8 posts tagged “melissajenna”

Hey guys, here's a video that I collaborated on with some of my debate peers as well as some newly made friends. We've partnered with an organization called Community Counts to propose an alternative option for the Republicans who've backed out of the CNN YouTube debate in September. I was surprised when I first watched the video to find that I'm the lucky gal that got to open and close the video, crazy! Below you'll find links to everyone's channel who participated.

I know that I complained a lot while I was there, but I really miss Samoa.

What's funny is that Mike (my boss on the island) and his wife Brenda would shake-me-to-death for saying something like that (our situation wasn't really all it was cracked up to be), but despite the situation we were in, there are parts of it that I hold very dear to me. That might have been the only time in my life where I felt both safe and at ease. I had very little responsibility, but I always knew that I was going to eat, and I always had Mike to come home to. Really, (and I don't know if I've ever actually told him this) Mike is the closest thing that I've ever had to a father. Or rather, the image that we have of what a father should be. I miss him more than I should.

Back to the island. There are so many memories that I fear I'll never come close to revisiting. So many images and sounds and smells that I want to experience right now, but I can't. Looking through the images has only made me more nostalgic, so I wonder if I should be doting on this at all? It's human nature (or maybe just my nature) to torture myself with these things, especially when everything seems to be going my way.

I miss pulling weeds in the bunkers with Nusi, and him sharing his home-made juice with me. His wife made it for him every morning and he would tell me, every time I drank it, that it was going to add two more years to my life. By his count I should live until I'm two hundred years old! I miss going to the market with Ron and our friends, and them laughing at me because I had never seen so many things made out of coconut shells before. I miss the beach parties that Mike would throw at Sa'anapu- we would invite everyone that worked for us to come along, and we'd barbecue and go swimming. I miss the swimming. I miss exploring Sa'anapu and wondering if what they had said was true, was I really the first white-person to see this beach in hundreds of years? I miss going to church with Ron's family and making faces at the little kids in the pews until they giggled and got scolded. (I'm a trouble maker.) I miss being on the social rowing team with all of those Samoan girls that could snap me in two if they felt the desire. Most of all I miss the clear warm quiet in the evening, in between breezes. I've never felt so free in my life. Horizon forever, no waves, just you. A welcomed, comfortable sort of alone, not the alone that I feel here at home. An alone that is just content being. The whole word didn't exist.

I wonder if the reason for my recent bout of nostalgia is because my life right now is the opposite of alone, the opposite of quiet serenity? Part of me wants to chase this YouTube thing as far as it's willing to run and the other part of me wants to run away to a place that's almost ethereal, but real. I should have never experienced such pristine serenity at my age. Everything else is going to be a let down. ;)

Quick! Everybody! Head on over to Michelle Malkin's Hot Air and make fun of a defenseless twenty-three year old girl! It's great fun, and as you'll see, all the "adults" are doing it!

Some of my favorites include:

These kids are so full of themselves. Thank God historically very few of them vote and very few of them will vote in the future. - Some guy named Blake.

She raised two points. Both were perky. - Our friend Blake again

You know what would make me take Ms. Perky seriously, if she’d have dropped the stuffed animals and her top. Everybody listens to a chick with her perkies on display. Hell bot of my financial advisers are strippers. - "Phinneaus G.

I watched the first 10 seconds again and I stand corrected: she’s a brainless little lefty dipstick who is ranked in the third quartile of her senior class in high school, and got a 26 on the ACT test … on her third try. Her favorite teacher is her (leftist) English teacher (he’s gay), and she plans to go to State U to study journalism. Did you say we’re “mean”? - "Jailbones"

She has a lot of people/backing behind her. Just check out her videos (I just checked out the 1st one and she is obviously a fraud) and her website. Everything is professional and it would take lots of money/time to pull this off. She’s another “LonelyGirl” that pretends to be a struggling college student with a part-time job…….Riiiight! - "Nottakingsides"

Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for an internet chat room full of Republican Chickenhawks.

In case you haven't caught on, these bigots are yammering on and on about... Me. Seriously! Remember that video that I posted regarding the Republican's refusal to participate in their upcoming debate? These "adults" got their Depends in a bunch over that!

I decided to comment on the page with my YouTube username (MelissaJenna) but then realized that you have to be a paid member to even post a comment in defense of yourself. How very fair and balanced.

Well, since this is my internet home, I suppose I'll just have to respond here. I apologize you guys for making you watching this mess, but you need to see it. These are Republicans in their natural habitat my friends, feasting on my well-intended call for inclusion in a process.

To begin, "Blake" makes a very telling statement of what Republicans really think of young voters. I wonder if he would have made that statement in a room full of people, or on national television? I would imagine not. Then again, "Blake" does seem to have the manners and class of an imprisoned sex offender considering his many comments about my "perkies." (It's moments like those that make Blake's mommy proud to have reared such a respectful son.)

To the comment about my having "a lot of people backing" me, that's just plain crazy. I work full time and stay up until all hours of the morning patrolling my YouTube channel and reading the news. I answer every single one of my emails myself, and I film and edit everything myself. (Not very well in my opinion.) But this guy seems to think that "everything is professional" and that it would take "a lot of time and money to pull this off." Well, he's right about one thing, it does take a whole lot of time. Also, thanks Chickenhawk for the compliment of calling my work "professional" looking, I really do appreciate that. :)

Oh, and for the record, I am a college student (Cuesta College to be specific) and I actually work full-time. Also, if anyone is curious, I pay my own rent, tuition, etc. I'm, like, a real person y'all! Hard to believe? Feel free to be intimidated, in fact, you probably should be. I'm twenty-three years old and I have the world going for me.

So Chickenhawks over at Hot Air, what were you doing at twenty-three? Does it make you feel all grown-up and important to degrade a twenty-three year old girl in a forum that doesn't allow her to defend herself? I invite you to bring your criticism to a place that won't make you pay to air it. Or, email me. That's free and won't offer me any web-traffic.

I'll be pleasantly surprised of any of your middle-aged cowards have the mettle to actually contact me. And I do mean pleasantly, I would really love for one of you to have some dignity and make this right.

Melissa "likeohmygawd!" Jenna

Hey guys! Here's a video that I posted on my YouTube channel that has gotten an ish-ton of people pissed of at me. Not quite what I expected, but whatever, I'll run with it!

Hey guys!

(In case you missed my post below, or the entire debate in general.) I was a guest of YouTube to attend the first ever CNN/YouTube Debate in Charleston, South Carolina! Not only that but one of my questions was actually asked in the debate! Doesn't get much cooler :)

Seriously, the entire trip was absolutely amazing. From my arrival when I met Anderson Cooper on the front steps of the hotel, to my appearance on American Morning on the day of my departure, it was one of the best experiences of my life. I never in a million years thought that I would be able to directly ask a question of a potential future President of the US. It really is ground-breaking when you think about it.

The most successful part, to me, was that some of us present got to ask follow-up questions of the candidates, just to make sure that they answered the question fully. In a sense I feel sorry for John Edwards because it seemed as if he was unaware that he would be held accountable immediately for his answer, so when the Reverend Longcrier followed Edwards response with yet another question, for a moment there, John Edwards face went white. I'll post the video below in case you didn't catch it:

Honestly though, despite his initial reaction (which is totally understandable. He might be the first President in history to have been asked a serious question by a citizen and have a clear and honest answer demanded of him!) I feel that this was one of John's finest moments in the debate. He made very clear statements: "I will not do that" being one of them. During debates we hear a lot of, "As President of the United States, I will..." always, "I will" never "I will not." That question of, "what won't you do?" might guide a lot of my submissions for the Republicans.

Well, way to go John, you are the first person to experience what politics is certainly coming to: one on one dialogue, and you did quite well. I might have started crying or something :/

After the debate we headed to the Spin Room where I had the pleasure of interviewing Governor Howard Dean as well as two YouTubers, John and Zach. Governor Dean was very easy to talk with and seemed genuinely excited about the impact that this debate will have on politics. John and Zach were awesome, and honestly, I wish I had more time to get reactions from the people that make YouTube so popular. It's "our" (and I use that term loosely as I'm almost 24 years old, which is about a decade older than John, who I interviewed) age group that is really going to be affected by this whole thing.

I'll tell you what, I'm glad that I'm on the younger end of this because I get to watch the Vets navigate through this changing world of old-campaigning vs. new-campaigning, and it's a little scary! Imagine, you spend your whole life essentially perfecting a style of discourse, only to have it turned up on it's end. Poor guys/girl. Really though, it's about time that real questions are getting real answers demanded of them.

Back to my experience. I spoke very briefly with Senator Obama and that experience in itself made all of my traveling woes worth while. (I don't want to go into detail, but it took me 23 hours to travel to Charleston, and 23 hours to return home. Enough said.) Mr. Obama was amiable, as you would expect. Seeing his face change when he realized that I was "the girl" who asked that question was entertaining. Overall, very nice guy.

After my time in the Spin Room I had the pleasure to appear on Anderson Cooper's post-debate wrap-up, which was amazing! First, let me get this out of the way- I have a silly little girl crush on Anderson, but more than that he really is an inspiration to me. I'll tell you more about our interaction later. So, Anderson Cooper Live. I think I did fairly well considering it was both my first time appearing on television and my first time appearing live on television. I have a DVD of it, but I think it would be against the law for me to post the footage on here. But here's a picture of me and my new BFF:

After Anderson's show we all headed over to the Google/CNN after party. Decent music + open bar + tons of people I've always wanted to talk to = best time ever! I had a single google-tini, mostly so I could retain the glowing ice-cube that was placed in each one. I got to see Anderson again, which was fun, and this time we took a picture or two. Also, I met a lot of really cool kids who had been watching the debate, and we took a bunch of photos together. Always good times.

The next morning I appeared on American Morning with John Roberts, which was so much fun! Everyone there was really nice and very easy to get along with. I would be lying if I said I wasn't enamored with the experience and hoping to replicate it in the near future.

I'm running out of steam here, I can only talk about myself for so long and then I just get bored. If you have questions about details of the event or want more reaction, please PM me as I'll be more than happy to provide it. I just feel like a tool yammering on and on and on about myself like this. :)

Don't get me wrong though, you'll hear more about me and Anderson soon. Our repeated interaction was a highlight of my trip. :)

So what's next? As I eluded to earlier, I'll be posting questions for the Republicans for their debate in September. Now I feel like everyone's going to think I'm submitting questions just so I can go to the debate, which is a bummer. I just want my questions answered, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go.

Plus, I'm STILL reading Harry Potter because I've been so busy! For shame, Melissa, for shame...

Show us an interesting video featuring one of the U.S. Presidential candidates.

It's my question at the debate! Crazy!

Hey y'all! Crazy things are afoot.

So I got this email from someone at ABC asking for a video-submission for this little ditty they were doing regarding the commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence, and BAM! It's on the internets! Follow the following link if you're curious (I'm up after Kevin, who I don't know from Adam in case you thought we were friends or something).

Then I entered some submissions for this contest on YouTube, and BAM Newsweek rings me for my two cents on the project. Talking to people is scary when it actually might matter. :/

Anyhoo, I've been keeping myself busy with all of this YouTube b'iness, but know that my first and only love will always be plunking away on my keyboard. No cameras involved. If anything, doing all of this video-related stuff has made me realize how truly difficult writing can be. The ability to express oneself without pictures or sound, without vocal intonation and facial expressions, now that is skill, and it is a skill that I need to hone. The depths of my respect for good writers has only increased throughout this video-journey.

That's all for now. The siren song of tapping keys has made it's way into my heart- expect more from me in the near future.

mj

(Note that all of this stuff didn't happen as "BAM!" as I'd like to make it seem. There were emails and phone calls throughout, but the tediousness of those takes away a lot of the romance of the idea that it was all very "BAM!")