I have recently felt more successful than practically ever before. You may or may not know that I was recently chosen as a finalist in the Pickens Citzens Video Contest, which is a national contest. As I am writing this, I am currently standing at fourth place with 16% of all the votes. Not bad, considering the fact that I am at least half the age of anyone else in that contest. =]
"We Can Do This"-Finalist
I think I have been getting too much into the voting of the contest and not appreciating that I have one of the six best videos in the entire country. My family and friends have showed a tremendous amount of support, and the emails have been pouring in practically nonstop. The most impressive part about all of this is that the number of views my video is getting continues to blow my mind. Two days ago it had 826 total views, which is a lot more than I am used to in less than a week. Last night it was about to break 4,000 views, which amazes me. Just a couple hours ago it had surpassed my most viewed video, me getting my hair cut. Before starting this blog entry, it was about to blow past 10k. As I was finishing up the post, and went to copy the code to embed, it had just gotten over twelve thousand.
It almost feels unreal that so many people have seen my video, and so many people have liked it. I only wish that the polls went in my favor, but all I can do is sit back and wait for the final results. You can still vote at http://pickensplan.com/videos until Friday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. My YouTube account is HurricaneJXXN, so that is the name you select if you wish to vote for me.
-Jackson Ivey, youtubejxxn
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Back on the Scene.
For the past few months, it seems like it has been very hard for me to finish any video I started. Well tonight I felt like I am really getting back onto the scene. Today I started a video project and I actually finished it the same day.
In doing this, I realized something. I can't just sit down and make a video anymore, I have to have a purpose. I surprise myself with what I am able to do when I have a final product in mind. Ever since the epic D.C. trip in June, I have been dying to get at it for another year, and my skills and abilities have improved in a countless number of ways. There has to be something inside me that keeps my attention for hours while making videos but I can't during anything else.
Sorry if my sentence structure is a little worse than usual, I am up waiting for my video to upload and I am way tired. But I could argue that this is my best video yet.
Enjoy.
youtubejxxn
Jackson Ivey
In doing this, I realized something. I can't just sit down and make a video anymore, I have to have a purpose. I surprise myself with what I am able to do when I have a final product in mind. Ever since the epic D.C. trip in June, I have been dying to get at it for another year, and my skills and abilities have improved in a countless number of ways. There has to be something inside me that keeps my attention for hours while making videos but I can't during anything else.
Sorry if my sentence structure is a little worse than usual, I am up waiting for my video to upload and I am way tired. But I could argue that this is my best video yet.
Enjoy.
youtubejxxn
Jackson Ivey
Monday, September 29, 2008
WTF Wall Street!?
It's been hard to wake up this month without hearing about another bank going belly-up. I heard the Dow Jones went down %7 today. So What? What does this mean for me? Well, so far, I just sit and watch, wondering what to think about this country. Ever since I have been alive, this world has been in a steady decline, September 11th was the event that opened my eyes, but it is evident now that I have no clue. I have no clue what to expect when I finally enter this "real world" I always hear about. I have no clue what to think about us possibly having a democratic president for the first time since I have became politically aware.
According to the news our economy is going to hell. Meanwhile, I am spending more and more. The truth is that while the free market is suffering, I am experiencing more financial freedom than I have ever had. Yet at this rate, I am wondering if there will even be a free market by the time I turn 18.
In an article I recently had to read for History class, it mentioned that the recession can be merely a figment of our imagination. We believe that our money will not be safe, so we save it. In reality if everybody went out and spent $100 tomorrow, we would be way better off. But instead we sit and wait for the market to correct itself, when really it is the lack of spending that got the housing market where it is, and the stock market down worse than it has been in years.
But I'm only 15, what does my opinion matter? Well I'd like to argue that, but unfortunately it really doesn't matter. These politicians will still go back and forth and continue to be counterproductive. If we all had as much "change" as these politicians claim to bring, we would be one rich country. Excuse the pun, if you caught that one =)
According to the news our economy is going to hell. Meanwhile, I am spending more and more. The truth is that while the free market is suffering, I am experiencing more financial freedom than I have ever had. Yet at this rate, I am wondering if there will even be a free market by the time I turn 18.
In an article I recently had to read for History class, it mentioned that the recession can be merely a figment of our imagination. We believe that our money will not be safe, so we save it. In reality if everybody went out and spent $100 tomorrow, we would be way better off. But instead we sit and wait for the market to correct itself, when really it is the lack of spending that got the housing market where it is, and the stock market down worse than it has been in years.
But I'm only 15, what does my opinion matter? Well I'd like to argue that, but unfortunately it really doesn't matter. These politicians will still go back and forth and continue to be counterproductive. If we all had as much "change" as these politicians claim to bring, we would be one rich country. Excuse the pun, if you caught that one =)
Monday, September 15, 2008
It has Been Long Enough. . . .
A dry well would be the best metaphor for my creativity lately. My hard drive still holds the remains of about three video projects I have started and still not managed to get my crap together on. Between school, work, procrastination, and my social ventures, I haven't managed the time to sit down for a couple of hours and work my magic.
The video I have managed to finish was basically like an assignment. I just considered it as something that needed to get done, something I wanted to get done.
I live in a developing subdivision (well, part of the time), and as houses would go up, gradually filling up the lots around us, my dad had taken pictures of the progression of a couple of them, documenting big steps along the way. The following video is a compilation of said pictures (roughly 30 of them) and my stunning motion graphics and editing skills =) I have titled it "A Home is Born" for lack of more creativity.
Photos: Richard Ivey
Video: Jackson Ivey "JXXN" =)
It wouldn't hurt you to click on those links in the right margin either. Gotta make a livin'. . .
As always:
http://youtube.com/HurricaneJxxn
The video I have managed to finish was basically like an assignment. I just considered it as something that needed to get done, something I wanted to get done.
I live in a developing subdivision (well, part of the time), and as houses would go up, gradually filling up the lots around us, my dad had taken pictures of the progression of a couple of them, documenting big steps along the way. The following video is a compilation of said pictures (roughly 30 of them) and my stunning motion graphics and editing skills =) I have titled it "A Home is Born" for lack of more creativity.
Photos: Richard Ivey
Video: Jackson Ivey "JXXN" =)
It wouldn't hurt you to click on those links in the right margin either. Gotta make a livin'. . .
As always:
http://youtube.com/HurricaneJxxn
Friday, September 5, 2008
Same Excuses
What is the excuse you always hear when people online neglect to upload videos and continue to blog? I was busy. Have had to deal with school now. Between homework and my job I hardly have time. The overused excuse of being busy, how about a real reason? Busy and tired, that's a new one. These excuses may explain why this blog post is short and may lack grammatical correctness, correct spelling, or any organization of ideas. I am laying here in bed blogging from my new iPod touch, listening to the song lollipop, which I have heard far too many times.
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