Grassroots Social Change & Digital Storytelling

"Typically, digital stories are produced in intensive workshops. The product is a 2-5 minute film that combines a narrated piece of personal writing, photographic images and a musical soundtrack. The philosophy behind this type of digital storytelling is one of using technology to enable those without a technical background to produce works that tell a story using moving images and sound." (From Wikipedia)

As part of my community media work, I participated in a "train-the-trainer" workshop. I had a few-ish hours to collect/take the photos, record the sound (using audacity and a USB mic... hmm!), assemble, edit, etc. this little guy. The idea is to do this super simply so that I can teach folks who have never before used a computer to tell their own personal story and produce media. Anyhow, here's mine (viewed at the social networking site for digital storytellers:




I am in Texas for the weekend - seeing my big brother, Derek, graduate from medical school! Yay!

It's shallow Thursday, everyone!

This post requires comments of the most shallow thing you want in the opposite sex.

My SUPER shallow thing:

Must drive a standard transmission.

My Secret Alter-Ego: COOL BREEZE KABOOM

Miss Armstrong and Miss Schwehr discovered my secret identity. I had kept it under wraps for almost 23 years, and now that I have been found out - I need to do a formal press release to be certain the records are straight.

Name: COOL BREEZE KABOOM
Public Identity: Colleen Kelly
Born: June 14, 1984
Height: 5' 8.5" (I think)
Weight: 20 lbs. over her goal
Powers - Innate or Acquired: Innate

Powers, description:

* Accelerated emotional healing: Ability to heal rapidly from any non-physical injury

* Pheromone manipulation: Ability to generate and control pheromones for various effects

* Sonic Scream: Ability to generate vocal sounds of a higher amplitude than a normal human

* Innate capability: Ability to naturally have skills and/or knowledge typically earned through learning

* Empathy: Ability to read or sense the emotions or feelings of others

* Probability manipulation: Ability to alter probability, causing unlikely things to happen or likely things to not happen

Please don't let this news intimidate you or alter our friendship; I only use my powers when absolutely necessary.

This makes so much sense!

"What was the number one song on the day you were born?"

#1 Song on June 14, 1984: "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper

It was meant to be.

http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

The 23-year-long gawky stage.

Links

I took down inactive bloggers from my links.

If you link to me and I don't have you listed, or if you don't blog but are sad you no longer see your name over there, let me know.

Comment and I'll fix accordingly.

Please understand the scheduled maintenance; seeing your name and no news would just break my heart.

Austin Craigslist = My Afternoon Break

So, I really love my best guy from Austin, Juan. I want someone to love him as WAY more than a best friend, so I put together a Craigslist post and put it in the "Men Seeking Women" section on the Austin, Texas Craigslist.

Here it is:

I moved cross-country...left my best friend alone! He's great, ladies! - 30
Reply to: pers-330736547@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-05-14, 2:08PM CDT


I am posting this ad for my best friend, Juan. He would probably be really irritated if he knew I was doing this, but what can I say?

When I moved to Austin to go to school, I was really lonely, so I took to makeoutclub (remember that? Old school – WAY before the MySpace sickness)... We met at the old Barnes & Noble on the Drag I have been hooked ever since.

BUT – we were destined to be best friends and not lovers, because... well... I am Mormon and we don’t take lovers. After a semi-awkward "I'm sorry I can't date you conversation", we began our journey towards friendship.

BUT – if I DID take lovers, I would have taken him as my one and only.

For four years we hung out every single weekend and he is fantastic. He treats every woman like a queen and I want someone to love him who CAN be his lover. Or at least go on a date. I mean, you know – dinner. Comic book shopping. Movies. Wii. Alamo Drafthouse. Whatever. He needs a weekend partner that hearts him like I do.

About Juan:
Hilarious. Handsome. GREAT taste in music and art (seriously – check out his blog: luna [dot] typepad [dot] com). Has a really stable and successful career that also allows him time to talk to me across the country on gmail chat!

Photos:
1. As emo as he'll get – the hot macbook photo.
2. In a shirt from New York City that we got at H&M – he looks angry here, but he's not an angry dude at ALL.
3. Me and Juan – from my last visit to Austin (from Boston, MA). I made him turn his hat that way so the camera could see his face, he's not dorky.

Feel free to contact me or you can just surprise him at his myspace. His url is myspace [dot] com [slash] lunaismoon

If you see this Juan, don't get pissed! I just love you!

I hope we get some good takers. I'll give updates as they come. Here's one of the three photos I included in the post for your contextual pleasure:

Dining Alone - A Social Experiment

This post was written about a month ago on a map I printed out to find Carolina and I's meeting place. I am finally posting it.

I got done with my daily tasks an hour earlier than I expected. I was meeting Carolina to do some visiting teaching in a little under 2 hours, but I already was within a mile of our meeting place.

I was hungry.

Bertucci's was nearby, so I thought I would kill some times by dining. Alone.

I have NEVER sat in a restaurant alone, seated in one of those tiny tables meant for intimate couples, or not-so-intimate couples if the restaurant is busy enough.

Anyhow. I decided I would try it. I am almost 23 – I should have had this experience by now, right? Yet, I was still somewhat nervous.

I walk in. The hostess looks through me to the door, obviously expecting a gallant young man to be following.

I say, “It's just me.”

Hostess: “Oh.” (putting the now unnecessary additional menu back down from where she grabbed it.)

I am seated.

I waited for what could not have been more than 2 minutes when my waiter, I would guess 25-28, dashes up, profusely apologizing for taking so long.

I order – Diet Coke, extra glass of water, my food. He checks in with me four times between the delivery of said drinks and delicious food.

My dinner arrives. I eat it.
Bill comes. I pay it.

(Yes, my darling Jenni, it turned out I could afford more than rice and beans.)

Not that eventful, just a meal.

But.

Throughout the meal, I compulsively checked my cell phone for the time, making darn certain that every person walking through that door knew I was simply waiting for someone. That simple action said - “I have friends, believe me, I'm just killing time.”

And why was I studying The Paradox of Choice so intently? (Which, regrettably, I haven't done much of since then...) Making notes and underlining text with furrowed brow just so everyone could see I had important things to do. I was smart. I was an intellectual.

Why did I sit up perfectly straight and suck in my “Boston Bulge” so all around wouldn't feel sorry for the fat girl who is forced to eat alone? Why did I completely refuse additional rolls when the waiter insisted that I should eat more of their tasty goodness?

I love being alone and I found out that I actually love dining alone... so why fear others' perceptions? A quote: "Enjoying one's own company, and the freedom that goes with it, has always been seen as a deep character flaw."

"Fine dining is a bit of theater, and solo diners, by our singularity, are the stars. So enjoy the chance to be really special. Fantasize if you wish." Lea Lane in Solo Traveler

Looks like I passed, suckas.

What I wouldn't give for a date to take me to this?!?!

Yes, I am too poor to take myself to see the movie I have been waiting to see for months!