ReyNews Roundup

I've been meaning to use my blog to archive news posts and other media from websites that I visit frequently. I link to most of these things on Facebook, but 1) not everyone can see them because I don't add people that I don't talk to and 2) I want them to be somewhere more permanent. I'll post links to stories that caught my attention every few days. Most of these will be stuff I discover through my favourite blogs and publications. The majority of my posts will have to do with: technology, Harry Potter, TV shows I like to watch, and random weirdness.

I'll start off today by posting stuff I linked on Facebook the last two weeks, in reverse chronological order. Each will have a brief explanation. Okay? Okay.

I <3 FOXCONN
Foxconn is a manufacturing company in China responsible for making iPhones and other gadgets. Their employees have been known to commit suicide. The company has been boasting recently about how they installed safety nets for any employees that try to jump off buildings. Fuckin' safety nets to prevent their workers from dying, guys! How about... better working conditions and higher wages? ANYWAY. What I found Ridikkulus about this story was that Foxconn employees had a freaking RALLY to raise morale after the suicides. Whaaaat. Don't party, assholes. Mourn. Or at least cut back on the "I [Heart] Foxconn" shirts.

xoxo, Gossip Girl

The promo for Season 4 is out and it is awesome. I've been wanting to learn French for a while, and this made me want to do it even more. ReyFact: Helvetica Neue (Light) is probably my favourite font ever. I don't know much about typography, but it either is or is very similar to the one used on the GG logo.

Googlerizon Tablet
I doubt I'm gonna buy one because, well, I don't have the money for gadgets right now. But I'm sure it'll be awesome once the specs are released. I kinda wish tablet devices were common already. I'm tired of this iPad hype and wish netbooks would die already. Not that I don't love my netbook. It's so cute ^_^.

Harry Potter College Course
I know where I wanna transfer now. That is all.

Rammstein - El Sonidito

I could NOT stop laughing when I saw this. I think the best viral videos I've seen are the ones that I discover only because of my culture. This goes right up there with "La Caida de Edgar." Even if you aren't Mexican, this is probably funny... right? I mean, you can tell what they're supposed to sound like based on their expressions and attire. Then it pops out with the most annoying (and brilliant) song in the world. Ah, I could not ask for more.

The Big Bang 2

Charlie McDonnell is one fourth of a Time Lord rock band -- they play songs about Doctor Who -- called Chameleon Circuit that I love very much. I squealed when I saw this video in my subscription box because 1) Chameleon Circuit will probably be back with another album soon, and 2) he used the melody from the 5th series. I love it so much when they use music from the actual Doctor Who soundtrack and make it their own. That's probably why "An Awful Lot of Running" is my favourite Chameleon Circuit song. This new one is a VERY VERY VERY CLOSE second. OH MY GOD HE'S WEARING A FEZ.OH MY GOD HE'S WEARING A FEZ.OH MY GOD HE'S WEARING A FEZ.

Google & Verizon Discuss Tiered Interwebz
Since this was posted, the story has developed a lot and it may not be as bad as it sounds. This was the initial reaction I posted on Facebook, though: Google, I love you. Verizon, you're awesome. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! >_< No no no prioritization. It's hard enough to let the internet stay a democratic medium when we already have corporations monopolizing the cloud. Don't let the co's with money dictate the speed/quality of our content. I like net neutrality :(
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Edit: I noticed after posting this that TWO of these stories talk about Google and Verizon together. I bet they're down for DP. ...or they want tiered internet to work on wireless internet so their tablets sell better than Apple's. Hmm. Yes, Reyna. Because the SOLE PURPOSE of doing away with net neutrality is to sell a tabled devise. Yeah.

Video Grievances

I've been meaning to update on here more often, but... Well, I guess I have no real excuse. This is the one medium where I can't really complain about how my internet speed won't let me post, as has been the case with YouTube lately.

I went to ROFLCOPTOUR a few weeks ago and have been meaning to upload those clips for a while now. My original plan was to upload short clips of the performances I got footage to my main channel of and then link those clips to the longer versions on my alternate channel. Unfortunately, my internet speed has downgraded and apparently it would take 200 minutes to upload a three-minute clip. Even if I had the patience to wait that long, I wouldn't do it, on principle. The principle being: nobody in this world deserves to have internet speeds that slow. Hahaha. Yes, I am that bitter.

I've also been considering not posting on WTVlog anymore for that same reason. I don't want to have to go to the The Coffee Bean every week just so I can upload a little video every week. As much as I love making and editing them, it's starting to feel like a chore. My computer isn't exactly the newest and fastest piece of technology, either. It takes about about two hours to render a three-minute long video in 780p. Add that to the amount of time I spend recording the video (5-10 minutes), editing the video (45 mins-1 hour), and uploading it (200 minutes now, apparently), and it just doesn't seem worth it to upload a pesky three-minute video anymore.

Friendship Stories

An unchanging, unending midnight.

Not that I care much for The Twilight Saga, but I wish I were going to a midnight screening of Eclipse tonight.

Sometimes it bothers me how many cultural differences there are between my parents and myself. I remember wanting to watch "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at a midnight release party and not getting the opportunity to do so because my parents didn't give me permission to go. This also happened with the midnight release parties for the books, except "Deathly Hallows". Even then, I only went because my brother took me and had to stay the whole time.

They find it really hard to grasp the concept of being part of a fandom or that there is such a thing as a responsible person with a night life. They don't understand that when I want to go to a midnight release party/screening, the movie or book aren't the only things I'm paying for. I'm also paying for the experience. In fact, those 30 minutes before the movie begins and the thirty minutes after it ends are probably the best part of the experience. Watching a movie the moment it releases after such long anticipation and excitement, in the company of people who are just as excited does not compare to watching it online at your computer desk, or even going to the movies during the day a few days after it releases. It's just a whole different atmosphere that you can't take advantage of unless you're in the right place at the right moment.

P.S. The title was from Smeyer's "Midnight Sun." The best quote I could get with the word "midnight" in it besides: "We're coming back by midnight Sunday. It's up to you if you want to leave." Go figure.

He is like fire, burning through time.

Whether Chuck Bass is passionately kissing Nate Archibald on Gossip Girl* or Dr. Cox is quitting the hospital due to a faulty organ donor on Scrubs, I'm type to squeal and yell at my television screen (or computer monitor) when something exciting happens. Let me tell you, today's season finale of Doctor Who had me yelling all over the place. Though I've only been watching this show for half a year, it has me hooked. The subtle humor, cheesiness, and brilliant story lines really know how to grab me. I almost want to go back and watch the original series just to see if there were any allusions or jokes that I missed this time around.

I've heard it said that no one ever forgets their first Doctor. Though I watched every episode from the time of the ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston), I don't feel like he's my first. And as much as I absolutely love the 10th Doctor's (David Tennant) hilarity, brilliance, and dashing good looks, he's still not the Doctor I claim to be my first. Nope, my first is Matt Smith. He's the first I actually had to, well, wait for**. As in, I actually had to wait for every episode to air on television before watching it. The series I'd seen prior to this had already released, and I was able to binge on episodes without any of that waiting crap. Matt Smith was the first one whom I had to be patient with between episodes, which made them all the more exciting and hilarious.

While many didn't think he was fit for the role at first (and my friend Luis still doesn't think he is), I thought he made an amazing Doctor. If the change actor wasn't enough for a lot of people, the character had a lot of quirks after his regeneration, which I thought were what made him hilarious and set him apart from the rest. The whole bit about not knowing how to act human in The Lodger had me rofling*** the whole time. He's just too oblivious for his own good sometimes. In contrast, he also has those moments of "You can't do shit to this planet! You know why? 'cause I'm the motherfucking Doctor. *cue theme music for series 5*" They had one of these at the end of The Eleventh Hour, and in the middle of The Pandorica Opens. Both times, his enemies agree "Oh, shit. He is the Doctor. Let's gtfo. kthxbai." It was brilliant. I absolutely loved it.

I think I've babbled enough about this man for one day. If you'd like to continue a conversation about the 11th Doctor, you can just drop a comment.

Good day, everyone.

Bowties are cool.

*Which hasn't actually happened yet. But hey, a girl can dream.
**Reyna Villa: the girl who waited. See what I did there?!
***YES. I was literally. ROLLING ON THE FLOOR. No, not really.

Formspring: FAQ

In correlation with my previous post, I also get asked a lot of simple questions repeatedly. The type of questions that would be on an FAQ page if I had one. Here are a few of them, just in case you were wondering.

Do you record your videos when you are home alone? Do you lock yourself in your room and then record? Has your mom EVER walked in on you while recording or has she ever said "Y esta loca, que chingados esta haciendo?" [Translation: "What the fuck is this crazy girl doing?"]

There's usually people home. I do lock myself in my room, haha. And YES my mom has told me similar things. At first she'd be all wtf about it. Nowadays, I think my family's used to me grabbing my camera, taking it somewhere, and talking to it. They know I frequently post videos online by now.

How do you make your backgrounds?

I use Adobe Photoshop CS3. I made a template for myself that I base all my backgrounds off of. (In case you haven't noticed, they all kinda look the same.)

Read Bran Hambric? If so, what'd you think.
Yes, I did. I thought it was a clever little story. A lot of people were saying it's like a ripoff of Harry Potter, but Kaleb Nation hasn't even read the series. I know I've referred to it before as "JK Rowling meets Lemony Snicket." It was witty in its own cute little way. I actually had a blog in which I was gonna write about it, just as Kaleb Nation did with Twilight on TwilightGuy.com (except I wasn't so G-rated.) I stopped after like, two summaries: http://jabranblog.wordpress.com. Bahaha.

Didn't you just get a mooncup? Does it work well?
I did. I might make a review on my blog or on YouTube about it after I've used it for a couple more periods. I can tell you this for now: It takes a while to figure out how to put it in. I like this form of fluid storage better than that of a tampon (I haven't used pads since high school). I still haven't really gotten the hang of removal, though. Takes me a while. I'll let you know if I'd recommend it after I've figured out the proper way to take it out.

why /this/ instead of *this*?
Because *this* is what I use when I'm actioning something. (example: *eats carrot waffles*) /This/ is used for emphasis because it tilts, like italics. It takes the place of when I would use italicized text in rich text format. When I /really/ want to emphasize something, though... I use THIS.

Do you write fanfiction?
I haven't written fanfiction since middle school. I wrote a Harry Potter one that NO ONE will read ever again. Thank goodness I used a different screen name back then.

Why did your parents name you Reyna?
They wanted to name me Cristina, but some chick my grandma didn't like was named Cristina. They settled for Reyna, after a relative of mine named Reynaldo.

Glee in general?
I like it for entertainment purposes. Really enjoy the subtle humor. Great writers. Awesome musical choice. Very talented performers. Not the best show on earth, but definitely worth watching. While many (@sims) think it's stupid and that they ruin some truly great songs by having teens worship the covers as though they are the original songs, I like it because they cover things I like. I enjoy both the Glee and original versions for different reasons.

Also, it helps that the cast is sexy.

Formspring: Good Questions

I usually go on Formspring to answer dumb questions that people ask because they're bored and feel like being assholes. Sometimes, however, I get legitimate questions that I spend more time answering (or at least thinking about) than the usual ones. I'm posting some of them here because Formspring just doesn't do them justice. [Note: I added more to my original responses on some of these.]

What do you think the youngest age someone should have sex at?
There is no right or wrong age. They're just numbers. However, I do believe there is a right time. Age has nothing to do with it. (Though, I don't really condone having sex when you're too young to even consider the consequences.) As long as one is prepared emotionally, physically, and mentally. If you know what you're doing, taking the right precautions, and you know this isn't going to emotionally hurt you, you're ready. But for the sake of this question, sixteen sounds good.

Have you ever been in love? Do you believe in love? Do you love your fans?
I have loved, but I have never been in love. As for whether I believe in love... I suppose, yeah. There are different kinds of love (such as the kind a mother feels for her child, or the general appreciation one can have for their best friend [see: Will Grayson, Will Grasyon]). Then there's also what happens when one is attracted to another in a romantic/intellectual/physical way. I don't think people have soul mates or anyone that they are /meant/ to be with. But I do believe in relationships that work out because both parties genuinely enjoy each other's company and learn to work things out because they want to, not because they think they're meant to be. I hope this makes sense. Now I feel like I'm babbling.

I wasn't aware that I had fans. I just call them followers. I love/appreciate each and every one of them for keeping up with me through all my stupid moments of "Shit, I accidentally threw my tray into the trash can at Taco Bell." :)

Have you ever pretended to be someone you aren't to get people to like you? I am considering doing it, because I have about 2 friends.
I haven't, and wouldn't suggest it. I don't have that much of a social life, but I'm happy with what I do have. Less friends = less pointless drama. You need people that like you for you, not who you pretend to be. Find somebody who genuinely enjoys your company and whose company you enjoy. Friendships are hardly ever planned. 

But what if nobody actually likes me for me? I have suffered from depression/suicidal thoughts for about 4 years (i'm 13).
[I'm assuming this one was a follow-up to the previous question.] You've got a long life ahead of you. Don't waste it on thoughts about ending it. Embrace what the world has to offer. Life is what you make of it. If you make mistakes, learn from them; don't regret them. In fact, don't even consider them "mistakes." They're merely choices. You'll eventually meet people that will want to talk to you because they like you or find you interesting. 13 was a very stupid age for me, but I eventually developed more and more as a person and people either liked it or hated it. If I changed, it was because it gradually happened or certain events in my life caused me to see things in a different light. Not because I wanted people to like me.

Girl of the 21st Century

As we were watching the Germany vs. Australia World Cup match, my dad was telling me about how he'd always thought telecommunication interesting as a kid. He told me he didn't pursue a career in it because he didn't think it would really evolve beyond telephone calls. The way he saw it, watches were the way of the future. He said "As a kid, I thought people in the future would have little television screens on their watches. Nowadays they're only worn by very rich people for show or very poor people who can't even afford cell phones."

We continued to talk about how we saw the "future," technology-wise and I once again realized how disappointed I am with our technological progress. I thought that by now everyone would communicate though screens instead of holding a phone to their ear, kinda like they did on that Disney Channel movie "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century."

The recent release of the HTC EVO and the announcement of the iPhone 4 made me realize how slow the process of implementing advanced technology into every-day society is. Because while we do now have phones with which people can visually communicate via Skype or whatever client is provided, I know this won't be something we commonly see within the next year or two. Maybe I'm just impatient, but I always thought that people would be doing that regularly by now and it bothers me that we're not. It feels like everyone in America should be required to own some sort of smartphone or not own one at all. (Ironically, I still only own a dumb messaging phone.) It also annoys me how phones with cameras on both sides are being advertised as devices that emphasize video communication as though it were some sort of crazy new idea. Like we didn't already have iChat and Skype.

Don't even get me started on universal WiFi. I know there is greater technology out there than simple touchscreen devices with internet and video messaging. I want to know what that technology is. We need to start gravitating towards what we don't already have so that what we're just about to get becomes the norm.