How to Report the News

I wish every newscaster was as honest as this. (F-bomb at :25)
"ME has this report". Priceless.

When I do the news I WILL BE HONEST!
Except when I lie.

No one put me in front of a camera, I will mislead the masses.
Sure, it'll be funny. But it would be wrong.

Wrongly funny.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Today was not the best day for me, but I'm not going to spend every day on this blog crying like a little whiner.

We had lab in radio class, which means we went to the radio station and messed around with the board.

The professor taught us how to do transitions between different songs, just like they do at the radio stations. Except at modern stations, everything is computerized. So we're learning the old school way.

We're retro.

I brought my Beatle's CD, and I'm going to burn a mixed CD or two to bring with me. I have a cool burner that can etch a custom label onto the CD, so I try to use it whenever I can.

On Tuesday we're going to work on a "cold read". This is where we read from a script into a microphone without any previous practice. We're reading the script "cold", for the first time while we're reading it.

Yes, he is going to record us. And yes, he is going to make us listen to it when we're finished.

I really can't stand hearing myself talk. Whenever I record myself for my voicemail, it takes me 30 tries to get it "right". Even then I try my best to never call my voicemail.

"Hey it's Lee!" "OH GOD I SOUND LIKE A 5-YEAR-OLD *click*"

I'm not the only one scared, though. And I'm secretly excited. I'm always so terrified of trying new things and embarrassing myself, but really, what's the worst I could do?

Stumble and have to start over? Breathe too hard into the microphone? I wouldn't be the first.

I'm excited about this semester. I feel like if I really segment myself well, I could have a successful semester.

Now that I'm taking notes with my computer, things are flowing smoothly. I can easily separate everything and find my way around.

In order to keep myself successful, I'm considering trimming down my work hours. I work 20-something hours a week, and I feel worn down. If I work 15 hours a week I'll pull in less money a week, but I'm only allotted $1,000 now as it is, and once I earn that I have to wait until I can work again.

What do you guys think I should do? Should I trim down my hours?

HP Sucks Right Now

I have so much homework.
My teachers are piling it on. But that's okay. I'm going to do it.

I'm watching Surrogates right now. I like Bruce Willis. He's a sexy older guy.

I'm kind of creeped out, seeing these robot people.
I mean, I know they're just normal actors, but they look robotic in their movements.

And we all know robots are going to destroy the planet.
It's a fact.

I may have to take my laptop back because the webcam is stuck at the lowest resolution possible, and I saw someone else with the same problem. Even when they restored their comp, it was stuck. This is SO IRRITATING.THAT IS AS BIG AS IT WILL GO.
I HATE YOU HP. I HATE YOU SO BAD RIGHT NOW.

400th Post

Apparently this is my 400th post.
Huh, I've done 400 posts.

I'll probably be doing a giveaway for this. I'm ordering some stuff online. If I order something for a giveaway, I'll host in within the next couple of days.

Right now, I'm tired and a little bit irritated with myself.
I messed up. I sent out my dad's newsletter to the 400 people I was supposed to. And instead of sending it in a blind copy, I accidentally sent it normal.
So the 400 emails were exposed.
I expect some pissed off people.

I've had a long day. I made a mistake. But I want to cry. It's a mistake I shouldn't have made. At all. I still want to cry. I feel like I'm going to get yelled at.

Today I had my phone on SILENT, triple CHECKED it was on silent, and LOW AND BEHOLD, it went off at full blast in my class. When I fumbled with it and hit ignore, I checked if it was on silent. It was. WTF?

It's like God just wants me to cry today. Get so frustrated that I just cry and can't stop.

But whatever. I'm going to shop online for a couple of little things. Maybe that'll cheer me up.
I doubt it. I hate spending my money.

*yawn*

Too tired, too much homework, here's a picture.The end.

New Web Show

If you have the chance, stop by tomorrow (Saturday, January 23) at TheJerryFink.com's new web show: TheJerryFink.com LIVE!

I'll be the host of the show, and it will be "call in", so anyone with a webcam can make calls, and I can answer questions.

I'm really nervous, and I really want people to stop by! I'll start broadcasting at 12:00 PM PST.

Check it out: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/thejerryfink-com-live

Hope you see you there!

Random Stuff Because I'm Lazy

My teacher was absent again today.

It was okay, though. He got a sub for us this time.

The sub was the head of the Journalism Department. And he is awesome.

For the first class, we just went over the syllabus and blah blah blah. I did get my laptop to connect to the internet, though. So I had fun discreetly chatting on MSN.

The second class was the radio production class. Apparently, to gain entry to the station, we have to have a "badge". I have one. I feel awesome.
He told us that we have access to the sound studio from 9-4:30 Monday-Friday. He said we can bring our own music and play with the sound boards.
We're allowed to make a demo tape of everything that we mix to use with our resume wherever we go.

He also taught us how to use basic features on the board.

For one of our projects we bring in our own CD with our favorite music and record ourselves DJing, like the morning DJs on the radio.

We spent the day mixing 70s music with PSAs. So the guy was yelling about tornadoes dramatically while "Stayin' Alive" was playing. It was hilariously wrong.

This class is going to be fun.

I bought new acne medication today. Hoping it will help, because my skin has gotten kind of bad again. I also bought Hello Kitty bandaids because I got a booboo. (FREAKING PAPERCUT IN THE CREASE OF MY KNUCKLE).
Silly bandaids are the only real way to heal booboos.

College Shopping

I did the homework for my journalism class.
Done, over with. Out of the way.

My mom and I have been discussing where I want to go to college for my bachelor's degree.
I've always told myself I would just go to the local University and settle for it.

But in all honesty, I've always wanted to go out of state.

When we drove through Flagstaff this past June, coming back from Tennessee, I told my mom there was nowhere I'd rather go than Flagstaff.

The mountains are so beautiful, and it's a fully wooded area.
Of course when we were there, the forest was kind of on fire.
But that's not THEIR fault.

We've been receiving a snot-load of emails from NAU (Northern Arizona University A.K.A the University in Flagstaff.)
It's re-opened my hopes to go to Flagstaff. After I finish this blog post, I'm logging back onto the website and continuing my application for the Spring of 2011.
This is the one school I'm happy to pay the application fee for.The buildings are so pretty. I love old campuses so much more than the newer ones.

I really hope it all works out for me.

I Will Rant, You Will Like It.

Hands down, this was the WORST first day of school I have EVER had.

Let me count the f----------------ing ways.
That wasn't a dirty word. It's too long to be a dirty word.

1.) I had to get up at 6:30 AM because my mom had an early doctor's appointment.
- I never get up before 7:00 AM, because I can't function.

2.) I showed up to work, worked early and left at 10:00 AM so that I could go eat some lunch before class.
- I ate my lunch, walked to my class, and it was CANCELED.

3.) Both of my classes were canceled on my first day of school.

4.) I tried to use my laptop so that I could check my email and kill time since my classes were canceled.
- My wifi would not connect the entire day.

5.) I messed up a couple of times at work because EVERYONE went to lunch at the SAME TIME. I had 20 people in line, and I was the ONLY ONE WORKING UP FRONT. So I was doing 10 things at once, something got messed up, and it was my fault. I almost started crying.

6.) I found out that not only is my ONLY class canceled tomorrow, my teacher assumes we knew to log into the online section (the class is not an online class, or even a "hybrid", which is a combination of online and in class.) He assigned us homework for Monday on the website. Even though the class HASN'T EVEN MET YET. AND WON'T MEET UNTIL MONDAY.
- Something sounds absurdly wrong about that. I feel like a teacher shouldn't be allowed to "secretly" assign homework to us when he canceled class the first week of school. I'm sorry, that's not kosher.

7.) I found out that I'm missing TWO BOOKS for that same class. And that to get them, it will be $100. I already spent $125. I HAVE TO have these books to do the "secret" homework he assigned for Monday, which means I get to stand in the hour-long line to buy my books.

8.) I found out that we have two group assignments in my Journalism class. The same one with the books and the homework. I hate group assignments, because I LIKE WORKING ALONE ON MY STUFF.

9.) It was raining when I left work. Pouring. I had to walk through it. I didn't have an umbrella.
- I opened up my backpack and found my umbrella once I got home. I'm still pissed.

I am tired, sore and angry. Fine, cancel classes. DON'T F--------ING ASSIGN HOMEWORK TO THAT CLASS THEN. Only those people that have taken his class before would even KNOW to check the online portion of the class, since most teachers don't use their online portion. And now I have to spend another $100.

Plus the nurses have told my family that my grandmother is going to pass on "any time now."
I am SO NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS.

Spring 2010

Classes start tomorrow. I get to get up at 7 AM to get to school on time.

Whoopie.

Tiffany shares my feelings.


I am excited because since today was MLK day, I didn't have to go to my Philosophy class.
I only have Philosophy on Monday's. For 3 HOURS.

Instead I get to go to radio and visual imagery class, the two classes I'm most excited about for the semester.

For radio we'll be meeting at the radio station on campus once a week. We'll get to use the booth and sound board. He said that not only will we be learning how to broadcast news and write scripts, we'll be learning how to DJ music too.

I'm glad I got my new laptop, because I'll be using it to take notes in all of my classes. I finally got tired of taking handwritten notes, because I have carpel tunnel. My wrists still start to hurt when I'm typing, but I've learned how to do it in a way that doesn't cause as much pain.

If only my history teacher would have let us use computers to write our midterm and final essays.

How hard would it have been to rent a computer lab for the period, turn off access to the internet, and let us choose to write or type the essay? Print when we're done?
They would've been a lot easier to read, and would have caused a lot less hand cramping.
Sometimes I think certain teachers are just sadists.

Tonight's my last night of rest before a long 16 weeks.
Guess I need to make the most of it.

Curious

Ginger

I don't know if anyone I work with actually reads my blog.
I know they've SEEN it before, but I doubt they actually read it.

Even if they do, I don't care. I'm not saying anything negative towards anyone.

When I went back to work on Monday, they had hired 2 new people.
Funny how much of a difference a week can make.

One of them was a guy named Andrew from South Korea. He's nice and we get along, so there's no problem there.

The other person was a girl named Lei (pronounced Lee).
She's a very sweet girl and I have absolutely no problem with her.

I have a problem with the fact that while my coworkers all refer to her as Lei, they now refer to me as Ginger.
And her name isn't even Lei. Her name is something they "can't pronounce", so they just call her by her last name.

When they started calling me Ginger, I figured it was just a joke nickname that would pass.
They'd been calling me that ever since I started working there, but it was rarely used. It was mostly in a joke capacity.

Today my boss said that the other girl is Lei, and that I'm Ginger.

I didn't correct her, and I really don't have the courage to say anything to anyone.
The truth is, it hurts my feelings that while I have been there for almost 5 months, I have to give up my name.
I've been Lee the entire time I was there. I come back from being gone for a week, and I'm not Lee anymore. I'm Ginger.

Plus, it's as if they've completely forgotten the fact that my name is actually Jerri, and that they could easily call me by that.
I've seriously considered dying my hair another color so that they couldn't call me Ginger anymore.

I don't know why it bothers me so much. Hearing someone say "Ginger, come here" in a serious way, as if I don't have an actual name, stings.

Am I overreacting?

Go, Power Rangers, Go!

Every once and a while, someone will walk through the complex I work in and get a text message.
And when they receive this text message, their phone will ring.
And when it rings, it gives a very distinct ringtone.

That tone is the Power Rangers communicator tone.
And I must have it.

Ha, I found it. For free.
http://www.mytinyphone.com/ringtone/251351/

I also must have some pretties for my laptop, and a skin for my cellphone.
Or some stickers for my phone.
Oh, oh! Jewels! Jewels for my phone!!!

My mom's considering not making me pay for my laptop, so that's good. Save my money!

I'm really falling in love with my new laptop.
It takes 30 seconds from opening the lid to checking my email when it's completely powered off.
Plus now that I have a cute laptop case, I'm happy to take it with me everywhere.

I had lunch at Tropical Smoothie Cafe today, and was very excited to find that the WiFi from my school reached across the street to the Cafe.
Drank my smoothie and munched my sandwich while reading MyLifeIsAverage.com.
So it was a great day.

Hopefully things keep going this great!

Pastel Delight

COMMENT THIS ONE, NOT THE BOOK REVIEW.

The artist that was drawing my pastel portrait (by his own choice, he asked me if he could!) finally finished it.
I was so excited when I saw it.

Here's the original picture it was based on:And here's the pastel version:His username on the art website Deviantart.com is bazzathe, and the original like to the image is HERE.

I love it, I love the detail, and I love how realistic it is.

I'm excited for the portrait, I'm excited for the fact that Yaya gets her kid finally, and I'm excited that my image on Deviantart (that was TOPLESS *gasp*. Okay, it was my BACK topless. BUT STILL. TOPLESS!) got over 500 hits in one day.

Today was just a good day.

Plain Promise - Book Review (Comment Previous Post, More Important)

Taking part in Thomas Nelson Book Review, I was able to read the book "Plain Promise" by Beth Wiseman.

This book felt like more of a fluff novel than anything.

It is a basic love story, except it is centered around an Amish town and main character. Love stories that are unique and fresh can be very exciting. This book is not an example of that.

The fact that the plot can be summed up so quickly is disappointing to me.
The plot is simple. Man moves to Amish town, Amish girl falls in love with him. Things keep them apart, things bring them together, trials and tribulations, etc. etc.

The ending was predictable, which left me disappointed, feeling as if I had wasted my time.

I really had hopes for this book. I wanted the characters to develop, and I wanted the story to unfold into something more complex that sucked me in.

"Plain Promise" was just like an other love story, and the Amish element did nothing to help this. In fact, I feel like the writing being centered around an Amish character left it somewhat stale. Maybe a different author could have created a more gripping story, but for now I think that Wiseman should find a different genre to write.

If you want a simple book to read, I’d recommend “Plain Promise”. If you want a book that is gripping and a great read, look elsewhere.

Fearless - Book Review

In reading "Fearless" by Max Lucado, I was able to overcome many of the fears that I have been riddled with over the past couple of years.

Many books about fear and anxiety focus only on the clinical side of the fear. Fearless focuses in great detail on the spiritual side of fear.

He points out that one of the main things that Jesus ever said was that we should not fear. In any situation, it was not fear that we should be feeling. Fear is an emotion that weighs us down and makes life miserable.

Lucado makes it easy to understand why we should not live our lives in fear. He is a great writer, making things very clear. He also adds hints of humor, and sometimes blatant jokes that make a topic that could be bland very light and enjoyable to read.

Infusing personal stories with stories from the bible, Lucado makes the idea of becoming "fearless" much more accessible.

My favorite chapter was the one on death. I have suffered from a fear of death for a very long time. Lucado made me see that death was not something to be afraid of. God told us that he has prepared a place for us, and that should be enough to give us courage.

If you or anyone you know suffers from any kind of fear at all, this book is a great tool. It gave me a whole new view on life, and I know it will do the same for many others.

My Celebrity Encounters

Let's round off the list of the awesome celebrities I met on Friday, for those of you that haven't already seen the pictures on my Facebook.

There was...Kevin Sorbo (Hercules! :])

Alice Cooper (If you don't know him, you live under a rock.)

Richard Burgi (Carl on Desperate Housewives. He's really nice. And hot.)

Richard Burgi (For those of you True Blood fans. He's also the "stapler guy" from Office Space.)

And the mystery man in the photo my dad originally botched.......................
Patrick Warburton! I love him, and his voice. His voice is awesome.
If you don't know who he is, youtube him. You'll instantly recognize him.
But if you don't know who he is, I will punch you.

It was a great party. I hope I can stumble upon a new pile of celebrities soon.

--------------
I took my laptop to work with me today. It was fun, since I could sit there during my lunch break, pull out my laptop, and play with it.

I felt all grown'd up.

I'm going to use my laptop to take notes in class this semester, something I've never done before. It should be interesting, but if I can learn an effective way to pack up the computer and chords, it should be relatively simple.

I take care of my computers, so this sucker will be okay.

I'm still working on my dad's website. Make sure you check it out, we posted some new articles. TheJerryFink.com!

Going to take a nap, maybe color. Then snack time.
Not even kidding.
I've got a disney princess coloring book, crayons and no shame.

Just a Quickie

Since the majority of bloggers don't read or comment on the weekend, I thought I'd just throw in a quickie since I missed out on Friday.

I went to a charity event, took pictures with some celebrities.
I'll post them on Monday, when you guys won't "mark all as read".

My mom weighed me yesterday, first time in a couple of months.
Weighed 104 pounds, and was pissed about it. I've been eating and trying to gain weight, and I weigh the least I've weighed... since I hit puberty.
Bought a weight-gain shake mix. Hoping that'll help.
I've been eating healthy, normal portions. I think something may be up with my thyroid.

Got a brand new laptop, and I'm very excited about it.

For those of you that speak computer, it's an HP with 500 GB of storage space and 8 GB of ram.
Which means compared to most laptops, it runs really fast.

I'm just jealous that I can't get the laptop they've been showing at the consumer electronics show this weekend.

The screen is see-through. I can't even figure out how they've accomplished that.

The website is slowly gaining a following. I'm hoping that with more advertising we'll actually be successful.

I got a little pitter in my heart when I was at the charity event, in front of that screen where the celebrities take pictures and walk down the carpet. I felt like I didn't belong.

And then I looked down at my feet and realized there was a sign there specially for me to take pictures.

I belong.

Before I go, for those of you that are reading, let's play a little game.
And if you saw it on Facebook, you aren't allowed to play.

Name that celebrity! (You'll see the good picture on Monday... my dad had to re-take it since he messed up, but said celebrity was really nice about it.)

Mommy's Home

My mom came home today.
I'd made dinner for her, so she got to sit down and eat right when she came in the door.

I made chicken, green beans, rice and caesar salad.
It was nummy.

I also made chocolate boiled cookies, which has always been one of our favorites.
I am an awesome daughter.

Last night my dad and I went to see a performer at a small restaurant here in town.
Imagine my surprise when I turned around to see Pink and Carey Hart walking out the door, not half a foot away from me.

I was so excited I almost peed myself.

My hand was clutched around my camera, but I was so paralyzed with shock that I didn't think to take a picture.
Even if I had, they probably wouldn't have let me take a picture with them. They seem like the type that would say no.

Tomorrow night I'm going to a dinner hosted by Canon (the people that made my camera, so I'll get brownie points while I take pictures).

Here's the article my dad did about it:

"Canon’s Annual Benefit is Jan. 8

Shock rocker Alice Cooper Cheech Marin and Emmy winner Bryan Cranston will be among the stars appearing at the annual Canon U.S.A. Event to Benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children this weekend.

This event is sponsored and produced by the Canon Corporation U.S.A. and Baskow & Associates, will benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private non-profit.

A Customer Appreciation Red Carpet Reception will be held at the Bellagio from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday (Jan. 8). The following day there will be a 7:30 a.m. breakfast and at 9 a.m. a celebrity golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club.

More than 25 celebrities will attend the reception, including “Desperate Housewives” star Richard Burgi and Davy Jones of the ‘70s group/TV series The Monkees.

John Walsh, founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, will be a special guest."

The selling point was that I get to take pictures of all the celebrities.

I am excited as crap. I wonder who all 25 will be.

I'm definitely going to try to take a picture WITH at least a couple of them. Especially Richard and Bryan. I love them. (WHY DID YOU KILL CARL ON DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES CHERRY? WHY?! I LOVED HIM AND HIS SEXY ALLURE.)

At least I get to see him in the flesh. *sighs*.

Oh, and "Dawn", the reason you aren't getting comments on your blog is because your comment box is glitched, so you may want to change your layout. Just thought I'd let you know.