Glasses

It's October here at UoP, and midterms are over for me. I am very happy with my scores so far. Now to keep the energy up for the second half. οἴμοι. Registration for next semester will happen next week. I know what classes I need to take--but at this point, there are so many I want to take that it's hard to narrow it down. I'm fairly certain I will have: Content Engineering, History of the English Language, Meaning of Life, Masterpieces of World Literature, Cross-Cultural Training (study abroad preparation). I would love to add either Greek II or Kung Fu. I'll have to decide about getting an 18+ units petition. I'm not sure I can handle it in addition to work, or if it will cost more. θεωρητιον.

I'm considering going to Florence or Rome, Italy or London or Reading, England for the fall semester next year. Trying to a get a head start on the process, so I've recently begun the application process. All of these locations have classes that will potentially be useful for my career path. Hopefully I will find ways to narrow my options in the next few months.

Lastly, it's been a little difficult to read powerpoint presentations/class notes lately. So I got my eyes check. Sadly the 20/20 vision is no more. >< But, I've always said I liked glasses, so it's going to be fun. I'm farsighted, 20/40 now. I suppose I should have expected it, with the eyes in my family. After wandering around the doctor's office for a while, I settled on some DKNY frames.

I can always change them in a few years.

I certainly am content here. Hopefully I'll be able to do a little more recording along with the living. I don't want to forget any moment of this. Continue reading →

Midterms

Wow. It's been a while since I wrote to you.

A lot has happened in a month. This school has offered me a lot of opportunity, and I'm still in the process of taking advantage. Two weeks into school I was offered a job at the Wellness Center, where I do social media and marketing things. Mostly I do design and research. Recently I found out about two school publications which I am going to do my best to be involved with, Calliope and the Pacifican.

I've also been given the chance to go to London during spring break; we would visit Oxford and Stonehenge and Bath and many other places. It all sounds very exciting. That, and studying abroad next year. I've wanted to leave the US for quite a few years now. Finally I will begin to have the chance. There are so many beautiful things in this world.

My professors here are wonderful and personable. They each have their own senses of humor, and plenty of wisdom to share. The relationship between students and teachers here is different than I have previously experienced. I'm quite enjoying it. Already I have the feeling that I will leave this place with good connections to my mentors, without having to labor for it.

I'm in a good place, learning good things. The good people are in progress. X) Ah.

I will try and write more often, because this is a little ridiculous.

"Στα βάθη του χειμώνα, ανακάλυψα μέσα μου ένα αήττητο καλοκαίρι." Continue reading →

Hello School

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Weekend in Portland

Some scenes from last weekend's trip through Oregon. We spent two days in the Portland area visiting Lan Su Gardens, Powell's Books, Voodoo Donuts, Multnomah Falls, and a few wonderful restaurants(I heartily recommend Santeria and Mama Mia's). Also while we were there, Josh proposed to Catie, who promptly said 'Yes'. :)  In Powell's I picked up a book of Wilfred Owen's poetry, "The Social Contract", a small collection of Oscar Wilde's poetry and Ursula LeGuin's "Four Ways to Forgiveness".

Sadly I don't have any video of our adventure on the dunes in Coo's Bay, dinner with Josh's grandma in Lakeside or our trip down the river and subsequent beach activities in Grant's Pass.

Coo's was interesting. It had been a damp day and the sand wasn't in the best condition for quads. We spent a lot of our time stuck on hillsides, but it was still a good experience. Directly after that we had dinner in a local pub with grandma, which was delicious.

On the last day we headed down the river on a 10 foot raft. I learned that I can spend a large amount of mostly-idle time with these three and still be at ease; something that does not come easily to me. On the beach we skipped rocks (or tried) and played with the creatures we found around the rocks. There may have also been some stick fighting involved, which is probably the thing I from which I most wish I had video.

We spent a good 24 hours in a small car, singing and laughing and sleeping and talking. Time well spent.

Thanks to Josh, Catie and Adam for being great friends, company and adventurers. Hopefully we will have many more trips in this vein. :D
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Half Dome Hike

Best friend Kaitlyn, brother-in-law Nathan and I headed to Yosemite National Park at 3 AM to hike 16.4+ miles to the top of Half Dome. As it was my first time, I figured I should make record of it. :) Definitely one for the bucket list.

We started out that morning on the Mist Trail, going past Vernal and Nevada falls. From there we went on the Half Dome trail through Little Yosemite Valley. Close to an hour was spent 8000+ feet up on the top of Half Dome. Really amazing. Originally we had planned to take the John Muir trail on the return hike. However, sore feet and urgency brought us to simply hurry back down the Mist Trail. Probably not the best choice, but it got us the short return trip we wanted. X) This is a very long, exhausting hike to accomplish in a single day--but well worth it!

The majority of this was filmed on my Nikon, with some shots from Nathan's camera.
Follow along on: http://twitter.com/Laurmott  Thanks for watching! Continue reading →

Use Skill: Choose University

It's official. I'm attending UoP in the fall! Very ecstatic about this. Subsequently after first visiting the campus, I aspired to get into this school. Nevertheless, financially it was impractical. God works miracles, though. Don't forget. Through avenues that I never expected, He made it possible. To be honest, it has been some time since I was aware of God coming through in a large way. The jokester--a day before the deadline it looked like a definite 'no', by which I was crushed (irrationally). The day of, however, it suddenly became very possible. Teach me to have a little more faith, why doesn't He.

The campus aesthetically blends with who I am. I have loved just walking around the times I've visited, not to mention joy of the library. The students are so kind and full of leadership (rub off on me, please), and wonderfully nerdy. Yes, there is a Harry Potter club. Yes, they do play Quidditch on the lawn. From what I've read, class sizes are relatively small. Hopefully this will grow my confidence when it comes to class discussions. That has always been a problem for me. The professors in the English department have written me personally, and seem incredibly helpful and caring. Inconceivable, how blessed this makes me feel.

Excitement. So. That is what I wanted to tell you about. Starting August I will be describing episodes from this place more frequently, for sure. I'm taking things as they come, and enjoying every minute. This year has truly been great thus far.

Summer Plans

• Get another/better job
• Return to Youtube. >_>
• Take more pictures, see more friends
• Write a children's story
• ...

Any suggestions? Continue reading →

FINISHED.

Early Morning Thumbs Up!

...For now. This Friday I finished my last semester at my community college with a 3.95 GPA and two years on the Dean's List. Although it is boastful, it is likely the accomplishment I feel most proud of so far. It feels great to write down. I met so many awesome professors and friends during my time here. Somewhere along the way, I moved out of child mode and started to become who I am as an adult. MJC will always be a significant place in my memory. Community college allowed me to do a lot more than I would have been capable of otherwise. Moving on is exciting, still.

In the fall, I will be transferring to a four-year university as a Junior. (!) I've been accepted to a few schools so far, and I'm fairly sure I know which one I will be attending. More about that later though.

Congratulations to my graduating/transferring classmates at JC. We're advancing to awesomeness. :D Continue reading →

humans

This semester is truly wonderful. Although I've run into a handful of irksome individuals, the majority of the people I've met and worked with are intellectual, interesting characters. Basically, I'm very glad to welcome them into my little story. Let's get a little personal. I kicked off this year feeling lonely and friendless--not that I didn't have any friends, but they had all moved away. Unfortunately, being a very internal person it is difficult reaching out to others or venting. I lacked belonging.

The good part: almost every class for which I registered introduced me to some awesome people. :D To all of you who are now friends, thank you for being amazing and encouraging and intellectually stimulating. Hah! You are all so kind and funny. Rarely have I felt so in tune with a group. I hope we can go on to create some great things.

And of course, to the friends that have stuck by me all these years: thank you. You bring me a lot of joy, and no matter the distance or time between us, you will always be very near my heart and thoughts. :)

Anyway, this is a weird little note/blog. I got home tonight from a new job and was feeling especially blessed. 

Goodnight world. Continue reading →

slam poets

I have neglected to update for a while, so I will tell you what I've been doing.

Tonight my brother was talking to me about poetry. He had an assignment to write a short narrative piece and was having a hard time deciding what to do. As a rule, he does not like or understand what he calls 'English major' poetry. Occasionally after one of my literature classes I'll have him read what we've been studying; I think I've subjected him to some T. S. Eliot and Hart Crane. We've argued (or rather, discussed) differing opinions on the worth of work like theirs. Earlier I made him read a few Shakespeare sonnets and a Robert Frost piece called 'Stars' so he could understand something about different forms and et cetera. He ended up writing about a sailor in old spain. After, I youtube'd up some of my favorite slam poets--Taylor Mali, Katie Makkai--to show him that not all poetry lies in that box of stuff he doesn't like. He really liked Mali.

I love it when these poets get fired up and in the moment with their work. They're brilliant. Even the hard-to-get poems come to life in a good slam poet. There is just a vibrance of emotion that comes across, and a meaning communicated that otherwise escapes. 

I am just here to share a little bit of what I love. Enjoy. :)

(Slight language warning)

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Book Review: The Lathe of Heaven

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Amazing

Something--or rather someone--really cool happened this morning! A best friend of mine had her first baby! His name is Steven, and he was born 21 in long and weighing 8.1 lbs. Look at his cute little cheeks. :D Congratulations to his parents! You two are going to be so good for this little guy.

When I woke up this morning for school I got the news. The baby idea had been a bit abstract before today. But now that he's actually here, the thought that a new life just started... Life is brilliant. I can't even begin to comprehend the miracle that is a new soul in the world. God made something pretty amazing. 

We're all moving into a new stage of life, gradually, one at a time. My mind is truly blown. The future. Wow. 

Well, that's all I had to say today. I can't wait to meet this little guy. :D Except I'm not so good with babies. Oops.

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Public higher education on its last breath?

Last year there was a huge uproar at my school and all through the state. The community college system (as well as the UC's and CSU's) took budget cuts of couple million dollars. Of course, the first things to go were teachers, programs--we even lost whole departments at my school. This year it is coming again: another 4 Million needs to be dropped from our budget for this fall.

Now, everyone gets it. Times are hard. However, a lot of the frustration and bad blood between students and directors has been justified. Why? Our administrators are making close to $150,000 a year salary. That's pretty close to the salary of our state governor.

Last year we dropped journalism, anthropology, recording arts and film. Teachers across all subjects were 'let go'. We lost a single dean, and a few administrative employees. And these higher-ups? Took a hit for us of about $1000 dollars from their salary. They now make approximately $149000. All of this, while they are currently constructing a new technology department, a new science building, a new agriculture building, and a new parking lot. (But the about-four-year-old recording and film departments are standing empty.)

I seriously hope I can find some way to afford a private education when I transfer out of here. There are entire groups of students in my classes that had to pick a new major because of all of this--some of them were almost done, too. Priorities definitely need to be reordered around here. Or at least we need to find  budgeters that can actually do their job. Not all of our schools are in this mess. There are some SoCal schools just like mine who have been contacted this year to comment on their budget. They're doing just fine. Even had a surplus. What's wrong CA?

If you want to know specific numbers, here's an article from a newspaper in YCCD district: YCCD bracing for more deep cuts Continue reading →

translation?

It is interesting to look back at old posts and videos and see myself in the past. I wonder how I was that young, or so changeable. Is this an oscillation that I go through or am I really growing? I won't be able to tell at this point for another year or so, and what happens then?

Some day I'm going to sit down with a psychologist. There are so many things about myself that I don't understand the reasons for. I want to ask someone who knows what qualities are usual and which ones are not. I've always suspected..

I'm still learning myself. I don't think I'll ever be done.

Posts like this crop up when I've spent weekends sick. Never mind me. Continue reading →

Weekend in Reno

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Jury Duty

So this week, the judicial system decided to repossess my life and command me as it pleased. In other words, I got picked to be (sorry, serve) on a jury.

I’ve spent the past three days being more bored than I can remember in recent history. Having never done this before, I can’t say for sure, but I have never met a more repetitive group of people in my short life.
Could the lawyers have asked the same questions any more often than they did? The count was pushing the bounds on infinity, so I highly doubt it.

And some of the witnesses called—I mean really? You call this a character witness? The blatant pathological manipulation on the part of the defense attorney made me want to laugh. Unfortunately, I’m very sure that it worked on some of my fellow jurors. His opening statement was delivered with a large projected picture of an injury behind him. He raised his voice, stalked around. I thought “Here we go.”

And we did go.

California, you fail. Get better lawyers on your payroll, please. If I have to miss school and work, I’d like to at least be either impressed or interested in the proceedings. Continue reading →

Vlog: School + F21/H&M Mini Haul

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Bad Teachers

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Reboot Spock?

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Whats in my bag - Nerd Version

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"Golden Fool" by Robin Hobb - My Favorite Book

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