I must say, that for the most part, I’m impressed. At least, in the area of diaster response, FEMA has seemed to have learned a few things. The response time, as well as the level of services and their quality, seems to have improved dramatically over Katrina. Areas of refuge were setup, food and drink were provided, activities were setup, and best of all, no pointed fingers.

However, we can all always learn from things like this. Clearly, FEMA needs to work on their media presence. That staged press conference, with FEMA employees asking soft questions? Not so good. If you can’t get one setup in time, release a press release for God sakes. Or, better yet, let the call-in reporters ask questions. And allow more time for people to show up before starting the show, not 15 minutes.

I’m an optimistic guy, and I think FEMA will learn from this time’s mistakes. If not, what’s one more blot on their record, right? In any case, Bush better hope it doesn’t happen under his term. See, if it happens with the new (likely) Democrat President, the Republicans can blame it on them.

Hopefully FEMA gets better, but knowing the government and its response to events, there seems likely to be some screw up in the future.

Tonight I did something I haven’t done for several years…went costume shopping.

I loved going out trick-or-treating as a kid, but once I grew older, I knew the fun had to stop. So, I relegated myself to behind-the-scenes candy duty, which was alright in itself, giving out candy to kids, and seeing them dress up every year. Never thought I’d see myself in a costume again.

Then I turned 21. I’ve been trying to get out more this year, since I know it’s the last year I’ll really be able to have some fun. So, I’ve been trying. Still far from being a huge partier, but that’s all right. Well, I got invited to a costume party on Halloween, so I know I should be a good sport and dress up.

So, I went to Walmart with the idea of finding a complete costume set. Turns out it didn’t work out so well. So, I ending up having to combine what I was able to buy (pirate shirt, patch, gun, and cloak) with my suit shirt, paints, and shoes. I thought it might look silly, but it actually turned out pretty nice. Not bad for a little improvisation. I am a little disappointed that Walmart didn’t have a sword though. I can’t be a pirate without one! So, tomorrow, I’m going to head to CVS and see if I can pick one up. If not, it’ll probably be back to Walmart, though I don’t know if my luck will be any more. But, I’ll try.

So, for the first time in years, I’m celebrating Halloween again. Just in a little more of an adult style.

P.S. This week’s Dymersion Video episode won’t be available until the end of the week at least.  This is because I’m doing an editorial for the news show I participate in at school (making one of my rare on-camera appearances).  So, it’ll double as this week’s Dymersion Video (and one of the best visually looking ones to date).

I have received some very positive commentary on a couple of the questions I submitted for the CNN/YouTube Republican debate, and I cannot be happier that I decided to participate.  Commentary is obviously no guarantee any of my questions will get chosen for the debate (which would be an awesome thing to happen), but I’m just happy to know that people took a look at them.

I do plan on submitting some more questions in the coming weeks, and I’ll probably touch on some other hot button issues as illegal immigration and abortion.  However, with the slew of other people asking these same questions, I want to be creative.  Ever sine I submitted it, I haven’t seen any questions asking the candidates to choose one mistake they’ve made during their terms, and tell the lessons from it.  There could be some out there, who knows, but I have yet to see it.  So, I hope to really focus on more questions such as that one.  Something that could get the candidates really thinking.

Since, honestly, any candidate can just repeat a platform position that anybody could look up.  But when they have to start getting honest with voters about their past, I think it can really show their character.  It is true that they could just simply deflect the question, but I hope they would not, as that too would be a show of character.

So, in conclusion, I’m happy with what people have said, and though I was planning on doing so anyway, seeing that really makes me want to continue submitting questions.  Prepare to see more in the coming weeks!

In this week’s Dymersion Video, I put together my questions for next month’s CNN/YouTube Republican Debate. I also make some brief comments on the wildfire disaster in Southern California. If you want to skip the California stuff, you can see the individual questions on my YouTube channel.

Just had a thought…I’m pretty sure McCain and Ron Paul will be in this one, but does anyone even know if Romney has agreed to it?  If not, I’ll have to remove that one.

 In this episode of Dymersion Video, I talk about an artist who, for his latest creation, caused the suffering of an innocent animal in the name of “art.”

The video still has some problems, but it’s not nearly as bad as when I was trying to capture it on Friday.  So, bear with it, and it’ll sort itself out several seconds afterward.

I still do plan to make this week’s episode a series of questions I’ll be submitting for the CNN/YouTube Republican Debate.

It started about a year ago.  I was getting a sandwich at my campus library’s cafe, and I saw them.  Miss Vickie’s Kettle Cooked potato chips.  I’d never had kettle cooked potato chips before, so I was intrigued.  I took a bad of that, and ended up eating it all.  That started my love affair with kettle cooked potato chips.

Ever since then, I’ve made it a point to get some when they are relatively chip, and to find a variety I like as much as Miss Vickie’s, which isn’t sold in large bags, at least not in this part of the U.S.  I haven’t yet been able to quite succeed.  Miss Vickie’s chips have a certain texture and thickness to them, and also a certain taste, that I can’t precisely match with other brands.  I never expected to get the exact same chips, as that’s impossible, but something close would be nice.

I think the closest chip thus far has been the Cap Code brand kettle chips.  They’re pretty nice.  I has some whilst at the Greater Hartford Open this summer, and I must say, they come in a close second.  Right now, however, mostly due to price, I’m stuck with Lays.  I don’t know…I like ’em, but they’re just not the same.

Gah, wasn’t able to post for the last two days, and didn’t get my Dymersion Video entry up, so I’m going to try and do a quickie for right after this entry, and I’ll leave the debate questions edition until next week’s episode. EDIT: Unfortunately, while I got the episode on tape, something seem to be either wrong with the tape, or the read heads on my camera (meaning they need cleaning), so I won’t be able to have an episode for this week.  I’ll try and upload it on Monday, though.

I had two very good days between yesterday and today. Last night, despite a few technical bumps (including one major one with the cameras that we were able to deal with before the show), they went well. We had good content, and a lot of it. Whenever a technical glitch occurred, for the most part, the anchors were able to deal with it professionally and promptly. And overall, everyone really stepped up to make sure things went smoothly.

Then I went to this bar/cafe a little downtown called Corleone’s, where two of our anchors were playing music. I had a lot of fun listening to them, and they’re really good at it, too.

Then this afternoon, I was one among four who shot an interview with the U.S. Congressman from my district, Joe Courtney. We asked him some questions about the recently signed Higher Education Access Act, which will provide $19 billion in Pell grants in the next five years. He was very friendly, and the shots looked great. So, we’ll be putting some of that on the news next week, and it should make for a good package.

Alright, off to finish lunch and see if I can do a quickie Dymersion Video for you all.

This is one I haven’t really touched before, except in passing, when discussing other things. However, I think it’s time. Of course, something else prompted it.

I hadn’t heard of the series before, but many Christians (of the far right flavor) appear to be up in arms over the upcoming film His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. Like I say, I don’t know much about the series, never having read it (though, after reading the descriptions of the books, I do want to read it). It appears to be somewhat similar in nature to the Chronicles of Narnia (another series I want to read), in that a child travels through a portal to another, rather magical world. Lyra, the main character, has to battle through evil, and all that good stuff.

Unlike Narnia, though, the series features multiple worlds (in a multiverse), and a strange, Dark-matter like substance called Dust (that apparently identifies sentient beings, like us).

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Ooh, I hate not updating for so long.  This time, I blame it on the need to focus on last Saturday’s Eastern Expedition shoot.  I didn’t have all the contestants until Thursday, and then some people dropped out at the last minute (and one just didn’t show up), so I was freaking out.  I’m pretty calm now, though.  The shows were a bit of a bumpy ride, given the fact that we have a new host, but I think that in the end, they’ll be good.  So, that’s that.

For some reason, I seemed to have had a huge appetite today.  I’ll eat something, and then like fifteen minutes after I’m done with my food, I’ll be hungry again.  Not massively hungry, as if I feel like I’m starving, but something that just feels like I could use a snack.

So, I try to stop the feeling with some food, but it keeps coming.  I know, as a fairly small guy, that I hardly need a lot of food, yet the feeling remains.  Haven’t had an appetite this ravenous since I was on Prednisone on and off throughout my teenage years (god, that makes me seem old).

I don’t know if it’s because I have a test today, or what.  Guess I’ll find out if it goes away after I take the test.

Anyway, sleep is needed to do good on a test, so time for that.