Thursday 29 January 2009

Networking, blogging, twitter, feedcat, websites

I am being forced to conform to the new world of technology, and to be honest I am not that impressed. If anybody actually looked at any of this (blog, website etc.), who was of professional importance, maybe I would be more convinced, but at the moment I can’t see how it can do anything for me professionally!

My friend, Sam (who is following this blog) is a techy, and she has sometimes said to me, when I don’t know about something technological, ‘What? I can’t believe you don’t know …..’, and I have always replied that I am bookish. I took English Literature – you didn’t need technology, but now I do, and it hasn’t impressed me so far – probably because I still don’t understand it.

You see, today we had a session on blogging, and I am trying to come to grips with it. Also, this week I have been working a bit on my Venezuela feature ‘Controlled Currency’, which still needs work. I always do it to myself – pick something too complicated for my frivolous and fancy free mind. I am starting one on construction companies going bust starting off with my home town Newquay, as it is quite an extreme case. Lots of flats started getting built for posh, rich, London surfers (f**k off!!! - Joking). Last year the Guardian said how it was booming, as (my friend actually) sold a place for a lot of £££££’s to be changed into posh flats and it used to be a shitty backpackers - with skint surfers (ah those were the days…).

Excited about work experience at Now magazine – exciting opportunity. Also Wed is coming up, which will be fun, and interesting. The editor of Wed launched the magazine herself, so it will be great to talk to her.

I went to watch ‘The Life and Works of Hunter S. Thompson’ last night, which was good – he wasn’t quite as crazy as I had thought he would be, as it showed a balanced view of him. I may be inspired to write some gonzo style journalism soon.

Sunday 25 January 2009

Dog Friends

I keep finding lost dogs, yesterday, and today. I should start carrying a lead around. Today me and Kevin were walking around in Colan woods, where there are lots of ruins of a old house, and then we found a old collie dog, and it was crying :(. We took it to the dog home, and we think it may have been abandoned. Yesterday I found one walking around too, but it looked okay so I thought it's owner may have been near it, somewhere - I feel a bit bad about that now. I am sure it is okay.

I get sick of my computer - yesterday I just had to turn it off for a while, but we are friends again now. I just get sick of looking at the screen all day when I am working, and when it is on I get the urge to check my facebook/yahoo/blogger/twitter about every hour - the seduction of technology is worrying I feel inhuman by the end of the day.

This weekend I have done a bit of work, but I needed a bit of a break. I will crack on tomorrow. I need to find interviewees for creative Falmouth (www.creativefalmouth.org), as I am the visual arts editor, would you believe.

Friday 23 January 2009

Update

There hasn’t been much going on this week. There is no guest speaker, and I am yet to pick up a new book – so I am still with the psycho Mike Engleby.
We have the opportunity to write for stranger magazine http://www.stranger-mag.com, for business writing. It promotes events in Cornwall, Bristol, London and Brighton. Also, for features we are putting together a features supplement targeted at the Sunday Independent (though it is not actually going in The Independent, unfortunately). All of the features have to be about the credit crunch, and I think that I will do something on property or fashion.
I have got some work experience at NOW magazine up in London for two weeks and this is on top of the Wed one. This will be good – even though I am not sure how I feel about staying in a backpackers for two weeks, but it will be worth it.
I can’t afford to go to the London book fair now because of the work experience, but I’m not too bothered, because Now will be more valuable to me.
I am going to see a documentary on Hunter S. Thompson, and Gonzo journalism next Wednesday, which will be interesting, as I don’t know much about Gonzo journalism. I did read about Hunter S. Thompson in Elle one time – a story from his wife/partner, and I have seen Fearing Loathing in Las Vegas, even though I always seem to fall asleep in it…maybe it is because it is so soothing….

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Survey....

For my MA project I’m thinking of creating a magazine aimed at female students, but first I have to find out if there is a market for this, so if you are a female student please take this survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cX2KFe8eJHld8WGnpRq0sA_3d_3d

It will be a huge help, and it is not very long.
Thank you.
(If the link does not work as a link then copy and paste it into the address box, and it goes straight to the survey J)

Monday 5 January 2009

January Blues

This is my first blog for a while, after a long break from Uni. I feel like I have been off for ages, and I am getting kind of bored with being off now, as Christmas and New Year have gone, and I have recovered I feel like I should be doing something. I wish I had a job at the moment too, so that I would be bringing a bit of money in at least. I walked into town today to go the job centre, so I would feel productive, and there were only 3 jobs. I wasn't really expecting many jobs, but 3 is depressing.
I hate January too it is just a bad month-nothing happens, it is cold, and dark, and there is nothing to look forward to. I wish I was off travelling somewhere.
I have done hardly any writing since I have been off, and not enough reading either. I have been socialising and spending, and drinking too much. Christmas is like a lost bit of time, and a break from reality. I especially find the days between Christmas and New Year odd, as is Christmas over? Should I stop eating so much? I have had a good time though, and for New Year I went to London and watched the fireworks, which were great.
I have also been pestering every magazine for work experience, and I have had little response. I am consoling my self over the lack of response by thinking that before Christmas and New Year is a bad time to contact magazines; however, I was expecting a few responses today from the magazines I have contacted before Christmas-nothing.
I have got the January blues, which are not helped by the fact that the press is says that this year is going to bring nothing but financial gloom, and depression - the year when I actually have to try and get a decent job and move away. That is another thing - I really want to move away, I am bored of Cornwall and I want to have my own place, a good job and have everything - now! But I have to wait until I graduate, and then I probably won't even get a job, as un-emplyment is set to rise dramatically and the media, newspaper and magazine sales are meant to get worse, hey ho, what's the point in this year? Though, I have always had a good feeling about 2009, as nine is one of my lucky numbers, though so is 5 and 2005 was rubbish, anyway Happy New Year.