Sunday 4 November 2012

Just life.

I'm taking a well-needed break from school to vent about...you know, school.

It seems like once a year since entering the journalism program, I always get into a rut and think pretty negative things about not being cut out enough for this industry.

Third year has been hard, very hard. Taking on an extra course this year, I find myself sleeping for six hours or less every day because of the insane amount of homework I have to do for school.

And no matter how hard I try, it doesn't seem to go as well as I hoped. Just today, I found out that I failed a midterm.  Of course it IS only worth 15 percent of my mark, but it really stings.  I actually feel embarrassed.  Not to mention, extremely stupid.

I know these things happen to the best of us, but it often feels like no matter how hard I try, I'm not going anywhere.  My writing is still sub-par, and not only this, I am still an awkward human being.

There are some really brilliant people in my program and I just want to be on-par with the best of them. This stuff really bothers me and it probably seems sill that I care so much.

I just want to be good, you know?  I don't think I'm making a lot of sense here.

But all I'm saying is, I want to be a good journalist. And right now, it doesn't seem like I'm going anywhere.

I know marks don't mean the world, but I just can't help how much I care about this stuff. When I get a bad mark, it feels like it's a reflection of my work ethic.  Which leads me to think that no one will ever want to hire this person because "she's not cut out enough."

Yes, I did just quote myself.  I'm feeling incredibly down.  I really wish bad marks didn't affect me so much.  Maybe this is a sign that I need a life.





Saturday 11 February 2012

Switching over

I'm  a little tired with the software on Blogger but I'm not sick of you guys.

If you want to keep in touch, feel free to follow my Tumblr, which is where I will be posting more frequently now.

TUMBLR

Or you can visit my more other site, where I post movie reviews and articles.

JOURNALISM WORK

Tuesday 7 February 2012

School is my worst enemy now.

School is totally getting on my nerves. And I'm really worried about this semester.

Here I thought having two days would be a lot easier for me to get work done and get a job. But nooo, I still don't have a job and I'm still buried in homework. In addition to this, the prospects of my marks this year don't look so great.

So now I guess there is only one way to improve from my silly mistakes. Today I had a french dictee which I don't think I did well on. To top that off, online journalism, which should be an easy course, is completely screwing with me. Making silly grammar mistakes are costing me a good mark!

Stop procrastinating. Stop going on the computer. Take classes more seriously (even though they are a bit of a joke) and work work work.

Clearly, I have no life.  I must score amazingly well on this week's news quiz and my Storify assignment!

Sunday 5 February 2012

Appreciating the work. Not the person.

My friends and I were having a discussion yesterday about film director Woody Allen.

For those of you who might not know this about him, he is infamous for marrying his step-daughter (well, adopted daughter of his ex-wife Mia Farrow).

This obviously leaves a creep factor for Allen, but I can't really deny his talent.

As scandalous as it is, I can see why people refuse to watch his films just because of this fact. But why can't people just see a piece of work for what it is? Allen is getting nominated/recognized for his work, not his personal life!

It's understandable not to pay for a film. But it is a bit silly to dislike something just because of the person behind it. ENJOY the piece of art! Not the person!!

Does this make sense?

So my point is: even though I am weirded out by Woody Allen, I think he is an extraordinarily talented writer/director.

And for that, I actually thank him for making a film that has solidified itself onto my top 20 list (if not top 10).

Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts

I realize that I manage WAY too many blogs and am planning to cancel a few of them.
I was thinking about quitting Tumblr…but then I realized how much of an impact some opinions can have that they end up going viral. 
I also enjoy following blogs such as The Daily What and the National Post to get weird tidbits about the world. 
I guess what I’m saying here is that Tumblr can influence people to think differently. But first we gotta stop spamming people with the same memes…
I was thinking: should I close my Blogspot? I mean, personal blogging just seems so…vapid (only some of them). But then again, it is nice to write something that’s a bit more personal, informal and generate a discussion. 


On another note, I was thinking of making short little film. By short, I mean two-five minutes long. I don't really know what it will be about...but I hope it can turn out awesome!


And of course, I would have to focus on homework first...(HAH, what is SCHOOL?!)


In addition this this, I am also planning to get more broadcast experience. Sadly, I live in Toronto. And even though opportunities seem endless, there are also a lot of people seeking the same types of jobs. Nonetheless, I am willing to freelance. So if you got some projects, hit me up!! My number is...416...(nah, just kidding!).


I realize this is getting really pointless. But if you like these stream of consciousness type of posts, I hope you may be loyal enough to stick around!


And as I leave, here is a video of an awesome kid with a lot of swag.



Sunday 29 January 2012

Case of the Annoying Fans

On Friday my friend Bethany and I woke up extra early to catch Daniel Radcliffe on The Morning Show.

Since it was raining heavily, snowing and still relatively dark outside, I figured there wouldn't be as many people outside seeing that he already made a lot of promotional rounds the day before (he was in town promoting his new flick The Women in Black).


But when we arrived, there were three young girls waiting eagerly outside, talking very loudly and just being pretty obnoxious.  


(FYI, this is not a post dedicated on hating the younger generation as I know many teens and pre-teens who are very well-behaved. It was just a matter of how these particular people were behaving)


 I don't mind "fangirling", as I embarrassingly admit that I do some of it myself (see: here and here).  But when you start to disturb the camera people, talk show hosts and journalists inside, then it becomes a problem.  


To be a respectful fan is to watch from outside without disturbing the people working inside.  Taking photos (as long as the flash is not too disruptive is even fine).  But when you start banging and yelling outside for the star to look at you, then that's just asking the person you're there to see not want to go out and meet you. 


And that, is precisely why I feel Daniel Radcliffe's PR made him leave without greeting us properly (He did wave, which I thought was really cute!)


So the *~moral*~ question of this post is, what good is there really to fangirling/fanboying/whatever it's called nowadays?  It's awesome to see your favourite actors/actress, singers, bands, philanthropists, journalists, etc...but I think it is going a bit far when people start scoping out license plate numbers, hotel rooms and follow the celeb's every single step on their schedule.  


Getting a little bit of interaction is great, and I can see how all of the above could be a form of flattery, but celebrities have lives.  


Don't mob them.........


On another note, while Dan wasn't able to interact with the fans, I was still very pleased to have seen him anyways.  Here was the boy who became the face of my favourite series' main character.  And now, he's branching out to new and better roles. I wish Daniel the best of luck!!!!


 His waving was super dorky. Loved it!! 



Thursday 26 January 2012

Two Oscar snubs I can't get over...

As the Academy Award nominations came out on Tuesday, I couldn't help but feel a little upset for the movies and actors that got snubbed.

I'll admit that I haven't seen every film nominated, but there was really no way some of the nominations were as deserving as those that didn't get nominated.

Let me start off with the actor that I was almost 100 per cent sure to get a nod, if not a win:  Michael Fassbender.

I know Shame is not a film for everyone due to its 18A rating, full-frontal nude scenes, and heavy sex but if Fassy did not give one hell of a performance, I don't know what the Academy's standards are.  Yes, I agree with the nominations given to George Clooney, Gary Oldman, and I suppose Jean Dujardin (for his amazing expressions during a silent film) but to forget about Fassy after all he had to go through to play a sex-addict?  You guys are whacked out of your minds.

I'm sorry if this isn't the greatest, "journalistically" speaking blog post, but seriously, I don't know what the Academy sees.

I suppose they're a more conservative bunch that doesn't really appreciate artsy, r-rated films...but if they could only see how well he played his role...they're crazy.  Fassy was brilliant and he portrayed his pain and suffering so brilliantly.

________________________

Another person I was hoping to get nominated was none other than Ryan Gosling for his roles in The Ides of March or Drive.  I know both films were not heavily favoured around the awards circuit, but given his performance in both, I'd say it should have been nominated for something.

I can see how Drive was not nominated as it is a more "arthouse" style of film but I thought Gosling was amazing in The Ides of March. Though not his best role, I thought he was one of the better actors this year...and I'm not saying this because I find him attractive.

To be honest, I feel that Ryan Gosling is an actor who isn't really recognized for what he has done.  While he definitely has the popularity to make him successful, I really think people overlook his talent for his looks.

Okay, so maybe The Ides of March and Drive didn't really make him an Oscar-worthy contender, but why hasn't he been nominated for something from his earlier films?  I know he was nominated for an Academy Award for Half Nelson, but I didn't really think that was his best role either.

For me, his best roles were in Lars and the Real Girl and in Blue Valentine.  Both characters he played were so heartbreaking for different reasons...I really don't know why The Academy didn't consider him Oscar worthy earlier...

But perhaps, time will tell.

Both Fassy and Gosling are fairly young and have more years ahead of them to snatch a nod and possibly a win.

To next year and better choices!

Thursday 19 January 2012

Officially 20.

So, I'm 20. And even if that does not make me legal in every country, I still feel quite old.

To wish myself a happy birthday, here is a video of Josh Groban greeting me. Because I kind of asked him to...

At least he was nice!!!


Monday 16 January 2012

Why I hate the blogging game.

I've had a long time to ponder over a post like this. And while I have difficulty expressing my thoughts on blogging, this was all I could come up with:

Blogging sucks.

Lately, I have been finding the world of blogging incredibly superficial. Bloggers who I've liked have started to sell out with their corporate sponsorships, giveaways, free gifts and lack of intelligent writing. And I'm not saying this because I'm jealous of all the free swag they get.

I'm saying this because I feel blogging has lost all of its integrity.

Blogging in my eyes should share inspirational stories, quirky tidbits, advice, news and speak out about interesting topics that will draw readers in. As I am sure there are several blogs out there who fit into these  categories, all I am seeing is an overwhelming amount of bloggers doing the exact opposite.

From posts that were once unique, interesting and insightful came mediocre posts that seemed like its writers were blogging for the sake of blogging.  That means, posting for the sake of keeping readers, and updating to maintain the sponsorships and connections they've gained.

I've always been very iffy about the whole "blogging as a career" thing.  Look, there's nothing wrong with gaining money from your blog if you offer interesting content. But when it becomes something shallow like seeking advertisements for the sake of spending five minutes writing a blurb about a whole outfit given to you by a company, what point is there to read or follow your blog?!

As I am sure there are many amazing blogs somewhere in the world, I've found that I have been surrounded by bloggers who just want to get famous. And the ones I've liked, are selling out because they write a post dedicated to advertise a company who's gifted him/her an item.

It's this complete superficiality and shallowness that makes me want to completely stop blogging.

But perhaps I can be a different type of blogger.

From now on, I pledge to myself that I will blog when I want and what I want.  No more blogging for the sake of blogging. No more blogging because "like OMIGOD...I can get famous!!"

Because let's face it. Getting famous takes a lot more work.