An Update from Los Angeles
It has been a long while since I have last updated this blog, well over half a year since I last touched LiveJournal. There is much to talk about and catch up on. First, I'm done with my educational career (for now), I graduated the University of California, Santa Barbara in June with a degree in Global Studies. I moved back down to Temple City with my parents after the end of summer since I have a job as a photographer's assistant in Los Angeles. I'm working for Jeff Sheng, my former photography instructor, and his new studio in Los Angeles. We're still in the process of opening it up, but most of the heavy work in fixing up the place has been finished. Hopefully by the end of this month the studio will be operational.
The first half of 2008 also marked a change in my political views, as I decided to register with a political party for the first time. Joining the Republican party, I voted for Ron Paul during the California Primaries and donated money to his political campaign. I have since stuck with the Republican party but not with the partyline and thinking about joining the Republican Liberty Caucus. Though I have what many would deem as libertarian views, I have serious doubts of how effective the Libertarian Party will ever be.
But somethings don't change. I'm still a philosophy nerd and am currently reading Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, regarding faith and ethics. I'm also trying to dig my way through Dermot Moran's Introduction to Phenomenology, especially interested in Heidegger's phenomology and Derrida's critique. Phenomenology has opened up a new way of seeing - a discourse, one might say - regarding trans issues and studies. There was a small piece I wrote for one of my classes (over 18 pages long) that I subsequently shortened, revised and posted up on everything2.com (http://www.everything2.com/node/1938003). On the photography side of things, I'm still shooting with my Fuji S2 Pro, now a 6-year old model DSLR, but recently purchased a new lens for it, a Nikon 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 G DX VR ED (oh preeeetttyyy!).
That's a short summary of an update.
The first half of 2008 also marked a change in my political views, as I decided to register with a political party for the first time. Joining the Republican party, I voted for Ron Paul during the California Primaries and donated money to his political campaign. I have since stuck with the Republican party but not with the partyline and thinking about joining the Republican Liberty Caucus. Though I have what many would deem as libertarian views, I have serious doubts of how effective the Libertarian Party will ever be.
But somethings don't change. I'm still a philosophy nerd and am currently reading Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, regarding faith and ethics. I'm also trying to dig my way through Dermot Moran's Introduction to Phenomenology, especially interested in Heidegger's phenomology and Derrida's critique. Phenomenology has opened up a new way of seeing - a discourse, one might say - regarding trans issues and studies. There was a small piece I wrote for one of my classes (over 18 pages long) that I subsequently shortened, revised and posted up on everything2.com (http://www.everything2.com/node/1938003). On the photography side of things, I'm still shooting with my Fuji S2 Pro, now a 6-year old model DSLR, but recently purchased a new lens for it, a Nikon 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 G DX VR ED (oh preeeetttyyy!).
That's a short summary of an update.