FiFi!

Feezzzzz

I am so glad I do not pay anything, really.  I super appreciate!

But,

I don't really agree or understand them, I guess.  Maybe because I am so selfish.

So, here are some highlights of what I am sure you will agree, are dumb, unfair, fees,
That I have 'paid' in my 3 years and 2 semesters of taking only one course

ANCILLERY FEE    $1,375.25
¹The ancillary fee provides support for activities, athletics, library and technical services, legacy fund, student accident insurance, and the construction of the student activity centre. It is set at 10% of the tuition.

Student Union Society Fee  $325.00
..I don't even know what this covers, really.  I'm sure a portion goes to on-campus events and student clubs, but, I don't really know what else.  Still, I would rather pay this than Ancillery fees!

U-PASS $320.00
I get discounts at places I never go to.  I get to go to Rec Centers, that I don't go to.  I get ONE free cab ride >25 bones.  I have to pay if I lose the dumb thing!
People living not in the Tri-City-Trap don't give a fuuuuuuuck about these things, people with cars don't care either.  I wish I could opt-out of this like the equal-dumb health and dental plan.

Cascade Newspaper Fee $49.50
I think this is way unfair.  The Cascade I use - reading, collaging, writing, friendship - a lot more than my U-Pass, but I have paid less than a teenagers allowance for it!!  WTF

Application Fee $45
.

Last

Radio Station Fee $33.00
I have paid more to apply to attend UFV than I have in total for a Radio Station fee.  I know I am bias, but serious?!!??!!!



anyway, this is lame.

I'm so sorry you have to pay all of these for realsie!

:'(

Dear Classmates/Pseudo Intellectuals

Not watching certain MTV shows doesn't mean you're smarter than anyone else, it just means you're uninformed on the current state of popular culture.

On the same note, my enjoyment and the utter delight that I experience whilst watching shows such as: Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, MTV Live etc. does not make me an idiot,
so long as I do not emulate those I see smiling back at me from the TV screen.

Saying things like: 
"I have never seen that show but...[quotes/summarize events in show]"
"Whenever I see a young mom on the street I am instantly reminded of the show Teen Mom...
but I've never seen that show before"
"I've never seen that show before...[later]...I've watched a few episodes with my friend who has a kid"

..makes you the idiot and no one else

I fail to see the point of reassuring your classmates, and yourself, that you do not watch these shows,
especially when you, obviously, went out of your way to sign up for an art class on Popular Culture.
Did you only expect to be looking at fucking Warhol stencils?

I mean seriously.


Your disgusted acquaintance,
Alicia Williams

First Show/11 MoodSwings!

Yo yo!

I never even said Happy New Year, but now it seems false to say so,

and I wouldn't mean it!

Yesturday happened yesterday
and the WHOLE theme was 'Re-friending' and I told you about my wouldbe major and we listened to my favourite hit jamz of all of the time!

THEME: Media Studies

GOOD THEME HAY!!!??????????????


2h2h2h2h2h2h2h2hh2h2h2h2h HIT JAMZZZZZZ

I watched that stupid movie about the Germs and now I like them, but the movie sucks


Sorry I was still so groggyyy from having my wisdom teeth other side removed on the 28
next week'll be better, I guess



I also have shit news to tell you:  most of or all of my show will be pre-recorded from now until April....
I'm so fucking sorry!  I blindly registered for courses without checking when they took place!
Normally when seeing such an error I would drop the course/not take it to begin with
but I'm already registered and I had to get special permission to entree, so, we're fucked!

!earshot year end picks by your only pal(me)

Yo! These were my picks for the !earshot end of year review thanggg

I am Alicia Williams, host of Mood Swings on CIVL Radio which broadcasts from the Abbotsford campus of the University of the Fraser Valley, I am also the Music Director here. My show focuses mainly on punk, garage and lo-fi – but it ventures to other places as well! I am currently a student at UFV taking Media Studies and Visual Arts and it’s a swell time! I have a blog, but it has too much swearing for you to look at it, sorry!




My Top 3 records of the year

Grown-Ups - Not Friends - (Self-Released)

Easily the best band in Calgary right now, and yeah, I know who else is from there! Josiah Hughes has trail blazed cool since he went to my high school however many years ago – and he’s definitely come a long way since The Hand.

The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream - (Blue Horizon Records)

One of the first albums I’ve listened to from start to finish in a long time! They remind me a lot of the Brian Jonestown Massacre – not in a rip-off sense – but in the way they sound like they could be from any time period late 1960’s onward.

The Bitters – East General - (Mexican Summer)

Everything Ben Cook does (now) is amazing! The Bitters are one of the most unique, dark, pop, garage bands I’ve ever heard – they say on myspace.com they are ‘cave pop,’ which is a totally perfect description.


Most under-rated record of the year

Petroleum By-Product – Superficial Artificial - (Mona Mona Records)

They’re a Vancouver based darker sounding new wave band, they’re super good, and I would love to see them chart more at our station and everywhere in the world! Their sound ranges anywhere from the B-52’s to Siouxsie and the Banshees, definitely check them out!



Most over-rated record of the year

Arcade Fire – Suburbs - (Merge)

This album has been charting around the top 5 since it came out in August. Personally, I don’t like Arcade Fire and think all of their music sounds boring, bland and cliché. I just don’t get it I guess.

Best local release
Ex-Friends – XFREN - (Self-Released)

I went to high school with 2/3 of the young adults in this band. They’re from Vancouver, and they have a very snotty, sassy, punk, everywhere kind of sound. My favourite tracks are Never Been Arrested and I Want to Move Out. They’ve since broken up because one of their members has moved to Toronto, Ontario, but you can still get both of their releases on this blog http://ghostplus.blogspot.com/ as well as a plethora of other Abbotsford area releases!



Best personal campus/community radio moment or experience of the year.

My favourite radio moment this year would have to be my interview with Joe Jack Talcum formerly of the Dead Milkmen. I’ve been a fan of the Dead Milkmen since I was a teen, so that will probably be my favourite radio moment forever!


Record you are most anticipating for 2011

I’m not really sure, I know Wire is releasing a new album called Red Barked Tree, but I don’t know how good it’s going to be – keeping in mind I haven’t really listened to anything they’ve put out in the recent decade. I’m just crossing my fingers hoping it will be as good as their 1978 release, Chairs Missing.

Sorry for never posting (JK)

I've had so many bullshit assignments and teachers yankin' on my balls that I haven't posted anything in 3 years!


First: I have hella homework  which is always expected and accepted
Second: My ENGL online Prof sucks everything imaginable... and I'm dropping outta thurrr
Third: My new job rules, despite being tedious and making my back hurt from sitting in a chair/having a large bossom
Fourth: We are going to Jason's Mom's for turkie lurkie - despite assignments I need to eat birds
Fifth: I am painting a still from the video for Bull In The Heather of Kim and Kathleen
Six: Most bands in Vancouver wish they were Black Lips or early British new wave (except Nu Sensae)
Seventh: Despite sounding like Black Lips I really like this band Demon's Claws, they are newer
Eighth: I got 19.5/20 on my first Sociology assignment and am kind of upset I didn't get 20
Ninth: Jason is too pretentious for Jay-Z and Beyonce, starting NOW
Tenth: My car was dead and now it's better (again) because my sweet Grandpa hit the battery with a wrench
Eleventh: I missed my last radio show due to devestating sneezesnot illness
Twelveth: All we ever do is watch Pawn Stars
Thirteenth: I'm still sad that Jay Reatard is dead.


More is happening but I don't care.
My shoes are taped together and I switched to Diet Coke
Great Value chocolate isn't as gross as you think
My underneath nails are dirty and I recently plucked my eyebrows after a month of them running rampant on my eyelids

News is news, but nothing is really new

NOT "down with the sickness"

I have the grossest flu right now!
I learned in WMST that if y'all are compatable then y'all won't get sick when you give each other sloppy gross open mouth kisses.


Science is retarded I guess.

SO now I'm super fucking sick, and we're broke zeros and all we have to eat pretty much are eggs!!
AND I had to cancel my radio show :(
AND I've fallen behind in English so now I wanna drop it.
AND I've got mega paintings due for Painting II
AND I've got my first assignment due for Soc. 101
AND I'm missing MACS today!
AND We just bought a FLAT of Diet Coke but I'm too sick it hurts my throat with it's delicious bubbles

but I can't even focus my brain on books. 
I just want to watch those fat slobs walk around and breath heavily on PawnStars...

UGHHH

on the bright side I get to take the echinacea medicine that is super expensive but tastes really really good.
AND me and jason watched Total Recall yesterday morning because we were so sick to wanna do anything else!

it sucks having no money (thanks to SUS and Jim Pattison) though, because I realllaaayayy wantttt BoosterJuice :(

RadRADIO Newzzzz

DID you know, that CIVL radio is on thee air now!  It's 101.7 (oneohonepointseven), and it's been on the air since twosday!

SO, on TWOSDAY, for the welcomoe back to UFV BBQ, CIVL got to (as with everyyear) DJ and etc. on the green in the CIVLtent!  It was super awesome, and I got to DJ for awhile while Larry was in class!!  So I was live and on the airwaves and speaking in front of a buttload of people who were only half paying attention!

I played quite a bit of music, so it's hard for me to remember exactly what I played,
I played some songs/artists that I didn't personally like, but it helped to promote upcoming concerts/events being put on at UFV by student organizations like SUS, CIVL, the Cascade etc!

But I also got to play killertraxxx that I like and promoted my show, Mood Swings a little bit!
I know for shore I played
BERTHA COOL - RAT KING
Atom and His Package - Punk Rock Academy
Liars - Freak-Out
The Gories - Thunderbird ESQ
GROWN UPS- We're Not Friends and Waste Your Life
Japandroids - Wet Hair
MakeOut Videotape - Heat Wave
Swell Maps - Full Moon In My Pocket/BLAM!

For Student Orgs I played stuff like: You Say Party!, Teen Daze, Christian Hansen and the Autistics, Said the Whale, Whale Tooth, Oh No! Yoko

If I had it my way I would have played only Half Japanese, Gravedigger V - Stoneage Stomp, and Grown Ups!

NEW SEMESTERRR!!!!!

Holla Balla,

I had my first class today of my brand new semester!!  The summer semester was a roughdeal time, I didn't really get a break between that and the winter semester and my grade I think reflect that.  PLUS, I'm not quite a morning person yet, so it was dumb times to take a bunch of crapmorningblahblah classes!  The classes were good, but I was always dead tired!

ANYWAYS,
I'm taking English 105 online, because I hear it's a total drag face2face.  The first day of an online course you have to do a dumb introduction so everyone gets to know each other, but you already know that, right?  So, this was mine:

Hello! My name is Alicia Williams, I'm 21, and I am in my second year here at UFV. So far, I've mostly taken Media and Communications courses, which are incredible! I have yet to decide on my major, it's a toss up between Visual Arts and Sociology - with a MACS minor/extended minor.
In my spare time I play video games, surf the internet for interesting music and invite people to my birthday. I also host a radio show on our community/campus radio station 101.7 CIVL, I do this every Monday from 12-2 pm. My show is called Mood Swings and on it I play mostly punk, lo-fi and garage!
That's really all I do, I have no job and no kids.

It used to take me forever to do those, but now I don't give any shits about what the onlineclassfatties think of my bad self.

Today I had Sociology 101.  My teacher is Anita van Wyk, I chose to take a class with her because of her rating on RateMyProff.com, I go on there to find which teacher is NICEST, I don't care how easy/difficult he/she is as a proff, as long as their nice to me and don't make me scorn their name!

I am ALREADYBEYONDSTOKED on her!  I showed up late, not my fault, but was there in time to hear this GOLDEN quote about if you miss a class/exam/assignment.  She said: "I don't care if your great-grandpa died and your great grandma is sad and needs you there, or if you are sad or mentally disturbed, I DONT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT."  As you may know, from knowing me IRL or maybe just from reading my blog, this is enough to make me LOVE a teacher!! 
BUT IT GETS BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  When I got there a sheet was being passed around with our presentation topics already assigned to us... this is something that otherwise frustrates me, until I finally got to see which on I got

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS!!!!!!!!

I KNOW RIGHT, fucking peeeerrrfect!!!!  This class isn't gonna know what hit them come Decemeber 1, 2010!!  I even told her I was unbelievably stoked on my topic (as well as apologized for being late)

I say words like "stoked, totally, nice, choice, sweet" etc to teachers because I feel that the next generation of socalledintellectuals are going to speak like that and not be fakesmartoversmart, you know?!  And I don't like being fake, I like being real.

I'VE HAD SUCH AN AMAZING WEEK SO FAR!  which totally makes up for the shitfuck weekend I had!!!

I have hella radio news too, but I'll discuss that in a different post to avoid confusion.

"But you love your Simpsons course!"

That gender/Simpsons project I've been half thinking of/working on for awhile died!

Well, I thought it was due on the 23, but I was fucking wrong! 
It was supposed to be due today... BUT, last night I e-mailed my proff, Darren saying this:

Hey Darren,


I thought I was presenting on the 23rd, which is of course, not true!

So I've been working all week trying to get this presentation done, but

the two readings (which are not a part of the course) I've found

impossible to relate. I'm still going to keep working so I'll

technically have something to present tomorrow, but I won't be

confident in it AT ALL!

I was hoping maybe to save myself the embarrassment of presenting

something I think is total garbage and do Social Class or Identity

(that looked like it was still open).

I was using Chris Turner's book Planet Simpson - the chapter titled

Lisa Lionheart and Lana F. Rakow's essay "Feminist Approaches to

Popular Culture: Giving Patriarchy Its Due." Her essay seemed like a

good source after scouring the internet looking for something I thought

was valid, but the more I try to relate the two the more I feel like a

total idiot...

So could I please switch topics? I'm sorry I am bringing this up so

late

-Alicia.

I felt like a total knob, I don't usually do this with school.  After sending this and re-reading the course outline, I realized I had really done this project COMPLETLY WRONG!!!  I was supposed to use one COURSE reading and one other theorist and compare, or whatever.  I used two of my own choosing, and then found I couldn't even fucking relate the two together! 
SO, after trying to make it work, trying to make it work, refreshing and refreshing and refreshing myUFV e-mail, I started crying, pathetically! 

Jason walked into the room as I was looking for a course to take Jul/Aug so I could just withdraw if Darren said "no."

He didn't though! Cause he's super cool, and probably was like "whoooooa, she did this so wrong"
After spilling my heart's contents and admitting I felt like an idiot he said

Hi Alicia,
July 7th, Identity. It's yours.

darren

Awesome!

TV and the Soc. Value of the Simpsons

I'm in this course - titled above - and I have to do a 25-30 minute presentation on gender in the televion show "The Simpsons." 

Obviously, my brain immediately went to the topic of gender stereotyping, but thats such a vanilla topic - anyone doing gender would choose it!  I've finally decided, after a month of contemplating, "positive gender reinforcment within the Simpsons."  I'll probably use clips of the Malibu Stacey/Lisa Lionheart episode, the ep. where Marge gets implants (not sure yet), the ep. where Marge's old BFF is a famous news anchorwoman and possibly others!

I have to use the ideas of two theorists in this presentation, but I haven't decided yet :(  maybe, if I focus heavily on the Malibu Stacey ep. I could use Angela McRobbie/Girls Bedroom Culture?  I don't know!

My teacher, Darren, said I could use the theme from my directed studies course which was Girls in Subcultures, and then talk about how Bart is always attracted to the "bad girl" type and their relevance in the show.  But I'm not sure, I think I like using my own ideas better - even though I technically still would be, I just like to "get there" myself, you know?

We're about 4/5 weeks into this course and I think the greatest life lesson I've learned so far is that I like South Park and Futurama best!

Mid-Simpsons seasons are so good though!  After watching all of the episodes I hadn't seen I think my favourite seasons are like 11-13.