Brandon's Blog

I've been working out for the last decade of my life, from high school to a college super super senior, and I always have friends asking me for tips and tricks on how to stay consistent in the gym. I've quit and restarted gymming more times that I can count, and I've compiled 3 common mistakes I have made and continue to see others make. I'll list these mistakes along with their consequences and solutions below: 1. Pushing yourself too hard at the beginning  Leads to - increased risk of injury - severe soreness 1-2 days after session - decreased likelihood of maintaining a consistent training schedule What can be done to combat this? It's simple- just ease into training. Don't jump in the deep end and expect your body to magically be able to keep up with increased intensity, especially if you're coming from a relatively sedentary lifestyle. So it is important to go light on the training and establish a consistent training schedule before trying to lift anyth...

Tom LaDuke was born in Massachusetts, but raised in Los Angeles- graduating with his bachelors of fine arts from CSUF in 1991. I knew of his previous work from his 2007 work "4pm, 1980" with airbrushing and painting canvas. The piece was an odd juxtaposition of a view of his studio overlayed on top of a still frame form the move "The Shining", and I always liked the odd sense of cold nostalgia I felt from that painting. I was very excited to hear that he was having a reception in Pasadena and I rallied some ArtCenter friends by bribing them with some cheap pad thai.  First impressions of the art wasn't great- I only saw two small sculptures that were both reminiscent of udders, and the pieces on the wall looked like blurry black and white photos. I quickly made my way over to one of the frames on the wall and got as close as I could without fogging up the glass, and I was amazed! All of the frames were graphite on paper. Tom LaDuke's technique was flawless, ...

  TO: Clark Hansen, CEO, AMDP FROM: Brandon Choi, R&D, AMDP DATE: October 8, 2025 SUBJECT: Recommendation of Investment in Arc’teryx As an analyst in the Research and Development department of Amina Mundi Development Partners, my primary role is to find promising investment opportunities that align with our financial, social, and environmental goals. I am confident that Arc’teryx, a mountaineering clothing, accessory, and equipment manufacturer, not only meets our criteria, but exceeds them in every aspect. From strong upward trends in profitability, extensive community building practices, to being an industry leader in sustainable practices, Arc’teryx is an investment we can all be proud of. AMDP Standards I would like to set the perspectives in which we will be examining Arc’teryx. Triple Bottom Line: This is a framework that embodies the 3 P’s: profit, people, and planet. “Profit” in this context differs from the traditional measure of revenues and costs by also taking into ...

 I am currently reading Growing a Farmer  by Kurt Timmermeister, and it has been some of the best reading I've done in a very long time! The book is a part autobiography and part guide following Kurt and his failures and successes of becoming a farmer. Timmermeister was originally a chef who became increasingly concerned about his disconnect from real food- how he had no idea how to process a live chicken or how to grow crops that his guests would eat.  The book is admittedly not all great. There are times where the book jumps timelines from 5 years in the future to suddenly 10 years forward, and it can be a bit jarring at times. Some sections also seem contradictory, one example would be when he talks about other farmers in his area and says that they would not accept him. I feel that in this part he was projecting and rejecting himself, and almost saying that he was too good for them.  Shortfalls of Growing a Farmer  are more than made up by the wonderful aspe...

    Steak Stage Fright?  I've got the cure, a beginner’s guide to the perfect steak! Imagine this is your fourth date with someone you really like, and you offer to cook them dinner. The table is set, candles are lit, and the steaks are high. The flickering light bounces off the perspiration forming around your hairline. You promised to make steak, but you get flashes of grey, dry, and tough steak- the only kind you know how to make. You see the love of your life hacking away at the piece of leather you served them, and with each sawing motion  of their knife, you see your future with them dissolve. They look up at you in between each laborious chew, and you see the spark that was once in their eyes, fade. Then you wake up in a cold sweat- lucky for you there's still time to learn how to cook a steak and save your relationship. Through my own trials and errors I've been able to compile tips and tricks from industry experts. We'll go over steak theory and the science ...