Museum Day with the Fam (Circa Jan. 2010)

My golden ticket?

It's been difficult to blog these days. I feel as though I bring to the forum is a bunch of complaints about how tired, busy and overwhelmed I am. This is CreComm, of course I'm all of those things.

This semester I am really struggling; I want to do well, but I feel as though I am barely keeping my head above water. I have contemplated quitting my job, quitting school, quitting everything. However, thankfully those thoughts usually only come in the really stressful moments. I usually have a little anxiety attack, and then find a way to talk myself out of it.

I want this really bad, and I've never worked harder for anything in my life.

It's funny, because the one thing that I realize is that CreComm is my ticket to change the world. -- When this is all said and done I want to devote myself to making the world a better place for others; that's the one thing in my life that has made me happiest. (Yes, that sounds cheesy and cliche, but I can't even put into words the absolute feeling of joy when I see that something I've done has impacted someone else's life. It's incredible.) Being in this program has enabled me to meet other people who have the same vision and goals as I do, and it has given me the 'tools' to better myself in my endeavours to change the world.

That being said, I'm not sure if I want to work in the non-profit sector professionally. I really enjoy the volunteer aspect of it all.

I'm getting way ahead of myself though. Right now my life is too chaotic to do as much as I'd like in regards to my volunteer work. I am working on a project right now for the Joseph Beeper Spence Drop-in, but I can't help the cause as much as I'd be able to if it was a different time of my life.

Ah well, as busy as I am, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't having the time of my life. I've met some incredible friends, learned so much, and being in this program has given me opportunities that I'd never have without it.

No matter how hard it gets, I know that quitting is never an option.

Image: Natalie Dee

Dear Sean Garrity...

Dear Sean Garrity,

Kenton Larsen told me that you read my blog post (aka rant) about my auto-fail as a result of the incorrect spelling of Daria Puttaert's name on the official Zooey & Adam website, and because of that, you changed the spelling.

Thanks! Combined, you and I did a good service to CreCommers everywhere; saving them from impending auto-fails for upcoming assignments!

My auto-fail still stands, but the sting has worn off, and I'm ok with it now. We're not fighting anymore! Hooray!

Sincerely,

Shelley C

"Doesn't mean you fail at life..."

One of the best parts of CreComm is being in a class with Jessica Cable (who breaks out into song all the time!) and Berea Henderson (Who sings, dances and laughs like nobody I know...)

Here is a song they made up called "Auto-Fail."

C: Chaos.

So my blog has been pretty slack lately; a couple of pictures, my radio assignment and a passive-aggressive attempt at getting someone to send me a case of Metro Mint water. Lame.

In all fairness though, I have been extremely busy. So busy, in fact, that I am deliriously tired, and starting to go a little 'wonky,' if you know what I mean.

CreComm is hard. I've had to remind myself over, and over again that I wanted this for so long, and that I shouldn't take it for granted, but low and behold it is a struggle.

This is probably because I have 'bitten off more than I can chew' so to speak. Well, at least I think I have; I'm in school full time, have a part time job, intern at a magazine, volunteer (as much as I can) with the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, write business profiles for another magazine, and I just finished a month-long stint of writing the Sunday 'List of things to do' for On7. Life is chaotic. But, like I said, I have to remember how bad I wanted this. Besides, my mom got her PhD while working full time and raising three kids; if I've got her genes, I'm pretty sure I can do anything.

That being said, I am exhausted! I never, in a million years, thought that I would be in the spot that I'm in now; life is busy, but I am working hard to get what I want.

I know I probably always harp on this, but I was a high school drop out, with little ambition. I strived to be one of the "pretty's," and I didn't care if people thought I was dumb. (Ugh, I can't believe that I admitted that.) But, that's who I was, and I am striving to never be that person again. (Although I still want to be one of the "pretty's")

I should probably go to bed. This post is probably fragmented, and doesn't make sense, but I'll edit and rewrite it tomorrow.

Cheers.

An open letter to all my valentine's...

Dear Valentine's,

Please buy me this for love day.

Yours truly,

Shelley C.

P.S. If you don't know my shipping address I will gladly give it to you.

We're fighting Garrity...

I auto-failed an assignment yesterday, and I'm blaming Sean Garrity!

Daria Puttaert's name was incorrectly spelled on the official Zooey & Adam website, I used it, and I failed. -- I know it's my fault for not double-checking with another website, but I figured the official movie website would be a good enough source.

Ugh.

I am frustrated; I would have gotten and eight out of 10 on that assignment...

That being said; Zooey & Adam was stellar, and even though Garrity and I are fighting right now, we'll make up once the sting of the auto-fail wears off...

First radio stations: XWA/KDKA

XWA Montreal first started by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, has claimed to be the first commercial broadcaster in the world. The station, which went on air on December 1, 1919 was called XWA, because the call letters stood for "Experimental Wireless Apparatus" because when the radio station was first formed, it only provided experimental broadcasts that were heard only by people with "crystal sets" or equivalent experimental devices. One of the first people said to be broadcasted on the experimental station was female vocalist Dorothy Lutton.

On May 20th, 1920, six months after it first aired, XWA started hosting “regular programming.” One of the first on-air personalities for the station, that was key in implementing this regular programming was operating engineer Darby Coats. Coats, who was one of the founding engineers operating the experimental station, said that he remembered borrowing a record player and records from a local store in return for mentioning the store on the air - thus introducing the idea of contra to the airwaves for the very first time. Aside from just playing music, XWA would also rip and read local news and weather forecasts from the local Montreal papers.

XWA got its first full licensed on May 15th, 1922. Later that year, on November 4th, the name of the station was changed to CFCF. -- And, while the meaning of the CFCF call sign hasn’t been officially confirmed, it is generally believed that it stands for “Canada’s First, Canada’s Finest.”

CFCF had Canada’s first broadcast studio in the Canada Cement Building in Phillips Square Montreal. It opened on 440 meters with 500 watts. By 1923, power had increased significantly, to 2000 watts.

The station, which has a rich history, is still in existence under the name CNIW. It is owned by Corus Entertainment, and is Canada’s, and perhaps even the worlds, oldest radio station.

Another Radio station that claims to be the oldest is KDKA radio.

The CBS radio station in Pittsburgh Pennslyvania, was the first commercially licensed radio station in the United States.

KDKA was started by Dr. Frank Conrad, an assistant chief engineer of Westinghouse Electric. In 1916, Conrad developed the developed a transmitter and installed it in a garage near his home is Wilkinsburg Pennsylvania. He licensed the amateur station under the call letters 8XK.

8XK halted transmission until after the war because of security reasons. When it resumed, 8XK broadcasted with other amateur radio stations. At that time, the amateur stations consisted of amateur radio operators who traded information with one another, describing the equipment they were using and where their stations were located. However, Conrad On October 17, 1920, Conrad put his microphone by a phonograph and decided to introduce his station to the airwaves.

At first, Conrad broadcast records for two hours on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. When he ran out of his own records, the Hamilton Music Store in Wilkinburg supplied records in exchange for promotion, becoming one of the first radio advertisers.

Westinghouse was granted a radio license on October 27, 1920, and on November 2, 1920, at 6 p.m. 8KX became KDKA Radio. KDKA began broadcasting at 100 watts from a make-shift shack atop one of the Westinghouse manufacturing buildings in East Pittsburgh. KDKA was the first radio station to carry election results, thanks in part to the Pittsburgh Post who provided election returns by telephone. results of the election were relayed to almost a thousand listeners, who learned that Warren G. Harding had defeated James M. Cox in the presidential race.

KDKA "Firsts"

• January 2, 1921: Calvary Episcopal Church hosted the first religious service ever broadcast.
• January 15, 1921: Herbert Hoover's first radio address.
• March 4, 1921: The first broadcast of an inaugural address, as Harding was sworn into office.
• March 10, 1921: The first broadcast from a theatre -- the songs of soprano Ruth Roye from the Davis Theatre, Pittsburgh.
• April 11, 1921: The first sports broadcast -- a 10-round fight between Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee.
• May 19, 1921: The first regular government farm reports.
• August 5, 1921: The first baseball play-by-play, announced by Harold Arlin from Forbes Field, where the Pittsburg Pirates defeated the Philadelphia Phils 8 to 5.
• September 20, 1921: The first radio newsroom established, with a direct link to the Pittsburg Post.
• July 23, 1982: KDKA became the first radio station in the world to broadcast in AM stereo.