New Idea

My dad approached me this morning with the idea of blogging for other companies as well as the current one. I was thinking about the idea while driving to work this morning and I think it's a great idea. I just don't really know where to begin, or how.

My dad suggest I do the work for free just to be able to put it on my resume, well he's right, I should, and I think that's a very appropriate start. My biggest concern however is that all the content I will need to produce-- where does it come from?! Well obviously it should come from my head, which it will, but I mean how will I compose content that I know nothing about? I know that I will be doing research for each blog post, however how much research can one do to formulate a blog and then walk away actually remembering everything they wrote about and be able to explain it to someone else?

In school I remember I'd remember I had the ability to do just this, I could write a 5 page report on a subject then walk away without really ever reading, or learning anything about the subject. I hated when I did that, but it usually only happened when it was a subject I wasn't interested in, like politics. I once wrote a 15 page report over Barack Obama and his presidential candidacy, all I walked away from it with was that he was born in Hawaii and was currently from Illinois.

Anyway, back to my dad's idea: Where do I begin? Where do I find these companies to blog for? Where do I find the content for the blogs? Will I have enough time to do all of this and go to school and continue excelling at my two jobs?

You know I admire Chris Brogan for all that he's done and created. I wish I could sit down and just listen to him talk, of course I'll only understand about 25% of what all he is talking about but still, it's Chris Brogan. Geeze, and just think ask me this time last year who Chris Brogan was, and I'd say I have no clue, an actor maybe?

If you know a company, maybe your friend, your parent, your neighbor, your extended family, anyone- who might be interested in having a blog for their company, it's free. All I ask is the ability to put it in my portfolio and on my resume. You may contact me Via e-mail Meghan.Self@yahoo.com

This Is It.

Well, I'll give you one good hint as to where I'm going for grad school.

Yep you guessed it. The University of Texas at Arlington. I'm glad the wait, the anxiety, and the stress are now over. Oh wait, if I had that much stress and anxiety just applying to grad school, how will I ever make it through?!?! I have an idea for that little problem. I got a personalize SORRY WE DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH FOR US letter from each of the additional schools I applied for. Yes, I know, even UNT gave me the boot, I was just as surprised as you are. In fact probably more. I mean come on it's my Alma Mater, HOW!? Easy, I just wasn't good enough for them this time around.

But my plan of attack for UTA and to hopefully keep the stress and anxiety to a minimum is I am framing each rejection letter I received along with my UNT BA Diploma and hanging them above my study desk. I'm not quite sure how it will deplete my stress and anxiety in fact, I'll bet it'll probably raise it more, but it's the perfect motivation tactic.

Because I was accepted to UTA under certain provisions, that's already motivation enough to get a B, but having that rejection letter from my Alma Mater in front of my face every waking moment, OH that's going to give me that extra motivational push to get that 4.0 GPA- so when I walk that stage with those pretty decorative ropes and white collar around my neck telling the world I graduated Summa Cum Laude and this time really MASTERED the art of the English Language I will give UNT, CSU and KSU a big middle finger!

No, I'm kidding, not UNT. I would never disrespect UNT. It's where I plan to go for my PhD and to teach there along side some of my former professors. Those who taught me everything I needed to learn as an undergraduate but then obviously some how the knowledge managed to slip in one ear and out the other otherwise I'd of been accepted back to UNT.

In any case, I will continue my academic studies at The University of Texas at Arlington (Where I hope to God they accept American Sign Language as a foreign language).

I begin school the end of August. I only have a few more months left to play and do everything I ever wanted to do while I didn't have to worry about making insurance payments, car payments, rent, grocery bills, future children I may or may not have, etc. I plan to take full advantage of these final months. But unfortunately, I think it's almost time I find a job that offers benefits and a little higher pay rate so I'll be able to sustain my life and school without leaving UTA with a pile of unwanted student loans to pay off.

Alice in Wonderland- Not That Adventurous.

We all know the story of Alice in Wonderland whether you are 5 years old, 20 years old or 80 years old. We all know the story of the poor blond haired, blue dress wearing little girl following the white rabbit down the hole into Wonderland and the magical powers of "Drink Me" potions and "Eat Me" cupcakes.

It all started with a fantasy book called Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. It was later picked up by Walt Disney and made into a movie. Lewis Carroll also wrote the squeal Through The Looking-Glass And What Alice Found There. There is a common confusion about these two stories. The world is familiar with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, however not as many are familiar with the sequel, but they do recognize some of the characters from it and confuse it with the first story.

I have an original copy of Walt Disney's printed version of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, simply titled Alice in Wonderland. It's the first story only with new illustrations from Walt Disney. This is where most people get the image of Alice in a blue dress with blond hair, a purple Cheshire cat and a green hookah smoking caterpillar. Because there was no color in Lewis Carroll's first run of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, we have grown accustom to the purple Cheshire cat, the blue dress and anything and everything else Walt Disney decided to add color to.

Tim Burton decided to remake Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland film this year. We all love Tim Burton for his famous works of Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and the 2005 adaptation of the 1964 book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; however as well as the 3D graphics, music, and choice of actors/actresses were, my expectations of Tim Burton fell short.

After watching the movie in 3D last night, I walked out of the theater disappointed. The first thing I said to myself was, wow that was a poor adaptation and it didn't even stay true to the real story.

My next question was, which story was Tim Burton going for? He managed to pull together both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass and tie it into one movie. Which I'll admit he did pretty well, but for those Lewis Carroll and Literature lovers, it's too easy to criticize, and be disappointed with.

Mr. Burton pulls Alice following the white rabbit down the hole, along with the small door, the "drink me" potion and the "eat me" cupcake from the first story, but pulls the Jabberwocky and the twins, Tweedledee and Tweedledum from the second story. (I know that the twins are in the first Disney movie, however they are not in the book, this is also where Walt Disney added his own part into Lewis Carroll's story). In the first book, there is no White Queen, only the Queen of Hearts, which is commonly mistaken as the Red Queen which only appears in the sequel. Tim Burton threw out the Queen of Hearts and replaced her with the Red Queen. It must be pointed out that the QUEEN OF HEARTS is the one who says "off with her head!"- NOT the Red Queen. This was a huge mistake on Burton's part. Ouch! Off with his head!

After doing some research this morning and remembering what I could from both books I still hold my point that Tim Burton failed to stay true to the story of Alice in Wonderland. He took most of the action, adventure and characters from the second story as I pointed out before. He combined both stories, which I'll give him the credit of doing a decent job at this. The film was entertaining and kept me awake the whole time, however I was also in my seat grimacing the whole time going over and over in my head each story and as the movie progressed I kept categorizing each scene into either book. This was annoying.

I know most of you will say at this point, Meghan why cant you just sit there and enjoy the movie like the rest of us? Why do you have to be so critical of it and dissect every piece of the movie?

Well this is what you get with a highly-detailed, OCD, lover of accuracy. I cant sit through a movie, especially when it's something as beautiful and as well-known as Alice in Wonderland. Think about all the young children who watch this movie and will forever believe that there was a Jabberwocky and a White Queen in Alice in Wonderland.
How about when those kids get to college and read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass in a literature class and realize that their entire lives they were believing something that wasn't true. How let down would you be, if you found out that Bambi's mother never got shot, that the movie we all know and love was a poor adaptation to an original score hidden somewhere else? Or what if in the original Lion King, there was no timon and Pumba??! You would feel cheated, wouldn't you? Or for the older generation what if you found out that Teddy Roosevelt wasn't really a Rough Rider?! Pretty lousy huh?

For those of you who have seen Tim Burton's remake, what did you think of it?

Also, here a Lewis Carroll's Jabberwock Poem for your enjoyment:
Good luck reading it, and better luck understanding it.


'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Graduate School Update- Kansas State University

I got "unofficially" accepted to Kansas State University last week. I received and email from the graduate advisor telling me that the graduate board of admissions really liked my application and they were considering me for as GTA position and that is why I have not heard back that I have been formally accepted yet.
Let's go back, GTA- Graduate Teaching Assistant. I'm sure everyone who's gone to college knows what a teacher's assistant is- right? Well under the circumstances if I were accepted as a GTA for KSU I would receive a tuition waiver, probably not the entire tuition, given that there are the smaller more minute fees: library fees, computer lab fees, sidewalk fees, parking lot fees, gym fees, breathing air fees, etc. Again those whom have been or know someone who has been to college knows about the minor fees. But again, the basic tuition for 3-6 hours taken at KSU as an out of state student-me- is roughly $6,000.

yes, $6,000.

That's a nice number I could certainly entertain given that I am accepted as GTA and would not have to pay. BUT it get's better.

You are able to be a GTA for a maximum of 2 years. that's 4 semesters. That's $12,000 for one year as being considered an out of state student and then roughly another $8,000 for the following year as an in state student. SO- I could go to school and stay $20,000 out of debt.

Oh, but wait there's more.

As a GTA for the 9 months or so school is in session, you receive and monthly stipend of a lovely $1,000. That's $9,000 a year, and for two years as a GTA that's $18,000- that's almost as much as my tuition would cost.

Whew! How AWESOME is all of that?! Now I'm just waiting to hear back about the GTA position, and that is why I have not been formally accepted to Kansas State yet.