My first experience shopping on black friday. Decided we should have some log of what went down at Target at 5am…

Just wanted to share a bit of Thanksgiving cheer today. This is a holiday that boils down to 2 things, food & family. For my family, it is never a huge ordeal. No 30-person gathering or big to-do, but just a chance to sit down and share a good meal. We’ve got our traditional dishes and family favorites, but for the most part just being together is what makes it thanksgiving. 

So I want to take some time to give thanks. Thanks to my family, for always being there, supporting me, and making me smile. Dad, for helping organize my life up to this point, for working so hard, and for your commitment to Cal football. Mom, for all your friendly and motherly advice, for never judging, and for always surprising me with questions like “want to take a belly dancing class?” Greg for being a great little brother who I will be able to count on for life.

Thanks to my friends. For not only bringing constant entertainment, laughs, and memories, but also support, advice, and love in trying times. Especially to Natalie, for loving me always and for keeping things lively in ways I never could! To my (ex) roommates ::tear::, Jen & Audrey, who got me through college with the greatest living situation I could have asked for. The times we shared wherever we lived were always memorable and we’ll always be friends more than roommates. To Caitlin & Claudia, the Lair changed my life and the most lasting thing from that experience is the friendship I gained from you two. I will always look forward to our outings and adventures!

Thanks for the experiences I’ve had thus far in life. Particularly the opportunity to study and travel abroad. It is something that I will take with me through life. It was educational and fun, but also helped to widen my awareness of the world beyond the US, and opened my ability to see things from new perspectives. It has definitely sparked a sense of exploration in everyday life.

And lastly, thanks for those little things that add up to make life so great. Things like the perfect cappuccino, red skittles, pine trees, seeing the stars, sunsets on cloudy days, the high you feel after a good run, gelato in rome, potlucks, scrapbooks, the smell of a campfire, curling up with a good book, warm laundry, a day at the beach, and of course happy hour!

Basically, I have so much to be thankful for. God has blessed me and I am thankful for that every day. Best to you and yours on this day of thanksgiving.

Its finally here! The debut of Natalie and my video making skills. Watch it, listen to it, savor it, replay it, and giggle along with us as you rock out to A Flock of Seagulls.

Got a good start on learning Final Cut Express this week. Last weekend Natalie and I visited the gym and caught some super-stealth video footage in some awesome attire. It was quite risky, but a risk we had to take for a quality music video we had in mind. We definitely got some stares, but it was worth it. Luckily we didn’t run into anyone we knew.

It should be up here shortly. We hit a few snags trying to teach ourselves this pro-editing application, but once we figured out how to properly capture footage and save our project we were good to go. Now all that’s left to add is some text and animation effects. 

I mean, I don’t wanna talk it up too much, but how can you really go wrong with an 80′s workout theme? You just can’t. Its pretty much impossible.

I just read an article in the Orange County Register this morning discussing Obama’s plans to post youtube videos to his website every week of his presidency. Taking a cue from Roosevelt and his radio fireside chats, Obama will use the media of the day, web 2.0, in an attempt to settle Americans facing troubled times.

Maybe its because of my background studying the media, but these sorts of stories always jump out at me. Something about the way media affects our lives as both individuals and a society interests me. The more the internet has grown, the more interactive and almost personal our interaction with media has become. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the internet has democratized the media, but the amount of user-generated content, and the ease with which one can respond to online items disperses power more evenly. Viewers and consumers are now also creators and producers in this new media economy.

I seem to have gotten off topic as I tend to do, but back to Obama’s plans… At first glance the thought of a president using youtube (also home to Obama girl’s “I got a crush on Obama” video) as a platform seems like an outlandish joke.  At least for me, when I think of youtube, I think of clever flash videos and silly viral videos meant for a laugh. But the more you think about it, the more it makes perfect sense. It is the simplest and most effective way to reach millions. Especially for Obama, who largely built his campaign over the internet with young people. It is a new generation equipped with a new set of media tools.

It will be interesting to see the effect this switch will have on Americans’ relationship to the president and the role the internet plays in this dynamic. There is just something different about watching someone on the small screen of your laptop speaking to you. Its like they are speaking directly to you rather than to the masses. Either way, it is refreshing to know that he is keeping up with the times unlike McCain who admitted his internet illiteracy.

That said, check out the first of many web addresses to come:

For more visit Obama’s transition website!