!

!

15Jul09

I won first prize in L.A. Youth’s “Faces” contest!
I’ve never won anything for photography. Ever.
I’ve had such a terrific ego boost.

In other egotistical photo news, today I went through an old album of mine from the summer 2003, when we went to Florence & Pisa. And I have to admit, for a 9-year-old wielding a point & shoot film camera, a disproportionate amount of the pictures were halfway decent. (Maybe I’ll post some scans on Flickr or Facebook someday.)

In less egotistical photo news, yesterday I went through my photos from before going to Germany. And I’ve got to admit, they were pretty horrible. I mean, I was better when I was 9 than when I was a freshman. It’s a wonder I didn’t get abysmally discouraged. It’s a wonder I found enough good photos to go to portfolio day!

(:
Chocolate pie for everyone!

P.S. I think this is the most exclamation points I’ve ever put in anything, including any projects that I might have done in elementary school.

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strangers & secrets

12Jul09

Today I saw this secret on PostSecret:

And I realized that fundamentally, most of us are really the same. “Anonymous” websites like PostSecret or iWish or Omegle just reinforce this. The only extent in which we differ is the extent to which we will admit this fact. We all want to be heard. We want a megaphone.

That’s why blogging has taken off like it has, that’s why Web 2.0 has had such ridiculous success.

That being said, here are some more secrets that I especially relate to or just reassured me: (all from PostSecret)

I’ve been keeping a sketchbook for the past few weeks. It’s mostly watercolors & acrylic. Twenty-two entries so far; I wonder how much longer I’ll be able to keep it up. I won’t be posting anything until it’s completely done and filled up. I love it. I’ve certainly come a long way since freshman year with my drawings. And those sketches that I have so avidly promised? I’ve decided to let things happen as they come. If I haven’t posted them by now, it wasn’t meant to be.
(Then again, maybe that is just my rationalization for laziness.)

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June 2009

04Jul09

Here we go with the music.

1. “I’m Sticking With You” by The Velvet Underground
2. “Goodnight, Travel Well” by The Killers
3. “The Perfect Fit” by The Dresden Dolls
4. “Jean Travolta” by Punks
5. “Fight Of A Suburban Couple” by Smile Empty Soul
6. “Bones” by The Killers
7. “Boll Weevil” by The Presidents of the United States
8. “Endlessly, She Said” by A.F.I.
9. “The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)” by Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s
10. “Within You Without You” by The Beatles
11. “On The Run” by Pink Floyd
12. “Human” by The Killers
13. “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd
14. “Piano Concerto #2 in C Minor, Op. 18 – 2. Adagio Sostenuto” composed by Rachmaninov, performed by Lang Lang & the Marlinsky Theater Orchestra
15. “Love Is Blindness” by U2
16. “The Unforgettable Fire” by U2

Total photos taken this month: 1192.
Here are five of them, from Flickr.

Class Day // A tradition at my school where we informally bid goodbye to the seniors. Basically, a graduation ceremony for the people that can’t/won’t attend the one at night. I don’t know why these people brought a pinata. Maybe they were going to a party afterwards. Maybe the pinata symbolizes the Class of 2009 in some strange and metaphorical way. Are they full of candy and shaped like llamas? Whatever the reason, this matches extraordinarily with the dress of the girl in the background.

Graduation // I know it’s not right to give commencement addresses a month after the fact, but I feel like it’s important to come up with at least one metaphor. When the Class of 2009 graduated, I was vividly reminded of doves. No, not the holy-spirit-baptism-happy-happy-joy-love doves. Majestic birds leaving their nest for the last time (forcefully ejected? I won’t know until I’m there), ready to see their world from above. No longer will they be the grounded peacocks they once were, but instead they will soar far far above us. And the currents will knock them off course. They begin as a flock in our eyes, but slowly disintegrate into individuals. (Though of course, some of them will be closer than others.) So here’s my advice: don’t fight the current. See where it takes you. Watch out for trees and predators. And remember to always, always see the windows for the Windex.

Westchester, Colorado // We went on a trip to Colorado to see my uncle, my cousins, and my adorable nephews. Our plan was to surprise him for his birthday. This picture shows my uncle and my grandmother looking out over his neighborhood. Because my grandmother is the youngest sister in her family, she and my uncle are pretty close in age. My uncle was so surprised when he saw us, he started crying.

Downtown Boulder, CO // If I were a panhandler, this is the sign I would hold up. “Support punk, keep us drunk” is a close second. (Speaking of being drunk, you know that guy with the Hooligans hat is going to get those Straightedge tattoos removed once he turns 21.) We also saw flame jugglers and an old couple playing didgeridoos.

RIP Michael Jackson // As most of you know, Michael Jackson died the Thursday before last. A lot of people (myself included) were really, really shocked! Naturally, when I heard that he had died at UCLA hospital, my first impulse was to go and see the outpouring of love for myself, since it’s so close to where I live. By the time I got there, though, the fans had somewhat diminished, and there were more media people than actual mourners. I have to say, I was never a big fan of his. For me, he was more of a pop culture icon than a singer, which is why his death seemed so surreal. It feels strange to know that our children won’t grow up with him as we did.

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Scheduling Woes

11Jun09

Warning: Though my thoughts may seem coherent, I am actually venting/ranting.

So about a month ago, I spoke with the Schedule Coordinator (a magical warlock who lives in the dark recesses of my school) and he said that yes, I would be able to take Yearbook Production and Yoga next year. I was pleased. I would have been even more pleased if I could have taken AP Psych, but I can deal. I can study the intricacies of the human mind just as well during senior year.

In fact, I was more than pleased. I was pretty damn elated. I had been looking forward to these classes since freshman year. They are two of the most amazing classes our school has to offer, and they both seem very useful in the future. (Besides the fact that they both start with a Y, which is a strange letter to start anything with.)

And then, two weeks ago, all my hopes of a happy Junior year were dashed faster than most people can say Yoknapatawpha County. The Master Schedule (made by said magical warlock) decrees that I am in Physical Fitness and Intermediate Drawing & Painting. Physical Fitness? No. This body was not made for running pointlessly on treadmills (or any running, for that matter) or lifting ridiculous weights. And, don’t get me wrong, I like Drawing & Painting and all, but all the work they do in Intermediate just seems like busywork (except the furniture project, which seems like a month of absolute hell).

Being the spunky munchkin that I am, I emailed the magical warlock and asked him why. Why have you put me in these classes which may be absolutely disastrous to my sanity? Why, Mr. Warlock, why?

And he replied the Yearbook had been moved from exclusively Period 1 to exclusively Period 6. This makes no sense whatsoever and I am certain that the “coordinator” (teacher) of the Yearbook has not had any part in these decisions. Why? Because she told me that Yearbook often meets before school to hash out some things. Something is fishy. And I’m allergic to fish. I think the real reason they did it was so that they could have six periods of Introduction to Drawing & Painting. This means that the incoming freshmen signed up for that class in disproportionately large numbers. Now, this might be because the drama teacher cannot teach so many periods since she is expecting. Or it might be that the incoming freshmen are really, really interested in art after seeing the amazing art show that we put on. Or it might be that the class of 2013 is disproportionately large.

Whatever the motives behind the decision, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place: I can either take Yearbook but risk the wrath of the Honors Spanish III teacher, who will be angry that I petitioned for the class and then dropped it. This is bolded on the petition form: if the petition is accepted, you MUST take the class. You don’t mess with the petition form. Or I can drop Yearbook and put it off until Senior year. But that’s impossible, because I already have my entire Senior year schedule filled up.

The same thing happened last year. I was supposed to take Honors Spanish II, but no, the magical warlock told me that I couldn’t take both Honors Spanish II and AP Euro. It would be impossible and mess with the laws of space and time.

I hate this.

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Lists (May)

02Jun09

Apparently, the only way I know how to deal with things are to put them in lists.

Playlist:

1. “Creep” by Amanda Palmer
2. “Le Garage” by The Futureheads
3. “Clark Gable” by The Postal Service
4. “Change Your Mind” by the Killers
5. “Was It A Dream?” by 30 Seconds To Mars
6. “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel
7. “California’s Lonely” by Smile Empty Soul
8. “Stuart and the Ave.” by Green Day
9. “Romance” by My Chemical Romance
10. “Le Moulin” by Yann Tiersen
11. “Words I Might Have Ate” by Green Day
12. “Oh, Goddamnit” by Hot Hot Heat

I’m selling some books on Amazon, if you’re interested! This is both to free up space in my room and get me some pocket change.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I’ve decided to go in a completely different direction from my original idea for my portfolio website. That is, minimalism triumphed. However, this ultimately means I will have to start almost completely fresh.

Also, there will be no design section in the new website section. Just photography. This is because I don’t have enough good design or traditional pieces to balance out all the photographs. Maybe in the future.

I am the new co-historian of the Math & Science Club. However, if Photo Club actually comes to fruition, then I will of course run for board on that and quit M & S board.

And as for this summer? God, I don’t know. I have so many things planned, I don’t think I’ll be able to accomplish them all.

• Scan everything that needs scanning
• Plan/put together a photo book (for portfolio day/college)
• Get my learners’ permit
• Finish writing a play that I’ve been working on
• Paint something every day
• Summer school
• Daunting summer reading
• Learn songs for Gold Seal Certificate (a 30-minute solo piano recital)
• Multiple Personalities
• Learn more about studio photography (this is one area where I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing)
• Large Scale Mixed Media class (which started this weekend)

Here are some highlights of May (from Flickr):

Cheers.

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April

09May09

I’m making a mix CD for each month. April 2009:

1. “Another Year” by Amanda Palmer
2. “The Music Of The Night” by Michael Crawford (Phantom of the Opera soundtrack)
3. “Beautiful Disaster” by Kelly Clarkson
4. “First Orgasm” by The Dresden Dolls
5. “Roulette” by System of a Down
6. “Think Of Me” by Sarah Brightman (also from POTO soundtrack)
7. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by The Punks
8. “Walking Alone” by Green Day
9. “Coin-Operated Boy” by The Dresden Dolls
10. “Gymnopédies No. 1″ by Satie (that’s the composer, I have no idea who performed it)
11. “Man Ray” by The Futureheads
12. “Clean” by Depeche Mode

I got this idea from a secret I read about a month ago on PostSecret which told about how a person liked to put CDs in strangers’ mailboxes. So maybe that’s what I’ll do with these.

I took the AP European History exam yesterday. Finally, we are done with it. I don’t feel all that confident about it, but I don’t feel completely crushed. I think I got a 3. Even if I don’t get college credit, it was worth the experience. I wouldn’t mind taking it again in college.

Now I have time for art, poetry, music, photos, philosophy, cooking…
I feel like I’ve got the world at my feet.
(As soon as I get over this cold.)

I had my first recital in forever a week ago. I’m having my second recital in forever next week.
I hate those “young musician” recitals. It always feels like a competition, and there are always precocious 9-year-olds with their Level IIX pieces even though they can barely reach an octave.

I’m so psyched for With The Needle That Sings in Her Heart today!

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Vertigo

13Apr09

Poem in the style of Sylvia Plath:

Come one, come all!
The world is a six-ring circus
We are all fools.
The friction chafes
The soles of my naked feet.

I balance them all:
Plutocrats and polynomials,
Pastels and pluperfect tenses.
I am Atlas, gradually replaced
By the Global Positioning System.

Wobbling towards an indeterminate goal
I have no stability since World War Two
Because I am
Neither Rosie R. nor Martha Stew.
I must be defective.

No one ever taught me
And so I never learned
How to topple empires
How to paint my face,
But I can dissolve from within

And leave my empty shell behind
Like a fossil.
Ha! They expect me to keep
Poised and calm while their cold
Eyes roll up my skirt.

Should I give up and leap
Into that sea of nameless faces
And faceless names? No—
I am too afraid of drowning in obscurity.
I am Icarus; I have no wings.

Out of the ocean below a face surfaces
Made of perfectly smooth, lucid
Marble, buoyed by calculus and my own callowness.
I know it well
It is burned into my retinas.

The feeling is not mutual—
He is an amnesiac.
Proof that after five years I am still
Impulsive; irrational; free radical
Volatile like Radon and just as noble.

Yes, I must be defective.

Web presence

I haven’t been as active as usual around here.

I’ve decided to make an actual portfolio website.
It looks really spiffy… lightboxes galore :)
I don’t know what I’m going to do with this one yet.

I have a Flickr now, in case anybody’s interested.
It has a plethora of photos for your viewing pleasure.

Maybe the rejections will go on Flickr, while all the sketches and brainspew will find their home here.
Yes, that sounds like a good idea.

I have been using the Greasemonkey extension far too much. It is ridiculous.

I am back on Facebook in spite of myself.

Life & school

Life is good. I am trying to learn German via a free online course. I figure it’ll be useful… someday…

I am currently on break but hideously behind on AP Euro.

The Author Project is over! I have killed it and packaged it nicely in an operation box. When I get it back, there might be pictures in it for you.

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Campaign Poster (draft)

22Mar09

I’m running for historian.

Critique, please?

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March/February

20Mar09

I’m writing one post for two months because nothing really important happened, besides about three existential crises.

Current/Future Events

I saw a student film about a boy who replaced his typewriter with a computer and then the typewriter became jealous because it was madly in love with him so it kept sending him messages and ultimately tried to eat him and then he made peace with it by promising to use the typewriter on weekends and Fridays. Sometimes I feel like the typewriter, and sometimes I feel like the boy, and sometimes I feel like the computer.

Student films always make me want to make student films. Mine would be about performance artists who use tone rather than words to communicate. They would be saying something like, “Ice kite wear” but they’d be able to know through their tone of voice and the vowels that they really meant, “I’ve missed you.” At the beginning the audience would need subtitles, but gradually they would become used to it. It would be beautiful.

It’s happening again. Have you noticed too?

It happened with the Germans and the Japanese during WWII and with the Russians during the Cold War. Now it’s happening with the Muslims.
I have noticed for a while, but I haven’t been sure until a couple of days ago when they were talking (on NPR) about the first American to blow himself up.

I’m going to give up on men completely. I will go ahead and move to some remote Oceanic island to become a hermit.
Or become a photographer for National Geographic and travel to remote places and disconnect myself from everybody except complete strangers who will never meet me.
Or a Buddhist monk. But I’d have to commit myself to Buddhism first.
A mime, perhaps?

Art

I actually know how to paint now. I really wish my art teacher would give me back my work, but until then you’ll have to wait. All I’ve got now is “Careers in Art,” which was my first time working with acrylics and turned out looking like somebody defecated on the paper.

Also then I will post my amazing charcoal and my slightly less amazing but still impressive pencil shading.

I have taken a photography class. It didn’t teach me much, but it got me to get out and start taking photos on more of a regular basis. (Those will be up soon too.)

I am going to let those sketches ripen for a while before I upload them. I’ll at least wait until I’ve finished my sketchbook. However, the ones from my notes might be more tangible, since I need to put the notes back in my Large Binder of All Things Sophmoric to study for finals.

Opinions, please

I’m considering making a separate website for my portfolio and just leave the wordpress up for occassional sketches and rejected photos and random musings about Life. What do you think? My HTML/CSS skills are decent, and I can make lightboxes like nobody’s business.

Also, I’m considering watermarking my photos myself. It would probably be something like this and it would mean I can finally show the world the full-size version. Thoughts?

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0410

20Mar09

Hollywood, CA | Spring 2008

Thumbs down.
The direct sunlight hurts my eyes, and the composition does absolutely nothing to help alleviate the pain.

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