Another young actor gone...

First news story to catch my eye today: Andy Hallett, who was an actor on the show "Angel," passed away from heart failure last night at the young age of 33.

I won't lie: I'm stunned. Sure, he wasn't considered a "popular" star (unless you're a fan of "Angel," which I am), but even despite that, the facts alone are heartwrenching. What really got me was the fact that he'd been battling heart disease for the last 5 years. I had NO idea.

And it's strange. When you hear of a young star's death, the "norm," sad as it is, is that it was a drug or alcohol-related. It seems like rarely does it come up that you hear about actors/actresses dying of a natural disease. But then again, that doesn't stop it from being all the more devastating either.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Andy's family, friends and every "Angel" fan out there who's been affected by this tragic loss. R.I.P. Andy. You will be sorely missed.

The progress continues...slowly

I've been making a bit more headway with my doc as of late. The main issue has been trying to work between my busy schedule and Rob's, just trying to get whatever filming I can in. I'm afraid to even think about the editing I still need to do...

On that note, I feel I'm making a little more progress on my OTHER projects. I know to get info for one of my print stories just by attending tomorrow's student council meeting. And I've sent e-mails to people that I can interview for my other print story/multimedia projects. It's just a matter of hearing back from them for now.

As for securing my other internship... I had another call and e-mail made to the paper back home a couple days ago to let them know I'm still interested. And I have a plan to still try someplace in Fredericton. So, at least that's something.

Get down on the ground! *Zap*

I was reading a story in the Toronto Star today. It turns out 2008 was a slack year for taser use amongst RCMP officers.

And that's really all I need to tell you fact wise. Sure, the story goes on to say specific statistics and such, but the meat of it is the decline in taser use for 2008. Now, in retrospect, this is a good thing to hear. However, it doesn't change MY opinion of whether the police should USE them. And I think they shouldn't.

Yes, it's a bit less lethal than using a gun. Yes, my opinion's slightly biased from hearing and seeing all the fatal stories about tasers. But really, if they pose such a risk to people, why resort to using them? If they so violent/uncooperative, why not restrain them or, at an extreme level, shoot them in the leg or something? I just don't see the point of taking such a risk.

I mean, think about it. You're shooting 50, 000 volts of electricity into a person's body. How can that NOT cause some damage? I think I'd rather take a bullet to the leg or arm than have my nerves fried. My opinion stands. Tasers = bad news. But considering how long they've been around, I doubt the force will be giving them up anytime soon.

Progress report: Still way too much to do.

This documentary's become a lot harder to do than I'd anticipated. Of course, it doesn't help that we're slowly approaching crunch time. And have multiple projects to do at the same time.

Luckily, Friday's trip to the Leg turned out pretty good. It stunk that I couldn't use my tripod, but rules are rules. I was told they get in the way. Annoying, but what can ya do? The interview was short, as I'd expected since Minister Kenny's a busy guy, but I got some good info from him.

Today was pretty busy. A lot of setting up things and e-mailing people to try and get my other projects going. Multitasking may be a myth, but I aim to do it anyway! ...If that makes any sense. lol

As well, I still need to make sure I have another internship set up before we leave. *crosses fingers* Here's hoping I at least get a spot at the paper back home!

Journalism at its worst

I was reading an ABC News story online recently that a friend linked me to. The story had to do with the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force urging people to be aware of predators that could stalk kids in the Wii video game, "Animal Crossing - City Folk."

Whew, that was a mouthful. Anyway, moving on. The article goes on to say, according to a representative of the force, that adults shouldn't own the game, thus making it so kids wouldn't be targeted and making it seem like the game's only for kids. ...WRONG!

"Animal Crossing - City Folk" is rated E for Everyone on the ESRB rating scale. EVERYONE. Meaning, anyone of any age can play this game. So, what, adults can't play it because they "might" only be playing it to target kids? That's such a load. Games are meant to be enjoyed by people of all ages. Just because you're over 30 and enjoy playing a seemingly "kiddie" game, doesn't mean you're a predator.

Another major thing is the fact that the article doesn't take into account the Wii's strict friend code system. To play the games with friends, you must always input a code that only they have. Meaning that, you have to KNOW the person to get their code. And as long as parents are monitoring their kids, there's no way this should be a problem. As in, they can make sure their kids aren't getting codes from random people online.

But to really show us that these people didn't do their research, there is also a video to go along with the article. In it, they show an example of an eccentric character they believe may be controlled by someone targeting kids. There's just ONE problem: The character is an NPC (non-playable character, meaning he's computer-controlled) in EVERY Animal Crossing game. If they knew anything about the game, that would have seemed obvious. But it's obvious to ME that someone didn't do ANY research into it before writing the story and making the video.

It just goes to show you that research is valuable, as evident with the comments the article received with people pointing out its flaws. Bad, bad journalism right there...

Workin' 9(:30) to 5(-ish)

So tomorrow's gonna be a busy day for me. I'm heading off to Fredericton on the morning bus to catch the conference at the Leg. Why? 'Cause the MLA/Minister of Bathurst, Brian Kenny, will be there.

I don't personally know him, but Rob does. If you haven't guessed, yes, I'm going there to film and interview Mr. Kenny for my documentary. It's high time I got some major filming (besides Rob) done!

It's funny. My last documentary talked about the broad topic of online social networking. And this one focuses just one person - Rob. Yet, it feels like it's already much tougher to do. Still...it must get done. And I'm hoping and praying that tomorrow pans out nicely.

Fall from grace

So, even though the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards kept his name on the ballot, it looks like Chris Brown has decided to back out of the nominations, due to the fact that he felt "the incident last month has shifted the focus from the music."

For those who don't know, he's facing assault charges against fellow singer/girlfriend Rihanna. If he's convicted, he could face over 4 years in prison.

You know, I applaud his decision to withdraw from the show. Too much of his publicity has been focused on his charges, and if he made this public appearance, the outrage over it would most likely overshadow everything else in the show.

And this whole thing is just sad. I always thought he was a decent singer and seemed respectable and nice. You know, not the type to ever get into a fight or ASSAULT someone. But it looks like this has shown us a part of him we never knew. He's a 19 year old singer. He pretty much had it all. And now, he faces prison. Will his career ever bounce back after this? Hard to say, but if he does go to prison, I sincerely doubt it will. And even if he doesn't, it'll probably be rough going for quite a while.

*sigh* Why me?

Okay, so apparently having one (ONE) week off to recuperate from the stress of getting one documentary done doesn't necessarily take away your laziness/unwillingness to do the other one.

Yes, it's that time again: Doc time! Luckily, my subject (biography on Rob Frenette) is a little less complicated than the previous one. BUT I still have to do some travelling. And get a LOT of interview time, since I'm supposed to NOT have any VO in this one.

It's gonna be interesting, especially with only about a month's worth of time to do it in. But my planning it out is going a lot more smoothly. I have dates set up for certain things I have to film, Rob is always either nearby or easy to keep in contact with, and he has a lot of things (pics and stuff) that I can use. Plus, he pretty much knows the drill (interview-wise, anyway).

Here's hoping this one is a lot less stressful!

The end of an era

It's still hard to believe that after 20 long years, the Barenaked Ladies are losing their main frontman...their main voice. It's obvious that it ties into Page's cocaine arrest, but to know that their next album won't feature his unforgettable voice is hard to imagine.

I wish I knew more of the facts so I could understand the entire situation. But, unfortunately, this kind of thing happens a lot in the music industry. Bands change singers, drummers, etc. all the time. People leave or get tired of the lifestyle. It happens, I know. It's just the change that's always hard to accept...at first.

Will this stop me from wanting to hear a new BL song without Page's vocals? No, probably not. It'll be interesting to see where they go from here. But it will be hard to get used to for quite a while. I grew up on these guys. I can't take this change lightly. We shall see...

One more project to go... Just one more project to go...

Well, sort of. I'm sitting here in the TV lab, waiting for a slew of high school students to come in for "Student For A Day." It's the third one I've had to show up for. I say "had to" because this is pretty much an all-day thing, meaning, no classes. The other part of that "had to" meaning that I have yet another project to do.

Another multimedia one that I've, once again, put off almost to the last minute. But with my doc out of the way, I get to spend all day today working on this. And on the even brighter side, once I also fix up my doc, I'm done...until the end of March Break. Still, yay!

Luckily, this one covers an event, so there's plenty of audio and photo ops. This makes my job much, MUCH easier, aside from having to put it all together. But until they come, all I can really do is just wait...

Speaking out on Sunday's bus crash

Everybody's has been talking about this tragedy this entire week. My prayers and thoughts go out to the families and those on the bus who were affected by the accident. Nobody should have to go through something like that, on both sides.

Even though I wasn't directly involved (meaning, I didn't see anything), my bus was called to try and help out the passengers. We were delayed by an hour to see if we could pick anyone up. Unfortunately, we had about half a bus full of people, so there wasn't enough room for us to load all 38 passengers. 

We were forced to make the trip to Fredericton, where I transferred onto the Orleans Express bus to continue on to Woodstock. My previous bus, now empty, then made the trip back to the scene to pick up everyone.

It was a surreal night. No one was sure how to react when our driver got the call and told us the news. Of course, we all felt bad for Mr. Porter and his sons, even though at the time, all we knew was that a car had hit the bus. But even then, it was a horrible thing to know. I don't think it really sunk in for me until I heard about the kids, and then it was cemented last night when my mom told me how frantic everyone was, thinking at first before the news came out that it had been MY bus.

Again, my prayers and thoughts go out to everyone affected by this traumatic event. 

Crunch time

So, once again we've been given another day's extension on our documentaries. This fills me with much more confidence about getting mine done, despite the fact that I'm pretty much halfway there. 

If there's a few things this project has taught me:

1. I never, ever want to do docs for a career.

2. Procrastinating because you're feeling lazy is extremely tough to get over.

3. Hopefully, knowing what NOT to do, I'll be better prepared for... *sigh* the next one.

It's been a stressful ride, but knowing that I'm almost done makes me extremely relieved. At this point, it's all about getting it done and making sure it's decent. If I manage to do both, I'll be more than happy.

Is Valentine's Day too commercial? ...Why should I care?

I have never had a problem with the holiday, other than the fact that I'd spent every single one from the time I was born till now alone. Do I care? ...Not as much as I used to.

People always argue that, much like other holidays, Valentine's Day is becoming too commercial. I've never really had a firm stance on this. Why? ...Because I never cared.

I never once thought about how companies force the holiday upon us through advertising and selling "romantic" products. You get that sort of thing with every holiday. It's nothing new. Valentine's Day, to me, was just another random, slightly less important holiday. Oh, but one that meant getting chocolates...paid for either from my own pocket or my mom's.

But the main reason I never cared about those aspects of V Day is because something more important overshadows it all. V Day...is my birthday. That automatically shifts my focus away from the mushiness to the fact that I'm getting a year older. And then there's the presents. And cake. And general family celebration.

For me, V Day will always be birthday first, holiday second. And, in a sense, it also means I can indulge in eating chocolate for BOTH occasions. I think I'm starting to like getting old...

And now for something completely different...

I want to take a somber moment for once and reflect on the Australian bushfires that, even now, are still going. As I write this, police there continue to search for the arsonist that started the fires. They have a photo now of the suspected culprit. He's also assumed to be an Australian himself. 

What is it that drives people to do things like this? Because of one act, 181 innocent people are dead and thousands are homeless. It really sickens me to know people out there are willing and capable of committing such horrible crimes like this. And if this suspected arsonist really is an Australian, then it especially sickens me to know that one man would do something so despicable to his fellow countrymen.

I have a friend on Skype. He's not by any means a close friend, because we know each other strictly through a website. But he has been greatly affected by this. Why? Because he was literally in the line of fire. Yes, that's right. He's Australian. Thankfully, he and his family are okay. But my prayers still go out to him and everyone else who has been affected by the fires. May those who were lost live on in their memories and hearts.

It's official: TV's not for me

At least, not the filming/on camera part. Recently, due to me having to struggle to work on my doc, I've concluded that TV is definitely NOT something I want to pursue as a longtime career.

Oh sure, some aspects of it are fun. Editing can be, as long as the material is interesting. And the same goes for writing. But with the recent creative licence we've been given to do our docs, I just feel...lazy. I know that's redundant, because I've been trying not to feel that way since January, but it's true.

And I've figured out why. Last term, when we did news stories, there was a routine. A pattern. Once we did a couple, we knew what to expect from the rest. But now...we've been given all this free reign to film and be creative. Which, normally, I would LOVE to do. However...I've figured out that having this new ability to be entirely creative is hard to put into effect when you're too lazy to even FEEL creative.

Rest assured, this doc will get done. And hopefully by the time the next one rolls around, I'll actually feel creative enough to WANT to do it.

Hooray for the tubes! (Internet)

So, there's finally a plan in place to give all rural areas in NB high-speed internet. And I couldn't be happier about it.

Not that it affects me in any way, because back home, we live just within range to get Aliant's connection. No, I'm happy for my cousins leaving not even half a mile up the road from me. Aliant has been stingy with them. They can't get high-speed, yet they CAN get dial-up. I still really don't see how such a tiny distance between where our house is and theirs would make a difference. But, okay then.

Anyway, this new plan may help them solve that problem. Woodstock's own Barrett Xplore, an internet company, plans on using the 13 million dollars given to them by the government to expand their broadband access province-wide. Currently, 90% of the province has high-speed. If their plan succeeds, the entire province will soon be high-speed friendly.

There's no set date on when this will happen, but they want to set up towers by May 1 and have a fixed wireless service by July 2010. I know I'll be telling my cousins about this, so hopefully it WILL happen. It's time we caught up with the rest of the country technologically, and if this way works out, no one will have to be hearing those annoying, screechy dial-up tones ever again. And what a great day that will be.

Wow, my memory's bad.

This marks the second time I've had to blog on the deadline! Gah! ...But it has been a busy week for school work.

So, to update from my last project-filled post, I have now caught up on everything except for my documentary. It's also the one thing that's been causing me the most stress to work on/eventually finish. Luckily, we've been given a one-week extension, so that helped alleviate some of the stress.

You know, it's funny. When I tell people I'm doing these TV projects, they assume it's so easy for me now to go up and ask people for interviews. Obviously, this comes from the fact that they've seen my work and think I'm well-taught and stuff.

But if only they knew... No matter how well-trained you are for this stuff, it really comes down to the person you want to talk to. A major chunk of your story may ride on that one person, and if they refuse to appear on camera, that's it. Game over. Time to move on and figure out something else. A lot of people don't realize that fact, but it's one that constantly plagues me every time I have to do another project.

*sigh* But then you get over it or work around it. And luckily, for the most part, it'll still turn out pretty decent. So, I'll keep working away at this doc. And hope against hope that I can make it work.

Why can't I get into Canadian politics?

It still kind of boggles my mind why I'm not nearly as interested in my country's own politics as I should be. With all the talk about the budget, I would've thought it'd get me involved in at least one side of the spectrum, but...nope. Nothing.

I'm more interested in the U.S. and their system. Sure, this could be because I'm anticipating what Obama will do for the country as far as attempting to solve the major issues plaguing them. But even when... *sigh* Bush was still in, I found their politics more engaging.

I think it's partly because of the emphasis Americans place on their political system. It's like some huge event that boils down to two major parties battling it out for the title of President. That where I think our system falters. There's too many people to pick from. Granted, it's good that all sides get a say, but how do you differentiate between who's going to do what they say and who won't? At least with two parties, you can go either or. Simple, yet effective.

But who knows. Maybe someday I'll be interested in our politics/politicians. But until that day comes, I'll be looking to our southern neighbor to get my taste of politics.

Winter blahs? I hate 'em.

No, I'm not taking about having S.A.D. or anything. I'm talking about the general laziness I get every time I come back to school from Christmas. I'm only now getting over that laziness, and it's already annoying me to no end.

Because of it, I've been working as fast as I can to finish projects by the deadline. It's a little stressful. Plus, lately I've had the tendency to forget/put off things to do other things, which makes...things worse.

But looking on the bright side, at least now I can force myself to get things done on time for the rest of the term, and hopefully get things done EARLY. Now, time to get back to those projects...

It's almost time for the shiny, gold men again...

Well, the Oscar nominations were just announced a few minutes ago. And from what I can tell, it looks like it's going to be a toss-up between "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Dark Knight." Not that the other flicks nominated won't garner wins, but these two appear to be the favorites in the running.

"Benjamin Button" has 13 nominations going for it. The Brad Pitt flick has had positive reviews and is sure to win at least some trophies, if not many or all. "Dark Knight" though...appears to have gotten a bit shafted. You have the obvious nomination for the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, but other than that, the other seven nominations it received were for the technical side (editing, visual effects, cinematography, etc.). Why no nomination for Christian Bale, aka Batman? Or Aaron Eckhart, aka Two-Face? Heck, what about Maggie Gyllenhaal, aka Rachel Dawes? They all deserve at least SOME recognition, in my opinion. Even director Christopher Nolan should've gotten a nod.

Anyway, from the list of movies/actors/actresses nominated...I really don't think I'll be watching this year. None of them really peak my interest other than "Dark Knight," and even that's just to see if Ledger will get his much-deserved Oscar. I think I'll be sticking with the written results instead of spending three or so hours watching a somewhat boring ceremony.

A thankful change

Well, Barack Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. Obviously, it's a historic occasion, but to me it marks something even better: No more George W. Bush.

Yes, the man who has been the butt of jokes for eight long years is finally going away. It seemed like every time I turned around, he was being lambasted on the news (real OR fake - gotta love The Daily Show/Colbert Report) for something he said and/or did. After a while, it started becoming less funny and just more pathetic. I kept wishing for the day to arrive when I could finally say, "No more George Bush jokes! No more hearing about not-so-smart things he's done! Hooray!"

And now, that day has finally come. I still couldn't be happier that Obama was inaugurated. He brings a fresh face to politics and a Democratic outlook on issues. It'll be interesting to see what he does with the current problems the States has to face, as well as future problems. Hopefully, he won't make too many mistakes. Otherwise, he too could become the butt of many, many jokes.

Baby, it's cold outside

Ugh, gotta love the flu/winter season. I get over a stomach bug, only to catch a cold virus. Great...

Speaking of "colds," I was reading TheStar.com today and came across an article asking "Too cold for recess?" The article focused on the issue of whether to keep elementary students inside, most likely making them act out, or to let them play outside, most likely giving them frostbite.

Now, the principals interviewed for the article have varying opinions. Some kept kids inside for more than one day, while others let them outside for a shorter amount of time. Understandably, one parent who was interviewed weren't thrilled. He thought the overused excuse of keeping kids outside for "fresh air and exercise" was a bit of a stretch in this case.

I have to agree with him. After all, I figured the fresh air and exercise would help me beat my bug, but all it seemed to do was give me a whole other one entirely. Kids are even more susceptible because their immune systems are still developing. Sure, they might get cranky if they're stuck inside for a few cold days, but is it really worth the risk of them getting sick or having parents complain to the school? I think not.

That's why it kinda boggles my mind that principals would take such a risk. They KNOW they're gonna get complaints. I'm sure they're WELL aware of what can happen if you stay out in the cold too long. So, why? Why even bother? To follow school procedure? It just doesn't seem worth it to me. And if the parents dealing with this stuff are any indication, it doesn't seem worth it to them either.

And the work begins...

Well, after a pretty easy first week back, it's time to get back to doing schoolwork. As it stands, I have something to do in each course just for January alone - a multimedia assignment for the end of the month, an article for next Tuesday and a documentary proposal for tomorrow.

It may not sound like a lot, because...well, when you boil it down, it's not. But it's a little daunting. Not just because everything's due so close to each other, but also because it's kinda hard to get back into it.

Now, I don't mean to say I'm lazy, because these projects WILL get done on time. It's just the whole thing of coming off of a relatively lazy Christmas break to do them that makes it hard. After all, when you've spent three weeks doing next to no work...

Anyway, all worries aside, this term promises to be busy, but it will no doubt fly by before any of us even realize it. Till then, it's time I fight off these lazy, post-Christmas feelings and get to work, haha.

Snowy days in Woodstock and shiny trophies at the PCA

Like everyone else, I was hoping for a snow day today. But what can you do? School is school... Although, sleeping in would've been nice, haha.

Anyway, as far as school goes, things have only just gotten underway. The real work should start next week. I'm looking forward to it, because I know this term promises to be fun (and quick!).

Now, as for actual news...

Well, make that entertainment news. The 2009 People's Choice Awards were on last night. Did I watch them? No. Why? Because I didn't feel like it. Awards shows can only hold my attention for so long, and I really have to be in the right mindset to even THINK about watching them.

But from what I've read, this year's ceremony was a slight improvement over last year's boring, pre-taped strike show. Most of the winners didn't surprise me much. You had Hugh Laurie winning for best drama ("House")  and male TV star. That felt like a no brainer. "The Simpsons" won best animated comedy, "Heroes" for sci-fi/fantasy show and "The Dark Knight" took home FIVE trophies. Again, all of those felt like no brainers to me. On the music side, you had Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood and Kid Rock, to name a few. Not too much surprise there, since all three had hit songs in '08.

One award did catch me by surprise, though, and that was the award for fave online sensation. It appears to be a new category this year, and after looking through the list of nominees, I'm even more relieved that "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" was the winner. Proof that the people have good taste!

Well, that's all the news I've got for now. I'll be doing a mix of whatever news I feel like commenting on. Until then!

Back from the break!

It's the first day back from the Christmas break, and the start of second term in my second year of journalism.

It was a very relaxing break! Even though I had to work at my "fun" job at McDonald's, I at least made some extra cash. The rest of the time was spent with my family and friends. I got some baking done and have a delicious Christmas dinner on Christmas Day.

Got some cool presents too! My parents AND the couple I'm boarding with gave me some money. I also got a couple shirts, a game for my Nintendo DS, and my best present of them all: a brand new laptop computer! It's a Windows Vista, and it is just plain AWESOME! :)

Well, that's all for now. I'll probably be posting something more newsy later this week for my Internet Journalism course. For now, I'm just going to try and ignore how snowy and cold it is outside...