So, now that I’m used to my new phone, some of the “honeymoon” stage with it is over.  I don’t have very many gripes about the phone, however.

The enV (VX9900) is definitely a phone made for 1) the avid texter and/or 2) someone who likes to use the mobile web features.  But, probably mostly #1 is the target audience for the enV, or else there would be a better browser.  But, more on that later.

Texting is absolutely, positively, simple with this phone.  I don’t know what exactly I need to explain here.  enV has a keypad with most of the keys of any traditional QWERTY keyboard.  So, that makes it easy to enter your message (which means that relatively quick typers can do full-length messages quickly – thereby, it’s an English buff’s best friend!  Finally, I like that my plan include mobile IM, so that I can have AIM or MSN wherever I go, and it looks nice, too.  It only seems to accept about a dozen users, but I’m not really complaining.

I haven’t had a lot of chance to see how well it plays songs yet.  While it’s not built to be a music player phone like the Chocolate or the VX8300, I can tell by the little music I’ve heard (a downloaded ringtone and an included piece of music) that the audio features are awesome.  The problem comes with calls.  I didn’t realize this before starting to write this entry, but apparently the same inside speakers used to play music are also used for calls.  This may explain why the person on the other end sounds slightly muffled.  However, there is what appears to be a speaker on the outside, where it normally would be!  So, I’m unsure if the muffled sound is being caused by the speakers being inside, or if the phone is a little less capable for call sound quality than some other phones.  I’ll have to do more research!

Then again, it may be the reception.  On one of my first lengthy calls, I seemed to lose some reception in areas where my old phone (VX4650) did not, like certain spots of my room.   A couple times it sounded like the other end was breaking up, though it could have been me.  However, I’ve not yet done a lengthy amount of talking on the phone (damn you, new unlimited texting plan).

Next, the VX Navigator!  GPS equipped (eat that, iPhone), turn-by-turn directions, with either current direction view or map view.  It works like a charm, though it the voice seems a bit too quiet, and I wish there were one or more two warnings of impending turns.  It’s no Garmin GPS Navigator, to be sure, but then, who is?  Not all too excited on finding out I may have accidentally purchased a day of service, though I don’t remember seeing any specific option to do so like with Wireless Sync Email – see below.  So, I’m hopeful that it’s either part of my plan, part of the extra mobile web service, or is a promotional thing.

Finally, I want to comment on the browser.  I have never yet had mobile web on a cell phone, except for maybe like a promotional month years ago.  I opted to get it since I’d like to be able to check my email while on the go.  As I’m going to be producing a TV show at my school next year, one that sometimes might involve me checking to see if people are gonna show up for shoots, or see if certain attachments have come to my mail (so I don’t waste my time going to the computer lab if I’m not in my room, only to find out it’s not there).  The enV has a whole email sync thing going on, but come on, $19.99 a month for mail, calendar, and contacts organizer?  For $5 a month, I can do more with what Gmail offers through the mobile web browser (like read AND write mail AND see contacts AND go to labels AAAAAND view .doc files – I’ll be interested to see if common image formats are accepted as downloads).  God, I love Gmail…with the properly formatted mobile version of its website…but I digress.

My only gripe about the browser is that it’s not up to par with the iPhone, but then again, what other phone’s browser is?  You can’t compare Safari with Openweb Communications Mobile Browser.  There is no comparison (talking about cell phones here, not browsers in general!).  But, I can get by on it (oooh Mobile Gmail, I love you so).

So, all in all, my first couple days with the LG enV (VX9900) have been favorable.  I’ve got a phone I like, and my sister is envious (pun fully intended).  I’m sure I’ll find some irksome things about it in the future, but for now, it is a dream phone.

I’m in love, people. In love with a thing that itself cannot love. I love my new cell phone.

We were due for an upgrade, since our two year contract was finished, so we were looking around. My dad said I could more or less get what I wanted as a late part of my birthday, so that was cool. Well, I would have been fine with what my sister and mom have – the LG VX8300. It’s a pretty good music player, and can do everything I want. Plus, we’ve upgraded to a plan that includes unlimited texting in and out of network.

However, I had eyes for one other phone (if you count the Chocolate, but I’d take 8300 over it), the LG enV (VX9900). I love the flip open keyboard on it, which makes it good for texting and mobile web. It also seems to have pretty decent audio, so far. In addition to the texting plan, I’ve got mobile web (which I’m going to pay for – $5 a month isn’t bad, considering the price for internet on most PC-based internet providers). So, basically, I’m going to be addicted to this thing. As long as it doesn’t make me late for class or something! And once I find a mobile optimized version of WordPress’ admin panel, I’ll be able to moblog.

Also, I’m uncertain on this, but I seem to have access to the GPS-based navigation system. My sister thinks this is part of mobile web, but I’m unsure myself. Seems to be a very good commodity for only $5. Maybe it’s just a one month thing? If anyone has the low down on the nav service, let me know. I like it very much, but it’s not a necessity if it’s either not supposed to be enabled, or it’s a promo thing. I’ve can do Mapquest or Google Maps on my computer or Mobile Web. But hey. At least this phone has GPS navigation. Can’t say that for another newer phone. *cough*iphone*cough*

Anyway, back to playing and texting with my phone. For anybody who’s heard me tell them not to text my phone in the past, disregard that, since texting is now fair game.

I’ve always had an active, hobby-like interest in genealogy.  I enjoy finding out where I’m from, and who my family members were.  So, it surprised me a year ago from last month, when I was at a family function, to see the name of former United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a family tree made by my uncle.  Given that he’s pretty distant from me (7th cousin 7 times removed on my mom’s side), but I enjoyed knowing that somebody who had so vastly changed this country and led it through a war was in my family.

Because I like to re-invent the wheel, I’ve been trying to retrace that line myself.  Alright…wanting practice is the real reason!  I’ll never get good in this myself if I can’t even recreate what someone else has done.  I’ve also been trying to look back in time for the other surnames in my family.  While on this quest the other day, I came across a name that intrigued me: Laura Ingalls Wilder.  You know, the author of Little House on the Prairie?  Somebody with my last name mentioned being descended from her on their website.  So, I started my search.

I was intending to find a connection to Wilder through my last name, and didn’t expect something else to come up.  However, while I was searching, I noticed another last name to which one of her ancestors was connected: Delano.  Well, you can see how quickly this would pique my interest.  I immediately abandoned my attempt to find some connection through my name, and started trying to find the dotted line connecting FDR and LIW.

I’m happy to say I did it!  Here’s the connection:

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s father was Charles Ingalls, who’s father was Lansford Ingalls, who’s father was Samuel Ingalls.  Samuel was married to Margaret Delano, who’s father was Jonathan Delano, who’s father was Jabez Delano, who’s father was also named Jonathan Delano.  Jonathan had another son named Thomas.  His son was Ephraim Delano, who’s son was Warren Delano, who’s son was Warren Delano, Jr., who’s daughter was Sarah Delano, the wife of James Roosevelt.  The two had a son named Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would go on to be the 32nd President of the United States.  By a quick calculation, they are fifth cousins once removed.

But that’s not all!  Ingalls Wilder is also related to yet another President.  Good old Jonathan Delano (the brother of Roosevelt’s ancestor Thomas) also had a daughter named Susanna.  She married one Noah Grant (can you see where this is going?).  They had a son named Noah Grant, Jr., who had a son named Jesse Root Grant.  He had a wife named Hanna Simpson, and together they had a son named Ulysses Simpson Grant, the Civil War general, and the 18th President of the United States.  To Wilder, Grant is a fourth cousin twice removed, and to Roosevelt, he is a fourth cousin once removed.

On a sidenote, after wandering aimlessly around rootsweb up through the Delano line, though many marriages, and back to like 1650, and forward through the name that showed me, I found another President: Richard M. Nixon.  He’d be so far away though, I’m not even going to try and look up the generations and times removed.

In all, it’s not so surprising.  The Delanos and the Ingalls are both apparently very wealthy families, and wealthy usually marries wealthy.  Anyway, back to my search!

I would like to say that my weekend was pretty awesome.  Well, not weekend, since it all happened on weekdays, but I digress.

On Thursday, as I’ve been mentioning for the past couple of entries, I went to New York City to see The Colbert Report.  It was awesome because though we had to stand to see the show, we were able to go backstage.  It gets better.  I got to meet Stephen Colbert, who is just as energetic off the camera as he is in front of it.  Didn’t do too much talking, but got to shake his hand and complement him on a good show.   He seems to be a very nice guy (some people can be real asses when they get off camera).  Given that he took the time to greet the people backstage both before and after the show says a lot about him, I think.

Besides Colbert, didn’t actually do much in the city.  Walked around Virgin Megastore before having dinner before the show.  Got to sample this wine at Olive Garden, which was not very good, to be honest.  Then, after the show, we’d planned on going to an ice-cream place, but ended up at McDonalds, since the others of my party were hungry for food.  I just wanted dessert, so I got a hot-fudge sundae.

The next day, ate at a local diner called MaryBill.  Good food, but a little greasy, and I’m not sure my Crohn’s agreed with that.  Of course, could have been the chicken parm from later that day.  Speaking of which, got to meet my friend Adam’s friend Adam again, and we had dinner at the restaurant I was supposed to go to almost two months ago.  It was pretty good food I must say.  Afterward, I viewed a finished episode of Expedition Season 4 (freakin’ awesome!) and helped edit another one (well, provided suggestions).

Then today, not so much.  Came back, went swimming, perhaps drank one too many with the Mike’s Hard Lemonade I had, since I feel kind of strange right now.  Never had three drinks in one day before, though I tried to space them apart.

Today, I just have a graduation party for a family friend.  Should be good, though I’m not paying $5 to swim in the lake.  I can do it for free at my grandparent’s house.

P.S. Final day at 3 was great!  Got to go out with one of the photogs again, and this time, he let me shoot footage!  Not sure if what I shot aired, since the only VO I was able to catch, I’m not sure if any of the footage was mine.  Still, had an awesome last day.

So, I have indeed decided to end my internship at Channel 3 tomorrow. It’s going to be a bit of a sad thing leaving. I have loved every moment of it, as a whole anyway (there were boring-ass moments and days). Still, I think I’ve done everything I’ve set out to do. I may not have focused on one area (since the area I’d like to focus on is more-or-less off-limits, besides shadowing, to a non-union intern like me), but I think I’ve covered quite a bit. I’ve spent a lot of time on the assignment desk, to be sure. On the other hand, I’ve been out with photographers, learning how they do their thing, learning how the live trucks work, and all that. I’ve been among the engineering people, seeing how they route live feeds, cameras, and other sources. I’ve also done some information look-up for stories. I’ve shadowed and worked a bit with a producer, seeing how they prepare their shows, and have even gotten to write something! And finally, I’ve gotten some insight into how a reporter does their job, though that’s not quite my shtick.

So, tomorrow will be a bit sobering, perhaps, but I’ll have left knowing that I’ve gotten in a little bit of everything, which seems to be the rule of thumb for me. Know something about everything; I think that’s a good rule. After all, if I end up getting into producing someday, I’ll need to know something about everything that’s involved with it. Not only do producers need be creative and tell a story, they also need to know the technical aspects of things. It’s not all, “I want this. Do it.” A good producer should know at least something about how the equipment does what they want. Likewise, I feel that the techie photog/editor need to have a creative side to them, or else their shots and edits are bland and boring. They should be able to tell a story out of what shots they have gotten. So, even if I haven’t been focused more on one thing, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It can be only good to get your hands in at all aspects of production.

Thursday is most definitely on, and as much as it will be a time to go see my friend, and go see Stephen Colbert be funny, it’ll be a bit of celebration for me, perhaps an extended birthday gift to myself. Especially since I took the non-traditional route for my 21st (which I’m not saying is a bad thing).

Now, to bed to be rested for the final day.

Went out with a reporter today.  That’s was loads of fun and I definitely learned a lot, and brushed up on what I thought I knew, but was confirmed today.  Won’t go into the details of explaining what happened, as I’ve done it to others already.   I’m seriously thinking of cutting it off Wednesday, the internship that is.  I’ve now done everything I set out to do, and I’ve already been working more hours that I have to for the credits, so it’s not like I’m working up to that and skipping.  Money is an issue, even after my birthday (which rocked).

In any case, Thursday and Friday will be lots of fun.  I’m going to New York City!  Why, you ask?  Besides to visit a friend, I’ll be getting to see The Colbert Report!  I’ve never been in the audience for a show on TV before (or possibly backstage if they’re out of seating – having friends who have friends is the epitome of cool), so it ought to be an interesting experience.  Then maybe we’ll hit the bar or something.  I’ll be staying over for the night, then the next day seeing what progress has been done on the episodes of Expedition the two Adams are editing this summer (yes, still thinking about it even when it’s not the school year).  So, it should be cool.

Keeping it short today, since I’m exhausted.  Getting up at 6am to get to the bus around 7am, then getting there at 8am, and staying until damn near 7pm is tiring.  Have a good day.

Exactly twenty-one years ago (to the minute), a new, shining star came into this world and blessed it with his presence.  His arrival upon this earthly plane has brought forth an era of prosperous and joyous living.

Who is this strikingly handsome, intelligent, and most wondrous specimen of the homo sapiens sapiens race?

Me

Twenty-one at long last.  Giving myself the day off from having to write anything of real substance.  For the time being, bask in my glory, and know that all is better because I am here.

So, I suppose a lot of it is my fault, but if some of these places would ever call for an interview (and yes, I’ve been a good boy and done the week-after followup after sending in an app), I might have a summer job right now. See, I’m not looking for particularly skilled work. For a summer gig, I’d be happy doing cashier, or stocking, or something of that sort. Yet, it seems that every place I’ve applied to will not call me! Take this, for example:

There’s a new gas station in town (friends from town – it’s on Adams Street). The sign says they’re hiring, so I apply. I call back a couple time, and every time it seems like the manager hasn’t looked at the applications yet! What are they playing at? If you say you’re hiring, actually start doing it. I’d understand if I didn’t get the job because I don’t qualify or something, but at least call within a respectable amount of time.  Then again, come on, how hard can it be to cashier or stock a gas station convenience store?

Another example: Ocean State Job Lot. They have a sign saying they’re hiring, so I go in to apply. One of the customer service people tells me that the manager just ended hiring, but invites me to fill out an application, which I do. Well, I thought then that they should have taken down the sign pronto, and I still do. Why? Because it’s still up there! Just went back with the family this weekend, and it was still there.

Finally, I’ve had three interviews so far, two at Circuit City (after which the manager said they couldn’t just hire for the summer – why did I waste my mom’s gas going for the second interview?) , and one at Barnes & Noble in the mall. Well, the B&N manager seems to have a rather erratic schedule, since it took me nearly two weeks after the interview to find out they’d hired somebody since my interview. Whenever I called, she wasn’t in for some reason or another, or had just left for the day. Ugh. Would have liked to work there, too, especially with the upcoming Harry Potter release! Oh, well. Now I can have my pool party on Saturday, at least.

I’d just like for some consistency from the managers. Actually call your applicants for interviews. I guess in defense of the gas station, they might simply have gotten a lot of applicants. Still, like I said, the last time I called, they still hadn’t looked at the applications. I do need to call a couple places again, though my hopes are now not high for getting a job, what with about a month and a half to go until I return to Eastern. If there’s any consolation, though, I think I now know what I’ll have to go through when actually looking for a job in my field.