opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: Offering
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2012/01/offering.html
Sunday, January 15, 2012. I recently have been thinking a lot about a piece of music that I had not previously thought about in years: the "Offertorio" movement from Verdi's Requiem. When I was a voice major at the University of Utah I was involved in a concert where this piece was sung by a few of my colleagues, so I got to hear it dozens and dozens of times throughout the rehearsal process. In my opinion this movement is one of the most beautiful and moving pieces of music that has ever been written.
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: Bring Me Close
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2013/03/bring-me-close.html
Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Last week in my social media class we had a guest speaker: indie singer/songwriter Mindy Gledhill. The name did not ring any bells, but then my teacher played a commercial featuring her music:. I remembered seeing that commercial during the Olympics last year and thinking, "Whoa, what is that song? And she's really consistent about staying in contact and knowing what her fans like; moments after she left the class, she tweeted:. 8212; MindyGledhill (@MindyGledhill) March 1, 2013.
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: Back to School
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2012/09/back-to-school.html
Monday, September 3, 2012. Last Sunday night just before bedtime I found this arrangement on my bed:. Balloons, pencils, and chocolate truffles courtesy of my BYU-employed wife. For anyone who hasn't heard some of the recent developments in my life, this picture may raise some eyebrows and/or questions, such as:. Brian is going back to school again. Doesn't he already have enough freaking degrees? Hasn't Brian voiced some dislike for BYU in the past? So what is he studying this time around? Which was a g...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: Our Story
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2012/05/our-story.html
Monday, May 7, 2012. My poor blog has been a casualty of the major upheavals in my life in the past few months. For those of you who don't already know, in mid-February I got engaged to Amy Jeppsen. In mid-March I left my job at Yahoo! Moved away from Oregon, and moved into an apartment in Orem, Utah to be close to her. And in less than three weeks were are getting married. I recently wrote a few short pieces about our dating and engagement story for our wedding website. Favorite Memories of Amy:. Co-inv...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: "Unique Perspectives"
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2013/01/unique-perspectives.html
Wednesday, January 30, 2013. This post was written for the new issue of the BYU MBA. Student Wire publication. The theme of the issue is "Unique Perspectives.". A lot of major changes occurred in my life during 2012: I quit my job at Yahoo! I moved away from Portland, I got married, I found out we're having a baby. However, I will unhesitatingly tell you that the most jarring change in my life was entering the BYU MBA program. By Herminia Ibarra and Kent Lineback:. I have an interesting and different sto...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: October 2013
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html
Thursday, October 24, 2013. In about six months I'll be wrapping up my fourth college degree. And then I'll have a big, wide-open decision in front of me: What do I do next? Throughout my MBA program I have had many people tell me that they thought that I would land in a great career because my opera-singer-turned-MBA story is so unique. This week I wrapped up a term-length class called Strategic Decision Making in which we read a short book called Yes or No: The Guide to Better Decisions. Wings said, "S...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: The Wish Ribbon
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-wish-ribbon.html
Tuesday, May 21, 2013. In August of 2011, my friend/co-worker Fabiana at Yahoo! Returned from a visit to Brazil with a bundle of these:. I was stunned. I was so certain that it was meant to be. The wish ribbon had failed. Less than 6 months after putting on that wristband I got married. Even though I wasn't even dating anyone when I put it on), and a week later I got accepted to the MBA program at BYU (even though I had never imagined that I would ever study business. This isn't exactly how I would have ...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: Sesame Street Tuesdays: The Inauguration
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2009/01/sesame-street-tuesdays-inauguration.html
Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Sesame Street Tuesdays: The Inauguration. My friend Elizabeth has a weekly feature on her blog called "Wednesday Thoughts". That I really enjoy (My personal favorite thought: "Is 45 minutes too far to drive to TP. But I also really like the idea of having a regular weekly feature blog feature that showcases something that I really love and can perhaps brighten up your day a little bit. So I am inaugurating (get it - inaugurating? A new feature today called . ( drumroll. Past th...
opticwalrus.blogspot.com
Brian Presents:: July 2013
http://opticwalrus.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html
Saturday, July 27, 2013. What's in a Name? Last Sunday in church we gave a name and blessing to Miles Elliott Tanner.* In honor of the occasion I thought I would break down each part of our son's name:. When we first found out that Amy was pregnant, the first names generated during our brainstorming sessions were mostly bizarre joke names.* I chipped in "Intergalactic" because a) it's just an awesome word, b) it has cool associations. From Benjamin Britten's opera version of The Turn of the Screw. Elliot...