exposed

Columbians

2009-06-06T06:22:00.001-07:00

The other day while reading a Tribune article's comments, I came across this reader's description of the people that live in Columbia, Mo. Now, I'd been thinking about this for a while, how to describe the population here. Because, I mean, it's obviously a college town, but what about ALL the people who live here for good? There is a huge population outside college kids, and I'm around them a lot, and I could never nail them down as good as this guy. It kills me!

He called them "college-educated ex-hippies."

Perfect! I couldn't think of a better phrase.

2009-04-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

What I don’t know will no longer be an intimidation; it will be an opportunity.

Shunny

2009-03-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I realize my last post was about weather, but this one HAS to be about weather too. And while the last one was about rain, this one is about SUN. Today, it was 81 degrees. It is 17 March (aka'd as St. Patrick's Day). 81 degrees.
I'm sitting on my couch. The windows are open. The door is open. Earlier I was on my porch to eat dinner. But then I came in because my neighbors are on THEIR porch. And I'm not comfortable with them yet. I can see many future porch-sits like today's in the future.
I'm just happy about it, that's all.

Rain, rain, don't go away

2009-02-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

It's early. Extremely early.
I can hear the weather outside.
It's rainy. Extremely rainy.
And warm.

I'm excited.

Google Reader?

2009-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

As many of you my readers have probably long ago discovered, Google/Gmail has a feature called "Google Reader" with which you can subscribe to your favorite websites, such as news and blogs, and it tells you when said sites have been updated. (For example, how many of you discovered THIS post via Google Reader? Exactly.) I suppose it saves time, avoids pop-ups, and eliminates annoying website art/advertisements.

But isn't that half the fun?

It's like shopping online. Sure, you don't have to get dressed. You don't have to leave the house. You don't even have to make a phone call. With a click of a mouse you have yourself a sofa, magazine, fur coat. Ok, sure, it's great. But, isn't getting up and going to the store nice? Getting helped at the store? Trying the clothes on before you buy them? I appreciate these things.

Google Reader makes me think about this. I LIKE going to my friends' blogs and well, judging them. What sort of layout have they chosen? What font do they use? Which blogs are on their blogroll?

I'm sorry, Google, Reader is just not my favorite feature.

Also, one day I am going to have a post entitled, "Products for the Lazy American."

Is This Bad?

2008-12-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Everytime someone compliments me at work, for example,
"This coffee tastes really good" or
"You are an excellent latte artist" or
"The service here is great"

...my first thought is, "tell it to the tip jar."

But instead, I smile, and say, "I'm so glad."

Blue Mind

2008-12-16T17:04:00.001-08:00

I haven't been myself lately. By this I mean I've just been doing things that are, in my opinion, out of character. For example.

I've worked out. This I cannot explain. I LIKED it, too.
I've been patient. A friend of mine needed help with Spanish, and I'm a Spanish major, so I said I would help him. Now, going into it, I was like, Ok, I have to stay calm and not get frustrated with him. And I HAVEN'T. I've been very calm and patient! This is a big thing for me.
I haven't kept my room neat. I don't really consider myself a "clean person," but my room is the messiest it's--dare I say it--EVER been. Just lots of things are just lying around.
I've been drinking water. And I've been getting healthier. Weird how that works.

I don't know why I've been doing these things. Must be something in the water. (Get it? Cause I'm actually DRINKING water.)

I'm Tired

2008-12-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

This semester wore me out.
Now it's over.
That's all.

While You Were Freeping

2008-12-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

I found quite a gem while poking around Poynter the other day. This gem is a series by the Detroit Free Press on Christ Child House, a non-profit on Detroit's west side. Take time to read the stories, watch the videos, and look at ALL the photographs. Trust me.

This series, honestly, is an example of what I aspire to and why I do what I do and I study what I study. The reporters who worked on this story worked on it for three years. Three years. Is there any one thing that I've done or worked on for three years? Three weeks? Three DAYS?

I mean, school, sure. Projects and papers galore. I suppose I have finished great books on my own, without it being a school assignment. I suppose I have done meaningful, albeit possibly mostly personal, work in South America and the poor poor city of Detroit, so I guess the question kind of falls apart, but you get the idea. These people worked on something important. They shed light into an infamous and sometimes dark and scary aspect of society, the foster care system; they spotlighted a great organization, Christ Child House, and, more importantly, the children who live there.

That there be what I likes to call journalism.

New Prez, etc.

2008-11-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

I've been busy.

Ok, I know I know, I've already written about Obama. All's I'm sayin' is, I saw him less than a week ago. Here in Columbia, MO. And now he's a president. THE president. I win!

Also, within the last week, I "celebrated" Halloween (I was a Jonas Brother, or as they say, a "JoBro"), and, highlight, I saw Girl Talk, one of my most favorite "musicians" ever. It was pretty insane. This video will just give you a very small taste of what it was like. It's just his introduction.

EDIT: Blogspot won't let me upload a video! See my Facebook page.

Ernie's

2008-10-31T08:30:00.001-07:00

Breakfast at this joint is one of my new favorite things. It is so wonderful, even though I don't eat 75% of their menu items, I saw a horse/dog while sitting outside this morning, and Noelle found a hair in her pancake. There is just something about it. Maybe it has to do with the wonderfully friendly sailor we have serving us, and often sitting down to talk to us. Maybe it has to do with the drag queen dressed up as a slutbunny (new word) at 8:45AM. Or (and I think this is the winner), it is the tradition, the autumn, and the community (sorry, I had to say it) we feel with each other when we go. Oh, and sitting outside on 31 october.

Heart it Races

2008-08-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

Oh me, oh my. It is my last night in California. Honestly, I've never been so sad and so happy about one thing in my entire life. I can't believe this awesome summer is coming to an end! I have had to say goodbye to many people and places who that I've come to love and call home; it will be so hard to leave without knowing when I'll come back. Buuut at the same time, I am so excited to go home and see the rest of my family, then head off to school again in a couple weeks! Gah! So many mixed feelings about the whole thing.
I have to say, I am so glad I made the decision to come out here this summer. The internship was, well, perfect: just what I needed for the point I'm at in my education. I met some great friends. I ate some good food. I surfed. All in all, I had an excellent summer. One more early surf tomorrow should be the perfect goodbye to this faraway place I've recently called home. This is me and my friend/housemate for part of the summer Chris Comstock. He is wonderful.

Hotel California

2008-07-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Since I'm so good at keeping this up, here it goes again.
Where do I even start? I've been living in California for almost a month and a half now. I've been working two jobs, both wonderful in their own ways. The paper is good because it's obviously great experience. I'm writing and photographing and getting to know the town. And in a way, I'm figuring out what I want to do in the future with my life. Esteem is good because it's pretty low-stress, and I might have found my calling in folding clothes. No but really, it's good, and I've made some good friends through that job. Plus, I've been able to do some outside research. That is, I am learning to surf! I cannot believe that I have never done this before. Everything about it I love. I love the wetsuit, I love the ocean, I love my surfboard. And catching a wave is just about the best feeling in the world.
Last week I was able to make some friends with the "in-crowd" of town, the fixed-gear bike scene. I'm not going to say much about it here; you're going to have to read the story I'm working on about it.
What's sad is that I have to leave in about a month.

I Might Be Wrong

2008-06-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

So I've made it through a full two weeks of living in the Golden State. I've been wicked busy, what with working two jobs and all.

The internship at the Independent is going very well. I've been writing and taking pictures, getting the all-around experience. It was a cool thing to see three of my photos and something I'd written in the paper this week. (The photo on the left is one of the members of Datarock, a concert I shot.) And I am working at Esteem Surf Shop. This is also a funny (and fun) experience. It is very easy and laid back compared to the paper, so it is just what I need. I've met some really cool people and my wardrobe (hopefully) will be ten times (quality, not quantity) what it is now.
So far, it's turning out to be a decent summer. Just let me know when you're coming to visit.

Fountains and Tramways

2008-05-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

So I have officially finished my freshman year of college. It is hard to think that this time last year, I was in CLASS at Stevenson High School. Yuck!
And I am off to California in two days. I am so ready. I have no idea what this summer holds for me; I can only hope that it will one of the best of my life.

I cannot imagine that it will be too rough.

from here you can almost see the sea

2008-05-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hooray. Finals week is upon me.
And I'm just going to say, I'm a little light-headed, so this post may not be the most clear thing I've ever written. (Hopefully not all my posts are like this.)
So, I had Spanish yesterday, which was good... it just consisted of a fifteen-minute conversation, or rather, two seven(ish)-minute conversations, with a partner in front of the teacher. We talked about censorship (first conversation topic) and marriage (second). So it was okay, and I'm glad it's over.
Today, however, was not so okay. I had a final for Spanish Civilization. At first thought, this class sounds alright. You know, okay, I like Spain, I like Spanish, I like civilization/history/culture/etc. This course was a joke. And the final? It kicked my butt. It was just a little ridiculously difficult, that is all.
And on Friday I've got the kicker: ECON! This class was killing me at first, then things got a bit better, and I figured out that if I get an A on the final I will get and A in the class! Which would be amazing obviously, because it is a difficult class.
So, all that said, it is officially the end of my freshman year of college. But, I am holding my wows, holy smokes, no ways, and goodness graciouses until Friday.
OH and happy belated Mothers' Day, Mother.

Random Question of the Day:

2008-04-11T14:40:00.001-07:00

How come Catherine does not write in her blog anymore?
(answer to come in 2 months!)
Just kidding, dear reader.
First and foremost, I apologize to the (nearly) ten of you who actually read this. (Hmmm, it is in fact you whom I consider my true friends. Funny.) I do not have a good reason for not writing in a while, besides I feel like I do not have any good thoughts. I mean, I do, but none worth sharing, I suppose. How about this: a couple photos from the last couple weeks. (And a few not from the last couple weeks.)

Ok. Here is the story: as some of you know, this is from my tutoring days with Central Detroit Christian. It's funny because these kids here are kindergartners, and I was used to dealing with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, who are much larger and MUCH sassier than these cute little kids. I was not used to being so politely asked, "Miss Catherine, will you show me what to do? Please help me, Miss Catherine." I was really thrown off.

Ok, that's it for today. Sorry to get your hopes up. I just saw this one, and it seemed like enough. Those tutoring days, by the way, were some of the best day of my life. Organizations like CDC give me a little hope for the poor poor city of Detroit.

Audience of One

2008-02-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

I saw a great film tonight: "Audience of One."
Tonight was the opening night of True/False Film Festival here in Columbia, MO, and I got a free ticket offer from a friend. So I was like, "Hey, free ticket. Why not." And boy am I glad I did not miss out on tonight's feature.
"Audience of One" is a film by Michael Jacobs, about a Pentecostal pastor in San Fransisco who feels he was called by God to make a Sci-Fi movie. After first hearing a brief synopsis such as this, you may be thinking, as I did, "Okay what else is there to it?" But that is just it. There is not much more to the story than this. The fact is, the pastor, his family, and members of his congregation who agree to make the movie with him are just so complex and CRAZY that you do not need more to the story. I'm not kidding. The movie starts right off with the idea for the film the pastor wants to make, and immediately the audience can see that it is ridiculous. And, without giving too much of the movie away, it continues and gets more and more ridiculous as it goes along. Towards the end, there is a scene at the church where the pastor is explaining a list of eight goals of the film company that they've started. And, just to give you a taste of the insanity, one of the goals is: "Produce 27 films per year." Because that's possible.
After the showing, no other than Michael Jacobs gets on stage to do a little Q & A with the audience. It was fascinating, and even refreshing, to hear his side of the story. He seemed very down to earth and pretty chill. And even though this was his first film, he seemed to know what he was doing; it was very well made. I was impressed by the position he took when it came to the possibility of exploiting these people and their religion. As one member of the audience said, it would have been so easy to take "cheap shots" and portray these characters in such a negative way. But this was not Jacobs' purpose, and I have a lot of respect for that.
Of course, I recommend this movie, but that is kind of impossible, seeing as it's not out there yet. Here is the trailer though, and be on the lookout for it. It's quite the piece of work.

Half a World Away

2008-02-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

"Security forces have launched a search for two journalists from the American television network CBS who were kidnapped at gunpoint from their hotel in the Iraqi city of Basra."
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to travel to the ends of the earth. I've wanted to document what goes on a million miles away; in the remote villages of Asia, the drug-ridden streets of Latin America, and, eventually, the war-torn countries of the Middle East. I want to see it all.
This recent awful incident, along with others like it (Daniel Pearl), however, makes me think a little bit more about my hopes and dreams. This isn't to say I don't want to travel or be a journalist anymore. But what happens, when (God-willing) I have a job, doing what I love everyday, and Mr. Boss comes up to me and says, "Catherine, please go to the most dangerous country in the world and get some good shots."? It's nothing I have an answer to, but something I am thinking about.

Untitled 01

2008-02-06T19:36:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite photographs, ever. Here's the story. (Scroll.)

Country Feedback

2008-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

This is sick.
The photos from photojournalist Scott Strazzante are compared with their counterparts from about seven years ago.
The second page of photos depicts the drastic transformation that has happened in the city of Lockport, once home to the Cagwin family. Most depict the extreme differences between the once-rural home of the Cagwins and the now-suburban home of the Grabenhofers, but some show the similarities, such as family, practical jokes, and animals.
This essay is wonderfully constructed and certainly thought-provoking ...enjoy.

I'm Not Worried At All

2008-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

(Just for the record, many [hopefully not all] of my blog post titles from now on are going to titles of songs. I was thinking, why try to be creative myself when others have already been more creative? Plus, it's just a song/post title--nothing too important/intriguing that I should be using my own material here. Hey! How about a little game? First person who guesses then comments with the artist of the song, gets a point. Then whenever you want, you can cash in your points. Then, I don't know what, but we'll go from there. So, I'll start: Moby! One point for Catherine. Oh, and no cheating, i.e. googling. I WILL know if you've cheated.)
So I was going to actually say something in this post but I'll save it, since I have a post's worth of words already here.

Apparently

2008-01-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

he died.

Barack Hussein Obama

2008-01-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama
I read this article on the plane ride back to Missouri, and I found it to be very informative one of my favorite presidential candidates.
First of all, The Atlantic is possibly my new favorite magazine. The writing is just phenomenal. I would like to see more photos, but that's me: a photojournalism student. Overall, the magazine, and this article in particular, is just excellent. This article is all about Obama, and here are just a few of my thoughts on it.
One of the more thought-provoking points in the article comes when Andrew Sullivan is discussing the uniqueness of Obama's face and the impact it in itself has on his candidacy. He is obviously different from any other president in history, in both his ethnicity and upbringing. And, when it comes to the war in Iraq, this fact may absolutely come into play. It seems ironic when Sullivan presents the situation of the young Pakistani Muslim, seeing the face of Barack Hussein Obama as "now the alleged enemy."
Secondly, the article leaves me wondering what sort of "Christian" Obama is and what sort of faith he has. Sullivan thinks it critical that Obama is not born again. But the article continues and includes an excerpt from a 2004 speech, in which Obama "described his religious conversion." Obama spoke of a choice he made: "I submitted myself to [God's] will, and dedicated myself to discovering his truth and carrying out his works." Ok...that's all well and good, but it makes me wonder if he thinks he is saved because he knows about Jesus Christ and has "affirmed [his] Christian faith." Has he actually accepted Jesus for his life? Does he love Jesus? Apparently not.
Although Obama may not have the years of experience in political office that his opponents do, I still have a lot of respect for him. I was pleasantly surprised to read that he left a comfortable upper-class East Coast career to join a community on Chicago's South Side. That, to me, shows character.
Anyway, read the article. Let me know what you think.

The Day Has Come

2008-01-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

FINALLY: my last day in the mitt.
I have been home in L-town for no less than 35, yes 35, days. The length of this holiday break is, in my opinion, a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I love to be home. I love Detroit, I love my people here, and I love almost everything about my life in Michigan. But, in a way, I have just moved on from my life here. I don't think I necessarily call Missouri home yet, but it is definitely growing on me. I've established relationships and roots that I think (I hope) will last for my life.
In saying all that, I know that Michigan will always be home. Missouri, and wherever else my life takes me, will also be home, in due time. I am SO ready to be back in Columbia, start school again, and reunite with my friends and "family" there. Maybe Mizzou makes this break so long on purpose so that we students are all hyped to be doing schoolwork again. We're all so bored and all, "Yeah, studying! Let's do it." But first, we have ANOTHER holiday off school tomorrow. So, here's to no school, ever. And here's to the one man who changed history forever.

Here I Am

2008-01-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

And so begins my journey into the blogosphere. How very exciting.
You may be wondering why on earth I am starting a blog in the first place. As I've discovered, many blogs are themed. For example, a new parent may keep a blog of the goings-on in the family, as to keep extended relatives informed; a traveling student may keep a blog about his or her studies abroad. A group of people might keep a blog about a common interest, like cats or NASCAR. Obviously, not a one of these applies to me. So, I suppose the reason behind my blogging is just to write. In the future, I plan on doing journalistical sorts of things, and these things always include writing. And you know what they say. Practice, practice practice. And apparently, when you apply for a job, they like you to have "experience," or something along those lines. So here goes.