| Going Back Home to California |
[Jan. 31st, 2009|12:29 am] |
So I got back from Inauguration last week which was a memorable experience. I plan to write up a report on Sunday but the short version is, I hung out at the MSNBC station and met Rachel Maddow who is super nice, hung out with a new friend all night first in line (fence really) of the non-ticketers with freezing feet (but everything else fine mostly), saw the inauguration in person which was amazing even far away and got kind of lost in the massive crowds. Made it home sick but after a day of rest felt better. Sorry I haven't been around or posted, just got in one of my withdraw-y moods.
The best news is I'm going back to Chapman tomorrow :D Everything seems to be working out and I have an apartment to go to. I really can't wait, there are no words for how much I've missed California and my college. I can't wait to be with the sun, the warmth, the palm trees, the pretty buildings, the industry, the ocean, the feelings of discovery and beauty and creativity and innovation and hope. Yes, that. I can't wait to start classes, I can't wait to meet people, I can't wait to experience and learn and have fun. I finally feel that this is where I'm meant to be and this is the way to do it. Honestly, it's scary. I really am going to stop procrastinating so much and try to stay more organized and on top of things and changing out of my comfort zone terrifies me. But my goals are so much bigger than that and I know I can achieve so much if I put my mind and body to it.
For all the students out there, I recommend Study Hacks, a blog about how to do well in school and life after it. He has a lot of great ideas about study techniques and life structure and prioritization that I'm finding really helpful. If anyone has any more tips for doing well, I'd love to hear them :)
I'm going to be going with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif) heyiya tomorrow to go see lim's Us being shown at the California Museum of Photography. I'm really excited that it's being featured and can't wait to go! Perfect way to start out my time in California. |
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| The Plan (no, not that one) /SFU reference |
[Jan. 13th, 2009|07:53 pm] |
So I've developed a plan for my year to try to get some of my dreams and goals accomplished. I'm really excited about it and have been making daily to do lists in order to keep tabs on what I need to do. I'm using a small notebook to write down all my thoughts and ideas and so far it's proving very helpful.
My first thing is getting the money to go back to Chapman or my backup, Santa Monica College. Who knows how that'll turn out but I've been working on getting financial aid from both. Chapman starts classes on January 26th so hopefully I'll be leaving a few days before then and Santa Monica starts in mid-February but I'll be trying to leave as soon as possible to get out of the cold. I've decided to major in Computer Information Systems while taking some TV classes and doing a lot of TV research and experience on the side so I can get in the industry or some job related to TV after I graduate. I'd major in TV but the major at my school is focused on the creative side of things and as much as I love art, I'm just not an artist in the true sense of the word and don't want to waste my time struggling through scriptwriting classes (not to mention the application). I'm interested in getting some computer and business skills so this major totally works for me (low on essays helps too). So for the rest of my list:
1) Get all A's and B's in my classes. This is the most important thing and goes before everything else. I need to prioritize and not save things til the last minute which can be paralyzing if it's a big task. It's a huge boost to my confidence and self-esteem if I do this so I'm going to keep it at the top of my list. This blog is proving helpful with lots of good tips for any students out there.
2) Be at a healthy weight and stay healthy by playing a sport. I reeeeeeally can't wait to get back to California so I can play tennis outside along with many other sports. Running is alright but I don't like to exercise unless it's fun and sports are lots of fun for me.
3) Meet new people, find new friends and develop some good relationships. I really miss my friends at Chapman (and my cushy job) but I'd really like to branch out and meet more people like I wish I'd done more my freshman year. I especially want to meet some more TV lovers even if they don't go to my school.
4) Make every effort to have a romantic relationship. Cause I really, really want one and I have lots of romantic experiences I'd like to have. Doesn't hurt to try.
5) Finish at least three vids. I'd even limit it to two just as long as I finish my auction vid and a Vividcon one. I just need to get something done this year as my fannish output last year was quite pathetic.
6) Keep up with TV and finish at least The West Wing, The X-Files and The Sopranos.
7) Build, organize and listen to music collection including classic albums and top contemporary ones.
8) Read Wicked (finish), LotR, The Temeraire Series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Watchman.
9) Read Plato, Aristotle, other classics and nonfiction about TV and business.
10) Volunteer for LGBT rights/Obama.
11) Watch vids, keep up on feedback, stay caught up in fandom.
12) Learn Spanish because it's necessary when living in Los Angeles.
That's the plan. Now it's just a matter of going out and doing it.
On another note, once again my computer is having problems (of the unmountable boot volume variety) and I am ready to throw my computer off my desk, Lex style. Or Barney style as the case may be. So I may not be around as much until that gets fixed. |
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| Thanks |
[Nov. 26th, 2008|11:48 am] |
Happy Thanksgiving! I am going away for the next two days without internet so a few things before I go.
I am thankful for my shiny new 2 TB hard drive with SO MUCH SPACE OMG (and if you want one for only $230, try newegg) and all of the new music and DVD space for vidding available for me. I am taking music recs, rec me every artist you think I should listen to from the most obvious (The Beatles) to the least known.
I am thankful for Television for all the amazing stories, characters and relationships it gives me, for all that it makes me feel and think and love. I am thankful for The Office, for House, for The Wire, for Pushing Daisies, for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for Project Runway, for Queer as Folk, for The Rachel Maddow Show and for all the other shows I love so much. I am so thankful they exist or have existed and I will never believe there will not be a time when beautiful, amazing shows are created and someday will be allowed to be complete regardless of the business.
I am thankful for all modes of narrative from TV to movies to books to everything in between and I am thankful for all the arts that create so much beauty in the world. I am thankful for music and how fun it is to listen to, how much it inspires me and how it makes me feel so much emotion.
I am thankful for my new president, President Barack Obama and getting rid of the old horrible government and bringing in change I can believe in. To give me hope and inspire me to do more, to help build back this nation from the wreckage and to work for so many new beautiful things. God, I am SO thankful for this.
I am thankful for all the friends I've made and all the people I've met who have touched my life in a positive way. I am thankful for the good times, the laughter, the shared jokes, the interesting conversations and the close bonds I've formed. And I'm glad I still have the hope that I will find my chosen family some day.
I am thankful for all of fandom for helping me not feel so alone in being a fan and in giving me so much shared joy in the works we celebrate and the words and art we create from it. I am thankful for vidding where I finally found my creative expression and love so much all the amazing vids out there not to mention the smart conversations that talk about them. I am thankful for my fellow shippers and the joy in shipping, of loving Brian/Justin, Jack/Irina, House/Wilson and all my other favorites and having people out there who feel the same way and who share my squee and create art based around them. I'm thankful to be able to meet fandom people in real life and have them be just as awesome whether it be Vividcon or a local friend. I am thankful of all the things I've learned in fandom and all the ways fandom has helped mold me as a person as I grew up and helped influence me so positively.
So thank you Flist and I hope to be back with you soon! |
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| Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day! |
[Nov. 9th, 2008|03:36 pm] |
That's how I (still) feel about Obama winning. Where Muggles are people who didn't vote for him or people from other countries. It still feels so glorious and wonderful each day waking up to know the Obama (President Obama!) is going to be our next president. It's just this happiness that washes over me each morning and randomly each day. I want to chase this feeling /Toby. Already he's working on making the goverment more democratic and participatory. Check out www.change.gov for more including "requiring his Cabinet officials to have periodic national broadband townhall meetings to discuss issues before their agencies", not signing "any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days", "improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama and Biden will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them", supporting "the principle of network neutrality" and trying to "pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.". SO AMAZING.
Another good thing this election brought me? Rachel Maddow. Even when I was ignoring politics, I couldn't help but watch a few minutes of her show just to see how brilliant, funny and hot she is. I'm going to be involved in politics more now, watching a bit more news, reading more about what's happening, the government and the issues so this LJ may not be as politics free as it used to be but there still should still be a large amount of fandom with vidding and all the shows I watch. I just finally feel like we can bring about real change and I want to be a part of it, to do my part in making this country better.
Now about Prop 8. I'm trying to leave aside my disappointment, sadness and anger and instead channel that into actually doing something about it. On the good side, Prop 8 only applies to future marriages and there are going to be court challenges to it. I can only see that as good because it is not fair at all for the majority to take away the rights of a minority. I'm all for propositions and direct democracy but not in cases like that. Also I hope we can add a proposition to reverse Prop 8. I do think that it is horrible that people are blaming African Americans for passing this as it's everyone who voted yes for the Prop that's caused this to happen. Lashing out like that is wrong and doesn't accomplish anything. The same thing goes for acting like chickens are getting more rights. Um NO. Animal rights has nothing to do with Prop 8 and giving farm animals basic decent treatment is a good thing that should not be bashed.
I am heartened by all the anti-Proposition 8 protests happening in California although I wish I could be there to join them. But now I can and you can too! Join the Impact is organizing a nationwide protest against Prop 8 and the other measures that take away equality and civil rights next Saturday, November 15th, 1:30 - 4:30 (Eastern/10:30 am PT). I urge everyone to check out the website and find the closest location to you for the protest taking place at City Hall or another place as mentioned. I am organizing the Syracuse protest here because I really want to do something against this proposition and I urge anyone who is in a city without a organizer or that's not represented to try to help start one. So that's what I'm going to be working on this week.
In vidding news, laurashapiro put together a vidding documentary for MIT to show to middle and high schoolers. It's here and there's a bunch of vidders there talking about vidding. I'm in it as well, the second person with the LA shirt in the What is vidding? video. I saw it at Vividcon and I was so happy to see how it turned out. Everyone should go check it out and see how awesome it is! Also if you're looking for AMAZING vid meta, check out tishaturk for some wonderfully interesting thoughts about vidding and narrative, two of my very favorite things.
I hate the new LJ profile page. Why do they change the things that aren't broken?! At the very least they should give us an option to opt out of it. Argh.
Other good things: new Sex and the City movie next summer! Let's hope they don't give a BS reason for splitting Carrie/Big up this time and give us lots of time with all four of the gang. Also can't wait to see Quantum of Solace, mostly for the Daniel Craig hotness. Speaking of movies, I got four movies including Harry Potter 5, American Gangster and Sex and the City for only $20 dollars the other day. And I'm starting on getting one of my friends to watch The Wire and she likes it so far so I'm really happy about that. Still working on catching up on shows, did Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Entourage and working on Friday Night Lights which is amazing as usual. Hopefully I'll have some thoughts about them in a later post. |
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