Ryan Byrd’s Ramblings

Busy with work and life? Here are a few good upcoming weekend events you don’t have to plan– just show up and enjoy. They’re great for people watching and fair food. I’ve listed them in calendar order for ya:

• American Fork Steel Days — July 14-19
• Spanish Fork Fiesta Days — July 21-24
• Mapleton Pioneer Day Parade — July 24
• Cedar Hills Family Festival — July 26
• Highland Fling — July 21-August 2
• Alpine Days — August 3-9
• Lindon Days — August 4-11
• Payson Golden Onion Days –  August 28-September 1

Back in January I reported that my simple Diamond Boycott Petition had grown to over 100 signatures. I was excited that this important message was spreading. Now, nearly 40,000 visitors later, we’re approaching 1,000 signatures (921 as of this posting.)

The idea for my boycott first came from reading the book Blood Diamonds, by Greg Campbell. If you haven’t read that book, or others on the diamond trade, I encourage you to do so. It will appall you. It will disgust you. It will likely compel you to act.

I felt like I needed to do something. So I started blogging. I spoke about how diamonds are a warlord’s best friend, and how when you buy a Diamond Ring, you get an Amputated Hand Free. I even stopped to tell Tom Shane, a local diamond vendor, what I thought of his diamond business.

The reaction from the Internet community has been considerable and positive. The diamond boycott website has changed since it’s launch because of the feedback I’ve received. New pages include:

• Diamond Boycott website reviews
• Downloadable Anti-diamond website banners
• Diamond free weddings
• User contributed content
• Diamond Alternatives

Like the diamond boycott MySpace page mission statement reads, “We don’t wear the blood of the innocent. We don’t buy into artificial value. We don’t fund wars. We don’t condone child labor. We don’t buy diamonds.”

If you haven’t signed the anti-diamond petition, I encourage you to read up on diamonds and consider the ill effects they’ve had on the world. If you feel like boycotting diamonds will help stop some of these effects, I urge you to sign the petition.

If you’ve already signed, now is a great time to spread the word by sending an email to a friend about the diamond boycott.

A year and a half ago in one of my MBA classes, we were challenged to replicate the Canadian Paper clip Trading experiment (where a savvy Canuck traded up from a red paper clip to a 2 story house.) Modesty aside, I won the class contest (prize: 2 movie tickets) by trading from a paper clip to a year membership at a recreational vehicle club company (Toyshare.)

Many of you might remember my original green paper clip website.

Well, a few days ago a random Internet surfer landed on that old paper clip trading page and decided he, too, wanted (nay needed) a paper clip. Several emails later, the trade was finalized and I am now the proud owner of two amps and two speakers (in a handsome enclosure). They are sitting on the floor next to me.

And that’s where you come in. I don’t need two awesome, ghetto-blasting speakers– my scooter would tip over from the weight. What I need is something else. Something that you have. What is it? You tell me.

NOW LIVE! A cool site: http://BIGgreenpaperclip.ryanbyrd.net to track this newest adventure.

As part of my continued commitment to the betterment of the environment, I now drive a scooter (a two-wheeled motorized vehicle with a step-through frame.)

Advantages of a scooter

• Real babe magnet
• Great fuel economy– 100MPG (110 with optional cold air intake)
• Inexpensive ($850 with helmet and year warranty)
• Easy to use (no gears, just a throttle and a brake)
• Better parking — use motorcycle parking or bicycle parking
• Great for giving rides to attractive people
• Convenient for inner-city travel– speeds up to 65MPH
• “Scooterists are a brotherhood and sisterhood of like minded people.”
• Lane splitting is legal in many areas
• Scooters are basically two-wheeled convertibles

It’s documentary film week here at RBDN and we’ll (um, I will anyway) review a documentary a day in preparation for the RBDN Summer Film Project (details coming soon.) Because I don’t have a Netflix membership yet, I’ll have to rely on local rental stores and libraries. As you might know, there aren’t very many documentaries to be found at a Blockbuster store. You may recall I’ve predicted that movie rental stores will be out of business in five years, but before they go, you might wander over and check out their special interest section– that’s the one rack where they put documentaries. The selection is sparce, but better than nothing.

This Week: 49 Up, Game Over, Jesus Camp, Blood In the Face, BonHoeffer and anything else you might recommend. Whatcha got for me?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the horrible air pollution we have here in Utah Valley. Clearly, I’m a part of the problem; my SUV (a sleak new 4Runner, by the way) consumes an obscene amount of gas. Really. I should be ashamed. Or at least I should do something about it. In the postscript of my earth day blog post, I remarked that I had some earth betterment ideas. Top on that list was my desire to reduce the amount of gas I use. I brainstormed the following ways of reducing oil consumption.

• Ride a scooter
• Car pool
• Biodiesel
• Ride a motorcycle
• Ride a bicycle
• Telecommuting

Riding a bike seemed to me the easiest of the ideas. Irritated by another ravishment at the gas pump, I stopped by a local bike shop on the way home from work Friday and picked up a decent mountain bike and a helmet. Today I rode to work and back (six miles each way.)

What I learned from riding the bike:
1- My backside hurts (they tell me it will stop hurting in a few days after it numbs. Question: do I want a numb bum?)
2- My wrists and hands hurt from the downward pressure on the handlebars. Obviously it has been a while since I’ve ridden.
3- It is downhill from home to work. That means it’s a brisk 20 minute ride in, but a brutal 40 minute return.

Did I ride around the cubicle farm at my office once people left for the day? Maybe…

After considerable struggle, the elite RBDN network ops team has finally beaten down the robot insurrection and business is back to normal. Thank you for your patience and for chatting with Dave the Robot.

For the past 39 months, I’ve worked at RemedyMD. That has come to an end. Recently, we all met at the Sizzlers for my “graduation” lunch. Some Remedy alums showed up as well. A good time was had by all!

Left to Right

Back row
Eric Dummer, Burdette Pixton, Nate Peel, Mike Nelson

Second from back row
Brett Lyman, Roberto Mello, Matthew Snyder

Third row
Orion Moore (kneeling), Glenn Hatfield, Dan Wilson, William Attwood, Brian Goodrich, Jonathan Rudolph, Ryan Byrd

In front
Kevin Nelson, Troy Larson

Alumni: Troy Larson, William Attwood, Roberto Mello

Invited yet missing: Nick and Ashley Maly, Jordan Hayward, Chris Evans, Alli Stewart

Photoshopped in (obviously): Ryan, Kevin

Yesterday evening, moments before I boarded a flight, my mom called me on my cellphone. “Ryan,” she managed, fighting back emotion, “President Hinckley just passed away.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was 97.

And yet, notwithstanding his advanced age, he constantly showed more than his fair share of energy and vigor. I remember fondly that during one of his whirlwind world tours, he took time out of his overbooked schedule to meet and speak with us beleaguered Swiss missionaries. He was fatigued and we could tell that the travel was not easy for him. Still, he cheered our spirits and buoyed our confidence with his inspiring words and cheerful demeanor.

During a General Conference not too long ago, President Hinckley prophesied of hard times to come. He urged LDS church members to get their houses in order– to get out of debt and to put together a year’s supply of food storage. I hope we are taking his counsel to heart.

President Hinckley balanced humor and dignity, personality and authority, wit and decorum, lightheartedness and class. He was an iconic example of hard work and positive attitude. His passing is a great loss to the world.

As of 4:47MST the anti-diamond petition had 129 signatures! That do to HUGE increase in traffic overnight. Have you signed the petition? First, read the blood diamond blog post, then read more about the horrors of the diamond trade, then sign the petition!

UPDATE: now over 300 signatures!
UPDATE: now over 400 signatures!
UPDATE: now over 500 signatures!
UPDATE: now over 700 signatures!