FCP Makes Me Become An Apple Fan

I was very reluctant to use any Apple product in the past, that's why I always thought those people who teamed up outside the Apple store to buy the iPhones were so stupid. But a few weeks ago, I bought a 32GB version of iPod Touch, and before I decided to buy an iPod Touch, I thought the same question again and again, would I really want to use an Apple product? Finally, I made the decision - to join as one of the billions Apple Fans and buy a iPod Touch. As a new Apple Fan, iPod Touch is my first Apple product that I own, and I have never owned any other Apple product before. Even though I'm a new Apple Fan, I'm so familiar with several Apple products and applications, one of them is Final Cut Pro. I can also say that FCP has indirectly changed my thoughts about Apple Products.

Speaking of Final Cut Pro, I took the video editing classes over CCSF last semester, and that class was using Final Cut Pro as the video editing application. We learned from the very basics of FCP to more complex features like filters, keyframing, etc. At the end of the course, we finished three different projects. Sometimes I think video editing is a very time-consuming task, I still remember I spent more than three hours to finish a short video project. FCP is the coolest video editing program that I've ever used. I always want to learn more about Final Cut Pro and wish to own it, unfortunately, my laptop is a PC, FCP is a Mac software, so I have no way to have it unless I buy a MacBook or something like that. FCP, I want to have you or I'll forget you.

I think I'm addicted to Apple product... Is it good or bad? I don't even know.

A Date That I Never Forget - 1

Sometimes there are some disadvantages for free-style writing, that's also a reason you can't have anything to write if you don't have any topic or idea. Honestly, I think that I write this blog is more difficult than write a 3-page essay, I have a strict topic for essay, but here, I can only write anything I can think of.

Anyway, in order to keep this blog, I have to look at something and think something to write. Looking around my house, glimpsing on the calendar, today is the 10th of July, 2010. It will be a very important day for me on the 9th of next month, which is my anniversary of immigration to the US. For some, August 9 is just a normal calendar day, but to myself, this day is a date that I never forget.

Someone may ask me why I come to the US, honestly, I don't know how to answer this question, but I think everything has positive and negative sides. For the past nine years, I have gained something, but I also have lost a lot of things. When I think it again, I can only do one reaction — sigh.

What happened on the first day in the US? I've already said it's the day I'll never forget, therefore, I still remember any piece of memory of that day. On August9, 2001, my parents, my younger brother and I took the flight from Macau International Airport to the San Francisco International Airport. When the plane landed at the SFO, I asked myself,"is it San Francisco?" Indeed, besides the in-flight announcements and the interactive map shown on the TV screen inside the plane, you can't find an obvious sign to identify yourself has arrived San Francisco. Our flight arrived at SFO around 7:30 pm, about 20 minutes later, we off boarded the plane and proceeded to the path connected to the USCIS / US Customs and Border Protection counter, (these two federal agencies were then called INS and US Customs Service respectively) it's also a path that changed my passion. What happened inside the terminal building? I'll share it tomorrow.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

People always say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think it's way more than that. Even the same picture could have different meaning if you use your imagination and creativity.

Take a look on this picture, it is a still picture from the 2nd episode of IDTV season 2010, (IDTV is a TV show created and produced by the advanced video production class from City College of San Francisco, I was one of them. ;) you can see there are two people (they were also the students of the advanced video class) on the picture, and obviously they were chatting. I didn't notice that before, but when I watched the video again and again, I found that their gestures and positions on the picture were kind of funny, it even looks like the opening of my favorite sitcom: A man and a woman were arguing.

I should point out right here, the guy and the lady on the picture were not mean, they're nice, awesome and intelligent, and this picture is intended for fun, nothing more than that.

To the lady on the picture, when should we meet for a coffee? :)

Friendly? Not Friendly?

I have got a lot of free time during this summer, so I started thinking about this question: What kind of personality do I have? This question looks like silly, but it is not silly; it also looks simple, but when think deeply, it's so complicated that you can't describe in a few words.

Anyway, I have been thinking a lot of questions about myself these days. Am I a friendly person? I don't even know the exact answer. Some people may be right, I'm a person without popularity, I said that I'm a person without popularity, but not unpopular. In my definition, unpopular doesn't equal to low popularity. Low popularity only means you have trouble to build a friendship with other people, but unpopular means you are "a mouse on the street - everybody wants to beat it." Of course I'm not "a mouse on the street", but why do I have few good friends?

I think it may be related to my characteristics. Quiet, introverted, withdrawn and don't like to get along with others, and more importantly, afraid of strangers. I can tell you that I was not born with those characteristics. I used to be very active, popular (especially to the girls, that's true and I'm not lying!) and love to talk a lot. All of those characteristics I said above were developed during my primary school (elementary school) years in Macau. Where is Macau? Click on this Google Map link, then you will know where it is.

So why did my characteristics change that much? I think there were two main factors, the first one, something happened in my primary school; and the second one is also something happened in my primary school. Do you want to me to tell what were they? No, I'm not going to say it right here, but if you have affinity to me, then I could tell you my stories in detail.

As the saying goes, a person who has a close friend can die without regret. I don't have a lot of friends, I have fewer good friends, and speaking of close friend, I have only three close friends, and they're not with me now. In this vast sea of people, how can I find my soulmate?

A Person Without Luck

Sometimes I consider myself as a person without luck. when I think deeply, I'm not just without luck, but I also feel very sad about my fate. I can't find anything good, but the bad thing always follows myself. In addition to a deformity of my family background, I also feel so sad that I have a younger brother who has serious behavioral problems.

I know, both my parents know, many people who know my family know that the problems of my younger brother has been with him for years. Several years ago, when he was a 2nd grader, he was diagnosed to have ADHD and needed long term treatment. However, there were so many side effects on those medications, and caused my younger brother lost appetite. My parents decided to stop the medication about two years later. Without the help of medication, my younger brother was doing fine, although there had been some minor behavioral problems. Many of us thought that was a good sign, unfortunately...

My younger brother's character has been changed significantly since he went to middle school, sloppy works, broke class rules, often disrupted classroom orders, just to name a few. Parent-Teacher Conferences were even routine manners. But the problems were not limited to those, my younger brother has also been addicted to those online video games. I've already forgot exactly what time he first played online video games, but I know that he has been playing those online video games like "Runescape" and "Soldier Front" for years and spent thousands of dollars on them. He is still addicted to those games, we have tried to cut them out, but instead of success, a negative effect. The reason? My younger brother has been deeply addicted to the "Soldier Front" online video game, he always think that something should be solved by violence. Indeed, his mind has been filled with serious violence since he played "Soldier Front", and his condition is not getting any better, but it is getting worse. We have already tried to help him back to normal using many different manners, it's regrettable that his problem is too serious, healing stone inanimate.

As his big brother, I don't know what I can do to help him. For now, I just pray to the God, and the God would bless my younger brother not to do something harmful to the community. That's my only wish.

Every family has cupboard, honestly speaking, who knows the most about your family problem? Of course, it's yourself.

One year… And counting…

Time flies really fast, there's no doubt about that. It's been almost a year since I studied video production over City College of San Francisco. At that time, I thought that video production was something familiar but strange. More importantly, I met many strangers except for the teacher Arthur Pines, who taught me in Broadcast writing couple years ago. My experience tells myself that I'm afraid of strangers, I don't know why I feel so bad when I see someone I didn't know before. I always think those stranger may do something harmful to myself, I think those are my self-protection after years of bullying and assaulting. Speaking of myself, I don't feel myself as everyone's favorite. As I said, I'm afraid of strangers because they may hurt me, but ironically I never hurt other people. In my mind, I treat everyone if not the best way, the good way.

Anyway, the video production class over CCSF gave me a chance to work with other amazing people, and as a production crew of a final class project "San Francisco Live". I felt so good about that, and had led me to go further on studying of video production.

After the semester of basic video production, I decided to go to advanced video production class, as well as FCP class, something new to myself...

Think what I want to think, write what I want to write

It's been the second day since I re-create my personal blog. I've said that I had two other personal blogs before, right? Why couldn't I keep them up? After years of experience, I found out that my thoughts and creativity is very limited. If I want to be a TV producer / editor, it is essential to have all kind of creativity. Just like the title of this post, I'll "think what I want to think, write what I want write" for most of this personal blog. I'll cover a variety of topics, from myself to my works, my studies, even news and politics. (sorry, I'm not a professional journalist!) Sometimes, I may post some of my video projects right here. When my classes resume next months, there may be more video projects to come, Of course I'll share them with you.

Okay. I think you might ask me why I name my personal blog "Vic-netian"? First, I want to point out that I have no direct or indirect relationship to The Venetian Resort-Hotel. My nickname is same as the nickname of The Venetian, and I think that name is pretty cool, so that's why I chose it. Nothing more than that.

I have several nicknames, most of them were given by my grade school classmates, but now no one knows or calls my nicknames, sigh.

Fare Evaders Beware!

This looks pretty funny and vivid, but it actually tells everyone a serious message. As seen on the picture, there is a seal in front of two Muni Fare Inspectors, behind them is a Muni bus. On the left, it is said "When it comes to fare evasion, we've seen every trick in the book". When it is translated to Chinese, the meaning is more sharp: "說到逃票的人, 他們的技倆已是眾所周知。" What is "眾所周知"? That means something that everyone has already known it. Like those fare evaders, they won't pay the bus fare this time, and they won't pay it all the times.

Fare evasion on Muni system is not a fresh issue, but it just like the oil spills on the Gulf Coast - not able to tackle the problem. There were several campaigns to educate riders to pay their fares in the past, at the same time, Muni Fare Inspectors stepped up inspections of rider's tickets, transfers or fast passes. Those people without valid proof-of-payment were fined at least $75. In spite of every effort, Muni never has a best and effective way to prevent those fare evaders.

Let me remind everyone about this, according to the San Francisco Transportation Code section 7.2.101 , the following acts constitute a fare evasion.

(a) For any passenger or other person in or about any public transit station (including an outdoor high-level boarding platform or station operated by the Bay Area Rapid Transit District), streetcar, cable car, motor coach, trolley coach or other public transit vehicle to evade any fare collection system or proof of payment program instituted by the Municipal Transportation Agency.

(b) For any person to board or ride a streetcar, motor coach, trolley coach without prior or concurrent payment of fare.

(c) For any person to board a streetcar, motor coach, trolley coach through the rear exit except: (i) when a representative of the transit system is present at such exit for the collection of fares or transfers or the inspection for proof of payment; (ii) when the streetcar, motor coach, trolley coach or other transit vehicle is operating at a station or boarding platform where fares are collected prior to boarding the transit vehicle; (iii) when necessary for access by persons with disabilities on wayside boarding platforms; or (iv) when the streetcar, motor coach, or trolley coach is operating on a transit line or in a Proof of Payment Zone.

(d) To fail to display a valid fare receipt or transit pass at the request of any authorized representative of the transit system or duly authorized peace officer while on a transit vehicle or in a Proof of Payment Zone.

(e) To misuse any transfer, pass, ticket, or token with the intent to evade the payment of any fare.

(f) To knowingly use or attempt to use any illegally printed, duplicated, or otherwise reproduced token, card, transfer or other item for entry onto any transit vehicle or into any transit station with the intent of evading payment of a fare.

(g) For any unauthorized person to use a discount ticket or fail to present, upon request from a system fare inspector, acceptable proof of eligibility to use a discount ticket. (127)

Anyone who is convicted could be fined up to $500.

Out with the old, in with the new

You may or may not know it, your colorful San Francisco Muni fast pass is going into the historic museum. Muni is now under the transition from paper fast pass to a blue, smart plastic card named "Clipper". All paper fast passes will be phased out by Spring of next year, according to SFMTA.

Some Muni Metro stations are building new fare-gates equipped with "Clipper" card readers, again, according to the SFMTA, when all the new Metro fare-gates are built, you'll no longer able to pay your fare in cash unless you have a "Clipper" card. However, you can buy a special ticket from the vending machine. (it may be something that looks like a current BART ticket)

So if you still have paper fast pass or still use it, don't throw it away, because it may become part of history.

My very first post of this blog... Is it a good start?

There it is! I've created my third personal blog and made this very first post. I should congratulate myself because I've achieved my plan. Did I say that this is my third personal blog? Yes, before this one, I've had two different personal blogs, and I tried to keep them up. Few months later, I found that it was so tired to keep up a blog, then I decided to shut them down. But after I read the blog by my female classmate from the video production class. I told myself "I should have my personal blog, too. There is nothing bad to share my random thoughts..."

Can I keep this up? I think I might need all of you to be my witnesses. Interestingly, it was also nighttime when I created my first blog.