. I was pretty proud that I got the "Most Outstanding Male Student" award for $500 just because I was outstanding. Then I learned that I also got a district scholarship of another $500 dollars-woohoo!! So when we where there at the ceremony and Caitlin Fluegge goes up to accept all of hers...I begin to feel pretty crappy. Let me just begin by saying that Caitlin in ranked Nationally in the sport of Tennis. I think she is ranked 12th or 11th, IN THE WHOLE NATION (and she is funny). So, of course, she isn't getting all of the money but a combined total of all the schools offering her money was $400,000 dollars. I talked to her later and she said that she had been conservative when she recorded the amounts the schools were offering her...disgusting!

I'M DONE!! (Essentially)

So I finished my senior presentation today, hooray! It was on the superiority of Soft and Classical genres of music against hard and heavy metal rock. It went FLAWLESSLY!!! The only problem that I had was I accidentally said "Umm" too much. Other than that, it was so awesome. I made all the points I wanted and it was just overall perfect. With that done, I am essentially finished with High School (I just have to maintain my grades now, no big deal at all). Hooray for me!

Guess Who's Back!

I went to Provo for my spring break, and it rocked. Here's the very condensed version (i hate writing, and I have no pictures). We get there, sleep, laze around, eat at bombay house, sleep, go snowboarding, sleep, laze, eat tepanyaki, sleep, laze, go on campus, sleep laze, go to nickelcade, go bowling, sleep again. Then the plane ride home was 2 hours delayed...that part wasn't much fun.

I am in the school play titled "The Real Inspector Hound". We had a practice run in front of the students who had perfect attendance, and it wasn't too bad. One of the boys messed up 3 times, one of them right before me, and it messed me all up. Luckily I recovered, but not quite in time...it wasn't pretty. So, that is what's going on with me.

I'm Trying!!

I am really racking my brain for anything noteworthy that is not related to Chipotle...but nothing is coming. So, I went to Chipotle yesterday and there was a line that wrapped around the inside of the store, went all the way around the outside into the street. I asked what happened and it was free burrito day for UTI students and staff. I went to the front to talk to Stewart but he wasn't there...so I left with nothing.

Today I talked to 8th graders about the horrors of High School (actually about everything except the horrors of high school) and for lunch I proposed Chipotle. When we get there we talk to Stewart and find out that 1,500 FREE burritos were given away yesterday! Not a misprint people, one thousand five hundred! I told him, "maybe I'll hold off on the free burritos for a couple of days" "good idea." said the man who gave away at least 7,500 ounces of meat. Well, that's it...I just wanted everyone to know 1,500 burritos were given away yesterday.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS!!!!

WOOOHOOOO!!! Talk about wonderful news for the MBA of 99th and McDowell. So, I went to Chipotle Thursday night with 2 of my buddies. I purposely wore my MBA T-Shirt to try and HOPEFULLY get a free burrito. When I walk in I see a man who I know is high up in the rankings of Chipotle employeeship. When in line he asks me, "Which store are you over?" I told him, "THIS one"

BOOM

It was almost instant.

He was so happy to see me. He shook my hand like we were old pals. He proceeded to tell me that he is Stewart Myers, Manager. WOO HOO!!! Talk about awesomeness. He is the coolest guy I have ever met. So I go back to my friends and give one of them a burrito buck and Stewart, seeing it tells me, "Hey man, I got you guys covered!" YAY! So Stewart hooked me up with 3 free burritos in one sitting. It was so wonderful.

NEXT DAY

I go back alone just cause I love the place. I see a younger man who I also know is high up in the ranking. We have talked briefly before and he has given me a free burrito or two just cause he's cool with me. We say hi and I tell him I finally met Stewart. He (Brian) then tells me that Stewart told him all about me. So I get my burrito for free and I start talking a little more with him. He doesn't know much about what I do, so I tell him. He asked if I get paid and I told him mostly with just a few free burritos or whatever. (Bless his heart!) He told me that he is TOTALLY fine and happy with giving me a free burrito "whenever I come".

No Joke, he actually said that.

So the moral of the story is, if you are visiting the family down here, DO NOT go to Chipotle without me, or else you'll have to pay.

AMBASSADORSHIP a.k.a. The Best Day of My Life

This, my friends, is one very very very long story...bear with me. It all began when a new Chipotle restaurant opened up on 99th and McDowell (only 2 miles away as opposed to the old one which was 5 miles away). My school had the opportunity for an exclusive preview and pre-opening festivities. Of course I was there in a heartbeat, engaging in all of the wonderful activities such as ordering a burrito, paying for said burrito, eating said burrito and talking to wonderful classmates who are also enjoying the fiesta. While there, the day before the Grand-Opening, a nice lady (quite young) saw me, offered me a free shirt and we conversed briefly. Nothing super exciting. End of the day.

It is now Friday, the Grand-Opening and of course I am there right after school for the special perks of opening day which included; 1 free t-shirt, 1 five-dollar gift card to Chipotle, 1 chance to enter a drawing for free burritos for a year, and as many free magnets you felt comfortable stuffing in your pockets. My friends and I finish eating and I begin to read the back of the gift card and the comical information provided. After finishing, the same lady (who I later learned was Shelly Whittle) confronted me and we spoke about how funny Chipotle is and how much I LOVE it. She offers to turn in my ticket for the drawing and I innocently asked if I could keep the Chipotle pen I wrote my information with. This is what started it all.

Shelly started telling me about something called the Master Burrito Ambassador. Not employed by Chipotle exactly, but as close as it gets. Basically what it is (from her description) are regular Joe-Smoes from the street who emphatically love Chipotle. They are nominated ONLY by a Chipotle Manager and chosen in Colorado by Steve Ells (the founder) and a commitee of Chipotle Specialists. The newly appointed MBA is now given through the mail exclusive Chipotle items and Burrito Bucks periodically. The whole job of the MBA is to spread the good word of Chipotle. The MBA would also be invited to attend Chipotle Promotions and operate the Chipotle Wheel. (one free spin on a Wheel-of-Fortune-esque wheel with burritos and shirts) She asked if I would be interested in something like this...and I about died. I told her this was what I've been waiting for me whole life and she said she'd get back to me soon.

(2 MONTHS LATER)


By now I've given up hope, it was a good dream, but it passed. Then randomly I checked my e-mail. Lo and behold, Shelly Whittle e-mailed me this e-mail.

Hello Joey Cozza,

I met you at our Grand Opening of our 99^th Avenue and McDowell Chipotle location. I had told you about a very special honor of Master Burrito Ambassador. Your dedication and passion for our food and Chipotle has brought this honor to you. Chipotle has over 600 restaurants nationwide, but only a handful of MBA’s. It is an honor not just anyone is granted and therefore we take nominations very seriously. As an MBA you will receive many special Chipotle items and news. You can also get involved in Chipotle events and marketing activities if you so choose. You’ll be contacted by me every once in awhile to be invited to some exciting special events Chipotle is a part of to further our brand and spread the burrito love. As an MBA we want you to continue to do what you already have done, by creating other Chipotle lovers and introducing them to our burritos and tacos!

To be considered to become an MBA please answer the following questions

1. Your story…Where, when, how did you and Chipotle meet?
2. Why do you LOVE Chipotle?
3. What do you think makes Chipotle different from other restaurants?
4. If I gave you 25 burrito bucks (each worth a free burrito) what would you do with them?
5. Who have you brought over to our side? (Who would blame you for becoming a Chipotlean?)

I need to following information from you…as well.

Mailing Address
Contact Phone
Contact email
TShirt size

Thank you and congratulations!

Shelly Whittle
Burrito Bandit

Wow, I was awe struck, this was my chance! So I sent this e-mail back to her. (Did anyone catch that she signs all of her professional e-mails and letters as Shelly Whittle-Burrito Bandit?)

Shelly,
Thank you for contacting me about this wonderful oppurtunity.

1. I first met sweet Chipotle with my older brother about one year ago. He was addicted and kept raving about it awesome it was. So, he and I decided to go to the Chipotle on Litchfield and McDowell. After the first bite of succulent carnitas, I was hooked.
2. I love Chipotle because of the great unique taste, the amount of food given, and the wonderful Chipotle Tabasco Sauce. But even more than that, I think it's something you put in the rice, I could eat that stuff from the pot with a spoon.
3. What makes Chipotle different in my eyes, is the whole set-up. You walk in, choose from a menu of ONLY high quality items, get the fresh food made in front of you in about 2 minutes, and to top it all off, employees come around every so often asking if the food was satisfactory, asking to take away trash; real high class treatment from a fast-food style restaurant.
4. If I had 25 burrito bucks, I would keep two for myself, give one to my two best friends, and then give them away to people who have never been to Chipotle. I know a few people at my school who have never been and think it costs too much money, if I give them a free one, I know they'd change their opinion.
5. I have brought six people for sure, four of which go to Chipotle regularly. I have no doubt (and hopfully) brought countless others with my constant, border-line obsessive, wearing of my Chipotle T-shirts of which I own three. Also, for a wiffle-ball tournament my friends and I were in, we wore Chipotle T-shirts (Foil Shizzle) along with absurd orange shorts as our team uniform. As seen from the pictures I have included in this e-mail.



Again, thank you very much for this nomination. I hope you hear back from you soon.

Joey Cozza-Chipotle Enthusiast


Along with that e-mail I attached these photos.

So all I could do now, was wait. 2 weeks later it happened. At the school talent show, during intermission, mom gave me a package sent from Colorado (the birthplace of Chipotle). I knew right away what is was and I had to show everyone. I opened the package back stage in front of my friends. After pulling out the framed Certificate wrapped in my exclusive MBA T-shirt, I had people bowing down to me. Literally. Along with that I got 11 free Burrito Bucks (each worth a burrito) and a Chipotle Calendar. I am so blessed.

So that is where I am today, 1 of 100 Master Burrito Ambassadors in the world. My only concern is that there is no Chipotle in Provo!




I want everyone to know that I spent more time on this blog than I typically spend on my homework...in a week.

BYU Here I Come!

Well, I got my acceptance letter from BYU. I had my application finished for about 10 days when I got my answer, as opposed to the obnoxious girl in my seminary class who finished her application 2 months ago and STILL complains about how she doesn't know if she's going or not.