I know that I did say in my last blog that I would keep you posted on that summer job, but as of yet, I haven’t heard anything.  They will let me know by Friday.  But this blog is due Thursday…

So, yeah.  We’re almost done.  A year and a half has flown by.  To tell you the truth, I’m ready to get out there and make it in the real world.  School has been awesome, but I can’t wait to get paid for doing this kind of stuff.

The people I have met, have definitely made a difference in my school life.  Both teachers and students have touched my life, and I’m very happy to have met them.  I’ve made some great friends that I hope to keep in contact with over the years to come. 

I’m trying to keep it short and simple, mainly because I need to take a nap.  (Being sick, sucks.)  So, yeah.  To everyone that I have met in the last year and a half, (and those who might be reading this post)…it was nice to meet you.

The boys of summer are back and I am absolutely pumped! It seems like yesterday when I had to go through the excruciatingly painful experience of watching the Yankees, my least favourite team win the World Series. Thankfully that’s history now as the slate has been wiped clean for the 2010/2011 season.

Being born in Toronto, my favourite MLB team is the Blue Jays. I had the privilege going to the Skydome to watch the high-powered Jays in their dynasty years in the early 90′s. I will never forget Joe Carter’s legendary walk off home run to clinch the World Series. Unfortunately for me and the rest of the Jays’ nation, those days are long behind us.

The Blue Jays’ have the unfortunate displeasure of being stuck in the same division as two of the greatest  baseball franchises of all time; the Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox. Being in the same division as those two powerhouse teams make it nearly impossible for the Blue Jays to even get a sniff of making the playoffs. I could go on and rant about how I think that teams like New York and Boston shouldn’t be able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on building all-star calibre teams, but that’s a rant for another day. The fact of the matter is, I just love watching the sport. I know full well that the chance of the Jays making the post season are about as slim as my chances of becoming a world-class figure skater, but that won’t stop me from watching as much ball as I can this summer.

I’ve just applied for a Parks Canada Summer Student Videographer job.  I think that it would be an awesome way to spend the summer.  Travelling across Alberta, maybe even Canada filming things that I think are interesting would be great!  I really hope that I get the job.

It’s been quite the process already and I have no idea if I’m going to get the job.

It started off with sending in your resumé and a cover letter.  After that, there was a 40 question multiple choice test that asked about video editing, shooting and quite a bit on Canadian history.  (P.S. Canadians first used the loonie in 1987.)

So, after all that was over, I waited.  I waited for just two days and received an e-mail asking that I send in a one minute sample of my work.

I wanted to show them that I could shoot, edit, and write, and I wanted them to see my face.  So this is the video I came up with… I called it Nature, Naturally.

Just two more days after I sent them the video, they e-mailed me back some forms to fill out.  Since it is a government job, I’m realizing that they want to know everything about their applicants.  I gave them everything.

Well, I just finished mailing the Personnel Screening, Consent and Authorization Forms.  So I’m assuming in another two days, I’ll either hear something good, or something bad.

Hopefully it wasn’t a waste of time.  Wait, I take that back.  It wasn’t a waste of time.  I had never been to Elk Island National Park before, and now that I’ve been out there I really enjoyed it.  Even if I only saw one bison in three hours.

I really hope that I get the job.  I’ll keep you posted.

Being sick in high school is a lot different from being sick in college.  When I was in high school I loved sick days.  I would even say I was sick to just take a day off.  If you didn’t go to class, a friend would bring you your homework, and your mom would make you soup, it was awesome.  You could sit on the couch with a blanket and watch “The Price is Right,” with no worries.  Not the same scenario now.  I took a sick day this week.  In college you sit at home by yourself.  Your responsible for your own meals, and laundry, and homework.  I took for granted the sick days I was lucky enough to have experienced before living on my own.  To any high school kids reading this, don’t make the same mistake I did by battling the day with a cold.  Use every sneeze, sniffle, and cough as an excuse to get a sick day.  Because one day you will actually be sick, and responsible for own survival, and it sucks…

Welcome to the dawn of a new era, where more people prefer to play video games then watch a movie. Where the video game industry has over taken hollywood. But why is this?Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and a half you would know that video games have basically become interactive movies. Putting you in the action and letting you take control of what happens. Games have become so realistic and immersive now that sometimes other people don’t even know your playing a video game. Games such as Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect 2 have such beautifully rendered cut scenes that it looks as if your watching a movie. Some games (such as Splinter Cell Conviction) have completely eliminated health bars and any other HUD (heads up display) options in order to immerse the player even more.  

While the economy might still be in trouble this is the industry that continues to not only be stable but is actually growing, and why? Well when people are having a hard time in their real life the easiest thing to do is escape from it and video games offer that simple release. In the future we have only to look forward to more and more immersive games until the point comes that we will be able to be in the games ourselves…. just like Tron.

Big deal.

Ok, so maybe I’ve been preparing myself for nonchalance for months now. Still, if you’ve read my previous post on the matter, I’m really not too concerned; I’m just anxious for next season now.

That being said, post-season is around the corner and I am only marginally less excited than I would be if the Oil made it in. Why? Because I have a second team for the playoffs.

This seems to be a topic that splits sports fans, some believing that once your team is out, the season should end for you. Others – like myself – are gonna squeeze the juice out of every season and enjoy every minute of it because they love the sport just as much as their team.

I’ve never really had a second team; in previous years, I’ve always just waited until round one started and picked from there (in the last 10 years it’s been the Red Wings). Now before you get yourself all twisted in a knot about Oiler pride, you should know I have picked my team more or less because of my pride.

Last year’s Western Conference Quarter- and Semi-Finals anyone? Anyone?

The Chicago Blackhawks put an end to the seasons of my (and most likely your) most hated teams in the league: the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks and – in my opinion – put on the most exciting game of the post in Game Six vs. The ‘Nucks. What a beauty to behold.

Calgary is out this year, but the Canucks are sitting pretty only eight points behind the ‘Hawks (who are tied for 1st in the Conference with the San Jose Sharks, and 2nd in the league). Obviously here’s hoping to an upset in Los Angeles, but for the first time ever I am actually looking forward to seeing The Canucks advance.

<3 R.I.P. KayHay <3

That’s right folks. I, Shaun David Lang am producing this week’s episode of NAIT Newswatch. And I gotta admit, it wasn’t quite as crazy as I thought it would be. ( Of course, I AM writing this on Wednesday evening BEFORE Thursday so don’t quote me on that just yet.)

I mean sure, you’re basically responsible for the whole show coming together which in itself can be kinda intimidating. But on the upside, I don’t have to shoot or edit anything.

Really, a lot of this job has consisted of making sure everyone is doing their job (which means A LOT of calls) and also promoting the show. (Are YOU following us on twitter?) Now tomorrow probably won’t be much of a picnic, you know, with everything coming down to the wire and all, but the hardest part is probably gonna be getting this show over to ACCESS by 5PM!

My entire life I’ve been waiting for the day when I graduate and am thrust into society, full of hopes and dreams ready to succeed in the world. But with only a few weeks of school left I’ve realized I don’t want it to end because when it does, I’ll finally have to face reality and finally grow up and I’m just not ready for that yet.  I don’t where this feeling came from and I’m hopeful that writing all this down will help me deal with my issues.

Where to begin…I’ve always had a rough time at school . I’ve dealt with bullying all my life through elementary and junior high school and couldn’t wait to grow up and get away from it all. I just thought that when you’re older nobody messes with you so I figured if I could get through it all I would succeed. I really got into video games and reading as a way to escape this world and live in my mind.  In high school I got into drama and loved immersing myself in other people’s lives so I didn’t have to always deal with mine. Then when I  got into NAIT it felt like I had arrived at a place where I finally belonged. Now a year and a half later it’s hard for me to want to leave behind a place that’s given me some of the best times of my life.

I know that it’s an inevitability we all have to face and I’m just hoping that the future holds something bright for me. I’ll miss this school and everyone here.

I don’t know what else to say other than….Goodbye.

The end of the semester is closing in and similarly my apartment’s lease is in its last month of the contract. 

What does this mean for me? 

Moving day! 

While most people dread this day I embrace it.  Yes, finding boxes for clothes, calling friends for vehicles and all the heavy lifting and cleaning is a pain; however, I try to find the positive side to this big event.  Look at it like a trip down memory lane. Clothes you had bought that still have the tags on them, expired gift certificates you sadly misplaced and enough loose coin for a free lunch. 

While some things may no longer be of use to you they are likely to bring out a great story. The next time someone asks for help to move I challenge you to do it.  You are bound to end up having a great time!