Thursday, September 24, 2009

Sigh

It's been kind of an emotional week for me. Nothing in particular happened, it's just because I tend to bottle up my emotions a lot, every once it a while something small will "break the dam" so to speak and I'll get flooded. This has been one of those weeks.

The good thing is that God has surrounded me with some good people that are very eager to listen to me. I've had so many solid conversations that past few weeks.

I just think to much, you know. My professor put it well in a lecture he gave today about an unrelated topic: I'm "hypersensitive" to the world around me. So much goes through my brain. I'm constantly philosophizing and/or debating with myself. The good news, is that this is a sign, my professor said, of a creative person. So I guess that's cool :)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Webbyized

So the reason I've neglected my sacred duty of updating this blog has everything to do with my new job. I am the Web editor this year for my campus paper (ooohh!), which means 20+ hours of my week is spent contributing to the Internet beast on our own little corner of http://chimes.biola.edu. In other words, my Internet presence has been directed elsewhere.

I do lament that I have left you uninformed since I've started school this semester. Do know, however -- and be happy -- that I am really enjoying my new job. I'll be honest, I've been skeptical of all this Internet news business. Call me old-fashioned, but I really like newspapers. So the Internet, which has basically bankrupted the newspaper industry, for me has been a dubious yet unavoidable monster. If I am truthful with myself, I'd have to say that I applied for my current position partly because of obligation and disgruntled surrender.

I report today, however, that my thinking has changed.

I really enjoy my job. In fact -- and it feels like heresy to say -- I actually enjoy this job more than my job last year as news editor for the print edition (gasp!). The editor-in-chief has given me a lot of freedom, so I almost feel like I'm in charge of my own publication. And this whole news video thing has been quite a kick! I got a skilled dude working as the Web site's multimedia editor, and he has been putting together some entertaining stuff with the videographer I just hired. I also started up a whole new blog effort for the site, where I'm asking people from groups around campus to contribute.

I'll give you a little anecdote that demonstrates the cool factor of my job:

Today I was sitting down in the office at a computer and with my laptop out. Both computers were running Internet browsers, each with multiple tabs running within them. As I worked I went back and forth, back and forth. I would add content to the Web site on one computer, then view it on the Web site on the other. One Web browser is running a Google Doc, the other has Facebook and Twitter open so that I can link the new content. If one site was busy loading a page, I'd switch over to the other. Supa Web savvy, that's right!

So much multitasking! So much fun!
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I'm really liking my classes. Totally loving my philosophy class and media ethics class. I also have a class on the Gospel of John; great prof.

Apartment life also rocks. I finally got a bunch of food. Also have done a bit of decorating. I've kind of taken on the role as Resident Assistant of my apartment, which I don't really mind, it's just funny -- I'm buying bulletin boards, posting notes, reminding people to do the dishes, hehe.

That's about it. Chill.