1.03.2009
Joy
About a month or so ago I got tagged twice to do a whole post about things that give me joy. I don't have much time before my flight from Lima to Cusco leaves, but I was thinking this morning about the joy I get from traveling and exploring. I've felt very much in my element the past few days. It's been a great combination of being surounded by people I know, people I've never met but who have become fast friends (even if a few of them are Jayhawks), and the anticipation of setting out on my own for a little trekking around Machu Picchu. I feel so invigorated on this trip, even as I'm exhausted by all the salsa dancing and pisco shots. Pictures TK.
12.25.2008
12.24.2008
11.27.2008
Election Reflection
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| From Election Night 2008 |
I’m a bit delayed with this post. Then again, what better time to discuss the election outcome than on the day designed for the whole nation to take time to give thanks?
I vividly remember where I was when Barrack Obama first entered the national stage. It was just a couple days before my mom and I moved to Arizona to join my dad. We were in a neighbor’s living room to watch that night's Democratic National Convention speeches, and I was standing toward the back of the room. I remember being enraptured by his keynote speech, his presence on that stage. (Watch that speech in full here.) A year later, when Obama came to Tempe to stump for Senate candidate Jim Pederson, I knew I had to be there. The crowd seemed huge then (read my account here), but by the standards he set this past election, it was downright intimate, and I was able to press my way to the front to shake his hand and say, “Thank you for all your hard work, Senator.” Five years ago I wrote up a list of things I want to do before I die (a “bucket list” before they were called that), and near the top of the list is “Meet the President”. I’m half-tempted to check that off thanks to my fleeting connection with our now President-Elect, but I have a greater hope that our brief contact is only a foretaste of a future meeting.
A girl can hope, right?
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| From Election Night 2008 |
On election night, I had a few friends over to watch the results roll in. When the election was called in favor of Obama, I expected the tears to flow like they had when I watched Michelle Obama speak at this year’s convention, like they had when Barrack graciously accepted the nomination. But somehow the tears didn’t come this time. I think by then it felt so natural, he looked so Presidential, the tears seemed better fitting for Jesse Jackson and Oprah. The only thing that flowed at our watch party was the bubbly, and that was quite sufficient.
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| From Election Night 2008 |
In short, on this day of Thanksgiving, I add this to my list of things for which I am grateful:
I am thankful for the inspiration Barrack Obama has brought to our country.
PS - I'm also very thankful for my sister, Ally, whose birthday is today! Love ya, Sis!
11.10.2008
Slowly catching up
I'm going to try to catch up over the next few days with pictures and thoughts from the past month or two. First, a couple pictures from Megan & Jon's visit:
Real men drink strawberry milkshakes
Megan!
We had fun
Real men drink strawberry milkshakes
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| From Megan & Jon Visit Phoenix |
Megan!
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| From Megan & Jon Visit Phoenix |
We had fun
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| From Megan & Jon Visit Phoenix |
10.17.2008
10.11.2008
Recent snapshots
Megan and Jon get into town tomorrow (today, I guess). Hijinx will ensue. In the meantime, enjoy these pics from scattered events throughout the end of summer/beginning of fall.
Viviane might be up to something here...
Melissa gets some lovin' from Max, the newest pup in town
Trying to play with Max & Bandit. They were probably too busy nipping at each other to pay Viviane much attention.
A client's kitty.
I love this shot of Juma.
Downtown Phoenix can be simply beautiful on the rare day that there's no brown cloud
Juma again
Viviane might be up to something here...
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
Melissa gets some lovin' from Max, the newest pup in town
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
Trying to play with Max & Bandit. They were probably too busy nipping at each other to pay Viviane much attention.
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
A client's kitty.
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
I love this shot of Juma.
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
Downtown Phoenix can be simply beautiful on the rare day that there's no brown cloud
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
Juma again
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| From General Arizona Fun 2008 |
10.05.2008
CoMo Photos
Finally, here's a few more pics from Columbia. Link to the albums is at the end. Enjoy!
Indulging in a Missouri staple: Toasted Ravioli!
I did a lot of walking in these shoes to, from and around campus. Gotta love a pair of comfy AND stylish kicks!
I spotted Margaret!
Matt can't say no to classic stadium food
Group shot
Truman!
Indulging in a Missouri staple: Toasted Ravioli!
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| From Return to Mizzou |
I did a lot of walking in these shoes to, from and around campus. Gotta love a pair of comfy AND stylish kicks!
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| From Return to Mizzou |
I spotted Margaret!
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| From Tiger Game Day (vs. Univ. Nevada) |
Matt can't say no to classic stadium food
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| From Tiger Game Day (vs. Univ. Nevada) |
Group shot
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| From Tiger Game Day (vs. Univ. Nevada) |
Truman!
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| From Tiger Game Day (vs. Univ. Nevada) |
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| Return to Mizzou |
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| Tiger Game Day (vs. Univ. Nevada) |
9.24.2008
Old Missouri, Fair Missouri
Here are a few more teaser pics. Hopefully Friday I'll get the rest uploaded to write out some captions. In the meantime, enjoy!
Shakey's! Please ignore the silly expression on my face. I was in frozen custard bliss right then.
Dan snaps a shot of Matt & Elise in one of the amazing new RJI rooms.
Trying to look cute. It's amazing how many practice shots it took until I got something decent.
This one's for Pat.
Good ol' Lee Hills Hall.
My freshman year dorm room. This is where it all began.
Dinner with the Daugherties!
The new Mizzou Arena
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| From Return to Mizzou |
Shakey's! Please ignore the silly expression on my face. I was in frozen custard bliss right then.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
Dan snaps a shot of Matt & Elise in one of the amazing new RJI rooms.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
Trying to look cute. It's amazing how many practice shots it took until I got something decent.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
This one's for Pat.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
Good ol' Lee Hills Hall.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
My freshman year dorm room. This is where it all began.
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| From Return to Mizzou |
Dinner with the Daugherties!
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| From Return to Mizzou |
The new Mizzou Arena
9.15.2008
My visit to Missouri for the MU School of Journalism Centennial in Bullet Points
Thoughts, reactions and commentary in bite-sized chunks. Convergence-style! [picture album TK]
Signs I’d Arrived in Missouri/on the Mizzou Campus:
+ The potholes that were there when I left 4 years ago were still there…and had grown in size.
+ Rain lasted longer than 15 minutes.
+ Banners for Boulevard served as wallpaper in the local bars.
+ Half the business establishments had “Tiger” in their names.
+ Coeds were wearing flip-flops, jeans and t-shirts instead of high heels, miniskirts and tube tops on campus. [see: Arizona State campus]
+ The trees were tall! And green!
+ There was significantly more community support for the local Cardinals.
Terp talks about his fondest J-School memories
What’s Remained the Same:
+ You can’t cross campus without being diverted by construction blocking your path somewhere.
+ The J-School still enjoys patting itself on the back (and rightfully so, of course). =)
+ Nothing beats toasted ravioli as an appetizer.
+ The red washcloths used as napkins at Shakespeare’s Pizza are still way better than paper napkins.
+ The Shakey’s on the north side of town still has the “y” in their name!
+ The joy of rivalry when a communal roar erupted downtown CoMo (I still feel weird trying to call it The District) when South Florida made the field goal in the final seconds against kU.
+ Lee Hills Hall still smells like stressed students, newsprint and overworked computers, and the hallway that has the bathrooms at the Artisan still smells like the building where I went to dance class throughout my elementary years.
+ There are way more eager student journalists than there is news to cover.
+ Johnny’s presence is still felt in FARC.
3-minute tour of the Reynolds Journalism Institute. You've gotta check this place out!
What’s Changed:
+ They have Macs!
+ And flat-screen TVs! Everywhere on campus, but in particular in the J-School.
+ The new Reynolds Journalism Institute has a coffee and sandwich shop.
+ The main lecture hall in the RJI has two outlets and an Ethernet plugin for every seat, very comfy chairs and a skylight.
+ McDavid has A/C and conspicuously lacks a computer lab (who needs a lab when all the students have laptops?). Students enter their dorm rooms using a magnetic card rather than a metal key.
+ The national park-style signs outside each building on campus have been replaced with fancy metal ones.
+ “Save the Ground. Walk Around” signs on the Quad are missing!
+ Students oh-so-disrespectfully talk, laugh and shout while passing through the Memorial Union archway. Kids these days!
+ The Missourian newsroom is painted green and has a “Convergence” desk, the function of which was never really explained to Dan and me.
+ The J-School library looks like a hip place to hang out. However did they manage that?!?!
+ D@rwin Hindm@n still has big ears.
Don Ranly talks about his favorite J-School memories
Highlights from the Conference:
+ Truman rappelling from the ceiling of the Mizzou Arena during the opening ceremony.
+ “It’s hard to change. Change is a bitch.” –John Byrne of BusinessWeek.com
+ The big buzz words: aggregation, context, iPhone, crowd-sourcing, widgets, horizontal (as in content, advertising and planning), mobile, simplicity, loyalty.
+ Journalists/editors should think of themselves as the curator of news and information.
+ The tenants of journalism as outlined by the great Walter Williams in the Journalist's Creed aren’t what’s the matter with media today. Rather, the advertising model that has worked for over a century needs fixing.
+ The more specialized you are, the more protected you are from advertising cuts.
+ More and more journalism is going to be done by freelancers rather the news outlets themselves [see editor as curator above]. My concern is that if this is true, then the J-School needs to go beyond teaching students how to compile sources, write a great story and work with editors on fine-tuning their pieces. The school needs to start teaching their graduates how to write a winning pitch, handle their taxes, find health coverage and set up a personal 401(k).
+ Debate over the phrase: “Context, not content, is king.”
+ Dean Dean semi-jokingly extended Mayor Hindm@n the title of adjunct professor for all that he’s taught student reporters in his city government offices. Pay for his new position will be the same he’s been receiving. =)
+ Apparently there’s talk about phasing out the brand-new convergence sequence and instead incorporating the lessons taught in those classes into every sequence.
+ Overall excitement for all the opportunities now awaiting the media as technology grows in leaps and bounds…as long as the industry stalwarts don’t dwell on the past.
 |
| From Return to Mizzou |
Signs I’d Arrived in Missouri/on the Mizzou Campus:
+ The potholes that were there when I left 4 years ago were still there…and had grown in size.
+ Rain lasted longer than 15 minutes.
+ Banners for Boulevard served as wallpaper in the local bars.
+ Half the business establishments had “Tiger” in their names.
+ Coeds were wearing flip-flops, jeans and t-shirts instead of high heels, miniskirts and tube tops on campus. [see: Arizona State campus]
+ The trees were tall! And green!
+ There was significantly more community support for the local Cardinals.
Terp talks about his fondest J-School memories
What’s Remained the Same:
+ You can’t cross campus without being diverted by construction blocking your path somewhere.
+ The J-School still enjoys patting itself on the back (and rightfully so, of course). =)
+ Nothing beats toasted ravioli as an appetizer.
+ The red washcloths used as napkins at Shakespeare’s Pizza are still way better than paper napkins.
+ The Shakey’s on the north side of town still has the “y” in their name!
+ The joy of rivalry when a communal roar erupted downtown CoMo (I still feel weird trying to call it The District) when South Florida made the field goal in the final seconds against kU.
+ Lee Hills Hall still smells like stressed students, newsprint and overworked computers, and the hallway that has the bathrooms at the Artisan still smells like the building where I went to dance class throughout my elementary years.
+ There are way more eager student journalists than there is news to cover.
+ Johnny’s presence is still felt in FARC.
3-minute tour of the Reynolds Journalism Institute. You've gotta check this place out!
What’s Changed:
+ They have Macs!
+ And flat-screen TVs! Everywhere on campus, but in particular in the J-School.
+ The new Reynolds Journalism Institute has a coffee and sandwich shop.
+ The main lecture hall in the RJI has two outlets and an Ethernet plugin for every seat, very comfy chairs and a skylight.
+ McDavid has A/C and conspicuously lacks a computer lab (who needs a lab when all the students have laptops?). Students enter their dorm rooms using a magnetic card rather than a metal key.
+ The national park-style signs outside each building on campus have been replaced with fancy metal ones.
+ “Save the Ground. Walk Around” signs on the Quad are missing!
+ Students oh-so-disrespectfully talk, laugh and shout while passing through the Memorial Union archway. Kids these days!
+ The Missourian newsroom is painted green and has a “Convergence” desk, the function of which was never really explained to Dan and me.
+ The J-School library looks like a hip place to hang out. However did they manage that?!?!
+ D@rwin Hindm@n still has big ears.
Don Ranly talks about his favorite J-School memories
Highlights from the Conference:
+ Truman rappelling from the ceiling of the Mizzou Arena during the opening ceremony.
+ “It’s hard to change. Change is a bitch.” –John Byrne of BusinessWeek.com
+ The big buzz words: aggregation, context, iPhone, crowd-sourcing, widgets, horizontal (as in content, advertising and planning), mobile, simplicity, loyalty.
+ Journalists/editors should think of themselves as the curator of news and information.
+ The tenants of journalism as outlined by the great Walter Williams in the Journalist's Creed aren’t what’s the matter with media today. Rather, the advertising model that has worked for over a century needs fixing.
+ The more specialized you are, the more protected you are from advertising cuts.
+ More and more journalism is going to be done by freelancers rather the news outlets themselves [see editor as curator above]. My concern is that if this is true, then the J-School needs to go beyond teaching students how to compile sources, write a great story and work with editors on fine-tuning their pieces. The school needs to start teaching their graduates how to write a winning pitch, handle their taxes, find health coverage and set up a personal 401(k).
+ Debate over the phrase: “Context, not content, is king.”
+ Dean Dean semi-jokingly extended Mayor Hindm@n the title of adjunct professor for all that he’s taught student reporters in his city government offices. Pay for his new position will be the same he’s been receiving. =)
+ Apparently there’s talk about phasing out the brand-new convergence sequence and instead incorporating the lessons taught in those classes into every sequence.
+ Overall excitement for all the opportunities now awaiting the media as technology grows in leaps and bounds…as long as the industry stalwarts don’t dwell on the past.
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