Paulsen Column

Subscribing to the Paulsen Column

2011-02-20T15:09:00.002-07:00

I've had complaints from friends who used to follow me on this blog. Sometime ago I requested that everyone follow me on JacobSPaulsen.com The complaints are due to the fact that more than 1/2 of what I blog about on the new site is business or marketing related and many of you don't find that interesting. I have a solution if you are interested.

If you would still like to receive "personal" blog updates from me you can subscribe to blog posts in the "Personal" category only of JacobSPaulsen.com. Use the following URLs to subscribe:

URL for Category: http://www.jacobspaulsen.com/category/personal
URL for RSS Feed: http://www.jacobspaulsen.com/category/personal/feed

There you go!

Jacob

Total of 31.27 miles running this week. The marathon is fast approaching

2011-02-13T21:18:00.001-07:00

Its been a very long time since I ran so much in a single week

In moving to colorado, I will miss running on the Provo river trail

2011-02-05T23:58:00.001-07:00

the avalanche are uh... not doing well

2011-01-21T03:31:00.001-07:00

down 5-0

Surprise snow in Denver

2011-01-19T22:45:00.001-07:00

well surprised if you don't pay attention to the news

I just got my new business cards. I think they look great.

2010-12-29T22:05:00.001-07:00

Brother and Sister

2010-12-24T22:54:00.001-07:00

Simon likes to hold Lucy

Family Picture Dec 2010 My Cute Family

2010-12-12T18:10:00.001-07:00

Lucy's dress is a little long but she sure is pretty

Loving Denver

2010-12-08T16:23:00.001-07:00

This is a picture in my office

Enjoying Spanish Fork City Festival of Lights

2010-11-28T00:52:00.001-07:00

Less than 2 days old. Doesn't get cuter than this

2010-11-15T04:07:00.001-07:00

Annual back yard raking ritual. These trees are a curse this time of year.

2010-11-02T15:52:00.001-06:00

Of course they are a bigger curse for our neighbors who have to rake leaves from our trees. On a side note I suppose that's one way to induce labor. Ami is ready for this baby.

my new books I bought this week.

2010-10-29T04:20:00.001-06:00

Nutty Putty Cyclers: A Worthy Cause

2010-10-15T22:53:00.000-06:00

Friends and Family,

In April I was lucky enough to run into a young man named Eric Maughan. Eric is a BYU student who was at that time planning a cross country bike trip with some friends to raise money for the widow of John Jones. John Jones made national headlines when he passed away inside of Nutty Putty cave here in Utah country on Thanksgiving Day 2009. I have been following their trip closely since they set out on Oct 4th. I encourage everyone everywhere to listen to their story and where possible please donate to the Liz Logelin Foundation. Able or not to donate, please spread the word by copying and pasting the below story into your own blog.

Thank you,

Jacob S Paulsen

On October 4, 2010, the Nutty Putty Cyclers set forth on a charity bike trek, traveling from Virginia to California, to raise money for the Liz Logelin Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting widows and widowers across the US.

Dan Petersen of Salem, VA, Jonathan Miller of Crestwood, KY, Eric Maughan of Salem VA, and Oliver Thompson of Salem, VA plan to complete their journey December 10, 2010 in San Diego, CA. The four cyclists carry sleeping accommodations and food, but are extremely grateful to those who have offered them last minute room and board. “We’ve surprisingly needed very little because people are so nice and offer us a place to stay,” said Miller.

Dan Petersen organized the cycling team after the tragic loss of his brother-in-law on November 25, 2009. John Jones passed away after being trapped for 28 hours in Nutty Putty Cave in Utah after he slipped into a tight crevice while caving with friends and family. Jones left behind his wife Emily Jones; a 13 month old daughter; and an unborn son.

Emily's brother, Petersen, originally planned the trip to raise money for his sister and her family, but Emily felt she'd been so blessed by family and friends, she asked the cyclers to raise money for those who are less fortunate. The trip quickly became a nationwide fundraiser for widows and widowers. The cyclers ask all those who are able to contribute to this worthy cause.

Donations can be made to the Liz Logelin Foundation at thelizlogelinfoundation.org, or can be sent to P.O. Box 26366, St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Those who donate $75 or more will receive an official Nutty Putty Bike Trip t-shirt.

To view the cyclists travel schedule, and learn more about the cause, visit nuttyputtycyclers.com.

NOTE: Code for embedding the video on your blog:

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My first ever check from Google.

2010-10-08T23:25:00.001-06:00

Wow I feel extremely satisfied

Simon is enjoying playing with his cousins at Grandma's house

enjoying the sun outside today

2010-10-02T17:22:00.001-06:00

simon is playing outside while we watch lds conference

enjoying our morning at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi UT

2010-09-25T16:46:00.001-06:00

the pumpkin weighing starts soon

Enjoying my Sunday afternoon in San Diego in front of this landmark

2010-09-20T01:37:00.001-06:00

there is a lot to see in this small park

2010-08-28T18:03:00.001-06:00

after a good morning of geocaching we are now feeding ducks

this park is at about 1000 west and 500 north in provo

Having fun at the living aquarium in SLC

2010-08-27T20:11:00.001-06:00

Simon loving the Salt Lake temple

Enjoying the Bean Life Science Museum

2010-08-26T16:45:00.001-06:00

Digging for dinosaurs at the largest Dinosaur museum in the world

Simon getting up front and personal with the ducks at the park

2010-08-21T18:35:00.001-06:00

the ducks at this park in Provo aren't afraid

Enjoying being part of the Heartland Publications Summit of Success!

2010-08-20T15:50:00.001-06:00

thanks everyone for your support during our presentation

At the Denver temple with the family

2010-08-18T23:05:00.001-06:00

At the Hard Rock Cafe in Denver with the family

2010-08-17T23:32:00.001-06:00

enjoying a run along the river in Rome GA

2010-08-10T01:00:00.001-06:00

dad andd sons just finished the triathlon.

2010-08-07T19:35:00.001-06:00

My Blog is Moving... or combining at any rate

2009-10-16T23:59:00.004-06:00

Since 2007 I have maintained both a personal and a professional blog. My friends and family have primarily visited my personal blog at http://paulsencolumn.blogspot.com and my professional network has primarily visited www.jacobspaulsen.com

Today I made the decision to combine the two into one. I will no longer be posting content at paulsencolumn.blogspot.com and will instead be putting everything at www.jacobspaulsen.com Those who have followed my professional blog will now be forced to hear occasionally more personal stories, and those who followed my personal blog will (should they be inclined to follow me over to jacobspaulsen.com) be forced to hear about my professional rantings about personal development and marketing.

While I apologize to those who this might disrupt I figure I do it all for me in the end anyway :)

If you are only interested in seeing my more personal posts on the new site then bookmark this link: http://www.jacobspaulsen.com/category/personal

Jacob S Paulsen

PROTECT YOURSELF ONLINE!!! Google Opt-Out is Here

2009-10-09T03:18:00.001-06:00

Google Opt Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

Shooting with Big Guns

2009-09-27T08:42:00.007-06:00

My neighbor has a class 3 license so he has several assault rifles and silencers to go with. We had a really fun afternoon up at the Provo city gun range up Squaw Peak road.

Utah Brazilian Festival

2009-09-21T10:52:00.001-06:00

Ami & I decided to head up to the Utah Brazilian Festival today. I went 2 years ago and it was a lot of fun. It was at the Gateway this year and so we had fun walking around and seeing all the people and activities. Simon even got a balloon and that made his day.

We also spent a quick moment in the "Discovery at the Gateway" children's building. We had fun pushing the buttons that made bubbles rise in the big tubes hanging from the ceiling.

Braille on Signs

2009-09-18T11:14:00.003-06:00

So I've always wondered about the logic of putting braille on signs that are on walls in building etc. I mean wouldn't you suppose that blind people wouldn't know that there was a sign there at all or even where to look for one at best?

So this week I updated my status on facebook and I tweeted the following: "Does anyone else thinks its ironic when they put brail on signs? I mean how do blind people know there is a sign there at all?"

These were the comments that I got from friends on facebook:

Germaine Brown

This is something I was thinking about a few days ago. Lolz

Peter Chip Cannon

How about brail on a drive up atm??

Adam Finch

thats messed up

Kekai Kimura

now thats down right wrong!

Bradford Huntsman

I sold a deaf guy a cell phone the other day. Completely deaf.. wanted a phone.

Travis Savage

I've been asking the same question for years!

Christian Eyring

I have taken it upon my self to memorize locations with brail on them just in case I go blind. Its that or I put my hands on everything once I go blind.

Kirt Christensen

@brad I have 2 deaf ladies that come into my dry cleaner all the time and they use their cell phones to text with each other instead of sign language... other than that i'm not sure what they're for...

Here is the single response that I got from someone on Twitter:

maria6289@jacobspaulsen U mean like signs 4 room #s, bathrooms, in elevators? We know they're there b/c we expect them 2 b there 4 benefit of sighted folks as well. As 4 where they are, it's question of logical sense, room signs would b on/near door, elevator on some wall, prob across from door. Also placement should b pretty consistent if places r fully ADA compliant. i.e., door signs should b on wall nearest the door hamdle of door. Also lots of blind ppl can read the print if it's grooved/raised enough. And not super tiny, though Braille is def. needed 2 b ADA-compliant. And as 4 actually locating, I and others use a wavy motion in approximate area where sign is expected when touching wall 4 1st time 2 effectively cover area/find what I'm looking 4. Same trick when doing some other stuff like locating door handle on unfamiliar door.

So in case you were wondering... now you know!

Old Stomping Grounds

2009-08-22T20:54:00.004-06:00

This weekend we traveled to Rock Springs WY to visit family. Saturday night we decided to take a small trip down Jacob memory lane. We drove over to "my side" of town and went through my old neighborhood. As to my house (where I spent the first 18 years of my life) I'm glad to report that they have a huge garden... other than that they seem slightly trashy to me.
We drove all around the area and generally I would say the condition of things has improved. We stopped quickly at a small little park not far from the Civik Center where we would often play as kids. This was the only park within bike distance that didn't require crossing a major road and thus we were there a lot playing in the bushes and trees more than the playground equipment which has been replaced since. Just for good measure Ami and I hid a geocache at the park. We entered it online Saturday night around 11pm and by 12:04am someone who goes by Dr.Tom had already found it :) Here is the link to the geocache.

Coyote Gulch Backpacking Trip

2009-08-19T10:41:00.000-06:00

I had my doubts about the need to travel 7 hours just to have a good backpacking trip with the young men in the ward. All my doubts disappeared once we got there. As you can see from the pictures... GORGIOUS!

Too get into the gulch we had to drop our packs over a ledge with rope and then squeeze through a narrow crack down into the valley. I'd show you a picture but we did it in the dark!

On our first night I upset a swarm of bees or hornets (once again it was too dark to be sure) but otherwise we came out of it without any real hiccups. The hike is mostly through a stream of water with occassional sand trails on the bank. We saw 4 different arches and some indian ruins. A once in a lifetime experience that I'm hoping to duplicate with my family.

Harry Potter all wrapped up again

2009-08-17T12:00:00.001-06:00

Last night I finished listening to all the Harry Potter books again. I think it is becoming a summer tradition of sorts but I'm far from sick of the story. I feel drawn in by a strong saga of good vs evil and the unlikely hero in Harry. Perhaps what I like most about Harry compared to other epic novels is our ability to see him grow up and mature from age 11 to 17. He grows and learns and while its sometimes even painful to read it remains inspiring.

I am going to publish a series of personal development articles on www.jacobspaulsen.com about principles from the books. I wrote the first one about a week ago and am hoping to publish the rest soon!

I would encourage anyone who hasn't read the Harry Potter books to begin immediatly. The book that has been translated into more languages than any other book in history (including the bible) must have something to offer everyone.

Jacob S Paulsen

Provo River 1/2 Marathon

2009-08-09T10:37:00.004-06:00

Back in March of this year I publicly declared my goal to run in a 1/2 marathon at the end of the summer. I registered for a race on August 8th and have been training all summer. I had some good stretches of training and some times where I was less faithful.

Every single time I went for a training run I recorded the data on www.buddyrunner.com/jacob and also updated my status on twitter and facebook to keep myself accountable to my online community.

Yesterday was the day of the race and I'm pleased to report that I survived! This is without any question the longest distance I have ever run at 13.1 miles. I am sore everywhere and even a day later my legs still feel like jelly.

We had to meet at the finish line at 4:45am to be shuttled in school buses into Provo canyon up South Fork Road. Being on the first bus up I had to wait in the cold and dark for two hours until the race started at 7am. The whole course was beautiful and peaceful as we would through Provo canyon along the river.

I estimate that there were over 3000 runners and this was a different type of runner than I'm used to seeing in my 5K and even 10K races in the past. These were serious runners. No baggy basketball shorts, a lot of heart monitors, and GPS tracking watches.

My wonderful wife Ami, son Simon, and parents were at the finish line along with my sister Shannon and her family. It was really great to have so much support. They had watermelon, pancakes, and granola bars for the runners at the finish line, but my dad brought me a couple of snickers bars (that or he happen to have a couple on it at the time) and a good thing too because I was weak and famished.

I finished in 1 hour 52 minutes and 33 seconds which is about 25 minutes faster than I had hoped for. This put me in 502nd place overall and 32nd in my age group 25-30.

All around a very satisfying experience!

Pioneer Day

2009-07-29T20:48:00.002-06:00

Had a good time at my first ever 10K race last Friday. This was a good prep race for my 1/2 marathon on the 8th of August.

Simple Service Project

2009-07-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

On Saturday the teacher's quorum and I built a deck for a couple in the ward who live in a RV. The man can't get in and out of the RV anymore because of the steep and small stairs. We spent the last couple of Tuesday nights measuring for and buying supplies for the deck and on Saturday we put it all together. It took us about 6 hours and I must say I am quite proud of us. It turned out quite well.

Sunday Peace @ The Gallivan Center

2009-06-28T15:23:00.001-06:00

Today despite it being Sunday I'm working a 12 hour security shift in Salt Lake's Gallivin Center Plaza. I don't like working Sunday but I am a part of an industry which demands 24/7 work and it's important for me to take my turn.

I've been warned about watching for loonies and homeleass people but so far the last 8 hours have been pleasant and peaceful. I've never been here before today and for being in the middle of downtown it is amazingly gorgious. There is a large reflection pool, a huge sundial thingy, an amplitheatre with stage, bird aviary (though currently empty of birds), a small river with waterfall effect, and a lot of tree cover, etc.

The river has a poem written in the stone behind it and there is also a long story written on stone tablets that requires walking most of the park to finish reading.

It makes me want to bring Ami and Simon back next Sunday after church so we can enjoy it as a family. Here you see some of the pictures of the place.

Me Doing Security for Thurl Bailey

2009-06-07T23:39:00.001-06:00

While doing executive protection work this weekend I bumped into Thurl Bailey. This guy is awesome. Tons of fun and super friendly

Sundays with Simon

2009-05-03T14:45:00.000-06:00

Ami is right when she says that the only thing we get out of church are the blessings that come from obedience in being there. It could be compared to reading scriptures at a rock concert.

Right now it is sacrament meeting. This usually consists of Ami and I taking turns running around with Simon either through the gym or outside around the church.

Because Ami is still having ankle problems I'm taking the full duty today and so I find myself walking around the church with Simon blogging about it from my phone.

In one month Simon will go to nurshry and we will be back to enjoying part of church. This is a hard stage for us because Simon is too old to be quietly entertained with books and snacks, but too young to be taught right and wrong or consequences.

This routine will continue during the second block of meetings while Ami tries to get most of her primary calling done. Then we switch and while I teach priesthood she will chase Simon around the gym, hallways etc.

At least I get some good pictures out of this eh?

Jacob S. Paulsen

Food Challenges - My New Hobby

2009-04-26T11:51:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I've always wondered about the food challenges that you always see in restrauntants. It usually consists of: Eat "insert massive amount of food" and get your picture on the wall and a free t-shirt. It intrigues me. I have always been able to eat entire cows in one sitting and why not get a t-shirt for it?

My friend Chad Ricks told me a couple weeks ago that he had successfully completed the Sensious Sandwich challenge (2-foot sub). I was super jealous that I hadn't been there and told him that we should do the next one together. He called on Wednsday!

We went to Fudruckers in Orem, UT. The requirement: 1, 1-pound burger, a side, and a shake. I ordered the bacon cheddar 1 pound burger, with a side of wedge fries, and a Reeses Peanut Butter shake.

I really wan't too nervous going in and felt quite confident throughout. Chad finished before me and I thought I had it in the bag until after I finished the burger and fries and started to polish off the shake. I ran into something I didn't see coming. At the bottom of the shake glass there was a lot of solid reeses peanut butter chunks. That was super difficult to put down but I did it.

Thats right we both completed the challenge. Here is the sad part. At Fudruckers you have to do the challenge three times in order to get your picture on the wall and get the tshirt. They gave us a little card and stamped it to reflect our single victory. We will be going back again in May and June to finish it off.

Looking back I have decided to make this a new hobby. I want Simon to grow up knowing that his dad's picture is on the wall of several local eating joints. This is a great new part of our Paulsen Family Culture:)

Porter's Place

2009-04-20T15:51:00.000-06:00

Today is Ami's birthday. We celebrated yesterday by going swimming at this really cool pool and doing other stuff.

For lunch we went to Porter's Place. I've been dying to go there since I found out it existed. Porter's Place is a restaurant that has been handed down generation to generation through Orrin Porter Rockwell's family. It isn't situated in the same location as it once was since the state tore down the original building to erect the state penn.

It still has a western saloon type look and feel which was quite pleasant. The menu was quite large and I greatly enjoyed the Rockwell Revelation burger! In case you didn't already know Porter Rockwell in my all time hero. His biography is among my 10 favorite books and I want Simon to be just like him (shhhh don't tell Ami).

We really enjoyed lunch there and they didn't even think it weird that I was walking around taking pictures of everything. I highly recommend the experience!

Jacob S Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

2009-04-13T02:39:00.001-06:00

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Springtime is Arriving

2009-04-12T20:41:00.004-06:00

We have had an exciting couple of weeks. I'm trying to make it a goal to get out of the house with Simon and Ami as often as possible. Last week we decided to go see Stonehenge. As famous as it is we weren't super impressed, but Simon had a good time climbing on the stones.
We also took an outing to the local pet store on center street. They didn't have any puppies but Simon still loved the birds, pigs, rodents, and very much so the fish. That was a good time.

Last weekend we had a lot going on. We had all of Ami's girl friends here between sessions. I call them Ami's friends but truthfully they are our friends since I knew them all in high school also. Here is a picture of Ami and the gals:

The next day Kody came by between sessions to hang out a little while before driving back home to Laramie! Great times were had!

I'm grateful to good friends of both the past and present. Spring is a busy season for me but an enjoyable one also. Simon loves being outside and we do too. I'm starting to get more serious about training for my half marathon later this summer. I'm so pumped to both get ready for it and to actually do it. Its going to be awesome!

My child really is a monkey

2009-04-02T15:43:00.001-06:00

Man he is all over the place climbing things he really shoudn't

Posted via Pixelpipe.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

2009-03-24T15:18:00.001-06:00

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This review is not my own personal "Last Lecture." The temptation is great after reading this book to sit down and create your very own last lecture. All of us have a great desire to pass on our own golden nuggets of wisdom to others. I will use my personal journal for that purpose and leave all of you with a simple book review.

I really enjoyed this book. Not just because Randy had some great things to share with the world but also because this proves that everyone has great things to share. Its not just the muilt-billionaires and mother Teresa that can contribute good advice to us. I'm not trying to insult Randy but simply say that the most extrodinary thing about this book is how ordinary the guy is.

He did some extremely extraordinary things, but hey most of us do! This book was easy to read (listen in my case). It made me want to finish the story and did make me reflect on my own dreams and childhood.

I don't know if I will ever read it again, but I can say I really enjoyed it.

link: Buy On Amazon Now

View all my reviews.

The First Day of Spring

2009-03-21T19:26:00.008-06:00

As you will see by the pictures below Simon & I enjoyed the first day of spring. We celebrated by making our back yard appear as it did in the fall. I used the leaf blower to blow all the leaves off of the back fence area into the grass where we will in turn mow them up. (Way to lazy to rake) We meant to do this in the fall by just were too lazy then also.

The first day of spring was the end to the cold I've been fighting for about 10 days. It was unfortunately the first day of Ami getting the cold that I've kicked. Simon & I were able to hang out all day while Ami rested. I'm quite glad to be healthy again since I haven't been able to get out and run for over a week.

I am still on the look out for people who want to run a 1/2 marathon with me in August. Jeff, my brother is still on board and that makes me happy :)

As for Simon, he is quite energetic these days and wants nothing more than to be outside all day long. He either wants to be walking around the back yard or in his stroller on walks around the neighborhood. His vocab is expanding very slowly. I think a complete list would include: mooo, woof woof, dog, duck, ball, car, dada, mama, and on a single occasion the words Jesus and candy.

As for work things continue to go well. Agel is flourishing & the spring means an increase in my JPTees and JP Squared business. Recently I was contracted by a local reseller of the Magic Jack product to do some self-improvement newsletters and webinars and that has been fun.

Hope you like the pictures of our "fall-looking" spring backyard.

Big Hairy Audacious Goals

2009-03-13T15:01:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we have to stretch ourselves a little. How often do we really stick out our own necks to perform? In an effort to both make the goal and publically declare it I am writing this post. On August 8th, 2008 I will run a half marathon here in Provo, Utah. The Provo River Trail ½ Marathon is an annual event along the Provo River in the canyon. Even though I’ve always been a runner this will be by far the longest race I’ve ever run. Up until now my morning runs consisted of 2-4 mile jogs and my longest competitive race was a 5K.

I’m pumped. I’m not excited about running 13.1 miles but rather I’m excited about doing something audacious. I’m pumped about bending my own limits and pushing it past the comfort zone. What I’m wondering is what each of you are going to do to stretch yourselves this year? What are you willing to publicly declare?

Here is a picture of the stretch of trail where I'll be running my race!

2009-03-01T17:10:00.003-07:00

This is the view I woke up to on Saturday morning. I went on a ice fishing trip with the young men from the church this weekend. We went to the current creek reservoir which is close to strawberry reservoir in central Utah. The first adventure came when one of the boys informed me that the clothes he had on his back was all that he brought with him. This consisted of tennis shoes, jeans, t-shirt, and pullover hoodie. For camping in the mountains in February this was going to be a disaster. Luckily for him enough boys had enough spare coats, gloves, snow pants, etc to donate to his cause.

Ami made me a phenomenal tin-foil dinner which consisted of diced chicken and potatoes. I was the only one to cook mine in the fire as the other boys either brought subway or cooked their dinners over the propane grill. Back in my day...

Several of the boys were convinced they were going to build snow caves to sleep in and though several made valiant attempts only one 12 yr old was able to craft something big enough for him to sleep in it. The sad thing is that he was the only one who got any sleep at all. The rest of us spent the night trying to dream of warm climates and thicker clothing. Even in my thermals, snow pants, heavy winter coat, gloves, beanie, and LL Bean mummy sleeping bag I was freezing cold!!! We guesstimate that temps reached 20 below that night. It was horrible.

The next morning was exciting as we did a little ice fishing. We shuttled the boys across the reservoir on snow mobiles (my first experience driving one) where we dug small holes in the ice (about 8" deep) and put in our lines. This was my first time ice fishing also. There were a total of 4 fish caught between the 18 of us. The most excited moment was when one of the boys was reeling in a fish. I got next to his hole to grab the fish when he brought it out and just as it was coming out of the water it managed to jump off the hook and back into the water. I reaching in after him with my right hand and managed to grab him as he was swimming off. I pulled him out and chucked him onto the ice. It was some sort of reaction and I swear I'm not making this up. It was almost ninja like.

Jacob Paulsen

Picture of Mastermind session with Andrew James

2009-02-10T11:34:00.001-07:00

We are working on a huge project for the portuguese/brazilian market

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Picture of Phenomenal Dinner!

2009-02-08T19:11:00.001-07:00

Ami is such a gifted cook and I just couldn't resist sharing a picture of this delicious Shrimp Scampi.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Social Media Revolution

2009-01-30T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hey friends. I'm been absolutely amazed lately about how much time and money are going into the social media websites like Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, etc. Here is a short video I prepared to put on my website introducing it.

Life Continues

2009-01-13T20:44:00.002-07:00

The last few weeks have been adventurous for us. Last weekend we were in Wyoming for the funeral of Cathy Higgins; the mother of Allison Higgons who is a good friend of Ami's. The trip went smoothly, but was less than super happy.

Our family has been sick of late. The cycle goes like this. Simon gets sick because the wind blows wrong. Then Ami gets sick because she spends all day with Simon. By the time Simon is getting over it and Ami is at the worst stages I get it. This go around Ami got it the worst of anyone being basically stuck in bed for two days over the weekend.

My most precious material possession (my cell phone) suffered a semi-fatal end. The earpiece went out the day before we left for Wyoming. I was "forced" to buy the brand new G1 for t-mobile. So far it has been a great transition. I would say we have had a crazy new year so far but we are looking forward to better times.

On a good note I have been extra busy lately teaching concealed carry classes. There is a strong rumor going around Utah that Obama is going to take away guns and concealed carry permits and that if you get it now yours will be grandfathered in. This is so ridiculous it makes me giggle when I'm falling asleep but it sure has been good for business.

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

I'm a bad father

2008-12-30T15:06:00.001-07:00

When I'm babysitting Simon but still need to get work done I just put on one of his favorite Baby Einstein DVDs on in my office. He will just sit there and watch for about forever. Don't anyone tell Ami!

Another Fond Snow Memory

2008-12-24T12:21:00.004-07:00

I always enjoyed building snow caves in the snow when I was younger. On Monday amidst all the snow shoveling I decided why not? So I did. The last picture shows both Holly the dog and I inside the cave. Since these pictures were taken the neighborhood kids have taken over my cave. There have also been two other snow caves built on the street. Sounds like I started something.

Jacob S Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

Merry Christmas Ami

2008-12-23T18:52:00.004-07:00

Ami we have known each other for 10 years now. For Christmas I have produced this little slideshow video for you my love. Enjoy:

The First Snow Shoveling of the Winter

2008-12-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

I have always taken great joy in shoveling snow. As children the Paulsen boys ran a snow shoveling business in our neighborhood. I'm not sure how it all started but the fact that we lived in an area full of old widows didn't hurt business.

I remember Jeff and Eric waking up early on snow days to go out and take care of the shoveling. I was young and jealous. Eventually Tim was also allowed along and by the time I got to go out Eric and Jeff were long gone. Tim and I would shovel between 8 and 10 walks and driveways for at least half of those homes.

These were great growing moments in my childhood. Not a lot of words were spoken but we would bundle up and shovel snow from 4am until it was done which did make me late for school on more than one occasion. Eventually Tim also grew out of the job and then I was alone. Granted this meant for double the money for me but also double the work. I never regretted it and as far as I can remember I never complained about it either. I took valuable lessons from the hard work, early mornings, and the service (even if paid) we did for very old people.

Eventually it seems as I began to get older and ready to graduate from High School the old ladies started to die off. As my ability to do the work dimished, so did my number of customers. I'm grateful to those wonderful people who paid us Paulsen boys money to learn priceless lessons on those early, cole, wyoming mornings. A shout out to the red house on the corner, Grandma McCrann in the pink house, Mr Copiak (spelling) next door, Mike & Joe, they yellow house, Grandma Constantino, and the lady with the astro turf steps that made us use the broom.

Now as an adult I look forward to getting out and shoveling my walks. Today was the first time of the season!

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

PS Eric do you have anything to add?

Another Phase in Life

2008-11-16T16:13:00.001-07:00

As you can see Simon is on the move again. This has caused me to reflect on everything going on in our lives right now. We are entering a new phase of life which is marked by the following:

1. Simon is almost 1 year old and walking.
2. Its been a little more than a year that I've been 100% self-employed.
3. A new James Bond movie is in theaters.
4. 2 years in this house
5. A new president
6. I've re-listened to all the Harry Potter books

Jacob Paulsen

Ami Likes Cough Drops

2008-11-03T21:24:00.002-07:00

Two nights ago I was struggling with a sleepless night. We have been passing around the "cold" in our house the last week. Well I had it and was unable to sleep. After an hour or so I decided to get a cough drop. I opened my night stand where there is a bag of cough drops and began to try to pry open the ziplock type seal on the bag to get to the drops. It caused a little noise and out of nowhere Ami began hitting me in the side quite forcefully.

I wasn't that stunned since she often hits me during the night in order to get me to stop snoring or stop breathing into her face. However this time she was hitting much harder than normal and wasn't letting up. I said:

"I'm just getting a cough drop."

Ami said, "Oh, Can I have one?"

I said, "Sure."

I gave her one and she went back to sleep. She doesn't remember this at all but says that around 5am she woke up and couldn't remember why she had a cough drop in her mouth.

2008-10-10T16:39:00.001-06:00

Urban Ninja

Ami thinks this is the stupidest video ever. I think its one of my favorites ever. Basically this kid dresses up as a ninja and runs around in public. If you like this one you should go find it's squeal on youtube.

Two Weeks Worth of Posts In One

2008-09-24T20:38:00.008-06:00

I haven't posted a new blog in awhile. So now if you decide to read on you will get about two weeks worth of updates, thoughts, and ideas.

1. AgelWorld Convention. The first weekend of September the two largest events of both my largest businesses overlapped. The annual convention of Agel Enterprises was held at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake. I was hosting 3 or 4 Brazilians who flew in for the event. JES, my security company provided security for the event. This picture shows both! I'm on the stage being recognized with other Regional Directors and in front of the stage is one of my favorite security agents we call Wolf.

2. My apparel company, JP Tees launched our new website on the 13th in conjunction with our Sponsorship of a 5K race in Layton. My partner Josh Parker and I ran the race and then had a booth there to promote our new website and sell our own apparel line. Here is a picture of Ami and I wearing our new JP Tees shirts. Sorry I cut off my head.

3. Simon is getting cuter everyday. He knows his parents and his dog. He is all over the house and he screams when we take things away from him. The older he gets the more work he becomes but also the more fun he is. Check out this video:

Simon Enjoying Holly Time
Uploaded by paulsen007

4. I came to a blogging conclusion. I have been thinking about "Why we Blog." Each of us have different reasons for blogging and I now publically declare that these are my reasons for blogging:

A Journal. Its my not so private way of keeping a type of journal. I print off posts after comments come through and stick it in my journal
Updates. For those who care to have them this is a way to stay up to date with my life.

Yep thats it. Once I decided these were the reasons I blog I was able to overcome "comment envy." This is the desease I had before where I wanted people to comment on my blog all the time, but was basically unwilling to ever comment on anyone elses. (On a side note I do read everyone else's blogs I swear, but I'm not likely to comment).

5. Two fun outings this week. Ami and I went for a walk at Bridal Veil Falls with Simon and I hiked to the "Y" with the youth in the ward yesterday. Here are some pics.

Busy Week

2008-08-24T16:05:00.003-06:00

This past week has been very eventful! My brother Tim was in town from Wyoming and we had a lot of fun together. I golfed for the first time in a great while and we ate a lot of good food. Our entire family was together for the first time in a very long time.
Simon had his first professional photographs taken. Most of them turned out great and I'm especially partial to the black and white ones. See Ami's blog for a glimpse.
I applied to be a merit badge councilor for 7 different badges. I would have applied for them all if they would allow it. Since I work with the young men in my church this will help facilitate their work toward the rank of Eagle Scout.
I taught two concealed carry classes. I think people are worried that Obama will take away a lot of gun rights and that is increasing the enrollments in my classes.
Ami made really good chocolate chip cookies!
My T-shirt, Promotional Apparel business made some big deals this week. We have super cool silicon wristbands that we are handing out. If you want one let me know!

First Time Boating

2008-08-13T11:17:00.002-06:00

So yeah this isn't a great picture but yesterday was my first time ever in a boat that was in the water. I know this is a little embarrassing at age 25 but I had a great time. Ami and I live about 3 minutes from Utah lake so I suppose this was bound to happen. Lots of fun, but admittedly I'm super sore today from the experience.

Worthless Posts

2008-08-11T16:27:00.002-06:00

So I've noticed that when I blog about something serious or thoughtful I don't get any comments. I'm not upset or anything, I'm just starting to notice the pattern. So today I'm going to write something less complex.

I was reading a book last week called "Good to Great" and it tells you to decide what you are an expert in. What could you be the very best in the world at? So it got me thinking... what am I really good at? Like a lot of people I'm ok at a lot of stuff but I can't think of anything that I could compete at. So here is my 5 best options of things I could be best at:

Finding justifiable ways to waste time online
Loading cool software onto Windows Mobile Devices
Listening to AudioBooks, I'm really good at that.
Giving talks, presentations, etc with little to no preparation (Wingin It)
Getting along with Dogs

What do you think you could compete at? What could you do better than anyone else?

Jacob Paulsen
www.ageljacob.com
business.jacobspaulsen.com

Become More to Receive More

2008-08-09T15:16:00.002-06:00

Most of you are probably unaware but I have a second blog called the Paulsen Marketing & Personal Development Blog. Today I wrote the following post and normally I don't like to double dip my posting but I thought I would show everyone the type of thing I right in my other blog. To see other posts visit http://mblog.jacobspaulsen.com

Ultimately you must become more if you want to earn more. In the insurance industry there is a term called "Human Life Value." It seems almost wrong that anyone can assign an actual dollar value to our lives but this is necessary in when determining what kind of life insurance policies you can buy.

For purposes of this article when I refer to your "Human Life Value" I'm not talking about your insurance life value, but instead how much value you create for the world. As you work hard to become more, you in turn are able if you chose to contribute more to the world. As you actively create value for those around you, your true Human Life Value increases. Your human life value is tied directly to your wealth. As your Human life value increases your wealth must also increase. Understand that the term wealth doesn't always apply to money. Wealth can be a great number of things including strong & fulfilling relationships, inner peace & satisfaction, etc.

There are three distinct lessons we must take from this truth:

1. Our skills and knowledge alone do not create value for anyone. Only the application of skills and knowledge with correct direction can begin to create value for those around us. Therefore our Human Life Value only increases when we create value for others.

2. It is only in creating value for others that we can increase our own wealth. Since all our wealth is a direct reflection of what we receive from others and from society it is only in creating value for others that we can experience an increase.

3. Only through exchange can value be created. When you sell a good or service both parties become wealthier for having made the exchange even though the amount of goods or services exchanged remained the same. If you hug your 2 year old child both of you are wealthier for the exchange even though the hug was constant.

Understanding these principles, we can begin a discussion about how your Human Life Value affects you in Marketing. The first applied lesson to learn is that if you want to sell more goods or services you must become more. This is true both because your overall attractiveness affects your ability to sell and because your ability to create value in the life of your client is increased. Of course when speaking of attractiveness we aren't referring to your physical attraction, but the overall impression that you carry with you everywhere you go.

How do we become more? Allow us to separate your person into 4 common categories. Physical, Mental, Emotional, & Spiritual. To become more physically we must exercise and eat well. To become more mentally we must expose ourselves to new ideas and concepts. We must study and strive to learn more about more. To become more emotionally we must interact with people. We must understand people. To become more spiritually we connect with an inner purpose and divine potential ever striving to follow our creator.

All four of these categories are inseparably connected. As you grow in one you must grow in the other. This isn't to say that we are all balanced all the time but simply put they are connected and how you grow or don't grow in one area will have an impact on the other four.

Becoming more is the end purpose of everything we do. As you increase your ability to serve your fellow man, or put differently create more value for society you in turn increase your own wealth. Ironically it is the only way to do so!

Jacob Paulsen
www.ageljacob.com
business.jacobspaulsen.com
skype: jacob.paulsen

Dark Knight Inspired Thoughts

2008-08-06T15:54:00.002-06:00

On Friday of last week Ami and I went to see the newest Batman movie, Dark Knight. To read my movie review please visit my Flixster profile. The point of this post however is not to talk about the movie but the thoughts it inspired in me.

When I was young I watched heroic movies and dreamed that one day I could be a hero like that.
When I got older I realized that heroic movies are entertainment and nothing more.
Now I'm beginning to think that heroic movies while entertaining do, and should inspire us to be heroes.

Each of us has a little hero in us. A desire to be a cause for good in society, and a means to ending evil and inspiring love and kindness. Little heroic inspirations are necessary to bring out the hero in each of us and movies do a great job of that.

You see I believe that each of us has a calling on this earth. A purpose, which in its own right is a form of fighting evil and inspiring good. Everyone from school teachers, artists, doctors, professionals, business owners, mothers, computer programs, salesman, and even lawyers in their own way have an opportunity to make a difference. It is in this pursuit of creating greater value in the lives of others that we ourselves can be blessed, and in a literal sense become more powerful. That is what makes a Hero. Many of us have heroes in our lives to which we look up to.

Just like Harry Potter taught us that ultimate power comes from strong, loyal, and sincere relationships, the hero in each of us strives to become an asset to those he/she cares about. Most unfortunately the villain in each of us fights this cause. The villain doesn't want to care about those around us and all his thoughts are self-centered and selfish. The villain in us inspires us to take from others and society creating value for ourselves only. The villain encourages us that our only purpose is to serve ourselves and those who rely on us. The villain feels no need to create strong relationships except out of a selfish need to leech off of others.

I am grateful for the heroes in cinema, literature, and real life all around us that inspire me to strenghten the hero inside of me by serving others, and becoming stronger myself only in turn to be a greater asset to all those for whom I care.

Feel free to share your favorite heroes and what you have learned from them.

Jacob S Paulsen
801-494-3672

Our Loyal Companion

2008-07-31T23:14:00.001-06:00

July is always a difficult month for Holly. Both July 4th and 24th are holidays where people can shoot off fireworks. Fireworks along with other load noises scare Holly really bad and she shakes and has to be right next to us. She isn't actually allowed upstairs where the bedrooms are but about 12 or so nights in July she ends up sleeping in our bedroom. It doesn't matter if we yell at her or even pick her up and carry her downstairs because she will just sneak up again and try to wedge her body under the bed where she thinks she is safest.
We have also found that she has been much more obedient since I starting taking her running in the mornings. This is extra important since Simon is crawling so much now and has a tendancy to climb on Holly and pull on her ears.
I really love Holly and I finally realized what it is about dogs that I love so much. Loyalty. Dogs are uniquely loyal pets and I admire it! Do you have a dog? You should really get one.

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

Pioneer Day 5K Classic

2008-07-25T20:34:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Ami and I both ran in the Provo Pioneer Day 5K Classic. About a month 1/2 ago I had the idea to run a 5K for the first time in almost 8 years. I figured that I could use it for a business opportunity to share the Agel Gel Supplements that I market and also have a great time as a family all the while getting into shape again. It was an adventure. I've been running in the mornings fairly faithfully for about 4 weeks and it has been rough. Ami has also mixed running into her workout routine to prepare. My 59 year old Dad and a business partner named Andrew also joined in.
Ami and I were really excited to make this a part of our family culture. We want Simon to know that are an active family! We were nervous about race day but it all worked out ok. Everyone did better than they expected to and my Dad even won 1st place in his age division. We had a lot of fun and the business side of things also went really well! We are looking at dates later this summer to run another 5K. Anybody else want to join?

Park City Concerts are Sweet!

2008-07-23T13:57:00.001-06:00

Recently my security company picked up a contract for 7 concerts in Park City at the Deer Valley Ski resort. This is one of the reasons I haven't blogged in awhile. We have had to hire about 30 new people in the last two weeks and purchase a lot of equipment etc. If anyone wants tickets to a concert in Park City for Lucinda Williams, Boz Scaggs, Gypsy Kings, or Dwight Yoakam please let me know and I can probably get you set up with a couple.

Daddy/Son Time

2008-07-07T16:39:00.003-06:00

Each day Simon & I get 1 hour of special Daddy & Son time. It started out because Ami needed an hour in the mornings to work out each day and since I work from home I'm the obvious baby sitter. It isn't asking much since Ami watches Simon the rest of the day. I admit regrettfully that it was at first a burden to stop working for an hour each day, but it has grown into something very special for me. I work a lot in the evenings and so when most Dads would come home from work or school to help with household and baby duties I am still working. Simon and I usually spend our hour walking in the neighborhood, playing in the grass, and swinging on the swingset. I just love this kid!

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com
www.ageljacob.com

Hats off to George Washington and the Rest of the Boyz

2008-07-04T11:47:00.005-06:00

I am feeling extra excited about this Independence Day. In the last year 1/2 I have read biographies of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, & Alexander Hamilton. I also enjoyed the recently released 1776 by David McCullough. Learning so much more about American history I am feeling deeply impressed by the sacrifice that was made by these amazing founders of our nation. It seems clear that "providence itself shineth on our country." From the bottom of my soul I declare a bold thank you to those men who have given everything that was dear to the birth, salvation, and preservation of this our divinely appointed nation. Learning about this period of American History has become a passion and today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The signature of which was an act of treason, punishable by death had we lost the revolutionary war. Thank you, Thank you, to those who continue to preserve our liberty by either risking their own lives in war or in politics:) And a special shout out to those 12 year old scouts who go around early in the morning 9 days a year and stick a flag in my yard. That is super patriotic!!!

Dusting off the Running Gear

2008-06-28T10:38:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I made a big forward step in my physical goals. I registered to run in the Provo City Pioneer Day 5K race. It has been a long time since I did any consistent running. I used to joke that I had put in 7 good years of exercise during Jr High & high school and that earned me 7 years of good health without any exercise at all. Since I graduated in May of 2001 my 7 free years of health are over and it is now time I begin looking out for number one again so that I can in turn be a greater steward over my family, work, callings, etc.
This morning was my first run and it was really mean. I wasn't sure if I should take my dog with me or not concerned she might not be able to keep up but she really embarrassed me. I'm glad to know however that she will be able to go run with me since I like the company and she needs the exercise.
The picture is of a painting that my mom gave me several years ago.

O Comments People?

2008-06-27T16:51:00.002-06:00

It has now been several days since my last post "Back to the Center Line" and I still don't have any comments at all. I don't know what to think. Here are the possible scenarios as far as I can figure:

1. Everybody hates me.
2. Nobody comes here to read something actually serious and thoughtful and were disgusted at this last post.
3. Everyone is sick and tired of me talking about golf.
4. Nobody has been on the internet in the last 4 days.
5. There is a conspiracy at work whose goal is to drive me mad.
6....... yeah thats about it for possibilities.

Back to the Center Line

2008-06-24T17:51:00.003-06:00

This week I am working hard to bring myself back to the center line. I am talking about a recurring pattern/principle that exists in life. It seems that when we set out to do something it doesn't take long before we are falling off track of hitting our goal. This is always true no matter what the end objective/goal is. It becomes necessary on occasion to re-align ourselves with our goals. The greater our tendency to fall away from the line the more often we need to re-align with it. This week I realized that I have come away from the center line of many of my goals. I have put a large white board up in my office with a list of my goals and other things I'm working on. This will hopefully help me come back to where I want to be. I figure that even the auto-pilot system on planes is nothing more than a constant re-aligning mechanism. We all need similar systems in place to help us come back to full focus.

On a side note I had my best day of golf so far today. I had 57 strokes in 9 holes which is sadly my very best so far. I didn't keep track my first time out, and since I've golfed 69 and 61 so I think it's fair to say I'm improving. Today on the 9th hole I asked a friend to video my stroke for all of you to see. That would have been great but he decided to make a really loud noise right during my swing and it totally threw me off:(

Insane Dog

2008-06-20T16:53:00.004-06:00

Today was Simon's first swimming experience if you want to call it that. Ami will be blogging about the swimming at: paulsenjournal.blogspot.com but I thought I would take this opportunity to show you how crazy my dog is. These videos show her playing with water. Yes, water. She might think the water is attacking her or something but whatever it is she is thinking it can be quite entertaining. It doesn't stop here. She also chases anything that is flying. That includes birds, bugs, cotton, bubbles, & smoke (BBQ). She gets most of her exersize each day running back and forth along the back fence looking for bugs to chase down. Of course last week you will remember she also chased a cat up a pole.

Jacob Paulsen
www.ageljacob.com

Garage Cabinets

2008-06-19T22:24:00.001-06:00

So other than golfing almost everyday this week I have also spent a lot of time helping a friend in the neighborhood remodeling his home. We put in new carpet, re-finished hardwood floors, entire new bathroom down to the sub-floor, and a new kitchen. The bonus is that he offered me the old Kitchen cabinets and I spent tonight putting them up in our Garage. I'm super excited about it because we are in desperate need of more storage in this house.

Jacob Paulsen

www.ageljacob.com
mblog.jacobspaulsen.com

Best Fathers Day Gift Ever

2008-06-15T10:00:00.001-06:00

Check it out! Ami paid to have this amazing portrait of Simon and I done for Father's Day. It looks awesome and I love it. I already put it up on the wall in my office! My Mom is the artist and it looks great. I am really excited to have this picture of Simon & I on the wall as I work.

Jacob Paulsen
www.ageljacob.com

Cat Up Pole

2008-06-13T11:38:00.004-06:00

I'm not sure if this picture is going to turn out or not but I'm sitting at the base of a power pole waiting for the city power company to come get this cat down. Ami & I were walking with Simon & Holly today and Holly smoked out this cat out of a bush. A short chase ended up with the cat up this pole. Provo City power doesn't actually work on Fridays and so its going to take awhile for someone to get here with the truck. Fetching a cat out of a power pole could be a nerve wrecking activity on Friday the 13th. I honestly just thought this kind of thing happened in cartoons but it turns out cats really are that dumb.

Jacob Paulsen

www.ageljacob.com
wwweb.vereconference.com

Great Golf Experience

2008-06-10T17:51:00.004-06:00

Today was the day. I went 9 holes at the Sleepy Ridge Golf Course. I think I did alright. I'm not putting any scores up here on the blog because that would just be embarrassing. I think I'm getting the hang of it and I'm going to stick with it. I'll go again this week for sure! This picture is from the 8th hole where I drove the ball about 250 yards. It was my money shot of the day.

Jacob Paulsen
www.ageljacob.com
wwweb.verconference.com

Happy Birthday to me

2008-06-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

Today is my Birthday. Awhile ago Ami & I were in Coldstone and I took a look at the cake catalog. They have a reeses peanut butter cup ice cream cake and I told Ami that I wanted her to make me one for my birthday. She came through! Ami did a great job on this beast of a cake and it is as good as it looks. I'm very blessed to have a wife who knows how to cook really well. Ami also got me this awesome book about outdoor survival. I love that kind of stuff! We are enjoying this awesome holiday with some relaxation at home. I grilled up some pork chops and we went for a walk too. Speaking of BBQ grills I am fairly confident that only men should bbq. We usually don't cook because its a tradition but I think I would be insulted if my wife suggested she do the grilling. Anyone else?

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com
mblog.jacobspaulsen.com

Wyoming Trip

2008-06-07T22:02:00.003-06:00

Ami and I enjoyed our week in Wyoming. Since I'm able to work from about anywhere with an internet connection we were able to stay an entire week with Ami's parents. It is so nice to have a couple more people to share the responsibility of taking care of the boy. Grandparents seem to enjoy it more than parents do and I suppose that is just natural. The picture above is of Kirt & I plus our boys. Yeah thats cool. Every time I go back there I am some how afraid of running into somebody I know. Does anybody else feel that way. I would love to run into a best friend that I haven't seen in years but all to often there are those awkward moments when you run into people that you knew but not super well. You exchange some pleasantries and then want to get out of there as fast as possible. Is it just me?

Golf, Sport or Hobby?

2008-06-03T11:40:00.003-06:00

I'm thinking about taking up golf and that has spawned a series of doubts & thoughts about the game.

Is Golf a Sport or a Game? You don't usually sweat but you do keep score. Where do we draw the line if you include golf? Is chess or online gaming a sport?
How often and for how long will I have to golf before I'm good enough to not be embarrassed when I'm out there?
Does a certain physique of person have an advantage? Left handers, Tall people, Fat people, etc?
Will this be an easy way to spend time with friends & family? IE: Do any of you golf and want to go out with me?

All of this golf talk is making me more and more serious about the idea. I watched the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance the other day with Ami and it kind of sold me.

Here is a clip from the movie:

Simon Sleeps in our Bed

2008-05-29T08:09:00.002-06:00

Simon is good at sleeping in his bed during the night but around 7am or so he wakes up to eat and then wants to go back to sleep. For whatever reason however he has a really hard time going back to sleep in his bed so we usually give in and let him sleep in our bed. He loves it! The obvious problem is that we know we are creating bad habits, so Ami is working hard to break him of it.

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

Concealed Firearm Permits

2008-05-27T20:52:00.004-06:00

So in case you can't read the graphic there has been a huge increase in people who are requesting the Utah Concealed Carry permit.
I think with big school shootings like Virginia Tech and the Trolley Square shooting a lot of people are begining to wonder about their
personal safety. In January of 2004 I got my concealed carry permit and I generally wouldn't advertise that I carry a gun around 24 hours per
day but since then in January 2007 I became a concealed carry instructor. In the last year plus I have taught over 120 people the class. The Utah concealed carry permit is very popular because it is the most widely accepted permit in the US being accepted in 33 states. I know that most people don't have any desire to carry a gun around on a regular basis but I strongly encourage the class and permit to anyone who owns a gun. Gun education is important and the legal ability to be able to do what you may have to do if you have to do it without breaking the law. So that is my little plug. My mini-blog commercial. Here is my site that deals more with the issue and has a schedule of when I'm teaching the class.

Jacob Paulsen
www.jacobspaulsen.com

My Favorite Animals.

2008-05-26T13:47:00.003-06:00

I have the unfortunate situation of having never seen either of my favorite animals. They don't even have them in the zoo and there is a good reason for it. They are big, really big.
My first favorite animal happens to be the biggest reptile in the world. It’s not a dragon or snake. It’s the salt-water crocodile. They grow up to 23 feet long and as tall as 3 1/2 feet. That's so huge. It's basically the only surviving dinosaur. I really want an actual size stuffed one but I not only don't know where to buy one but I don't know where to keep one.

My second favorite animal has the largest eyeball in the world. Up until about 5 years ago the Giant Squid was a total fable. It was about as real as the loch ness monster. Scientists thought the Giant Squid might exist because of the damage they would find on whales. They weren’t aware of any other animals in the see that could cause such damage. About 5 years ago a Giant Squid washed up on shore. About a year ago some Japanese fisherman became the first people to ever see a live giant squid. That’s just cool, and even if it wasn’t cool enough the fact that their eyeballs are as big as basketballs is also pretty darn cool.

Prince Caspian Movie Review

2008-05-25T19:22:00.002-06:00

Ami and I were able to go to see Prince Caspian on Saturday night while her parents were in town. This is the first time we have been to the theater since Simon was born and it was quite nice. Ami had labeled "The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe" her favorite movie ever so there was a lot of excitement to see Caspian. We made our first mistake by listening to the audiobook during the day during our drive to salt lake and back. This made us more sensitive to the differences between the movie and the book. There were a lot of differences and to be frank the Narnia books just weren't that well written. What I mean to say is that the books are delightful and I enjoy them because of the content but C.S. Lewis was not a great author, but a great philosopher and thats what made his books good. The movie was awesome in spite, or in fact because it was different from the book. We really enjoyed it except to say I'm wondering why they decided to have a latino Prince Caspian. As if his looks weren't enough to make all the girls freak out they have to give him a sexy accent to go with it. Not that I was personally attracted mind you, I'm straight but I could see it in the eyes of my wife and other female audience members. We aren't as blind to these things as you girls think. We know when you are checking out other dudes. Just to clarify I'm not upset at you Ami. It's natural and I expect you to notice good looking dudes. I just wish Disney wouldn't have made it so easy.

Jacob

Baby Einstein

2008-05-22T19:41:00.001-06:00

We are very grateful to Racheal & Chris Pivik who hooked us up with a bunch of Baby Einstein DVDs. Simon has a longer attention span for Baby Einstein than for any thing else we have tried. I think it should be classified along with fishing shows, camp fires, really fat people and other thing that you can't help but stare at. 'm serious, even I find myself watching Baby Einstein when Simon isn't in the room. I don't always have much option since we now keep it on repeat play all day long.
On a side note I just finished listening to the complete audiobook "The Count of Monte Cristo." Sweet book. I love the movie but the book was even better. On another side note who stole my movie "The Count of Monte Cristo?" I have an empty DVD case. On another side not my Spiderman 1 DVD case is also empty... ok enough side notes.

Jacob

Top 10 frivolous things I want to buy just for me ☺

2008-05-21T22:50:00.000-06:00

1. A fully trained Police Dog. Either a German Shepard or Bloodhound.
2. A car with GPS Navigation. Lexus and Infiniti are my favorites.
3. A beat up piece of crap truck that I wouldn’t hesitate to take anywhere.
4. 3 or 4 flat panel tvs. One for each spot in the house.
5. A beastly fast IMac with a insanely huge monitor
6. A Jacuzzi tub. (Which would in turn mean a new house or serious renovation)
7. A Sweet Shotgun and a good gun safe. (that would make my armory sort of complete)
8. A HUGE manly BBQ Grill. Stainless Steel.
9. A beach house in Cabedelo, PB Brazil
10. A jet with pilot to fly me to my beach house in Brazil

What would be some of the frivolous things are your list?

Ant infestation

2008-05-20T11:46:00.004-06:00

So I don't ever remember having these kind of ant problems in Wyoming. Here in Provo these ants are everywhere. We already decided that there isn't much point in killing them once they are inside the house. The best remedy seems to be keeping the house clean enough so as to not create yummy temptations. Just the same I can't help but wonder if we are the only one's even around here that have to battle these things every summer? PS I totally just blogged this video from my cell phone. Dang that's cool.

Mac VS PC, Iphone VS Windows Mobile, Ipod VS ?

2008-05-18T20:12:00.002-06:00

So 5 years ago I never would have believed that Apple could make such a come back. PCs had such a hold on the market place. Although Mac has been making huge innovations for sometime nobody cared or noticed until the Ipod was launched. Since the Ipod has or at least had no competition people were forced to look at Mac. Well about a month ago I converted to a Mac book laptop and now I feel the pressure to convert to the Iphone. Since I'm not the only one out there feeling torn in two directions I thought I would take this opportunity to share my two cents comparing these two platforms and their simple pros and cons.

Mac VS PC

Easier: Once you are accustomed I think the mac is easier
Safer: Anyone who knows anything would concur that the Mac is safer from viruses and crashes
Customizable: Thought mac is very easy to customize I think the PC is still more customizable because there is a lot more freeware (free software) out there for PCs.
Software: Once again the PC wins. Developers make their programs for PCs first and macs second. There is just more out there for PCs. On a sidenote you can get a windows terminal on your mac to run pc programs.

Iphone VS Windows Mobile - Thinking of getting a iphone or a smartphone?

Easier: If you use a PC that a windows mobile smartphone will be easier. Works the same like with a start menu etc.
Business Use: Windows Mobile wins again. Iphone can convert word & excell files but they are read only. Windows Mobile can edit and save word, excell, and powerpoint files. Also the Iphone has a haphazard sync possibility with outlook but its really not that good.
Trendy: Here is where the Iphone shines. It just looks cool.
Music/Video: Windows Mobile comes with windows media which plays music and video very well. But since anymore most of us use itunes and not windows media the Iphone is easier to use and comes with a lot more built in memory to hold more songs and movies.
Keyboard/Input: Though all the Iphone users I know defend the touch screen keyboard to the death I just can't believe that its easier/quicker/more accurate than a full sized keyboard available on many windows mobile phones.
Availability: Windows mobile is a common platform that every cell phone carrier will have. Iphones are only made for Cingular. Though you can unlock them for other GSM carriers (T-mobile) you could never use them on TDMA/PCS carriers (Verizon, Cricket, Sprint, Nextel, etc).
Customizablitiy: Once again there is so much more software out there for windows mobile because it is a pc platform. Iphones come with more cool stuff stock, but the windows mobile can do so much more
Summary: Show me something that an Iphone can do that my Windows Mobile can't and I'll switch :)

IPod VS ??? OK honestly though there are some knock-offs on the market I've never given any of them any consideration.

Yard Work

2008-05-17T14:31:00.001-06:00

I herby vow to maintain our yard this summer. Ami and I are tired of having to mow through jungles. In the past we have let our grass get a little long before cutting it. The obvious benefit is not mowing as often. The problem is that when you do mow its three times the work, not to mention the neighbors regard you as white trash. Especially these one crazy neighbors on the corner who mow their lawn 3 times per week. They bought the house over a year ago and still haven't moved in. This doesn't however keep them from coming over three times per week to do 8 hours of yard work. So anyway our mower has been repaired and the grass is cut. Any elaborate garden plans have been postponed for next year but we are happy to have a clean and green yard:-)

Post Mothers Day Thoughts

2008-05-12T11:57:00.002-06:00

Ami and I have almost been married for three years. Last night I was reflecting on what we have done and where we have been in those three years and it was very fun to think about. Here is a brief list:

In the last three years we have:

Lived in four different homes/apartments.
Been in contract to purchase 7 different homes in Utah.
Purchased 2 of those homes.
Had two pregnancies, one of which was successful.
Had 6 different jobs between us
Started 6 of our own businesses (many unsuccessfully.)
Owned 6 different computers (5 laptops) of which we still use 4 on a regular basis.
Owned 4 vehicles. (Worth noting that Ami has always had the same car and I've been through 3 on my own, the Honda, Infiniti, & Lexus)
Listened to over 65 Audiobooks.
Been through 2 fish, a guinea pig, and a dog (still have the dog)
Lost almost $400,000 in poor business sense.
Done door to door sales in 9 different states.
Used over 65,000 cell phone minutes (1083.3 hours) not counting mobile to mobile or nights and weekends.
Seen every episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, and Still Standing. (Currently working on Who's Line is it Anyway)
Held 7 church callings.
Almost finished reading the Book of Mormon once as a couple (I know its pathetic but we are in Moroni 9)
Found 3 geo-caches (Also Pathetic)
Been to Disneyland twice
Been through 6 different cell phones
Only mowed our own lawn like 4 or 5 times :)

Not to bad but interesting for sure!

Jacob

Coolest Internet Services

2008-05-06T16:25:00.002-06:00

So when it comes to home based business owners like myself, we really tend to feed on the coolest of the internet services. Especially the free ones. Today I just wanted to highlight a few of those. (No surprise any of these are google services).

IGoogle: Customized Home pages aren't anything new but Google has made a huge innovation in personalized home pages. With bazillions of different "widgets" you can add to your site there is almost little need to even leave you home page anymore.

Google Reader: Now that I'm into blogging and more importantly keeping up on other people's blogs I love this program that alerts me every time anyone on my list posts a new blog entry. Because I have a Google reader "widget" on my Igoogle home page I know immediately when family and friends post. I love it.

Skype: Instant Messaging isn't really new either but Skype has changed the way we do this. They have integrated a full feature video VOIP phone. Fancy way of saying you can make phone calls for free via the internet to anyone anywhere in the world who also has the free software installed. Turning on the video is an option and we generally only use it for family who want to see the baby but still... Super Cool.

Plaxo: Plaxo does a lot of things but the coolest is its ability to synchronize your contacts and calendar between your Google, Yahoo, MSM, Hotmail, excite, email services in addition to MAC, Outlook, Express, etc. HOLY COW this is amazing. The premium services are cool too, but the free account does about everything I need it to do.

Ok. I'll stop for now. No doubt I will rave about more programs in the future.

Jacob Paulsen

Finalized List

2008-05-03T22:52:00.001-06:00

I am now ready to list the Top 10 things One Must Like in order to be a true American. Here they are in no particular order

Hot Dogs
Capitalism
Smores
Baseball
Independence/Freedom
Rock & Roll
Pizza & Chocolate (Not together)
Diversity
Guns
SUVs & Trucks

Top 10 things you have to like in order to be American

2008-04-30T22:26:00.002-06:00

I'm looking for suggestions of things that we should expect all true Americans to like in order to be true Patriots. I've already settled on Hot Dogs and Baseball. Later this week I'll post the top 10 suggestions!

Jacob

2008-04-26T18:09:00.001-06:00

I'm testing google today. It claims that I can type up a text message on my cell phone and just send it to them and they will insert it into my blog.... I have to see it to believe it.

Defending Utah

2008-04-21T23:06:00.003-06:00

Ok so I have to be honest; I have some beef with Utah. But I have even more beef with people who have beef with Utah that have never lived here. I also have beef with people who have beef with BYU. Having just known some people from BYU or having met some a lot of people from Utah doesn't qualify someone to pass judgment. Now as a disclaimer I have to say that I myself don't attend BYU and that I don't have any real intention of living in Utah forever. I also wouldn't put Utah in my top places to live but I have lived here several years now and so I feel somewhat justified in my decision.
I suppose that there are a lot of people out there that really hate a lot of different schools or states but I'm specifically addressing the mormons who hate Utah & BYU because there are a lot of mormons in Utah and BYU. Utah is a subject of greater conversation in my world because I do live here and I talk to a lot of other LDS people who don't. I guess I just don't get it. I suppose that most of you out there reading this who don't like Utah or BYU are thinking in this very moment that you do actually have realistic justification to hate an entire state or institution because of whatever small but "justified" experience that you have, but I think I would generally tend to disagree.
Utah really has a lot going for it and in case you haven't noticed so does BYU. I'm seriously not trying to defend either of these two though I'm really not. Just curious why so many people who don't have any legitimate first hand experience decide to hate the state and the school?

Anybody?

Trusted Resources

2008-03-27T20:17:00.002-06:00

So maybe its just me but I was thinking about how much time it takes me to pay attention to the Presidential Election news. The more logical solution is to find someone whose opinion I can trust and just ask them who I should vote for. I would have to be careful for sure in choosing my reliable person. In fact I may even have to ask for applications from people just so that I can qualify their personal & family standards before the interview process. When it comes down to it maybe I should hold an election to pick out that right person, once again complicating this entire process. After due consideration I think I'll just ask my wife who to vote for turning what could have been hours and hours of research etc into a three minute question/answer before going to the polls.

Why stop there. If I could get a reliable source that could tell me what movies to watch, what music to buy on Itunes, what funny movies to watch on YouTube, and what restaurant to take Ami to then so much time could be saved. The tediousness of selecting any of the above would only have to be a one time process in choosing a reliable and trustworthy source. So if any of you would like to volunteer your opinions for something that you are passionate about I will consider you to be my go-to person for future decisions. Just let me know in the comments.

Then again maybe its just me.

Jacob

The Paulsen Column Continues in Blog Form

2008-03-27T17:21:00.002-06:00

I am pleased to announce that the Paulsen Column will continue to live on in the form of a blog. For the few of you reading this who actually recall the original Paulsen Columns I hope this announcement brings some excitement to you. If you have no idea what Paulsen Columns are you can access the original archive on my personal site: www.jacobspaulsen.com . This column will bring you inspirational thoughts, dumb ideas, and random insights. If nothing else with any luck you might even be entertained!

Until Soon,

Jacob