Can you believe this?

Ok... it's not often that you get fabulous opportunities that you never expect.

After spending 12 hours finishing up the newspaper, Vince and I accompanied our advisor to the Muskogee Phoenix (the local paper) to give them our layout so they could have it printed. We were shown around and met the sports editor, Mike Kays. After telling him all we do, and letting him know I'm interested in working there this summer, he mentioned that he was trying to find someone who would go to Dallas to take pictures and write stories on the Red River Athletic Conference baseball tournament that our baseball team is involved in. Vince and I said we would do it, because it was in Dallas and I could stay at home for the trip. The only sticking point was taking my exams earlier than scheduled. Well the 4 of us talked about it further and decided to try to see if we could get it done.

That was Wednesday night. Fast forward to present.

Vince and I had to present the Baconian Online to the Board of Trustees, which is the people who "run" my school. Needless to say that went great, due to our fabulous wit and charm. Later on the new edition of the paper came out, so I took hem around campus. Well i ran into the president and vice president, and talked to them about our presentation, the new issue, and other things. The opportunity to shoot in Dallas came up, and both of them were very interested in hearing about it. The vice president is in charge of academic affairs, so it was up to him to decide if we could take exams early.

HE SAID IT WAS OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So May 1-4... I will be in Dallas, taking pictures and writing stories for the Muskogee Phoenix and.... GETTING PAID TO DO IT.

Yep... I will now be a paid publicized published (outside of school productions) journalist. I'm so happy right now... and I can't wait to do it. I get to go home, see my family, take pictures, get out of class early, write, have fun, drink 6 point beer, etc.

Today has been a GOOD DAY.

I'm finally doing something that makes me so happy, has so many opportunities, and I have alot of fun doing.

Wish me luck... this can lead to further assignments, and advancement in my field.

YAY!!!

For the long haul...

I went back to Dallas this weekend...

for the last time until... I don't know.

On one hand I am kind of happy. I will finally be living in my own apartment and working to pay for myself. Ya know bills and shit. I will finally have a place of my own and won't be living with my parents. I'm quite excited about that for sure.

What saddens me is the fact that I will be spending the rest of the year in OKLAHOMA. Yeah I know... sucks. I really cannot wait to leave this state. The sooner the better, because as close as it really is to Texas... its just NOT Texas.

First off there are far too many Sooner fans. These people are absolutely insufferable. Texas fans are proud, but Sooner fans are blindly... stupidly... moronically... proud. I do have to applaud their dedication but damn. I would rather deal with USC fans... they're all laid back pot smoking califonians... Sooner fans are more often than not HICKS. They plaster OU all over EVERYTHING. Ive seen a guy with a Bob Stoops tatoo. Yeah this guy had Bob Stoops tattooed on his arm. These folks are weird. I love my team but they go too far.

On a side note, A friend and I have come up with several new names for OU. Due to their love of Texas athletes (the football team has more Texas boys than Oklahoma boys) we now refer to OU at the University of Texas at Oklahoma. I will refer to them further as UTO. Also we on occasion call them Chokelahoma, due to their love of choking in the big games. It's a sad occurence, but great for cracking jokes.

But I digress.

The D/FW metroplex has more people than the entire state of Oklahoma. The city of Houston has 3 times as many people.

I need my cities. I need my crowded, dirty, busy, never sleep, never back down cities.

I need somewhere that doesn't close at 9 p.m.

I need a place where cops have better things to do than harrass you for no reason.

I need a place where the local hangout spot isn't Wal-Mart. I love Wally World, but when you go there because theres nothing else to do.. BAD BUSINESS.

Now you may ask WHY I am staying in OK until I graduate. Well I want to live off campus next semester, and also have a job longer than a couple months. I want to work somewhere until it's time for me to pack up and go home to Texas. I hope to have a job at the local newspaper and get into the business. I want to make those connections and get that experience that I will need to pull the bigger better jobs after I graduate.

One good thing on the horizon, I will no longer be an inmate of Posey Penitentiary. I will finally be parolled from the hell hole I live in. (I will tell the story of Posey later)

But I'm still in Muskogee till December... anyone wanna visit and keep me company?

please?

Speaking to the void

Sometimes it feels like I'm talking/typing into the void of space.

I know I'm not the only one to feel this way, but it seems ever so apparent as of late. I'm not trying to complain here, don't get me wrong. I love to write, even if no one reads it, because it helps me get things out of my head that would otherwise stagnate and die. Writing is my way of clearing my head and blowing off steam. I used to play football, lift weights or run to do that, but since I've given up sports, this is the technique that gets the job done.

Anyways lately I've simply felt like I'm putting my stuff out there, no ones reading it... and I am feeling a little bit unhappy about it. As a professional writer (working on it) I guess it's become an ego thing. I'm no longer judged by what I do with football or track but by what I write or the pictures I take.

Am I getting vain or egotistical? I sure hope not. I guess I just like having feedback on what I'm writing now. Its nice to walk around school and hear people tell me they enjoyed the story I wrote or like the picture I took. It's great getting emails from people saying they love my work. This weekend, I was asked by several people if I was a professional photographer, because I took some great pictures at the College All-Star Game I attended. Some people even offered to pay for my pics!

Is it bad that I feel really good about that experience?

I hope its just me wanting to be the best writer/photographer I can, and not wanting to settle for less than the best.

Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks to those who do read my work and enjoy it... and if you have any suggestions, Im always open for constructive criticism.

Im done "not" complaining now.

I'll write something intersting now.

Whats the world coming to? REDUX

As you know I am a writer for my school newspaper and I am submitting this column for the next issue. I will post each version of it, and please let me know what you think as I go.

~Ian

School shootings are nothing new in this incredibly violent society we live in.

There have been five multiple murders at schools around the nation in the last 51 years.

Until April 16, the incident at the University of Texas was the worst school shooting in history.

Charles Whitman killed 15 people and wounded 31 in his 1966 killing spree.

The Columbine High School shooting devastated a town and put the United States into shock, when two students murdered 13 people and harmed 24 others on a tragic April morning in 1999.

Neither of these disasters measured up to the events at Virginia Tech University this past Monday.

Cho Seung-Hui, a VTU student, created scenes of terror and death across the campus, killing 32 people, injuring at least 28, and then taking his own life.

While these horrible events have affected the families and friends of the victims the most, the reach of the tragedies is far and wide, creating panic and fear in schools nationwide.

When I was in junior high, I never feared going to school except when I wasn’t ready for a test or forgot to do a project.

When Columbine happened during my eighth grade year, I began to fear what could happen to me at school.

Everyone wondered if it would happen on their campus, creating a panic around the U.S.

It scares me to know that I might know someone who could commit such evil acts.

The slaughter at Virginia Tech brings the fear of school violence into the national spotlight again.

Now we must worry about the possibility of something like the VTU killings happening here at Bacone, or anywhere else for that matter.

These school shootings bring to light the fact that we live in an increasingly violent society and must always worry what next disaster will befall our culture.

We must constantly be aware of the possibility of another tragedy, because thinking that it will never happen again would be ignorant.

Instead we need to ask ourselves and our schools what they are doing to ensure our safety.

What kind of security do our schools have in place to protect us from such violence?

Are we safe in our classrooms and hallways?

These are the questions that Bacone needs to answer.

The VTU shootings will fuel many new policies and bring changes to campuses, but at the cost of 32 innocent lives.

My heart goes out to the people affected by these heinous events, and I keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

It is sad that it takes things like Columbine, 9/11, and the killings at Virginia Tech to unite the nation.

I wish we could be united by the greatest things we do instead of the very worst.

What's this world coming to?

School shootings are nothing new in this incredibly violent society we live in.

In less than ten years, there have been three fatal shootings at schools around the nation, and five over the past 51 years.

Until April 16, 2007, the incident in 1966 at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman killed 15 people and wounded 31, was the worst school shooting in history.

The killings at Columbine devastated a town and put the United States into shock, reminding us of the possible evil of human nature.

The worst of all happened at Virginia Tech University this past Monday.

An unknown gunman spread terror and death across the Virginia Tech campus, killing 32 people, injuring at least 28 and then taking his own life.

When I was younger, I never feared going to school except when I wasn’t ready for a test or forgot to do a project.

When Columbine happened, I began to fear what could happen to me at school.

I could not believe that someone could do such a monstrous thing.

As time passed, the fear faded from my memory, but we were again reminded by another murderous spree at a school in Virginia that left three dead and three wounded.

The slaughter at Virginia Tech brings those fears fresh into my mind again.

It shocks me how people can do these terrible things and do so much harm to those around them.

The evil in humanity is becoming ever present with the increase in violence and horror-inducing actions that plague our society.

Every day you hear stories of people killing others or treating them in ways that I cannot fathom doing to another human.

It scares me to know that I might know someone who could commit such evil acts.

“Youth of the Nation” by P.O.D., a powerful song about a school shooting that grabs the listener with vivid lyrics and imagery, was inspired by Columbine, and was written to raise awareness about the possibility of such events.

It makes me very sad when these things happen, and I can only hope that such things never happen again, but to think that they won’t would be ignorance.

My heart goes out to the people affected by these heinous events, and I keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

It is sad that it takes things like Columbine, 9/11, and the killings at Virginia to unite the nation.

I wish we could be united by the greatest things we do instead of the very worst.

"YOUTH OF THE NATION" BY P.O.D.

Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would have known cause I'd have kissed my momma goodbye.
I didn't tell her that I loved her or how much cared or thank my
pops for all the talks and all the wisdom he shared.
Unaware I just did what I always do.
Everyday the same routine before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest,
Instead of takin' the test I took two to the chest.

Call me blind but I didn't see it comin' and
everybody was runnin' but I couldn't
hear nothin', except gun blast, it happened so fast
I didn't really know this kid though I sat by him in class.
Maybe this kid was reachin' out for love or
maybe for a moment he forgot who he was or
maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged,
whatever it was I know its because

CHORUS
We are We are the youth of the nation (repeat)x4

Little Suzie she was only twelve
She was given the world with every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kinda proud but no respect for herself

She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations but different faces.
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her she deserved much better.

Johnny boy always played the fool,
He broke all the rules so you would think he was cool.
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried,
Often thought of suicide
It's kinda hard when you ain't got no friends,
He put his life to an end they might remember him then.
You cross a line and there is no turnin' back
He told the world how he felt with the sound of a gat.

CHORUS x4

Who's to blame for the life that tragedies claim?
No matter what you say it won't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why
It's the blind leadin' the blind.
Guess that's the way that the story goes,
Will it ever make sense somebody's gotta know,
There's gotta be more to life than this,
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists

CHORUS to the end

Writing is my life

If you told me a few years ago that I would be writing for a living, Id ask you what drugs you were doing. I had always enjoyed writing as a hobby, but never even gave it a second thought as a career.

Fast forward to the present. Im a journalism major with less than 8 months until I graduate college. Let me repeat that. I GRADUATE IN 8 MONTHS.... AND Ill be writing and taking pictures for a living. I know... crazy right?

Well since I made the decision to become a full time writer, Ive been inspired. I started a new blog, Ive written 2 major stories (one in the works), 5 movie reviews (one in the works), a sports column in the works, a personal column in the works, and et cetera.

Im a busy guy with ideas just running circles around me. I am definitely using this blog to squeeze out ideas, and get them written before they run away from me. Ive pulled so many ideas out of me in the past 3 months that Im really starting to believe in myself as a writer. I have ideas for novels Im slowly putting together, so that when Im ready, i can put them in print and get them out into the public. I really want to try and do something different with my novels, because who wants to write like someone else?

Im enjoying myself alot more these days and definitely like what Im doing... With education... I just wasnt ready to commit to that. I want to get out of school for a while and see the world... follow my own path and not be locked down. I also want a job where I have much more freedom and possibilities to express myself and be myself.

I find myself sitting there just shocked at where I am in my life. At 22, Ive been through so many things and traveled so many paths that have led me to where I am now, and Im just excited to see whats next. Ive got a whole horizon of possibilities and unlimited paths to walk. Who knows where Ill go, what I do, or who I will become in the process.

I have made many good choices and bad choices in my life and all have created me as I am now. I wouldnt trade my life for anything, and know that all of my choices were meant to happen. I know where ever I go, I am watched over and protected. I know Im free to live how I choose ad do the things I want, but I know Im also guided by God. I had a great conversation with someone today, and he helped me realize that while I walk freely, I am given a path and given a means to achieve anything I want, all I have to do is work for it. Nothing is given to us straight away and we have to achieve and believe to get those things. I know I can do anything I want if I put in the work and always believe in myself, what Im doing, and God.

Im really excited walking the path Im on. I cant wait to see whats next.

~Ian

I dont do cliche

If anyone can tell me how to do the little thing over the e id appreciate it.

Anyways...

Is anyone else tired of everyone looking/acting/being just like everyone else? Im so sick of looking around and seeing 98% of people who are identical to at least one other person. Its soooooooooooo stupid... I know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but there is a limit.

I do realize we all do follow some trends. Its impossible to avoid it. I personally try to be myself and like things that I genuinely want to. Some people do things to be cool... not me. Its not me... and never will be. I wear things I like and do things I like. I listen to my own mix of music which is anywhere from Linkin Park to Elton John to Ludacris to Brooks and Dunn. Hell I even listen to Beethoven. I watch shows most others I know dont like. Im huge on the Discovery Channel and shows like Mythbusters. People I know cant even tell you what channel the Discovery Channel is. I can tell you the DAILY SCHEDULE.

Im not telling you to avoid popular trends... I know Im victim to them from time to time, but dammit be yourself. Quit being Eminem, or Good Charlotte, or Lil Jon... quit being whatever is popular and changing your style everytime something new comes out. How is anyone going to know who you are when you dont even know yourself?

Life isnt about being cool, but being yourself. How can you enjoy life when you spend all your time seeking out that which is cool and fashionable and not following your heart? I want to live in a society of individuals and not one of clones and sheep.

This is simply my opinion and feel free to think whatever you would like. If you are incapable of thinking for yourself and have to be told what to think then let me help you. Read the following sentences and follow the instructions. GET A LIFE, GET AN OPINION, AND HAVE AN ORIGINAL THOUGHT/IDEA/DECISION. DONT LIVE YOUR LIFE BASED ON EVERYONE ELSE AND THEIR COOLNESS FACTORS. INVENT YOUR OWN!!!

Thats all for now folks....

You may return to your lives.