Rest in peace, King of Pop.

Michael Jackson: A King and a revolutionary.
I'm going to write an obituary.
After hearing the breaking news of Michael Jackson's death yesterday (via Twitter and Facebook), I was still reeling from the shock as I walked into the journalism room today. I was tired as I plopped down onto the couch, and was musing the concept of death when one of my managing editors came by and informed me:
"You're going to cover Michael Jackson's death on one of your pages."
As much as I'd liked it to have been, it was not a dream; I was to write an obituary for a man who my generation only remembered as one thing: a freak.
To add to the weight, I was asked to remind everyone of who he really was; a pop icon and a rousing performer. For a generation that wasn't even conceived at the height of his fame, how was I supposed to turn their heads and let them see the true face of Jackson, behind the numerous plastic surgeries and the shiny gloved hand?
I can only compare the magnanimity of his death with that of probably Elvis Presley, but even then that would be cutting the point a bit short. Although Presley died at the height of his career and the pinnacle of his success, Jackson died on the eve of coming back, after a tumultuous time away from his career. While Presley died being remembered for his great music and his charm, Jackson died with scandal and controversy surrounding him.
Yet, we cannot forget Jackson's contribution to music, his revolution in music video with Thriller, his precision in dance and song (trust me, I've tried learning the Thriller dance quite a few times, it isn't as easy as it looks) and ultimately, his life.
To make one generation remember, to allow another generation to learn.
That is my task at hand.
I just hope I don't screw this one up.

MAJIDEEE!

Majide: Japanese vernacular for "seriously!?", "for real?"
I love I Survived A Japanese Game Show. It's hilarious, fun to watch, Rome Kanda has such charisma and it is a rich cultural learning experience.It is such a breath of fresh air from other reality shows, where the only concerns seem to be participant drama.
Today's reality TV wasteland seems to be only occupied by Lauren Conrad, Speidi and visions of "The Real World." But in all this junk, there is I Survived A Japanese Game Show.
Its premise in itself is an eye opening experience. Seeing an actual Japanese game show format is already educational enough and is sure to broaden many viewers' horizons. But the experience doesn't stop there: the rewards the winning team get all involve something special to Japanese culture (Japanese onsen with special fish pedicure, a fish market tour, a Shinto shrine visit and a soba noodle making lesson, just to name a few). Even the losers get treated to Japanese culture (rice farming, mochi making, capsule hotel stay and a position at a pachinko parlor, to name a few), even if the results aren't as luxurious.
This is something that we need, a program that shows us a world beyond our bubble, something that is fun yet educational at the same time. We don't need any more Speidi drama because that just seals us more into our bubbles. To open up, we need to see someone survive a Japanese game show.
MAJIDEEEEEE!

Boom Boom POW! Right on the kisser.

Fergie: C'mon, she's not THAT ugly.

In case you haven't heard, will.i.am recently attacked infamous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. Now, normally, I would not be up for this kind of violence, but hearing Hilton's statement lead me to one conclusion: they're both HUGE idiots.
So this is basically what happened: Perez wrote some nasty stuff about the Black Eyed Peas in his blog, Black Eyed Peas get mad and confront Hilton, Hilton argues back, will.i.am throws the punch(es, Hilton releases statement in which he explains everything and calls will.i.am a liar and says Fergie is "fugly, bitch".
Don't get me wrong, will.i.am was wrong for assaulting Hilton, but what Hilton said in his statement was just wrong. I mean, talking/cussing/crying for 11 minutes? Don't waste our time unless you have something you want to get to the general public.
And to quote Mr. Hilton, to both of you, "You disgust me, and I have no more respect for you."

Pride and Personal Prejudice

As I fill out my application for the Herb Block Foundation JEA Student Cartoonist Award, writing in my best cartoonist handwriting (aka ALL CAPS), I got this fear in my chest that made me put the pen down.
I remembered Herbert Block's cartoons, and how they were so opinionated about big things, how sharply drawn they were, how the issues he was tackling were so much bigger than mine and how I was incompetent. Mostly that last part.
I look at my cartoons, and I see my coloring over the line, I see my failure to properly blend shades of cool grey, my unerased pencil lines and my messy lines.
I don't think I'll win this, to be honest. I still fill out my form regardless. I guess it never hurts to try.
But it will hurt if i don't win.
For sure.
Sorry, Mr. BLock.

Kevin and the Culture of Procrastination

Initiative: I hear they're on sale this weekend, but I decided that I'll go buy some later.

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm not exactly a self-starter.
I mean, I do get things done eventually and I start on some things, but when it really comes down to it, I'm a procrastinator to my core. It's kind of disgusting to me, actually, how I have to be told to do simple things like showering and brushing my teeth,
Of course, while I'm lazing around NOT doing whatever I need to do, I'm thinking about doing it...in about five minutes. It's not until someone yells at me that I actually get up and do it. Even now, when I have a huge final staring me in the face that my GRADE depends on and here I am clicking away at the computer, musing about this. HOW STUPID CAN I GET?!
Despite the fact that I am perfectly aware of this phenomenon, I still get a bit irked when people tell me that I have no initiative. hate hearing the same thing over and over again, so I kind of go off (the other times I hear it besides the one time my teacher or peer tells me is in my head. Stupid conscience).
Ah, well. Fuck procrastination, I'm off to work.

Giving/Getting a little something extra.

High school journalism: My stepping stone for the future.

Today, I got a yearbook.
Yeah, it was beautiful, and yeah, it smelled REALLY good, but there was a sort of happiness and energy that went along with it. This time, I helped to complete the yearbook.
How surreal is that?
I mean, opening a page to see some of my work and layout ideas and pictures in the book really gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Sure, there were plenty of mistakes and grammatical errors and complaints (sorry once again, Annie), but the feeling was still there. I savored it as much as I could by flipping through the pages, signing others' books, and of course, putting my nose into the pages and taking a huge whiff.
Being a part of things always makes it better when the product is completed and looking great. Being on two publishing staffs and getting layouts and artwork churned out to the appreciative student population always makes me feel great.
I remember once walking into a classroom one day during second to distribute the newspaper. The students were rambunctious and I could barely hear anything other than chatter, but as soon as I walked about five feet into the room, decked out in my journalism shirt and cardigan, the classroom went silent. There were whispers and points, "It's the school Scroll!", and even as I went up to the teacher to hand him the stack of freshly printed newspapers, there was a lot of anticipation in the air (I felt it. It was crackling).
Of course, I cannot thank the programs more for opening my horizons and allowing me to experience something totally unique. I can also thank them for giving me some of the most real friendships and lasting memories. My high school journalism career isn't even over, and I can already tell that it will stick with me for years to come.
There's a reason I take pride in wearing my cardigan every three weeks. There's a reason I chastise April Fool's issues of newspapers. There's a reason I'm completely anal about style rules. There's a reason that I want to be an editorial cartoonist when I get out of college. There's a reason that I don't like papers that don't have cartoons or use them badly.
It's because I take pride in journalism because it's the one thing I'm slightly talented at, and I expect every other student journalist to.
Write on.