Success.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is the meaning of success.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Timing is everything. I discovered Karen Lum's blog and specifically this post about Bill Cunningham when I needed it most.

Top Stories in 2009

Interesting Year:
Here are 2009's top 10 stories as voted by the U.S. editors and news directors:
By, David Crary

1. THE ECONOMY: Despite a $787 billion federal stimulus package, much of the U.S. economy continued to sputter throughout the year. The jobless rate topped 10 percent, scores of banks failed, the federal deficit tripled to a record $1.4 trillion, and stocks fell to their lowest levels since 1997 before rallying. Yet investment banks' profits surged, triggering public anger and efforts in Washington to crack down on Wall Street bonuses.

2. OBAMA INAUGURATION: Inauguration Day in January was a moving moment for many Americans, as the nation's first black president took the oath of office. But Obama soon confronted the sobering realities of governing as he struggled to get the economy back on track and win support for his ambitious legislative priorities.

3. HEALTH CARE: A sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health care system, extending coverage to millions of Americans now without it, was a top priority for Obama and majority Democrats in Congress. But Republicans were almost unanimously opposed, leading to complex, bitterly partisan showdowns in both chambers.

4. AUTO INDUSTRY: It was an immensely challenging year for America's Big Three automakers. General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, GM's CEO Rick Wagoner was ousted by the government, and Chrysler was pressured into an alliance with Italy's Fiat. Ford avoided bankruptcy, but its worldwide sales – like its competitors' – fell sharply.

5. SWINE FLU: Swine flu struck tens of millions of people worldwide, worrying governments as supplies of vaccine failed to meet demand. In the United States, according to federal authorities, swine flu sickened an estimated 50 million people, hospitalized close to 200,000 and killed 10,000.

6. AFGHANISTAN: Casualties on all sides mounted as U.S. forces, with their Afghan and NATO allies, battled the resilient Taliban. President Obama, after lengthy deliberations, opted to send 30,000 more troops. His decision was complicated by the disputed Afghan election, which prompted allegations of widespread fraud but resulted in President Hamid Karzai taking office for a second five-year term.

7. MICHAEL JACKSON DIES: The "King of Pop" died at the age of 50, triggering grief and nostalgia among his legions of fans around the world. His doctor became the focus of a Los Angeles police homicide investigation after telling investigators he administered propofol, a powerful operating room anesthetic, to help the pop star sleep.

8. FORT HOOD RAMPAGE: An Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Hasan, was accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, a sprawling military base in Texas, before being seriously wounded by police gun fire. Investigations were launched to determine if authorities missed warning signs that might have prevented the rampage.

9. EDWARD KENNEDY DIES. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who carried on the family legacy after the deaths of his three older brothers, died of brain cancer after a distinctive political career filled with highs and lows. Though his own presidential aspirations were thwarted, he earned bipartisan respect for decades of hard work in the Senate.

10. MIRACLE ON HUDSON: A US Airways passenger jet, both its engines disabled, made an emergency ditching in the Hudson River, and all 155 on board survived in what was dubbed "The Miracle on the Hudson." The veteran pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, was hailed as a hero for averting a disaster.

Just missing the Top 10 was the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

AP Top Stories of 2009

Neighborhood Empowerment Network: NENtv

Adam Greenfield and Ruth Hanby from the Neighborhood Empowerment Network recently approached me to create the graphics for their San Francisco based online video program. I was a bit hesitant to take on this project based on time constraints and juggling multiple projects, but in the end I was more than glad to have helped contribute to this project. I hope this small contribution will help this wonderful community based organization reach their goals. NENtv is an organization that promotes community-building, and is involved with sharing San Francisco community based stories with the world.

The Commercial.

I returned from India with the pleasure of discovering that the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition has put the commercial I helped produce on broadcast television. Through the spot sheet below the commercial has aired in the bay area on some notable networks such as the Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, and the Food Network.

i miss him so much!

वोर्ड्स फ्रॉम इंडिया

I'm currently working on a community service project for the kids and the not so little kids of the Smile Foundation from New Delhi, India. Production is in place, and will be for the next several weeks. What little I can contribute to this community, I am grateful for, but still more needs to be done, and I am lost for words and unable to remedy the poverty while living in India. Traveling is adventurous, but in the back of my mind things are a little different. Whoever said, "India will change you", was right. I am changing.

India

I'm off to India June 12th, 2009. I'm lost for words. Maybe being lost is right at this moment.

Hearst Journalism Awards

Hearst Journalism Awards

I had an opportunity to work with another talented individual this spring, Elizabeth McKernan. I never met anyone as dedicated as she is to finding and telling a story in a single day.

647

647 is a number every BECA student should fear and familiarize themselves with. This project took several months to complete, and included collaborations between many talented individuals such as Sandra Garcia, Ruth Hanby, and MegaTanner.



This project which involved television, radio, and print remains confidential at the client's request. But I can say Thank You very much to BAGGU and their generous donation during the production of this campaign.

Bachelors of Arts

Graduation 2009

It took me seven years to earn my degree. I finally settled in the department of Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts after flirting with business, design, and holistic health. I think it was a good decision as I was nominated and won the

Dan Tiedemann Memorial Award
Dan Tiedemann was an honors student in this department. He was outstanding in media production. Dan was a friend to all - ever helpful, always seeking perfection. In Dan’s honor, the Daniel Tiedemann award for excellence in media production will be given to a graduating senior who exemplifies these values.

Some memorable advice given during the department graduation was to:
Not Freak Out during crazy situations, and to not let someone's fear stop you from discovering and pursuing your dreams, To Manage your fears, and
To Let things go. I wanted to share this because I want to follow this, but if I don't for some reason, I know someone else will.

Hollywood Days

I took a trip with the group down to LA a couple months ago to get a better view of the industry. We were warmly welcomed by Pearlena Igbokwe, Gary Garfinkel, Melissa Fernandez, and Julie Tadeo of the Showtime Networks. During this visit,Pauly Shore got on the phone and made a pitch for his up coming film which sounds strangely funny.



Well, the week continued onto a live taping of The Doctors at Paramount Studios, a show I despise, but the taping of The Price is Right at the CBS Studios was a treat as Bob Barker made a brief appearance to promote his rather charming book. This was an interesting trip, and it also gave me a glimpse of a move I might make in the future.

New Vibes

Currently Reading:
Lewis, Amini, Lannon, A General Theory of Love

Finally, a new camera!

I've been exploring parts of the east bay for the past month, and Oakland has tons of untapped artist. I never explored the Oakland art scene before and now that I seen a glimpse of it, I kinda dig it. From the Hatch to Rock Paper Scissors the vibe was chill, but to bad it rained out on everyone.



I came back to the city to help shoot parts of the Chinese New Year parade and was lucky enough to capture these cutie pies below and one of the coolest dragons I've ever seen.

A Choice of Weapons

A very late post but a very good friend of mine contributed to the making of this feature A Choice of Weapons. Congratulations to him and his newborn baby, and to the youth crew for completing this project.

You can read about it here on SF Gate. You can also check it out on their website
Conscious Youth Media Crew or ...

You Are Powerful

An Amnesty International piece by Kim Gehrig from Academy Films.
Great Video! I think 2009 will be a great year.

Top Stories in 2008

Here are 2008's top 10 stories, as voted by AP members:


1. U.S. ELECTION: Obama emerged from Election Night as a decisive victor and a symbol for the world of America's democratic promise. But he reached that point only after a grueling battle with Clinton for the Democratic nomination and then an often-nasty showdown with the McCain/Palin ticket in the run-up to the election.

2. ECONOMIC MELTDOWN: The bad news kept coming — collapses of Wall Street giants; huge stock market losses; plummeting home prices and a surge of foreclosures; desperate times for U.S. automakers. It added up to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and will cost the federal government well over $1 trillion in various rescue and stimulus packages.

3. OIL PRICES: The global economic angst produced hyper-volatile energy markets. The price of crude soared as high as $150 a barrel in July before crashing to $33 this month. In the U.S., the average price for a gallon of regular gas peaked at $4.11, then plunged below $1.70.

4. IRAQ: The much-debated "surge" of U.S. troops helped reduce violence after more than five years of war, but Iraq is still buffeted daily by bombings, ambushes, kidnappings and political uncertainty. A newly ratified U.S.-Iraqi security agreement sets a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal by 2012.

5. BEIJING OLYMPICS: China hosted the Olympics for first time, drawing praise for logistical mastery and condemnation for heavy-handed security measures. The games themselves were rated a success, highlighted by the record-shattering performances of swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt.

6. CHINESE EARTHQUAKE: A huge quake in May killed 70,000 people in Sichuan province and left 5 million homeless. Many thousands of children were among the victims — authorities said about 7,000 classrooms were destroyed in shoddily built schools.

7. SARAH PALIN: Few Americans outside Alaska knew much about its governor when Republican John McCain picked her as his running mate. That changed rapidly. To her conservative admirers, she was a feisty, refreshing change from most politicians; to her critics, she was in over her head, and worthy of all the lampooning she endured.

8. MUMBAI TERRORISM: Ten attackers allegedly sponsored by a Pakistan-based Islamic group terrorized India's financial capital in November, killing 164 people in coordinated attacks on hotels, markets and a train station. India's perennially uneasy relations with Pakistan were badly strained.

9. HILLARY CLINTON: She didn't win, but Clinton came closer than any other woman in U.S. history to becoming a major party's presidential nominee. Her determined primary campaign, waged vigorously even when it seemed a lost cause, inspired millions of women across the country — and helped persuade Obama to choose her as secretary of state.

10. RUSSIA-GEORGIA WAR: The two nations waged a five-day war in August ignited by a Georgian artillery barrage on the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia responded with a drive deep into Georgian territory, causing severe economic damage and aggravating already troubled Russia-US relations.

AP David Crary

Art with Garbage

Currently Listening: Jon Fromer, Gunna Take Us All

My first role as a producer brought light to
David King and his art residency with San Francisco Recycling. After working with the multi-talented Jon Fromer on a different assignment for several months, I learned the DFIU methodology of being a producer.

Check out the video.

David King and Christine Lee will have their show on on January 23rd & 24 at the SF Dump.

Winter's Theme

Currently Listening: Bloc Party, Two More Years

Production has been ramping up and will probably stay that way for most of next year. The theme of the month has been creativity and management.

Voice your opinion and risk criticism.
Don't say anything and lose your identity.
Be bold and aggressive but creates tension.
Don't command but lead and face opposition.
Use Experience but lose Innovation.

Hmmm. the many dilemmas...

Today, A friend's inspiration became my own inspiration.

Kanye inspired me today.
December 3rd, 2008

I designed this button up that was made from out of a poly swim suit material that fades with every wash. I cut the fabric, sewed it up and said to my sales team and everyone in the office what do you think? Everyone, and i mean everyone said no, its to risky, its too colorful, its too nuts, its unconventional. So, I gave the only sample that i had of it to my homie Mike J from LRG. Mike hits up the next day at 10am and says “dawg, i’ve gotten 10 compliments on this shirt and its only 10am, thanks!”

Like when I sit down with my sales team or when I consult with other people in the company i have to take everyone’s opinions into consideration and not be so absolute about my ideas and ideals. I feel like I have to be super conscious of what i do and what i say at all times, its a huge stress on me every day. I like taking suggestions, because everyone then has an input on the design. But, you know what its my name!

..and despite what anyone manipulates for their self-interest. I will say this..those that can’t hang, can’t do the extra that is needed everyday, or can’t motivate themselves, will always criticize those that are doing more then they are to reassure their own self-worth. My lesson for the day to myself. Thanks for reading if u made it this far.

the future.

you are breathing,
you are blinking,
you are thankful,
you are grateful,
you are hopeful,
you are blessed,
you remain optimistic.

you promise?

Some of my favorites from Callie Shell.